From 1-31 May, there are hundreds of walks on offer all around the city as part of this year's Bristol Walk Fest. More than 80% of them are free, and they cover all abilities and interests.  

Whether you are a casual walker who fancies a gentle stroll to explore new parts of the city or an enthusiastic rambler brandishing state-of-the-art boots and water bottles, ready for a sturdy hike, Bristol Walk Fest has walks available every single day of the month. You'll find 156 unique walks from 76 different walk providers and, with some walks repeated on multiple dates and times, there are 400+ walks available between 1 and 31 May!

It's a choose your own adventure, with walks to suit any energy level (easy, fairly easy, moderate or challenging) or interest (walking for pleasure, nature and wildlife, art, culture and history, health and wellbeing and walking sports). Alongside the scenic routes and history walks you might expect, you'll find bat walks, ghost tours, tree listening, geological deep dives and a silly stroll for clowns.

Printed programmes are available in Bristol libraries and community centres, or use the online programme and search by date, location or access need. 

With so many great walks and activities available, the Bristol Walk Fest team have put their heads together and selected a few highlights and themes.

★  star = FREE

1. To top & tail the month 

On 1 May, Bristol Walk Fest launches with an evening celebrating walking as a creative and cultural act. Speakers include Sheila Hannon from Show of Strength Theatre Company, Anita Karla Kelly from Misfits Theatre Company, Hana Sutch from Go Jauntly and Dr Subitha Bagirathan from Soultrail Wellbeing CIC. The event is at Hamilton House, Stokes Croft, 7-9pm, and tickets are £5.

Better still, the evening starts on foot. Launch event ticket holders can join an exclusive pre-launch walk led by Show of Strength, taking in the Bristol of Blackbeard, Cary Grant, King Henry VII and Long John Silver - plus a stop not featured on any other walk: the prison where ten Bristol women were held before being transported to Australia as convicts in 1817. Pre-launch walk and event tickets are £10. 

On 30 May, Walk Bristol returns for its second year - a free, non-competitive mass walking event starting and finishing at Castle Park bandstand, with supported 1, 5 and 10 mile routes taking in the best of the city.

 A group of people walking along river path in Brislington, Bristol, as part of Bristol Walkfest - credit Katie Murt

2. Secret Bristol

Bristol is a city full of hidden corners and unexpected stories. These walks take you off the usual tourist trail and into some of the city's lesser-known places and histories.

  • Discover the history of Bristol's very first mental health care facility on the Bloomberg Connects Trail, a free outdoor trail through the grounds of the former Glenside Hospital (every Wednesday and Saturday in May). ★
  • Stroll through three hundred years of village life on Discover Frenchay Village (2 May). ★
  • Learn about the first social housing estate in Britain from local historian Larry Bennett, who grew up in Hillfields in the 1960s and 70s, on the Hillfields History Walk (9 & 10 May, £5)
  • Discover Warmley Forest Park and Siston Common explores a favourite local walking spot in search of spring flowers, birdsong and butterflies (20 May). ★
  • Glenside Hospital Museum was originally built as 'Bristol Lunatic Asylum' in 1861, its spacious grounds designed to aid mental health and wellbeing. Exploring Glenside is a relaxed guided history walk through this hidden corner of Bristol (30 May, £15).

Glenside Hospital Museum in spring - credit Carly Wong
Image - Glenside Hospital Museum

3. After dark (or before dawn)

Bristol looks different after the sun goes down and before it comes up. Whether you're an early riser or a night owl, these walks offer a different perspective on the city and its wildlife.

