7 min readWhether you’re looking for daring date ideas or a fun day out with friends or family, Bristol and the surrounding area is home to plenty of thrillseeking activities, from rock climbing to surfing!
Head for heights?
Climb, jump and swoop your way around the high ropes course at Bristol Zoo Project’s outdoor climbing adventure, Leap of Faith, where you have the option of several climbing walls and poles to scale. Will you be brave enough to leap from the top?
Image: Bristol Zoo Project
Explore the underground world and the glorious cliff edges
Explore Wookey Hole’s spectacular cave system with Wild Wookey, where you'll get to crawl through small gaps and abseil into areas other visitors are not able to get to, while being guided by a highly knowledgeable guide and instructor.
Image: Wookey Hole
You’ll be able to get up close to a rare geological features as well as listen to the fascinating history of Wookey Hole, from the history of cave diving to spooky stories of witchcraft!
Explore the awe-inspiring cliffs in Rocksports at Cheddar Gorge & Caves with their qualified instructors, who will show you the ropes on the gorge’s 50ft outdoor climbing wall. Or choose to descend into the underground cave system by headtorch. Sessions are available for children eight years old through to adults for the rock climbing and caving activities.
There's also the option to explore Gough’s Cave (ages 11+) and climb a 30ft ladder to take a leap of faith into an exhilarating freefall, before being lowered back to the ground.
Image: Cheddar Gorge & Caves
Mendip Activity Centre offer climbing and abseiling in their private quarry for a range of ages, plus caving experiences in the Mendip Hills, which is the most extensive cave system in the UK. You can find out more about Mendip Activity Centre’s accessibility guidelines as well as the additional support available for people with sensory impairment, physical disabilities and neurodiversity needs here.
Staying in North Somerset? The area is home to Sand Point, Uphill Quarry and more coastal crags.
Bristol is also home to five indoor climbing centres (two rope climbing and three bouldering), so if you’d much rather hold onto plastic and not rely on changeable weather conditions, they’re a perfect all weather option.
Pedal power
Pedal Progression offer mountain bikes available to hire to explore Ashton Court Estate and further afield. They also do regular coaching sessions and can advise on the best mountain biking trails in the area. They offer sessions for ages five and up, as well as advanced riders.
Image: Pedal Progression
Fancy going further afield? Weston-super-Mare is also home to jump trails and motor cyclists will love the Weston-Super-Mare Beach Race – the maddest, baddest and biggest event in the UK-off road calendar.
Image: Motorcylists taking part in the annual Weston-Super-Mare Beach Race, credit Visit Weston
For a truly memorable bike ride, head across the Clifton Suspension Bridge to take in the gorge-ous views and explore Clifton Village, or pick one of the city's top cycle routes.
Image: Family on a tandem, credit Bristol Tandem Hire
Take to the water
Slip into cool water and explore the outdoor swimming spots that the region has to offer. The marine lakes in Weston-super-Mare and Clevedon are great places for a free dip. Weston-super-Mare is also home to Weston Windzone, an area dedicated to windsurfing and kite surfing, if you're looking for some more outdoor activities on the coast.
Image: A windsurfer at Weston-Super-Mare
If you'd prefer a pool, The Lido in Clifton and Portishead Open Air Pool are brilliant spots to do some lengths, as well as the pools at some hotels in Bristol.
Image: Kayakers on Cevedon Marine Lake
Have a go at paddleboarding - whether you choose to stand up or kneel down - with SUP Bristol. See Bristol’s harbourside from a new perspective and explore Bristol’s historic waterways. Private booking is also available, as well as the option to hire a range of equipment for your own unguided adventure.
Image: SUP Bristol
Bristol has great access to surfing beaches in Wales, Cornwall and Devon but is also home to Bristol’s only inland surfing destination! The Wave has a variety of options to suit all abilities, from 'Play in the Bay' sessions where you can try body boarding and splash around in the water, to beginner and advanced sessions. Adaptive booking sessions are also available via The Wave’s website, where the team can discuss a group or individual's specific needs.
Image: The Wave
Choose from a range of water-based on Mendip Activity Centre’s private river, from raft building and kayaking to paddleboarding.
Image - Mendip Activity Centre
All About Watersports in Bristol's harbour also offer a range of activities, including sailing, canoeing, rowing, powerboating and more. They also offer Paddleability and Visual Impairment Friendly rowing.
Image - All Aboard Watersports
Activity Centres
Mendip Activity Centre run a whole host of activities for all ages and group sizes, from archery and air rifles to tobogganing and assault courses. They've even got their own dry snowsport slope for you to have a go at skiing or snowboarding.
Image: Mendip Activity Centre
Book onto a survival skills day at Adventure Bristol, where teams can test their problem solving skills and have a go at bushcraft. Complete your day of adventuring with a well deserve hot chocolate and marshmallows on the fire (which you’ve lit yourself). They also have a giant swing and climbing wall at their site in North Bristol, or a tree tops challenge in Ashton Court.
Image - Adventure Bristol
Mojo Active has over 25 exciting outdoor activities at their site near Cribbs Causeway archery, axe throwing, den building, dodgeball, and a full military Assault Course!
Bristol Activity Centre in Cribbs Causeway offers more than ten outdoor activities, including paintball, quad biking, clay pigeon shooting, airsoft and bubble football.
Image - Bristol Activity Centre
See a different side of Bristol with the Adventurous Activity Company, who offer canoeing sessions in the harbour, or abseiling in the Avon Gorge. Looking for a team day out? Take a look at ACF Teambuilding's range of activity days
Take on the Tree Top Challenge in the Forest of Dean with Go Ape, who also run forest safaris on Segways.
Image: Family taking on the Tree Top Challenge at Go Ape Mallards Pike in the Forest of Dean
Experience Days
Yuup has a tonne of adventurous activities available to book on their website – from fossil hunting, cycling along the strawberry line to iced water bath and Wim Hof workshops.
WonderDays also has a range of hair-rising days out for you to choose from, whether you want the thrill of driving a supercar around a track, or abseiling down a cliff face.
Get competitive
Looking for a group activity to pit your skills against your friends, family or colleagues? Try your hand at axe throwing Whistle Punks, or see who can bounce highest and take on the obstacle courses and dodgeball in the UK's largest trampoline park at AirHop.
Image: The dodgeball court at AirHop Bristol, credit AirHop
Challenge your group to a race at Absolutely Karting in Fishponds, or take a spin around the 300m indoor go-karting track at The Grand Pier in Weston-super-Mare.
Image: The Grand Pier
Soar in a hot air balloon
Enjoy amazing views of the city and beyond with Fly Away Ballooning. Bristol flights leave from Ashton Court Estate, with the option of a group flight of up to eight people, or a private tour for two.
Image: Balloons at the Bristol International Balloon Fiesta
Want more inspiration of adventurous activities to do in Bristol? View the following pages:
