WHERE TO STAY IN BATH

For this itinerary three options are:

CRESCENT GUEST HOUSE $ – Ideally located about a 10-minute walk from the centre of Bath on a quiet street, the Crescent Guest House offers guests a warm and cosy stay. The rooms are simply decorated with antique furniture, comfortable beds, and pretty linens. To get you ready for your day they have a delicious breakfast with many choices such as cereal, fruit, and granola, or you can opt for a hearty (and scrumptious!) full English breakfast. We enjoyed our stay at this lovely B&B.

BOOK YOUR STAY:   Direct with Hotel  |  Hotels.com  |  Booking.com  |  TripAdvisor

HIDING SPACE WESTGATE APARTMENTS $$ – Stay in the heart of Bath, near the Roman Baths, at these fresh and modern studio apartments that get excellent guest reviews. These would allow you a little more space to stretch out and give you the option of cooking a light meal or two as each apartment has a fully equipped kitchenette with a stove/oven, coffee maker, fridge, dishwasher, and a microwave. Some apartments also have double sofa beds to accommodate up to four people.

BOOK YOUR STAY:   Hotels.com  |  Booking.com  |  TripAdvisor

MACDONALD BATH SPA $$$ – Set in beautiful gardens that feature fountains, ponds, and a terrace, the Macdonald Bath Spa hotel will provide a memorable stay in the picturesque Somerset countryside. Luxurious rooms are decorated with marble and mahogany and some have views of the scenic gardens. You can relax in the spa with a swimming pool, outdoor hot tub, candlelit treatment rooms, or dine in the award-winning restaurant set in the former ballroom of this country mansion.

BOOK YOUR STAY:  Direct with Hotel  |  Hotels.com  |  Booking.com  |  TripAdvisor

If, like us, you prefer the comforts of home while on the road, an Airbnb might be ideal for you. Click to see what is available in Bath.

HOW TO GET AROUND BATH

The best way to get around Bath is on foot. The city centre, Upper Town, and Pulteney Quarter (where the sights in this weekend guide are located) are easy to navigate, but be sure to have a map or navigation app.

Alternatively, you could book the Hop-on/Hop-Off bus that will save you some walking while providing audio commentary on board to learn all about Bath.

If you arrive by car, please note that parking is extremely limited within the city and you need to ensure you aren’t parked illegally or you will be ticketed. We parked at the Charlotte Street Car Park which was within easy walking distance of our B&B, offers long stay and multi-day parking, and has over 1,000 spaces.

To help you navigate to the attractions in this weekend guide the directions between sights will be in italics.

FRIDAY EVENING

After checking in to your hotel or Airbnb, you may be ready for some serious relaxing after a long week at work. This weekend itinerary has you covered with your first stop being the Thermae Bath Spa for a few hours to just unwind in the thermal baths the city is so well-known for.

Photo by profernity / CC BY 2.0

THERMAE BATH SPA

While this can be a bit pricey, the Thermae Bath Spa is the only natural spa in the UK and your one chance to bathe in Bath. But what a treat it would be!

After being unused for 25 years, Bath’s thermal springs were once again made available for enjoyment. A state-of-the-art spa is housed in a three-building complex that mixes modern glass and steel design with historic buildings.

The city’s contemporary spa offers the chance to relax in pools fed by the warm mineral-rich spring waters, enjoy some time in the steam room, and get pampered with body wraps, a massage, or a facial. The highlight for many visitors is spending time in the open-air rooftop pool, especially at twilight to watch the twinkling lights of Bath as night falls.

For a simpler, less-expensive bathing experience you many also consider the Cross Bath, also operated by Thermae Bath Spa, which is located across the street from the main spa in a circular Georgian structure.

Thermae Bath Spa also has an on-site restaurant where you could have your dinner if you didn’t want to leave the relaxing, pampering spa. Some of their spa packages, including the Twilight Package, also combine the use of the spa facilities with a meal in their restaurant.

