Top 5 Things To Do At Bristol’s Harbourside

In recent years, Bristol harbourside has flourished as the up-and-coming place to be in the UK.

Surrounded by countryside and with great transport links to the capital, Bristol’s harbourside relaxed vibe has drawn people from all walks of life, bringing with them new appetites and expectations.

As such, Bristol harbourside can boast the same eclectic mix of facilities as any major thriving metropolis, but on a much more intimate scale.

As with many of the UK’s major cities, Bristol was founded by the river and as a result, there are a huge range of activities to enjoy by the water.

Here’s the top 5 things to do around Bristol’s beautiful Harbourside.

What is West Country Games?

Play Video
West Country Games Home Page Logo

West Country Games embraces all the stereotypes of the West Country in one great day out, comprising of 9 totally hilarious games suitable for all sorts of groups.

If you have an upcoming, Stag do, Hen Weekend, Birthday Party or Team Building Day, then why not give us a try?

Find out more...

Bristol’s Harbourside

SUP Bristol

1) Cruise Along The Docks!

What better way to spend a few hours than cruising up and down the Bristol harbourside, enjoying the amazing sights Bristol has to offer from the water.

Whether you’re on a Bristol Stag Do, a Hen weekend or just visiting friends (there’s a wide range of Bristol group accommodation in close proximity) a cruise is a great option, with or without a bar on board!

You can enjoy the sights and sounds of Bristol’s Harbourside, or if you are feeling more adventurous, you can cruise up the river a bit towards Beese’s tea rooms.

SS Great Britian

2) SS Great Britain

Bristol harbourside’s number one attraction, the SS Great Britain is a spectacle not to be missed.

The brainchild of Bristol’s famous Isambard Kingdom Brunel, the ship was an imposing, colossal feat of maritime engineering. And it still is to this day. Visitors are invited to step aboard and step back in time, to experience life at sea, as it would have been on her maiden voyage in 1843.

 

Bristol Harbour Festival

3) Bristol Harbour Festival

Live bands, delicious street food and fun for all the family, the Bristol Harbour Festival is a must for any festival lover.

For three glorious days in July, the festival takes over the Harbour area of the city, drawing crowds from across the region. There’s something for everyone – from maritime activities to Morris dancing, music and even a circus zone.

And the best part? It’s free – but make sure you bring a few notes, as the food and drink can prove irresistible

Bristol We The Curious

4) We The Curious

Experience science like never before! We The Curious offers a hands-on approach to science education – whatever their age.

There are hundreds of exciting exhibits to explore and experiments to take part in.

And the permanent 3D planetarium gives visitors the chance to enjoy the night sky and learn more about space – it’s quite literally out of this world!

5) Pirate Walk

Step back in time and experience some Bristol’s lively (and sometimes harrowing) maritime history.

The perfect activity for pirate-loving land lubbers, the famous Pirate Walk is a great way to learn more about the city – and some of it’s world famous inhabitants.

The tour takes you around the Harbourside and lasts an hour. Wannabe buccaneers are welcome to don an eye patch or bandana and get involved.

still standing in the evening should wobble their way over to Thekla – the award-winning live music boat.

More about West Country Games

Other related blogs...

things to do in bristol

Things To Do in Bristol: Our Top 10 Things To Do in Bristol

If you’re looking for fun things to do in Bristol today, tomorrow, this weekend or in the future… read on!

bristol group accommodation mb

Bristol Group Accommodation

When you’re planning a short break, finding the right place to rest your head can be a daunting task; the location, price, and quality of the environment can make or break a stay. So when you’re searching on behalf of a group, the pressure intensifies.

bristol afternoon tea

Bristol Afternoon Tea

Afternoon tea, as quintessentially British as Strawberries and cream, roast dinners and talking about the weather and in great supply in and around Bristol.

somerset cottage accommodation mb

somerset cottage accommodation

There are plenty of reasons to choose Somerset cottage accommodation as a location for a hen weekend. Whether you’re looking for a relaxing escape to the country, a night out in a big city or something in between, this is a place where you can find it all.

