Challenge the heights on Story Bridge, shopping at the “heart” Queen Street Mall and interacting with wild dolphins on Moreton Island are experiences in two days in Brisbane, Australia’s third largest city. So, what to do in Brisbane for 2 days? Let’s check out the suggested 48 Hours in Brisbane: Climbing the Steel Bridge, Going to the Island to Feed Dolphins on how to spend 2 days in Brisbane (Brisbane itinerary 2 days) in this post!
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Brisbane, the capital of Queensland, is Australia’s third largest city, located along the Brisbane River and about 19 km from Moreton Bay. It has a subtropical climate. The city has a system of parks, riverside walking routes, and diverse culinary and entertainment areas.
“All of this makes Brisbane dynamic, friendly and full of life,” according to Tourism and Events Queensland (TEQ). Below are suggestions for activities and destinations that visitors can schedule to visit if they only have two days in this city, according to TEQ’s suggestions.
Transportation: From Ho Chi Minh City, tourists can fly directly to Brisbane with a flight time of about 8.5 hours. Brisbane’s time zone (GMT + 10) is 3 hours faster than Vietnam. Flights usually depart at night and land the next morning, convenient for checking in at the hotel and starting the journey.
Accommodation: Brisbane has many options. 5-star hotels such as Brisbane Marriott, W Brisbane or Westin Brisbane have reference prices from 300 AUD (about 5.1 million VND) per night. Westin Brisbane Hotel is located near Queen Street Mall, convenient for walking to explore the center.
48 hours in Brisbane: Day 1: Urban, culinary and challenges
9am: Explore Queen Street Mall
Start the first day at Queen Street Mall, the central walking avenue. This is the commercial heart of the city with more than 500 shops, gathered in centers such as Uptown, Wintergarden and QueensPlaza.
Visitors can find international brands or visit small shops such as DElvene Cokatoo Collins Arts, which specializes in handmade, environmentally friendly products. This area also concentrates many ancient architectural works such as the City Hall Tower Clock, where visitors can sign up for free tours.
12:00: Cuisine on James Street
Move to the James Street area, about 2 km from the center, for lunch. This is a neighborhood with many design shops and restaurants.
One of the options is The Green (1/27 James Street). Brisbane cuisine is strong in seafood due to its location near the sea. Visitors can try dishes such as prawns, fried fish, steak. The price of a meal ranges from 25-50 AUD (430,000 – 860,000 VND).
3:00 PM: Story Bridge Climb
The afternoon is for the experience at Story Bridge Adventure Climb (5 Boundary Street). This is an activity to climb Story Bridge, one of three bridges with adventure climbing services (along with Sydney Harbour Bridge and Auckland Bridge).
Participants (from 6 years old) will fill in health information and be equipped with protective gear. The climb lasts about 2 hours, accompanied by a guide.
There are many tour options: sunrise, sunset, or daytime. From the top of the bridge, participants can have a 360-degree panoramic view of the Brisbane skyline, Moreton Bay and Glass House range. The tour price starts from 150 AUD (nearly 2.6 million VND). This is also the first place to provide bridge climbing services for people in wheelchairs.
7pm: Dinner at Howard Smith Wharves
The Howard Smith Wharves complex is located right at the foot of Story Bridge, a waterfront dining and entertainment destination. It used to be an old wharf, renovated with 13 restaurants, bars and a hotel.
Visitor can visit Felons Brewing to try craft beer and typical Australian dishes such as fried chicken, pizza, seafood.
Day 2: Experience the nature of Moreton Island
8am: Depart for the island
The second day is spent in nature at Tangalooma Island Resort on Moreton Island. Visitors travel to Holt Street Wharf, take a high-speed ferry for about 75 minutes to the island.
Moreton Island is the third largest sand island in the world. The resort is located in Moreton Bay National Park and Marine Reserve. It was once listed by Lonely Planet as one of the 100 most beautiful beaches in the world.
10am: Exploration Activities
The resort offers a variety of tours. The most popular is snorkeling to see the 15 Tangalooma Wrecks, an artificial reef that attracts many marine creatures.
Thrill seekers can join the “Desert Discovery” tour to sandboard from the high dunes, or drive a four-wheel ATV along the beach.
6pm: Dolphin Feeding
The most typical experience at Tangalooma takes place at sunset. Every evening, a pod of wild bottlenose dolphins (not captive) swim close to the shore. Under the supervision of the reserve staff, visitors are guided to wade into the shallow water and directly feed the fish.
In addition to the dolphins, the resort also offers kookaburra (a large native kingfisher) feeding in the afternoon. Guests board the ferry back to the mainland at around 7:30 p.m.
Alternatives
If you don’t want to spend the whole day on the island, you can choose an alternative on the second day.
Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary: Visit Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, 12 km from the center. This is the world’s first and largest koala sanctuary, established in 1927. It is home to more than 100 koalas and 70 other native animals. Visitors can hold koalas (following strict rules), feed kangaroos, learn about dingoes, wombats and platypuses.
Getting there: To get to Lone Pine, visitors can take a bus or choose a cruise with Koala and River Cruises. The cruise lasts 75 minutes each way, combining sightseeing along both sides of the Brisbane River.
South Bank Cultural Precinct: Another option is to explore the South Bank Cultural Precinct, home to the Queensland Museum and the Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA).
The text was translated and almost the photos in this article are credit to Phuong Anh/VNExpress.
Some best day tours, trips, activities and transfer services, tickets in, from and to Brisbane you can refer to
- Gold Coast Hot Air Balloon Ride, Vineyard Breakfast and Alpaca Farm
- XXXX Brewery Tour & Beer Tasting Experience in Brisbane
- North Stradbroke Island Boutique Sunset Tour from Brisbane
- Premium Tangalooma Wrecks Snorkel Tour from Brisbane and Gold Coast
- Brisbane City Tour with Cruise from Gold Coast
- Guided Kayaking Tour in Brisbane
- Story Bridge Adventure Climb
- Klook Pass Australia Tours
- Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary Entry Ticket
- Brisbane River Cruise with Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary Admission
- Airtrain ticket: Brisbane Airport to Brisbane City Service
Are you looking for more Brisbane guide? Let’s check it out: Brisbane travel blog — The fullest Brisbane travel guide for first-timers.
