ITINERARY:
Gather your besties for the ultimate Brisbane girls’ trip
Cue Shania Twain – let’s go girls. Whether you’re planning a long-awaited catch-up, a hen’s party or a significant birthday, it’s time to gather your girls to experience Brisbane’s ultimate girls’ trip. One part relaxation, one part adventure, one part gourmet and all parts fun, Brisbane is the ideal destination for that long-awaited getaway. We’ve put together the ideal three-day girls’ trip itinerary so all that’s left to do is drop the link into your group chat and get booking.
Day One
Morning
Gang’s all here. There are few better ways to ease into holiday mode than with a spot of pampering with a trip to a day spa or bathhouse.
Begin your holiday (or staycation) with a spot of unwinding at West End’s rooftop Soak Bathouse. While away the morning with zen-inducing mineral bath soaks, massages, saunas, and some lounging by the baths with your nearest and dearest.
Or, try Japanese-inspired The Healing Stone at South Bank’s Emporium Hotel. Here, you can experience Japanese massage, ganbanyoku (a Japanese hot rock spa) and facials. (Better yet, you can book to stay the weekend at the renowned, adjoined hotel).
For further relaxation inspiration, W Brisbane’s Away Spa presents an extensive treatment menu. At Away Spa, luxuriating is the only thing on your to-do list. Enjoy a refreshing beverage with a view over the Brisbane River (with a curated playlist to set the tone), take a dip into mineral-rich pools, book facials, massages, and beauty treatments. And breathe.
Afternoon
Next, it’s time to check in to your choice of accommodation. Book a stay at the top-tier, quintessentially aesthetically pleasing accommodation The Calile Hotel on fashion-forward James Street; reserve a room at beautifully adorned, blush-hued, boutique New Farm stay Miss Midgley’s; or, enjoy rooms with a view, pool dips, in-house dining and the Away Spa at the W Brisbane.
Evening
Brimming with deliciousness, Brisbane’s dining scene is well worth becoming better acquainted with.
For riverside dining, drinking and barhopping, Howard Smith Wharves is the place to be from sunset drinks to up-late revelry. Dine at the unmatched Stanley Restaurant where contemporary Chinese fair is pulled off with aplomb, enjoy a lively Italian feast at Ciao Papi, and celebrate well into the night at the good-vibe-conducive, overwater bar Mr Percival’s – where cocktails, ambient music and river views captivate the crowds.
Keen to continue the good times? Brisbane is dappled with rooftop bars, ideal for girls’ trip gatherings. In South Bank, Emporium’s The Terrace Rooftop Bar offers striking views with a side of refined cocktails in its sleek setting. Nearby in South Brisbane, Lina Rooftop takes drinking and dining to new heights. Sip and snack poolside at this popular and sophisticated oasis. On Queen Street, paying homage to a bygone Brisbane is Hibiscus Room – a rooftop bar where you can step back in time to enjoy the likes of cob loaf, a cheese fondue and mid-century-inspired cocktails (a Blue Lagoon, anyone?) or mocktails – for those hoping to hop on a winery tour the following day.
Day Two
Morning
Enjoy a leisurely start to the day (but first, coffee) before getting to know Brisbane a little better with a daytrip, cruise or culinary tour.
Kiff and Culture’s flavour-focussed tours offer locals and visitors alike an opportunity to take a deep dive into some seriously delicious local fare. The company’s daytime Brisbane Artisan Food and Drink Tour departs at 10.30am and includes a five-course banquet at South Brisbane’s lauded Southside Restaurant, in the enticing dining district of Fish Lane, followed by a wine or beer tasting paddle for those wanting to try some new flavours. Or, make a full day of it with one of the operators’ Tamborine Mountain Wine & Dine Day Tours.
If the idea of getting out on the bay with the wind in your hair is better suited to your girl group, then Sail Moreton Bay with Aria Cruises. Island hop, sip sparkling wine, paddleboard, eat delicious local food and more, with a choice of trips available at any time of year.
