The Best Things to do in Bristol!
Bristol is a very unique city in the United Kingdom. The scene is artistic, grungy, and most important of all, inclusive. The artist Banksy is from Bristol so street art, murals, and graffiti is a big deal there and can be seen everywhere. You will see a ton of vintage stores while walking around, as well as cafes & bars. Our favorite thing about Bristol was how welcoming it felt, we truly believe every single human will feel like they belong there. There is so much to do in this city, and it’s only about an hour train ride away from London!
Where to Stay in Bristol
We stayed at The Bristol Hotel because is was very central. We were able to walk almost everywhere we wanted to go from the hotel. But we will say, the hotel design was a bit outdated. If you tend to like a new/fresh hotel design, you might want to stay on the outskirts of the city, you will just have to uber to most places.
Book your Bristol accommodation here!
Best Things to Do in Bristol
Cliftonwood Colorful Houses
Graft Graffiti Workshop
Psychopomp Gin Distillery
Bristol Museum & Art Gallery
Do a Graffiti Walking Tour - Like we said above, the street art scene in Bristol is huge. We recommend doing a graffiti walking tour with Graft Workshop to learn about the history and even see some of Banksy’s work!
Visit the Bristol Art Museum - Again, the arts culture in Bristol is very popular so you want to make sure you visit! There are also a few pieces of Banksy’s work in the museum as well.
Make your own gin at Psychopomp Distillery - This was one of the most fun activities we’ve ever done! Psychopomp is a micro distillery in Bristol where they have their own gin-making workshop. You will learn about the history of gin in the UK, and then get to make your own gin and take it home with you!
Visit the Clifton Suspension Bridge - one of the most beautiful views ever! A great spot to hangout for a few hours and snap some photos. The best view is from the Clifton Observatory.
Walk the Christmas Steps - The Christmas Steps are one of the oldest streets in Bristol! It’s a cute alley that is named after the nativity scene at the top during Christmas. It’s cute and narrow and looks like a street from the Harry Potter movies!
Check out the colorful houses in Cliftonwood - There are a few streets in the Cliftonwood neighborhood that are famous for their colorful houses. It’s a great spot for photos as well. We recommend visiting Ambrose Rd, Argyle Pl, & Cliftonwood Crescent.
Explore St. Nicholas Market - one of the oldest markets in Bristol! It has both shops & food and has a bunch of different types of cuisine from all over the world.
Go shopping on Park Street - here you will find a bunch of local and vintage shops! This street is uphill so we recommend walking up on one side and back down on the other.
Find other Bristol activities & tours here!
Where to Eat & Drink in Bristol
Giggling Squid
Society Cafe
Society Cafe
St. Nicholas Market
Old Market Assembly
Queenshilling
OMG Bar
Wapping Wharf - another market-type of place made of of shipping containers. It also has different types of food/restaurants, shops, and bars.
The Coconut Tree
Giggling Squid
The LGBTQ+ Scene in Bristol
Bristol is probably one of the most inclusive cities we have ever visited. There were a few queer bars like OMG Bar and Queenshilling, but overall the vibe of the entire city was extremely welcoming. We went to an event at the Old Market Assembly called The Random Shiz Quiz and it was on of the most inclusive, diverse, and most fun nights ever! Activism is a huge part of the Bristol culture and because of that, the locals want to make sure that everyone feels welcomed.
To see everything we did in Bristol, make sure you watch our Best Things to Do in Bristol YouTube video!
We were invited to visit Bristol by Visit Britain, the tourism bureau of the UK. As always, all opinions are honest and our own. Some links on this post are affiliate links of which we receive a small commission, but the price is the same for you.