I’m gonna be honest with you; if you asked me some time ago, I would never think about visiting Bristol in the near future. And now, I am writing this article about the top instagrammable places in Bristol – funny right?! I always believed that there are much more beautiful places in the U.K. Therefore, Bristol was definitely not on the top of my list. And then I got the news that I would travel to Bristol for a business trip with my job! So since I would visit the city I decided to extend my stay by 2 days to explore it. Believe me, I am so grateful that I took this decision!
Now, having explored the city even for so little, I can say that it’s one of the most colorful cities I’ve seen. Since it’s not so touristic, it’s much easier to enjoy all the must-see spots. It’s such a magical and charming city and it’s such a pity that it remains undiscovered by most travelers. But this also has its positive side, as you can take uncrowded shots at almost all the instagrammable spots any time of the day without having to get there at sunrise! In fact, when I started searching for places that I should visit, I barely found any information on the web. So I decided to list the top 5 most Instagrammable spots you can find there!
Clifton Suspension Bridge
The most iconic landmark of Bristol is undoubtedly the Clifton Suspension bridge. It is a true masterpiece spanning the Avon Gorge and the river Avon. The best spot to admire the bridge is a small hill located behind it. If you Google “Clifton Observatory Hill” you will get there without any issues – except for the hard incline which will thoroughly test your fitness 🤣 There is also a fortress-shaped café on this small hill which offers views from even higher. Even if it’s closed when you go, as happened to me, you can just enjoy the view from the hill.
As a tip, I took my photos by setting up my tripod on a bench to capture the highest possible angle, so that I didn’t look enormous compared to the bridge 🤣 While climbing the road to the hill, you will also find a small flat space on your left. This spot also offers beautiful views to the front side of the bridge.
The Colourful Houses of Cliftonwood
For me, the colorful houses of Cliftonwood was probably my favorite of the top instagrammable places in Bristol. I had read about them in the little information I had found during my investigation before my trip and I did not intend to miss them out for any reason! 😛 And it was totally worth it – it’s SOOO much like Notting Hill! I can’t describe the beauty of this neighborhood in words. The most colourful roads are Amrose road and so I went straight there and they were totally empty!
This is another spot in Bristol which is so quiet that you are not going to find crowds no matter when you go! The possible angles are countless and you can use your creativity to take the most impressive shots. And, if you are lucky, you will find some vintage cars taking your shot to the next level – just like the cute VW van I found on Cliftonwood crescent road 😉
Cabot Tower
Cabot Tower is the ultimate spot to go if you want to enjoy 360° views of the city, especially without any fee. It is a tower located between Clifton village and Bristol city center, in the middle of a huge park! It is quite a puzzle to find the park, but you can trust that Google Maps is leading you correctly, even if the path looks a little shady and exhausting – trust me, it’s worth the climb! This was one of the most enjoyable evenings ever, and I highly recommend that you take some time before climbing up to the tower to take a walk in the park once you reach it, enjoy the truly fresh air and watch the countless cute squirells running here and there! Besides, the park itself offers plenty of photo opportunities in several spots facing the tower from various different angles.
Be prepared for more climbing once you finish your walk in the park. To get up to the tower you have to follow a narrow stairs path, but be strong! Beware that there are two observation levels in the tower, and you should definitely go for the upper level – it takes only a few more steps of climbing and you see the city from even higher. The 360° views are simply amazing, and at the upper level you also have more space for yourself to even setup a tripod, like I did. You can also include parts of the tower itself in the photos, as its architecture is so impressive!
Bristol Cathedral
Any list of the top instagrammable places in Bristol would not be complete without Bristol Cathedral. If you’re passing by, you can’t really miss it. It’s such a big and impressive building that it’s totally eye-catching! The Cathedral is an absolute masterpiece and it’s a must when visiting Bristol. It offers many angles for photography, for example I used both the front and the side facings for my shots.
However, beware that this is the only spot in Bristol where you should come early, before 8 am. It is located on a very central and busy square and people are passing by all the time. On top of this, it is located right next to a big college, so if you arrive around 8:30 am like me, you will find yourself surrounded by hundreds of students moving around. I literally was there for 2 hours, waiting for a handful of seconds when my frame was empty, to shoot! But eventually I am very happy that I got my shots because it’s a place not to miss!
The Pink House with the leaves
This is a spot I discovered randomly after I had finished my walk in Cliftonwood and was preparing to leave. It is an orange/pink colored house with a blue door which is covered with beautiful leaves in warm colors, especially during autumn when I visited Bristol. But as far as I saw from Google images, the leaves remain there all year more or less. It is located right on the beginning of Cliftonwood road with exact coordinates 51.4506541, -2.6114647 and it offers a great photo opportunity! Isn’t it so cute?
Have I missed any of the top instagrammable places in Bristol? Do not hesitate to contact me for more information or feedback!
