9 Activities for a Perfect Weekend in Bath
England is very often connected with London. The truth is that there is so much more to do in England than just London. Although London is a great place to visit, there are plenty of other places to see and experience. This time I want to show you how to spend the perfect weekend in Bath, with the best activities and why you should not miss this city from your trip to England, even if it is your first time here.
Where is Bath
Bath is an old Roman city located East of England about 2.5h from London by car. Bath is gorgeous with its honey-coloured houses coming straight out of a novel. Bath is also located in the southern part of the famous Cotswolds, where you can witness a vast countryside with the smallest-cute houses and amazing village pubs.
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Activities for perfect weekend in Bath
Bath itself is a small city with picturesque corners, small shops and inviting tea and coffee establishments. Bath is a lovely place to relax from the big city life. There is a different pace and everything is slower and sophisticated.
The Roman Baths
The main attraction of Bath is the famous Roman Baths. The Roman Baths was where ancient people from Roman Britain used to visit for bathing to worship Sulis Minerva (the Roman-British Goddess of water). Today, the thermal baths are still in operation in the sense that there are still hot water springs underneath this part of the city of Bath, although it is not possible to Bath and go on spa days – funny that I used to think so ahah!
After the Roman Baths, why not have a quintessential break? The Tea Rooms right next to the roman baths give you the option to try the thermal water, some say it tastes funny, others claim to be very healthy for your gut!
Bath SPA
Bath is also great cit come for a Spa break. The best place for a spa in Bath has to be Thermae Bath Spa. The Thermae Spa is located within minutes walk from the Roman Bath and includes a rooftop pool overlooking the stunning city of Bath. The entry starts at $41 and must be booked in advance.
Bath Abbey
You can’t come to Bath without visiting Bath Abbey. Bath Abbey was once a cathedral. In 1539 all cathedrals and monasteries had to close down due to heavy taxes to the King. It is an interesting story that I learnt about when visiting the Abbey. You can also climb to the top of Abbey Tower which is a different way to experience the behind scenes of this iconic landmark and enjoy a breathtaking view of Bath.
Walk through the little streets
Bath is full of charming little cafes, tea houses and plenty of amusing shops to enter and fall in love with. My favourite thing to do in Bath is to walk around the streets of the city, getting lost and distracted with details of the shops and then stop at the one of the traditional British pubs for a pint. This city is like a fairy tale, very picturesque and calm.
Jane Austen
Visit Jane Austen Center and emerge in the world of pride and prejudice, Emma and many other classic comedy romance levels. If you are a Jane Austen fan, Bath is definitely the best place for you. Every year, on the 3rd weekend of September there’s a Jane Austen Parade in Bath where thousands of ladies and gentlemen dress up to the accession and parade the streets of Bath. I personally have never been, but know some people that have and I think it is a great way to finish summer!
Pulteney Bridge
Walk by the river Avon and check out the old Goldsmiths and shops in the Pulteney Bridge. This Bridge was built in 1774 and it was built in an unusual way. It has shops and cafes crossing the bridge. If you have been to Florence, it somehow reminds me of Ponte Vecchio.
Royal Crescent
Go for walks past the immediate city center and fascinate yourself with the Royal Crescent. The Royal Crescent of Bath is considered to be of great historical and architectural importance. It consists of 30 houses built in arch-row format.
The no. 1 Royal Crescent, meaning the first ever house in the crescent, was transformed into a museum and you can still see it decorated as when it was built for housing in 1776. The rooms have the same style furniture and pictures to bring us back in time and show us how life was in Bath in the late 18th century.
To get to the Royal Crescent you can either walk about 20 minutes from the city center or take a hop-on hop-off bus from behind Bath Cathedral.
Other Places to Visit
Stonehenge and Salisbury
From Bath you also have great gateways to other great attractions, such as mystical Stonehenge and Salisbury Cathedral.
To get to Stonehenge and/or Salisbury from Bath, you can take a train from Bath Spa station to Salisbury station plus the Stonehenge Tour bus which runs from Salisbury station directly to the stones. You can also take a taxi which costs $22 – $27 and takes 12 min.
If you are looking for a more budget friendly then take the train and the Stonehenge Tours as it is fairly cheaper.
