Brisbane School Holiday Activities: 2026 Dates And The Best Things To Do With Kids

Last updated: 30 July 2026

By Sarah Townsend, Marketing Manager at Story Bridge Adventure Climb

The best Brisbane school holiday activities are the Story Bridge Adventure Climb for ages 6 and up (family bundles from $360 for two adults and one child), South Bank’s Aquativity water play park (free), the walking tracks and lookout at Mount Coot-tha (free), the playgrounds at New Farm Park (free), Riverlife’s Adventure Ranger Camp at Kangaroo Point (from $99 per day, ages 8 and up), and a 50 cent CityCat ride along the river. The next Queensland state school holidays run Saturday 19 September to Monday 5 October 2026.

Key Takeaways

• The September 2026 Queensland school holidays run Saturday 19 September to Monday 5 October, with students back on Tuesday 6 October
• Most of this list is free: Aquativity, Mount Coot-tha, New Farm Park and the riverside paths cost nothing
• All public transport is a flat 50 cents per trip; children aged 4 and under travel free at all times, and 5 to 14 year olds travel free on weekends
• The Story Bridge Adventure Climb takes children from age 6 and 1.1 metres tall; Family Bundles run Monday to Friday and save $60
• Streets Beach is closed for maintenance until late August 2026, but Aquativity and the Boat Pool are open

When Are The Queensland School Holidays In 2026 And 2027?

Queensland state school holiday dates are set by the Department of Education, and knowing them ahead is the difference between booking the climb you want and missing out. The spring break is next on the calendar and is the busiest period for Brisbane attractions after summer. Queensland dates do not always line up with New South Wales or Victoria, so check both if you are travelling with interstate cousins.

Source: Queensland Department of Education. Non-state schools sometimes set slightly different dates, so confirm with your school.

What Do Brisbane School Holiday Activities Cost?

Brisbane is unusually cheap for a family holiday because so much of the good stuff is free. The table below covers the paid experiences worth booking and the free ones worth building a day around. The only items that need booking ahead are the bridge climb and Riverlife’s holiday program, both of which fill during the break.

Can Kids Climb The Story Bridge During The School Holidays?

Yes, and the school holidays are the busiest time to do it. Children can climb from age 6 provided they are at least 1.1 metres tall, and every climber must be under 130kg for the harness to fit. Children aged 6 to 9 need one accompanying adult each, while 10 to 16 year olds climb at three children per adult. The climb takes about 1.5 hours and covers almost a kilometre of steelwork to a platform 80 metres above the river. Family Bundles run Monday to Friday, from $360 for two adults and one child up to $600 for two adults and three children, saving $60.

If your break includes a Sunday, Sunday Funday gives a half-price child ticket with every full-paying adult, from $210. Kids eat half price at Felons Barrel Hall 11am to 3pm, with free face painting, a reptile show and family trivia at noon.

What Can Families Do At South Bank In The School Holidays?

Check before you go: Streets Beach is closed for essential maintenance from 15 June until late August 2026. Aquativity and the Boat Pool remain open (Visit South Bank).

South Bank is 17 hectares of riverfront parkland, open every day of the year from 5am to midnight, and entry is completely free (Visit South Bank). While Streets Beach is closed, the Aquativity water play park is the place to point younger kids: gentle fountains and splash pads, free, with the Boat Pool alongside it. The cultural precinct alongside is the wet-weather backup. Entry to Queensland Museum Kurilpa is free, open daily 9:30am to 5pm, and the State Library runs The Corner, free drop-in play for children up to 8, 9:30am to 4pm daily. Getting there is easy: CityCats stop at South Bank River Terminal, and two train stations sit on Grey Street.

Where Can Kids Burn Off Energy Outdoors?

Mount Coot-tha is the pick if you need to genuinely tire children out. Council maintains more than 18.5km of easy, moderate and difficult tracks, and the short ones suit families: the Ghost Hole Track is 650 metres and about 15 minutes, the Summit Track 1.9km and about 30 minutes (Brisbane City Council). The heritage-listed lookout at the top is open 24 hours, has free parking, a cafe and a gift shop, and sits about 15 minutes’ drive from the CBD. The adjacent Brisbane Botanic Gardens spans 56 hectares with free entry, and free guided walks leave at 11am and 1pm daily except public holidays.