Bristol Nightclubs Nightlife

Bristol Nightclubs

Bristol has got a strong list of nightclubs that cater for stag or hen dos, so it makes for a great location for your big send-off.  This guide covers a lot of bases with options for a wide variety of tastes, ranging from 80s classics and indie club nights to DJ dance floor fillers and themed entertainment.

Bottomless Brunches Bristol

Bottomless Brunches in Bristol

Top off your Bristol weekend with a leisurely and boozy brunch. Here are a fine selection of the best bottomless brunches in Bristol.

rugby in bristol hero

Watch rugby in Bristol

What better way to escape winter than a few beers & lively crowd of hardened rugby fans. Here is our guide to where to watch rugby in Bristol. Welcome to our up-to-date guide on where to watch rugby in Bristol.

axe throwing bristol

Axe Throwing In Bristol – The Best Bristol Axe Throwing Venues

With ‘Brizzle’ being such a popular locale for occasions such as stag dos, big birthdays and special occasions, axe throwing bars in Bristol are prevalent and are popular amongst those visiting the city.

private dining bristol hero

Bristol Restaurants

So, you’ve got your night out sorted and your daytime activities down to a tee but now you need think about food. There’s plenty of choices when it comes to dining out but when you’re planning…

bars in bath

Bars In Bath

When you’re not looking for a full sit-down meal but a pub is perhaps too casual a venue for the drinks and chat you’re looking for, a bar is the ideal place to visit for a few hours, evening, or night out.

bath accommodation mb

Bath Group Accommodation

Perfect Bath Group Accommodation Options Bath is known for its stunning scenery, Roman relics and tasty selection of restaurants. So it’s no wonder people flock from all over the country – even the world – to the hilly city, to enjoy the sites and sounds Bath has to offer.Its intimate size and chic nightlife has … Read more

bath nightclubs

Bath Nightclubs – The Best Nightclubs In Bath

As the city has experienced a surge in popularity over the last few years and cemented itself as a bit of a tourist hotspot, the Bath nightclub scene has gone from strength to strength.

bristol festivals

Bristol Festivals 2024

With so many Bristol Festivals spanning the whole year, here is the guide to the Best Festivals in Bristol…

Cocktail making in bristol

Cocktail Making in Bristol

There is no denying that heading out for cocktails with friends is an enjoyable way to spend an evening, especially with a tonne of Happy Hour deals to enjoy, but the fun doesn’t need to stop at simply sampling them.

bristol pubs

Bristol’s best Pubs

Bristol isn’t short on traditional pubs, many of which also serve delicious food and fabulous ciders. Here’s just a few of the best of Bristol’s pubs.

bath pubs

Pubs In Bath

There is a great selection of Bath pubs to choose from. Whether you’re looking for a lively bar, a place to watch live sports or simply a relaxing beer garden, you’ll be spoilt for choice.

bath afternoon tea

Afternoon Tea’s In Bath

A Bath afternoon tea may be the perfect activity to invite older, shyer or less active ladies & include everyone in the hen group, after a trip to West Country Games.

bath christmas market guide

Bath Christmas Market – The Best of the Bath Christmas Markets

Bath Christmas Market is a truly magical event. This special, award-winning market is staying in the city for a whopping 18 days this year (2023), giving its guests tonnes of time to shop around and experience that holiday feeling.

winter wonderland bristol

Winter Wonderland In Bristol – The Best Bristol Wonderland Guide

With the Christmas festivities fast approaching, it won’t be long before our favourite Christmas carols are playing everywhere we go. The streets and shops undergo their Christmas transformation and so returns to that familiar hive of activity that we all know and love at this time of year.

bristol best city hero

Is Bristol the best city in the UK?

