Terms and conditions

Close up of the gears in the Engine Room of the SS Great Britain

These terms apply whenever you buy tickets, vouchers, or book an experience with us — online at bristoldockyards.org, by phone, or in person. They sit alongside our Terms of Use, which cover use of the website itself. By making a booking or purchase, you agree to these terms.

About us

Bristol Dockyards — home of the SS Great Britain — is operated by SS Great Britain Trust and SS Great Britain Trading Ltd.

SS Great Britain Trust is a registered charity (charity no. 262158) and a private company limited by guarantee (company no. 1000878), with registered offices at Great Western Dockyard, Gas Ferry Road, Bristol, BS1 6TY.
SS Great Britain Trading Limited (company no. 999528) is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Trust, registered at the same address. All trading profits are transferred to the Trust under a gift aid declaration.
VAT number: 664 4291 23

Contact us: hello@bristoldockyards.org or 0117 926 0680

Admission tickets

You'll receive your ticket by email after purchase — please make sure your email address is correct when booking.
Tickets are non-refundable.
Full-price general admission tickets bought online are valid for 12 months from your chosen visit date; tickets bought on arrival are valid for 12 months from the date of purchase. If you can't make your chosen date, remember that you can visit us any time within 12 months of your purchase date.
Admission tickets are non-transferable to other people. A name must be given at the point of purchase, and we'll ask for ID on return visits to verify ownership.
Tickets can't be resold and may only be used by the original ticket holder.
Some discounted, complimentary, or experience tickets are valid for one day only — this will be made clear when you book and on the ticket itself. You can leave and re-enter the site that same day, but the ticket won't be valid on any other day.
Some tickets for one-off ticketed events may only cover entry to that event, not full access to the site. Ask our crew on the day if you'd like to upgrade to an annual pass.
Children under 14 must be accompanied by an adult.

If we cancel or postpone

If we cancel a ticketed event, you'll receive a full refund.
If we postpone one, refunds or exchanges are available within 7 days of the new date being announced.
We may, at our discretion and without prior notice, close part of the site or cancel an activity due to health and safety concerns, staffing levels, adverse weather, or other circumstances.

On site

You enter the dockyard at your own risk. We're not responsible for accidents, injury, or loss or damage to personal belongings, except where caused by our negligence.
We can refuse entry, ban future entry, or remove anyone who is abusive, threatening, appears to be under the influence of drink or drugs, poses a safety risk, disrupts other visitors, or doesn't follow staff instructions.
Smoking and vaping aren't permitted anywhere on site. You can step out through the gift shop and be readmitted with your ticket.

Group bookings

Booking

Bookings must be made in advance through our Groups team — email groups@bristoldockyards.org or via the enquiry form on our website. UK school groups should use our dedicated schools booking page.
A minimum of 15 paying visitors is required for group rates (not required for UK school groups). Group tickets are valid for one day only. Current group prices are listed on our website.
To confirm a booking we'll need: group name and address; school/trust name and address (for school groups); invoicing name, address and email; preferred date and time; number of people; ages; and any activities you'd like to include. We can't process a booking until we have all of this.
All group enquiries, school or otherwise, should be made via this enquiry form.
Once booked, you'll receive a confirmation letter with an order number — please quote it in all correspondence. You are not booked in until you receive this confirmation.

Staffing and pricing

School and youth groups get one free adult place for every 6 children, and we require at least one adult per 10 children.
One group organiser goes free per adult group, and coach drivers are admitted free with any booked group.
Adult and university student group tickets can be upgraded to a full annual pass on the day.

Payment

Pay by invoice after your visit, or on the day by cash or card, in a single transaction. Let us know your preferred method when booking.
For invoice payments, we'll need a billing email and details of how to address the invoice — please quote your group name and invoice number on payment. You're responsible for any bank charges so that we receive the full invoice amount.
Payment is due within 14 days (extended for UK educational groups). Private group dining must be paid 14 days before the visit and is arranged separately with our catering partner, Elior.
Payments made ahead of a visit are non-refundable.

Changes and cancellations

Cancel free of charge up to 14 days before your visit.
Within 14 days of the visit: groups of 100 or more who cancel are charged 25% of the booking cost; guided tours, talks, workshops, and private dining cancelled in this window are charged in full.
If a group of 100+ reduces its numbers by 50 or more within 14 days of the visit, the same 25% charge applies to the reduction, and any activities no longer needed are charged in full.
We may need to cancel or change your booking due to unforeseen circumstances, such as site closure or staff shortages — you won't be charged for anything we're unable to provide. Beyond this, we're not liable for any other costs you incur in connection with a cancelled or postponed group visit.

On the day

Let us know as soon as possible if you'll be late by calling 0117 926 0680 or groups@bristoldockyards.org. We'll try to accommodate booked activities, but this isn't guaranteed, and late changes may be charged at full price.
Your group leader is responsible for checking in and confirming numbers — we charge based on the headcount given at check-in.
Children and students must be supervised by an adult at all times, and lead adults should wear the hi-vis jackets we provide. Please keep large groups split into smaller, adult-led groups when not on a guided tour, and be considerate of other visitors, especially in narrow spaces.
Groups are expected to follow our Captain's Code of conduct.
Disruptive groups may be asked to leave the site, and you may be charged for any damage caused.

