Things to do in Toowoomba
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Toowoomba
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Best overall. Spring, Carnival of Flowers in September, mild days and gardens at their peak.
Best all round alternative. Mild autumn, coloured street trees and normal hotel prices.
Dry sunny days and cold nights around 5 to 6 degrees. Best reliable walking, fireplaces in winter.
Worst window. Hotter, more humid and the wettest months, though waterfalls are best after rain.
What's on
- Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers 18 September to 5 October
Grand Central Floral Parade on 19 September and FEASTival food weekend on 26 to 27 September.
- Easter Vintage Festival at Highfields Pioneer Village Easter weekend
Heritage machinery weekend a short drive north in Highfields. Month varies between March and April.
- Christmas Wonderland December
Night time lights display in the Queens Park Botanic Gardens, a family festive institution.
Best things to do in Toowoomba
Queens Park Botanic Gardens
Heritage park and formal flower beds that anchor the city, best early during Carnival of Flowers.
Laurel Bank Park
Compact scented gardens and themed flower beds that locals rate even above the bigger Queens Park.
Ju Raku En Japanese Garden
Large traditional Japanese stroll garden with a lake, stream and quiet paths for a calm hour or two.
Picnic Point Lookout and Parkland
Escarpment lookout over Table Top Mountain and the Lockyer Valley, strongest at sunrise and early morning.
Queensland Museum Cobb+Co
National carriage collection plus living heritage trades, across the road from Queens Park.
Empire Theatre
Restored Art Deco touring theatre, the largest regional performing arts precinct in Australia.
First Coat Outdoor Gallery
More than eighty large street art murals across the CBD lanes, best done as a self guided walk.
DownsSteam Tourist Railway & Museum
Volunteer run railway museum with the Pride of Toowoomba locomotive and the Dreamtime Carriage.
Where to stay in Toowoomba
CBD and Margaret Street
first trip, theatre, Carnival, walking to dinner
Best hotels line Margaret Street, with the Empire, laneways and Queens Park all walkable.
East Toowoomba and Queens Park
gardens, Carnival mornings, quiet leafy stay
Heritage streets by the Botanic Gardens, with park cafes and the prettiest start to the day.
Motel strips and the range edge
road trips, cheap base with a car
Cheap, easy parking and late arrival friendly, but highway noisy and not walkable.
Think twice about
- Ruthven Street and James Street motel strips
Not dangerous, but noisy highway strips, dead at night and with nothing to walk to. Base on Margaret Street instead.
- Wilsonton, Rockville and Harlaxton
Purely residential and industrial areas with no visitor accommodation and nothing for visitors at night.
Best restaurants in Toowoomba
Gip's Restaurant
Heritage house and garden restaurant that is the city address for a celebration lunch or dinner.
Seasons on Ruthven Restaurant & Wine Bar
Seasonal dinner only restaurant and wine bar with a veranda under the vines, best for couples.
Sofra Turkish Cuisine
Most reviewed restaurant in town, with banquets, mixed grills and a seafood mezze platter to share.
El Attar Middle Eastern Grill
Egyptian grill house for mixed grills, koshary and dips, relaxed and generous at moderate prices.
Kajoku - Korean & Japanese Cuisine
Korean barbecue and Japanese dishes in a historic building, the liveliest share dinner in town.
Fitzy's Toowoomba
Pub front, proper restaurant behind, with craft beer, Darling Downs steaks and strong desserts.
Urban Grounds Cafe
Queenslander house cafe beside Laurel Bank Park, for all day dining on the deck or in the sunroom.
The Finch
CBD cafe benchmark with high ceilings, strong coffee and a local produce breakfast and lunch menu.
Outdoor things to do in Toowoomba
Table Top Mountain
Steep scramble to a flat summit with the best effort to view payoff in the region.
Jubilee Park
Big escarpment mountain bike network plus shared walking trails through eucalypt gullies.
Toowoomba Golf Club Middle Ridge
Championship parkland course founded in 1896 with a clubhouse deck over the 18th green.
City Golf Club Toowoomba
Accessible 18 hole course with a big social clubhouse, better for groups than its championship rival.
Crows Nest National Park
Granite gorge, cascades and a twenty metre waterfall after rain, half an hour north of the city.
Ravensbourne National Park
Cool escarpment rainforest with short shaded tracks, lookouts and more than a hundred bird species.
Bunya Mountains National Park
Ancient bunya pine forest, wallabies and the Scenic Circuit walk past Festoon Falls.
Spring Bluff Railway Station
Heritage railway station famous for terraced floral gardens that peak during Carnival.
Best hotels in Toowoomba
Potters Toowoomba Hotel
Boutique Margaret Street hotel with king rooms and a restaurant locals book in its own right.
Oaks Toowoomba Hotel
Most modern full service hotel in the CBD, with gym and pool and everything walkable.
Quest Toowoomba
Serviced apartments with kitchens on Margaret Street, best value for stays of three nights or more.
Burke & Wills Hotel
Large central hotel with parking, 24 hour reception and a glasshouse restaurant, reliably no surprises.
Comfort Inn Grammar View
Well run Margaret Street motel by Queens Park, with a pool and the park a short stroll away.
Vacy Hall Toowoomba's Grand Boutique Hotel
Grand colonial mansion in heritage gardens, with fireplaces and verandahs for a romantic stay.
Park Motor Inn
Clean park end motor inn that keeps Queens Park walkable at motel prices.
BIG4 Toowoomba Holiday Park
Cabins and powered sites for families and road trippers who would rather spend on food and golf.
Is Toowoomba expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | A$110 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | A$230 a person |
| Splurge | A$420 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Empire Theatre: weeks ahead
- Toowoomba Golf Club Middle Ridge: a few days ahead
- City Golf Club Toowoomba: a few days ahead
- Gip's Restaurant: a few days ahead
- Seasons on Ruthven Restaurant & Wine Bar: a few days ahead
- Sofra Turkish Cuisine: a few days ahead
- Kajoku - Korean & Japanese Cuisine: a few days ahead
- Carnival accommodation sells out months ahead and prices spike.
- Empire Theatre national acts, Gip's, Seasons and Sofra on weekends should be booked ahead.
Is Toowoomba safe?
- Emergency number is 000. Watch for snakes on bush tracks and kangaroos on rural roads at dawn and dusk.
- The CBD is quiet rather than threatening after 9pm. Do not leave valuables visible at trailhead car parks.
Toowoomba travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Older restaurant lists name places that no longer trade. Check a venue is still open before crossing town.
- Picnic Point cafe charges for the view. Have coffee there and eat main meals in town.
Getting around Toowoomba: public transport and more
- Hire a car. The CBD core is walkable, but lookouts, gardens, trailheads, golf and all excursions need driving.
- In Carnival, stay central, walk to the parks early and use the car only for day trips.
Who Toowoomba suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Good |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | OK |
| Families | Great |
| Bachelorette parties | OK |
Make Toowoomba your trip
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