From an 18th-century spa destination to a modern festival town, my home town of Cheltenham can sometimes get overshadowed by its more touristy neighbours – with Oxford on one side, Bath on the other and picture-postcard Cotswold villages surrounding it. But Cheltenham has lots to offer as a weekend break destination in its own right. There’s gorgeous Georgian architecture, pretty parks, festivals dedicated to everything from music and literature to wellbeing and horse-racing, plus an impressive array of places to eat, drink and shop. So here’s my 48-hour itinerary for how to spend the perfect weekend in Cheltenham.
Read more: 10 Great British weekend break ideas
How to spend a weekend in Cheltenham

Montpellier Gardens
Friday evening
Check in to the Malmaison Cheltenham, located in the heart of Montpellier – Cheltenham’s most stylish district, surrounded by bars, restaurants and boutiques. Set in a white Regency villa, the hotel is classically grand from the outside but inside it’s modern and stylish, with lots of contemporary furniture and artworks, and modern tech like paperless check-in and in-room iPads. There’s lots of space to relax, with a cosy lounge-come-library and a Victorian conservatory as well as a smart bar, restaurant and spa. Double rooms from £119 a night.
Take a walk through Montpellier to the Daffodil for dinner. The restaurant serves modern British food in a converted art deco cinema, full of gorgeous original 1920s design features. Head upstairs for a drink in the Circle Bar first, with a great cocktail list and half-price bubbly on Fridays from 12pm. Then walk down the sweeping stairs to the restaurant – where the original cinema screen used to be you can now watch the chefs in action in the open kitchen.

Art deco style at the Daffodil
Saturday morning
Start the day off with a walk through Montpellier and Imperial Gardens. Cheltenham is a big festival town and the parks are used as venues for annual jazz (May), science (June), food (June), music (July) and literature (October) festivals. But even if you’re not there for a festival, you can grab a coffee from one of the park cafés and take a walk around the gardens. Carry on down the Promenade, Cheltenham’s main shopping street lined with elegant Georgian buildings.

The Neptune Fountain on Cheltenham’s Promenade
To learn more about Cheltenham, join a history and architecture walking tour. The Blue Badge guides have lots of interesting stories about the town’s Regency buildings and its days as a holiday destination for upper-class spa-goers. Tours start from the Wilson gallery and museum at 11am on Saturdays from April until October and last 90 minutes (adults £6, under 16s £3).
At the end of the tour, head back to the Wilson for a look around the galleries. There’s a real mix of exhibits, from Arts and Crafts furniture and Dutch and Belgian paintings to the story of local hero Edward Wilson – one of Scott’s team on his ill-fated 1912 Antarctic expedition.

The Wilson Art Gallery and Museum
Saturday afternoon
Refuel with a stop at the Well Walk Tea Room for afternoon tea. It’s one of Cheltenham’s oldest shops and is packed with quirky antiques and their cakes are served on a selection of pretty vintage crockery. Don’t miss a Cheltenham Dripper – a sweet and sticky pastry which was originally made with beef dripping and is the local version of a lardy cake.
Walk it off with a trip to Pittville Pump Room, 15 minutes north of town. Built in the 1820s, it was Cheltenham’s largest spa building and is surrounded by manicured lawns and ornamental lakes. You can still taste the medicinal spa waters (open 10am–4pm, unless an event’s on).
Start the evening with a pre-dinner drink. If you’re a real ale fan, pop into the Jolly Brewmaster for a pint, a traditional-style pub with a great selection of beers on tap and a big beer garden for summer nights. Or if gin’s more your thing, head to Gin & Juice at 131 The Prom, where they have over 350 different gins on the menu. Then have dinner at Koj, a Japanese restaurant that specialises in sharing dishes (and doesn’t do sushi) run by a MasterChef finalist. Their upstairs Bandana Monkey Bar is a good place to finish the night with a sake or shochu.

The Pittville Pump Room
Sunday morning
If the sun’s out (or you’re feeling brave), start the day with a few laps at Cheltenham’s 1930s Sandford Parks Lido. At 50 metres long it’s one of the UK’s largest outdoor heated pools and also has childrens’ pools (adults £5.50, concessions £3.50). If that sounds too energetic, spend the morning unwinding at Chapel Spa with a massage, facial or body scrub. Then head to the Bottle of Sauce for brunch, with everything from breakfast butties to chicken n’ waffles.
If you’re in the mood for shopping, you’ll find the usual high-end, high-street shops (think White Company and Space NK) on Cheltenham’s Promenade. Or the area around Montpellier and the Suffolks has lots of interesting independent shops. Check out the Triton Gallery for antiques and interiors inspiration, Bodega for women’s fashion, David Hayward for bespoke jewellery, Curious City Print Shop for quirky artwork and the Suffolk Anthology book shop.