  • Join Steve England on Dawn Chorus Walk of Stoke Park for a sunrise journey through woodlands, lake and fields to hear and identify brilliant birds (3 May at 5am, £10)
  • Take in haunted buildings and famous TV locations around the Old City on the Haunted and Hidden Bristol Tour (7 May, £10/£8 concessions)
  • Discover the bats of Badock's Wood on the Badock's Wood Bat Walk (9 May, £8)
  • An evening stroll through the story of Clifton Down at its most atmospheric on Sunset over Clifton Down (21 May) ★
  • Dive into Bristol's forgotten and hidden stories in Blackbeard to Banksy - Blood, Bone and Brine (every Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday throughout May, evenings. £13)
  • Armed with bat echo locators, the Bats of Stoke Park guided walk takes you around the estate to spot, identify and learn about these wonderful flying mammals (3, 12 and 27 May, evenings. £8)
  • Discover the geology and fossils of the Frome Valley on an evening walk back in time to 300 million years ago on Fossils and Geology of the Frome (1, 7 and 27 May, £10)
  • A guided evening stroll from Snuff Mills along the river Frome, learning about history, wildlife and geology on Snuff Mills River Walk (5 and 21 May, £8)

Man walking two dog in Oldbury Court and Snuff Mills
Image - Snuff Mills

4. Weird and wonderful

Bristol Walk Fest has always attracted the unexpected. These are the walks that don't fit neatly into any other category - and are all the better for it.

  • Join storyteller James Lawrence on Mayday at the Stones: A Man About Country Story Walk, blending history, storytelling and nature connection to celebrate Beltane at one of England's largest stone circle complexes (1 May, £15)
  • Idiot's Trundle is a silly stroll for clowns, fools and playful people, with a bring-your-own picnic to follow (9 May) ★
  • Discover Earth's vast history from its beginnings to the present moment on the Deep Time Walk, 5km over 5 hours at Ashton Court (9 May, £10)
  • Join a community ecologist for a stroll around the streets of Lockleaze, identifying wildflowers and annotating them on the pavement on Plants of the Pavements (14 May) ★
  • Using microphones and PlantWave technology, listen to the internal rhythms of trees, water and plants at Oldbury Court on the Immersive Rhythms of Nature Walk, 16 May. ★
  • Explore with Otter's Bristol Art Quest - interactive games, street art and creative puzzles celebrating local culture, ages 8+ (available on multiple dates throughout May, £20 for a group of 4)

A group of people walking in on Clifton Down as part of Idiots Trundle at Bristol Walk Fest - credit Beccy Golding
Image - Idiot's Trundle. Credit Beccy Golding

5. Bristol perspectives 

Bristol's history has many voices. These walks seek out the stories that don't always make it into the guidebooks, exploring the city through different lives, communities and points of view.

Roy Hackett Mural in St Pauls area of Bristol - CREDIT Sam Saunders
Image - Roy Hackett mural 

6. Step back in time

Bristol has been accumulating stories for over a thousand years. These walks dig into the city's past, from medieval streets to Hollywood glamour.

People on a walking tour with costumed guide - credit Show Of Strength Theatre Company
Image - Magic and Mayhem in Medieval Bristol

7. Wellbeing walks

Sometimes the best thing you can do is get outside, move gently and be with other people. These walks put wellbeing at their heart.

  • Wobbly walks - a walk for anyone who feels a bit wobbly about socialising. Wobbly Walk and Coffee Social is at the Harbourside (5 May) and Clifton Downs (16 May). ★
  • Come and experience the benefits of walking meditation with a free guided session featuring breathing exercises and gentle movement on Walking Meditation for Inner Peace (9 May) ★
  • A guided walk on grass and paths, pausing to create poetry inspired by the beauty of nature on the Nature Poetry Trail (Eastville Park, 11 May) ★
  • Brain Injury Cafe Walk and Talk - a gentle, inclusive walk in the grounds of Windmill Hill City Farm for those affected by brain injury - all abilities welcome, including wheelchairs and support dogs (13 May) ★
  • A gentle riverside walk, fresh air and relaxed conversation with other unpaid carers on Walk and Talk for Unpaid Carers (Oldbury Court, 13 May) ★
  • Join a gentle walk to Perretts Park in Totterdown for fresh air, friendly faces and feel-good stretches on Walk and Stretch for Wellbeing (5, 12 and 19 May) ★
  • Network with local freelancers and small business owners and recharge through gentle grounding practices in stunning surroundings on Wellbeing Netwalk for Small Business Owners (Ashton Court, 18 May) ★
  • A gentle walk for women in the beautiful Stoke Park on Women Only Walk in Stoke Park (20 May) ★

