10 Budget-friendly Things to do in Bristol That You Shouldn't Miss

April 2, 2022 Christa Meece

Bristol is a quirky British city with beautiful hilly vistas and plenty of historic sights to explore. Anyone interested in ships will have a blast aboard Brunel’s SS Great Britain, the world’s first great oceanliner, and the Matthew, a replica of the ship upon which John Cabot sailed to America in the 15th century. The graceful Clifton Suspension Bridge is another must-see.
Restaurants in Bristol

1. Wills Memorial Building

Wills Memorial Building Queens Road, Bristol BS8 1RJ England +44 117 954 5219 [email protected] http://www.facebook.com/willstowertours
Excellent
82%
Good
15%
Satisfactory
3%
Poor
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Overall Ratings

5.0 based on 494 reviews

Wills Memorial Building

Take a tour of the Bristol University Wills Memorial building and meet the 7th largest bell in the UK, as well as being there when the famous Great George strikes. Whilst on the tour, you can climb to the top of the 68m tower and see the panoramic views of Bristol. You will also visit the Great Hall, the Library, the Old Council Chamber and the Reception Room. The tours are held on Saturdays , Prices Visitors: £5 Students and Senior Citizens: Group bookings and Evening tours are available upon request.

Reviewed By remshall - London, United Kingdom

A very enjoyable tour which lasted about an hour and a half made even better by a great knowledgeable and humorous guide aided by two assistants.An interesting and beautiful building with superb views of Bristol and the surrounding area(unfortunately rather wet and misty when we visited).They make the most of the Harry Potter connection. Highly recommended but try to do it on a fine day to appreciate the views.

2. Smoke & Mirrors

8 Denmark Street, Bristol BS1 5DQ England +44 117 929 0362 [email protected] http://www.smokeandmirrorsbar.com
Excellent
87%
Good
9%
Satisfactory
2%
Poor
1%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

5.0 based on 1,133 reviews

Smoke & Mirrors

Smoke & Mirrors theatre pub, home to The House Magicians Comedy & Magic Show, and is open 6 days a week. Our warm and welcoming bar staff will provide you with the very best in fine wines, so why not grab a pizza and watch a show? Our Pub is the best way to experience a night of entertainment whether you are attending one of our shows or one of the many theatres nearby we are the go-to pub for great drink & food before any show in Bristol. Being located right next to the Stage Door of the Hippodrome you can be sure that the cast and crew might be having a relaxing drink while our entertainers entertain them for a change from our Close-Up Magician performing right at your table or our House Musicians singing all the classics every weekend, you'll know that Smoke & Mirrors is the best-hidden Gem in Bristol and of course, we always have local ales always on tap!

Reviewed By C317KIdebbies - Bristol, United Kingdom

Brilliant intimate venue, excellent magicians and comedy show, laughing all night, Bastian was very impressive and funny with his bar side magic and Mark Bennett was hilarious and got all the audience involved, very attentive, a great act... loved it sooo much. Went for daughter's birthday and he made her feel very special. The pizzas were hot and tasty and drinks and bar service spot on...music was cool and everything was fabulous and will definitely return... you must go. Thanks to all for a great night.

3. Clifton Suspension Bridge

Suspension Bridge Road Leigh Woods, Bristol BS8 4AP England +44 117 974 4664 [email protected] http://www.cliftonbridge.org.uk/
Excellent
69%
Good
27%
Satisfactory
4%
Poor
0%
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Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 7,556 reviews

Clifton Suspension Bridge

Designed and built in 1836 by a young engineer, Isambard Kingdom Brunel, this 702-foot-long, 250-foot-high suspension bridge gracefully spans the Avon Gorge between Clifton and Leigh Woods.

Reviewed By Margaretlaurieton

An amazing feat of engineering crossing high above the stunning Avon Gorge which in itself is interesting as there is a wealth of rare fauna

4. Bristol Cathedral

College Green, Bristol BS1 5TJ England +44 117 926 4879 [email protected] http://bristol-cathedral.co.uk
Excellent
57%
Good
35%
Satisfactory
7%
Poor
0%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 1,263 reviews

Bristol Cathedral

Reviewed By fatfoodfreek179

Surrounded by the lovely College Green.If you are lucky you may hear the organ being played or the choir rehearsing in the background.There is a lovley shop there and a cafe.

Queens Road Clifton, Bristol BS8 1RL England +44 117 922 3571 [email protected] http://www.bristolmuseums.org.uk/
Excellent
48%
Good
38%
Satisfactory
11%
Poor
1%
Terrible
2%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 1,130 reviews

Bristol Museum & Art Gallery

Explore our free collections of art, nature and history on display in this beautiful building. Find out about the last billion years of earth's history, explore the region's natural wonders and discover more about peoples' lives, past and present.

Reviewed By baldyman2019 - Helston, United Kingdom

Suggested donation to enter, no issue with that, you receive a map and further literature regarding other exhibitions within the museum. Plenty of staff around to ask questions if needed and a great cafe on the ground floor. I especially enjoyed the Egyptian display and spent most of my time studying the artifacts. Overall a great museum with a variety of displays to suit all tastes. There is also a multi storey carpark at trenchard street which is a five minute walk away.

6. Bristol Ferry Boats

Bristol Community Ferry Boats Ltd 44 The Grove 44 The Grove, Bristol BS1 4RB England +44 117 927 3416 [email protected] http://www.bristolferry.com/
Excellent
68%
Good
27%
Satisfactory
4%
Poor
1%
Terrible
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Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 1,366 reviews

Bristol Ferry Boats

Bristol Ferry is a not-for-profit organisation offering boat trips around Bristol, as well as boat parties, interactive tours, wildlife spotting & storytelling, celebrations and wedding parties. We work with many local organisations, festivals and events, contributing to the vibrant culture in and around Bristol Harbour and delivering visitors to the door. Bristol Ferry is a 'community benefit society', whose main goal is keeping Bristol's iconic blue and yellow boats sailing.

