A perfect weekend guide to Bath: a relaxing 3-day itinerary

If you’re planning a weekend break in Bath, you’re in for a treat.  I’ve just returned from a girls’ weekend and can honestly say it’s one of the easiest, prettiest, and most relaxing UK city breaks you can do.  With its Roman history, elegant Georgian architecture and cosy cafés tucked down cobbled lanes, Bath is the kind of place you can wander for hours, eat well, soak in thermal waters and feel like you’ve had a proper reset.

This weekend guide to Bath covers everything we did on our 3-day trip, including the best things to do, where to eat, how to get around, and a step-by-step Bath itinerary.  If you have 3 days in Bath, this itinerary covers all the highlights without rushing.

Whether you’re visiting with friends, your partner or travelling solo, this is such a lovely weekend getaway in Bath.

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Bath is gorgeous all year round.  I’ve visited in spring, summer, and autumn and each season has its advantages.  Spring is always pretty, but you’ll get lovely colours in autumn, especially by the river.  Summer is lovely and the weather is usually better, but you can expect more tourists.  This trip was taken in the summer during the heatwave and the weather was glorious.

I haven’t been in winter yet, but Bath’s Christmas Market is known as one of the best in the UK, so a festive weekend in Bath is definitely on my list.

The easiest option is the direct train from London Paddington to Bath Spa.  It takes less around 1 hour 20 minutes, and with more than 50 trains a day, you can travel whenever suits you.  Bath Spa station is right in the city centre, so you can start your weekend as soon as you arrive.

If you’re coming from the north or west, you’ll usually change at Bristol Temple Meads.

Driving takes around 2.5 hours from London via the M4, but parking in Bath can be tricky, so train travel is ideal.  If you choose to drive, pick a hotel with a car park.

Bath is a brilliant car-free city break.  Everything is very walkable and the train station is right in the centre.  From the second you walk out the station, you’re in the heart of this stunning historic city.  You can wander cobbled streets, explore narrow alleys, and imagine life in Roman and Georgian times.  It’s no surprise that Bridgerton was filmed here.

If you want an effortless way to get round the city and learn a bit about its history, give the Hop-on-Hop-off bus a try.  We did this on our previous visit with the family and it’s a great way to get around.

Bath has a huge range of hotels, apartments, and boutique stays.  For a 3-day itinerary, I’d recommend staying in the city centre so you can walk everywhere.

We stayed at Chapel Lodge, a 4-bed self-catering house, which worked brilliantly for a girls’ weekend in Bath.  It was in a fantastic location, so we could enjoy a glass of fizz before heading out for dinner.

If you’re looking for a luxury hotel, The Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa is the most iconic hotel in town.

• Day 1:  Travel, lunch, sightseeing (Pulteney Bridge, Royal Crescent)
• Day 2:  Roman Baths, Bath Abbey, shopping
• Day 3:  Bath Thermae Spa

Bath is compact, walkable, and packed with history.  Plus, it’s super easy to get to.  Combine this with modern cafés, independent shops and great restaurants and you have the perfect formula for a weekend away.

Here’s my top tips for the best things to do in Bath, places to eat and how to organise your weekend.

Highlights include:

• The Roman Baths
• Beautiful Georgian architecture
• Pulteney Bridge
• Thermae Bath Spa
• Fantastic shops

These are just some of the reasons Bath works so well for a girls’ weekend or a short UK city break. Keep reading for my full 3-day Bath itinerary:

I travelled from Surrey, jumping on the London train at Reading, which was easy to meet my friend coming from the capital.  Other friends arriving from the North met us near the station.

If your accommodation isn’t ready yet, there are luggage storage facilities right opposite the station.  We chose Bounce, which you can book online, but there are a couple of shops which are cheaper.

After dropping off our bags, we headed out for lunch.  Bath has endless options to suit all tastes.

After eating, our first afternoon is all about exploring the gorgeous Roman streets.  Bath is compact and perfect for a relaxed wander.  If you prefer something more structured, the free walking tour of Bath leaves at 2pm from the Roman Baths and covers all the major sights.

As I’d been before, we chose a self-guided tour, starting with a wander through the city centre to The Circus and the famous Royal Crescent, one of the most iconic Georgian terraces in the UK.  For a glimpse inside a Georgian house, No1 Royal Crescent is now a museum.

