Affordable long weekend activities right in the heart of Brisbane City!

Looking for affordable long weekend activities?

We’ve got just the idea – STAY in Brisbane CBD so you can easily access all that will be on offer. You’ll pay for your accommodation and food but your travel and parking costs will be greatly reduced – plus you won’t have to fight traffic to head all the way home afterwards! Come and play tourist in Brisbane City with us and check out what we’re going to be getting up to…

If you are looking for ideas for a weekend getaway from Brisbane, we know that too!

Saturday – Day One

Arrive at your hotel for a check in at 1pm. Once inside, your kids will be entranced by the family-friendly facilities that the hotel has to offer – the least of which being the amazing pool! Let the kids have a dip to cool off and then after they’re dressed (good luck wrangling those little ones if that’s your situation!) get the walking shoes on and head over to…

South Bank’s Wheel of Brisbane

The Wheel of Brisbane has truly become an icon of the Brisbane River since opening back in 2008. It offers the very best views of the River City and the carriages also offer commentary about the sites and their history (which you can turn up or down depending on how interested you are). The carriages are comfortable, safe and air-conditioned and you don’t need to book ahead (there can be busy times but the queues generally move relatively quickly).

The Wheel of Brisbane is in the bottom left corner of this photo so you can have an idea of the views on offer (we can’t promise the fireworks will be there when you’re on board though!).

Costs for affordable long weekend activities like this are:

• Adults $20
• Kids 4-12 $14
• Kids 3 and under are free
• Family pass (2 adults and 2 kids) $57

Our pick for your next Saturday activity (as the sun will be setting soon) is to head back over the bridge (try booking a Brisbane Bike Cab if little legs are tired!).

Head to the Queen Street Mall for a fabulous affordable long weekend activity bound to get everyone in a good mood!

Strike Bowling

Strike Bowling, in the heart of the Queen Street Mall in the Wintergarden Centre, is serious fun. Not only are there twelve lanes of bowling but there are also pool tables, karaoke rooms and even some ESCAPE rooms!

Due to the popularity of Strike Bowling (particularly later in the evening) we would recommend you book ahead online to make sure you don’t miss out on a spot.

Strike Bowling do AWESOME kids parties as well so keep that in mind if you want to head back at a later date!

Those kids of yours (and their parents) should be well and truly pooped by now so it’s time to head back to hotel. You can grab some dinner on the way to eat in the room or you can splash out a little and order room service. Save some room for the morning, though, because…

Sunday – Day Two

On Sunday morning you’ll be enjoying the complementary buffet breakfast on offer at your hotel. Every taste and palate is catered for – from fancy chia mixes and a hot buffett selection to good ol’ Weetbix & Vegemite on toast. The kids can gorge themselves on their preferred breakfast items and there’ll be plenty of precious coffee on offer for you as well.

After you’ve filed up, our next recommendation is to spend the morning getting a little fancy at…

Victoria Park Putt Putt

This is too far to walk from your inner Brisbane City hotel. We’d recommend piling the crew into an Uber or taxi. The charge should come in at under $15 but will depend on surges and if there are many cars available. If you have younger children who require a child seat you may have to find alternative transportation.

You’ll find that hours pass here in absolutely no time at all so we would recommend bringing hats and sunscreen. Maybe even a change of shirt for the kids if they’re a little on the sweaty side. You’ll be having lunch here, too, so plan to be out for the majority of the day.

Families Magazine LOVES Victoria Park! We love the food, we love the atmosphere and we LOVE their putt putt course!

The short course is fun for kids (they also serve slushies on the course) and afterwards there is an absolutely amazing playground for them to enjoy!

Those tummies will be rumbling after all that play so head straight to the onsite Victoria Park Bistro. They’ve got a great kids menu that’s sure to impress even the fussiest toddler. (Case in point – despite grumpy face, we can assure you that this toddler ate every single one of those tiny pancakes).

Now that that’s all done and dusted, the next stop on our list of affordable long weekend activities is to take in a movie at…

South Bank Cineplex

Looking for the most recent kids movies to hit the screens? We’ve got you covered. We update this list prior to every school holiday and event so there should be something suitable on here.

Cineplex Cinemas are great. They’re way cheaper than the big chain ones (including the candy bar) and it makes a trip to the movies that little bit more affordable for families. We feel your pain on taking the kids to a big chain cinema and coming away thinking you’ve lost a weeks worth of wages. It’s just not the case at Cineplex. Definitely one of our affordable long weekend activities for families.

You may have to drag those tired kids back over to the hotel after this one but we’d recommend a sojourn via the Brisbane Botanic Gardens to have a look at the beautiful City of Lights project. Walk from Southbank across the Goodwill Bridge to be immersed in a fairy wonderland.

Back to the hotel and into bed now! You’ve only got one night left on your affordable long weekend activities in Brisbane City adventure and you don’t want to oversleep in the morning.

Monday – Day 3

Rise and shine for your last day in Brisbane City! Your adventure through affordable long weekend activities has sadly come to an end.

Check out at 10 and grab the car (parking has thoughtfully been included in the package so that was an expense you didn’t have to worry about!) and begin the journey home. Hopefully you’ve made the kind of family-friendly fun memories that will have the kids dreaming about their next adventure. Holidays with kids can be stressful but, when you do it right, they can be a real joy!

Stay at the Royal on the Park

Our good friends at the Royal on the Park have special deals for families just like yours. They include top quality accommodation with access to a range of family-friendly activities including access to the guest pool, free parking, free breakfast for a family of four, kid-friendly activities and the best views around. Find out more about their family deals – click here.

Hot tip – Want great views of Brisbane? Check out 480 Queen St and even bring a picnic for a rooftop picnic!