Bath is a historic Georgian and Roman city situated in the West of England approximately 100 miles west of London. As a weekend getaway destination Bath packs in a serious amount of sights and activities. It's not surprising that Bath features on many itineraries of overseas visitors to the UK. It's a must-see place after London! The focus of this article will be on group activities.
Situated where it is, close to the larger regional capital of Bristol, but also surrounded by gorgeous countryside, Bath is a great base for fun activities that lie just a few miles outside of the city. For instance, if you are looking for Bath activities that are active as well as fun then consider a local outfit such as West Country Games, more information later.
In the city itself, one of the must-do activities is a visit to the Thermae Spa, which happens to be the only place in the UK where you can bathe in hot natural waters. The spa is situated near to the original Roman baths which made Bath so famous. The Thermae Spa has an indoor and rooftop pool, the latter of which is particularly popular in the summer months and comes with an amazing view of the city. Packages for adults start at £26 with group discounts possible too.
When it comes to tours then Bath truly reigns supreme! As one might expect from a city that receives millions of visitors, tours come in all shapes and sizes. There are of course the ubiquitous open top bus tours which will take you to the main sites. However, there are also numerous other specialist tours, such as pub and bar crawls, historical tours and even spooky ghost tours (particularly popular with groups).
In the city itself, one of the must-do activities is a visit to the Thermae Spa, which happens to be the only place in the UK where you can bathe in hot natural waters. The spa is situated near to the original Roman baths which made Bath so famous. The Thermae Spa has an indoor and rooftop pool, the latter of which is particularly popular in the summer months and comes with an amazing view of the city. Packages for adults start at £26 with group discounts possible too.
When it comes to tours then Bath truly reigns supreme! As one might expect from a city that receives millions of visitors, tours come in all shapes and sizes. There are of course the ubiquitous open top bus tours which will take you to the main sites. However, there are also numerous other specialist tours, such as pub and bar crawls, historical tours and even spooky ghost tours (particularly popular with groups).
Some tours go beyond the city boundary such as day trips to the World Heritage site of Stonehenge. If you are in a group then you can always go on a customised tour somewhere like the nearby Cotswolds area. You could perhaps spend half the day touring the chocolate box villages and then go for something more active and visit The Cotswold Water Park where you'll find various aquatic activities.
Another out of town activity and an excellent idea for a group would be partaking in the crazy activities hosted by West Country Games. WCG are based just outside Bristol but are easily accessible from Bath too. The locally run outfit provides nine different activities all packaged up in an It's a Knockout style bundle. Games are on a West Country theme with prizes awarded. They are particularly popular with Stag and Hen weekends and booking far in advance is recommended, particularly in the summer months.
Back into the city now and one popular Bath activity is cycling. Okay, I confess there are plenty of hills in Bath, so it might not be everyone's idea of fun, but there are plenty of routes that won't leave you gasping for air! One of the most popular rides to undertake is the Bristol and Bath Railway Path which journeys through several villages between the two cities.
The distance one way is around 13 miles but don't despair, the popular thing to do is to travel back on the train with your bike. The route follows an old railway line and is mainly off road outside of the cities. It's a superb group activity because there are numerous places to stop off and relax including some very nice country pubs!
If cycling 13 miles is far too energetic for you then why not get yourself along to the Bath Rugby ground. Bath RUFC play in the top English division, the Aviva Premiership, and often compete in European games too. The venue is very atmospheric and is situated right next to the River Avon close to the heart of the city.
Matches are played most other weekends from roughly October through to May. Game tickets start from a very reasonable £15 and can be booked in advance online. Indeed if you are taking a group then you should book as far in advance as possible to avoid disappointment as matches are often sell outs.
I can certainly recommend Bath as an action-packed destination. The city will appeal to everyone and on top of lots of activities, there are also heaps of bars, pubs and top class restaurants galore.
Bath itself is very compact and easy to get around on foot and the main train station is right in the City Centre.
As you'd expect Bath is not short of places to rest your weary head. Everything from backpacker hostels to world-class luxury hotels can be found in the city. If you are planning on going in the high season then book as much as possible ahead, particularly hotels and activities.
*Guest post by Anthony Page
I love exploring Bath, it's such a beautiful city and perfect for visiting with friends.
ReplyDeleteIt is! I adore Bath. I have even thought of moving there.
DeleteI love Bath - I'd love to try out the spa as well as it sounds amazing!
ReplyDeleteWow! So much to do. I would love to visit. I could totally go for a Thermaspa today.. sounds perfect in this cold weather!
ReplyDeleteI need to try out the Thermaspa. I've been meaning to go for years.
DeleteMe and my friend love Bath. We always have a good day out. The spa is fantastic
ReplyDeleteThere’s plenty to do in Bath. There’s a lot more than I knew of. I love the spa. I’ve not been to Cotswolds water park but I bet that’s fun x
ReplyDeleteThere is so much to do in Bath. It's a brilliant location for a day trip or longer.
DeleteLove Bath - I like the idea of cycling in the countryside there, I was actually planning to walk along the Avon canal between Bath and Bradford in the summer but didn't get round to it. :)
ReplyDeleteBath is gorgeous isn't it! I wish I could live there.
DeleteA beautiful city I haven't visited in years I must go back.
ReplyDelete