Bristol family experience gift ideas
From incredible adventures in the great outdoors, to bargainous Bristol attraction membership, thrilling days out from the city, to surfing and street art vouchers, if you’re looking for inspiration for Bristol family experience gift ideas, they’re all here!
Nobody needs mores stuff! Give something that’ll create lasting memories…
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Bristol membership gift ideas
Gift family membership to one of Bristol’s attractions, or an attraction that’s an easy day trip from the city. These are always fantastic value, make parents’ lives easier and mean a year’s worth of free days out for families.
Brunel’s SS Great Britain
Former passenger steamship, Brunel’s SS Great Britain, is now a fascinating, immersive museum ship, which shows visitors what it was like to sail across the Atlantic in Victorian times.
Visitors can explore the magnificent vessel, as well as the Being Brunel museum, which takes a look into the mind of the man behind some extraordinary feats of engineering.
A family pass costs £62 (2 adults and 2 or 3 children) and includes unlimited visits for one year.
Bristol Aquarium
Located in the heart of the city, Bristol Aquarium is home to thousands of aquatic animals from across the World, including sharks, rays, a giant octopus, tropical fish, native Harbour fish, plus lots more in huge tanks with underwater tunnels and an Urban Jungle to discover.
Annual membership is £169.64 for a family of four and includes:
- 10% discount in the Bristol Aquarium gift shop and cafe
- 10% discount on full price admission for any guests you bring with you (on production of annual pass card)
- 10% discount off the total cost of Bristol Aquarium Birthday Parties
- 10% discount for renewing your Bristol Aquarium membership before the expiry date
We The Curious
**Currently closed due to a fire**
We The Curious is Bristol’s curiosity-igniting science centre with a Planetarium, and one of the city’s best attractions for children. Inside you’ll find two floors of interactive activities designed to get all ages excited about how, and why things happen in the world around them.
Annual membership for a family of four costs £130, and member benefits include exclusive events and early ticket releases:
- 50% off all Planetarium shows
- 10% off in the shop and café
- 20% discount on day tickets for friends and family
Wild Place Project
This outdoor animal attraction is home to animals from all over the world including European brown bears, lynx, wolves, wolverine, giraffes, zebras and cheetahs. It’s an incredible place to see animals roaming freely, in themed zones, and there are several play areas for kids to discover, including my own childrens’ favourite, the Barefoot Trail.
Wild Place offers Annual Passes (adult £46.18, child £34.79) for the animal-lover in your life. Annual pass holders also benefit from perks such as:
- 10% discount on purchases in the Wild Place Project shop*
- 10% off Leap of Faith
- 10% discount on animal experiences
- Access to a selection of zoos (including Chester, Edinburgh, Marwell etc)
Aerospace Bristol
Looking for a gift for plane-mad youngsters? This aeronautical museum houses historical memorabilia from over a century of powered flight, including the last Concorde ever to be built and fly.
A ticket to Aerospace Bristol costs £55 for a family of four and is valid for a year.
Noah’s Ark Zoo Farm
This countryside attraction is the place for big zoo animals as well as smaller, pet-able creatures, adventure playgrounds and ginormous indoor soft play complete with beehive maze, slides, ball pit and ride-on tractor area.
Noah’s Ark Zoo Farm annual family membership for a family of four for £265.00, with unlimited entry and discounts in the cafe and gift shop. Benefits include 10% off Keeper Experiences and adoptions, 10% off at the cafe and free entry to Jungle Tots.
Slimbridge Wetland Centre
Slimbridge is most famous for its birds, but aside from feathered friends, there are also otters, field mice, water voles and other local wildlife to spot, plus an awesome Welly Boot Land with fun water play for youngsters.
Slimbridge Wetland Centre annual family membership starts at £96 for two adults and up to six named children and offers entry to nine wetland centres across the UK, plus discounted entry for friends and family.
Westonbirt The National Arboretum
Westonbirt is a magical tree garden, with acres of beautiful walks, a Gruffalo sculpture trail, outdoor playgrounds and an amazing treetop walkway. Seeing the trees in different seasons is the real joy of membership for Westonbirt. An annual ticket for two adults and up to four of your children/grandchildren will set you back £78. For this you also get
- 10% off purchases at the Westonbirt Gift Shop
- Discounts with local partners like GoApe
- Early bird booking on various events at Westonbirt
- Free entry or two-for-one discounts for adults at selected partner gardens
Bristol National Trust properties
National Trust membership will gain you entry to over 500 places across the UK, including Tyntesfield, Dyrham Park and Newark Park near Bristol. A family membership with 2 adults starts from £133.80 per year.
