The Mayor’s Corps of Honorary Guides

Best thing to do in Bath and FREE! Extremely knowledgeable local volunteers (ours seemed to be gentry) provide two hour walking tours of Bath twice a day. Will not accept fee or gratuity. Meet in front of Roman Baths Pump Room on Cathedral side at 10 a.m. or 2 p.m. Check website to confirm dates and times.

Possibly the BEST two hours you can spend in Bath, with or without spending any money.
We found out about the free tours while standing outside the Abbey and after receiving a strong recommendation to go on one by our hotel concierge (who happened to be quite a history buff), we decided to join in.
A massive crowd arrived on time and we were split into three groups. Our — brilliant — tour guide was Dan, who informed us about the history of the Mayor Corps’ of Honorary Guides and gave us a short chat about what the tour would include. Tours are free, no tips are needed, either. Each guide is a volunteer and they do this in their personal time. What a wonderful service!
We saw everything on this tour. We learned about the architecture, the legends of Baths beginnings, the key players that made Bath what it was, reasons why people would come to Bath, Jane Austen and her experiences and writing in the city, saw the major sights and had a chance to ask as many questions as possible. Dan knew his stuff, was friendly and seemed to genuinely enjoy sharing the history and information about Bath with all of us. Yes, this is a walking tour. Yes, it may rain and be cold. Yes, you’ll be tired. But do it. You’ll learn about parts of Bath you may have walked by, having not given them a second thought. You’ll get an insider’s perspective and see everything that was on your list. If there is anything you do in Bath, if you’re interested in learning, if you love to walk and take in sights at a great pace, this is what you should be doing. Hands down. Absolutely fantastic, one of the highlights of our trip. Please go and support this cause because God knows it isn’t available in all historical places, nor are the guides so passionate about the history. Worth our while, to say the very least.

What better way to learn about a city then to take a walking tour?! The best part is that it’s FREE.
We met in front of the Abbey at 2PM and there were a bunch of people waiting to go on the tour. Don’t you worry though, there were three guides waiting to split up the group and show us around. After we split I never saw the other groups and we only had 8 or so in our group so it was very intimate.
The gentleman who showed us around was born and raised in Bath and showed his enthusiasm and love for the city. It was a pleasure and I would recommend it to everyone.

A great (Free!!) way to see and learn the history behind the city of Bath. The tour meets in front of the Pump Room Sun-​Fri at 10:30 and 14:00 for a two hour tour with a local who just loves their city and wants to share. It includes views of the Roman Baths and Pump Room, which is great if you want to get a glimpse and not spend the money to take that tour. It also goes by the Royal Theatre, the Royal Crescent and Bath Abbey.
Makes for a great day trip outside of London!