The three things most visitors put first in Bristol are the SS Great Britain (£22, and the ticket lasts a year), the Clifton Suspension Bridge (free to walk across) and the free M Shed on the harbour. Add the Balloon Fiesta in August and the city's street art and you've a full weekend, most of it free. Here's the honest, current shortlist, including the things that have changed.
Bristol is a walkable, harbourside city that packs a lot in. We've split this by cost, because a surprising amount of the best of it doesn't charge a penny.
The paid headliners
SS Great Britain. Brunel's great iron ship in the harbour, with the Being Brunel museum and the dockyard. Adult entry is £22, and the ticket is valid for unlimited return visits for a year, which is unusually good value if you're local. Allow half a day.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
We The Curious. The hands-on science centre on Millennium Square, which reopened in July 2024 after a roof fire, so it's open again in 2026. Good for families and a rainy day. Check the current admission when you book.
Photo: wethecurious.org
The free set pieces
Clifton Suspension Bridge. Brunel's other Bristol masterpiece, spanning the Avon Gorge. Free to walk across, with a small visitor centre on the Leigh Woods side and free guided tours at weekends. The views from the Clifton side are the classic Bristol postcard.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
M Shed. A genuinely good, free museum of Bristol's history on the harbourside, open Tuesday to Sunday. Two thousand years of the city, from slavery and industry to Banksy, told well.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Cabot Tower and Brandon Hill. Bristol's oldest park, and you can climb Cabot Tower for free for one of the best views over the city and harbour. Open daily until dusk.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Bristol street art. The city that gave the world Banksy wears its art on the walls. Head to Stokes Croft for Banksy's "Mild Mild West", and Nelson Street for the huge See No Evil murals. Self-guided and free.
St Nicholas Market. The covered market in the Old City (Monday to Saturday) is the place for independent traders, street food at lunch and a proper sense of the city. Free to wander, easy to spend in.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
The big free days out
Bristol International Balloon Fiesta. Europe's largest hot-air balloon event, held each August at Ashton Court, about three miles west of the centre, and free to attend. Dawn mass ascents around 6am and the evening Nightglow are the highlights. Go early and expect crowds.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Bristol Harbour Festival. A huge free waterfront festival around the Floating Harbour each July, with boats, music and street food drawing a quarter of a million people. One of the best weekends to be in the city.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
One thing that's changed
If you're bringing children expecting the old zoo, note it's gone: Bristol Zoo's historic Clifton site closed in 2022 after 185 years. The zoo now operates as the Bristol Zoo Project near Cribbs Causeway, off the M5 north of the city, with a major new conservation attraction in development. Check what's open before you make the trip out there.
Getting around
Most of the central sights are walkable or a short harbour-ferry hop apart. If you're driving in, read our Bristol parking guide first, because the Clean Air Zone charges older cars £9 a day. Flying out afterwards? See Getting to Bristol Airport.
The honest alternative
You can have a brilliant day in Bristol for almost nothing. The Clifton Suspension Bridge, M Shed, Cabot Tower, the street art trail and St Nicholas Market are all free, and in July and August the Harbour Festival and Balloon Fiesta are free too. Put your budget towards the one paid thing you most want, the SS Great Britain being the pick, and let the free half of the city fill the rest.
FAQs
What are the best things to do in Bristol?
The SS Great Britain (£22, ticket valid a year), the Clifton Suspension Bridge (free to walk) and the free M Shed are the top three. Add Cabot Tower, the street art around Stokes Croft and Nelson Street, and, in summer, the free Balloon Fiesta and Harbour Festival.
What can you do in Bristol for free?
Plenty. Walk the Clifton Suspension Bridge, visit M Shed, climb Cabot Tower, follow the street art trail, browse St Nicholas Market, and in July and August enjoy the free Harbour Festival and Balloon Fiesta at Ashton Court.
Is Bristol Zoo still open?
Not at its old Clifton site, which closed in 2022. The zoo now operates as the Bristol Zoo Project near Cribbs Causeway, north of the city off the M5. Check current opening and prices before travelling out.
When is the Bristol Balloon Fiesta?
It's held each August at Ashton Court Estate, about three miles west of the city centre, and it's free to attend. The dawn mass ascents and the evening Nightglow are the highlights.