
The Best of Bristol: A Guide to the Old City and its Brilliant Pubs
Walking Tour
About the Tour
Explore the oldest parts of Bristol with a passionate local city guide who’ll show you the best places to grab a beer and a bite to eat.
On this tour, you’ll walk through the oldest parts of Bristol, explore various markets, relax in a park and pass through the last remaining city gate. You’ll see some fantastic street art including two Banksy's, the cathedral and historic docks. Along the way, you’ll discover how Bristol began, what happened to the city’s castle, why there’s a clock showing two different times and why so many things are being renamed right now.
You’ll also have an opportunity to stop for a drink in the city's oldest pub. In fact, this tour points out a number of traditional pubs that stock locally brewed beer and guides you through a street that is every craft beer lover's paradise. You get to see a few of Bristol’s breweries too, and hear the stories behind them. Whether you've been in Bristol for five minutes or five decades, you'll go away with a smorgasbord of new, independent places to grab a drink and something to eat.
Tour Producer

Heather Goodford
Major Landmarks
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Castle Park
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The Corn Exchange
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St Nicholas Markets
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The Old City
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The Old City Gate
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Christmas Steps
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Bristol Cathedral
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Bristol's historic docks
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Banksy and JPS street art
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Bristol's oldest pub
Directions to Starting Point
You start next to Bella Vista restaurant on Bristol Bridge, Victoria Street, Bristol, BS1 6DT.
Bristol Bridge is very central, just next to Castle Park. It's around a 10 minute walk from both Bristol Temple Meads train station and Bristol Central Bus Station. Many bus routes have stops even closer. Taxis and Ubers can drop you within a few metres of the start point.
Tips
Places to stop along the way
There are dozens of fabulous independent food and drink stops along the way. There are restaurants, brewpubs, traditional pubs, craft beer bars and even a cider boat.
You may want to look inside the cathedral or around St Nicholas indoor markets. There are also two parks along the way that you can spend some time relaxing in.
Best time of day
The tour is best taken in the afternoons or early evenings, while there is still some daylight.
Many food and drink venues that you pass are closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, so you may choose to avoid those days if you plan to eat or drink along the way.
Check Bristol Cathedral website for their latest opening hours if you want to look inside. St Nicholas Market is usually open 9.30-5pm Monday- Saturday.
Precautions
Please carry a face mask if it's possible you may want to look inside the cathedral, explore the markets or stop at a shop. They are mandatory in these places.
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