Closer to the city, New Farm Park covers 15 hectares, was created in 1914, and has two playgrounds plus open lawns under the fig trees (Brisbane City Council). It has its own F1 CityCat terminal, and the Jan Powers Farmers Market runs at the neighbouring Powerhouse every Saturday from 6am to 12pm.

What Adventure Activities Run During The School Holidays?

Riverlife at Kangaroo Point runs a dedicated school holiday program called the Adventure Ranger Camp, which is the most structured option in the city for older kids. It runs 9am to 3pm Monday to Thursday, combining kayaking with either rock climbing or abseiling, plus bike riding and laser tag, all equipment included. It gets cheaper the more days you book: $129 per person for one day, $119 for two, $109 for three and $99 per day for four. The minimum age is strictly 8, so it will not suit younger siblings.

If you would rather do a single activity together, Riverlife’s day abseil down the Kangaroo Point cliffs is $75 and takes 90 minutes, with a minimum age of 8 and a maximum weight of 120kg, running Wednesday and Friday at 3pm and Saturday and Sunday at 9am and 3pm. The day kayak adventure is also $75 for 90 minutes from age 8. Note there is a 10% surcharge on Sundays (Riverlife).

How Do You Get Around Brisbane With Kids On A Budget?

Public transport is the cheapest part of a Brisbane holiday. Every bus, train and ferry trip across the Translink network is a flat 50 cents, regardless of how far you travel, with Airtrain the only exclusion (Translink). Children aged 4 and under travel free at all times, and children aged 5 to 14 travel free on weekends using an orange child go card. Tap on and off with any contactless card or smart device; there is nothing to buy in advance.

The ferry doubles as the cheapest sightseeing in Brisbane. Brisbane City Council runs 28 CityCats and 5 KittyCats across 22 terminals, and the F1 route covers the length of the river from UQ St Lucia to Northshore Hamilton, stopping at South Bank, Riverside, Howard Smith Wharves and New Farm Park. If accessibility matters, Translink states all CityCat ferries are fully accessible with four wheelchair spaces per vessel, but that Cross River Ferry services are not.

Frequently Asked Questions

When are the next Queensland school holidays?

The next Queensland state school holidays run Saturday 19 September to Monday 5 October 2026, a 17 day break, with students returning on Tuesday 6 October. After that, the summer break runs Saturday 12 December 2026 to Tuesday 26 January 2027.

What free school holiday activities are there in Brisbane?

Aquativity water play at South Bank, the walking tracks and lookout at Mount Coot-tha, the Brisbane Botanic Gardens, New Farm Park’s two playgrounds and the City Botanic Gardens are all free, and walking across the Story Bridge costs nothing either. Queensland Museum Kurilpa is free to enter, and the State Library’s Corner space offers free drop-in play for children up to 8.

Can a 6 year old climb the Story Bridge?

Yes. The minimum age is 6 and the minimum height is 1.1 metres. Children aged 6 to 9 need one accompanying adult each, and 10 to 16 year olds climb at three children per adult. Every climber wears a harness clipped to a static cable for the full 1.5 hours.

How much does a family of four cost for the Story Bridge climb?

A Family Bundle for two adults and two children is $480 on a Day Climb, $500 on a Night Climb and $580 on a Twilight or Dawn Climb. Bundles run Monday to Friday and save $60 against individual tickets. On Sundays, the Sunday Funday deal gives a half-price child ticket with every full-paying adult.

What can families do in Brisbane if it rains during the holidays?

Head to the South Bank cultural precinct, where Queensland Museum Kurilpa, GOMA, the Queensland Art Gallery and the State Library are all free to enter and connected by covered walkways. The State Library’s Corner space is free drop-in play for under 8s. A covered CityCat ride is also a good rainy-day option for 50 cents.

Planning more than a single day? Our 3 day Brisbane family itinerary maps out a full long weekend, and our guide to family activities in Brisbane covers 15 more options with ages, prices and pram access.