100 Things To Do in Bristol Without a Car

Updated September 2026

Hey Owlets,

If you're looking for a city that has it all, Bristol is THE place to visit. Over the years Bristol has become known as a foodie hotspot and a hub of arts and culture, but there's even more to it than that! This vibrant city on the water is home to a whole host of museums, adventure experiences, various attractions and so many stunning walks that I still haven't ticked them all off, having lived here for 30 years!

There are so many things to see and do in and around Bristol, but this wonderful city has one huge issue - the public transport. Bristol's spotty public transport network is so well known that it was recently discussed in parliament! 

Exploring Bristol without a car is definitely more challenging, but it's not impossible and I will say that it's gotten much easier over the past decade. There are several places that you do need a car to get to, but there are also literally hundreds of things to see and do that are accessible via public transport. In case you don't believe me, I'm going to share 100 things to see and do in Bristol without a car. I've split it into different categories so you can search by what interests you too. 

Also, if you're hoping to visit for a weekend city break I've shared a guide to visiting Bristol on a budget which goes into more detail about where to stay, what to eat and what to do on a budget.

How to Spend a Weekend in Bristol, UK on a Budget

Updated September 2026

Hey Owlets,

Just like everything else, travelling is getting more expensive. The same budget that used to stretch to a week long trip, a few long weekends or a last minute cruise is now stretched during just one trip - especially if you’re exploring a big city like Bristol. I love my hometown but it has a reputation for being pricey, and while that’s not miles away from the truth a trip to Bristol doesn’t have to cost the Earth. There are plenty of ways that you can visit Bristol on a budget and still make the most out of your trip to the city.

Four Unmissable Free Events in Bristol this Summer

The days are long, the sun is shining and Bristol is awake and ready to party!! 

I genuinely don’t think any UK city celebrates summer quite as well as Bristol does. It’s not just that there’s always something going on, it’s the fact that so many of the summer events in Bristol are completely free to attend! Whether you’re travelling alone or with family, you’ll always find something to do in Bristol without breaking the bank. There are so many smaller events to stumble upon throughout the summer months, but here are the four biggest events throughout summer in Bristol that you can’t afford to miss!

The Best Things to Do in Bristol This Autumn

Updated August 2026

I know I'm biased as a proud Bristolian, but there's something extra special about Bristol in autumn. The busy streets get a little quieter, local pubs start bringing entertainment inside, the city lights up with different firework displays and the autumn markets get a new buzz about them as people start planning for Christmas. 

Having lived in Bristol my whole life, Autumn is one of my favourite times of year to explore the city. After a busy summer jam-packed with events and adventures, and months of pointing lost tourists in the right direction every time you head into the city centre, autumn feels like a selfish opportunity for locals to take a breath and unwind for a while. Autumn offers the perfect opportunity to appreciate the peace and quiet between the two busy seasons, and enjoy orange-tinged views up the tree-lined streets - a sight that not many tourists stay to enjoy.

Autumn isn't typical tourist season in Bristol, but in my opinion it's one of the best times to visit - here are a few of my absolute highlights. 

Follow Me To: Bristol Zoo After Hours

*gifted experience

Hey Owlets!!

I'm coming to you with my best flamingo impression today (I really hope you appreciate that photo - I nearly fell over several times). A few weeks ago I was invited to Bristol Zoo to check out their new Twilight Evenings and to try their new restaurant. If you've been reading The Owlet for a while, then you'll know that I jump at any opportunity to get to act like a child for a little bit longer, so I probably don't have to tell you how excited I was about this.

In Pictures: A Weekend in Bristol

Hey Owlets!

It's so rare that I have a weekend off these days - I'm always doing something and I love that, but out of all of the cities I'm lucky enough to be able to travel to the one city that I've not explored enough of is my own hometown of Bristol. Being a tourist in your own town is a kind of weird concept but it's something I would thoroughly recommend you do! My family and I are part of the Twinning Association which is a really good excuse to explore my home turf. Last weekend the French Twinning members came over from Champ Sur Marne so we decided to take them sightseeing.

