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Bucket list destination:

Last updated: 20 June, 2023
Expert travel writer: Sian Lewis

Bath is one of the UK’s top tourist destinations for a reason: its beautiful Georgian architecture, aristocratic history and cream teas, along with its ancient and modern spas, make it a refined choice for a relaxing and romantic weekend break.

Culture is key to the city’s appeal, from the fascinating Holburne Museum to the Fashion Museum and the Theatre Royal, not to mention the handsomely preserved streets – backdrop to many a costume drama – and the house where Jane Austen lived and wrote.

The city is a UNESCO World Heritage site, recognised for its Roman baths and elegant architecture.

Orientation

Like Rome, Bath is a city of seven hills, concentrated in a central valley and edged by the River Avon.

The city centres on the abbey, with upmarket boutiques and the most impressive Georgian architecture, including Pulteney Bridge and Royal Crescent, to the north and east, and the SouthGate shopping centre to the south.

The artisan quarter of Walcot Street runs along the Avon to the north, while Royal Victoria Park is to the west.

Our selection of the best Viator tours of this destination, plus helpful tickets and transfers

Bad of Bath fun Walking Tour of Bath

Bath

Bad of Bath fun Walking Tour of Bath
Explore the other side of Georgian Bath in this fun and humorous walking tour taking in all the famous sites. Discover Bath's corrupt side, a city described by Methodist preacher John Wesley as one of the most sinful and depraved places in the country. You will hear tales of a city full of gamblers, thieves, opportunists, rogues and ladies of the night.

Price: £15

Min age: 1

Rating 4.94 / 5 [218 ratings]

Tour supplied by:

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Walking Tour of Bath with Blue Badge Tourist Guide

Bath

Walking Tour of Bath with Blue Badge Tourist Guide
This is a fantastic opportunity to be introduced to the World Heritage City of Bath by the UK's only qualified tourist guides. They are the internationally respected Blue Badge registered / fully insured / Institute of Tourist Guiding qualified guides. They will ensure you take away a full understanding of Bath, and show you the must-see highlights. The walking tour will be enjoyable, informative, interesting, entertaining, and historically correct!

Price: £16

Min age: 7

Rating 4.95 / 5 [1530 ratings]

Tour supplied by:

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Fully Guided Bath Ghost Tours

Bath

 Fully Guided Bath Ghost Tours
Bath Ghost Tours offer the very best ghost walk in the city of Bath. A mixture of fun, theatrics. historical fact and paranormal experiments, the whole family will love this tour. It is suitable for all age groups and as well as providing visitors with a highly entertaining night out in the city, this tour of the city of Bath by night is quite beautiful. It is the only tour on which guests are actively encouraged to take part in the stories and become involved in the experiments.

Price: £16

Min age: 5

Rating 4.81 / 5 [197 ratings]

Tour supplied by:

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Bridgerton Tour and Bath City Highlights with Music

Bath

Bridgerton Tour and Bath City Highlights with Music
This tour is the only Bridgerton tour that visits key filming locations in Bath. The walking tour provides guests with headphones so they can enjoy the music and sounds from the show making it an immersive experience.

Price: £16

Min age: 16

Rating 4.78 / 5 [92 ratings]

Tour supplied by:

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Roman Baths and Bath City Walking Tour

Bath

Roman Baths and Bath City Walking Tour
An enjoyable 2-hour tour that takes in the best of Bath's ancient Roman heritage, as well as its splendid Georgian architecture and its vibrant modern culture. Your knowledgeable local guides will show you the very best of Bath both past and present, and will give you the inside story on this fascinating city. They will even lead the group inside the Roman Baths to explore the artifacts left in Bath by Britain's Roman conquerors almost 2,000 years ago.

