Westonbirt, The National Arboretum is around 35 miles from Bristol Airport, a drive of about an hour on the A46 and A433 via Chipping Sodbury and Tetbury. There's no direct train or bus, so a taxi, pre-booked transfer or self-drive hire car is the practical way to get there. Standard adult admission from 1 March 2026 starts at £14 on a weekday, rising during the autumn colour season. Checked 2026.
Why people search for this route
Westonbirt is managed by Forestry England and holds one of the world's most complete tree collections, spread across two sites, the Old Arboretum and the wilder Silk Wood, linked by a treetop walkway. It's best known for its autumn colour, when the Japanese maples draw large crowds, but it's a year-round destination for walkers and families. Because it sits close to Tetbury on the Gloucestershire and Wiltshire border rather than near any of Bristol Airport's usual coach routes, travellers flying in specifically for the arboretum, or combining it with a Cotswolds break, need to plan the final leg separately from the airport's standard transfers.
How far is Westonbirt Arboretum from Bristol Airport
Westonbirt Arboretum sits near Tetbury in Gloucestershire, on the edge of the Cotswolds. Route planners put the distance at around 33 to 36 miles, taking about an hour by road via the A46 and A433. It's a cross-country route on A-roads rather than motorway for most of the way, so allow extra time on a Friday or weekend afternoon when Cotswolds traffic builds up.
Taxi from Bristol Airport to Westonbirt
No fixed fare is published for this specific route. Using two of this site's sourced comparisons as a benchmark, a taxi to Chippenham (around 28 miles) runs £80 to £100, per the Trowbridge and Chippenham guide, while the considerably longer run to Cheltenham (55 miles) runs £120 to £160, per the Cheltenham guide. Westonbirt's roughly 35-mile trip sits between the two, so a reasonable indicative range is about £85 to £120 for a standard saloon, though you should get a firm, fixed quote from a pre-booked operator before you travel, since this is a less common route than the airport's core corridors. See the taxis guide for more on pre-booked pricing generally.
Is there public transport to Westonbirt
Not directly. Bristol Airport's Flyer coach network covers Bristol, Bath, Weston-super-Mare and Portishead only, none of which continue to Westonbirt. The nearest railway station is Kemble, on the line between Swindon, Gloucester and Cheltenham, but it's several miles from the arboretum with only a limited onward bus service, so it rarely works out faster or cheaper than driving once the connections and waiting time are added up. For most airport arrivals, a taxi, pre-booked transfer or hire car covers the whole journey more reliably.
Comparison table
| Option | Approx. cost | Journey time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Taxi / pre-booked car | £85-£120 (indicative) | About 1 hour | Direct, door to door, confirm price before travel |
| Self-drive / car hire | Hire cost plus fuel | About 1 hour | Same A46/A433 route as a taxi |
| Train to Kemble plus onward bus/taxi | Rail fare plus local transport | Over 2 hours typically | No direct route from the airport, limited local connections |
Admission prices and opening times
Westonbirt is run by Forestry England and opens daily except Christmas Day, from 9am, with last admission at 4:30pm, 30 minutes before the site closes. Standard adult admission (from 1 March 2026) is £14 on a weekday and £19 at weekends and bank holidays, with a child ticket (5-18) at £5 and under-5s free. Prices rise during the autumn colour season, one of Westonbirt's busiest periods: for 25 September to 15 November 2026, adult admission is £19 on a weekday and £22 at weekends, with the child rate unchanged at £5. A discounted entry rate applies for visitors who arrive by public transport, bicycle, or who are a student or young person aged 19 to 25, so it's worth checking the current admission page and pre-booking online where advised, particularly during the autumn peak. Checked 2026.
Facilities on site include a welcome building, cafes and a shop, and the arboretum is generally accessible for wheelchairs and pushchairs on the main paths, though some of Silk Wood's trails are less formal. Given the entry price varies by day and season, checking the exact date-specific price on Forestry England's own site before you travel is worth the extra minute, particularly if you're planning around the autumn peak or a weekend visit when prices are highest.
Tips for the journey
- Book a fixed-price taxi or transfer both ways, since there's no rank at the arboretum and mobile coverage can be patchy in parts of the site.
- Visit during the autumn colour season (late September to mid-November) if the maples and Japanese acers are the draw, but expect higher admission prices and busier car parks, and pre-book your ticket in advance.
- If you're also visiting Castle Combe or the wider Cotswolds on the same trip, Westonbirt sits within a similar corridor northeast of the airport, so ask your transfer operator about combining the legs.
- Build in extra time for the drive back to the airport if you're catching a flight the same day, since this is a longer transfer than most of the airport's routes.