Frequently voted as the best place to live in the country, filled with a vibrant cultural scene, a buzzing harbour-side and plenty of green space – and not to mention only being a short train journey from London – Bristol well worth a visit. Here’s my guide of the top things to do and see in possibly England’s coolest city.
At the bottom you’ll find a brief bit of Bristol’s history, because I think it always enriches your visit to know a bit about what made the place what it is today.
What’s in this blog:
- Top 10 things to do in Bristol
- Clifton Suspension Bridge – Bristol’s most iconic landmark
- Go Banksy spotting
- Explore Bristol’s buzzing harbourside
- M Shed – learn about the history of Bristol
- We The Curious – interactive science exhibits
- SS Great Britain – Explore Brunel’s historic cruise-liner
- Wander around beautiful College Green and Park Street
- Cabot Tower – Incredible views in a historic tower
- St Nicholas Market – Bristol’s main marketplace
- Gloucester Road – the longest road of independent shops
- A few of Bristol’s hidden gems
- A brief history of Bristol
Top 10 things to do in Bristol
1. Clifton Suspension Bridge – Bristol’s most iconic landmark
If there’s such thing as a must-see landmark in Bristol, it’s the Clifton Suspension Bridge. It’s city’s most famous sight – and with good reason. Just look at it. Spanning the dramatic Avon Gorge, it was designed by the pioneering engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel – though he never lived to see its completion, which took more than 30 years.
You can walk over the bridge for free, and on the north side is a free visitor centre. For the best views of the bridge itself, head to the adjoining park Clifton Down, which overlooks it.
While in Clifton, I’d also suggest exploring the nearby Clifton Village, one of the prettiest areas of the city.
2. Go Banksy spotting
Bristol’s most famous export is the anonymous street artist Banksy. Although his works can now be found in cities all across the world, he started here, and walking around the city you can find some of his earliest works.
They’re a bit spread out – so what we did was add the Bankys in the city centre to a map, and then go on a quick detour to view each one when we were in the area. You can find this map of Banksy art in Bristol city centre here.
More than just Banksy, Bristol’s street art scene as a whole is awesome. Stokes Croft (where you’ll find Banksy’s Mild, Mild West) is essentially an open air street art gallery, filled with murals; and all over the city you’ll find cutting edge street art.
3. Explore Bristol’s buzzing harbourside
Bristol’s harbourside is a vibrant, bustling place filled with restaurants, bars, shops and galleries. Dotted around you’ll also find some of the city’s best museums, including the SS Great Britain, M Shed and We The Curious. Exploring the area is one of the best things you can do in the city.
It was once one of the busiest harbours in the UK, and the economic heart of Bristol. After a period of decline, it is now one of the best examples of urban regeneration you’ll find anywhere.
While you’re exploring, I’d recommend Wapping Wharf – a series of shipping containers now home to trendy restaurants, bars and the excellent independent Bookhaus book shop. Underfell Yard is also well worth a walk on a sunny day, with a lovely waterfront cafe and bar.
4. M Shed – learn about the history of Bristol
“M Shed, Bristol” by Jaggery is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
If you’re interested in Bristol’s history, head to the M Shed. Located in Bristol harbourside, it’s a free-to-enter museum telling the story of the city.
On the bottom floor, you’ll find charming (if slightly dated) exhibits on the different areas of Bristol. Head upstairs for the best bit of the museum: Bristol People. Here you’ll find exhibits on the vibrant history of the city – its art and culture scene, its proud history of progressive politics and protests, as well as an honest look at its complicated links to the slave trade and colonialism.
One of the highlights is the Edward Colston statue, a statue of a slave trader toppled during Black Lives Matter protests, which is laid on its side, covered in graffiti from the protest, and accompanied by a thought provoking exhibition.
Visit website. Free to enter.
5. We The Curious – interactive science exhibits
We The Curious is an interactive science museum in the Bristol harbourside area. It’s filled with cool exhibits and hands on activities on all sorts of topics – from time, to bees, to the soul. It’s definitely a great place to visit with kids – but as two adults, we had a lot of fun too.
Top tip: if you head there from 3pm onwards, tickets are cheaper. The museum isn’t that big, so you still have plenty of time to explore everything.
Visit website. £18.50 for adults – £11 after 3pm.
6. SS Great Britain – Explore Brunel’s historic cruise-liner
Described as the ‘ship that changed the world’, the SS Great Britain is another Brunel masterpiece and one of Bristol’s most famous landmarks.
