The city centre may have the bubbling thermal waters, but the lush green countryside surrounding Bath is an equally apt setting for a wellbeing break. Especially for seasoned visitors to the city wanting to explore the area from a different angle.

There are luxurious spa hotels, peaceful gardens, mindful activities and more to help you relax and reset, with all the city has to offer in easy reach too. We set the scene with this three-day itinerary for a wellbeing break in the country…

Where to Stay

Sleep soundly in between nourishing treatments at the outstanding countryside spa hotels close to Bath. Escape to Lucknam Park, a listed Palladian mansion surrounded by swathes of parkland or Georgian country house hotels Homewood and Bishopstrow House Hotel.

If you’re happy day-tripping to the spas instead, try THE PIG-near Bath for bucket loads of homely charm, or Limpley Stoke Hotel for idyllic valley views. Beechfield House not only boasts an outdoor pool but also various AA accolades for its restaurant.

Image - Beechfield House

The Newt in Somerset is an award-winning country house hotel with relaxing gardens and a spa. Book their Great Garden Escape which includes First Class return travel from London Paddington to The Newt; guided tours, talks and tastings; all meals and 12-month membership to The Newt's gardens and facilities.

Image - The Newt in Somerset 

Relish the peace of a self-catered bolthole? Book a stay in Iford Manor's Grade II listed cottage, which has its own private south-facing garden and special access to the main gardens until 4pm every day (regardless of whether they're open to the general public that day or not).

Insider tip: Browse our special offers and book your stay midweek for the best deals on accommodation.

Image - Rowley Cottage at Iford Manor

Day One

Morning: Saddle Up

Alongside state-of-the-art spa facilities, Lucknam Park is home to its own Equestrian Centre where you can feel the benefits of a fun form of exercise and being around the horses. You’ll be matched with a horse that suits your ability before being led on an invigorating country hack, or a longer ride through scenic Cotswold countryside for more experienced riders.

The hotel offers packages that combine getting in the saddle with dining in their brasserie and/or relaxing in the spa.

Image - Lucknam Park

If you’re more comfortable with both feet on the ground, how about hitting the green for a round of golf at Bowood Hotel? Set against the backdrop of a beautiful country estate, this is the PGA Official Golf Course in the South West.

Afternoon: Wind Down

After a morning of activity, make time for rest and rejuvenation with spa treatments. However you fancy being pampered, you’ll find a package that takes you to a blissed out state – from an aromatherapy facial at Bowood Hotel's spa, to rasul mud experiences at Bishopstrow House Hotel.

Image - Homewood

Evening: Dine In Style

Make a special foodie memory by treating yourself to a meal in Homewood’s Instagrammable Dining Domes. A three-course menu is served inside these ‘little pockets of luxury’, following a glass on Taittinger champagne on the terrace. At Lucknam Park you have the choice of Michelin-starred Restaurant Hywel Jones, or their more relaxed brasserie.

Beechfield House's restaurant has been awarded two Rosette accolades, and is dog friendly should you wish to bring your four-legged friend along for your relaxing getaway.

Image - Dining domes at Homewood

Day Two

Morning: Countryside Cooking

Book a course at Vale House Kitchen and leave with a host of new skills in your arsenal. As well as lessons in cooking, baking, and preserves with leading South West culinary professionals, they cover countryside pursuits like fishing, foraging, and shooting. Everything is in keeping with their field-to-fork philosophy.

Image - Vale House Kitchen

Afternoon: Country Strolls

Stretch your legs, embrace the fresh air, and take in awe-inspiring views on a feel-good stomp in the country. You’re spoilt for choice when it comes to scenic routes in the green areas surrounding Bath, with many passing noteworthy sights or fabulous flora and fauna along the way. You can always turn it into a pub walk, refuelling with a pint and bite to eat partway through.

Image - Solsbury Hill, credit Bill Boaden

Day Three

Morning: Gorgeous Greenery

Follow up yesterday’s countryside caper by soaking up the peace and tranquillity of the region’s fine gardens and parks. Admire herbaceous borders, a lily pond, box hedging, a rose garden, and a stone bath house in the gardens of stately house Corsham Court. For a woody wander, head for the expansive Westonbirt, The National Arboretum, which is home to around 3,000 different species of trees.

Image - Westonbirt, credit Johnny Hathaway

IEnter the magical Woodland Gardens at Bowood House and discover an oasis of bluebells, azaleas, magnolias, and rhododendrons, with tours available throughout spring and summer. The romantic Grade I listed Iford Manor Gardens also reopens on 1^st April.

Afternoon: Culture Hit

Immerse yourself in art and culture from across the pond at the American Museum and Gardens – the only museum of Americana outside of the United States. Their collection houses over 12,000 objects and represent the wide range of American cultures, diving into stories from over 2,000 years of history.

Image - American Museum & Gardens

Alternatively, the Somerset Rural Life Museum tells a more local story, looking at the county’s heritage including its landscape, food and farming, working life and rural crafts.

Evening: Taste a 25-Mile Menu

Finish your stay with a dinner made entirely of locally sourced food. THE PIG-Near Bath is obsessive in their commitment to homegrown grub. If the ingredients aren’t from their kitchen garden, they’re foraged or from local suppliers within 25 miles of the hotel.

Image - THE PIG-Near Bath

Read more:

• Wellbeing in Bath
• 8 best spa hotels
• Parks & gardens