Brisbane in a Day - Bridgewater Terraces

Are you visiting Brisbane on a tight schedule and wondering how to make the most of your time? If you are, I have some good news for you. You can get a taste of the best that Brisbane has to offer in just one day.

Today, I will share a full-day itinerary that covers the best of Brisbane. So, continue reading to find out how you can enjoy the best our city has to offer in a day. And, if you choose to stay at our holiday apartments at Bridgewater Terraces, you’ll face no problems in following this itinerary.

Table of Contents

1. City Botanic Gardens

Brisbane City Botanic Gardens | By Brisbane City Council

Start your day at 10 am by spending an hour at the City Botanic Gardens in Alice Street, South Bank. The City Botanic Gardens is Brisbane’s oldest park which was planted back in 1825 by convicts. You’ll get to witness exotic flora and fauna, ancient trees and rainforest glades amidst lush green lawns and walkways. Some attractions worth visiting at the City Botanic Gardens include the Bamboo Grove, Mangrove Boardwalk, ornamental ponds and Weeping Fig Avenue. You’ll easily be able to explore these in an hour’s time.

At Bridgewater Terraces, our holiday apartments are conveniently located in Kangaroo Point, close to South Bank. Should you stay with us, getting to the starting point of this itinerary very easy! Simply catch a CityCat Ferry from Holman Street Pier to Eagle Street Pier and walk over to the City Botanic Gardens. It’ll take you less than 10 minutes to get there!

2. Queensland Gallery of Modern Art (QAGOMA)

GOMA Foyer. Credit: Kgbo

After you’ve spent an hour at the City Botanic Gardens, head over to the Queensland Gallery of Modern Art, which is just a 15-minute drive away. There are two galleries for you to explore while you’re there with both galleries focusing on contemporary art. Several special events and exhibitions are also held at the QAGOMA every year, and if you’re lucky, you might end up catching one. There are many shopping, cafes and dining options to keep you entertained while you’re there. Explore the area, have lunch and spend an hour or two at the QAGOMA. You’ll still have enough time to explore other Brisbane highlights.

3. Victoria Bridge

Victoria Bridge

When you’ve had your fill of the QAGOMA, stroll down to Victoria Bridge which is less than a kilometre away. Here you’ll find a sandstone bridge abutment right next to Victoria Bridge, which is a famous memorial in South Bank. There’s a touch of historic charm associated with Victoria Bridge that will transport you back to the early 1900s. It’ll be posting lunch when you reach Victoria Bridge, and you’ll be able to capture some fantastic shots of the area and its surrounding abutments. Spend about half an hour here before heading to the Wheel of Brisbane.

4. Wheel of Brisbane

Brisbane Wheel at South Bank

From Victoria Bridge, walk over to the Wheel of Brisbane, which is just half a kilometre away. Take a ride on the wheel to experience panoramic views of South Bank and the adjoining parklands. The wheel will take you up to a height of 60m where you’ll witness breathtaking views of Brisbane’s cityscape. Make sure to capture some photos to take home some great memories.

5. South Bank

South Bank, Brisbane, QLD

When you’ve had a good time on the Wheel of Brisbane, continue exploring the rest of South Bank. South Bank is Brisbane’s cultural, entertainment and lifestyle precinct and there are plenty of things to see and do in the area. From cineplexes to forecourts, shopping, drinking and dining options, you’ll find everything in the area. Spending your evening in South Bank is probably the best way to bring your day of sightseeing to a relaxing close.

And, if you choose to stay with us at, your accommodation won’t be too far away. Simply cross Brisbane River on a ferry from South Bank and our relaxing 1, 2, and 3 bedroom holiday apartments will be waiting to welcome you.

Conclusion:

Even if you’re visiting Brisbane on a tight schedule, it is possible to experience the best of our city in a day’s time. Start your day at 10 am by spending an hour at City Botanic Gardens. Move on to the QAGOMA where you can spend a couple of hours and also have lunch. From QAGOMA, take a leisurely stroll to explore Victoria Bridge and its surroundings. When you’re done, take a ride on the Wheel of Brisbane. Spend your evening exploring South Bank before calling it a day.

For holiday accommodation that puts you close to all of these attractions, you’ll find nothing better than us at Bridgewater Terraces.

Take a look at our self-contained holiday apartments and make a booking with us today!

About Denis Goodman

Denis is the manager of Bridgewater Terraces and has a long history with accommodation and property management rights. He brings his knowledge and experiences into his writer to help holiday makers have a wonderful holiday.
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gillian wickens

02:12 12 Nov 18

Lovely spacious apartment with large terrace looking out over the Brisbane River. Brilliant.

Kirill Kononov

03:20 10 Aug 17

Stopped there for 3 weeks. Good location, nice internal facilities. Rooms were not cleaned well enough. Dust here and there, plus found an old razor in the bathroom. however I would put 3.5 stars for overall experience which wasn't bad. My major concern is safety and security of the apartments. My car was broken into at night on secure underground parking. Car's door was broken and my personal belongings were stolen. Management told me they are not responsible for the damage and loss because of the signs they put on parking walls. This accident put my rating down to 1 star.If you have a car I would recommend to park it underground despite the secure gates installed.

Michelle Inggs

02:08 29 Aug 17

Bridgewater terraces is the perfect place to stay for business or leisure. It is conveniently located within reach of Southbank, the CBD, local hospitals and convention centres ect. I stayed at the apartment for over 2 months and thoroughly enjoyed my time. I found the complex to be perfectly manicured and maintained, quiet and loved the cafe next doors. The river view is also very relaxing. The location is perfect for children and my kids loved walking through the gardens, splashing in the pool and walking to the nearby park and playground. Ray and Dennis in management were very helpful, attentive, compassionate and a pleasure to deal with.

brian levine

06:05 18 Jun 16

Booked to stay at Bridgewater Terraces and looked forward to our visit. The views of the river are magnificent and this was the main, and as it turned out, the ONLY attraction.Initially the room looked OK until we discovered that it appeared NOT to have been cleaned! The old cooker was filthy and had to be scrubbed before we could use it. None of the cutlery or dishes were from same sets. The windows may have been wiped, but with a greasy rag. Having completed our own clean we sat down on a badly worn, sagging sofa which had stains and grease marks all over it. If that wasn't bad enough, the shower screen came off its rusty rails and there were many loose surrounding tiles. When the tumbler drier gave up, so did we and we checked out!Such a pity, Well manicured gardens and a fantastic location but the apartment interior was old and tattered and from our experience, very little effective management. Just to put the boot in, wifi is NOT free and is horrendously expensive. Stay here at your peril!!

Justin Ward

11:21 30 Aug 17

Nice and peaceful. Clean rooms stones throw from story bridge hotel.

Marto Dowabobo

00:07 10 Jun 18

Excellent in everything

Harry Kim

23:54 14 Mar 16

Stayed here with a few guests and booked 3 rooms during February. Reception were only too kind and gave us really good tips on the Brisbane area. Rooms were spacious and quite modern. Everyone in our party enjoyed the stay and would definitely come back.

Frankly YouzACoopa

10:02 18 Dec 18

Stars rounded up because management were friendly. We got a neat well furnished apartment looking over the river. Appliances are modern but the washer and dryer are cheap. The dryer is faulty but useable if you jury-rig it. The bathroom floor drain doesnt have a trap so youre best off covering it to prevent air from venting out. Everything else was nice, the pool is a plus and the location is good.