Shopping in Montpellier
Sunday afternoon
Cheltenham is surrounded by gorgeous countryside, so head out of town to get a taste of the Cotswolds to finish off your weekend. Cleeve Hill is just a few miles out of Cheltenham (a short car or bus ride on the 606 service) and is where you’ll find the Rising Sun, a good spot for Sunday lunch which has fantastic views across five counties from its beer garden.
Then head out on a post-lunch walk, following a loop around Cleeve Hill. The walking route runs for four or six miles up through woodlands and meadows, with panoramic views across the Cotswolds, to Gloucester Cathedral and right across over to the Black Mountains in Wales. It’s part of the Cotswold Way, a 100-mile walking route from Chipping Campden to Bath.

Cleeve Hill views
Have you visited Cheltenham? Do you have any tips to add on what to see, do and eat?
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45 Comments
Day In / Day Out
September 1, 2015 at 5:19 pmThat view of the Cotswolds is breathtaking!
Lucy
September 1, 2015 at 8:50 pmThanks, I’m very lucky having that countryside right on my doorstep!
mayeu45
September 1, 2015 at 7:05 pmVery nice post ! Make sure to come and visit Bristol, my “home town” at the moment, if you have not done so yet. It is such a wonderful city nearby you ! 🙂 I just made a post about the Balloon Fiesta in Bristol, if you need few reasons to come over !
Lucy
September 1, 2015 at 8:55 pmThanks – funnily enough I’d not spent much time in Bristol until recently but visited a couple of weeks ago and have a post about my stay there coming up later this week! Would love to see the Balloon Fiesta one day though, it looks fantastic.
Darlene
September 1, 2015 at 7:29 pmLooks so lovely. I haven´t been yet but will put it on my list.
Lucy
September 1, 2015 at 8:57 pmIt’s a bit less known that the really popular destinations like Bath or York but it is a lovely city – if you ever make the trip then do get in touch!
Darlene
September 3, 2015 at 4:16 pmWill do!
abitofculture
September 1, 2015 at 7:42 pmI had a good day Christmas shopping in Cheltenham last year by train. Lots of nice independent shops, some nice statues and cafes – just a shame the station is so far from the centre!
Lucy
September 1, 2015 at 8:59 pmYes the station is a bit out of the way – though if it’s a nice day then there’s a walking route on an old railway line called the Honeybourne Line just opposite the station which is the most scenic way into town!
jerry
September 1, 2015 at 7:45 pmWill Defntly be on my list of places to visit in the UK as soon as the British Government decides to not charge such a high visa fee for South African travelers.
Lucy
September 1, 2015 at 9:16 pmThose visa fees are high! Hope you get to make the trip someday though.
Debbie williams
September 2, 2015 at 6:56 amIve lived in the Forest of Dean for years & all my family live in Cheltenham, still lots of places in this piece I didn’t know about . Thanks . Ps my daughter bought me a voucher for afternoon tea at The Daffodil !
Lucy
September 2, 2015 at 9:40 amI’m from Ross-on-Wye originally (and my mum is from the Forest) but moved back to Cheltenham from London five years ago, still discovering new things around here too! Enjoy the Daffodil, I’ve not been for tea yet but love it there.
Suzanne - Travelbunny
September 2, 2015 at 7:51 amI’ve thought about visiting The Cotswolds for a break but never considered Cheltenham – think you might have just convinced me! Pittville Pump Room looks gorgeous.
Lucy
September 2, 2015 at 9:38 amIt would be really easy to do a combined Cheltenham/Cotswold weekend too – let me know if you do! The Pittville Pump Room is a beautiful building, it’s used for a lot of weddings now and you can see why.
pathindley
September 2, 2015 at 8:46 amGreat post. I grew up in the area and was back visiting family this weekend. We went to the Suffolk Sunday market @TheSuffolks which was lovely despite the rain and then had a drive out as Cheltenham is a great base for exploring the Cotswold villages and towns like Bourton-on-Water and the Slaughters. My family also like the Leckhampton area as nice shops, cafes and bars. They usually park there and walk into town. We had brunch at the Curious Cafe in Bath Road, Leckhampton last time which was fab.
Lucy
September 2, 2015 at 9:44 amI live in Leckhampton so Curious Cafe is about two minutes from my house! Missed this weekend’s Suffolk Street Fair as I was away but have been to a few, lots of interesting stalls and food and drink. It’s so handy for the Cotswolds too – though I should do some more exploring, you’re always worst at it when things are on your doorstep!
Sarah
September 3, 2015 at 10:24 amI’d love to go to these beautiful parts of England – you sell it very well Lucy! All looks stunning. I love a good afternoon tea spread – you’ve made me hungry!
Lucy