TIP: To ensure you will be able to enjoy your pampering spa treatments, do book them in advance.

WEBSITE: Thermae Bath Spa  | ADDRESS: The Hetling Pump Room, Hot Bath Street, Bath BA1 1SJ

HOURS OF OPERATION: Different areas of the spa have varying opening times so it is best to check here for the latest opening hours.

COST: Varies depending on spa treatments/packages booked

SATURDAY MORNING

In the morning you’ll want to be up early to be out the door by about 9:00 am to allow enough time for the several planned stops and also to allow some time to just be in Bath, relax over lunch or a café for an English afternoon tea.

Start at Sally Lunn’s Historic Eating House for a delicious breakfast to start your day off right.

SALLY LUNN’S

Housed in the oldest building in Bath dating from 1483, is the delightful little historic eating house called Sally Lunn’s which is famous for the Sally Lunn Buns.

The restaurant is also a three-storey living museum that celebrates the life of baker Solange Luyon, known as Sally Lunn. Here she invented her delicious brioche-style bun which she sold to the people of Bath back in the 1700s. As part of the museum, you can see the original kitchen and an exhibition that tells Sally’s story.

In the restaurant, which is open from breakfast, through lunch and afternoon tea, and into dinner, you can try one of the authentic English historic dishes, or just pop in for a bun and a cup of tea to refuel while exploring Bath on your weekend getaway.

WEBSITE:  Sally Lunn’s Historic Eating House | ADDRESS: 4 North Parade Passage, Bath BA1 1NX

HOURS OF OPERATION: Click for complete opening hours of their Kitchen Museum, daytime refreshment or dining by candlelight.

COST: Click to view their menu.

To make your way to the next stop, turn right out the door of Sally Lunn’s and walk through the little alleyway until you reach Abbey Street. Walk along Abbey Street until you reach the front of Bath Abbey. This will put you in the Abbey Churchyard (Courtyard) and the Historic Walking Tours will meet in front of the Roman Baths.

There will be signs for the walking tours so you’ll know exactly where to meet your guide. It is about a 5-minute walk from Sally Lunn’s to the walking tour meeting point.

HISTORIC WALKING TOUR

If, like us, you love a good walking tour to get acquainted with a new city, you are in for a treat in Bath! Established over 80 years ago when the mayor of Bath took a group on a guided tour, the Mayor of Bath’s Corps of Honorary Guides continue to lead free guided tours by volunteers who just want to share their love of Bath with guests to their city.

These dedicated guides turn up every day, sometimes twice a day, to lead a group around the city pouring out all their entertaining stories about the city’s Georgian social scene. The groups meet in the courtyard of the in front of the Roman Baths and for two hours are recounted the history of Bath from way, way back in Roman times all the way up to present day. You’ll see all the top sites of the city, along with some lesser-known and tucked away places.

Because the tours are such a great way to get your bearings for your further strolls through the city, we’d recommend taking the 1030 tour on Saturday morning (as we have it in this itinerary).

WEBSITE:  Bath Guides |  ADDRESS: Tours meet outside the Roman Baths in the Abbey Churchyard

TOUR TIMES: Sunday to Friday at 1030 and 1400 and Saturday at 1030 only

COST: Free (guides also do not accept tips)

There are different stopping points for each tour, depending on the last sight you visit on your tour. Generally, you will be brought back to be in very close vicinity to the starting point near Bath Abbey (which is very easy to see from different places around the city). From your ending point, make your way back to the Abbey Churchyard in front of Bath Abbey. 

SATURDAY AFTERNOON

All around Bath Abbey you’ll find little cafés and restaurants where you can stop and have a little lunch before continuing with your afternoon in Bath.

BATH ABBEY

Dominating the town centre, Bath Abbey is considered by many to be the last great medieval church built in England. Construction began in 1499 on the current abbey, but a church has been on this site since the 8th century.

