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Original poster

24 hours in Bristol what to do ?

29 replies

Shinyandnew2022 · 01/04/2023 22:46

Planning a quick trip to Bristol with the DC next week
Can anyone give me some inspiration on what you might do to make the most of such a short time !
DC are 11 and 9

Currently thinking suspension bridge / Clifton lunch / curious science museum / street art tour / st Nicholas market but no idea of logistics really -
Would love some local intel on how to maximise on 24 hours

Oh and DD Loves Bubble tea so finding that en route would be icing on the
Cake.

OP posts:
aibutohavethisusername · 01/04/2023 22:49

Bristol Lido

or go to Bath instead 😂

Overfullwardrobe · 01/04/2023 22:51

Definitely go to Wake the Tiger, best thing on in Bristol at the moment.

ChickpeaPie · 01/04/2023 22:56

Aerospace musuem

Spo · 01/04/2023 22:57

Whereabouts are you staying? Cupp or Chatime in Broadmead and Joe's Tea on Park Row ( also Cupp on Park Row). Bubbleology is also in Cabot Circus but not as good.

Otherwise would recommend a ferry trip round the docks, and/ or the SS Great Britain and/ or the M shed museum...all nearby on the harbourside and Cargo for food.

ToddlerMumma · 01/04/2023 23:01

Tootbus do open top bus tours now. Hop on and off so you can lunch where you want yet see the good bits. Best way to see the most if you only have a day. Have fun, Bristol is brilliant

FrankColumbo · 01/04/2023 23:03

Placemarking for ideas

Lifeisnotabedofroses · 01/04/2023 23:03

Aquarium is good. Great Britain is worth visiting too.

Original poster
Shinyandnew2022 · 01/04/2023 23:05

Oh wow thanks so much everyone -already so glad I started the thread!

Wake the tiger looks like it could be perfect !

Also had forgotten about SS Great Britain though kids have been with school previously.

So many options already will have a proper look tomorrow with DH

OP posts:
PeriConfused · 01/04/2023 23:07

M shed has the wildlife photographer exhibition, loads to do around the docks area and good food options at Wapping Wharf
Active options could be suspension bridge and then footgolf in Ashton court or the Clifton observatory & rock slide
Wake the tiger is apparently good too

AramintaLee · 01/04/2023 23:19

Highly recommend the Swoon gelato on Park Street. Their carrot cake flavoured ice cream and chocolate fudge brownie ice cream are to die for.

mrsnec · 01/04/2023 23:50

We're going the following week. The Easter pantomime at the Hippodrome looks like it might be a bit of fun.

We're doing the SS GB too. Got the Travelodge really cheap. Surprisingly so given the location and that it's Easter.

MrsMoastyToasty · 02/04/2023 00:52

Catch the ferry that goes around the harbour and get a hop on hop off ticket.

Visit the Underfall Yard
Go to the Camera Obscura on the Downs.
Climb Cabot Tower.

Just a word of warning Bristol has a Clean Air Zone and if you have a pre 2015 diesel car it will cost you £9 to enter. Also parts of Bristol have a Residents Parking Zone too. I would suggest using the bus if possible.

SweetBonanza · 02/04/2023 02:17

We went recently with our teenagers. We did a walking tour which we all really enjoyed.

aweegc · 02/04/2023 03:27

I was there not long ago with kids the same age and it was one of the worst places we've visited. A major reason for this was the stress of trying to find food. There is a lot of good food to be had in Bristol, BUT many places listed as restaurants that say "Dine-In" on google maps are actually food trucks with a few tables..outside. The weather was bad and to arrive somewhere with hungry kids and find you're supposed to sit and eat in the freezing rain wasn't fun. You have to either check photos of all the restaurants online - and specifically look for photos of the outside of the building, to check it is one, not just photos of the food or closeups of some design detail, or maybe some Mumsnetters can recommend.

The food we ended up eventually finding was good but I've never had that experience anywhere else before. Obviously if the weather is good it's not a problem. We were there in January.

