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Travelling Around Brisbane with a Dog
🇦🇺Brisbane, Australia·Updated 31 July 2026
Brisbane's transport story is unusual and it is worth understanding before you book a hotel. Pet dogs are not allowed on any Translink bus, train or tram, at any hour and at any size, so the entire land network is closed to you. The river, however, is open: dogs travel on the CityCats and the cross-river ferries outside the commuter peaks, on a lead and wearing a muzzle or inside a carrier. Since the river is the city's main artery and the ferry terminals sit next to the best dog walking, a stay planned along the water genuinely works without a car, while a stay in the outer suburbs does not.
| Mode | Policy | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| CityCat, KittyCat and cross-river ferries | Dogs may travel on the Brisbane River ferries between 8:30 and 15:30 and between 19:00 and 06:00 on weekdays, and at any time at the weekend. The dog must be on a lead and wearing a muzzle, or inside an enclosed carrier. Two pet dogs per handler are permitted. The dog stays with you outside the ferry cabin, at the rear of the vessel, and is not allowed inside the cabin or on the upper deck. You must carry waste bags and clean up. Because of capacity or other operational reasons, crew may ask you to wait for the next service. | 💡 Carry the muzzle in your bag and put it on at the pontoon gate rather than for the whole walk. The morning window opens at 8:30, so an early walk at New Farm and a 9:00 ferry back into town is the natural rhythm. |
| Buses, trains and the Gold Coast tram | Pets are not permitted on any Translink bus, train or tram service. There is no small-dog-in-a-carrier exemption and no off-peak window: the ban is total. Only accredited assistance animals may travel, free of charge, and they need a Translink Assistance Animal Pass or an equivalent interstate accreditation. This is the single biggest constraint on a Brisbane trip with a dog and it shapes where you should stay. | 💡 Book accommodation within walking distance of a ferry terminal, ideally between the CBD, Kangaroo Point, New Farm and Teneriffe. From there the ferry plus your own legs cover almost everything a visitor wants. |
| Taxis and rideshare | With the land network closed, a taxi or a rideshare is the practical way to reach the outer off-leash parks and the bay beaches. Drivers of ordinary taxis and standard rideshare cars may refuse a pet, and most do at busy times, so book a pet-friendly option in the app where one exists or call the taxi company ahead and state the dog's size. Bring a blanket or a boot liner: it is what makes a driver say yes. | 💡 Ask the hotel to call the taxi rather than hailing one in the street. A booked car arrives knowing there is a dog, which removes the argument on the kerb. |
Arriving in Brisbane
Brisbane Airport (BNE) sits about 15 km north-east of the CBD and has a hard rule that catches visitors out: only accredited assistance and guide dogs may enter the terminals. A pet dog travels in the hold as cargo or freight, is collected from the airline's freight facility rather than the baggage hall, and the airport asks that family pets stay in the car during pick-up and drop-off. The animal relief facilities inside the terminals, at Level 2 of the Domestic Terminal near Gate 25 and at Level 3 Departures in the International Terminal, are there for working dogs, not for pets. The Airtrain runs into the city but is a train, so it is closed to pets; plan on a pet-friendly taxi or a hire car from the kerb. Anyone importing a dog from overseas should also know that Australia's biosecurity rules require a stay of at least 10 days at the government post-entry quarantine facility at Mickleham, near Melbourne, which is the only such facility for cats and dogs in the country, so an imported dog arrives in Melbourne and continues to Brisbane afterwards.
Building a river-based itinerary
Because the ferries are the only public transport open to a dog, the sensible plan is to string the day along the river. The Riverwalk runs about 6 km of flat, paved path from the city through Howard Smith Wharves and Teneriffe to New Farm, ending beside the Powerhouse off-leash enclosure, and every stretch of it takes a dog on a lead. Cross to Kangaroo Point on the ferry or over the Story Bridge, climb the cliffside stairs and follow the clifftop path to South Bank, where dogs walk the Clem Jones Promenade, the Arbour and the Cultural Forecourt on a lead but are barred from the swimming lagoon, the streams and the eating areas. For the bay beaches at Manly, Sandgate and Shorncliffe, and for the outer off-leash parks, you need a car or a taxi, so group them into a single half day rather than crossing the city twice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I take my dog on the CityCat in Brisbane?
Yes, outside the commuter peaks. Dogs travel on the Brisbane River ferries from 8:30 to 15:30 and from 19:00 to 06:00 on weekdays, and all day at weekends. The dog must be on a lead and muzzled, or in an enclosed carrier, stay outside the cabin at the rear of the vessel, and there is a limit of two pet dogs per handler.
Are dogs allowed on Brisbane buses and trains?
No. Translink does not permit pets on any bus, train or tram service, at any time and regardless of size, and there is no carrier exemption. Only accredited assistance animals may travel. Plan your stay around the ferry network or a car.
Does my dog need a muzzle on the Brisbane ferry?
Yes, unless it travels inside an enclosed carrier. The Translink condition is a lead plus a muzzle, so carry a basket muzzle that the dog is used to wearing, and fit it before you reach the pontoon gate.
Pet-Friendly Hotels in Brisbane
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Emporium Hotel South Bank
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