Our French friends were here from Friday to Sunday but I handed in my uni coursework on Friday so didn't make it in the evening. However, Saturday is when the sightseeing began. On Saturday morning we met at Bristol Harbour to go for an hour's boat trip. I love the fact that I'm lucky enough to live in a city where it's a five minute walk between shopping streets and harbour-side cafes. We got to show them our city from the water (in bright sunshine!) and offered some dodgy translations which gave us a good laugh - someone said something about a "Coiffeur" but there was definitely no hairdresser on or anywhere the boat.

3 Events to Help You Enjoy Winter in Bristol and Bath

Don't Miss these Unique Winter Events in Bristol and Bath

Happy New Year friends!

2025 has arrived in what feels like the blink of an eye. If your New Year's Resolution is to have more of a work life balance, there's so much to look forward to in Bristol and Bath this year. It might feel tempting to hunker down and wait for spring, but some of the best events in and around the two cities happen in the winter. So if you're looking to get outside a bit more this year, consider this your starting point to plan your social calendar!

April in Pictures

Hey Owlets,

Be careful what you wish for! I haven't published a "Month in Pictures" in so long, mostly because the first part of the year is never very interesting then because everything came at once I was drowning in content. I'm still buried under photos to edit and to-do lists to tick off, but I'm a master procrastinator so let's ignore that and have a chat instead!

September in Pictures

Hey Owlets,

I can't believe it but it's time for another Month in Pictures already! September is a little lacking in the exciting events department but it's not been any less busy - mostly I've been locked away at home working on my Christmas content as I'm going to be travelling in October and won't have a lot of free time, so I've spared you the 30 photos of laptops and stuck to the interesting bits in between. Sorry if this month is a bit thin on the ground but I promise October will be better!

May in Pictures

Hey Owlets,

I've not done one of these posts in ages, but in all honesty I haven't had a month that's been worth doing an "in pictures" post about until now. The first few months of the year are always quiet. It's hopefully been worth the wait though because not only is May a special month for me, but it's also been so busy that I needed a duvet day by the time we got to June!

June In Pictures

Hello loves!

We're going to be taking a step back towards vintage Owlet today. I was looking for photos to write a guide to Bristol (don't worry, it's coming!) when I realised just how much I'd managed to cram into June, so I thought it might be nice to give you a bit of a rundown of my personal highlights.

We kick off the month with a trip to London on 2nd June. I was very fortunate to be invited to Victoria's (InTheFrow) British Heart Foundation dinner. I got into London about 12pm and met up with my friend Alicia. We used to go to school together, and I hadn't seen or spoken to her again until the last few months so we spent the entire day chatting in a coffee shop just off Oxford Street. I picked up my dress from the Arcadia Offices (I know I've said this loads but thank you so much Simona!) and headed to the hotel. The meal was beautiful, and it was lovely to meet everyone.

I was originally planning to stay in London but was really sad to be missing a family event in Bristol the next day so I cancelled my hotel booking and went home the same night. 

Follow Me To: Penarth in Pictures

Hey Owlets,

A few weeks ago I went back to my roots and posted a "Weekend in Pictures - Bristol" straight out of vintage Owlet and I've had so much great feedback that I decided to do another. In case you haven't seen my Weekend in Bristol post I talked about how weird it was being a tourist in my own city. It may have been strange but I loved it and that post inspired me to do a bit more exploration of my local area, so last week I took a train to Penarth and went for a wander. 

Penarth is beautiful and less than an hour from Bristol, with a change onto a different train for 10 minutes from Cardiff Central. This was actually my first time visiting - in all honesty I wouldn't have known it existed if it weren't for another blogger. 

Dinner with a View: Salt and Malt, Chew Valley Review

* gifted experience 

Hey Owlets,

Living in Bristol for two decades, you'd think I would've found everything there is to see, but when I was invited for dinner on the bank of Chew Valley Lake, my first response was "there's a lake near the airport?" Salt and Malt is a small restaurant and takeaway less than an hour's drive from Bristol city centre, offering dinner with an incredible view. Unfortunately it's one of the few places that you can't get to without a car, but if you can drive it's worth the trip.

Follow Me To: Common People Festival with Snazaroo

*gifted experience

Hey Owlets,

I've been really lucky to get to do some amazing things with my blog, but a few weeks ago I got an email from Snazaroo that, for a second, I honestly thought they'd sent to the wrong person. So last week when I boarded the train to Oxford, I was still feeling like I needed you to pinch me.

