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!

Category: Film and TV

Outlaws Season 3 filming with Stephen Merchant - credit Big Talk Studios / BBC)

The Visit Bristol guide to The Outlaws season 3

May 24, 2024

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…

A black and white image of Cary Grant in front of Clifton Suspension Bridge - credit Bristol Post

9 facts you never knew about Cary Grant’s Bristol connections

Jan. 18, 2024

Happy Birthday Cary Grant! 18 January marks what would have been Cary Grant’s 120th birthday, and is an opportune moment to stop and celebrate one of Bristol’s biggest success stories and finest exports. He enjoyed a six decade-spanning career as a Hollywood film star and style icon that earned him…

A view of Clare Street in Bristol's Old City, with a hand holding a photograph of actor David Tennant filming one of the 2023 Doctor Who specials in the same spot - credit Logan Walker

Discover Doctor Who 60th anniversary filming locations in Bristol

Dec. 11, 2023

If you were in central Bristol during the summer of 2022, you might have caught a glimpse of explosions, tanks, camera crews, a certain blue police box, and a few famous faces. All of the above are telltale signs of Doctor Who, the world’s longest-running science fiction TV show, which celebrated…

Exterior of Kings Weston House in North Bristol

Everything you need to know about Doctor Who filming locations in Bristol

Sep. 27, 2023

Did you know that Doctor Who has a long-running connection with Bristol and its surrounding areas dating back to the 1970s, when Hengrove Imperial Park and Wookey Hole Caves were featured? In this guide, we take a look back at some of The Doctor's other encounters with Bristol… The Doctor and…

Outlaws Season 2 credit BBC One,Amazon Studios, BBC Studios

The Visit Bristol guide to The Outlaws season 2

Jul. 04, 2023

Wholly set and filmed in Bristol, the second series of Stephen Merchant’s hit comedy thriller The Outlaws began on BBC One in the UK on Sunday 5 June 2022, after an extensive shoot that took place at The Bottle Yard Studios and on location across Bristol assisted by the city’s Film Office. The…

The story of Bristol film pioneer William Friese-Greene

Oct. 04, 2022

Have you ever noticed the circular plaque at the rear of City Hall on College Street dedicated to ‘the pioneer of cinematography’? It’s looking a little shabby these days and has been moved from its original location, but it was created to mark the birthplace of photographer, inventor and film-maker…

The Outlaws Clare Perkins and Stephen Merchant in the Outlaws Series 2- Protest credit BBC, Amazon Studios, Big Talk, Four Eyes credit BBC One,Amazon Studios, BBC Studios

The Outlaws bring Bristol back to your screens

May 27, 2022

Stephen Merchant’s comedy thriller, The Outlaws, returns to UK TV screens on BBC One on Sunday 5 June 2022 and will also be available on BBC iPlayer. Originally created by Merchant and Elgin James (co-creator of US series Mayans M.C.) The series follows seven strangers from different walks of life…

The Last Bus filming in Redcliffe Caves, Bristol - image courtesy Netflix-Wildseed Studios

The Last Bus filming locations in Bristol

Apr. 01, 2022

Action-packed sci-fi series The Last Bus has landed on Netflix, starring Robert Sheehan and Tom Basden alongside an ensemble cast of young actors. Produced by Bristol-based Wildseed Studios, the 10-episode, family-friendly eco-fable follows a group of mismatched students on a school trip who become…

Otto Farant as Alex Rider in the 2020 Amazon Prime TV series Alex Rider, filmed in Bristol - credit Sony

Bristol locations used in Alex Rider season two

Dec. 07, 2021

Coming-of-age drama Alex Rider returns for a second series this December, streaming exclusively on Amazon Prime’s free IMDb TV streaming service, after filming on location in Bristol for six months in 2021. Produced by Eleventh Hour Films, Alex Rider is a spy-thriller series based on the popular…

Christopher Walken in season 1 of The Outlaws (2021) at Sea Mills Community Centre in North Bristol - credit BBC, Amazon Studios, Big Talk, and Four Eyes

The Visit Bristol guide to The Outlaws season 1

Oct. 19, 2021

The first season of Stephen Merchant’s new comedy thriller, The Outlaws, hit UK TV screens on BBC One in October 2021, and is available on BBC iPlayer. Set and filmed in Bristol, the extensive shoot took place on location across the city assisted by Bristol Film Office and at The Bottle Yard Studios…