Reviewed By 637thomass - Portsmouth, United Kingdom

What a great way to see Bristol from the river Avon, lots of fares to choose from, single, return, day ticket, hop on hop off. Very friendly staff most helpful .

7. Cabot Tower

Brandon Hill Park, Great George St Brandon Hill near Park Street in the West End, Bristol BS1 5RR England +44 117 926 0767 http://visitbristol.co.uk/things-to-do/cabot-tower-p24401
Excellent
61%
Good
34%
Satisfactory
5%
Poor
0%
Terrible
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Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 1,424 reviews

Cabot Tower

Reviewed By Shelbegrn - East Garston, United Kingdom

Cabot Tower offers serene and beautiful park surroundings with plenty of park benches and natural water features to revive tired souls or even calm hectic ones. The path to the tower is very steep and may be impossible to climb for those with mobility issues.

8. John Wesley's Chapel & New Room Museum

36 The Horsefair, Bristol BS1 3JE England +44 117 926 4740 [email protected] http://www.newroombristol.org.uk
Excellent
65%
Good
29%
Satisfactory
5%
Poor
0%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 309 reviews

John Wesley's Chapel & New Room Museum

The New Room in Bristol is the oldest Methodist Chapel in the world (originally built in 1739 and extended in 1748) and the cradle of the early Methodist movement. It was built and used by John and Charles Wesley and the early Methodists as a meeting and preaching place and the centre for helping and educating the needy members of the community. The chapel itself is on the ground floor (where there is also a shop) and is accessible from either the Broadmead or Horsefair courtyards. Upstairs, there is an admission charge Arts Council accredited museum which tells the story of John and Charles Wesley and their life and work in Bristol.

Reviewed By Swedishtomcat - Diss, United Kingdom

This historically-religious building, slap bang in the centre of Bristol’s shopping quarter, is where Methodism got its first foothold with a purpose-built chapel in 1739. There are a number of rooms upstairs which have been converted into a museum explaining the history of the Wesley brothers and Methodism. Downstairs is the New Room where you can imagine John Wesley preached. All the volunteers were very friendly especially the lady who was warmed the cockles of our hearts.

9. The Matthew of Bristol

Wapping Rd Princes Wharf, Bristol BS1 4RN England +44 117 927 6868 [email protected] http://matthew.co.uk/
Excellent
63%
Good
26%
Satisfactory
8%
Poor
2%
Terrible
1%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 346 reviews

The Matthew of Bristol

The Matthew is a replica of the Tudor ship sailed by John Cabot from Bristol, 'discovering' North America in 1497. The ship runs regular public trips and is available for private hire. History: After receiving a charter from Henry VII, Venetian merchant John Cabot led a crew from Bristol across the Atlantic Ocean - the 'sea of darkness' - to reach the continent of North America, presumably landing at Newfoundland, and claiming the discovery for the King. The Matthew you see today is a replica of the Tudor ship, based on a huge amount of research. The ship was built between 1994 and 1996, and in 1997 it re-enacted Cabot's original journey to Newfoundland to mark the 500th anniversary of Cabot's landmark voyage of discovery.

Reviewed By sasalice83

Beautiful boat with friendly volunteers who shared the history and lots of interesting stories. We only popped on while it was docked but will definitely book a trip when we are able to so we can learn more. The lady volunteer was particularly kind and gave us lots of information about the crows nest before we got on which the kids loved

10. St Mary Redcliffe Church

Parish Office 12 Colston Parade Redcliffe, Bristol BS1 6RA England +44 117 231 0060 [email protected] http://www.stmaryredcliffe.co.uk/
Excellent
66%
Good
30%
Satisfactory
4%
Poor
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4.5 based on 873 reviews

St Mary Redcliffe Church

'The fairest, goodliest and most famous parish church in England' - Elizabeth I The Christian community has worshipped continuously on the site occupied by St Mary Redcliffe Church for well over 800 years. The first church may have built here in Saxon times, when Bristol first became a port – the original quayside was just across the road, below the red sandstone cliff from which this area gets its name, located on what is now Redcliffe Quay. The present church is a treasure of international importance, a Grade I listed building that is a masterpiece of Gothic architecture. All the features of St Mary Redcliffe speak clearly of the beauty and the infinite variety in God’s world. The church building is open daily for all to visit, reflect, pray, join in formal worship or simply “be”. Everyone is welcome here. Use this page to find out more about our church and some of the famous people who have contributed to its rich history.

Reviewed By 912nathanielb

From my journal: Yesterday we visited St. Mary Redcliffe, “The fairest, goodliest and most famous parish church in England,” as Queen Elizabeth remarked on the occasion of her visit in 1571 – and she’d seen a few! We were in time to sit in on a sung service – I always prefer to go to a service if possible, and “feel” the church being used for what it was designed to do. The was even more special: For the first time in my life, I heard a 32-foot open wood organ stop, something you feel more than hear, and this particular Harrison & Harrison organ (1912, refurbished in 2012) is a very famous example of the very finest English organ-building. It is stunning. (From a note from Robert Gage: “The 32’ rumble was undoubtedly an open wood. This is much more powerful (one can hardly say ‘louder’) than a stopped wood (which would probably be called Subbass – in Germany, Untertsatz). The bottom note is the next C off the bottom of the piano – 16 vibrations per second! The lowest pipes are about a foot square, or even more. It is an English invention!”)

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