Bristol Self- Guided Walking Tours 

Lockdown is easing and we are beginning to spend more time outside. With Bristol’s abundance of green areas, Harbourside, rivers and street art to explore, there is so much to see and do in such a beautiful part of the country. 

And if walking tours are your thing then you will love these! 

Banksy walking tour 

With Bristol being the birthplace of Banksy, the world famous artist, the city is full of original Banksy street all from when he was just starting out. This walking tour enables you to view some of his earliest work all hidden around the city. 

To help you plan your walk, there is a brilliant app that provides a virtual tour of them all so you can plot your journey accordingly. 

The app is called the Banksy Bristol Tour app: http://banksybristoltourapp.co.uk .

There is also the walking tour provided by Cactus Apps to check out.

Many murals to note are:

• Valentine’s Day Mural
• Grim reaper
• You dont need planning permission to build castles in the sky
• Frogmore Street, Well Hung Lover
• Bristol Museum and Art Gallery, Paint-Pot Angel
• Masked Gorilla

Blackbeard to Banksy 

Keeping on the street art theme, this tour combines the history of Bristol with the city’s best street art. 

Normally this walk starts from the Bristol Cathedral on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays at 11.30am and this 2 hour tour includes the best of the city’s history, Street Art and architecture. 

In this tour you will: 

• See Long John Silver’s Inn, Robinson Crusoe’s first port of call and Blackbeard’s favourite haunts.
• Witness Bristol’s historic buildings and incredible paintings.
• Completely immerse yourself in the fascinating world of Street Art, history and Pirates!

For more information and to book your tour visit: https://blackbeard2banksy.com 

Treasure island trail 

Have children that also want to get involved? This treasure island trail is a family- friendly walk and app that covers the historic Floating Harbour and provides you with an insight into Bristol’s connections with Treasure Island and helps tell the story. 

There are 8 ‘black spots’ each including an excerpt of treasure island to read, alongside fascinating facts about Bristol’s famous pirates! Each of these eight recycled Bordeux wine barrels also include variety of sensory plants within them to stimulate different senses relating to the story! 

Situated between The Matthew Ship and Brunel’s SS Great Britain, not only can families learn about Bristol’s maritime history, but they can also experience some iconic landmarks along the way. 

The app is available in both Android and iOS versions.

Garden Tours at Royal Fort Gardens

The University of Bristol’s historic gardens are now available for the public to explore. These hidden gardens provide you with the a serene atmosphere in the middle of a bustling city. 

These gardens began as a civil war fortification created in the 16th century to defend the city, however not many people, including Bristol’s own residents, are actually aware of its importance in Bristol’s history. 

To find out more click here.

Harbourside walks

The historic and beautiful Bristol harbourside is home to many beautiful walking routes. 

With 8 miles of water covering over 3 miles of the city, there are many walks you can do which cater for different lengths to suit all. 

For a list of harbour walks please visit here: http://www.bristolfloatingharbour.org.uk/harbour-trails/heritage-trails/

The M shed also provides guided tours: https://www.bristolmuseums.org.uk/m-shed/whats-on/

Bristol circular river walk

Looking for a walk that takes you across the most iconic parts? Then the Bristol Circular river walk is for you. 

This walk will take you around Temple Church, Castle Park, the SS Great Britain, Bristol’s Floating Harbour, Cabot Tower and Bristol Cathedral. 

The walk includes lots of lovely waterside stretches covering the River Avon and is 5 miles long. 

For more information on this click here.

Art & History at Bristol Harbour

Starting at Bristol Cathedral and finishing at the SS Great Britain, this 1.7 mile long walk enables you to explore the art and history of the city. 

View the Bristol Cathedral, an array of Banksy street art ending up on the harbour passed the M Shed and the floating harbour, you finish the tour at the SS Great Britain. 

For more information on this: https://www.lonelyplanet.com/england/bristol/in-location/self-guided-tours/a/nar/c270e216-ad95-4b13-9f70-777b5a64cbb9/358978

Do you have any more? We would love to hear from you. 

The Urban Creation Team