Old Down Country Park
Old Down Country Park is set in 66 acres of countryside and features beautiful gardens, woodlands, adventure play areas and an animal park.
A family of 2 adults and 2 children is £186 and member benefits include
- 10% off food and drink in the Barn Cafe
- 10% off Sunday Lunch (Food only)
- 20% off of Old Down Events both internal and external (*selected events only)
- 10% off at Foxhills Spa at Old Down Estate
Longleat
Longleat Safari Park is 30 miles from Bristol and well worth the investment for wildlife lovers, as there plenty of exotic creature experiences to be had.
Annual passes include the Drive Through Safari experience, the chance to meet their famous animal residents on foot with a Walking or Boat Safari, attractions including Longleat Railway, Adventure Castle, Rockin’ Rhino and the Hedge Maze and Special seasonal events.
Click here to check prices, which start at around £118 for a family of four.
Perrygrove Railway
Perrygrove Railway Adventure is a heritage railway of 15 in gauge located at Perrygrove Farm in the Forest of Dean, near Coleford, Gloucestershire. Passengers may alight on the 30-minute return journey at the various stations in order to enjoy exciting play areas and woodland walks.
Annual passes are valid for one year from the day you purchase the pass.
Days out vouchers
Avon Valley Wildlife Park
Avon Valley Adventure & Wildlife Park between Bristol and Bath has indoor and outdoor play areas, animal handling activities, rides and over 90 acres to explore.
Gift a voucher to be used for park entry or an event at the park. Valid for 12 months from date of purchase with online bookings.
Wake The Tiger
Blurring the lines between an experiential art gallery, interactive theme park and detailed film set (with a twist), a visit to Wake The Tiger feels like stepping through a portal to another world.
All ages welcome, tickets cost £15 (adult) and £10 (child).
Cattle Country
South Gloucestershire’s Cattle Country Adventure Farm Park offers animal encounters with guinea pigs, rabbits, deer and ducks, a splash park and a huge indoor play barn, about 25 minutes north of the city.
A ticket for kids aged 4-17 is £10, toddlers aged 1-3 are £8 and adults, £7.50. Buy tickets here.
The Matthew
Give them a trip to remember with a gift voucher for The Matthew. The recipient can use their voucher towards any advertised public trip during their sailing season, which runs between April and October (all trips are subject to availability).
Each gift voucher purchased is valid for two years from the date of purchase.
Gifts for active kids
Ninja Warrior
Know a fan of the hit ITV show? Grant them the gift of climbing, balancing, jumping and swinging across different obstacles using their Ninja skills at Bristol’s Ninja Warrior UK, based at Cribbs Causeway.
Tickets start from £13.50pp for ages 4+ for a 1 hour session.
AirHop Bristol
Seeking the perfect gift for a mini Tigger? At AirHop they can bounce across over 140 interconnected trampolines, take on an Obstacle Course, Wipeout Zone, Dodgeball court, Slam Dunk with Battle Baskets, Battle Beams or the AR Trampolines. There’s also an under 5s area for mini-hoppers.
You can buy gift cards for trampoline park AirHop Bristol, as well as goodie bags featuring a bounce ball, premium grip socks, stickers and more.
Freedog
Known for its gigantic trampoline park, foam pits, ninja course, dodgeball courts and slam dunk lane, Freedog also has a three-storey high soft play for kids aged 0-10 years, PLUS a ‘Puppy Pen’ – an area of the soft play suitable for babies.
Gift vouchers can be used to pay for bounce sessions or soft play and also work for Flashpoint Bristol.
Planet Ice Bristol
Planet Ice Bristol is a large indoor ice rink located in the Cribbs Causeway leisure. They have lessons for all abilities and ages and the venue also hosts ice hockey matches and special family-friendly performances, including ice skating shows.
The ICE CARD Membership (£19.99) gives you discounts on ice skating every time you visit any Planet Ice rink, and on selected dates you can save double when booking ice skating sessions online. You also get £5 off every Skate & Hockey Excellence course when you become an ICE CARD Member.
Patch Membership is perfect for keen skaters who are levels 5+ in the Skate Excellence Course or equivalent, who are looking to put in some extra practice with or without their coach. Patch membership gives you unlimited use of patch ice for 12 months at a cost of £85 per month.
The Wave
If you know a keen surfer or someone who’s always wanted to learn to surf, why not buy them an e-gift voucher for The Wave, an inland surfing lake near Bristol. Vouchers come in a range of denominations, so they can use them to part-pay for a surf, book a lesson or decide to go for a set of surfs.
