Step Inside Wartime Bristol on an Air Raid Shelter & Blitz Experience
Explore hidden underground shelters and uncover Bristol’s powerful WWII history on a guided immersive tour.
This experience is part of City Uncovered: Bristol, taking place from 18–31 May - a limited-time series of unique, under-the-radar experiences designed to help you see the city differently.
Start above ground in Bristol’s Old Town near the Corn Exchange, where your guide—often in character as a 1940s air raid warden—sets the scene of the first night of the Bristol Blitz. You’ll hear stories of wartime life before heading beneath the streets to explore a preserved air raid shelter. Inside, discover original wartime markings, posters, and artefacts as you’re guided through what life was like during the Blitz. Expect a vivid, atmospheric experience blending storytelling, history, and immersive set pieces.
This experience is perfect for
History enthusiasts
Curious locals
Families with older children
Anyone interested in WWII stories
What’s included
Guided tour with a 1940s-style air raid warden
Above-ground walking tour of historic Old Town
Access to a preserved WWII air raid shelter
Immersive wartime storytelling and artefacts
Good to know
Duration: 1 hour 15 minutes
Location: Bristol Old Town (Corn Exchange meeting point)
Age restrictions: 0+ (recommended for older children due to content)
Accessibility: Includes stairs and underground sections
What to bring/wear: Comfortable shoes and weather-appropriate clothing
Minimum fitness level required.
Age restrictions: 0+
| Adult | £12.50 |
| Child (Under 16’s) | £6.25 |
Very enjoyable, interesting and informative.
Very very good. Brilliant host Duncan - clearly a massive WW2 enthusiast, his passion shone throu...
Informative and interesting. Enjoyed it!
Very interesting tour and Owen played the part well.
Very enjoyable, interesting and informative.
Very very good. Brilliant host Duncan - clearly a massive WW2 enthusiast, his passion shone through. Would definitely recommend
Informative and interesting. Enjoyed it!
Very interesting tour and Owen played the part well.
Very knowledgeable host with a clear presentation of the historical facts and anecdotes. Very atmospheric gave time to reflect on our own knowledge and appreciation of the location and facts. Thank you brilliant
The tour guide was excellent- a real enthusiast with great charisma and knowledge. Very interesting tour, fascinating to see the air raid shelter. Would recommend to anyone with an interest in WW2, the blitz, Bristol history.
Very interesting - enjoyed all of the stories
The host was really knowledgeable. Very unique and interesting experience. We learnt a lot of interesting facts.
Really interesting and fun, with an entertaining and knowledgable host. Thank you
Tour guide was great, very informative and knowledgable.
interesting and informative tour with highly professional and knowledgable guide.
This tour was really fun! Duncan was a great host and was incredibly passionate about preserving the history of wartime Bristol. Highly recommend!
Really informative and interesting tour. Owen was a great tour guide and made it very enjoyable.
It was great to see this in it's early stages of opening, I believe it is being developed, but as it is now, you certainly get the real experience.
A memorable visit which was interesting and informative. Tour guide Owen was a brilliant presenter.
Very good afternoon talk, interesting things about Bristol that I was unaware of. Never knew there were air raid shelters under the Corn Exchange. Enjoyed.
Very enjoyable, and interesting would definitely recommend
It was eye opening
Owen was brilliant, he was really entertaining and spoke so clearly; even my hard of hearing Dad caught every word!
Had a really nice time and learned a lot in a very friendly and ease way
We loved the opportunity to learn about Bristol during the Blitz and explore the air raid shelter under The Corn Exchange. The host ‘Owen’ was very knowledgeable and clearly enthusiastic about history.
Interesting tour with knowledgeable fun guide
Very interesting and the guide was very informative
My friend and I enjoyed the experience and Owen was very knowledgable.
A present from my daughter, so I cannot comment on cost, but it was easy to arrange the date online with my ref number. A short visit (unavoidably as there is not too much to see), but very interesting and really fascinating - it is almost unbelievable that, thankfully, the shelter remained virtually untouched since the war. Our guide gave us lots of information and showed how Bristol looked before the bombing in 1940. Really well worth seeing and such a nice way of spending half an afternoon.
Fantastic guide who was energetic, knowledgeable, and welcoming
Excellent experience. The guide was very knowledgeable & made the whole tour enjoyable & fun. Would definitely recommend. Excellent value.
A really excellent tour that gave me a side to Bristol’s history that’s not widely known - excellent guide who was clear and informative and enjoyed the use of old wartime photos and all the props.
This is well worth a visit. So much history I was unaware of. Duncan is a great tour guide with an obvious passion for his topic & project. The tour was recommended to me and I am now recommending to my friends and family.
A great experience which will be even better with more funding. Would definitely recommend!
Even though I’ve lived in Bristol all my life it was an interesting tour highlighting lots of facts I didn’t know. Recommended
Fascinating tour of a hidden gem under St Nick's Market. Lots of interesting facts and artifacts too.
Really enjoyed the Air Raid Shelter Tour and Blitz Experience with my teenage son last week during the 'half-term' break. Felt a bit strange being tourists in our own city, but important to learn about your local area, and Duncan made the tour both interesting and informative, with added authenticity. Highly recommended.
Duncan’s enthusiasm for this topic and the potential for creating a museum was infectious and both my friend and I came away wanting more.
Great host. Learnt new things about Bristol that I had no idea about.
Excellent. Host was knowledgeable and clearly passionate. I’d recommend for locals and visitors to the city. Overall great experience.
Great History of Bristol in the blitz
An absolute MUST DO if you’re visiting Bristol. We live in Bristol since 2017 and it was just lovely to be tourists for the day. Bought this for my boyfriend as he loves history. It exceeded all expectations. Duncan is super passionate about everything he does and you can just feel that passion through his words. He made it all so interesting and fun at times. I really hope this turns into a beautiful museum one day and we will definitely visit again! Thank you Duncan for a great experience!
Duncan was brilliant. I’m waiting for the group photo, can’t wait for that but. It was really good fun and probably the best £12.50 I’ve spent for a long time.
This is not a corporate museum tour - Duncan, the guide, is entertaining, interesting and gives a real insight into some of the items exhibited. He is passionate about increasing the profile of the tour and is interested in gathering further information, stories or items from those times. As such, this is very much a work in progress.
We really enjoyed the tour and came away with a better understanding of what people had to face at that time. Good luck to Duncan in developing this further.
The host was very knowledgeable fun and passionate about the process
We will be complying with all current COVID-19 requirements.
Ask your question directly to St. Nicholas Market and Air Raid Shelter Walking Tour.