Please tell me what to do in Bristol

[Showchin2]

So this is the situation...my daughter is obsessed with going to see the Clifton suspension bridge, and we've promised that we would do so this summer.
We've booked an overnight stay in Bristol and are now overwhelmed by the number of things to do there!
We also have two other children, ages ranging from 17 to 10.
Could anyone please give me any recommendations as to must-see attractions? Thank you!

Thanks again Juni. There are 5 of us so may be cheaper to use the car (unless we can persuade everyone to walk but may be a bit too far )

Cheers, highheels - Millennium Square sounds fab for a warm day!

Pretty sure you can get a group bus ticket for £9 for 5 people after 9:30 am which allows you to hop on and off the buses all day? Check on the First Bus website. If you are on Park St it's only a short walk to Cabot Tower which has fab views of the city from the top (& it's free to go up it)

The great thing about bristol is things are not too far apart - I would recommended a family day bus ticket too. About £10 for the day for up to 5 people. We are the curious is also good - science museum with interactive stuff to do - although is a bit pricey. Agree m shed is great too (and free), and ss great Britain also great (not free). Loads of great places to eat as well!

user is right, so that's pretty good, definitely cheaper than parking and less stressful! (My DP won't use the bus so I only get it to work & back).
Quite fancy a day in Clifton myself now

What part are you staying in?

Topbird we're near the station if that's helpful? Quite near College Green too I believe? Sorry can't be more helpful as we've never visited before!

Thanks everyone for your brilliant advice - some lovely ideas

Being near the train station is great (presume you mean templemeads). The 8 or 9 goes from the station up to clifton. Would definitely recommend the family bus ticket. Not worth trying to drive around town! Driving in bristol is also not the easiest - and roadworks are happening down by templemeads at the moment.

As in work to reconfigure the road layout - not just a small bit of work.

Ok, you're basically staying by my house! I would do this: wander around the harbour to the SS Great Britain, with a quick stop at Underfall Yard for cake. Continue on, after SS GB to M Shed . Behind M Shed is a v cool area for food: loud of trendy shipping containers etc. I recommend going to Bertha's for pizza. Then go back to college green and get the bus to Clifton. A quick ooh and ahh (or 'ark at ee) at the bridge and then round to Nutmeg for a cracking curry, then bed!
Next day, pootle around St Nick's for tat shopping with cake at Aah Toots or a charge up Brandon Hill and look out over Cabot Tower, for spectacular views. Done!!

Oh and if you get a chance to sneak out for a drink then Red Light for a cocktail is ace. Go to the phone box with all the graffiti and that reveals a secret door. It's lots of fun! Adults only though obvs.

Thanks for the heads up about roadworks Topbird, we'll definitely get the bus ticket.

Wow Oranges! Sounds like a plan! Thank you for that and thanks to everyone for brilliant help!

Oranges....you’ve summed up a typical weekend for us-Bristolian born and bred, couldn’t imagine living anywhere else!

Yes tillgan, we are lucky. Just off around the harbour now before it gets hot!
Showchin, have a wonderful time and let us know how it goes.

Get the ferry from behind Temple Meads station. They do a hop on hop off ticket which will take you all the way to the Pump House pub by the Cumberland Basin. From there you can walk up Constitution Hill (very very steep) into Clifton.
Also at the camera Obscura is the entrance to a cave which takes you down inside the cliff side and opens out onto a viewing platform halfway down the gorge.
Back down on the harbour side is The Underfall Yard, the M Shed , the Arnolfini art gallery and numerous hostelries. In Millennium Square is We the Curious (hands on science place) and planetarium. In the square are fountains where kids paddle.
You might also see the Matthew going around the docks. If it's not being used for a booking then sometimes the crew will let you climb aboard for a look around.

Thank you Oranges will certainly report back. Enjoy your stroll!

That sounds wonderful Mrs MT, thanks. Have googled the Matthew as we didn't know about it - sounds excellent.

I'm totally overwhelmed by all the help and advice we've had! Mumsnet is brilliant

Not sure if anyone has mentioned this yet, but if you're in the university area and have time, then the tours of the Wills building are surprisingly interesting and you get a great view from the top of the tower - www.bristol.ac.uk/university/visit/tower-tours/ - I'm pretty sure M Shed has an Aardman exhibition on at the minute as well if you're round that area.

Bristol's a lovely city, you'll have a great time. Don't try to drive, though - it's a nightmare! For such a large city, it's a bit surprising that there isn't a transit/metro system but the buses aren't bad and like an earlier poster, I think FirstBus or First have a good all day family ticket that will probably work out good value, especially if you factor in how much parking would cost you (if you could find a space, that is...!)

Thank you cat! I believe we will be near the uni area so might squeeze in the tour - sounds interesting

If you're going between 13-15 September it's Bristol Open Doors event. Loads of places that aren't usually open to the public have events on. It changes every year but DH got the chance to do glass blowing at Bristol Blue Glass (the city is known for its dark blue glass.)

Sorry to hijack a tad but quick question for Bristolians - is there a ferry trip that goes past the SS Great Britain? Staying with my parents 40 mins away and this thread has made me want to pop to Bristol tomorrow 😄 squeezed for time with 1 and 4 year olds and really want to do the slidey rock and ferry so don’t think can do SSGB itself but would like to see that and the Matthew. We did a project in primary school on the newly refrusbished Matthew 😍

So. Ferry past the ships would be nice?? THANKS!

www.bristolferry.com

There's also the Bristol Packet, but they tend to do group bookings and a cross harbour ferry from the SS Great Britain to the opposite side of the harbour.

Lovely thanks. I should just have googled, sorry 🙄 my parents are born and bred in Bristol but haven’t lived there for 23 years so not up with the current goings on.

No probs Bendy

These are brilliant for exploring new places. I love doing Treasure Trails:

www.treasuretrails.co.uk/things-to-do/bristol/bristol

To my shame I have never been on the ferry! And I drive everywhere. 😁
You can always post here if you get stuck or have questions. Have a great time x

Well we're back now. What a bloody beautiful city! We started at Clifton which was gorgeous! Then checked in to the hotel and had a day of sightseeing - thank you all so much for the suggestions! Really loved the harbour area, M shed, ferry, little steam train, but also just the city itself - beautiful architecture, lovely friendly people, and such a great vibe. Definitely coming back (my youngest wants to move there!!) Thank you all!