What To Do in Bristol This Spring?
With Winter now squarely in the rear-view mirror, we can safely say Spring is here! And, as we enjoy warmer weather blooming flowers, a little less rain, and the chance to vary up our wardrobe, we can also look forward to plenty of springtime activities.
From picnics, walks, sightseeing, big events, shopping, and more, Bristol has everything you need for a fun-packed season. With the weather on our side once again, Bristolians and visitors can once again enjoy all the sights and sounds the wonderful city has to offer. Whether you’re the adventurous type or looking for something a little more relaxing, Bristol’s diverse population means there are activities catered for everyone
Helping you wring every drop of fun out of the most beautiful season, below we’ve put together a list of great activities so you know what to do in Bristol this Spring.
Table of Contents
Take a cycle tour
Leisurely sightseeing cycles around the city
Now the weather’s a little more hospitable, one of the best ways to soak in as much as possible of the city as possible is on a bike. Being a city particularly accomodating for bikes, even those who are not that confident on two wheels will feel safe and comfortable using the cycle lanes here. With drivers used to cyclists, you’ll find drivers are bike-aware and give you plenty of space as you explore Bristol.
Providing both the means and the knowledge for doing this is the Bristol-based company, Cycle the City. Using specially designed bikes for the city, countryside and coastal paths of Bristol, this company is on a mission to further the use of bikes in the city, helping your health, the planet, and freeing up congestion.
Perfect for springtime, Cycle the City has a bunch of different tours on offer that vary in route and duration. These informal sightseeing rides are led by guides that are knowledgable and passionate about Bristol. A workout this is not, the pace is leisurely, providing plenty of opportunities to stop, take pictures, ask questions, hear stories, and perhaps catch your breath.
The tours are by pre-booking only and all set off from behind the Watershed Cinema in the Harbourside.
Riverboat cruise and pub lunch
River cruise with pub meals on offer
With the weather taking a turn for the better, Spring is a great time to explore some of Bristol’s wonderful selection of independent pubs. One of the best ways to do this is to make use of the glorious river Avon that runs alongside the city. Taking a riverboat cruise from a company like Bristol Packet lets you appreciate the springtime fresh air with a pub stop halfway through.
The cruises depart from the ticket office near the SS Great Britain every Thursday in the Spring and more regularly in the Summer. Taking a truly leisurely pace, the entire round trip takes around five hours with an hour and a half stop at one of two riverside pubs: The Old Weird Lock or The Chequers Inn Pub. Both pubs have a fantastic selection of local draught ales, wines, and cocktails to make the most of your afternoon, with outdoor gardens overlooking the Avon.
Food-wise you’re spoilt for choice with both pubs featuring a range of classic and contemporary meal choices. As well as classic pub grub, you can also find some more gourmet options should your taste buds be feeling adventurous.
Being a long trip, the cruise is the perfect opportunity to see nature waking up this Spring too. Along the riverbeds, as you cruise by you can hope to see plenty of furry, feathered, and scaled friends.
Visit St. Nicholas’ Night Market
Home to Bristol’s largest collection of independent retailers
While you might still need a jacket, with the weather warming up this Spring St. Nicholas’s Market offers food, drink, crafts, arts, and music as well as a buzzing atmosphere.
Tracing its history back as far as 1743, the market is Bristol’s oldest, most famous for its fabulous selection of fresh food. Better known as St. Nick’s, the market is regularly featured in top ten lists in the UK for being home to some of the country’s most unique, independent traders. Now home to over 60 stalls, the market is a great way to spend a spring morning, sampling foods, grabbing a fresh coffee, and catching up with regulars.
The market is famous for its nineteenth-century glass roof which retains its Victorian chic, despite being replaced shortly after WW2. Known as the Glass Arcade, this covered area is home to some of the market’s permanent food stalls and traders. You can find everything here from authentic flatbreads, antiques, carpets, clothes, Caribbean wraps, fresh fruit and veg, not to forget a good old fashioned English pie supper.
This vibrant market is a hub and comes alive in the Springtime. It can be found at The Corn Exchange on Corn Street and regularly hosts special events such as the spectacular Night Market.
Explore the City’s Street Art
Take in over 30 years of street art history
Bristol is home to a thriving street art scene with more than 200 graffiti artists. Home to the infamous Banksy, the city has become something of a Mecca for street art connoisseurs looking to appreciate the work of the master, as well as his contemporaries.
With Spring offering clean air, longer days, and (hopefully) less rain, there’s no better time to take a tour of Bristol’s wonderful and vibrant street art scattered throughout every corner of the city. Offering the most comprehensive and well-regarded street art tours of the city is Where the Wall, a company celebrating the art form and movements that go along with the pieces.
Where the Wall run regular tours and activities in Bristol with knowledgable guides available Saturdays during the Spring months. Pre-booking is required for this tour as it is extremely popular. Taken around Bristol by a passionate and engaging guide, you will explore 30 years of graffiti and street art that have come to define Bristol over the decades.
Winning several awards, Where the Wall is dedicated to elevating street art into the realms of respectable art. And, with so much to explore, even Bristol-natives are likely to discover something they’ve not encountered before or learn something new.
Take the family to Avon Valley Adventure and Wildlife Park
A much-loved family destination with farmyard animals, education and activities
If you’re looking for somewhere to take the whole family out around Bristol this Spring then Avon Valley Adventure and Wildlife Park is probably your best bet. With friendly farmyard animals for petting, a fun playground, a mini-train system, kid-sized 4×4 jeeps, and a peaceful riverside walk, Avon Valley is somewhere you can easily while away a Spring afternoon.
One of the most popular activities here is the VIP animal encounter experiences where families can book tickets to meet and feed foxes, alpacas, pigs, meerkats, goats, sheep, ponies, and other small animals. This is one of the best ways to
As the name suggests, Avon Valley sits alongside the River Avon and makes good use of its location with a 1.75-mile-long nature trail which will bring you face to face with deer, imposing rheas, friendly cows, and sheep. After this riverside walk, little ones can enjoy some time burning off any leftover energy in the assault course, play equipment, and climbing wall.
Proving most popular amongst kids Avon Valley’s massive air pillows which are safe and fun bouncy castle-style floor areas for youngsters to flip, roll, and bounce. The site is also home to Dinosaur Valley, a “roar-some” experience where you can learn about all things prehistoric with life-like replicas lining the wheelchair-friendly gravel path.
Avon Valley Adventure is also home to regular events too, with plenty going on in the Spring including water fights, camping, glamping, birds of prey displays, and more.
As the days warm up and grow longer, there’s never a better time to get out and explore Bristol. Hopefully, this list has given you some ideas on how to spend your Spring and with plenty more on offer around the city, you’ll never be short of things to do.
