24 hours in Bristol with 15 year old

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Just that really. I'm vising Bristol for the day and 1 night with my teen DS and looking for ideas of what to do with him. He's not really into museums but happy to walk, eat and shop but if weather keeps as it is I'd quite like to find something indoors to do. I looked at doing the suspension bridge tour but it's fully booked. We're staying centrally but we can walk / taxi places. I've booked Bertha's pizza? Is that good or i anyone has any ideas for anywhere else that would be great.

thank you

Indoors I'd suggest the M Shed on the harbour side, and Zaza Bazaar for lunch.

If it's dry you could go for a wander around the old city and look at all the graffiti, it's pretty cool. Or just walk around the harbour side.

Wake the Tiger is really cool and different to regular museums/galleries as an indoor activity - though not cheap.

If you've got okay weather doing a Treasure Trail is fun - you get to walk around and nose into unusual things you might not notice while having a regular walk looking at touristy sights. The harbourside one is good, I've done it with family. https://www.treasuretrails.co.uk/collections/bristol

There's loads of nice places to eat and drink. Berthas is very tasty!

I took mine to Clifton had a walk over the bridge, afternoon tea at the Ivy then cinema on the night. Second day we walked around the harbour and the city centre. The kids loved it.

You can just go and walk up to and across the Suspension bridge surely - well worth it. No need for a tour. I presume it is still more or less free (small charge for walkers)? Marvel of engineering.

The Arnolfini and the Watershed on the floating harbour were always worth a look (not too museumy).

SS Great Britain? deffo worth a look.

Shops on Park Street used to be ace.

*Caveat to all this - I was a student in Bristol when dinosaurs walked the earth and have not been back much since. The Arnolfini is still there tho, just checked, and I imagine SS GB and Sus bridge are too 😆

Suspension bridge is free to walk over. The walk round the harbour is lovely and also long, recommend either boat tour or just getting the ferry. Park st is full of vintage clothes shops

This is great - thank you

Head to Wapping Wharf for lunch, lots of places to choose from. Definitely head up to Clifton to walk across the bridge. You could walk back into town from there and spot some Bankseys.

There's a big wheel in Millennium Square, nearby are some escape rooms or a bar with some bowling alleys and darts which can be fun (Lane7).

Shopping is a little sparse, but Cabot Circus is walkable.

There's the Everyman cinema in Clifton.

There's also Roxy Lanes in town with activities like bowling.

We did a walking tour in bristol (from Blackbeard to banksy) last time we were there and it was great. I am sure it would appeal to a 15 year old .

St Nicholas's market is good for lunch. If it's warm, take the bus to clevedon marine lake (free to swim) or there's several lidos in the area (not free!)

If he's seen Skins then College Green/Brandon Hill/Cabot Tower

M Shed museum (free, so you don't have to stay long) because the Colston statue feels important to see in its defaced state.

There is a floating burger place at Welsh Back - I think it's called Three Brothers. Very popular and busy, and a wide menu.

We enjoyed the SS Great Britain much more than we anticipated.

SS Great Britain and book for him to climb the rigging!

ss great britain, and also- does @Bristol still exist?

@notnowmarmaduke it's now We The Curious and is really good but it's been shut from a fire/water damage since 2022, meant to reopen this summer.

My son is at uni in Bristol & we've just got back from visiting him. We went to the escape room 'locked in a room' which was great fun although fairly expensive.
Cabot circus & st. Nicholas market are good for shopping.
We did visit the zoo where the animals were lovely but full of puddles etc due to the weather.
There is also cribbs causeway which has things like bowling & the cinema etc

Thank you all so much, have lots to choose from now

the banksy tour looks good

Wake the Tiger is excellent
boat trip

The street art tour is pretty interesting. I used to hear it out my window when I lived in the centre.

Def recommend a street art tour. Or if they’re full you can download the map online and simply follow the sights yourselves.

Wapping Wharf and the harbourside is good to wander about. You can also get a short ferry ride around the harbour which is a nice way to see the city and waterfront. Lots of restaurants with teen appeal in Wapping Wharf eg 7 lucky gods (Asian), burgers etc.

Yes yes yes to Wapping Wharf for lunch. A wander there through the docks - brilliant and varied food choices - way better than the chains. Bristol at it’s best!

Swoon Gelato near the cathedral for ice cream. A walk up Gloucester Road for lots of independent shops and cafés.

Bertha's pizza is a good shout- it's on Wapping wharf so a good mix of shops, bars and good views of the harbour nearby if he suddenly wants something different- Biblos wraps a few doors down is always full of students.

If the weather allows, you could do the Bristol Packet boat tour of the floating harbour (see the main sights such as the SS Great Britain and learn a bit of the history)

You can get one of the ferries. One runs across the harbour by the SS Great Britain to the opposite side. The other one runs the length of the harbour from the back of Temple Meads Station all the way to the Cumberland Basin.

If you want to go further afield then the Concorde museum in Filton is worth a visit.

How about an Escape Room? Locked In A Room in Millennium Square is good.

There's also some good indoor climbing centres that are fun.