- Duration
- a half-day drive, 15 minutes from the centre (≈ 2 h 41 min: moving and stop time only)
- Who it suits
- Everyone
- Transport
- drive
- Start
- Brisbane Botanic Gardens
- Finish
- Mt Coot-tha Lookout
- Pace
- relaxed pace
- Best time
- morning in the gardens, sunset on the summit
- Budget per adult
- freePrices as of: July 2026; transport and zoo prices October 2026
Getting there
Go by car. The gardens are at the bottom and the lookout is up the same road.
Stops in order
The text version of the route: stops, time at each and the legs between them. Times are estimates, without queues, traffic or swims.
1. Brisbane Botanic Gardens~1 h at the stop
The gardens at the foot of the mountain that people skip on the way to the summit: a lagoon, a Japanese garden and the Tropical Display Dome. Free entry.
Worth knowing: The gardens officially opened in 1976: after eight major floods swamped the old City Botanic Gardens between 1870 and 1974, the council moved the botanic garden up the mountain.
Tip: Open 8am to 6pm September to March, to 5pm April to August. Café 8:15am to 4pm. Leave the car here for an hour and drive up to the summit after.
Open on the map ↗↓ drive · 8 min · 3 km
2. JC Slaughter Falls~45 min at the stop
A short bush walk to a waterfall. After rain it runs. In the dry it is shade and birds, and that is enough.
Tip: About 40 minutes return. Stay on the track near the edge.
Open on the map ↗↓ drive · 8 min · 3 km
3. Mt Coot-tha Lookout~40 min at the stop
The city-and-bay view locals actually watch at sunset with a coffee, not from a midday coach.
Tip: Arrive 40 minutes before sunset. At midday the deck is flat and hot.
Open on the map ↗
Before you go
- Route times are estimates: walking, driving and a sensible pause at each stop. Add queues, traffic and swims yourself.
- Prices, timetables and trail status change. Check the venue's official site and the state transport app before you go.
- On beaches, swim only between the red and yellow flags. Use sun protection even when it is cloudy.