Things to do in Bristol when the sun is out
The first fine day sends the whole city to the harbour, Ashton Court and the suspension bridge, and the walk along the gorge to Leigh Woods is the classic.
13 picks that fit, best first. The order assumes the conditions in the title; the live forecast only nudges it.
Clifton Suspension Bridge
Clifton
Brunel’s bridge across the Avon Gorge, free to walk and best at sunset.
Clear skies for the view. Free.
- Free
- Outdoors
- Under 2 hours
- Good with kids
Harbourside and the ferries
Harbourside
A loop of the floating harbour on foot or by little yellow ferry.
Clear skies for the view. Free.
- Free
- Outdoors
- Under 2 hours
- Good with kids
Walk free; ferry a few pounds
Ashton Court Estate
Long Ashton
Eight hundred acres of parkland and deer just over the suspension bridge, free.
Clear skies for the view. Free.
- Free
- Outdoors
- Half a day
- Good with kids
Banksy and the street art trail
City centre to Stokes Croft
From the Well Hung Lover to the murals of Stokes Croft, Bristol’s open-air gallery.
Clear skies, and this is best outdoors. Free.
- Free
- Outdoors
- Under 2 hours
SS Great Britain
Great Western Dockyard
Brunel’s iron steamship in the dock where she was built, with a dry dock you walk under.
- Over £25
- In and out
- Half a day
- Fine in rain
- Good with kids
Ticket valid for a year
Cabot Tower and Brandon Hill
Brandon Hill
A free tower on the oldest park in Bristol, with the harbour and the hills laid out below.
Clear skies for the view. Free.
- Free
- Outdoors
- Under 2 hours
- Good with kids
Leigh Woods and the gorge walk
Leigh Woods
Ancient woodland on the far side of the gorge, with the best views back to the bridge.
Clear skies for the view. Free.
- Free
- Outdoors
- Half a day
- Good with kids
Blaise Castle Estate
Henbury
A folly castle, a gorge, a giant playground and a free museum in a country house.
Clear skies, and this is best outdoors. Free.
- Free
- Outdoors
- Half a day
- Good with kids
Bristol Zoo Project
Cribbs Causeway
The zoo’s new home in a woodland park north of the city, with giraffes, bears and a treetop walk.
Clear skies, and this is best outdoors.
- £10 to £25
- Outdoors
- Half a day
- Good with kids
Wapping Wharf and Cargo
Harbourside
Shipping containers stacked into restaurants and bars on the south side of the harbour.
- £10 to £25
- In and out
- Under 2 hours
- Fine in rain
Clifton Village
Clifton
Georgian terraces, arcades and independent shops on the hill above the gorge.
Free.
- Free
- In and out
- Under 2 hours
Tobacco Factory and the Sunday market
Southville
A theatre, a bar and a Sunday market in an old cigarette factory south of the river.
- Under £10
- In and out
- Under 2 hours
- Fine in rain
- Good with kids
Underfall Yard
Harbourside
The Victorian machinery that keeps the harbour afloat, with a free visitor centre and a café.
Free.
- Free
- In and out
- Under 2 hours
- Fine in rain
- Good with kids
Good to know
Where should I go in Bristol when it is sunny?
The first fine day sends the whole city to the harbour, Ashton Court and the suspension bridge, and the walk along the gorge to Leigh Woods is the classic. This page keeps 13 outdoor and open-air picks, with viewpoints and parks pushed up the list when the forecast is clear.
What if the weather turns?
The list is re-ranked with the live forecast. If rain is on the way, mixed indoor-outdoor places move up and the fully outdoor ones move down, so you can still pick something that works.