Here’s where to find Brisbane’s best accessible experiences
Rivermakers, Morningside
Whether you’re a food-centric explorer, a wine connoisseur, an animal-obsessed adventurer, or an adorer of the arts, these are the accessible Brisbane experiences and destinations you’ll want to discover next.
Brisbane is brimming with well-designed, barrier-free, accessible sites, experiences and attractions – from the nature filled to the art-forward, and, of course, accessible spots to refuel with first-rate food and drink. Here’s where to find Brisbane’s best accessible things to do across the city and beyond.
Where the wild things are: accessible wildlife experiences
Consider yourself a budding David Attenborough type? Throughout Brisbane, and just beyond, lie an abundance of opportunities to get up-close and personal with local wildlife. Get cosy with koalas, experience whales at play and take guided educational tours.
Brisbane Whale Watching
If getting better acquainted with awe-inspiring animals of the deep is on your wish list, Brisbane Whale Watching is a tour operator that offers well-equipped, wheelchair-friendly whale-watching tours (with accessible bathrooms on board), expert narration from your captain and accessibility plans to ensure everybody can experience this iconic Queensland attraction.
Trevena Glen Farm
Amid the natural beauty of Mount Samson, about 40 minutes north-west of Brisbane live the ‘aww’ and ‘squeal’ inducing animals of Trevena Glen Farm. This kid-safe and accessible attraction presents a fun day out for families, couples and solo explorers can get close to twelve types of farmyard animals – from alpacas to tiny chicks. The fun-filled site is also the proud participant of an approved NDIS animal farm program.
Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary
Meet a host of friendly characters at Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, one of the best-loved accessible experiences and attractions in Brisbane. At this wheelchair-friendly, accessible-facility-forward sanctuary, you can befriend a platypus, a barnyard animal, kangaroos, birds, wild animals, koalas, amphibians, reptiles and more. Wheelchairs are also available for hire on site when you book in advance.
Daisy Hill Koala Centre
A short drive south of Brisbane reside the sleepy koalas of Daisy Hill Koala Centre. Here, visitors can watch or listen out for the well cared-for koalas from the viewing platforms around the free-to-visit centre. The centre is home to educational activities and information, including a documentary-viewing theatre. There are also a series of smooth tracks throughout the surrounding park, where you can take in a dose of nature outdoors.
Nature Freedom Tours
If nature is your salve, Brisbane-based Nature Freedom Tours offer tours designed to be inclusive and accessible for all nature lovers. Be it a cultural nature tour, a nature craft session, a kayaking experience or an accessible bushwalk, Nature Freedom Tours consider their visitors’ unique abilities.
Centre stage: accessible art, music, and cultural experiences
Whether you’re a Brisbane local or here to visit, inspiring, cultural activities are wide-ranging and many across this creative city. For accessible experiences and attractions that centre on art and leisure, look no further than these venues.
QAGOMA
Encompassing the Queensland Art Gallery and the Gallery of Modern Art (QAGOMA) is a celebration of art, creative ideas and activities. This forward-thinking hub is cleverly and accessibly designed to ensure all visitors are welcomed in with ease and can enjoy the exhibitions and art-fuelled experiences on site. Wheelchairs are available for to hire for free, a hearing loop system is installed in their Australian Cinémathèque and registered assistance dogs are welcome at QAGOMA.
Channel Seven Wheel of Brisbane
For those comfortable with great heights (no judgement if you’re more of a ground-dwelling type!), the Channel Seven Wheel of Brisbane offers an accessible experience, and inimitable views over South Bank and the Brisbane River. The fully enclosed, air-conditioned gondolas rise up to 60 metres above the parklands below and feature an audio guide to the sights beyond your windows.
QPAC
If you’re ever in doubt over what to do when spending time in Brisbane, the renowned Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) is home to some of the world’s best and most entertaining productions – from musicals and plays to live music shows and comedies, and the inspirational works of Opera Queensland. The accessibility focussed centre ensures all guests can enjoy an accessible experience with its audio-described performances, Auslan-interpreted performances, Listentech, wheelchair seating, and more.
City Hall and MoB
An homage to all things Brisbane, Museum of Brisbane (MoB) sits hidden within iconic City Hall. Offering more than a historical retrospective of the city, MoB also celebrates the emerging and creative people that inhabit Brisbane today. The museum takes into consideration the sensory, access and interpretation needs of its visitors and is a wheelchair-friendly space.
Fortitude Music Hall
All fans of live music and comedic performances are given an experience to remember at Fortitude Music Hall in Fortitude Valley. The wheel-chair accessible venue ensures all guest are comfortable and have a great view of the live performances at this purpose-built, central venue.
Appetite for gastronomic adventure? Here’s where to eat and drink
From casual marketplace eats to sophisticated, contemporary culinary fare, the accessible dining and drinking destinations in Brisbane are many, and deliciously varied.
