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!

Tag: Day Trips

A woman standing on a bench with her arms outstretched.

Itinerary: take a self-guided tour of Bristol's filming locations

Aug. 11, 2026

If you're a film and TV fanatic, there's a good chance that you've already seen Bristol in some of your favourite film and TV productions. Find out which in our brand new Starring Bristol video, and discover the locations that brought their worlds to life: Fancy seeing them in person? Step onto…

Beach and Knightstone Island in Weston-super-Mare near Bristol - credit Dave Peters

10 Day trips from Bristol by train

Aug. 09, 2026

Staying a few days in Bristol? Take advantage of Bristol being the capital of the South West with a day trip to some of the impressive cities, historic towns, and seaside destinations nearby. 1. Keynsham Based halfway between Bristol and Bath, Keynsham is a pretty, independent market town that is…

Train on the track at Avon Valley Railway near Bristol - credit Avon Valley Railway

Train rides and railway attractions in Bristol

Jul. 31, 2026

Enjoy a day out on a local heritage steam railway, or take the family along to a miniature railway! Bristol has its place at the centre of UK railway heritage, with Isambard Kingdom Brunel engineering the Great Western Railway between London and Bristol, which opened in 1838. There are numerous…

Beaches and seaside towns near Bristol

Jun. 28, 2026

Bristol is only a few miles from the coast, so if you're looking for places to enjoy a long walk, do some watersports or take a dip, here are some of the places within easy reach of the city. Beaches near Bristol Sand Bay One of the most scenic spots along the North Somerset coast, Sand Bay has a…

A view of the Stonehenge monument near Bristol by day

6 World Heritage Sites to visit near Bristol

Apr. 13, 2026

Bristol makes a perfect base to explore the historical wonders of the region. Here you’ll find ancient countryside and world-famous landmarks that sit proudly alongside their diverse and unique UNESCO World Heritage Site counterparts, such as the Pyramids of Egypt and Australia’s Great Barrier Reef…

Beautiful towns and villages near Bristol

Mar. 26, 2026

Bristol is the confluence of the beautiful counties of Somerset and Gloucestershire, home to varied landscapes, rolling countryside, stunning natural wonders, and plenty of charming historic villages! Here are some of our favourites, all waiting for you on the city’s doorstep. If you don't drive or…

A view of the harbour area in the town of Keynsham near Bristol - credit Nick Smith

The local's guide: Keynsham

Jan. 19, 2026

This rural market town is nestled on the south-eastern borders of Bristol. We asked local resident Monika Komar to share an itinerary and tell us some of the best spots to seek out... Hop on a train from Bristol Temple Meads, and a mere eight minutes away is Keynsham; part Bristol suburb, part…

A view of the beach and Grand Pier at Weston-super-Mare near Bristol - credit Dave Peters

The local's guide: Weston-super-Mare

Dec. 15, 2025

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 in this nifty itinerary... Weston has had a revival in the last few years, with multimillion-pound investments to enhance and improve the seafront, and a…

Flamingos at WWT Slimbridge near Bristol - credit Amy Alsop

Motorway breaks near the M5 and Bristol

Jun. 27, 2025

Travelling along the M5 this summer? Long car journeys don’t have to mean constant cries of ‘are we neeearrrly there yet?’, expensive, soggy service station sandwiches and hours and hours of pure motorway. If you’re passing through the West Country along the M5 this summer, there are some great…

An wide shot of the Great Bath at The Roman Baths in central Bath, near Bristol

Best day trips east of Bristol

Aug. 05, 2024

As the capital of the South West, Bristol makes the perfect base to explore the very best the region has to offer. World-famous attractions, ancient landmarks and gorgeous countryside are all just a short train journey, car ride or cycle away! So why not add a few extra days onto your stay in the…