A yellow house known as the Dower house stands on a hill overlooking some trees and a fishing pond - © Bristol City Council
Image - Stoke Park Estate

8. Walking sports

Did you know that football, cricket, tennis, rugby and hockey can all be played as walking sports? Taster sessions are available for all these sports during Walk Fest - look for the pink headings in the printed programme or select 'Walking Sports' from the options on the events page of the Bristol Walk Fest website. All tasters are for mixed genders.

9. Family-friendly walks

Keep all ages busy with these fun and interactive walks across the city.

  • Family Storywalk, a gentle stroll around the park or library garden with stories and songs, perfect for early years children (0-4) and their carers (Westbury 6 May, Bishopsworth 13 May, St George 14 May) ★
  • A riverside stroll for new parents and little ones in a buggy, looping around the river and back over Gaol Ferry Bridge on BS3 Buggies and Babies (every Tuesday throughout May) ★
  • An urban walk through Portishead's world-class sculpture trail, with each exhibit telling the story of the town's history and culture on the Portishead Sculpture Trails Walk (first 4 Sundays in May) ★
  • Blaze Trails offer three family walks this year: Stoke Park Sculpture Walk - a toddler-friendly adventure on 6 May, Baby Walk on The Downs, a pram-friendly and baby-wearing walk on 13 May ★, and a relaxed woodland Family Walk in Ashton Court on 30 May. ★
  • A historic ramble through the Old Town sampling chocolate treats along the way on the Bristol Chocolate Tour, starting at the bottom of Christmas Steps (10 dates in May, £17/adult £8.50/child)

A group of people walking through a park in Bristol as part of Bristol Walkfest - credit Jenni Nott
Image credit - Bristol Walk Fest

10. Walking skills 

Whether you want to walk further, lead others, or simply see the city differently, these sessions offer something practical to take away.

  • A short course taking you through the practical steps and resources needed to start organising group walks in your local area on Community Walk Leader Training (5 May) ★
  • Find out why Nordic walking is one of the most popular exercises in Bristol on Nordic Walking Taster (6 May) ★
  • Explore the outdoors, practise basic navigation skills and develop a natural navigation mindset on Walking Skills, Nature Exploration and Connection (Ashton Court, 19 May) ★
  • Join a small informal group for a mixture of networking and walking to look at recent street changes made or planned across the city centre on Changes to the Street Environment (20 and 28 May) ★
  • An introduction to map reading, perfect for complete beginners or a confidence boost on Learn to Map Read (Thornbury, 24 May, £20)
  • A creative workshop from the University of Bristol for wheelchair users and those with mobility and visual impairments, exploring accessibility barriers in the city and sharing experiences with change-makers: Moving Around and Accessing Bristol: A Creative Workshop (28 May. Spaces limited - booking essential) ★.

A group of people walking on Purdown, as part of Bristol Walk Fest - credit Bristol Nordic Walking
Image - Bristol Nordic Walking on Purdown

Bonus recommendation! Any walk led by Bristol Ramblers!  

Bristol Ramblers have been offering walks as part of Bristol Walk Fest since it started in 2013. Each walk is delivered by an experienced, expert walk leader, with a wide and varied range of themes and locations across the city - all are free to attend.

And if you fancy a bigger challenge...

The brand new Bristol Ring launches on 1 May 2026 - a 33-mile circular trail linking green corridors, leafy parks and urban watersides around the city, available in six sections on the free Go Jauntly app. Download the app and join the Bristol Ring Challenge to complete all six sections throughout May.

Bristol Walk Fest has been part of Bristol’s annual calendar of events for more than a decade, and coincides with #NationalWalkingMonth from Living Streets. Go Jauntly co-founder Hana Sutch is speaking at the Bristol Walk Fest launch event on 1 May.

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