Bristol: Hotels for culture, nature and street art

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Editor's Choice

Pure Luxury

“Call me spoiled - but I love to be treated like a queen when traveling. Only the best is good enough for me. Hotels that make my vacation a dream of luxury and seduction are my choices. Pay attention to the (violet Medal) for luxury accommodation.”

Tatjana Herzegova, Kiew, Ukraine

Editor's Choice

Sustainable Travel

“There is only one earth and we should go out and see it. I like hotels, which look for sustainability. It is not only protecting the ecology, but also taking care for the local business and culture. I recommend the medal for eco accomodation. Let’s protect our earth. Sustainable travel is travelling with responsibility.”

Markus Lenk, Düsseldorf, Germany

Clifton Suspension Bridge spans the Avon Gorge in Bristol and was designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel. You can discover Bristol through this landmark, the history of the SS Great Britain, science attractions, wildlife and street art around the city. If you’re looking for a hotel in Bristol, it helps to first choose the focus of your stay. The ways to visit also vary: alongside guided tours, there are self-guided explorations and interactive exhibitions.

Architecture and maritime history

As of 1 September 2026, the Clifton Suspension Bridge Museum is open daily from 10 am to 5 pm; admission is free. Check the opening hours before your visit, as they may change. The museum offers an additional experience alongside seeing the structure designed by Brunel.

The maritime history is also precisely dated: the SS Great Britain was launched in 1843 and was the largest ship in the world at that time. The superlative refers to the time of its launch. The SS Great Britain Experience includes a museum, the ship and the dry dock. The experience therefore includes both a clear historical context and three named components.

Guided tours and science

Bristol Cathedral offers guided highlight tours of the ground floor, as well as tower tours up to the roof. The formats differ in the areas covered by each tour: the ground floor or the tower up to the roof.

At We The Curious, the focus is on interactive exhibits that invite you to get hands-on. The offering includes 200 exhibits; this number may change as exhibitions are renewed. We The Curious is also home to the only 3D planetarium in the United Kingdom. When choosing between different science experiences, you can therefore consider both interactive exhibits and a 3D planetarium.

Nature, wildlife and street art

The Bristol Zoo Project offers 50 acres of natural areas, including woodlands, gardens and Tower Meadow. The areas and habitats may continue to develop over time. There, you can discover wildlife connected with conservation projects around the world, including giraffes, lynxes and lemurs. For those interested in wildlife and conservation, the visit therefore covers both specific species and their connection to projects.

Bristol has a free, self-guided Banksy walking tour. The Upfest mural map lists more than 170 murals in the Bristol neighbourhoods of Bedminster and Southville. This gives you two different ways to explore art around the city: a self-guided walking tour and a map with a specific number of murals and their locations.

If you want to choose activities by format, you can compare the cathedral’s guided tours with the self-guided Banksy walking tour. For a thematic focus, you could instead choose from architecture and maritime history, science, wildlife or street art.

Discover more destinations: Watchet, Plymouth, Hayle.

For the broader travel overview: South West England.

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