West Country Water Park
West Country Water Park is an outdoor water sports venue with swimming, paddleboarding, windsurfing, waterskiing and aqua park, based in Winterbourne just outside Bristol.
Buy unlimited paddle board or swimming membership from £30 or treat someone to Aqua Park tickets of various combinations, starting from £10. More information here.
Wookey Hole
Give the gift of caves, legends, and an unforgettable adventure when you buy a Wookey Hole voucher. Based two miles away from Wells, Wookey Hole is a spectacular series of limestone caverns. Above ground there are animatronic dinosaurs, circus shows, a big soft play, Victorian-style arcade and a fairy garden.
Vouchers can be used for Wookey Hole Day Tickets including special events or Wild Wookey – Adventure caving experience.
Pedal Progression
Pedal Progression is a skills coaching and mountain bike hire company based in Ashton Court Estate, Bristol. You can purchase gift vouchers towards hire, skills sessions and private tuition.
Mendip Activity Centre
Treat someone to A Year of Adventure (£199)! Lucky recipients will be able to choose any 12 activities from the following – tobogganing, Frisbee Golf, skiing, snowboarding, archery, axe throwing, air rifles, bushcraft and survival skills, caving, kayaking, canoeing, paddleboarding, assault course activity sessions, rock climbing and abseiling!
Vouchers are also available for singular activities, click here for more information.
Theatre tickets
Treat someone to a perfomance at Bristol Old Vic, the oldest continuously working theatre in the English speaking world.
Give someone a special experience to look forward at Bristol Hippodrome with an ATG eGift voucher. Choose from Broadway musicals, comedy, pantomime and more.
Redgrave Theatre is Clifton College’s purpose-built theatre, with plays from amateur groups and Old Vic Theatre School.
Tobacco Factory Theatres in Bedminster is an intimate space, with a programme of in-house and touring theatre.
DragonBird Theatre’s Early Years sessions explore exciting worlds through immersive theatrical play and song for children aged 0-5. A DragonBird Theatre gift card allows you to gift access to online shows (subscription or on-demand) or one of their lovely t-shirts.
National and international award-winning performances for young people and their families take place at The Egg Theatre, Bath.
Gift experiences for young families
Little City Roleplay
A mobile role play city for under 6’s, with bespoke backdrops and specially selected toys and equipment, for kids to play at being a hairdresser, firefighter, builder, café owner and more.
Gift vouchers are available and venues include Failand, Emersons Green, Ashton Vale, Longwell Green, Little Stoke, Portishead, Thornbury, Clevedon and Westbury-on-Trym.
Puddle Ducks Baby swimming classes
Puddle Ducks teachers are highly trained and the swimming programme is developed by leading experts in the baby and child swimming industry. Grant someone an amazing experience to share with their baby with a swimming lessons eGift voucher.
Yuup gift cards
With a Yuup gift card, your favourite person can choose from hundreds of authentic, unique experiences in Bristol and Bath. From delicious food and drink experiences to ice baths, axe throwing and pottery making to paddleboarding, wine tasting or a jewellery masterclass!
Choose to download the gift card, or it can be emailed to them on a day of your choice; they’ll have 12 months from date of purchase to redeem their gift for something (or some things) wonderful.
Alpaca walk
Cadbury Alpacas is a private working alpaca farm situated at the foot of the Iron Age hill fort Cadbury Camp in North Somerset.
They run alpaca and llama walking experience vouchers for 2 people (children over 14) which usually last 2-3 hours and include a tour of the small-holding, meeting and feeding the alpacas and walking an alpaca of your choice. For younger children and larger groups, call to book.
An alpaca and llama half day experience for two voucher costs between £80-£112.
Hot air balloon ride
For the ultimate giving gesture, book a balloon flight for your beloved. Soar over Bristol, for unforgettable shared memories, then, who knows, perhaps in the quiet that comes with floating gently above the Earth, sacrifice those views for a moment to get down on one knee..!
A celebratory glass of Champers will be awaiting on touch down. Bristol Balloons, Bailey Balloons and Elite Air UK all offer Champagne packages, or you could take off in a fleet of balloons during the Bristol International Balloon Fiesta.
Clifton Suspension Bridge Vaults
Did you know the Leigh Woods tower is built on top of 12 massive vaults? Experience the Clifton Suspension Bridge like never before and delve under Bristol’s most iconic landmark on a hard hat tour. Tour tickets are released throughout the year and visitors can explore two of these unique, cavernous underground chambers.
Street art
If you’re looking for a fun, creative and truly Bristol experience, how about a graffiti workshop? Graft run workshops at the Island which you can buy tickets for.
Read more:
25 Fantastic family attractions to see in Bristol with kids
