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
1,584 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Great cruise, lone pine is amazing you can hand feed kangaroos!!
Rachel L,Mar 18, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We had a brilliant time on the river cruise and Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary visit, starting with a lovely boat ride that was filled with fun facts about Brisbane along the way. The sanctuary itself is absolutely awesome, and being able to hand-feed the kangaroos was such a highlight, along with seeing the koalas, dingos, and the elusive platypus! There are also great animal shows throughout the day that are well worth watching and provide a lot of insight into Australia's unique wildlife. It was a fantastic experience from start to finish, and I would 100% recommend this to anyone visiting Brisbane who wants a perfect mix of a scenic cruise and an incredible animal encounter!
High winds
Paul K,Mar 16, 2026
- Review from Viator
1.00High winds stopped cruise ship from docking. We did not do tour. Will we get a refund? We could not cancel as the decision was made one hour prior to tour time.
We have a wonderful time! We really enjoyed it!
Mut,Mar 16, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00It’s a very nice arrangement that you can see a lot. Very nice experience ! You do not need to worry about transportation, time limits etc! There’s lot to enjoy during this trip!
A must do when in Brisbane
Julie W,Mar 16, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00The boat ride was great with excellent commentary. However, I don't recall reading anywhere that there are many steps from the pier to the Koala sanctuary. This was challenging for my husband who has strength and mobility issues.
Very Nice Cruise and Sanctuary!
David K,Mar 16, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Relaxing cruise with history of stories of Brisbane. The Koala sanctuary was terrific—lots of animals/birds encounters.
Up close with koalas & feeding the kangaroos!
jlw2001,Mar 15, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Going to the koala sanctuary by boat was a wonderful way to view Brisbane. The narration told us about historical stories, floods over the years, and how the city has grown. In addition, getting to learn about Australian animals was precious. We saw some lively koalas (most were nodding off during the daytime) as well as feeding kangaroos and emus as yhey clustered around all the visitors was something we are unlikely to ever experience again. We highly recommend this trip.
What a great time! All of...
Karen B,Mar 13, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00What a great time! All of us loved the sanctuary, and the boat ride was very professional and informative. Would definitely do again.
Very nice trip up the...
Sam W,Mar 12, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Very nice trip up the river and back on stable quiet catamaran boat and delightful wildlife park with Koalas and Kangaroo. Fun day.
Beautiful Day!
Donna L,Mar 12, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Beautiful day on the river. The captain and crew were lovely. The Lone Pine Sanctuary was amazing. We saw koalas, kangaroos, crocs, sheep, and much more up close.
Fantastic experience
Ambassador307005,Mar 12, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00It was a fantastic experience!! The river ride was so peaceful and the Koala sanctuary was at of this world!!
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