Blog & Guides

Welcome to the Visit Bristol blog, your one-stop shop for ideas, inspiration and handy tips to make your time in Bristol that bit better!  

From suggested itineraries to festival round-ups and unmissable things to do, our guides aim to showcase the best of the city, whatever the time of year. We publish new blogs every week and keep our blog posts up-to-date with the latest information, so you can trust that you’re getting the most accurate and useful tips for your trip. 

Planning a trip with the family? Check out our guides on Places to stay with kids in and around Bristol and Things to do with teenagers. We’ve also got a list of 60 free things to do to keep costs down. 

Coming  here to sample as much of the food scene as you can? Have a read through our list of Bristol’s Michelin-starred restaurants, top cocktail bars and pub gardens, or find the best places to go for vegan food while you’re here. We’re sure you’ll also want to try a tasty Sunday roast while you’re here – we've rounded up a few of the best of those too! 

If you’re local to Bristol, or here for a few days, we’ve also got plenty of suggestions for day trips to the north, south, east and west of the city so that you can experience as much of the region as possible. Maybe you want to tick off all of the World Heritage Sites near Bristol, or discover our most accessible outdoor attractions

We’ll also have seasonal guides to help you get the most out of Summer in Bristol, from rooftop bars to scenic cycle routes, or find out what’s on for Christmas in and around the city. 

Keep checking back for more brilliant Bristol inspiration! 

The food lover's guide to Bristol

Bristol is known for its fabulous food scene, from sizzling street food markets to glamorous speakeasies, and more award-winning restaurants than you can shake a stick at. Here are our recommendations for a food-tastic trip to the city... 1. Book a food & drink tour One of the quickest ways to get…

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Bristol's most accessible hotels

Looking for an accessible room in Bristol? Here are some of our recommendations, with adjusted bathrooms, lift access and more. Future Inn Bristol Cabot Circus Located in Bristol city centre, directly opposite the shops and restaurants of Cabot Circus, this hotel boasts spacious and air-conditioned…

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Bristol's cosiest hotels for autumn hibernation

‘Tis the season of colourful leaves, crisp sunny strolls, beautiful misty mornings and cosying up by a log fire. Make the most of this snuggly time of year with a bit of ‘hygge’ at one of Bristol’s cosiest hotels for autumn hibernation. Harbour Hotel Bristol Step out of the cold and hunker down in…

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Bristol's best autumn walks

When the landscapes of Britain are starting to change colour, golden leaves spatter the ground and there’s an official whiff of autumn in the air, there’s nothing quite like heading outdoors to experience this magical time of year. We’ve put together a guide to some of the best places for an…

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Itinerary: A long weekend in Bristol

Planning to spend a few days in the city? Here's a list of must-sees in Bristol to get you started... Day one: The Harbourside Grab a coffee by the Harbourside and visit M Shed, a museum telling the story of Bristol’s past and present, before climbing aboard The Matthew on the quayside nearby. The…

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Birdwatching in Bristol: Avon Gorge

The Downs and Avon Gorge are a mosaic of incredible habitats within one stunning landscape. One of the best things about this rich array of habitats is the diverse range of species they host! None more so than our bird species. Birds are universally considered an ecological indicator as they inhabit…

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Bristol's top-rated hotels in the Michelin Guide

Find out which boutique hotels in and near Bristol have been awarded a prestigious MICHELIN Key in the MICHELIN Guide. Each of the hotels in the Guide is vetted by MICHELIN's hotel experts and has been judged as excelling in these key areas: architecture and interior design quality and consistency…

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Swap London for Bristol: our top travel 'dupes'

Avoid the stress and bustle of the capital city and come to Bristol instead! We've listed some destination dupes where you can swap some of London's best-known attractions for a quieter (and often cheaper) version in our beautiful city. Swap The Cutty Sark for... Brunel's SS Great Britain The famous…

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A guide to slow travel in Bristol

If you’re looking to experience Bristol at a gentler pace, this guide is for you. Slow travel is about swapping whirlwind itineraries for meaningful moments, letting curiosity rather than checklists shape your days. Instead of rushing between sights, you’ll have time to savour what matters most to…

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Country house hotels near Bristol

Birdsong or Bansky? Hedgerows or Harbourside? If you can’t decide between a city break or a country retreat, do both. North Somerset, South Gloucestershire, the Cotswolds and the rolling hills of the Mendips are all within a hop and a skip of Bristol city centre. Dress like a city weekender, but…

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