Brisbane River Cruise with entry to Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary
Overview
Available languages
5 hours 30 minutes
Mobile ticket
See Australia’s amazing animals on a day trip to Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary from Brisbane. Your river cruise takes you from the bustling waterfront of Southbank to the lush parklands of Lone Pine, with the chance to see iconic sights as you glide along the water. At the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, you can get up close to koalas, kangaroos and watch platypus, sheepdogs, and birds of prey in action. Animal lovers will not want to miss this experience!
Check-in is required by 8.45 am, departs at 9am sharp, arriving at Lone Pine Sanctuary 10:15- departing Lone Pine at 1:30pm and arriving back in the city at 2:45pm
Additional Info
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Wheelchair: Cruise is accessible however Lone Pine has a set of 28 steps to climb from the jetty to the entrance
No health restrictions apply to this tour
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What To Expect
The Brisbane River
You’ll board your boat in Brisbane’s Southbank district and leave the city behind on a relaxing cruise to Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary. Enjoy informative commentary from your captain as you glide along Brisbane’s waterfront, passing from the bustle of the city’s skyscrapers to leafy suburbs with waterside mansions.
Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary
At 10:15am you’ll arrive at Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary where you’ll be free to explore for 3 hours. Lone Pine opened in 1927 as a safe refuge for sick, injured, and orphaned koalas, at a time when the species was being culled for the fur trade. Today, Lone Pine remains as a destination not only see native Australian animals, but to also connect and learn, and to leave feeling inspired to make small, positive changes in your daily lives to help protect native wildlife and habitats. Along with koalas and kangaroos, Lone Pine hosts a sheepdog show where you see the dogs round up a herd of sheep, responding to their master’s whistles, calls and signals. You can see owls, kites and sea eagles soar above you at the Birds of Prey show, or marvel at the colorful feathers of the wild lorikeets that fly in twice daily for feedings. Other bird species and a population of Eastern Water Dragons, a lizard that grows up to 3 feet (90cm) long also like to visit Lone Pine’s natural parkland.
What‘s Included
General Admission into Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary
Round-trip cruise
Food and drinks (available to purchase)
Hotel pick-up and drop-off
Koala Moments (Touch a Koala)bookings online
Options
Option 1
Reviews
1,618 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
We missed the boat and...
Mark P,Apr 15, 2026
- Review from Viator
3.00We missed the boat and almost a dozen people from our cruise ship missed the boat. Our cruise ship didn’t let us off until 8:15 AM. So we pre-paid for an Uber because the cruise terminal is in a remote area. We were lucky the Uber driver waited. Then we paid another Uber from the river cruise port to get to the Koala Sanctuary. We took the River cruise on the return. The Koala experience was totally awesome! The river cruise not so great!
Well worth the trip
AdrianG2330,Apr 15, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Had a fabulous trip down the river to the Koala Sanctuary. Very informative commentary on the trip and the two and a half hours at the Koala sanctuary was about right.
You have to purchase the...
Della S,Apr 14, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00You have to purchase the food on the cruise. Also you have to pay to pet the koala. Other than that cruise was very relaxing and loved going to the sanctuary for Koala . Also neat to pet the kangaroo. The sheep dog show was very good .
Relaxing and memorable
karad684,Apr 13, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00This was a lovely trip. The boat ride was relaxing and offered a great view of Brisbane's outer suburbs. There is food and drink served on board, which is convenient. The captain and staff were super friendly. The Koala Sanctuary was my favorite experience of my Australian visit.
Great koala experience
Mark B,Apr 13, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00The boat excursion was very comfortable and included some interesting facts about the areas we went past. We really enjoyed the Koala Sanctuary. It was very clean and the animals looked we'll taken care of. It was feeding time so many of the koalas were awake.
A great, and unique, trip to a koala sanctuary!
Raymond D,Apr 12, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00The River Cruise tour to the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary was a fun and unique experience. The boat cruise included a great narrative on the way to the sanctuary that talked about the history of the local area and many of the key spots along the river. The sanctuary itself was really nice, with abundant koalas (of course), kangaroos, platypus, birds, turtles and more. The shows were great! The food and facilities around the sanctuary were also really good. This is definitely a great tour for kids and adults, and for families of all sizes. We highly recommend it.
Fantastic
Thomas W,Apr 12, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Everything was awesome . Ride down was pleasant and informative. Lone pine was excellent. I would recommend it to everyone
Book Before Its Full
Bruce L,Apr 12, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00We weren’t sure what to expect but boy did this exceed anything we had in mind. The boat cruise is so beautiful & the narration is not only informative but funny. The sanctuary had so many animals & of course the Koalas (don’t call me a bear). I’d do this again!!!
It's very relaxed tour. I enjoyed it so much! Strongly recommend as starting point in Brisbaine. Coalas are amazing! ❤️❤
anastasia k,Apr 11, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00It was not my first experience with coalas, but I like this place very much. Coalas amazing! The river cruise is very comfortable and relaxing.
10/10 excursion.
Susan D,Apr 10, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00The captain and crew were very kind and helpful during the journey, and the lone pine sanctuary was a great experience! Forever grateful that we can take these memories back to the USA.
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Operated by Koala and River Cruises