Brisbane River Cruise or CityCat? Morning Tea, Sunset Lights or Public Ferry
5 min read
Brisbane has three different ways of being on its river, and they get mixed up. A sightseeing cruise has a guide and a timetable. An evening cruise has a view and no commentary. The CityCat is the public ferry that happens to run along the same water. Which one you want depends on what you want from the hour and a half.
The cruises, side by side
| Cruise | Price | Rating | Reviews |
|---|---|---|---|
| Morning sightseeing cruise, 10:30 to noon | €30.21 | 4.5 | 577 |
| Midday sightseeing cruise, 12:30 to 2 pm | €30.21 | 4.6 | 472 |
| Sunset city lights cruise | €36.37 | 4.7 | 521 |
| Cruise with lunch package, 10:30 am to 2 pm | €59.18 | 4.6 | 429 |
The morning cruise
The morning cruise leaves from the Cultural Centre Public Pontoon on the South Bank boardwalk, 100 metres upstream from the Victoria Bridge and 300 metres upstream from the Brisbane Wheel. The booking page puts it on the MV Neptune, run by River City Cruises, with live English commentary on the history and future of the city. The route passes Kangaroo Point Cliffs, the city centre and the Story Bridge. It lasts 1.5 hours.
Morning tea and a souvenir map are listed as part of the price. The boat takes up to 65 guests, has a covered upper deck, indoor seating for 42, a licensed bar and a bathroom on board. Bringing your own food and drink is not allowed. Wheelchair users are listed as unsuitable for this cruise, so if step-free boarding matters, ask the operator first.
The midday cruise is also 1.5 hours, with live commentary, a souvenir map and a complimentary afternoon tea; anything else to eat or drink is sold at the bar. Its route adds New Farm Park to the cliffs and the Story Bridge. The lunch package is a longer outing of 3.5 hours: 45 minutes downriver with commentary and morning tea, two hours for a set-menu lunch at the Breakfast Creek Hotel in Newstead, and 45 minutes back. The walk from the pontoon to the hotel is about 400 metres with around 12 stairs each way, and the page lists this trip as unsuitable for people with mobility impairments.
The sunset cruise
The sunset cruise runs from the same pontoon, also for 1.5 hours, and has a seasonal timetable. From 1 April to 30 September it leaves at 5:30 pm and returns at 7 pm. From 1 October to 31 March it leaves at 6 pm and returns at 7:30 pm. Boarding starts 15 minutes before.
Read this before you book: there is no guided commentary on this cruise. The booking page says so, and a reviewer notes it. You get background music, a complimentary charcuterie share board and a bar where drinks and snacks can be bought. Wheelchair users are listed as unsuitable here too.
It suits couples and anyone who wants the skyline lighting up and does not want a talk. It does not suit someone who wants the story of the Story Bridge or the cliffs.
And the CityCat?
The CityCat is the public catamaran ferry. Brisbane City Council describes the all-stops F1 service as running daily between the University of Queensland at St Lucia and Northshore Hamilton. You pay with a go card or tap on and off with a contactless card or device, and the council says you cannot buy paper tickets on board. Look up the current fare on the Translink site before you go.
The CityCat is the right choice if you want to use the river as transport, to look at the city on your own, or to spend nothing on commentary you do not want. It will not point things out: it is public transport, not a tour, and it stops at terminals along the way. A sightseeing cruise is a better choice if you want the history; a CityCat ride is the better choice for a quick look.
Other ways onto the water
If you want to paddle, there is a guided river kayak tour at €52.40. Our guide to the Story Bridge Adventure Climb covers the other way of getting a view of the bridge, and the cruise with a koala sanctuary stop is in the Lone Pine guide. All of Brisbane’s boat trips are under Brisbane cruises, 14 of them from €30.21.