Price: £20

Min age: 0

Rating 4.56 / 5 [308 ratings]

Tour supplied by:

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BATH: 2-Hour Bath Walking Tour of Bridgerton Filming Locations

Bath

BATH: 2-Hour Bath Walking Tour of Bridgerton Filming Locations
If you enjoyed Bridgerton you'll love this tour, visiting the main filming locations in Bath of the hugely popular Netflix series. Relive the scenes and get a further insight into the society and life of the aristocracy in the early 1800s. Bath was the major location for the filming of many of Bridgerton's Series 1 outdoor scenes, and a few of the interiors too. Chosen by Netflix for it's stunning architecture, ambiences and period correct features. 70 scenes, in over 14 locations, were shot in Bath. We will also cover what was shot in Bath in Series 2. Stops will include the exteriors of the homes of the overly ambitious Featheringtons and the cunning but likeable Lady Danbury, the Modiste dress makers. the quaint Gunter's Tea Shop, in reality a hairdressers and of course the world famous Royal Crescent. You'll find yourself digging deep into your Bridgerton knowledge in an attempt to link the real life locations to the scenes and events of the show. It can be a real tester!

Price: £20

Min age: 5

Rating 4.93 / 5 [92 ratings]

Tour supplied by:

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City Sightseeing Bath Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour

Bath

City Sightseeing Bath Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tour
Explore the beautifully historic Bath on a 24 hour unlimited hop-on hop-off bus tour. With access to 38 stops across 2 routes, you'll discover all aspects of Bath, with the City Route focusing on the history and architecture of the town centre, and the Skyline Route traversing the natural beauty in the surrounding hills. On your hop-on hop-off sightseeing tour, you'll see the key sights at your own pace, including the Roman Baths, the High Street, The Royal Crescent, Holburne Museum, Great Pulteney Street, Prior Park and much more! Learn all about the incredible Roman influence on this ancient city from the double decker bus's audio tour commentary, provided in 10 languages. And experience 360 degree views of the green scenery from the open-top deck.

Price: £22

Min age: 5

Rating 4.10 / 5 [393 ratings]

Tour supplied by:

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Stonehenge and Bath Day Trip from London with Optional Roman Baths Visit

London

Stonehenge and Bath Day Trip from London with Optional Roman Baths Visit
Visit two of England's UNESCO World Heritage Sites on this fantastic Stonehenge and Bath tour from London. Explore the beautiful Georgian city of Bath and visit Stonehenge, where you will decipher the mystery surrounding its construction over 5,000 years ago. • Discover the beautiful city of Bath • Optional Roman Baths visit and learn about the history of the Roman Baths • Optional Bridgerton walking tour or free time in Bath • Unravel the mystery of Stonehenge with an interactive audio map

Price: £92

Min age: 0

Rating 4.70 / 5 [580 ratings]

Tour supplied by:

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Stonehenge and Bath Day Tour from London

London

Stonehenge and Bath Day Tour from London
Visit two top UK attractions in one day with a luxury guided coach tour to Stonehenge and Bath, departing from London. Stopping first in the stunning city of Bath, enjoy the breathtaking Georgian architecture on a guided walking tour and visit the Roman Baths that date back to 40 AD and surround Britain’s only natural hot spring. Afterwards, head to the ancient and iconic structure on Salisbury Plain, Stonehenge. Learn about this mysterious and impressive formation and decide for yourself what it means.

Price: £94

Min age: 3

Rating 4.56 / 5 [400 ratings]

Tour supplied by:

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Stonehenge and Bath Day Trip from London

London

Stonehenge and Bath Day Trip from London
Sit back and relax as you travel by luxury air-conditioned coach from London to the UNESCO World Heritage-listed city of Bath. On your way, discover the iconic prehistoric stone formation of Stonehenge. Spend a full afternoon exploring Bath, and take advantage of the opportunity to see the ancient Roman Baths or the Jane Austen Visitor Centre.

Price: £95

Min age: 3

Rating 4.58 / 5 [2392 ratings]

Tour supplied by:

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Stonehenge and Bath Guided Day Tour from London

London

Stonehenge and Bath Guided Day Tour from London
- Explore the UNESCO World Heritage site of Stonehenge - Enjoy free time to explore the city of Bath - Upgrade your day trip to include a visit to the Roman Baths - Fully guided - Smaller groups, no double-decker coaches - Luxury air-conditioned vehicles, most have USB charging points - Euro 6 engines: low-emissions vehicles

Price: £95

Min age: 0

Rating 4.20 / 5 [430 ratings]

Tour supplied by:

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Windsor, Stonehenge and Bath Trip from London

London

Windsor, Stonehenge and Bath Trip from London
Get a memorable overview of English history by visiting three of its most important destinations during this 12-hour guided trek. Marvel at mystical Stonehenge, the legendary neolithic ring of standing stones that dates back 5,000 years to the Bronze Age. Explore nearly 1,000 years of the English Royal Family at Windsor Castle, home at some stage of 39 monarchs and furnished with some of the finest paintings. Explore the elegant spa town of Bath, originally civilized by the Romans for its natural springs and later frequented and developed as a resort in the 18th Century by the Georgians.

