Weekend getaways from Brisbane
9 spots, costed and mapped.
Brisbane sits within about three hours of a lot of good weekends. Beach towns north and south, rainforest and wine country inland, and three campgrounds if you would rather pitch a tent.
We've picked the ones a mate would actually book, with what a night costs and what to do while you are there. Beach towns come first, then the hinterland, then the camping.
Most of these are a single night. Noosa, Cylinder Beach and Gordon Country are worth two. Everything except the two island trips needs a car.
Quick picks
Beach towns
$$Burleigh Heads
Surf, headland walks, and one of Queensland's best dining strips at James Street
$$Noosa
Coastal walks, koalas, Hastings Street dining, and the Noosa Everglades
$Byron Bay
Lighthouse walks, surf beaches, and laid-back bohemian vibes at Australia's most easterly point
Hinterland and wine country
$$Maleny and Montville
Artisan villages, waterfalls, and Glass House Mountains views on the Blackall Range
$$O'Reilly's Rainforest Retreat + Lamington National Park
Walk the world's first treetop canopy bridge, hand-feed wild birds, and sleep in World Heritage rainforest
$$Stanthorpe and the Granite Belt
Queensland's only cool-climate wine region with 50+ cellar doors
Camping
$The Wrecks Campground, Moreton Island
Tent-only camping five minutes' walk from the Tangalooma wrecks
$Cylinder Beach Camping Ground
Beachfront camping on one of Queensland's best-rated beaches
$Gordon Country Camping Ground
4,000-acre family-run camping property on the edge of Main Range National Park
Booking it
Book the Straddie vehicle ferry well before the campsite if you are taking a car over, because it only carries about 25 vehicles a sailing.
Two of these work without a car: the walk-on MICAT barge to the Wrecks campground, and the passenger ferry and island bus to Cylinder Beach.
The hinterland runs cold and eats early. Maleny sits at 550 metres, so pack a layer, and its restaurants shut by 4 or 5pm except Friday and Monday, when Maleny Lane runs music nights.
Questions people ask
Where should you go for a weekend away from Brisbane? +
Noosa for a beach weekend, Maleny and Montville for the hinterland without a long drive, and the Granite Belt around Stanthorpe for cellar doors and a fireplace. All three are between an hour and a half and three hours from the CBD.
How far is Byron Bay from Brisbane? +
About two hours by car down the M1, and it is a drive rather than a public transport trip. Parking in town is difficult on summer weekends, so arrive early or park further out and walk in.
Can you do a weekend away from Brisbane without a car? +
Two of these work. The Wrecks campground on Moreton Island is a walk-on barge from the Port of Brisbane, and Cylinder Beach on Straddie is the passenger ferry from Cleveland and then the island bus.
What is the cheapest weekend away from Brisbane? +
Camping. Sites at the Wrecks campground on Moreton Island are $7.75 per person per night, and unpowered camping at Gordon Country starts at about $15 to $20 per person.
Last updated October 2026