Walking Brunel’s Bristol

Tours will commence and finish from the flagpole in Brunel Square, located just outside the main entrance to Brunel’s SS Great Britain and The Board Walk.

What time should I arrive?

Please arrive 15 minutes before the tour is scheduled to depart. This allows for time to park, any pre-tour toilet visits or beverages to be purchased. The tour will begin at 10:30am sharp – Mr. Brunel is a stickler for timekeeping!

Primarily following a circular route around Bristol’s Floating Harbour, Mr. Brunel will discuss his Bristol born projects, tales from his own life, the history of the harbour as well as some interesting chapters from Bristol’s past and present. Main stops on the tour include Underfall Yard, Cumberland Basin, Queen Square and of course, the SS Great Britain.

When do tours run and how long do they last?

Tours run on selected dates only and leave from the flagpole in Brunel Square at 10.30am. Tours last approximately 2 hours 15 mins, excluding any questions you may have for Mr Brunel at the end of the tour.

You are welcome to bring food and drink with you on the tour, though there are no scheduled stops for picnicking. It is recommended to bring water and any hot or chilled beverages, either for eat in or take out, can be purchased from The Board Walk, located next to the main entrance to Brunel’s SS Great Britain.

Though there are no scheduled toilet stops during the tour, several public toilets are located en route. These primarily include Brunel’s SS Great Britain, Underfall Yard, We The Curious and M Shed. If you require the toilet, please inform Mr Brunel who will happily pause the tour accordingly.

Tours cost £14 per person. This does not include admission to Brunel’s SS Great Britain. However, afternoon admission tickets can be added to your purchase online if you wish to explore Brunel’s SS Great Britain following the tour. Afternoon admission tickets can be redeemed as soon as the tour finishes at 12:45pm.

How much are afternoon admission tickets?

Afternoon admission to explore Brunel’s SS Great Britain costs, per person:

Adult                   £11

Student             £9.25

Child                   £7.25

Afternoon admission is single use and can be purchased online or in the visitors’ centre at Brunel’s SS Great Britain.

Yes, tour bookings must be made in advance through our website.

The tour is not age restricted but a certain amount of fitness is required. You would need to be able to walk just over three miles at an average walking pace, including tour stops where standing is required. For this reason, as well as the level of content, we recommend not booking for children younger than 8 years, and any children must be accompanied by a paying adult.

Is the tour accessible for mobility scooters and wheelchair users?

The tour is designed to be fully accessible for mobility scooters and wheelchairs. There are one or two small inclines and occasional cobbles which may impact self-propelled wheelchairs, however no such issues have been previously raised.

Please inform one of the staff members on the tour. You will then be responsible for making your own way onwards, though Mr Brunel is happy to give directions.

Please check your spam box as the ticket confirmation may have been sent there. If they still haven’t been received, please contact us at admin@ssgreatbritain.org.

Parking can be found at the Maritime Heritage Car Park, adjacent to Brunel’s SS Great Britain. Parking can be paid for in the visitors’ centre at a discounted rate, and gives you 5 hours parking time. For more information on getting to Brunel’s SS Great Britain, please visit the website link below.

https://www.ssgreatbritain.org/your-visit/how-to-find-us/

Booking changes can be made up to 24 hours in advance of the tour starting. Please email admin@ssgreatbritain.org. However, tickets are not refund.

Cancellation by us may occur if:

1. Tour numbers make the tour unviable to run.
2. Unsuitable weather such heavy and prolonged rain, gale force winds, heavy snow, extreme heat.
3. Brunel is unwell. He is over 200 years old after all.

In these instances, you will be given the choice of rebooking onto a different tour, donating your tour money to the SS Great Britain Trust or taking a refund. We will endeavour to give you 24 hours’ notice but this may not always be possible.

What happens if the weather is bad?

We will try to run tours in most types of Great British weather. However, we may choose to cancel if we consider the weather too challenging to deliver or fully enjoy the tour. Examples of weather that may impact the tour’s running include heavy and prolonged rain, gale force winds, heavy snow and extreme heat.

Absolutely, but keep in consideration other participants and keep your dog on a lead. Though the tour mostly follows established pedestrian walkways and quieter sections of the harbour, there will be some areas busier with people and traffic. The tour will also cross some roads as part of the route.

Certainly. The tour will pass many important and pleasing landmarks, so feel free to capture those. As an early champion of photography, Mr Brunel welcomes anyone who wishes to take his likeness, though he does request anyone taking photographs keep with the pace of the tour.

Please wear weather appropriate clothing. Sensible footwear such as walking boots or strong trainers are advised. We suggest you bring sun protection if it is hot along with a bottle of water. Only bring what you can carry as we have no left luggage facilities and make sure to have your booking confirmation to hand, whether on your mobile phone, tablet or a printed paper copy.