From spectator sports to fun outdoor activities, Bristol has it all!
Spectator Sports
Bristol has four professional football teams: Bristol Rovers F.C. and their women's team The Gas Girls, who play at the Memorial Stadium, as well as Bristol City F.C. and Bristol City Women who play at Ashton Gate Stadium. Ashton Gate is also home to the city’s Premiership Rugby team, Bristol Bears. For cricket fans, Gloucestershire Cricket Club is one of the 18 first-class professional clubs in the UK.
You can also enjoy basketball at SGS WISE Arena, the home of Bristol Flyers, or ice hockey at Planet Ice, the home of Bristol Pitbulls, both located to the north of the city.
The city also hosts international fixtures. Keep an eye out on our sporting events page for fixture dates.
Outdoor Activities
Bristol and its surrounding area is brimming with outdoor activities, thanks to the unique landscape of the region. Have a go at stand-up paddleboarding on the harbour, try climbing the Avon Gorge, go cycling in and around the city, or head out for a surfing session at The Wave. There’s also the chance to head underground in the ancient caves of Wookey Hole and Cheddar Gorge.
Adrenaline junkies will love Rocksport at Cheddar Gorge & Caves, and the Wild Wookey caving experience at Wookey Hole.
Mendip Activity Centre runs a wide range of guided activities from kayaking to tobogganing, climbing to archery, and many more. The Adventurous Activity Company also runs urban challenges, canoeing, raft building, and abseiling in and around the city.
Ashton Court Estate, based just outside of the city centre, is a fantastic place to try a range of outdoor activities, from mountain biking to a high ropes course! You can also practice your swing at Ashton Court Golf Course, or have a go at FootGolf and DiscGolf.
Keen golfers also shouldn’t miss Bowood’s 18-hole PGA course in Wiltshire and Thornbury Golf Centre's 18-hole par-3 course, a full-length main course, a state-of-the-art driving range, and a dedicated short game area with a putting green, chipping green, and practice nets.
Walks & Hikes
You’re never too far from parks, gardens, woodland, and other green spaces in Bristol. Escape the hustle and bustle of the city centre and explore the natural beauty of Stoke Park Estate, The Downs, Ashton Court Estate, Oldbury Court and Snuff Mills, Blaise Castle, National Trust estates such as Tyntesfield, and many more.
The city is also enveloped by lovely countryside which is ripe for hiking. Enjoy the stunning carpets of bluebells on a wander around Prior’s Wood Nature Reserve in spring, follow the dramatic eastern coastline of the River Severn on a bracing walk along the Severn Way, or marvel at the spectacular views over the Somerset Levels on a Gorge-ous hike around Cheddar Gorge.
Each May, you can also get involved in popular local walking festival Walk Fest and explore every nook and cranny of the city on foot.
Cycling
Bristol has been named the UK’s first cycling city and is home to the national cycling charity Sustrans. There are several dedicated cycling routes which are part of the National Cycle Network in and around the city, and plenty of places to hire bikes too. Some of the most notable routes include the Bristol & Bath Railway Path and the Strawberry Line just outside the city in North Somerset.
Running
Bristol hosts plenty of great running events, including the annual Great Bristol Run each spring, where you can sign up to run 10k and half marathon distances. Weston-Super-Mare also hosts challenging races, including the Weston-super-Mare Half Marathon.
