The Most Beautiful Hikes In And Around Bristol

As well as being a vibrant and bustling city, Bristol is also immersed in beautiful greenery and countryside. It’s closely neighboured by some of the most stunning landscapes in the country, offering a number of different walk trails and hikes. Here’s some of the must-visit locations to explore the South West by foot.

Cotswold Way

For just over 100 miles that sprawls from Chipping Camden to Bath, immerse yourself in picturesque countryside that winds through the infamous villages of the Cotswolds, with stone markers signalling the beginning and the end of the trail. This can be a pretty long journey, so think about stopping in between, perhaps even for a night in one of the locals Cotswolds hotels. Keep an eye out for famous ancient artefacts along the way.

Bath Skyline Walk

Forest of Dean Sculpture Trail

This is one seriously beautiful hike to take and isn’t too far from Bristol. Built in 1986, this is a visual journey that was created with work from a number of artists’ interpretation of the surrounding woodland. One of the most stunning pieces to look out for on your walk is a breathtaking stained glass window, suspended between the trees. There are a number of different routes you can choose to take, depending on the difficulty level you wish to challenge yourself to.

Leigh Woods

Right in the heart of Bristol, Leigh Woods is an incredible forest area that offers a number of different marked hiking trails, suitable for all levels of walkers. The trail takes you through gorgeous woodland, fields and one of the trails (The River Avon Trail) even takes you to the base of the Avon Gorge where you can gaze up at the famous Suspension Bridge.

North Wessex Downs

This Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is made up of open downs, chalk streams and historic woodland. With a number of trail options available, you can choose the Kennet and Avon Canal tow path and even the World Heritage Site path to see the Avebury Stone Circle. One of the paths leads you to stunning views across Silbury Hill, the largest manmade mound in Europe, where you can try and spot chalk white horses at certain times of the year.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.