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The Queensland winter school holidays are coming up quickly, and Brisbane is quietly the best place in the country to spend them. Mild days, clear skies, koalas in a good mood, and a city built for wandering. We've sorted the indoor saves, the outdoor wins, the day trips that make the drive worth it, and the four neighbourhoods we'd happily call home base for the fortnight.
The Quick Read
The info in five lines:
- Holidays run Saturday 27 June to Sunday 12 July 2026
- Cosy indoor picks: GOMA, Queensland Museum, Powerhouse holiday programs, Urban Climb, trampoline parks
- Fresh-air picks: Story Bridge Climb, the Kangaroo Point cliff walk, Brisbane Botanic Gardens, paddling with Riverlife
- Day-trip gold: whale watching at Mooloolaba, Lone Pine, Australia Zoo, hinterland hopping on Tamborine
- Save on a longer stay with our School Holiday Offer at any of our four Brisbane stays
So when exactly are Brisbane's winter school holidays in 2026?
The Queensland winter break runs Saturday 27 June to Sunday 12 July 2026. That's two full weekends bookending ten weekdays, which is exactly why interstate families lean into Brisbane in winter. You get a proper holiday without losing days to a long flight.
Brisbane winters sit in that sweet 11 to 22 degree window, so you can layer up in the morning and ditch the jumper by lunch. If you're already plotting ahead, the spring break follows on 19 September, then the summer stretch kicks off 12 December.
Planning the next one already? See our guide to September school holiday activities in Brisbane.
Cosy indoor activities to keep the crew happy
Brisbane's indoor scene gets a serious workout in winter, and most of the best stuff sits within a short walk or ride from our four properties. Whichever neighbourhood you base yourself in, you're close to something good.
Not sure which base fits your week? Here's how the best Brisbane school holiday activities line up with each of our four neighbourhoods:
- South/City/SQ, Woolloongabba: minutes from GOMA, the Queensland Museum and the Sciencentre, with the free holiday workshops running right in the precinct downstairs
- Story House, Kangaroo Point: across the river from South Bank's cultural precinct, with the galleries and museums an easy walk away
- Berwick House, Fortitude Valley: in the thick of the gallery scene, with bouldering at Urban Climb Newstead just up the road
- Perry House, Bowen Hills: your shortcut to the Powerhouse holiday workshops in New Farm, plus the indoor courts at Victoria Park when the crew needs to burn off steam
Queensland Museum Kurilpa & Sciencentre
Cost: Free general entry, paid tickets for SparkLab and some temporary exhibitions
Best for: All ages, with SparkLab targeted at ages 6 to 13
Opening hours: Daily 9.30am to 5pm
Location: Corner of Grey and Melbourne Streets, South Brisbane
The Queensland Museum blends natural history, science and interactive displays. Expect dinosaur skeletons, wildlife exhibits and rotating feature exhibitions. The Sciencentre adds hands-on STEM activities where kids can experiment, build and properly tire themselves out.
QAGOMA
Cost: Free general entry, some exhibitions are ticketed
Best for: 5+
Opening hours: Daily 10am to 5pm
Location: Stanley Place, South Brisbane
Queensland Art Gallery and Gallery of Modern Art (QAGOMA) runs family-friendly exhibitions and dedicated kids' activity zones year-round, with school holiday workshops on top.
Brisbane Powerhouse Holiday Workshops
Cost: Varies by workshop; many are free
Best for: All ages, with dedicated under-fives programs
Opening hours: Workshop times vary, bookings essential
Location: 119 Lamington Street, New Farm
The Powerhouse runs a full school holiday program in its converted riverside power station. Think theatre-making, art workshops, music sessions and creative play across multiple age brackets.
Urban Climb Newstead
Cost: Under 13 is $19, family pass from $109
Best for: All ages
Opening hours: Mon to Fri 6am to 10pm, weekends 8am to 8pm
Location: 5 Morse Street, Newstead
Indoor bouldering for the climbers in your crew. Urban Climb has three Brisbane sites, but Newstead is the one set up for kids. West End is the spot if your group needs rope climbing too (all ages on the ropes wall, but bouldering there is 13+).
BOUNCE Tingalpa
Cost: Off-peak and on-peak pricing on their website (school holidays count as on-peak)
Best for: Toddlers to teens
Opening hours: Daily, hours vary
Location: 40 Enterprise Place, Tingalpa
Brisbane's biggest trampoline park with more than 50 interconnected tramps, a Big Bag, dodgeball courts and the X-Park ninja course. Macgregor and Morayfield are the other Brisbane sites if Tingalpa is booked out.
School Holiday Workshops at South/City/SQ
Cost: Free
Best for: all ages, no bookings required
Time: Wednesdays 10am to 12pm during the winter break
Location: The Terrace next to Market Organics, South/City/SQ
Free creative workshops right in the precinct, designed to keep the kids entertained with hands-on crafting. Wednesday 1 July is Dino Garden, where little ones build their own mini dinosaur world. Wednesday 8 July is Pipe Cleaner Flowers, twisted into colourful blooms to take home. Follow @southcitysq for updates.
Outdoor activities that are actually better in winter
Brisbane outdoors in July is the city showing off. Low humidity, blue skies, no mozzies, and walking tracks that don't try to defeat you.