It’s a steep £22, so we decided to give this one a miss – but if we’d had a bit more time in the city, we’d definitely have gone. As well as visiting the boat itself, the ticket gets you entry to its museums to learn about Brunel and the historic dockyard. You’ll find it in the heart of Bristol’s old harbour – and sometimes you can get a steam train from the M Shed to the boat!
7. Wander around beautiful College Green and Park Street
Park Street is one of Bristol’s best streets for bars, restaurants and shops. A few favourites are the popular Italian restaurant Molotbuono; old-school arcade bar Four Quarters; and the Boston Tea Party, with a beautiful outdoor eating space with views of the Willis Tower.
At the bottom of the street is the pretty College Green, where you’ll find some of Bristol’s most important buildings: its Cathedral, City Hall and central library. And crowning the top of the street is the stunning Willis Tower, part of the University and known as the last great Gothic building in England.
A bit further up the street, you’ll also find the free to enter Bristol Museum and Art Gallery and the Royal West of England Academy of Arts (not free to enter).
Top tip: Walking up Park Street, make sure to not miss Banksy’s Well Hung Lover. More information in my blog here.
8. Cabot Tower – Incredible views in a historic tower
Close to Park Lane and College Green, Cabot Tower is a free-to-climb tower set in a beautiful (but hilly) park. It’s one of the many great things you can do in Bristol for free.
The building dates from 1897, when it was built to mark the 400th anniversary of John Cabot’s voyage to North America from Bristol, sponsored by King Henry VII. It’s well worth the steep climb up the tight staircase for the views at the top over the city. (Note: There is no lift.)
You’ll find the tower in Brandon Hill Park (for fans of the TV show Skins, this park was the filming location of a couple famous scenes from the first series).
Free entry.
9. St Nicholas Market – Bristol’s main marketplace
Having been going since 1743, St Nicholas’ is Bristol’s oldest market. It’s a buzzing place, filled with stalls and independent retailers. Many of the streets nearby turn into outdoor markets, too. Attached to the market is the Glass Arcade – a great place for street food.
10. Gloucester Road – the longest road of independent shops
A bit out of the centre, but if you have time Gloucester Road is worth a visit. It’s the longest road of independent shops you’ll find in the country, and it’s also filled with plenty of cafes, bars and restaurants. A great place to go if you’re into shopping, and really captures the Bristol spirit.
A great way to explore Bristol is to take the popular ‘Blackbeard to Banksy’ walking tour. You can book this here.
A few of Bristol’s hidden gems
Bristol is one of those magical cities that you can just walk around and always discover something new and interesting. Here are a few hidden gems we discovered around Bristol that are worth a visit if you’re nearby.
Clifton Cathedral
A Grade II* listed Brutalist cathedral, close to the beautiful Clifton Village. Visit website.
Palestine Museum and Cultural Centre
A permanent exhibition on the history and culture of Palestine, with a shop selling fairtrade Palestinian products. Open weekends. Visit website.
Underfell Yard
A historic boatyard with a free visitor centre, pump room and a lovely outdoor cafe looking over the water. Visit website.
Left Handed Giant Brewpub
A wonderful large independent brewery in the heart of the city, overlooking the water and connected to Castle Gardens by a cool, winding bridge. Visit website.
Queen Square
Right in the centre of the city is this peaceful, generally quiet square surrounded by Georgian townhouses. The richly decorated Queen Square House is especially beautiful.
A brief history of Bristol
Bristol’s history has been shaped by its harbour. From the 13th century it was a busy port, which sparked the city’s growth. In the 15th and 16th century, a number of important voyages started from Bristol – including John Cabot’s voyage to North America, sponsored by Henry VII. For centuries the city was filled with sailors, travellers and adventurers – in fact, it is thought to be the birthplace of the famous pirate Blackbeard.
The city also has strong links to the transatlantic slave trade – between 1698 and 1807, more than 2,000 ships left Bristol towards Africa, as part of the Triangular Trade. The city prospered in this time – and this is something that it is still reckoning with.
Most famously, during the Black Lives Matter protests in 2020 a statue of slave trader Edward Colston was toppled and thrown into the water – it’s now in a museum in the city. In modern times the city has become a symbol of urban regeneration and is famous for its progressive independent spirit.
This article is now featured on GPSmyCity. To download this article for offline reading or travel directions to the attractions highlighted in this article, go to Walking Tours and Articles in Bristol on GPSmyCity.
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