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Brisbane is known as the capital of the Sunshine State. However, you may be visiting Australia’s third largest city after the sun goes down. Great news: there are many fun things to do in Brisbane in the evening.

Cruise on the river

Brisbane has been built along the winding river. A night cruise on the river will give you some of the best views of the city. No need to book or anything. You just go to a boat terminal on that list to catch one of the red ferries for free, the City Hopper, and admire the city lights at night.

Bike along the river

It’s easy to hire a bike at any time in Brisbane with the CityCycle. And you won’t need to feel comfortable riding in traffic. You can cycle on the Riverwalk along the river, from the CBD to New Farm, or across the Story Bridge to Kangaroo Point, or through the Botanic Garden.

Kayak on the river

You’ll get the same views than on the ferry but at your own rhythm. Of course, you’ll have to make efforts and paddle. Unfortunately, Riverlife only offers the activity on Friday and Saturday nights from Kangaroo Point.

Rock Climbing at Kangaroo Point Cliffs

The opportunity to climb Kangaroo Point Cliffs makes Brisbane very special. Indeed, there aren’t many cities in the world where you can enjoy rock climbing on a natural cliff just in front of the CBD.

Great news for those who cannot visit Brisbane during the day: the Kangaroo Point Cliffs are lit at night for climbers. Riverlife can organise private rock climbing sessions in the evening.

Climb the Story Bridge

The Story Bridge is an iconic monument of Brisbane. Visitors can climb to the top to admire the city skyline and the 360-degree view. Story Bridge Adventure Climb organise night climbs every day after the sun goes down.

Ghost Tour of the City

If you dare, you can join a special guided tour of the city at night, every Thursdays at 7.30pm, to meet with the ghosts of the River City.

South Bank Parklands

South Bank Parklands is the best place to find tourist activities in Brisbane in the evening. There are many restaurants to choose from. After dinner, you can have a digestive walk in the small rainforest, among the beautiful tunnel of flowers or along the lagoons with CBD views.

The Wheel of Brisbane

At the end of South Bank Parklands, the Wheel of Brisbane will take you 60m above the ground until 10pm during the week.

Dinner or drinks with a view

The Eleven Rooftop in Fortitude Valley and Bar Spritz in Kangaroo Point offer some of the best sights of Brisbane City for a drink.

Street Pier, near the river and the Story Bridge, hosts some of Brisbane’s most reputed restaurants: the Jellyfish for seafood, Sake for Japanese or Aria for fine diner. Not too far away, the Custom House also has fantastic views.

Tour the XXXX Brewery

Beer is an important part of the Australian culture, and XXXX is a reference in Queensland. The last tour of the XXXX Brewery starts at 5pm and lasts 90 minutes. The most famous brewery in Queensland is very easy to reach. It’s close to Milton train station, only two stops away from Brisbane Central Station.

Mount Coo-Tha Lookout

The Mount Coo-Tha Lookout is a few kilometres outside the city. It offers stunning views of the city and far beyond. And you’ll even get one of the best moonrises at full moon. There’s a coffee and a restaurant up there if you want to spend more time.

The last bus to Mount Coo-Tha (Translink Route 471) leaves the city at around 6pm. Unfortunately, you won’t have a bus to come back. A taxi will cost approximately $30, and Uber will cost about $20.

Walk in a park

If you feel like reconnecting with nature, there are a couple of parks close to Brisbane CBD that stay open all night long. The most obvious one is the City Botanic Garden, along the river. There are lights in some big fig trees that actually make it very special to visit at night. The Roma Street Parklands are not too far away, approximately a 10-minute walk from Brisbane’s CBD. It’s also suitable for a night walk as they installed beautiful lightings on fountains and pathways.

A bit further away…

If you have time to rent a car and don’t mind driving for about one hour, you can add these other activities to your list of things to do in the evening in the Brisbane region:

Natural Bridge in Springbrook National Park

How about hiking to a cave in a National Park to spot glow worms? Natural Bridge in Springbrook National Park is 1.5 hours away from Brisbane and is one of the rare places in the world where you can see glow worms in the wild. They can only be seen at night, so it’s perfect for those who got stuck with work all day. You will need to organise your own transport there as there is no night tour to Springbrook National Park from Brisbane.

Scuba Diving the Gold Coast Seaway

If you’re lucky with the tide timings, you can go on a work trip to Brisbane and scuba dive the Gold Coast Seaway! It takes about one-hour to drive there from Brisbane. Underwater, you’ll find a sand pipe full of life just a few metres away from the carpark.

So if high tide is early in the evening, you can get in touch with the local dive shops to see if there’s a chance of going in.

Stargazing

Brisbane is not the best place for stargazing in Australia. But if you’re not used to seeing the Milky Way with your naked eyes from your backyard, you may be interested in stargazing during your time in Brisbane. Of course, you’ll need to get away from the city to reduce light pollution and get an open sky. The coast can be a good idea (towards Redcliffe or Cleveland). One of the best spots for stargazing near Brisbane is at Lake Moogerah, where the sky is very dark facing south. It takes approximately one hour to drive there from Brisbane.

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Eloise | MyFavouriteEscapes.com | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest

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