Story Bridge Adventure Climb
Cost: Day climb from $150 per person, twilight and sunset climbs from $160 to $180
Best for: Ages 10+
Opening hours: Multiple climb sessions daily
Location: Howard Smith Wharves, between Crystalbrook Vincent and Betty's Burgers
Climb the bridge for unmatched city views in crisp winter light. The lack of summer humidity makes the climb itself far more comfortable, and the visibility on a clear winter morning is genuinely spectacular.
Kangaroo Point Cliff Walk & Green Bridge
Cost: Free
Best for: All ages
Opening hours: Open 24/7
Location: River Terrace, Kangaroo Point
An easy circuit from Story House along the cliffs, across the new Green Bridge and back via the river. Stop for a coffee at one of the Kangaroo Point cafés, watch the climbers on the cliffs, and let the kids burn off some steam.
Brisbane Botanic Gardens Mt Coot-tha
Cost: Free, with paid shows at the Sir Thomas Brisbane Planetarium
Best for: All ages
Opening hours: Gardens open daily, planetarium closed Mondays with varied hours otherwise
Location: 152 Mt Coot-tha Road, Toowong
Free guided walks, free BBQs, picnic spots, and a planetarium for the cooler afternoons. The Cosmic Skydome runs daytime and Saturday night shows, so it doubles as a winter evening option.
Paddling the Brisbane River with Riverlife
Cost: Guided kayak tours from $75, abseiling and rock climbing from $99, Adventure Ranger Camp pricing on their website
Best for: Ages 8+ for tours, with the Adventure Ranger Camp built specifically for school holiday weeks
Opening hours: Daily, session times vary
Location: Naval Stores, Kangaroo Point
The river is calmer and clearer in winter, which makes it ideal for first-time kayakers. Riverlife also runs abseiling and rock climbing on the Kangaroo Point cliffs.
For older kids who want a full day of action, the Adventure Ranger Camp is their school holiday program. Three activities per day across kayaking, abseiling, rock climbing, outdoor laser tag and bike riding, with lunch and snacks included. One day or multi-day passes are available, with aftercare until 5pm if you need it.
Fortitude Valley Street Art Trail
Cost: Free
Best for: All ages
Opening hours: Anytime
Location: Across Fortitude Valley
A free, self-guided wander through one of Brisbane's most colourful neighbourhoods. Maps are available online, and you can easily turn it into a half-day with a brunch stop on James Street or Howard Smith Wharves.
Day trips worth setting an early alarm for
If you've got a hire car or you're road-tripping from down south, here are four trips worth the drive.
- Whale watching from Mooloolaba: June to October is peak season and Mooloolaba is about 90 minutes north
- Tamborine Mountain: rainforest walks, glow worm caves, craft breweries and a wine trail in the Gold Coast hinterland, around 75 minutes south
- Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary: koalas are dramatically more active in cooler weather, and Lone Pine is barely 20 minutes from the CBD
- Australia Zoo: the full Irwin experience, about 80 minutes up the Bruce Highway
Why apartment living wins the school holidays
A serviced apartment is built for the way holidays actually go. Big breakfasts, wet jackets, kids asleep by seven, adults still awake at ten. A standard room asks you to do all of that on one bed. Our apartments give you:
- A full kitchen for porridge mornings and pasta nights
- In-apartment laundry for the inevitable damp pile
- Separate living and sleeping zones, so the day doesn't end when the kids go down
- Digital check-in, so nobody waits at a desk after six hours in the car
- A 24-hour virtual concierge, for the inevitable "where's the closest pharmacy" moments
Our four Brisbane neighbourhoods, sorted by vibe
Each of our Brisbane stays has its own personality, so pick by what your week looks like.
Story House, Kangaroo Point: opposite The Gabba, walking distance to South Bank, and a rooftop magnesium pool with ping pong if the kids need a tournament
South/City/SQ, Woolloongabba: an entertainment precinct right downstairs (cinema, supermarket, dining and free school holiday workshops), with South Bank and GOMA a short trip away
Berwick House, Fortitude Valley: perched on the upscale end of the Valley near James Street and Howard Smith Wharves, with a magnesium pool and sky terrace upstairs
Perry House, Bowen Hills: at the crossroads of Bowen Hills and Fortitude Valley, minutes from the Showgrounds, the Royal International Convention Centre and James Street
All four come stacked with creature comforts: rooftop magnesium pools and spas, infrared saunas, full kitchens, on-site co-working space, and high-speed Wi-Fi.
Save on a longer stay with our School Holiday Offer
Stay longer for less with our School Holiday Offer, live across all four Brisbane properties for the winter break. Winter weeks fill up quickly with interstate families heading north for the warmer days, so we'd lock it in sooner rather than later.
A few quick questions, answered
Are school holiday dates the same across Australia in 2026?
Not quite. Each state runs its own calendar, so Queensland's winter break may not line up exactly with NSW, VIC or WA. Always double-check with your state's Department of Education before booking flights.
Do I need to book activities in advance?
For the ticketed big-hitters like the Story Bridge climb, Lone Pine and Australia Zoo, yes. Most galleries and museums are walk-in, but workshops at the Powerhouse fill fast.
What's the weather actually like?
Daytime sits around 21 to 22 degrees, mornings closer to 11. Pack layers, a light jacket, and one warmer thing for the evenings.
How long should we stay?
Most of our families book a full week or two, which works out cheaper per night and gives you breathing room between big days. Our School Holiday Offer is built around longer stays for that reason.
Ready to plan a winter break the kids will actually remember? Discover our stays today.
