Bristol Packet Boat Trips
WHERE
Bristol
What it’s like
A slow boat round the docks past the SS Great Britain, with pub lunches and cream teas laid on if you fancy making a proper afternoon of it.
This is a boat trip rather than an attraction with a gift shop at the end, and that's the appeal. The City Dock Tour takes you past the SS Great Britain, Cabot Tower and Underfall Yard, which is a decent way to get your bearings on Bristol's harbour without anyone's legs giving out halfway round. If you want to stretch it into a full outing there's a Pub Lunch Cruise up to Hanham Mills, a Cream Tea Cruise, and trips out to Beeses for lunch or an evening cruise, so you're not stuck with just the one option.
None of this is a soft play with a two-hour timer on it. It's a sit-down, watch-the-water sort of trip, which suits a curious six-year-old who likes spotting bridges and boats far better than it suits a toddler who wants to run about. The boats have a bar and WCs on board, and you can arrange catering or a welcome drink if you're booking for a group, which points to this working well for a family birthday as much as a normal Saturday out.
All the public trips leave from the ticket office on Wapping Wharf, and the nearest parking is the SS Great Britain car park. It's pay and display, coins only or the RingGo app, and capped at five hours, which is a slight faff if you're planning a longer cruise and fine if you're just doing the harbour tour. Blue badge holders park there free and without the time limit. If you're coming from Temple Meads it's a half hour walk, a quick taxi, or the Waterbus from Temple Meads Landing, which is arguably the more fun way to arrive anyway.
Facilities
Need to know
- Parking
- SS Great Britain car park, pay & display, cash (coins only) or RingGo app, max 5 hours
- Getting there by bus or train
- M2 Metro Bus to SS Great Britain stop (6 mins walk), or Bristol Temple Meads station 30 mins walk
- The SS Great Britain car park only takes coins or RingGo, no card payment
- Blue badge holders get free parking there with no five-hour limit
- The Waterbus from Temple Meads Landing is a fun way to start the trip rather than a plain walk
- Catering and welcome drinks need arranging in advance if you want them on board
Plan your visit
Where do we catch the boat?
All the public trips leave from the Bristol Packet ticket office on the quayside at Wapping Wharf, Gas Ferry Road.
Is there parking nearby?
The SS Great Britain car park is closest. It's pay and display, coins only or the RingGo app, and you're capped at five hours unless you're a blue badge holder, in which case it's free with no time limit.
What's on the boats themselves?
A licensed bar, WCs, and a PA system if you want to play your own music. Catering and welcome drinks can be arranged if you're booking ahead.
How do we get there without a car?
The M2 Metro Bus stops six minutes' walk away, it's about half an hour on foot from Temple Meads, or you can hop on the Waterbus at Temple Meads Landing which runs to the SS Great Britain.
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