Another cool place to consider going when in Bath if you want to explore your surroundings is Bristol. Of course comparing Bath and Bristol is like comparing apples and pears. Bath is a more tranquil and slow pace city where Bristol is more edgy with a city vibe.
Bristol is full of street art, great coffee shops, and known to have one of the best nightlife in the country. Bristol is where the famous Street Art artist Banksy is from, and you will see signs of his work everywhere you walk. Nevertheless, if you are to spend more time in Bath, visiting Bristol is very easy to get to. There is a train that takes you to the city of Bristol in just under 12 minutes or a local bus that takes approximately 20 minutes. Fim more information about the bus to Bristol here.
Bath is also easily accessible from London, with plenty of coach tours from Central London and train departures, visiting the city of Bath is very easy.
Where to stay in Bath?
When it comes to stay in Bath, there are some choices for all types of budgets. Personally I tend to stay in an airbnb. I mentioned above how the houses are small and yellow-stoned across miles, so staying in a typical house makes complete sense to me.
There are other places to stay, but in general Bath city center is not very big so everywhere you stay should be walking distance from the Abbey and Roman Baths.
Airbnb:
I am leaving here the airbnb I often stay at as it offers the best rates (from $135 per night) and is perfect from shops, pubs and activities in Bath. It sleeps up to 6 people with 2 rooms and a sofa bed/pull out bed.
The airbnb is located on Charlotte Street about a 7 minutes walk from the city center and all the shops that come with it. It is a very well kept Victorian converted apartment with 2 rooms and a great size kitchen living room. My favourite part about this house is the living room’s doors that are huge and princess-palace-feel-like. It also have a little terrace that in the summer is very appreciated. In the summer, we took our computers and watched a movie in the terrace – it was great!
Within a 1-minute walk from the flat, there are plenty of restaurants and pubs that are great and deserve a visit, for example the New Inn, a local small pub with a rooftop seating area, the Scallop Shell which offers the best fish and chip in town and the Raven Pub with its best pies! The flat is also a few minutes walk from the famous Royal Crescent.
In Bath you can also find a few budget hostels. To be honest I have never stayed in any other places than airbnb but I have searched and seen some great places that offer an amazing taste of Bath at a low cost. Hostels are great to meet people and share experiences. I have had great fun in hostels around the world.
Bath’s best hostels finds:
- YHA Bath Hostel – located just a bit outside the city center but easily accessible to the city. Prices start at $30 per night in a shared dorm, and you have access to a great breakfast and large common areas to relax, interact and meet new people.
- Bath Backpackers – located in the heart of the city, right in front of the train station and minutes walk from Bath Abbey and Roman Baths. Friendly and welcoming staff and there are great cooking facilities. It’s not very spacious, but when in Bath you want to be walking around and exploring rather than staying in. Prices start at $36.
If you are looking for a luxurious escape and $$$ is not an issue, consider staying in the former prime minister’s house. However, do expect to pay 10 x times the price of my beloved Airbnb. It is located just past the Pulteney Bridge (a famous bridge in Bath with century-old goldsmiths and shops). Their top suite may look over the river Avon.
If you are keen on staying somewhere more Georgian, built in 1776, then consider staying in a hotel at the Royal Crescent. But be aware that prices are quite high. The views of the city are great and you are surrounded by nature. Not far off you have the circus, which is another well-kept residential area of Bath just down the road from the Royal Crescent, where the houses were built in the format of a roundabout. The architecture of the time had an incredible designer’s mind!
Exploring places to stay beyond Bath offers a variety of historical sites or in the case of Bristol – vibrant city life. Bath on the other hand has plenty of charming accommodation available for all budgets.
I am very glad that Bath is only about 1 hour by train from London and that it is easily accessible for me to spend time in this beautiful place built by Romans! How mystic!
I hope this post brings you the desire to go and explore this Roman City.
With this, I bid you goodbye my fellow travel friends. Muah Muah x
Safe travels
M x
It’s true that the UK has so much more than London… Most of the smaller towns are worth a visit. Do you think Bath deserves more than a weekend or are two days enough to do it all?
Thank you Sofia, It really depends. Bath town is quite small, but if you are looking for a break from the big apple, you will enjoy having 2 days. To do everything I wrote on the post you need more than 2 days 🙂
If you ever this way, let me know!
Safe travels x