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‘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
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.
Options
Option 1
Reviews
1,419 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Koala experience
Evelyn A,
Oct 4, 2025
- Viator
4.00People need to know there is quite a few steps up from the boat but worth it when you get to the top
Calm tides on the Brisbane River
HarrietNaakai T,
Oct 2, 2025
- Viator
5.00It was an experience like no other - dreamy and delightful. Most definitely taking the trip with the family next time. Happy seeing the dedication by the crew at the sanctuary to keeping the animals clean and well cared for! Kudos to mirimar cruises for a great trip!
What a great day this...
Beverley D,
Sep 28, 2025
- Viator
5.00What a great day this tour was. The boat ride up was interesting and our captain was very knowledgeable about the river and its history. The sanctuary was fantastic, more than koalas that’s for sure
Very nice!
Emanuele P,
Sep 23, 2025
- Viator
5.00One top activities around Brisbane, see some wildlife and koala rehab very close to the city....... .
If you can’t do Australia Zoo, do this.
William R,
Sep 21, 2025
- Viator
3.00If you have time, I’d highly recommend the Australia Zoo. However, if you’re unable to do the Zoo, then Lone Pine is a nice secondary alternative. The boat ride to Lone Pine was my favorite part with a recorded commentary on some history of Brisbane. One thing I’ll say is the animals looked unhappy at Lone Pine, so I ended up feeling bad for them by the end of it. I also saw the whole park in easily 2 hours and ended up spending the final hour at the cafe waiting for the boat. Half the animals were also hiding so I ended up not being able to see some of the highlights like Tasmanian devils. Like I said, it’s my secondary choice to the Australia Zoo. If you want to see the river, just do a loop on the boat taxi for 50 cents and you’ll get the city views and same some money. If this is your only chance to pet some kangaroos though, I’d still recommend it.
Related Experiences
Operated by Koala and River Cruises