72 hours is not enough to enjoy the open air city of Brisbane. However, if that is all you’ve got – then follow this itinerary to a T to ensure that you get the most of out of this cosmopolitan gem!

9am - 12pm PADDINGTON

White picket fences, manicured lawns and a long, winding terrace bursting with enough boutiques, cafés and bars to keep for some good old brunch.

Eat:

Take your taste buds to the Middle East via Shouk Café, for breakfast or lunch or eat all of the wings at Yard Bird Ale House

Shop:

Quaint boutique furniture and antique shops

Getting there: Paddington is frequented by Brisbane City Council’s buses

1pm – 5pm QUEEN STREET MALL

A heady mix of international boutiques, flagship stores and Australian labels, Queen Street Mall is a pedestrian mall located at the heart of the city. This shopping precinct is packed with more than 700 retailers so be ready to shop your hearts out

Eat:

Jimmys On The Mall is right smack in Queen Street Mall – have a glass of wine alongside your Australian lunch and people-watch in style.

Shop:

Quaint boutique furniture and antique shops

Getting there: The city precinct is frequented by Brisbane City Council’s buses

5 - 6pm BRISBANE GREETER WALKING TOUR

Brisbane Greeters is a FREE walking tour service in Brisbane. Run by a group of enthusiastic and friendly volunteers, this walking tour allows the travellers to experience Brisbane through the eyes of a local, as the Greeter injects their own knowledge and passion into each tour.

Ranked no. 1 of 92 tours and activities on TripAdvisor goes to show how many have enjoyed this free walking tour.

Tip:

Ask for a city tour and get to learn about the City Hall and hidden laneways of the city

7pm till late EAGLE STREET PIER

Take a short stroll to Eagle Street Pier to enjoy its fine array of restaurants.

Eagle Street Pier is an iconic waterfront precinct with world-class dining options and unrivalled views of the Brisbane River and Story Bridge.

Eat:

Giddy up for dinner with a view at including Matt Moran's ARIA or Pony restaurant. Catch the beauty of lit-up Story Bridge.

For something casual, check out Jude Kitchen & The Bar, The Coffee Club or Nagomi

Full day SOUTHBANK PARKLAND

Brisbane’s cultural heart is beating strong at South Bank.

A hop, skip and a jump across the river from the city (via Victoria, Kurilpa or William Jolly foot bridges, the CityCat or the buses and trains) South Bank is a lifestyle precinct spanning 23 hectares, a ‘beach’ and enough restaurants to keep a gourmand happy for life.

9am – 11am: Sunbake and swim at Australia’s only city beach, Streets Beach.

Have a late brunch at Cafe Lagoona's or Beach Hoouse Health Bar (for yummylicious smoothies and shakes)

Tip: South Bank Parkland hosts good weekend markets.

12pm – 4pm Do the culture vulture circuit: Check out a Gallery Of Modern Art show, see an exhibition at The Queensland Art Gallery, or borrow a book or two from the State Library of Queensland.

EAT:

Grab a bite to eat at the award-winning and hatted GOMA restaurant. This is 1 culinary experience that will linger for a long time.

SHOP:

GOMA Store curates a good range of merchandise and books that are great gifts or keepsakes.

4 – 5pm CITY CYCLE

Cycle and explore the open air city of Brisbane

All you need to do is hire a bike from any one of the 150 CityCycle stations and simply return that bike at the end of your journey to any of the designated bonus stations.

6pm till late BRISBANE RIVER VIA CITY CAT FERRY

Hop on a City Cat from any of the South Bank terminals to take in the sights of Brisbane River.

If you are there on Friday or Saturday, we recommend that you take the City Cat to Bretts Wharf and head to Eat Street Markets (4pm-10pm), a container wharf that has been transformed to a food and retail container market experience!

Or complete your leisurely day by getting tipsy and arty with Cork & Chroma who organises painting classes with good bottle of vino.

10am-12pm STORY BRIDGE CLIMB

An experience that offers you the most breathtaking panorama of Brisbane and its surrounding natural beauty.

The two hour experience includes a unique journey up over the bridge's superstructure to the 80 metre summit which provides magnificent uninterrupted 360 degree views of Brisbane City, the river, mountain ranges and Moreton Bay Island

12pm till late FORTITUDE VALLEY EXPLORATION

From the cranking of a coffee grinder to the final closing doors of nightclubs – Fortitude Valley is the suburb that never sleeps.

While Queensland’s premiere dedicated entertainment precinct is best known for its nightlife, there is plenty else to do dawn to dusk from shopping the hip laneways and leafy streets to eating through a melting pot of restaurants and sipping lattes at our best cafes and coffee shops.

Eat:

Lunch in at the many awesome cafes in the Valley from King Arthur to Harvey’s and Campos

Shop:

Boutique shopping at James Street

With more than 130 stores calling this strip home, shop from top to bottom to find flagships, local boutiques and Brisbane designer items.

Discovery at Bakery Lane

Bakery Lane is the funky creative space in Fortitude Valley that also caters to the growing group of Brisbane foodies itching to try the latest and greatest gourmet food and street tucker. Not to forget the shopaholics - a range of small designer boutiques will have you looking your Sunday best.

Don't head home before you've picked up new threads from Bow & Arrow and Stock & Supply.

Play:

Check out the vibrant night scene in Fortitude Valley that caters to the urban metropolitan to the alternative hipsters.

Some of our favourite joints are ELEVN Rooftop Bar and Up on Constance (TRYP Hotel).

For live bands, check out The Foundry. Built by musicians for the sole purpose of music and art, the venue is housed in a two-level complex that is part 300-person live room, part Rock 'n' Roll bar, part arts space.