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 Bristol TV watch list

How many TV shows starring Bristol can you name? As well as shows set in the city, Bristol has also doubled for Tudor London, 18th Century Cornwall, and many more. From sitcom classics such as Only Fools and Horses and The Young Ones, to modern cult hits such as Skins, there are surprising amount…

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Itinerary: The Outlaws-themed break in Bristol

Stephen Merchant’s comedy thriller The Outlaws was set and filmed in and around Bristol. The series follows strangers from different walks of life who are forced together to complete a community payback sentence in Bristol. Throughout the series you’ll be able to spot many of the city’s famous…

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Bristol film & TV filming locations

In celebration of the city's status as a UNESCO City of Film, we take a look at Bristol: the TV and movie star. Many film productions have beamed Bristol onto the big screen and as well as being a featured location, the city has often played film double and production base for many movies. We’ve put…

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Itinerary: the ultimate Skins-themed break in Bristol

Set and filmed in and around Bristol, the cult classic teen drama Skins has become synonymous with the city since it broke onto TV screens in 2007. The show follows three generations of Bristolian teenagers as they navigate the struggles they face during their two years at sixth form, and…

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Stay on a film set: overnight at Bristol filming locations

Did you know that Bristol is a UNESCO Creative City of Film? This permanent status recognises Bristol's global contribution to film and television over many years, its world class film festivals, popular filming locations and pop-up screenings. While it's easy to be blown away by the film and TV…

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Itinerary: Explore Cary Grant's Bristol

Did you know that Hollywood legend Cary Grant started his life as Archibald Leach in Bristol? Find out where one of the most iconic film stars called home, learned his trade and is now commemorated in the city. The Cary Grant Statue Start your Cary Grant tour of the city by seeking out the statue of…

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8 ways to have an 1980s ‘Rivals’-inspired break in Bristol

The adaptation of Dame Jilly Cooper’s novel ‘Rivals’ is a shocking and steamy antics tale of the social elite of 1980s England. The series was filmed in and around Bristol, so we've put together a list of locations where you can experience some ‘80s nostalgia once you've watched the show on Disney+…

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Discover Rivals filming locations in Bristol

The hotly-anticipated new television adaptation of Jilly Cooper's steamy 1988 novel Rivals comes to Disney+ in the UK on 18 October 2024. The series revolves around the tense rivalry of two powerful men in 1980s Britain, with actors Alex Hassell and David Tennant playing the leads. Shooting for…

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The Visit Bristol guide to The Outlaws season 3

The third season of Bristolian Stephen Merchant's hit comedy thriller The Outlaws begins on BBC One in the UK on Thursday 30 May 2024, and will also be available to stream on BBC iPlayer and Amazon Prime Video. Set and filmed in Bristol, the series once again returned to the city for another…

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