If you’re a Jane Austen Fan, you can pop into the Jane Austen Centre, a small museum which is dedicated to her family and the time she spent in Bath, before moving to Chawton in Hampshire.

For something a bit spookier, Mary Shelley’s House of Frankenstein is right next door.

From the Crescent, we wandered back through Margaret’s Buildings, a lovely lane of independent shops and cafés, before reaching Pulteney Bridge.

Pulteney Bridge is one of my favourite attractions in Bath.  It’s one of only a few bridges in the world with shops built across it.  The famous V-shaped weir is one of Bath’s most photographed spots and appeared in the film, Les Misérables.

You can cross the bridge for riverside walks, visit the Holburne Museum, or take a relaxing boat trip along the River Avon.

After a quick freshen-up and cheeky glass of prosecco, we headed to Pintxo de Bath, a Spanish-style tapas and sherry bar.  It has a great atmosphere and food, so I’d highly recommend.

The Roman Baths are Bath’s most famous attraction and are genuinely fascinating.  The UNESCO-listed Roman Baths site dates back 2,000 years and was built around natural thermal streams.

Go early to avoid crowds and allow about 1.5 to 2 hours for your visit.  I recommend using the free audio guide, which really brings the history to life.

You can book your tickets for the Roman Baths in advance here.

Afterwards, pop into Bath Abbey, a beautiful Gothic church built on the site of the first coronation of an all-England king.  If you’re feeling energetic, join a guided Tower Tour, which will take you up the tower and behind the scenes at the Abbey.

Bath is brilliant for shopping.  It has the lot – independent boutiques, vintage finds, and all the high-street brands.  It’s extremely easy to lose a couple of hours here.  If you’re a literary fan, don’t miss Persephone Books, a stylish bookshop dedicated to neglected fiction by twentieth century women writers.

For something fun and a bit different, Molton Brown runs a fun Perfume Escape Room experience, an hour-long challenge which includes a glass of fizz, a hand massage, and a discount voucher.  Not bad for £15!  We managed to solve the clues, so even had a prize to take home too.

We had early dinner at Noya’s kitchen, an amazing restaurant serving authentic Thai dishes in a Grade II listed Georgian building.  If it’s warm, sit in the little garden at the back.

Then we headed to Theatre Royal Bath, one of the oldest theatres in the UK.  It’s a small, but impressive venue with a gorgeous chandelier.  We booked last-minute tickets after bumping into Ralph Little the night before.  He was starring in The Spy who came in from the Cold.

One of the highlights of our girls’ weekend in Bath was the morning we spent in the Thermae Bath Spa.

The 2-hour session includes:

• steam rooms
• saunas
• the Minerva Bath
• the open-air rooftop pool

The pool is absolutely the highlight.  Floating in warm mineral water whilst looking out over the rooftops of Bath is so refreshing.  It was the perfect way to end our girls’ weekend in Bath.

Towels and bath robes are included in the admission price.  They have lockers, but these are not big enough for your cases, so drop them off at the storage facility near the station first.

Top tip: It’s cheaper and less crowded on a weekday, so we saved this treat until Monday morning.

After the spa, grab lunch and enjoy a final wander around the shops before heading home.

If you don’t like shopping, there are several museums and galleries in Bath.  You could also do the Skyline Walk, a circular trail which takes you out to the countryside surrounding Bath.

Read more about things to do in Bath.

Here’s our pick of the best places to eat in Bath:

• Pintxo de Bath – Spanish style tapas and sherry bar
• Noya’s Kitchen – authentic Vietnamese dishes in a Georgian building
• Opa – Greek restaurant with vaulted cellars and a riverside terrace

Absolutely.  Whether you’re planning a girls’ weekend in Bath, a romantic getaway, or a family city break, Bath is a brilliant choice for a quick escape.

If you’re short on time, you could even do a day trip to Bath.  With an early train, you could fit in:

• Roman Baths
• Pulteney Bridge
• The Royal Crescent
• Thermae Spa

However, a full weekend getaway in Bath is much more fun and ever so relaxing.  I hope this weekend guide to Bath helps you plan your own relaxing getaway.

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Pin for later or share with a friend who’d love to go: Weekend guide to Bath, Somerset

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