Two cities, one trip: Bath & Bristol

Bath and Bristol are positioned in the hills of Southwest England, extremely well-connected by road and rail. Bristol is a colourful, unique city which is contrasting but complimentary to the delicate, historic city of Bath. Located only a 12-minute train journey apart, the cities surround the River Avon and sit on the edge of the Cotswolds.

Visitors can venture into South Gloucestershire and the South Cotswolds to explore the great outdoors, rural landscapes, quintessential English market towns and country pubs.

Just to the south are the complementary destinations of Wells, Glastonbury and Cheddar, all achievable in a one-day trip and offering medieval architectural wonder, Arthurian legend and the best cheese you’ll taste this week! 

A couple of days just isn’t enough to experience the wonders of the Southwest of England.

Vibrant Bristol with Brunel, boats and Banksy. 

Experience a memorable trip in the lively city of Bristol with impressive attractions, a boat tour along the harbour, world-class street art and plenty of music, comedy and theatre shows to choose from. Bristol is known as a pioneer for street art, buzzing Harbourside, and maritime history.

Bristol Harbour boat tour. Discover the history of Bristol’s floating harbour with Bristol Packet Boat Trips and cruise under Brunel’s famous Clifton Suspension Bridge with refreshments or even a legendary cream tea on board.

Brunel’s SS Great Britain. Boat tours can finish on the harbourside next to the iconic SS Great Britain, the ship that changed the world. Voyage back in time on a tour of the world’s first great ocean liner which resides in the very dock in which she was built.

Embrace the history of this iconic steamship in two interactive museums, ‘meet’ the designer, Isambard Kingdom Brunel, and step on board the ship itself to experience the sights, smells and sounds of Victorian life at sea.

Clifton Suspension Bridge and Visitor Centre. Enjoy the spectacular views from Clifton Suspension Bridge on the cliffs of the Avon Gorge and learn more about the impressive engineering by young Brunel on one of the volunteer-led guided tours of the bridge and the vaulted chambers. It’s located next to the desirable Clifton Village, bursting with independent shops and cafes.  

Aerospace Bristol. Go supersonic at Aerospace Bristol which showcases the aviation achievements of Bristol. The star of the show is Concorde, but the museum also holds exhibits from the early days of flight through to today’s cutting-edge technology.

Join a guided tour of the museum which includes the chance to step aboard the last of the supersonic jets to ever fly, Concorde Alpha Foxtrot, and discover how passengers would travel in the luxury aircraft and catch a glimpse of the mind-blowing cockpit.  

Explore the city. Set aside time to discover the city centre, including world-famous street art by Banksy, and other artists’ murals dotted around the streets.  

Take a look inside Bristol Cathedral, one of England’s great medieval churches and observe the incredible history and architecture.

Food & Drink. Enjoy the waterfront view on the terrace at the critically acclaimed Harbour House restaurant for some of the best seafood in the region accompanied by a delicious glass of English sparkling wine. 

Take a dip in the blissful Bristol Lido followed by a meal at the poolside, Michelin Plate awarded Lido Restaurant.

For an array of independent bars, restaurants and cafes located in one harbourside location, explore Wapping Wharf.  

 Sit back and enjoy the show. Catch an iconic west-end show at Bristol Hippodrome, including Chicago, Mamma Mia, The Book of Mormon and Les Misérables.  

Alternatively, watch a play or comedy show at the Bristol Old Vic, the oldest continuously working theatre in the English-speaking world or visit the Bristol Beacon for a variety of different music shows and genres.  

Places to stay. Celebrate Bristol’s link to the art world in one of the Clayton Hotel’s modern rooms housed in the Grade II listed Everards print works building or experience one of the stylish rooms at the Bristol Grand by Sunday Hotels which feature bespoke art pieces from local artists. Alternatively, spend a night on Bristol’s Harbourside at The Bristol Hotel.

For heaps of character, stay at Hotel du Vin & Bistro located in a historic former sugar factory or for spectacular views of the Gorge, Clifton Suspension Bridge and the city itself visit Hotel du Vin Avon Gorge.

Slightly further into the country side, stay at Tortworth Court, a magnificent Grade II* listed Victorian mansion set just on the tip of the Cotswolds.

Elegant Bath with Bridgerton, The Roman Baths and traditional wellbeing.

Built for pleasure and relaxation, beautiful Bath has been a wellbeing destination since Roman times. Bath is the only city in the UK to be a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site in its entirety and has also received a second UNESCO listing as part of the Great Spa Towns of Europe.

Jane Austen. Bath's stunning, honey-coloured Georgian architecture is straight from a Jane Austen novel; highlights include the iconic Royal Crescent and the majestic Circus.

Visit The Jane Austen Centre for a snapshot of regency times including the fashion, food and society that inspired Austen’s novels. Visit during The Jane Austen Festival , which occurs annually in September, and join 500 others at the famous Regency Costumed Promenade which fills the streets of Bath with Regency dress.

Traditional Spa City. Bath is the traditional spa city, famous for the Roman Baths, one of the best-preserved Roman remains in the world where over 1 million litres of spring water, reaching 46˚C, still fills the Bath every day. Bath is also the only place in England where you can bathe in natural thermal spring waters by visiting Thermae Bath Spa. 

Bridgerton in Bath. Bath was famously used as one of the filming locations of the Netflix series Bridgerton, take a self-guided walking tour or enjoy a Bridgerton tour with Fred Mawer or with City of Bath Guides. Don’t miss the main spots, The Holburne Museum as Lady Danbury’s mansion and the No. 1 Royal Crescent as the Featherington abode.

Discover more of the city. Enjoy the other historic and breath-taking sites of Bath including Bath Abbey and Great Pultney street which leads onto Pulteney Bridge , one of only four bridges in the world which shops down both sides.

Swing by Sally Lunn's Historic Eating House for a traditional Sally Lunn bun or indulge in a quintessentially English afternoon tea at The Pump Room. For a Michelin-starred experience, dine at The Olive Tree for modern British food from Head Ched Chris Cleghorn.

Where to stay. For a luxury, five-star experience, you can bathe in the natural thermal waters at The Gainsborough Bath Spa or stay amongst 250 years of history at the famous The Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa.

Still in the city, experience a stay at Abbey Hotel Bath, Hampton by Hilton Bath City, or the newly refurbished The Francis Hotel Bath.

Slightly further out of the city, enjoy a retreat at Lucknam Park Hotel and Spa, a stunning Palladian mansion set in 500 acres of parkland with its own Michelin Star restaurant, its own unique Equestrian Centre and outstanding spa for an unforgettable stay in the Southwest.