RunCity

Bristol on foot: a self-guided walking route

This route takes you past 10 of Bristol's best-known sights, including Wills Memorial Building, Cabot Tower, Bristol Cathedral and more. It is about 8 km on foot, roughly 2.5 hours at an easy pace with short stops. Follow the list on your own, or play it as a free GPS checkpoint game with RunCity and race the clock on the Bristol leaderboard.

  • 10Stops
  • about 8 kmDistance
  • 2.5 hoursWalking
  • about 68 minRunning
Play Bristol in RunCity

Free during launch. Runs in your phone's browser; the app is in English, German and Hungarian.

Bristol
Photo: Chris Lathom-Sharp · CC BY-SA 4.0

Bristol's route runs from the street art of Stokes Croft through the harbourside to the Clifton Suspension Bridge, about 8 km with a few hills. It starts at the bonus stop, Banksy's Mild Mild West mural of a teddy bear throwing a Molotov cocktail, and heads down to the Gothic Wills Memorial Building at the top of Park Street. Cabot Tower on Brandon Hill is free to climb, and the twin towers of the cathedral face College Green.

On the Floating Harbour, Millennium Square, the horned Pero's Bridge and the M Shed museum, with its working cranes, lead across to St Mary Redcliffe, whose spire Queen Elizabeth I is said to have called the fairest in England. Brunel's iron ship, the SS Great Britain, sits in its dry dock, and the route ends at his Clifton Suspension Bridge over the Avon Gorge. Harbour ferries link several of the stops.

12345678910

Download the route as GPX (for Komoot, Strava or a watch)

The stops

A suggested order. In the game you can visit them in any order.

  1. The Mild Mild West

    The Mild Mild West Bonus Photo

    The Banksy mural of the teddy bear on Stokes Croft.

    Photo: Earthkingfather · CC BY-SA 4.0

  2. Wills Memorial Building

    Wills Memorial Building

    The Gothic university tower at the top of Park Street.

    Photo: Arpingstone · Public domain

  3. Cabot Tower

    Cabot Tower Photo

    The red sandstone tower on top of Brandon Hill.

    Photo: Bärbel Miemietz · CC BY-SA 4.0

  4. Bristol Cathedral

    Bristol Cathedral

    The twin western towers of the cathedral on College Green.

    Photo: NotFromUtrecht · CC BY-SA 3.0

  5. Millennium Square

    Millennium Square Photo

    The harbourside square and its glass globe.

    Photo: Immanuel Giel · Public domain

  6. Pero's Bridge

    Pero's Bridge Photo

    The horned footbridge over the Floating Harbour.

    Photo: The original uploader was Rodw at English Wikipedia. · Public domain

  7. M Shed

    M Shed

    The harbourside museum with its working dockside cranes.

    Photo: Gillett's Crossing from Bristol, United Kingdom · CC BY 2.0

  8. St Mary Redcliffe

    St Mary Redcliffe

    The tall Gothic spire above Redcliffe Hill.

    Photo: Velvet · CC BY-SA 3.0

  9. SS Great Britain

    SS Great Britain Photo

    Brunel's iron ship in its dry dock, seen from the quay.

    Photo: mattbuck (category) · CC BY-SA 3.0

  10. Clifton Suspension Bridge

    Clifton Suspension Bridge Photo

    The suspension bridge over the Avon Gorge, seen from the Clifton side.

    Photo: Gothick · CC BY-SA 3.0

Play Bristol in RunCity

Leaderboard

    Questions

    Can you see Bristol on foot in one day?

    Yes. The 10 stops on this route add up to about 8 km, roughly 2.5 hours at an easy pace with short stops. Some stops are far apart, so you may want public transport for a leg.

    Is this self-guided walking tour free?

    Yes. The route and map on this page are free, and the RunCity game for Bristol is free during launch.

    How does the RunCity game work in Bristol?

    Open Bristol in RunCity, walk to a stop and tap Validate: your phone's GPS confirms you are there. Some stops also ask for a photo. Timed runs go on the Bristol leaderboard.

    Where does the route start?

    This page suggests starting at The Mild Mild West and finishing at Clifton Suspension Bridge. In the game you can take the stops in any order.

    Nearby cities