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! 

Latest blogs

The local's guide: Portishead

Overlooking the Severn Estuary, just a short drive from Bristol, lies the charming coastal town of Portishead. With its rich maritime history, stunning waterfront views, and a burgeoning food scene, Portishead is the perfect destination for a day trip or a stop off along the M5 motorway. In this…

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The local's guide: St George

Heading eastwards in Bristol? We asked St George local Helen Applin for her top tips on what to see and do while you're visiting... Bristol City Centre seems to have it all: shopping, restaurants, bars. Then there’s the tourist meccas The SS Great Britain and Clifton Suspension Bridge. Venture out…

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The local's guide: Redland

Frankie Wallington tells us the best bits about this leafy area of North Bristol... OK, so I haven't strictly stuck to one area, but I live at the very top of Redland (practically on the Downs) and it’s a bit of an unknown area at times, unless you live here and then you know it’s awesome. So, I’m…

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The local's guide: Cliftonwood

Bristol-based photographer Jess Siggers guides us around Bristol's most colourful neighbourhood... Not Clifton, not Hotwells, but sandwiched in between… Cliftonwood (so called due to the small wood we have in the middle which forms part of Goldney Hall gardens) is a (surprisingly peaceful…

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The local's guide: Weston-super-Mare

There's much more to this coastal town than just the seafront and tourists. Karen Blake shares a few of her favourites in Weston-super-Mare... Weston has had a revival in the last few years, with multimillion-pound investments to enhance and improve the seafront, and a regeneration scheme attracting…

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The local's guide: Southville

Street art, street parties and street food - just a few reasons to visit this vibrant corner of South Bristol. We asked local resident Claire Greville to share some of her Southville favourites... There is some debate amongst us locals as to where Southville ends and where Bedminster begins. So…

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The local's guide: Totterdown

Close to Temple Meads station and within walking distance to the centre, Totterdown’s popularity is growing as a place to both live and visit. Thriving local businesses, award-winning cafes and a warm, community feel make this suburb well worth an explore. Faye Jenkins tells us about her home…

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The local's guide: Horfield

We asked family travel blogger Angharad Paull to tell us her favourite places to go in her patch of Bristol, Horfield. I’ve been a Bristolian for over 20 years now, and spent many of them living in Horfield, North Bristol. The area includes part of Gloucester Road, which means there are a good…

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The local's guide: Easton

Just outside Bristol city centre lies Easton. Often overlooked in favour of trendy Stokes Croft and the star attractions of central Bristol, the area has some great eateries that are worth a trip. Bristol Sweet Mart, St Mark’s Road Loved by Bristolians, the Bristol Sweet Mart is an independently…

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The local's guide: Montpelier

Local Tim Crutchley talks us through the must-see bits of Montpelier, Bristol's bohemian neighbourhood nestled just behind Stokes Croft... I’ve lived here for almost 7 years and truth be told I didn’t know much about the area when I moved in. Montpelier might not have the cache of Clifton, but there…

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