Most of Bristol's big attractions, Bristol Museum & Art Gallery, SS Great Britain, We The Curious and the harbourside, run their normal hours on a Sunday. The main exception is St Nicholas Market, the city centre's main food and shopping market, which closes on Sundays, so plan your market trip for Monday to Saturday and use Tobacco Factory's Sunday Market in Bedminster instead if you want stalls on a Sunday.
What's open on a Sunday
Bristol Museum & Art Gallery runs the same hours seven days a week, 10am to 5pm (closed Mondays, which doesn't affect a Sunday visit). SS Great Britain, Bristol Cathedral, and most of the city's paid attractions also open on Sundays, generally with the same or only slightly shortened hours compared with the rest of the week. If a specific attraction matters to your day, it's still worth a quick check of its own site, since smaller independent museums sometimes run reduced Sunday hours.
Bristol Cathedral is free to enter every day including Sunday, open from early morning until around 5pm, a little earlier than its weekday closing time; see our guide to visiting the cathedral for full current hours.
What's closed on a Sunday
St Nicholas Market, the Georgian arcade of independent food and shopping stalls off Corn Street, is closed on Sundays, open Monday to Saturday only. If a market lunch is part of your plan, this is the one scheduling trap to know about in advance.
In its place, Tobacco Factory's Sunday Market in Bedminster runs every Sunday from 10am to 2:30pm with up to 60 stalls of food, crafts and local produce, a short bus ride or walk south of the river. It's a genuinely good substitute if St Nicholas Market was the plan.
Some independent shops, especially smaller ones away from the main shopping streets, also tend to open shorter hours or stay closed on Sundays, more so than the big chain stores in the centre, so if shopping (rather than sightseeing) is the priority, a Saturday trip gives you more choice.
A good Sunday in Bristol
A workable Sunday route is to start with brunch or breakfast (see our best brunch in Bristol guide), spend the late morning at Bristol Museum & Art Gallery or SS Great Britain, then head to Tobacco Factory's Sunday Market in the early afternoon before it closes at 2:30pm, finishing with a wander around the harbourside or up Gloucester Road if you've still got energy. If a proper sit-down meal is more your pace than market food, a Sunday roast is the obvious local tradition to build the afternoon around instead.
Comparison: Sunday vs the rest of the week
| Sunday | Mon-Sat | |
|---|---|---|
| Bristol Museum & Art Gallery | Open, 10am-5pm | Open (closed Mondays) |
| SS Great Britain | Open, normal hours | Open |
| Bristol Cathedral | Open, free, until ~5pm | Open, free, until ~6pm |
| St Nicholas Market | Closed | Open, 9:30am-5pm |
| Tobacco Factory Sunday Market | Open, 10am-2:30pm | Closed (Sunday only) |
Frequently asked questions
Is St Nicholas Market open on Sundays?
No, it's closed every Sunday and open Monday to Saturday only. Tobacco Factory's Sunday Market in Bedminster is the weekend alternative.
What is open in Bristol on a Sunday?
Most major attractions, including Bristol Museum & Art Gallery, SS Great Britain, We The Curious and Bristol Cathedral, run their normal (or close to normal) hours on Sundays.
Is Bristol Museum open on a Sunday?
Yes, 10am to 5pm, the same as most other days of the week; it's only closed on Mondays.
Is there a market in Bristol on a Sunday?
Yes, Tobacco Factory's Sunday Market in Bedminster runs every Sunday from 10am to 2:30pm, with up to 60 stalls of food, crafts and produce.
Are shops open in Bristol on a Sunday?
The big chain stores generally are, though often with shorter hours than weekdays. Smaller independent shops are more likely to run reduced hours or close, especially away from the main shopping streets.
Is Bristol Cathedral open on Sunday?
Yes, free entry every day of the week including Sunday, typically open from early morning until around 5pm.