The best thing about travelling the world one day at a time is that you can pick how you want to experience any city, based on what you feel like doing that day, and then, have a completely different experience the next day. Brisbane is one of these cities that allows you to have any day you can imagine, from relaxing, to adventure filled, to foodie centered, or even to becoming one with nature. Today’s day in Brisbane is going to focus on how to spend a day exploring the South Bank precinct. It is a riverfront district opposite the CBD that offers parklands for exploring, swimming, lounging and learning about the history of Brisbane. There are cafés, restaurants, playgrounds, man-made beaches, pools, hotels, the Queensland Maritime Museum, and even a Nepalese Peace Pagoda. Here’s an example of how we spend a day in South Bank!
The South Bank precinct is located in the South Brisbane suburb, which is directly across the river from the CBD. You can access the precinct via train stations (South Brisbane or South Bank), via car, via ferry, or even via pedestrian foot bridges from the CBD. South Bank can truly keep you entertained for days, so we’re going to put forward a day that starts off with exploring and ends with more relaxing vibes.
We’re going to start our day with a nice hearty breakfast at a wonderful café called Mi Casa. This café is located on Grey Street, in the same area as the South Bank train station, right beside a Woolworths Metro grocery store. Our tummies fell in love with this place and it has been a tradition to make sure we go here at least once every time we are in South Bank. The portions are fantastic, the staff are lovely, and the food is out-of-this world. We’re huge fans of the Brisket Benny on Hash and the Avocado Toast. Their coffee and matcha are also wonderful.
Estimated time at breakfast (30 minutes to 1 hour) and price (we paid $59.30 for 2 adults, with 2 brisket eggs benny on hash and 1 matcha)
Now that our bellies are full, its time to walk through the parklands! We’re big walkers so we like to use our feet to explore everything there is to offer. Some free highlights that you definitely should plan on seeing are the Nepalese Peach Pagoda, the Rainforest Walk, and the Brisbane Sign. If you want some paid options that involve being indoors for say a rainy day, the Queensland Maritime Museum, the Queensland Art Gallery, the Queensland Museum Kurilpa, or the Queensland Performing Arts Centre are top tier (and air-conditioned). For those with little ones, there is a massive playground structure with ropes, slides, and shade also located in the parklands.
Estimated time to walk around South Bank (2 to 4 hours of just walking, barring any activities) and price (free for just walking, paid options start at $18 for adults)
After walking, its definitely time for lunch and there are so many options available along Grey Street, Little Stanley Street, Stanley Street, and the Clem Jones Promenade that you will be spoilt for choice. If you’re after a quick bite to eat, we recommend Guzman Y Gomez (GYG), which is a Mexican place that has fabulous burritos and burrito bowls. If you are after a more sit-down style meal, The Plough Inn has some great food and drinks, and its directly across from Streets Beach. There’s also a grocery store (Woolworths Metro) if you feel like making your own lunch.
Estimated time at lunch (15 minutes to 1 hour) and price (paid options start around $5 for quick and $15 for sit-down, we paid $24.10 at GYG for 1 burrito and 1 mini burrito bowl)
The beautiful thing about South Bank is you can explore as much or as little as you want before plopping yourself down at Streets Beach for a dip at the man made beach, and some relaxation. Streets Beach is amazing, refreshing, and such a fun vibe. Its a man-made beach, with views of the river and CBD, but it does get quite busy on nice days. If its too busy for your liking, South Bank also has the Boat Pool and Aquativity to explore for more water fun.
Estimated time at Streets Beach (2 to 4 hours) and price (free, unless you need a little treat like some ice cream or popsicles which is about $10 for 2 items)
Finally, its dinner time. As with lunch, there are so many options available in South Bank that you really can’t go wrong with any pick. Our go-to favourite place is Gnocchi Gnocchi brothers for, you guessed it, gnocchi. They have more than just gnocchi on the menu, but once you have that gnocchi, you’ll dream about that culinary experience until you can have it once more (not from personal experience, we swear *wink wink*). We’ve had a couple of different options and they are all delicious, but our absolute favourites are the traditional beef bolognese gnocchi or the creamy lobster bisque and barramundi gnocchi. The portion sizes may seem tiny but these are extremely filling so if you don’t have a big appetite, consider sharing.
Estimate time at dinner (45 minutes to 1.25 hours) and price ($58.80 for 2 gnocchi dishes with leftovers and a beer)
And that is how we would spend a day in South Bank, Brisbane. Have any other recommendations? Drop them in the comments below as we’d love to try them out.
Need hotel recommendations to continue the adventure for multiple days? We’ve stayed at the Emporium Hotel (apartments via AirBnB), as well as the Courtyard Marriott and would recommend both of them. The Courtyard Marriott is a tiny bit more out of the way, but if you don’t mind an extra 5 minute walk (*uphill), we would recommend this hotel for the price you pay any day. The Emporium Hotel is a 5 star hotel so it is quite expensive if you book through the hotel, but do look on AirBnB for the apartments option as it was very reasonably priced and we got access to a pool.
- Total time: 5.5 hours to 11.25 hours
- Our personal totals (per person) from our last time in December 2025:
- Price per day without including accommodations : $76.10 AUD
- Price per day if including accommodation at Courtyard Marriott hotel: $233.60 AUD (we stayed during summer and on a concert night so rates were higher than usual)