In March, Bristol was awarded first place in the Sunday Times ‘Best place to live 2017’ Guide. And now the announcement is ‘old news’, I feel safe to vocalise my surprise at, well, the surprise.

halloween in bristol mb

Best Halloween Events in Bristol 2023 – Bristol Halloween Guide

If you’re heading out in to the frightening darkness of Bristol this Weekend on a stag do, hen weekend, or just for fun, then make sure you make the most of it! There is so much in the way of spooky shenanigans up for grabs on this Bristol Halloween, we want to let you know the good bits on offer. Read on, if you dare!

team building bristol

Team Building Bristol – The Best Bristol Team Building Activities

A West Country themed team building fun day is a winning formula to bring your team closer together! Let your team engage together in 9 totally unique Bristol team building activities suitable for all ages & abilities, and make it a day out to remember.

go karting bristol mb

Go Karting Bristol – The Best Bristol Go Karting Venues

There’s a great variety of Bristol Go Karting venues throughout the city and if you’re looking to do some other activities alongside your attempt to go kart, Bristol makes for a great choice!

total wipeout

The Best Total Wipeout Courses In The UK

For those looking for a course to try Total Wipeout, Bristol is the ideal city to visit: as there’s a locationally-themed version called West Country Games

escape room bristol mb

Escape Rooms In Bristol – The Best Bristol Escape Rooms

For those in or visiting the West Country, there’s lots of choice for escape rooms in Bristol. Alongside a city bustling with great places to visit, eat and drink, it’s easy to make a great day.

winter wedding stag hen bath

Winter Weddings – Group Weekends in and around Bath

Everybody wants a stag or hen weekend they’ll never forget (if they can remember it in the first place). But when it’s cold and the winter weather threatens to dampen the party spirit, how do you go about planning the perfect Bath hen weekend.

bristol fireworks

Bristol firework displays – The best fireworks displays in Bristol

Remember, remember the 5th of November. It’s that time of year once again when we huddle around a fire and watch as the best Bristol firework displays.

Comedy Bristol

Our Favourite Magic & Comedy Bars in Bristol & Bath

There’s plenty of activities on offer when you’re looking for ways to spend an evening in Bristol or Bath but if you’re planning a big night out, sometimes it’s worth looking for something a little bit different.

students in bristol hero

Top 7 Secret Spots for Students in Bristol

Bristol has long been known as being a great city to come to university.  During Fresher’s Week, pretty much every bar from Whiteladies Road all the way down to Park Street is rammed the moment students return from the summer.

bristol booze cruise

Bristol Booze Cruise Guide

A booze cruise in Bristol will make a memorable trip no matter the occasion for your city visit and with so much on offer, can be adapted to suit any group type, size or budget.

cider making west country style

It’s Cider Making Time – West Country Style

Nearly half the apples grown in the UK are now used to make cider.  Thousands of orchards have been planted to keep up with the demand.  And this is the time of year farmers the land over will be harvesting their apples to make your favourite Amber Nectar.

simple things festival bristol

Simple Things Festival, Bristol – All You Need to Know!

Simple Things festival is a multi-venue music festival across the City Centre featuring a huge diversity of current music that’s sure to get you moving.

best man speech hero

Best Man speech guide, tips & ideas – How to write a Best Man’s speech

Being given the job as best man is one of the highest honours you would likely to achieve in your life time! Your friend fully trusts you to be there on the day with the ring and the best man speech of the centry.

Festive Events Bristol

Festive Events in Bristol

Bristol has celebrated the onset of the festive event period by looking like its had an accident with an oversized snow globe.  Wherever you look there are twinkling lights and signs of merriment that could thaw out the coldest of hearts.

bristol street art

Bristol Street Art – Bristol street art graffiti scene guide

So, you’ve got your night out sorted and your daytime activities down to a tee but now you need think about food. There’s plenty of choices when it comes to dining out but when you’re planning…

Hen Guide

Hen Party Ideas – How to plan a Hen Party

Here’s the ultimate Hen Party Ideas guide on how to plan a Hen Party, making sure that bride-to-be has a weekend of fun with her friends.

Best Man Guide

The ultimate Best Mans Guide to organising a stag do

You knew it might be coming, you just didn’t know when.  So you your best mate has kindly asked you to be his Best Man for the wedding, and now expects you to arrange an all-guns-blazing stag do that will give him the time of his life on his last night of freedom. No pressure then.

