Activities in Bath

If you’re staying at our Bristol South hotel, you’re only half an hour away from one of the most popular outdoor activities in Bath – West of England Falconry. You’ll need to book in advance, but nothing compares to being able to fly a trained hawk in the heart of the Somerset countryside.

The falconry was established to rescue wounded birds of prey, to rehabilitate them back to full health or to give them a safe home if they can’t return to the wild.

Back in the city centre, River Adventures gives you the chance to go for a ride on their 40-year old pleasure cruiser, Lady Pamela. From the water, you can take in some of the city’s most popular attractions, including Pulteney Bridge. You’ll get to hear all about the history of Bath from a friendly tour guide and, depending on which option you go for, you can tuck into canapes or enjoy a liquid lunch of bottomless prosecco.

Instead of seeing Bath from the water, why not take to the sky? Bailey Balloons give you the opportunity to do just that with their hot air balloon service, which launches from Royal Victoria Park.

Speaking of Royal Victoria Park, while you’re there, be sure to go for a round at Victoria Falls Adventure Golf, an immaculately kept 18-hole course with water features and flower beds. It’s a lot of fun, but maybe not for serious golfers. If that’s you, make your way to Bath Golf Club instead, which prides itself on being one of England’s oldest and finest inland golf courses. Established in 1880, you’ll find it east of the city centre, near the University of Bath campus. Alternatively, there’s the Lansdown Golf Club north of the city, near Bath Racecourse.

When it comes to indoor activities, your options don’t get much more luxurious than the Thermae Bath Spa. If you like being pampered, you’ll want to read our page dedicated to the spa. It features state-of-the-art facilities that could have come straight out of a science fiction movie, as well as treatments that sound like torture techniques and a rooftop thermal bath.

Escape rooms have taken over the world. The premise is simple: you have an hour to solve puzzles and find clues to free yourself from captivity. They can be great fun to play with family, friends or colleagues. If that sounds like your cup of tea, make your way to Bathescape on Princes Street, around the corner from the Ustinov Studio theatre.

Or, if you’re just looking for something to do indoors, perhaps while the weather’s being unkind, you can always catch a film. The Odeon Cinema is literally next door to our Bath City Centre hotel.

If you want to explore Bath by foot, but you’d like a helping hand, you could hunt down a member of The Mayor of Bath’s Corps of Honorary Guides. A couple of years ago, they were given The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service, the highest award a volunteer group can achieve in the UK. They’ve been offering free tours for over 80 years and we know that you can find a lot of free tours nowadays, but they tend to assume you’ll tip them at the end. That’s not the case with Mayor’s Guides. They won’t accept any form of payment. They just do what they do to tell people about the wonderful city of Bath.

A couple of alternative options are the Laugh at Bath, which offers a fun, joke-filled walking tour of the city, or Ghost Walks of Bath, which delves into the spooky stories that have stemmed from the city’s streets and historic buildings.

A novel way to see some of the most popular attractions in Bath, including the city’s historic buildings and pleasure gardens, is to book your place on a Bath Bike Tour, where you can choose between a half day or full day’s tour.

The full shebang takes you around the city before joining the Kennet and Avon Canal Path to delve into the history and wildlife of the Avon Valley. Then, on the way back to Bath, you’ll make your way along the Two Tunnels Greenway, which features the longest cycling tunnel in Britain.