Inside the new Bristol Fashion Week

Hey Owlets,

One of my first ever "blog things" was a trip to Bristol Fashion Week way back in 2016 only months after I'd started The Owlet - I had basically no idea what I was doing and reading back now that post is an embarrassment, so feel free to go have a laugh at my expense. That was the first and last time I posted about the show, and there's a good reason for that. For years Mum and I had the tradition of going to the show together followed by dinner, but at no point when I was watching the array of perfect women walking down the catwalk did I feel represented. While the size 8-12 models looked beautiful no one looked like me, so we stopped going. This year, however, Bristol Fashion Week has had a makeover of it's own, promising that the new look "Bristol Fashion Week Festival" would bring equality and accessibility for all, so of course I had to go take a look.

July in Pictures

Hey Owlets,

I tried a new style of post last month with my June in Pictures post, and it had so much good feedback I thought I'd do my July in pictures too - even if it is a little later than anticipated.

We start off the month with a trip to Bristol Zoo after hours which was absolutely amazing! The lovely people at Bristol Zoo invited us for dinner and a private tour after the zoo had closed to celebrate their restaurant refurbishment and their twilight evenings at the zoo. The food was amazing and it was so cool to see all the animals in a more peaceful setting, check out the post for more details.

Museum Review: Being Brunel at Bristol Dockyards

*gifted experience -

Hey Owlets,

If you're from Bristol then you've probably heard that SS Great Britain (here's a review of the ship if you've not already visited!) has been building a new museum next to the ship. Named "Being Brunel" the museum lets people walk through his life, see where he lived and worked and everything that he created, and a few weeks ago I was invited to take a look on launch day.

I'll freely admit that me and museums don't perhaps go that well together. I have the attention span of a goldfish and that doesn't allow time to stop and read every sign and admire the finest details of an exhibit and I mainly accepted the invitation because I knew that Dad really wanted to take a look around. However, when Brunel himself shook my hand and welcomed me to his museum, I started to think I might enjoy this one (also, I think I wore the top hat with more flare!).

Follow Me To: My 21st Birthday!

Hey Owlets,

IM OLD!!

So I'm officially 21 now and I felt like that called for a very special week in pictures- my birthday week. I've had the best week of travel, parties and spending time with friends and family so I thought I'd bring you along. Obviously the above photo isn't from my birthday week, but it's pretty much become my own personal meme every time I'm excited about something.

I started my birthday week by handing in my final EVER uni assignment - I'm still not over the fact that I'm no longer a student. I'm kind of gutted that I didn't get to celebrate with everyone else, but in the evening there was a dinner to honour the Chair of South Gloucestershire Council's end of term and she's a family friend so I wanted to go and support her. As it happens, I ended up doing my fair share of celebrating there and it was a really good night. 

A New Summer Menu - Cosy Club Bristol Review

*gifted visit

Hey Owlets,

I feel like I've been very heavy (pun intended) on the food content recently, but I've had the opportunity to visit some incredible places, and I had a few messages saying you enjoyed seeing my recommendations for where to eat when you visit Bristol/Birmingham, so your wish is my command!

Today's venue wins the award for the prettiest place ever! Cosy Club occupies the shell of an old bank on Corn Street and it's been restored beautifully - this is probably the closest you can ever get to eating brunch in a cathedral, and it's amazing.  The restaurant feels like it belongs in the building, with its decor and menus all echoing the gorgeous 1930s art deco style.

Hotel Review: Hampton By Hilton, Bristol Airport

Hey Owlets,

If you hadn't already noticed I really like travelling, but getting there is the most stressful part. I know it's an added expense but sometimes staying over the night before you go can make the world of difference, and a calm start to your holiday can change the mood of the entire break. With that in mind, I wanted to give you a review of my stay in the Hampton by Hilton hotel at Bristol Airport. Before we get into that, let me just apologise for the mix of stock photos and sub-par iPhone pictures - this stay was actually gifted as part of my trip with World Duty Free so I wasn't planning to review the hotel itself, but I really enjoyed it and online reviews weren't the best so I wanted to add my two cents.