Balloon Fiesta Hero

Bristol Balloon Fiesta – Our guide to Bristol Balloon Fiesta

It always comes to that classic question; which came first, Bristol or the hot air balloons? Welcome to our guide to the famous Bristol Balloon Fiesta, all you need to know.

top reasons hen do bristol hero

Top 5 Reasons To Have A Party In Bristol

If some of you were lucky enough to get engaged over the festive period then this couldn’t come at a better time. We know that choosing where to have your last big bash before married life is a big decision.

weston super mare hen weekend

Take a chance on Weston – The glamorous gran of the West

You have been entrusted to organise a hen party for your best friend. This seems a simple enough task except the hen wants to keep costs down. This will mean that flying to one of Europe’s hot spots is totally out of the question, especially so with the current exchange rates.

west country indoor games

All New & Exciting – West Country Indoor Games

You don’t need an Olympic gold medal to take part in West Country Indoor Games. Regardless of whether your second home is the gym or you last exercised with Mr Motivator in the 1980’s, everyone is back on the same level when it comes these games!

stag do fancy dress

Stag Do Fancy Dress

Stag fancy dress has evolved over the years, and what was once just a chance to dress up like a woman and get drunk is now big business. As early as the 1800s, men were heading out in groups to have a drink or three before one of their number got married, and right from the start there was fancy dress involved.

Balloon Fiesta Hero

5 of the best free days out in Bristol – Free activities in Bristol

They say the best things in life are free and there’s plenty of fun things to do in and around Bristol that won’t cost you a thing. If it’s where you call home or if you’re planning a visit, we’ve rounded up some of the best free activities for a brilliant day out on a budget in the South West’s biggest city, Bristol.

hen fancy dress

Hen Do Fancy Dress Ideas

When you’re looking for some perfect hen do costumes you’ve got two options. If you’re feeling kind (and worried about what the bridesmaid dress might end up looking like!) then go for a flattering, sexy number like a slinky air hostess.

Bristol Harbour Festival

Bristol Harbour Festival – Host to Bristol Harbour festival 2018

The Bristol Harbour Festival is one of the biggest events in the city’s calendar, with loads to see and do, making the Bristol Harbour Festival a must-do! Live music from the open-air stage drifts across the water and the atmosphere is relaxed and happy. Welcome to Bristol’s annual harbour festival!

Bristol Bath LGBT

Bristol & Bath’s LGBTQ+ Nightlife

From live cabaret and drag shows, to trendy cocktail bars and clubs, there’s something for every night owl. Here are a few of the finest LGBT venues in Bristol and Bath.

Bristol Harbourside

Bristol Harbourside – Things to see and do at Bristol Harbourside

Bristol’s harbourside has flourished as the up-and-coming place to be in the UK. As such, Bristol’s harbourside can boast the same eclectic mix of accommodation, bars and social scene as any major thriving metropolis, but on a much more intimate scale. Give the Bristol harbourside a visit, you wont be disappointed.

Bath Sunday Roast

Bath’s Best Sunday Roasts – Our guide to the best Bath Roasts

A Bath Sunday roast is also the perfect activity if you are organising a Bath get together to perk everyone up before they head home.

wassailing

Wassailing this winter in the West Country

Here in these ‘ere parts of the West Country, we think cider is gert lush – and we’ll go to great lengths to make sure there’s a bumper crop of apples so there’s no shortage of our favourite tipple when yer Wassailing in the West Country!

Sunday Dinners Bristol

Bristol’s Best Sunday Roasts

It’s hard to beat the iconic Sunday roast to while away your weekend. You’re feeling a little fragile after a big night on the Saturday, you want to catch up with friends or family, you need refuelling after a hearty walk in the countryside, what’s the answer? It’s always going to be a Sunday roast and Sunday roasts in Bristol are some of the best.

things to do in bath

Things To Do in Bath: Our Top 10 Things To Do in Bath

Bath is the largest city in Somerset, and perhaps unsurprisingly with its name, is best known for… it’s Roman baths! Probably Britain’s best-known spa town, Bath is a popular tourist destination for those within the UK and those further afield.

0117 3700 640

GET IN TOUCH
welsh games logo

Check out our sister activity Welsh Games located just outside of Cardiff…

© Regional Games Ltd 2024