Docks

Bristol's Floating Harbour was created in the early 1800s, when the tidal River Avon was diverted so ships could stay afloat at all times. Today the old docks are the city's main waterfront, lined with museums, bars, restaurants, offices and flats. Whether you work nearby or are new to the city, it is the easiest place to get a feel for Bristol.

A walk around the harbour

This route takes about an hour at a gentle pace, longer if you stop. It runs roughly east to west.

1. Start at Temple Meads. Walk down to the water through Temple Quay and follow the harbour towards the centre. You can also catch a ferry from the station landing.
2. Queen Square and King Street. Queen Square is one of the largest Georgian squares in England and is busy at lunchtime. King Street, alongside, has some of Bristol's oldest pubs and the Bristol Old Vic, the oldest continuously working theatre in the English-speaking world.
3. Arnolfini and Narrow Quay. The Arnolfini is a contemporary arts centre with free exhibitions, a bookshop and a café. Across Pero's Bridge, the Watershed has an independent cinema and a café-bar overlooking the water.
4. Millennium Square and We The Curious. We The Curious is Bristol's science centre, with hands-on exhibits and a planetarium. It reopened in 2024 after a fire. The Aquarium is next door.
5. M Shed and Wapping Wharf. M Shed is a free museum about the people and history of Bristol, with working cranes and boats outside. Behind it, Wapping Wharf has small independent restaurants and shops, many in shipping containers.
6. SS Great Britain. Isambard Kingdom Brunel's steamship, the first iron-hulled, propeller-driven ocean liner, sits in the dry dock where it was built. Allow at least two hours. Tickets usually stay valid for a year.
7. Underfall Yard and Hotwells. At the western end, Underfall Yard is a working boatyard with a free visitor centre explaining how the harbour's water levels are managed. Finish with a drink in Hotwells, looking towards the Avon Gorge.

Using the harbour ferries

The ferries are a genuine way to get around, not just a tourist trip. Bristol Ferry Boats, a community-owned operator with blue and yellow boats, runs services between the city centre and Hotwells and between the city centre and Temple Meads. Number Seven Boats runs a cross-harbour service near the SS Great Britain, which starts early on weekdays and is handy for commuters, plus some seasonal routes. Bikes, dogs and pushchairs are generally welcome. If you work near the station and live in Hotwells or Spike Island, the ferry can be a calmer commute than the bus.

Free things to do around the docks

• M Shed's permanent galleries
• Arnolfini exhibitions
• Underfall Yard visitor centre
• The Harbourside walk itself, including the cranes, the boats and the views from Pero's Bridge
• Bristol Harbour Festival, a free weekend of music and boats every July