Mount Coot-tha, about 7 km west of the city centre, is Brisbane's best viewpoint. From the summit lookout at 287 metres you get a sweeping panorama over the entire metropolitan area from Moreton Bay to the ranges, with the CBD laid out at your feet and the Brisbane River threading through the suburbs. The view is good during the day but excellent after dark, when the city lights fill the bowl of the valley.
Below the summit is the Brisbane Botanic Gardens at Mount Coot-tha — a much larger and more varied garden than the City Botanic Gardens downtown, with a Japanese garden, a bonsai house, a planetarium, and extensive walking trails through native bushland. The lookout restaurant is overpriced and unnecessary; drive up, take in the view, walk some of the bush trails, and head back down. Buses run from the city centre, but a taxi is easier and faster.