Regency, Romans and countryside
Channel your inner Austen or Bridgerton and promenade around historic crescents. Hop on and off an open top bus. Play mini-golf and walk a labyrinth. Pet farm animals and watch wildlife. Take a magic adventure. Experience Bath Abbey, see how the Roman’s bathed and immerse yourself in mineral rich waters. Be brave and take the waters. Soak in the Skyline Walk.
Country kids
Take in the whole city by hop-on-hop-off bus. Immerse yourself in the 1770s at No 1 Royal Crescent and see what life was like for Bath’s fashionable residents. Have dressing up fun in the Georgian dressing room with Bridgerton style costumes for adults too! The Roman Baths is a must with children’s audio guides and costumed characters. Book the Egg Theatre for special performances and events for children and teens.
Royal Victoria Park is a short stroll from the city centre with beautiful botanic gardens and the Great Dell Aerial Walkway. Burn off energy on the expansive adventure playground or challenge the family to 18 holes of mini golf, amongst trees, flowers and streams. Find the Beazer Gardens Maze and walk the labyrinth. Impossible to get lost in, you can go in any direction but will eventually reach the place where you began.
Get closer to nature at Bath City Farm and meet pigs with curly hair and tails. There’s chicken and ducks, sheep and goats too; keep an eye out for Shetland ponies, Dougie and Dougal. Go wild in the children’s playground after a trip to the café. Further afield, find more wildlife at Avon Valley Adventure and Wildlife Park. Wind up your windows and take a Drive Through Safari at Longleat for big game and monkey mayhem.
Take on challenges and graduate from the Clueniversity of Magic – an immersive city adventure. Part escape room and part treasure hunt, solve puzzles and use a phone app to navigate the city. Exciting props and real-life interactions add to the creativity. Leave the city and ponder the mysteries of Stonehenge. Go underground in Wookey Hole through magical chambers of stalactites and stalagmites. Pass through the cheese tunnel, where the cave-aged cheddar matures.
For the grown ups
One cannot possibly spend time in Bath without celebrating its most famous resident; set in a classically decorated Georgian townhouse, The Jane Austen Centre explores how the city – its fashion, food and society – influenced her life and writing. For those seeking a more macabre author experience, take the Body in a Suitcase Challenge at Mary Shelley’s House of Frankenstein – the iconic Gothic novel was crafted in Bath.
Experience the rich and spiritual history of Bath Abbey; within the ancient vaults, the Discovery Centre has Anglo-Saxon crosses and historic silver amongst its treasures. Climb 212 steps up the Tower for a panoramic view. Visit the Roman Baths and see the newly opened Roman Gym to discover their work outs and steam room regime. Take the waters in the Pump Room and then take afternoon tea amongst Corinthian columns and chandeliers to cleanse your palette.
You don’t have to be a Roman to bathe in the city’s warm, mineral-rich waters. Chill out in the Ice Chamber of the Thermae Bath Spa and inhale botanical scents in the Roman Steam Room. Wallow in the roof top pool and soak in the views. Count the chimney pots. Undo your good work with a tour and tasting at the Bath Brew House or make it more spiritual with a trip to Bath Distillery Gin Bar where hundreds of gins will spoil you for choice.
The Skyline Walk is a must for exceptional views – a six-mile circular route with woodlands, meadows, an Iron Age hill fort, Roman settlements and 18th-century follies. Or hire a Bath Narrowboat and enjoy the day afloat on the Kennet and Avon Canal. See the city from the waterways and discover the surrounding countryside along its waterways. Walk back to The Minister’s House at nightfall and see the lights of Pulteney Bridge reflected in the Avon.
