Bristol City Centre

[TwinklyAmberOrca]

I'm going to be staying in Bristol city centre with an 8 and 14 year old.

We have day stuff planned but any suggestions for the evening? They'll want to eat about 6pm but then what?! We don't normally stay in hotels.

Are there any nice evening walks? I need to make them tired so they sleep well and not drive me crazy!

Hello! The walk around the harbourside is lovely. Depending where exactly you're staying. I'd say it takes about an hour at a meandering pace to get from cascade steps, over Prince street bridge, down princes wharf past the Matthew to the SS Great Britain, past the marina and by the harbour master, onto merchants road back across the river, hang a right down past the pump house pub and follow that all the way back to cascade steps. Lots of twinkly lights, house boats, big tourist attraction boats, nice gardens/terraces that people have made an effort with. Also a good few places to stop for a drink/bowl of chips/bit of cake etc. Used to be my running route, then became a fave evening walk.

You could go up Cabot tower on Brandon hill.

This sounds perfect! Thank you! We're staying near the aquarium which I think is quite central?!?

Yup that's right by the harbour. From the aquarium you can go over Peros bridge to get to Prince street bridge rather than starting at the cascade steps. Also second the other poster about Brandon's hill, if you're there multiple nights or want to extend the walk :) it's not far. Can see the cathedral too then. The cafe in the cathedral is divine by the way, delicious food. Loads of scummy places on park street too. Swoon ice cream and Mrs Potts chocolate shop are Bristol faves!

You might want torches for night time exploring. Bristol can be quite dark. Going up to the ruins in castle park is good too, taking in the Finzels reach bridge and queens square

Also cathedral have the Luke Jerram rotating earth sculpture at the moment and Pickmans have taken over the new cafe

Where will you be staying? Parts of the city centre are very much "pubbing and clubbing " terrority.
See what's showing at the theatres- the Old Vic, The Hippodrome, the Redgrave and the Tobacco Factory spring to mind.
Also check out if you will be affected by the Clean Air Zone and Residents Parking Zones on Bristol City Council's website.

Staying at the Radisson Blu, and travelling by public transport for a change so no car with us! The kids are good at walking (well trained!).

They want to go to something called Wake the Tiger (??) which seems to be about 2 miles away so I'll find a nice walking route!

I didn't realise there was so much to do in Bristol!

I got a railcard and decided that it would be nice to make the most of school holidays and travel round the UK and see some of the UK cities.

Wake the tiger is amazing!

8 and 14 is perfect ages for wake the tiger, I’d definitely try and take them but you’ll need to book I expect.

its a walk from the centre but unlike most places doesn’t involve a massive hill!

for food they might like za zaza bazaar which is right near your hotel.

Yeah wake the tiger is an experience!

Don't walk to Wake the Tiger though. It's in a quite industrial-estate bit not a nice walk.

When you do yoir harbourside walk include a small diversion to the empty plinth where Colston's statue used to be, and then pause at Pero's Bridge where it was thrown into the water and chat to your children in an age-appropriate way about how we are generally trying not to glorify and admire slave traders these days (but acknowledging that a lot of Bristol's prosperity is due to foundations built on the slave trade)

You need book wake the tiger now- they will be nearly booked up. You can walk around the river for 40 mins - it’s not exactly a nice walk as it’s in an industrial area. Uber is easy also.

Definitely don't take children to Castle Park at night!

I think the statue is in the MShed now isn't it? If they're interested in a trip there. It's free to enter. Be a daytime thing though.

Ah I do love this city 😁

Ooooh I missed that. Definitely don’t visit castle park. Lots of criminality.

Castle park is lovely during the day though OP.

Radisson blu is close to the Hippodrome and the old vic if you want to go to a show. Ot there's the watershed for films on the harbourside, thinking it might be a bit cold/wet/dark for walking too far.

Please don't walk through Castle Park at night!

Sometimes down by whapping wharf there's a free (/pay what you can) silent disco street party :)

Just saw I've been beaten to the comment re Castle Park!

Another vote for that Harbourside walk- it's one I do often, we go for food then go for a stroll after.

Spitefire BBQ smokehouse is right on that route, plus a few new places I've not eaten at around by where the Matthew is.

I think we're going to give the harbourside walk a go (to the view point to see the bridge as I'm quite a nerd!), and za zaza bazaar looks good for food!

I've never taken an uber in my life (!) - we live rurally and I always drive everywhere! I don't mind a bit of an industrial walk! It'll still be a change of scenery for the kids though as they're used to rural countryside so will be a bit of an eye opener for them!

We're only staying a couple of nights but wish we'd booked for more! There is so much to do!!

I'll look up the history on Colston's statue and explain it to the kids too.

Thank you so much for all the pointers. You lot are brilliant! We're really looking forward to going and have now booked Wake the Tiger, a curious science thing, and a few other bits!

You could go to We The Curious (science hands -on type of place) and Bristol Aquarium which virtually next door. Would probably suit the younger DC though.
The older one would probably like to go Banksy spotting. You used to be able to get a map.
You probably don't have enough time this visit but on the northern outskirts of Bristol is the Aerospace Museum which contains concorde and The Wild Place zoo.

The clocks have changed. Castle park is find at 6.40-7pm but it is dark. As is the harbour side and many other parts of Bristol. The Op was wanting to do a post dinner walk