According to legend, God described the design of the church to Bishop Oliver King in a dream. Outside in the Abbey Church Yard, which is alive with the sounds of buskers, you can look up to the unique façade that features stone angels climbing Jacob’s Ladder to heaven. Inside the Gothic architecture has spectacular fan vaulted ceilings and so much stained glass it earned itself the nickname “Lantern of the West”.

On your visit, you can imagine what life was like when the first king of England was crowned here in 973 and then climb the 212 steps to the tower for a panoramic view of the city. Climbing the tower is only able to be done on the guided tour but it offers great views down into the Roman Baths if you have the time to make the climb.

TIP: The guided tours aren’t available on Sundays as they still have services in this abbey so if you make this attraction part of your weekend in Bath, you’ll want to keep the abbey scheduled for Saturday if you wish to see the interior.

WEBSITE: Bath Abbey | ADDRESS: Abbey Courtyard, Bath, BA1 1LT

HOURS OF OPERATION: Tours are offered Monday to Friday 1000 to 1600 on the hour and Saturdays 1000 to 1600 every half hour. There are no tours on Sunday or during special events or adverse weather conditions.

COST: Adults £8 and children (5-15 years) £4

SATURDAY EVENING

Evenings seem made for quiet strolls around Bath and there is no better place for that stroll than along the Grand Parade and Great Pulteney Street, especially to admire Pulteney Bridge from all angles and see Bath Abbey lit up.

STRONG ALONG THE RIVER TO SEE THE PULTENEY BRIDGE

The Pulteney Bridge spans the River Avon and has the distinction of being one of only four bridges in the world to have shops built into the original 18th-century design which echoes the design of the Ponte Vecchio in Florence, Italy. This charming bridge, built in 1769-74, is certainly one of the more recognizable landmarks of Bath.

A nice route to take for a stroll starts in the Abbey courtyard, wander through some of the narrow cobblestone streets, perhaps popping into a bookshop or two, the along the opposite side of the river from the Abbey to look back at the pretty views of the city. Then pop back up to the street level for a little walk along Great Pulteney Street. This is considered one of Bath’s finest streets and is lined with properties dating back to the 18th century.

After walking around and over the Pulteney Bridge, you can also admire its beauty from the vantage point of a riverboat for a peaceful cruise along the river if you have time in the evening.

If you are looking for a place for dinner, we’d recommend Brown’s Brasserie & Bar that is near the river on Orange Grove (almost directly behind Bath Abbey). We’ve dined at Brown’s in London, Bristol, and Bath and we are never disappointed.

SUNDAY MORNING

Sunday morning will find you back in the Abbey Courtyard to begin your day with the Roman Baths that have made Bath so famous.

ROMAN BATHS

In the first century, the Romans built baths and a temple dedicated to the goddess Sulis Minerva around the spring in Bath. Medieval monks of Bath Abbey also exploited the spring’s properties, however, it wasn’t until Queen Anne visited in 1702 that Bath became THE place to go for the hot spring waters of the Roman Baths.

Today you aren’t able to get in the mineral-rich waters of the baths, but you can explore the Roman spa complex which is really interesting. With the help of a great multi-language audio guide (included in the admission price), you can learn all about the open-air Great Bath that stands at the heart of the spa, the Sacred Spring where Sulis Minerva was worshipped, the excavated ancient foundations, Roman artefacts, and the actual mouth of the hot spring.

In addition to the informative audio guide, the displays are well-documented so you could easily spend a couple of hours exploring the Roman Baths. If you have less time, we did our own “highlights” tour in about an hour and still felt like we had a great visit. At the end of your tour, be sure to try a cup of the famous spa water which contains 43 minerals and has been attracting visitors to Bath for centuries.

TIP: The Roman Baths are a very popular attraction in Bath so there are usually long lines on weekends and every day in the summer. To avoid these lines, you can purchase your ticket in advance online to skip the ticket line. The peak times are usually between 13:00-15:00 during the week and all day on the weekend. During July and August, it is nice to visit after 19:00 when the baths are romantic and gas-lit, and not quite as crowded so your visit could be switched with strolling along the river and Pulteney Bridge if you’d like to see the Roman Baths like this instead.