Afternoon
Slept in? No worries. Grab brunch at one of Brisbane’s hottest brunch spots before spending an afternoon exploring.
One of the most pleasant ways to take in the sights of Brisbane is to hop aboard a river cruise. YOT Club offers full-service, sit-down seafood dining experiences with a side of live music, a unique event space and leisurely scenic cruises. Better yet, book a VIP booth for ten people, which includes a food and drinks package plus private wait service, reserved seating and more. Similarly, you can book a six- or ten-person VIP Package aboard the newly launched Oasis Cruising and enjoy a picturesque river cruise on this stylish vessel on one of three decks.
Prefer to stay on dry land? Enjoy an afternoon of shopping in the city’s iconic retail precinct - Queen Street Mall. Along the Mall, you’ll find the Wintergarden shopping centre, iconic Brisbane Arcade, and Tattersall’s Arcade alongside the many hole-in-the-wall stores, specialty retailers, cafes, and eateries of the area. From the high-end to the boutique to popular international brands, there’s stores to suit all tastes on Queen Street Mall.
Evening
No girls trip to Brisbane would be complete without descending on food and fashion mecca James Street in Fortitude Valley. Among the chic hotels, design-centric stores, fine food and drink purveyors, caffeination stations and pampering parlours reside the renowned restaurants of this ever-evolving precinct.
Just off James Street, opposite the iconic beacon that is The Calile Hotel is blush-hued Italian locale, Bianca Restaurant. Come for the aspirational interiors, stay for the sophisticated fare and extensive wine list. Or, hop next door to Thai-flavour-filled sAme sAme – an ideal gathering spot for shared dining experiences.
For post-dinner drinks, flaneuse toward the bars of James Street and beyond. Try quintessential alfresco-friendly Sixes & Sevens for a laidback affair, or slide into a booth a Bar Tano by Gemelli for martinis in a Milanese setting.
Next, it’s time to kick up your heels and keep the cocktails flowing in the bars and clubs of Fortitude Valley’s Brunswick Street Mall. From petite bars to multi-level dancing venues, there’s a dancefloor with your name on it on Brunswick Street.
Day Three
Morning
Crew feeling a little dusty after a night of dancing? Make a beeline for reviving repast at one of Brisbane’s best farmers markets. Whether it’s the Jan Powers Farmers Markets at Brisbane Powerhouse of a Saturday morning (followed by a picnic at New Farm Park), or a Sunday spent strolling through veggie gardens in pursuit of pastries at Northey Street Organic Farmers Markets, this is a great way to refuel in the sunshine.
Next up, discerning friends can flock together for a polished high tea at one of Brisbane’s finest high tea destinations.
The Balfour Kitchen & Bar at Spicers Balfour Hotel serves its enticing high tea on the wrap-around verandah of a charming Queenslander building. Its sweet and savoury bites – including the pandan cake with pandan glaze – are a delight to behold (and devour).
At Brisbane Central’s Sofitel Hotel, a refined high tea celebrates French culinary techniques with its house-made patisserie treats – served, of course, with a glass of sparkling wine.
And, for a show-stopping high tea experience, South Bank’s Emporium Hotel serves up its deliciously unique, seasonal high tea menu at its Belle Epoque venue. While you’re in South Bank, you can also pay a visit to its art-centred cultural precinct (where you’ll find the Queensland Art Gallery and Gallery of Modern Art, QAGOMA), and see a live show at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC). From opera to ballet to comedy performances, QPAC has a program of live theatre to suit all tastes.
Afternoon
Just south of the city in Woolloongabba is South/City/SQ, a burgeoning dining destination that’s become home to some of Brisbane’s best-loved new venues. Among its exciting new eateries is vibrant Sasso Italiano (where the cacio e pepe is a non-negotiable) and South City Wine – a bar that oozes European sophistication and friendly neighbourhood vibes.
Ready to Visit Brisbane? Gather your girls and start planning our ultimate girls trip to Brisbane, pronto.
