Bath

Exit the Churchyard east along Orange Grove and follow Grand Parade where the view opens up over the river — a 5-minute walk with the horseshoe weir appearing before you even reach the bridge. Pulteney Bridge is one of only four bridges in the world lined with shops on both sides, designed by Robert Adam in 1774 to echo Florence's Ponte Vecchio. Cross to the east bank and descend the steps for the postcard shot: the Palladian arches reflected in the cascade below, then continue 50 metres down Great Pulteney Street for the grandest Georgian boulevard perspective in England.

Tip: The classic weir photo is taken from the bottom of the steps on the east bank, where you get the full curve of the weir and all three arches in one frame. Morning light is softer and the water calmer than afternoon. Skip the tiny shops on the bridge itself — they are overpriced tourist souvenirs selling the same fridge magnets you will find in every English city.

Walk back through the centre along Bridge Street and High Street, ducking left into narrow Queen Street — an 8-minute stroll past Georgian shop fronts at every turn. The Raven is a proper English pub with a cult following built on one thing: handmade pies baked fresh daily in a kitchen the size of a cupboard, served with creamy mash and real gravy. Grab a stool at the bar, order a local ale, and eat like a Bath local on lunch break.

Tip: Order the Steak and Ale pie (around £14) — the pastry is shatteringly flaky and the filling is rich with West Country beef. Pair it with a half-pint of Bath Ales Gem. Arrive at noon sharp; by 12:30 every table is taken and the pie board starts showing sold-out flavours. No reservations, first come first served.

Walk north through Queen Square — where Jane Austen once lived — and up the gentle slope of Gay Street past Georgian townhouses that grow grander with every block, a 10-minute climb. John Wood the Elder's masterpiece is three curved terraces of 33 houses forming a perfect circle, like the Colosseum turned inside out, with five enormous plane trees filtering afternoon light onto the golden stone. Stand in the centre and slowly turn — each segment uses a different classical order (Doric, Ionic, Corinthian), a detail most visitors walk straight past.

Tip: Look at the cobblestones underfoot in the centre: you will find carved acorns, a nod to the legend of King Bladud who supposedly founded Bath after his pigs were healed by the hot springs. Stand at the southern entry facing north for the most symmetrical photograph with all three terraces visible and the plane trees perfectly framed.

Continue west down Brock Street — a 2-minute flat walk between identical townhouses — until the street ends and the Royal Crescent unfurls in one breathtaking 150-metre arc. John Wood the Younger's 1774 masterpiece joins 30 houses behind a unified façade of 114 Ionic columns, the single most commanding sweep of Georgian architecture in Britain. Walk down the sloping lawn to the ha-ha — a hidden sunken wall that keeps cattle out without breaking the view — look back up at the crescent against the sky, then stroll through Royal Victoria Park below where locals picnic on the grass.

Tip: Do not photograph from the pavement — the classic shot is from the lower lawn looking up, with the full arc filling your frame against the sky. Walk to the far eastern end for the tightest curve and most dramatic perspective. If you finish early, the rooftop pool at Thermae Bath Spa (15-minute walk south, last entry around 17:00, approximately £40 for 2 hours) lets you soak in natural hot spring water with a panoramic view of the city — a spectacular way to fill the gap before dinner.

Stroll 3 minutes west along Marlborough Buildings, a quiet residential crescent where the evening light turns every window to amber. The Marlborough Tavern is the gastropub Bath locals would rather you did not discover — seasonal British cooking with genuine technique, real West Country ales on tap, and a sheltered garden terrace. This is where you reward yourself for a full day on your feet.

Tip: Order the slow-braised lamb shoulder (around £19) or the pan-seared duck breast (around £22) — both sourced from farms within 30 miles. Walk in before 19:00 on weekdays for a table without booking; reserve ahead on Friday and Saturday. Ask for the garden terrace if the weather is kind. Final warning: avoid the cluster of restaurants on Cheap Street and around the Abbey — they charge London prices for reheated food and survive entirely on tourist footfall. If a man is standing outside waving a menu at you, keep walking.

