This tour is a fabulous full day tour out of London.
Stonehenge is approximately 2 hours from London with Bath then a further 1 hour drive. If you would prefer to make this a longer trip, over 2 days, then we can recommend some fabulous hotels / guesthouses in Bath.
Bath
On arrival in Bath we recommend The Riverside Cafe & Restaurant. Refuel before starting your tour of the magnificent city.
The Riverside Cafe & Restaurant
If ever there were a time to celebrate and support local independent businesses, it is now.
At Riverside they pride themselves on their hearty home-cooked breakfasts, tasty smoked salmon benedict, vegetarian breakfast complete with bubble and squeak cakes, and American pancakes with bacon and maple syrup, a true classic.
At lunch they offer an array of sandwiches and salads, alongside homemade beef burger, fish finger sandwich, Riverside fish and wedges, homemade soup, and daily specials.
Throughout the day they serve Illy coffee and Tea House Emporium tea, as well as a selection of fresh cakes and puddings. Choose from their favourites: carrot cake, chocolate brownies, apple and almond cake.
With fabulous views of Pulteney Weir, one of Bath’s most photographed landmarks.
City Tour of Bath
Bath Abbey
Pilgrims and visitors have been made welcome at Bath Abbey for hundreds of years. As one of the most visited places in the South West, they welcome over 420,000 people through their doors each year, but are fully aware that every visitor comes with their own expectations, beliefs and purpose.
Whether it’s to admire our magnificent architecture, to enjoy our wonderful choral music or for a quiet moment of contemplation, they invite you to go and experience the Abbey’s unique environment for yourself.
There has been a place of Christian worship on this site for well over a thousand years. However, the Abbey has undergone many transformations and changes during this time, and much like the city of Bath has experienced rise and falls in fortune, survived a number of major conflicts, architectural and religious reforms, and two World Wars, but still stands proudly today as an essential place for both worshippers and visitors.
As the history of this sacred place stretches as far back as Anglo-Saxon times, there is a great deal to discover: tales of Kings and Queens, saints and sinners, as well as stories of ordinary people.
Roman Baths
The Roman Baths complex is a site of historical interest. The house is a well-preserved Roman site for public bathing.
The Roman Baths themselves are below the modern street level. There are four main features:
- The Sacred Spring
- The Roman Temple
- The Roman Bath House
- The Museum holding finds from Roman Bath
The buildings above street level date from the 19th century.
The Baths are a major tourist attraction and, together with the Grand Pump Room, receive more than one million visitors a year.
t was featured on the 2005 TV program Seven Natural Wonders as one of the wonders of the West Country.
Visitors can see the Baths and Museum but cannot enter the water.
The Royal Crescent
The Royal Crescent is a street of 30 terraced houses laid out in a sweeping crescent.
Designed by the architect John Wood the Younger and built between 1767 and 1774, it is among the greatest examples of Georgian architecture to be found in the United Kingdom and is a Grade I listed building. Although some changes have been made to the various interiors over the years, the Georgian stone façade remains much as it was when it was first built.
Many notable people have either lived or stayed in the Royal Crescent since it was first built over 250 years ago, and some are commemorated on special plaques attached to the relevant buildings.
The Royal Crescent now includes a hotel and a Georgian house museum, while some of the houses have been converted into flats and offices. It is a popular location for the makers of films and television programmes, and a major tourist attraction in its own right.
The Circus
The Circus was the masterpiece of John Wood the Elder.
The striking architecture has spawned numerous theories to explain its stark originality. Viewed from the air it forms the shape of a key, perhaps a Masonic symbol?
John Wood is also thought to have taken inspiration from the ancient standing stones of nearby Stanton Drew and from Solomon’s Temple in Jerusalem.
Either way, the Circus is a stupendous creative accomplishment and one of the key reasons Bath was awarded the title of World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
There are many museums and art galleries in Bath, all of which we can organise personalised tours, transfers and group bookings for, including;
- The Building of Bath Museum
- The Jane Austen Centre
- Number 1 Royal Crescent
- Bath’s Original Theatre Royal and Masonic Museum
Finally before departing Bath, a stop at Sally Lunns Famous Tea House is an absolute must for anyone after a traditional English tea experience
Sally Lunns Tea & Eating House
Sally Lunn’s is much more than a world famous tea and eating house. The historic building is one of the oldest houses in Bath.
The kitchen museum shows the actual kitchen used by the young Huguenot baker Sally Lunn in Georgian Bath to create the first Bath bun – an authentic regional speciality now known the world over.
Famous for the Bath delicacy, the Sally Lunn Bun is the original Bath Bun. A lot of people get confused between the London Bath Bun (small, heavy and sweet) and a Sally Lunn Bun.
Here you are in the home of the original delicious bun that has been often copied and attempted in bakeries around the world for over 300 years.
