I’ve been to Bath 5 or 6 times in the last decade, but I’ve never really taken the time to see the sights and learn about the city.
Recently, I put that right with a 2 night, 3 day visit to Bath, and I absolutely loved it.
The amazing weather definitely influenced it – it was the hottest weekend of the year, with all 3 days hitting 30 degrees.
That being said, Bath is an amazing city regardless of the weather and I’d encourage anyone that hasn’t been to check it out, particularly while international travel is suppressed in both directions. More on that later.
I’ve written down what we (myself and my girlfriend) did in our short stay, and also shared it as an itinerary with a link to a Google Maps list with all the locations saved.
To do
These guys offer a range of tours depending on your interests, how much time you have and your budget. All of their guides are blue badge qualified and our guide, Andy, really knew his stuff.
We went for the ‘Bath Walking Tour’, which is a 90 minute tour that doubles up as a bit of an orientation to Bath. It’s also only £10 per adult, so it’s a super cost and time efficient way of getting to know Bath and its history.
This walking tour, led by a Blue Badge Tourist Guide will take you to landmarks such as Bath Abbey, The Pump Room, The Circus and The Royal Crescent and tell you all the important information. Get ready for some unforgettable memories.
Bathwalkingtours.com
You can’t really go to Bath and not visit the Roman Baths – after all, it is what the city is named after.
As someone that already has a casual interest in history, I don’t feel like I learnt much on this self-guided tour, but it was interesting to see the baths themselves.
Due to COVID-19, the Baths were operating a one-way system and social distancing. I’m totally on board with that, but there were just too many people, which made the whole experience feel like I was in a queue, not a museum. I know they need to get revenues back up so it’s tough, but even with the designated entry time slots, it was just too busy.
You’ll need about an hour and a half and it’s £21 off-peak and £23 peak, so although you probably should go because y’know, the city’s called Bath, I wouldn’t blame you if you saved your cash to spend elsewhere.
We elected to just admire the Abbey from the outside, and our tour guide gave us a short overview of its history (such as, when it first started being built it was a Catholic Church but by its completion, it was Church of England, as Henry VIIIs had parted ways with the Vatican). Now that I’ve told you that, do you even need to go?!
You can go in and check it out for yourself. It’s free, but they do suggest that you make a £5 donation to help with upkeep. The website gives an example guide depending on the time you have to look around, which is useful.
The Bath Skyline walk is a 6 mile (9.6 kilometre) walk around the outskirts of Bath.
We had planned to do this but due to the heat and our lack of desire to walk for several hours in it, we walked to the start point and then strolled down the canal (see next section).
As Bath essentially sits in a Valley surrounded by 7 hills, even from the start point there was a great view of Bath itself.
The Pulteney Cruisers depart from Pulteney Pier and take you half an hour upriver, and then back again. It’s perhaps a stretch to call it a tour, but it’s a good use of an hour, and you can also grab a drink when you’re on board while you relax.
To relax
Royal Crescent – The Royal Crescent is an iconic landmark in bath, and whether you elect to do a tour or not, you absolutely must go and check it out. Have a wander around the crescent and then plonk yourself on the grass and relax.
The Circus – So this is basically a glorified roundabout, but the huge trees make it a cool (as in temperature wise) place to be when it’s hot outside.
Parade Gardens – tucked neatly alongside the Riven Avon and across from Bath Rugby’s ‘Rec’, Parade Gardens is a decent spot to relax for an hour or so.
Eat
All bar one (not the bar chain!) of the places we ate was a hit. The one that wasn’t was just a small cafe where we grabbed a quick, extortionately expensive sandwich.
We liked this place so much that we went back the next day…
On a sweltering hot summer’s day (to any readers based in hotter climates than the UK, 30 degrees is hot for us!), this place was like a little bit of paradise.
As we entered and enquired about a table for 2 we were taken to the ‘Sherry Garden’ downstairs. Sheltered from the sun yet fully outside, it was exactly what you want on a hot summers day.
With it being tapas, you can end up spending more than you intended by picking lots of dishes that look nice. Most of the dishes range between £5-9 and we had six between us, plus 2 glasses of wine each. That’ll set you back around £75, but you could have a nice meal and a drink there for closer to fifty.
The menu is big enough that when we returned the next evening, this time sitting inside, we had 6 different dishes.
If you like Tapas, this place is a must visit when you’re in Bath.
We went here with a couple of friends that live near Bath. It’s located just off the Circus itself and has a couple of tables outside, one of which we were on. Despite the heat of the day the sun went behind a building at around 8pm.
I had the Iberico Pork, my girlfriend had the Fish of the Day and another friend had the Beetroot Cheesecake.
All were delicious.
Place we had lunch?
The once prestigious and elitist Ivy has diversified and attracted a wider audience with its range of Ivy Cafe’s, with 23 of them in England alone.
This is the 4th one I’ve been to and I put the Ivy Cafe and consistency hand in hand.
The lunchtime menu was pricey at £30 for two courses but, it being a Monday in August 2020, the UK government’s ‘eat out to help out’ scheme brought this down to £20. I had the fillet steak, rare, with potato Rosti, cress and truffle sauce, and the Chocolate Bombe for dessert.
In my experience of the Ivy Brasseries, the set lunch and pre-theatre menus are good value and this is a solid option if you’re in Bath.
There’s also a whole bunch of other restaurants I researched and had on a ‘would like to go to’ list.
- The Raven – Pie, mash and beer in a quaint old pub
- Bathwick Boatman – A restaurant on the river with great roast dinners, outside of town
- Chez Dominique – French fare next to the River Avon on the edge of town
- Clayton’s Kitchen – British fine-dining tucked away on a side street
Drink
Ok so full disclosure here, this wasn’t exactly a rowdy trip.
Bath on the Beach – An outdoor bar area serving a wide range of booze.
We did spend a couple of hours at Bath on the Beach which was great, from the weather to the amount of space to how easy it was to pay and order (all through a QR code). It also had a surprisingly wide range of beer choices – I went for the House Party Pale Ale and the Kona Big Wave.
Other options:
- Vino Vino – We didn’t go here but we must have walked past it half a dozen times. It’s in the centre of town and has a large outdoor seating area.
- The Canary Gin Bar – Came recommended, worth a visit if you fancy a gin cocktail in the evening.
- Hall and Woodhouse – An ornate staircase and a roof terrace.
- Bath Brew House – Pub with an in-built brewery.
All rolled up in to one itinerary it looks like this:
Day 1
Make your way to Bath from wherever you’re coming from.
12pm – Arrive in Bath, drop your bags off at your accomodation
12.30pm – Lunch at Pinxho de Bath
2.30pm – Bath Walking Tour
4pm – Relax in the Royal Crescent
5pm – Bath on the Beach
7.30pm – dinner at the circus restaurant
10 – Cocktails at the Canary Gin Bar
Day 2
10am – Bath skyline walk
2pm – Late Lunch at Bathwick Boatman
4pm – Walk back in to town
5pm – Relax in the Royal Crescent
8pm – Dinner at The Raven
10pm – Nightcap at Hall and Woodhouse
Day 3
11am – Roman Bath – Spend an hour or so immersing yourself (although not literally) in the history of the Roman Baths
1pm – The Ivy Brasserie – Head for lunch
3pm – boat trip
4pm – Check out the shops
6pm – Leave Bath