Step out of the Roman Baths and the Abbey is directly in front of you — literally thirty seconds across the Churchyard. Inside, the fan-vaulted ceiling is one of England's finest, and the mid-morning light through the east window turns the nave into a lantern of pale gold. If the Tower Tour is running, take it: 212 steps up through the bell-ringing chamber onto the roof, where Bath unfolds below in a carpet of honey-coloured stone.

Tip: The Tower Tour runs every 30 minutes and costs an extra £8 — it is worth every penny. Book at the desk immediately upon entering, as morning slots fill fast. The rooftop view looking west toward the Royal Crescent is one of Bath's best-kept photo angles that most visitors never see.

Duck south through the narrow passage beside the Abbey — Sally Lunn's is two minutes away on North Parade Passage, inside one of Bath's oldest houses dating to around 1482. This is the birthplace of the famous Sally Lunn Bun, a large brioche-like bread served with savoury or sweet toppings. Order the Toasted Trencher with smoked salmon and cream cheese (£11.50) or the classic with cinnamon butter (£7.50). Budget £12–18 per person for lunch.

Tip: Arrive right at noon — by 12:30 the queue stretches onto the street. Sit downstairs in the original kitchen-level dining room for atmosphere; the upstairs room is brighter but lacks the character. The free kitchen museum in the basement shows the original medieval hearth and is worth a quick peek on your way out.

Walk north through Abbey Churchyard past the street musicians, then along Grand Parade — a five-minute stroll with the River Avon appearing on your right. Pulteney Bridge is one of only four bridges in the world lined with shops on both sides, modelled on Florence's Ponte Vecchio. Cross the bridge, then loop down to the riverbank on the far side for the classic view of the horseshoe weir — this is Bath's most photographed scene. Return via Parade Gardens, a manicured terrace garden above the weir where locals sit with coffee and the sound of tumbling water.

Tip: The single best photograph of Pulteney Bridge and the weir is taken from the raised terrace inside Parade Gardens, not from Grand Parade where most tourists stand. Pay the small admission, stand at the eastern railing in early afternoon when the sun is behind you and the bridge face is fully lit — no amount of jostling on the public pavement gives you this angle.

Cross Pulteney Bridge and walk straight down Great Pulteney Street — a grand three-hundred-metre boulevard flanked by golden Georgian terraces that feels like a film set. The eight-minute stroll ends at the Holburne Museum, set at the entrance to Sydney Pleasure Gardens. The permanent collection is free and houses Gainsborough portraits, Turner watercolours, and an exquisite collection of Georgian silverware. The modern glass extension at the rear frames the gardens beautifully and catches the afternoon light.

Tip: The Gainsborough room on the first floor holds the finest works — spend your time there rather than trying to cover everything. Afterwards, wander into Sydney Gardens behind the museum, one of England's last remaining 18th-century pleasure gardens with a canal running through it. Surprisingly few tourists make it this far, so you will likely have it entirely to yourself.

Retrace your steps back across Pulteney Bridge and turn right along North Parade — a ten-minute riverside walk brings you to this restaurant hidden in a candlelit stone cellar beneath the street. Sotto Sotto is where Bath locals celebrate birthdays and anniversaries, not where tourists stumble in. The handmade pappardelle with slow-braised wild boar ragù (£18) is exceptional, and the burrata starter with heritage tomatoes (£12) is the table's guaranteed first order. Budget £35–45 per person with a glass of wine.

Tip: Reserve at least 48 hours ahead — this is Bath's hardest weekend table to secure. Request a seat in the far vaulted room for the most atmospheric candlelit setting. A word of warning: avoid the restaurants lining the north side of Abbey Churchyard and Cheap Street — they survive on tourist footfall, charge London prices, and the food is forgettable.