WEBSITE:  Roman Baths | ADDRESS: Abbey Church Yard, Bath BA1 1LZ

HOURS OF OPERATION: Click for opening hours which vary throughout the year.

COST: Ticket prices vary throughout the year from £16.00 – £23.00 for adults based on the season (i.e. off-peak/standard/peak season)

After touring the Roman Baths, make your way to the Pump Room for lunch which is next door in the Abbey Courtyard.

SUNDAY AFTERNOON

Photo by Matthew Hartley / CC BY-SA 2.0

LUNCH AT THE PUMP ROOM

For more than 200 years, the Pump Room in the elegant Georgian Hall just about the Roman Baths has been at the heart of Bath’s social scene.

In the 18th century, the wealthy residents of the city would come here to dance, listen to classical music, and engage in conversation. Today this stylish dining venue welcomes everyone to come in and dine and listen to the soft music provided by the famous ‘Pump Room Trio’.

During your weekend in Bath, perhaps after your visit to the Roman Baths, why not stop for an English afternoon tea, or enjoy a ‘Bath Bun’? There is also a beautiful fountain where you can get a drink of the famous natural spring water if you’d like to have a sample.

WEBSITE:  Pump Room Restaurant  | ADDRESS: 13 Abbey Churchyard, Bath BA1 1LZ

HOURS OF OPERATION: Open 1000 through dinner

COST: Click to view their menus.

After lunch, make your way to Royal Crescent to explore some more of Bath’s Georgian architecture to finish off your weekend in Bath.

From the Pump Room entrance, walk away from the front of Bath Abbey to Stall Street. Turn right on Stall Street and then quite quickly turn left onto Westgate Street. Westgate Street will turn to the right naturally and then will change names to Saw Close. Right before Saw Close changes names again (to Upper Borough Walls) turn left onto Barton Steet. 

From here keep an eye out on the left for the tiny cut through which will take you over to Queen Square. This will be right at the corner where Barton Street turns the corner and becomes Wood Street.

Once through the tiny cut through turn right onto Queen Square and continue until the street changes name to Gay Street. At the roundabout at The Circus, take the first exit onto Brock Street which continues until the street changes name to Royal Crescent. No. 1 Royal Crescent will be right at the beginning of this street. 

It is about a 15-minute walk from the Pump Room to No. 1 Royal Crescent.

ROYAL CRESCENT

Hailed as the most majestic street in Britain, Royal Crescent is a graceful arc of 30 houses and is considered an outstanding example of the architecture of the period. It is Grade 1 listed and has remained unchanged since it was designed and built by John Wood the Younger between 1767 and 1774.

Most of the Georgian houses that make up the Royal Crescent are still private homes, but one has been converted to a hotel and another, at No 1, is now a museum. Along with touring the museum, we recommend spending a little time just strolling around the expansive lawn and some of the little paths along the grounds.

The ‘No.1 Royal Crescent’ museum gives a glimpse of what life was like for the wealthy 18th-century aristocrats through the furnishings, décor, artefacts, and examples of food and clothing. It’s designed right down to such details as the dog-powered spit used to roast meat in front of the fire in the kitchen!

Even if you aren’t an architectural buff, you’ve almost certainly seen Royal Crescent as it has provided the backdrop for countless films and television programs set in Georgian times and is an iconic image of Bath.

WEBSITE:  No. 1 Royal Crescent  | ADDRESS: No. 1 Royal Crescent, Bath BA1 2LR

HOURS OF OPERATION: Open daily from 1000 to 1700 with the last admission at 1600 (except November 23-27, December 25-26, and January 1)

COST: £10.90 for Adults and £5.40 for children (age 6-16)

RESOURCES | PLAN YOUR WEEKEND IN BATH