Bristol in 3 days - What to see and do in 3 days

1. Before arriving in Bristol
2. How to get to Bristol - Getting to Bristol by train, plane, car or bus
3. Public transport in and around Bristol - Getting around Bristol and the UK
4. The cost of living in Bristol
5. Save money in Bristol - Tips for living on a student budget in Bristol
6. Accommodation for students in Bristol - Top tips and advice
7. Bristol neighborhoods - The most important districts of Bristol
8. Nightlife in Bristol - Nightclub guide and going out in Bristol
9. British cuisine - The gastronomy of Britain and traditional dishes
10. What to do in Bristol
11. Festivals in Bristol - Festivals and events in Bristol and the South West
12. Day trips from Bristol - Places to visit and excursions around Bristol
13. Bristol in 3 days - What to see and do in 3 days

So far, we have touched on a lot of places throughout this guide, so whether you are in Bristol for a whole year, a semester or just 3 days, here is a guide of how to narrow all these recommendations down and how to get the best out of a few days in this magnificent city. Let’s have a look at how you could spend three days in Bristol.

Day 1

Morning

Start off your day off early-ish by getting fuelled up at The Social on Cheltenham Road and try your first cooked English brekky - it opens at 10am every day. Have a look at their breakfast menu first! Following that, walk 5 minutes up the road to Gloucester Road and take a look in some of the Vintage and charity shops - be sure to pop into RePsycho, it is a bright yellow shop so hard to miss and full of treasures. Remember to take some cash with you as not all of these stores accept payments by card. You could take a bus to the next destination, however, walking down to the centre is an awesome chance to see some of the fantastic street art and graffiti that Bristol has to offer.

Walk down to the Bear Pit, which is at the bottom of Cheltenham Road and Stokes Croft and next to the bus station. This should only take you about 20 minutes. The Bear Pit, although it may not sound it, is actually pretty cool to walk through; there is a ping pong table and usually, some people busking and playing some cool beats on a guitar. You can walk down the stairs and through the bear pit to cross over to the other side of the road, where you will need to be for the next adventure.

Have a quick look in the stores around Broadmead (this is where the big Primark is) or continue on walking about 12 minutes to St Nicholas’s Market, walking via Castle Park and taking a look at the ruins of St Peter’s Church. Grab some lunch at St Nicholas Market and have a look around the stalls and what there is on offer.

Afternoon

After you have tucked into some delicious, fresh food from St Nicholas Market, take a short walk (less than 10 minutes) to the We The Curious Museum to uncover some interesting science and explore the exhibitions that they have on offer. This place is huge and you will want to spend at least a few hours here in order to make sure you see everything and make the most of your money. They close at 5pm during the week and 6pm on weekends, bank holidays and Bristol school holidays so it is recommended to aim to get there for around 2pm with pre-bought tickets to save queuing and to avoid the possibility of it being sold out.

Evening

After discovering and exploring in We the Curious, you could either head back to your accommodation to freshen up or pop over to The Apple cider boat on Welsh back to try a Somerset cider (or two) on board before going for dinner at one of the restaurants that is located on Harbourside. You could pick one from the list of places to eat at Harbourside or do some exploring yourself - the world is your oyster.

Day 2

Morning

To get the best out of today try and start it early. Boston Tea Party on Cheltenham Road opens at 7am Monday to Saturday and 8am on Sunday’s, so head down here for Breakfast before your second day in Bristol. The next stop on the agenda is the M Shed Museum.

You can walk from Boston Tea Party in less than 30 minutes but if you would prefer to use the bus you can get there by catching bus number 70, 73, 75 or 76 and getting off at Queen Square - which takes about 15 minutes - before walking roughly 3 minutes to the M Shed. This is another museum that you will want to spend a few hours in. It is free but it is a wonderful chance to discover some of Bristol’s most interesting history that it has to date.

After wandering around M shed, you should have worked up quite an appetite and what better way to feed it than heading a short way over to The Three Brothers Burger restaurant. You can grab a burger and chips for just £5.00, which is extended throughout all opening hours for students (with valid student ID). Remember there are vegetarian options available as well.

Afternoon

By now you should be full on burgers and fries and ready to do some more exploring. Head back over the river to Brunel’s SS Great Britain to learn about one of Bristol’s biggest attractions. Walk here via the streets of Hotwells and be sure to look up as you walk to see the pretty and colorful houses that fill the streets.

Shortly after, you will arrive at Brunel’s SS Great Britain ship to be able to travel through time with the historical timeline of the steamship and see the quarters in which people would have slept, it is very interesting. Once you have purchased a ticket it will be valid for a whole year if you wish to return and go again. This costs just £11.00 with your student ID card. You will probably spend about an hour and a half to two hours here.

Evening

After your trip to the SS ship enjoy a few free hours wandering around and exploring on your own accord before heading for some dinner at the Whopping Wharf. There are lots of restaurants to choose from there, so you will be sure to find something to please everyone.

Day 3

Morning

Start the day off right with breakfast at Bristol Zoo gardens cafe, ‘The Hide’, which serves breakfast from 9am - 11.30 am, followed by a morning exploring the grounds and learning about all the wonderful creatures they look after at the gardens. Remember to book your tickets online to save a bit of money in comparison to what you would have to pay at the gate. I would advise buying a day bus pass for today. You will need the whole morning at the Zoo really, so be sure to pick up a map from the entrance so you don’t miss anything! Grab a sandwich from the cafe for lunch and make sure you are ready to move on to the Bristol Museum and Art Gallery!

Afternoon

The Bristol Museum and Art gallery is reachable by foot which takes about 20 minutes, alternatively, you can hop on a bus (number 8 or 505) and get off at Queen’s Rd (stop Dd) and walk about 1 minute to the museum. You will want a couple of hours here so this should bring you to around 3pm. Entrance to the museum is free, yay!

After the museum hop on a bus to the Clifton observatory (number 8 and get off at Percival Rd) in order to view Bristol’s biggest icon, the Clifton Suspension Bridge! It closes at 5pm during the summer months and 4pm during the winter ones, so check their website for opening times and prices. Buy online in advance to save 5%.

Evening

To round off your Bristolian trip head to Za Za Bazaar to get a world buffet under your belt.

Thank you for taking to read our Bristol City guide for Erasmus students. I hope you have a wonderful adventure during your Erasmus in Bristol.

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