Gift vouchers

Valid for 12 months from the date of purchase; the expiry date is shown on the voucher.
Admission vouchers must be redeemed at the ticket office within 12 months. Once redeemed under a name, the resulting annual ticket is valid for 12 months of unlimited return visits and is non-transferable — please bring ID on return visits.
Vouchers can't be refunded, exchanged for cash, or redeemed once expired.
Each voucher is valid only for the product or service shown on it, can't be split across different products or services, and can't be used as part-payment.
Each voucher is for one use only. We can't replace or refund lost or damaged vouchers, and incomplete or amended vouchers can't be redeemed.
Vouchers can't be combined with other promotions or discounts.
Some events have their own specific terms — please check these before buying a voucher intended for a particular event.

VIP Experience

Non-refundable and non-transferable.
Includes a 12-month annual admission ticket, valid from the date of your tour.
Goes ahead in most weather conditions — part of the experience is outdoors, so please dress accordingly.
Arrive at least 15 minutes early. We can't guarantee we'll be able to accommodate late arrivals, and no-shows aren't eligible for a refund or transfer.
Please check your booking details after purchase, as mistakes can't always be corrected afterwards — email us straight away if something's wrong.
If we cancel or postpone (for example, due to low numbers, weather, or health and safety), we'll offer a refund or an alternative date within 7 days, and will always try to reach you by email beforehand.

Sunday Roasts

Non-refundable, but can be transferred to a new date up to 7 days before your booking, subject to availability.
A valid admission ticket or annual pass is required. If you don't already have one, a discounted day ticket is available at checkout.
Arrive at least 15 minutes early. We can't guarantee we'll be able to accommodate late arrivals, and no-shows aren't eligible for a refund or transfer.
Please check your booking details after purchase, as mistakes can't always be corrected afterwards.
If we cancel or postpone, we'll offer a refund or an alternative date within 7 days, and will always try to reach you by email beforehand.

Walking Brunel's Bristol

Non-refundable, but can be transferred to a new date up to 24 hours before your booking, subject to availability.
This is a separate, outdoor walking tour and doesn't include admission to Bristol Dockyards. A discounted afternoon admission ticket is offered at checkout, and can be upgraded to an annual pass on the day.
Runs in most weather — please dress for outdoor conditions.
Arrive at least 15 minutes early. We can't guarantee we'll be able to accommodate late arrivals, and no-shows aren't eligible for a refund or transfer.
We may cancel the tour if numbers are too low to run, the weather is unsuitable (heavy or prolonged rain, gale-force winds, heavy snow, extreme heat), or our guide is unavailable. Where possible, we'll give 24 hours' notice and offer a rebooking, a donation to the Trust, or a refund.

Kids Go Free 2026

In this section, "Passenger" means a visitor aged 17 or over, and "Child Passenger" means a child aged 4–16.

Valid on tickets for visits between Saturday 23 May and Wednesday 2 September 2026 inclusive.
Available on new online ticket purchases only, subject to availability. Doesn't apply to previous purchases.
Includes one free Child Passenger ticket for every full-price Passenger ticket bought. Children under 14 must be accompanied by an adult.
Not available for group or school bookings.
Must be redeemed within the promotional dates above — tickets can't be redeemed early or late; a full-price Child Passenger ticket would be needed instead.
Passenger and Child Passenger tickets bought as part of this offer are valid for 12 months of free, unlimited return visits from the visit date selected.
Doesn't include separately ticketed events, activities, or tours (for example Sunday Roasts, Walking Brunel's Bristol, or guided tours).
Tickets are non-exchangeable, non-refundable, and may not be resold.
We may ask for proof of age, and can refuse entry if we believe the offer's terms haven't been met.
We may amend or cancel this promotion at any time.
You'll receive a confirmation email after purchase — please make sure your email address is correct when booking.

A few common questions

Children aged 3 and under visit free as standard "Nipper" tickets and don't count towards your free child allocation — these can be booked online or on arrival.
Already have a Passenger ticket? This offer only applies to new ticket purchases — you can still buy a Child Passenger ticket online at the standard child rate, valid for 12 months of return visits.
Already have a family ticket? You're covered — every named person on a valid family ticket gets free, unlimited return visits for 12 months without needing to rebook.
Want to bring more than one child per Passenger ticket? The offer covers one free child per full-price Passenger ticket; additional children need their own Child Passenger ticket.
Booking with a student, Universal Credit, or carer ticket? Free child tickets are only available alongside a full-price Passenger ticket — contact us if you're unsure which option works best for your visit.

We may also run other limited-period offers from time to time. Each will have its own published terms, which take precedence over the general terms above for its duration.

Liability

We provide tickets, vouchers, and experiences with reasonable care and skill, but we can't guarantee that any visit, tour, or experience will be free of disruption caused by circumstances beyond our control, such as weather or technical failure. Other than as set out above, we're not liable for indirect or consequential losses arising from a cancellation, postponement, or change to your booking.

Nothing in these terms limits our liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, or for fraud — these cannot be excluded by law.

Changes to these terms

We may update these terms at any time; the version published on this page is the one that applies to new bookings from the date shown above. We recommend checking this page periodically.

Contact

Questions about an existing booking or these terms? Email hello@bristoldockyards.org or call 0117 926 0680.