GrandIllusion · 02/04/2023 03:51

Go to the Wave!!!!! Brilliant year round.

HelpMeGetThrough · 02/04/2023 05:29

Planning a quick trip to Bristol with the DC next week
Can anyone give me some inspiration on what you might do to make the most of such a short time !

Find the way out of Bristol.

disappointed101 · 02/04/2023 07:48

I would stick to the free things. SS Great Britain would take a morning or afternoon. Do the Suspension Bridge and Camera Obscura, the free museum at the top of Park Street, then go down Park Street to College green getting a bubble tea on the way. Look inside the Cathedral then head on down to the harbourside to see M She’d and walk down alongside the harbour. You could take a trip on the Matthew and then head to Sy Nicholas Markets. Plenty of places to eat round this area. There may be street food vans around the harbourside for a quick eat. If not St Nicks has options else just get a meal deal somewhere. Clifton Triangle also lots of choices.

mrsorangepyjamas · 02/04/2023 08:59

Went to Wake the Tiger and was disappointed, too expensive for what it was, it was good but didn't take long, couldn't hear what the guide was saying and expensive. You also need to be aware of the distances, wake the tiger to Clifton is not a walk!

NooNakedJacuzziness · 02/04/2023 09:21

You could fit the suspension bridge/Clifton visit into the morning. Places to eat near the bridge are Cote, The Ivy, Kibbou (Japanese), Fishers, Giggling Squid. There's a bubble tea place in The Arcade off Boyces Avenue which is a 5 min walk from the bridge.

perenniallymessy · 02/04/2023 10:24

Suspension bridge and camera obscura are good, plus there's a very stinky cave you can walk down to from the observatory that you get a great view from. Near to those there are quite a few large rock slides that the DC will love, they are so smooth and you can get quite a speed up! There are some near the observatory and a big one next to the playground near the suspension bridge. I've attached a picture and circled where they are.

If it's nice, then a stop by the sea walls (Circular Road) on the Downs to go to the ice cream van would be good- you get a great view and if you wander around the road there are goats in a field next to it. There are plenty of parking spots near the ice cream van with a free five hour stay.

A wander round harbour side is lovely- there's a big wheel that's not overly £££ and my DC (plus my nephews and nieces when they visit) love eating at Za Za Bazaar- an all you can eat buffet with foods from around the world. It's not exactly gourmet but children love it and it's quite reasonable at lunchtime. You can get the ferry around the harbour and pop into MShed (free museum but it's very much Bristol focussed). Parking down at harbour side is pretty pricey but the Millenium Square car park is easy to find. Or you could get a bus (there is a park and ride on the A4 which would be easy to get to after Clifton exploring and the busses go right near the harbour side).

If it's bad weather or you want to really tire out the DC then you could take them to either Airhop trampoline park or the new Ninja warrior park, both around Cribbs Causeway. You need to book but you can usually find a space same day even in the holidays. You might want to take earplugs but your DC will love it!

24 hours in Bristol what to do ?
24 hours in Bristol what to do ?
perenniallymessy · 02/04/2023 10:31

Not sure where you are staying but Bristol traffic is pretty awful and the buses aren't great either. I live on a main route into Bristol- pre Covid we had a bus every ten minutes but that's now every 15 and half of those don't turn up. I got the bus with DS one Saturday and we waited 50 minutes- one lady had already been there 20 mins when we arrived.

There is a clean air zone, but you can check your registration number before to see if you are exempt.

Original poster
Shinyandnew2022 · 02/04/2023 12:28

Thanks everyone this is really really helpful !
You have reminded me or mentioned so many things and the Food recommendations are especially useful.

OP posts:
SomersetBrie · 02/04/2023 12:32

We used to always go to Za Za bazaar for lunch. Not good quality but massive buffet and my kids loved the "all you can eat" atmosphere. It's by the aquarium/we the curious and a nice place to wander round anyway.

Thistooshallpsss · 02/04/2023 13:50

Always worth visiting the Matthew usually moored in the harbour near m shed she’s such a lovely ship