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
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
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Options
Option 1
Reviews
1,645 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Cruise to lone pine
Hannah B,May 25, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00The crew was great during the trip, very friendly and inviting. Lone pine itself was incredible!
Exhilarating Animals
Nikhil G,May 25, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00There is nothing that can compare to the unique experience this tour gives. The river boat itself is well put together and comfortable. The outdoor section is especially nice. The information provided about Brisbane and the sights along the way are helpful. The Koala sanctuary itself was a deeply memorable experience. Apart from the exhilarating up close encounters with Koalas. Kangaroos, Wallabys, birds etc., the educational value of the information provided is in my view difficult to obtain elsewhere. I thoroughly enjoyed this excursion. The ride back was also enjoyable. The duration of the trip was perfect - more than sufficient time to enjoy the sanctuary at a leisurely pace, yet back in the city to spend more visiting time in the afternoon.
Beautiful boat tour and...
Lauren N,May 18, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Beautiful boat tour and wonderful experience at the sanctuary! Highly recommend for anyone visiting Brisbane
Amazing
Q2242CZmt,May 13, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
4.00A fantastic day out, amazing seeing the animals and was so close to them. The only little issue was the wait to Get back on the boat as we had a close encounter with a brown snake but it’s Austrailia so you expect things like that. The boat ride was very slow and relaxing.
Divine experience!
Tourist41658730382,May 12, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00The cruise was amazing, staff are super helpfull. The sanctuary was divine! The only thing that could have made it better was being greeted by the german shepherd and Koala, but that would of been the cherry intop of an amazing cake. Thanks for the awesome experience!
Take this cruise!
Christy E,May 12, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Lovely river cruise with lots of history and details and Brisbane. And Koalas…. Incredible day, thank you.
Great Experience!
Timothy A,May 10, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Boat ride to and from the sanctuary is very comfortable. The boat is clean and well maintained and the crew is very friendly and helpful. They have snack and drinks onboard that you can purchase. The scenery is beautiful. The sanctuary is really cool! If you have been looking forward to seeing Koalas, your wait is over - they have quite a few. The sanctuary has a zoo vibe with lots of other animals. The grounds are well maintained and we enjoyed the experience. The only thing that just OK was the food available from the sanctuary cafe (this is not the tour operator's fault at all). We saw people bringing their own food in for lunch, and that seemed like a brilliant idea! There is a seating area near the cafe that is covered and next to several koalas.
Koala sanctuary recommended
Patrick L,May 6, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Incredibly welcoming Captain and crew on Mirimar II set you up for a great day with an informed and relaxed cruise up the Brisbane river to the Koala sanctuary. Once there, all the animals are completely visible (no searching required!) and the sanctuary staff are open and willing to share their knowledge. Really enjoyable experience.
A great Experience!
716sherij,May 5, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We had a wonderful time on our River Cruise. The staff took great care of us. The whole trip down the river was packed with great info about the area. Delicious snacks and lunch items are available for purchase. We enjoyed everything we ate, the coffee being a highlight. We had more then enough time to see everything at the Sanctuary, which was amazing! We highly recommend this tour!!
Day well spent!
Linda B,May 5, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Great day! Highly recommend! The boat was nice with very service minded personnell. The information provided during the boat trip was highly entertaining.
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Operated by Koala and River Cruises