Price: £97

Min age: 0

Rating 4.62 / 5 [467 ratings]

Tour supplied by:

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Inner Circle Access of Stonehenge including Bath and Lacock Day Tour from London

London

Inner Circle Access of Stonehenge including Bath and Lacock Day Tour from London
Take an early or late-access tour of Stonehenge, and walk inside the UNESCO-listed stone circle without any of its daytime crowds. Choose from a morning or evening tour and explore the inner circle of stones — an experience only available to your group. Depending on the time of year, you might even catch the sunset or sunrise, too. This exclusive once-in-a-lifetime experience, which additionally includes tours of Lacock and Bath, sells out quick as tickets are limited; book now for an excursion you won’t forget! You can also upgrade your day trip with a visit to the Roman Baths.

Price: £143

Min age: 0

Rating 4.70 / 5 [1395 ratings]

Tour supplied by:

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Private Windsor Castle, Stonehenge, The City of Bath from London

London

Private Windsor Castle, Stonehenge, The City of Bath from London
Your driver/guide will collect you at 830am for this 10 to 12 hour tour and take you to Windsor Castle, Stonehenge and the City of Bath. There can be no better way to explore the Kings favourite home and the UK's most famous stone age monument and walk and explore the beautiful and romantic Roman City of Bath and see many of its amazing buildings. We know how to skip the long lines at each venue to ensure you make the best use of the time we have together. By having your own vehicle all day we can also stop whenever you need for breaks or to just grab that stunning countryside photo you spot! You will enjoy free 4G WIFI to use all day inside the vehicle. You will be provided with free water to enjoy inside the vehicle. You will even get to stop at a secret place along the way to ensure you really do get that WOW factor! Your driver/guide will know lots of history of each venue and the best places to stop to eat/drink, shop and get that perfect photo and will even take them for you

Price: £895

Min age: 0

Rating 4.81 / 5 [276 ratings]

Tour supplied by:

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When to go

Bath has year-round appeal, and hotels are regularly booked up during summer and for events such as Valentine’s Day and the city’s many festivals. Due to the city’s geography, it can be very muggy in summer; July and August are also particularly busy months.

For a quieter spa session or architecture tour, May, June and September are the best times to visit, with (generally) pleasant weather and fewer crowds.

Getting there and away

The easiest way to reach Bath is by train to Bath Spa station, which is centrally located with taxi ranks outside. Many sights and hotels are within walking distance of the station. The closest international airports are Bristol (40 minutes by taxi or car) or London Heathrow (1 hour 40 minutes by taxi or car).

Getting around

Bath is a walking city. The centre has pedestrian zones and a one-way system for cars; driving is stressful and not recommended.  Parking is expensive and restricted, although many hotels have their own car parks. After dark, taxis are plentiful and can be hailed on the street or from the taxi rank by the abbey. Bikes are also a good way to get around. The municipal Bike in Bath scheme is cheap and straightforward.

Where to shop

Bath has three shopping areas: SouthGate is a modern, pedestrianised open-air shopping centre; Walcot Street boasts independent retailers, a Saturday flea market and antiques and second-hand shops; and Milson Street has a mix of boutiques, high-street shops and independent lifestyle and fashion stores on the main thoroughfare and streets branching off it.

Other guides relevant to this destination

Bristol

United Kingdom (UK)

Side view of the Clifton Suspension bridge spanning river and green valley

Bristol is the beating heart of the UK’s South West, with an offbeat focus on culture and the arts plus interactive history, a cutting-edge independent food scene and street eats all on offer.