Howard Smith Wharves
Your biggest challenge at Brisbane’s shining riverside dining and drinking precinct is choosing which of its enticing venues to try first. Accessible by elevators from both the neighbouring clifftops and the underground carpark, this spacious district below the Story Bridge is ideal for bar or restaurant hopping, from day to night. Enjoy a freshly brewed beer at Felons Brewing Co., enjoy a cocktail at Mr Percival’s, a Greek feast at Greca and even stay the night at Crystalbrook Vincent. Howard Smith Wharves offer it all with a front-row view of the Brisbane River.
Rivermakers
A little further down the river in Morningside, bustling neighbourhood gourmet hub Rivermakers is home to a collection of accessible experiences and attractions. Nestled within its reimagined Heritage Quarter (HQ) is popular beer-sipping spot Revel Brewing Co. and Bavay Distillery, where you can make your own take-home spirits on site or enjoy tasting housemade gin and rum. And, once you’ve refuelled (we recommend sampling the pizza at Revel), you could visit Mas & Miek ceramic workshop to unleash your inner ceramicist.
South Bank restaurants
Whether you’ve visited South Bank to take in a performance at QPAC, visit its art galleries, or enjoy a day by the river, there are a number of delicious and accessible locales to visit while you’re in the parklands and in the streets beyond. Take a trip around the world with Lebanese restaurant Baba Ganouj, Ahmet’s Turkish Restaurant, Mucho Mexicano South Bank, Ole Restaurant & Sangria Bar, Vici Italian, French-inspired Aquitaine Brasserie, and more.
Outside of Brisbane’s key dining precincts, accessible restaurants, bars and cafes abound across the city and its neighbouring regions. Book a spot at La Vue Waterfront Restaurant, OTTO Ristorante, Blackbird Bar, Dining and Events, Malt Dining, and Alchemy Restaurant in Brisbane City, C'est Bon Restaurant & Le Bon Bar in Woolloongabba, Chu The Phat in South Brisbane, and Lefka’s Taverna and Bar Francine in West End to get you started.
Wide open spaces: accessible parks in Brisbane
For those in need of some fresh air and a spot of nature and greenery in the city, Brisbane’s sprawling parks and gardens offer a peaceful place for reprieve.
Roma Street Parkland
Abundant plant life, landscaped gardens, ideal picnic spots and accessible pathways makes Roma Street Parkland a tranquil spot to while away a day. Register for a guided tour, explore the 16 hectares of parklands – including the Spectacle Garden, a resplendent celebration of flowering plants and subtropical foliage.
South Bank Parklands
From its cultural precinct (see QAGOMA and QPAC and the Channel Seven Wheel of Brisbane) to its dining destinations and spacious parklands, South Bank offers an exciting assortment of accessible experiences and attractions in the heart of Brisbane. Visit the famed Streets Beach swimming pool, traverse beneath the blooming bougainvillea flowers that shade South Banks pathways, spend time on its waterfront promenade and explore nearly 15 hectares of green parklands.
City Botanic Gardens
There’s always something happening in Brisbane’s City Botanic Gardens. Come for the verdant Bamboo Grove, visit the Weeping Fig Avenue and ornamental ponds, and stay for one of the many events and activities that take place among the gardens, from markets to festivals.
Explore (a little) further afar
You needn’t travel far to uncover these picturesque destinations just beyond the city limits. Beautiful beachscapes, vineyards and old-world charm are just around the corner – better yet, they’re accessible for all day-trippers.
Old Petrie Town
Being one of Brisbane’s best-kept secret historical treasures, even the city’s locals would be forgiven for not being familiar with this charming corner of Kurwongbah. The town, with its museum, rum distillery, milk bar and old-fashioned confectionary store, comes to life during its Sunday Markets. Held each Sunday between 7am and 1pm – with accessible and plentiful parking – the markets line the historical streets with food stalls, fruit-and-veggie markets, steam engines, and more. Not to be missed is freshly baked bread from a wood-fired oven.
Sirromet Winery
A popular spot for wine enthusiasts and active wildlife alike, Mount Cotton’s Sirromet Winery combines many of life’s greatest pleasures in one accessible location. Sip top-notch wines outdoors with a view over the sprawling vineyards, while wallabies hop through lavender fields, enjoy a wine tasting, visit Restaurant Lurleen’s for a spot of sophisticated dining, and book a staycation at the luxurious Sanctuary by Sirromet.
Tangalooma Island Resort
It may feel a world away from Brisbane City, but Tangalooma Island Resort on Moreton Island/ Mulgumpin is an ideal day trip just off the coast. That said, once you’ve arrived, there’s a strong chance you’ll want to book an extended stay at the accessible and family-friendly Tangalooma Island Resort. At the resort, visitors can choose from a selection of accessible day cruise experiences, drink and dine with a swoon-worthy ocean view backdrop, and sleep in comfort.
Ready to access more of Brisbane? Plan your visits to the best Brisbane accessibility experiences and attractions today.
