At a glance
- Clock Tower Tour
- Free, but booking essential. Daily from 10:15am to 4:45pm, every 15 minutes, from Museum of Brisbane, Level 3, City Hall, 64 Adelaide Street
- Brisbane Greeters
- Free guided walks in the CBD and some historic suburbs. Register for each walk on the Bookeo booking site. The council lists a Greeter’s Choice walk on Saturday 21 November 2026, 10:00am to 12:30pm, from City Hall
- City Botanic Gardens walk
- Free, no booking for up to ten people. Departs 11am and 1pm, Monday to Saturday, from the Information Kiosk beside QUT’s Main Drive pathway
- Mt Coot-tha Botanic Gardens walk
- Free, no booking for up to ten people. Departs 11am and 1pm, Monday to Saturday, from the Mt Coot-tha Visitor Information Centre, 152 Mt Coot-tha Road, Toowong
- Who it’s for
- Visitors and locals who want a free hour or two of guided sightseeing in Brisbane
- What to do now
- Book the Clock Tower Tour first, because spaces are limited and fill quickly. The gardens walks need nothing but turning up
- Last checked
- Tuesday 10 November 2026, against Brisbane City Council’s four event pages
- Not yet confirmed
- Walks cancelled on the day for weather or guide numbers, the Greeters walk topics beyond the council’s text, and parking or public transport for each start point
Brisbane has four free guided tours that the council lists: the Clock Tower Tour at City Hall, Brisbane Greeters walks, and volunteer-led walks at the City Botanic Gardens and at Brisbane Botanic Gardens Mt Coot-tha. Only the gardens walks work without a booking.
This guide uses Brisbane City Council’s own event page for each tour, read on 10 November 2026. Queensland has no daylight saving, so all times are Brisbane time. Dates and departure times can change, so use the booking pages linked below on the day.
Which tours need a booking?
| Tour | Cost | Booking | Times |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clock Tower Tour | Free | Essential, for every person including children and carers | Daily, 10:15am to 4:45pm, every 15 minutes |
| Brisbane Greeters | Free | Register for each walk on Bookeo | Varies by walk |
| City Botanic Gardens walk | Free | Not required for up to ten people | 11am and 1pm, Monday to Saturday |
| Mt Coot-tha Botanic Gardens walk | Free | Not required for up to ten people | 11am and 1pm, Monday to Saturday |
What does the Clock Tower Tour include?
The council calls the Clock Tower Tour a “must do” and says it is run by Museum of Brisbane. The tour includes a ride in one of Brisbane’s oldest working cage lifts, a look behind Australia’s largest analogue clock faces, and time on the observation platform. It says visitors can try to catch a glimpse of the bells.
Tickets are free, but “bookings essential”. Spaces are limited and fill up quickly, and tickets must be booked for every member of your group, including children and carers. Tours leave from Museum of Brisbane on Level 3 of City Hall, 64 Adelaide Street, and the council asks you to arrive 15 minutes before your tour. Tours run daily, every 15 minutes, from 10:15am to 4:45pm.
What are Brisbane Greeters walks?
The council describes Brisbane Greeters as welcoming and experienced guides who share their knowledge of Brisbane on a guided walk. Walks are free, and the council says there is a walk to suit you, whether in the CBD or in one of the city’s most historically significant suburbs, for locals and visitors alike. The page tells you to explore the booking site and register for a tour on Bookeo.
The council’s calendar lists a Greeter’s Choice guided walk on Saturday 21 November 2026, from 10:00am to 12:30pm, starting at Brisbane City Hall, 64 Adelaide Street. It is free and suitable for all ages. The council does not describe the route or the topic, so check the Greeters booking page for what that walk covers.
How do the free Botanic Gardens walks work?
Two volunteer-guided walks run on the same pattern. Walks leave daily at 11am and 1pm, Monday to Saturday, last about one hour, and are taken at a gentle pace. Individuals and small groups of up to ten people go free with no booking. The council says larger groups of ten or more should book. It also warns that walks “may be subject to environmental conditions and guide capacity on the day”, and lists both as suitable for adults.
| Walk | Meeting point | Address |
|---|---|---|
| City Botanic Gardens | Information Kiosk, next to QUT’s Main Drive pathway | Main Drive, Brisbane City |
| Brisbane Botanic Gardens Mt Coot-tha | Mt Coot-tha Visitor Information Centre | 152 Mt Coot-tha Road, Toowong |
Can I do two in one day?
The Clock Tower Tour and the Greeters walk both start at City Hall, and the City Botanic Gardens walk leaves at 11am or 1pm, so a day in the CBD can combine them if the times line up. The Mt Coot-tha walk is at a different site in Toowong, so plan the trip between them. The council gives no travel time and no parking or transport advice, so use Translink’s Journey Planner with the street address.
Where do I check before I go?
Each tour has its own page on the council calendar, linked under Sources, and the Clock Tower Tour and Greeters pages link to their booking sites. Translink’s event transport page covers large events and did not list any of these tours when we checked on 10 November 2026. We will update this guide if the council changes departure times or adds tours.
OZ Local Updates is an independent local guide and is not affiliated with Brisbane City Council, Museum of Brisbane, Brisbane Greeters or Translink.
Sources
- Brisbane City Council: Clock Tower Tour, read 10 November 2026
- Brisbane City Council: Brisbane Greeters, Greeter’s Choice guided walk, read 10 November 2026
- Brisbane City Council: Free guided tours, City Botanic Gardens, read 10 November 2026
- Brisbane City Council: Free guided tours, Brisbane Botanic Gardens Mt Coot-tha, read 10 November 2026
- Translink: Event transport, checked 10 November 2026