Stuck for affordable Father’s Day presents that really stand out? We all know the feeling! The day is fast approaching and you might be thinking about how to shop for your dad, the man who already seems to have all the mod-cons and gadgets.
This year, you want to really spoil him and make him feel appreciated. Maybe you want to say thanks for the many birthday and Christmas gifts he’s given you over the years! The good news is, you can relax!
Bristol has a bucket-full of unusual Father’s Day gift ideas that will leave your dad feeling special, without you breaking the bank.
If your dad is hard to shop for, a gift of an experience is also a great way of thinking outside the box.
Has your dad ever been on a beer tasting tour of Old Market? Perhaps he’d like to take an inside peek of the Clifton Suspension Bridge? Whatever will take your dad’s fancy, we can guarantee gifting an experience will give him a special Father’s Day to remember, all whilst spending some quality time with family.
We’ve made a list of the top 10 best unusual Father’s Day experience gifts in Bristol for under £30 in 2022:
- Take your dad on a tasty beer tasting tour of Old Market
- Go with him to the Cheese and Cider Festival
- Take your dad on an Upfest street art tour of Bristol
- Try Clairin, a unique specialist spirit with Nadu’s Rum Club
- Go on an inside tour of the Clifton Suspension Bridge
- Have fun with Virtual Reality
- Learn about rock ‘n roll, or visit hidden and haunted spots on these tours of Bristol
- Try archery or axe throwing
- Surprise him with a bat detecting evening followed by pizza
- Go on a behind-the-scenes tour of a Bristol Distillery
1. Craft beer tasting pub tour of Old Market
If you feel like your dad knows Bristol really well then this experience might surprise him!
Famous for its vibrant pubs and bars, Old Market is one of Bristol’s best areas for discovering new craft ales and beers.
This tasty pub tour with Bristol Hoppers will allow him to discover hidden gems, learn unusual facts and move between venues all at his own pace.
🎁 Old Market tasty pub tour with Bristol Hoppers: £24 per adult
2. The Bristol Cider and Cheese Festival
Bristol and Somerset are famous for their delicious craft ciders and cheeses. At Bristol's first Cider and Cheese Festival, your dad will get to try them both in the perfect combination! This is like a slice of the country nestled in the heart of the city.
Carefully chosen by expert cheesemongers and cider makers, this festival is a great (and tasty) way to celebrate foodie dads! Expect live music, laughter, games, and plenty of delicious treats.
🎁 Bristol Cider and Cheese Festival tickets: £18 a ticket
3. Upfest stories and street art walk
This year’s Upfest saw some 150 new artworks created in the streets of Bedminster, Bristol.
Take your dad on a guided walking tour of Europe’s largest graffiti and street art festival. Your dad will get to explore the hidden corners of Bedminster and learn some fascinating facts about how the artworks were created and the stories behind them.
🎁 Upfest Stories and Street Art Walk: From £10 a ticket
4. Learn about and taste Haitian spirit Clairin at Nadu’s Rum Club
If your dad is something of a flavour connoisseur, then this Rum Club experience is definitely one to try.
He will be guided on a unique tasting experience of a little-heard-of Haitian spirit called Clairin. Hosted at Bristol’s Nadu restaurant on Stokes Croft, he will sample the unusual flavours and learn about the rum’s interesting history. Smoky, sweet and funky- this spirit is sure to be one he’ll remember!
🎁 Rum Club at Nadu with Haitian Clairin: £25 per adult
5. Go on an inside tour of Clifton Suspension Bridge
Do all dads love a good bit of engineering or mystery? Years after the completion of the Clifton Suspension Bridge, engineers found secret vaults and rooms hidden inside the bridge.
This special tour of the inside of Bristol’s world-famous Clifton Suspension Bridge will be sure to satisfy his inner geek. He can don a hardhat and be guided on a fascinating historical tour of the seldom-seen vaults inside the bridge.
🎁 Clifton suspension bridge historical hard hat tour: £20 an adult
6. Immersive VR game play
This one’s sure to win points for the dad who loves technology!
In this awesome virtual reality experience, your dad will be able to deep dive into the digital world. He can choose to swim with the whales, blast through space on a wild roller-coaster ride, or try out some of his combat skills! Stepping into VR will be a gift sure to make him feel absolutely spoiled rotten.
🎁 Immersive VR game play: £30 per adult
7. Haunted and Hidden tour with haunted pub stop or the Rock 'n Roll Bristol tour
These specially designed walking tours will guide your dad around the city, where he will get to uncover some hidden gems and intriguing stories connected with Bristol's past.
The Haunted and Hidden tour will take him on a spooky journey around the city's old quarters, ending with a well-earned drink at a haunted pub!
Take him on the Rock 'n Roll tour and he'll be discovering Bristol's rich music scene, with unheard stories linked to big names such as The Beatles and Bob Dylan.
🎁 Bristol rock 'n' roll walking tour: £9 an adult
🎁 Haunted & Hidden Bristol Walk & Haunted Pub Stop: £10 an adult
8. Archery or axe throwing in the countryside
Picture a beautiful woodland area, where your dad can spend time discovering traditional arts such as archery or axe throwing. In these one-of-a-kind experiences, he will travel back in time, learn the basics and unleash his inner Viking.
These unique masterclasses are the perfect gift for the dad who loves getting practical.
🎁 Archery in the countryside: £25 per adult
🎁 Axe Throwing: £25 per adult
9. Bat detecting & pizza nights in Kentisbury
This bat safari and pizza-making evening is really something special!
Your dad will get to join others in making wood-fired pizzas from scratch, before setting off on a guided bat-detecting safari.
He will get to learn all about these fantastic little creatures whilst having a go at spotting them in the surrounding outdoors.
The evening is wrapped up nicely with a warming hot chocolate around a fire- lush!
🎁 Bat detecting & pizza nights in Kentisbury: £27.50 per adult
10. Circumstance Distillery tour and tasting
Specialist rums, vodkas and whisky? The perfect way to say 'cheers dad'!
This behind-the-scenes tour and tasting at a Bristol micro-distillery is sure to pique your dad's interest (and tastebuds)!
Circumstance Distillery has perfected its methods to make some truly unique tasting spirits: organic vodka, organic rum, and organic grain spirits.
On this tour, your dad will learn all about Circumstance Distillery's different processes and sample some of the unusual flavours on offer.
A really exciting fact about this distillery is that it will be releasing the first Bristol-distilled whisky made in the past 80 years!
🎁 Circumstance Distillery tour and tasting: £30 per adult
