Things to Do in Bristol

Free museum in a former transit shed telling Bristol's social and industrial history. The adjacent Harbourside walkway connects cafes, street art, and the floating harbour.

🕐 M Shed: Tue-Sun 10:00-17:00; Harbourside paths always open

💡 The M Shed's top-floor cafe has a balcony with one of the best city views over the harbour. Free walking tours run Saturdays at 11am from the main entrance.

Large municipal museum with natural history, Egyptian artefacts, fine art, and a rotating programme of exhibitions. Free but donations welcome.

🕐 Daily 10:00-17:00

💡 Head to the upper gallery for the Qing dynasty ceramics—most visitors miss them. Check their website before you go as some special exhibitions charge entry.

Victorian park on a hill, with a 34-metre tower offering a panoramic city view. Both park and tower are free; tower has a tight spiral staircase.

🕐 Park open 24 hours; Cabot Tower open daily 08:00-16:30 (closed in bad weather)

💡 Go early on a clear day to see the Avon Gorge and, on very clear days, the Welsh hills across the Severn. The tower closes in high winds, so check the council website.

Isambard Kingdom Brunel's iconic bridge spanning the Avon Gorge. Free to cross on foot or by bike; visitor centre open seasonally.

🕐 Bridge open 24 hours; visitor centre 10:00-17:00 (March-October)

💡 Walk across at sunset for the best light on the gorge. The Leigh Woods side has a short trail with a different viewpoint back toward the city.

Brunel's pioneering steamship, restored and docked in the dry dock where she was built. Entry costs around £18, but the surrounding harbour area is free and worth a wander.

🕐 Daily 10:00-17:30 (last entry 16:30)

💡 Buy a ticket online in advance to save a few quid. The free harbour walk around the Great Western Dockyard gives you good views of the ship without paying.