Brisbane River Cruise with entry to Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary

Overview

Available languages

English

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.

1 hour 15 minutes • Admission Included

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.

3 hours • Admission Included

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

4.75

1,537 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

1243

230

Nice day trip from Brisbane
Traci B,,Feb 8, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
4.00
We loved the book ride up and down the river. There was helpful commentary on the way down pointing out landmarks and sharing some history. The unloading dock at the Sanctuary is not the best for anyone with mobility issues. They did have a small cafe on the ship for a snack or drink, seemed about the same or higher than the prices at the Sanctuary. The crew were very good and pleasant.
I highly recommend it.
YeonJeong B,,Feb 7, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
It was a very special experience, so I enjoyed it. It's a must-go course in Brisbane. My family was very satisfied. I recommend it.
A day to remember!
Sue D,,Feb 7, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00
A superb trip, with a river cruise to the venue and back. So well looked after. The highlights for us being stroking & feeding kangaroos, along with a koala experience. Would recommend this for all ages. Had the most delicious sandwiches too from the Lone Pine cafe - inexpensive and yummy!
River cruise to the Koala Sanctuary
StevenAstaire,,Feb 5, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00
Had a really great day on Miranda 11 to the Lone Pine Koala 🐨 Sanctuary. Tge river cruise had a super commentary which detailed all the interesting points along the Brisbane River. The Sanctuary is a great place to visit. We saw Koalas 🐨, Kangaroos 🦘all up close. There was a sheep dog demonstration and a crocodile 🐊 one too with how they feed them. The cafe is clean and serves lots of different drinks and food. Well worth a day out.
Great informative river...
Matthew C,,Feb 5, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00
Great informative river cruise that gives you a glimpse into the history of Brisbane. The staff are great - very friendly and helpful. The Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary was a lot of fun and the length of the stay was perfect.
Kuala cruise
Gary N,,Feb 4, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00
Friendly and knowledgeable crew. Very informative about Brisbane river and the animals in the refuge
Highlight!
Leona R,,Feb 4, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00
Loved every moment on this adventure, friendly, great commentary. The food was really good . Lone pine was awesome.
boat ride was extremly...
Jay M,,Feb 3, 2026
- Review from Viator
4.00
boat ride was extremly enjoyable. I had already been to two different parks/zoos so I got bored at the lone pine reserve and took a bus back to town. spending 3 hours at the reserse was too much for me
Fun day out
Kumi A,,Feb 3, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00
Really enjoyed this day. Lovely trip up the river to Lone Pine, plenty of time to see everything and still grab a quick bite. Then another relaxing river cruise back to our starting point.
Fantastic experience, the...
Sharon R,,Jan 31, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00
Fantastic experience, the captain and the crew were next level ! Could not do enough for you .. very welcoming Would highly recommend!