With St. Mary Redcliffe to your right, turn left at the roundabout and walk across Redcliffe Bridge. At the next roundabout, turn right into Welsh Back, a cobbled street full of old warehouses and granaries.

If you take a left at the roundabout instead into The Grove, you cross the swing bridge in Princes Street with Merchants Quay to your left and the Arnolfini Gallery to the right. This bridge crosses the Cumberland Basin, where the river was re-routed from many years ago due it's huge tidal range of more than 40 feet to allow ships in at any time rather than the inconvenience of waiting for the tide. Thus, the river now flows between Cumberland Road and Coronation Road, whereas its original course is now tide free and gave rise to the wharves at Hotwells and Canon's Marsh

Opposite is a large sign indicating the route to follow along Princes Wharf, where you will find the four remaining electric cranes that used to unload the ships, plus several small ships including the world's oldest tug.

Follow on for a few hundred yards and you will arrive at the Great Western Shipyard, where the SS Great Britain is now preserved in dry dock. Entrance fee here is £6.25 for adults, £3.75 for kids, but that gives you unlimited access to the ship.

If you return the way you came and cross the bridge again with the Arnolfini on your left, continue straight along into Prince Street, then turn left into Broad Quay, then left again into Anchor Road, and then finally left once more into Canon's Road. This will take you down to the old Canon's Marsh area of docks that dealt specifically with tobacco, but is now revitalised with corporate buildings and a stunning visitor centre.

Allow yourself about 4 hours to see all of this, and an additional 2 hours if you plan to visit the Great Britain.