September 9, 2015 at 10:27 amThanks Sarah, it’s really nice to share a bit of my part of the world with people (and you can’t have an English country weekend without tea and cake!).
thebritishberliner
September 9, 2015 at 9:32 amI loooove the Cotswold. It makes me home-sick and even though I’ve been to Bath and Oxford many times, I don’t believe that I have ever visited Cheltenham! Aaaargh! So many places to visit in so little time.
p.s. I will be in Bath and Bristol for a very long weekend in Novemeber, so if you’re going that way again do let me know.
Lucy
September 9, 2015 at 10:28 amI think Cheltenham’s a bit more of a hidden gem as there are so many big-name tourist spots around. Bristol and Bath aren’t far at all so let me know when you’re over!
thebritishberliner
September 23, 2015 at 6:58 amI’ll be there from 06.11.15 – 10.11.15. I’ll contact you closer to the tme if that’s OK. I’ve got a full itinerary in Bristol but I’m more flexible in Bath. Exciting times!
Lucy
September 23, 2015 at 11:55 amFab yes that’s fine – should be around those dates at the moment.
MummyTravels
September 22, 2015 at 8:33 amI went along to the Montpellier Chapter a few months before my daughter was born – I remember an amazing spa treatment and wishing I could try the cocktails! The Daffodil sounds fabulous too, art deco is just wonderful.
Lucy
September 22, 2015 at 7:34 pmI just love art deco – after we picked the venue we ended up with a whole art deco theme for our wedding. The Dafoodil is a great spot, not sure whether its cocktails beat the Montpellier Chapter’s though, I feel a taste-off coming on!
Anay Bhide
September 28, 2015 at 8:00 amHi Lucy,
I was planning a trip to Cheltenham this week with friends and I was googling for travel blogs which would give me clues about the places to stay in and visit. Yours was one of the most helpful till now. I loved reading it too and would love to see more in future.
Lucy
September 28, 2015 at 2:06 pmHope you have a great trip and so glad the post was useful – love Cheltenham!
itsanoorthing
January 12, 2016 at 7:54 pmMy friend goes to Uni and she has been asking me to go see her for ages, so this post just makes me want to more!
Lucy
January 13, 2016 at 3:06 pmThat’s great, hope you enjoy it when you do visit!
Tanja
April 3, 2016 at 6:36 pmwhat a great weekend!:)
Lucy
April 5, 2016 at 6:55 pmThanks, I love living here so it’s great to introduce it to more people!
Lizaiza
May 14, 2016 at 11:43 amThis is such a wonderful post! I grew up in Cheltenham but live abroad at the moment and your words made me miss it so much. Definitely agree with a lot of your recommendations, especially the Everyman Theatre – I worked as an usher there when I was at school and it truly is wonderful. You’ve even inspired me to try out a few new places when I’m next home! Thanks for such a great post, I hope people are inspired to visit our home xxx
Lucy
May 18, 2016 at 10:36 amThanks so much – glad to bring back a taste of home! Cheltenham is such a great city, I’m hoping it’ll get a few more people to come and try it out for a weekend.
Noelle
November 14, 2016 at 9:37 amGreat post! I’m actually moving to Cheltenham in just under three weeks so this gives me some ideas of what to do! I’ve been to the Suffolk Kitchen and am really wanting to make it to the Rising Sun pub.
Lucy
November 14, 2016 at 3:30 pmHow fantastic! It’s a great city, sure you’ll find lots to see and do. A fellow blogger and I have just started a Cotswold Bloggers group and we’re planning a pre-Christmas meet up in Cheltenham if you’re here by then, otherwise sure there’ll be more events in the new year, would be great to meet in person (we have a Twitter account https://twitter.com/CwoldBloggers).
Noelle
November 14, 2016 at 4:03 pmI’ll be moving in early December so should be able to make it! 🙂 I just joined the Twitter group as well. Thanks!
Lucy
November 14, 2016 at 4:27 pmGreat, hope to see you then!
Kim
January 14, 2017 at 9:09 pmI love Cheltenham! The architecture and the gardens are lovely. I’m from The Cotswolds and my family and I go to Cheltenham a lot and to The Everymann Theatre for their pantomime every year since I was little. We love Cheltenham for its shopping, walks, restaurants and the night life – comedy club, theatre etc.
Lucy
January 16, 2017 at 10:11 amI’m from Ross-on-Wye originally and always used to come to Cheltenham to go shopping or go out, so it’s lovely to have it on my doorstep now! (p.s. If you’re still in the Cotswolds area I’ve recently partnered with another blogger to set up a Cotswolds Bloggers group and you’d be very welcome to join http://www.cotswoldsbloggers.co.uk/)
whatlauradoesnext
October 15, 2017 at 6:15 amA lovely review of my hometown 🙂
Lucy
October 15, 2017 at 3:28 pmThank you! Love living in Cheltenham, it’s got so many great places to explore.
Toni Lexmond
July 28, 2018 at 8:39 amThanks for this Lucy. We are on our way to Cheltenham now and love your recomendations. We will be housesitting for a week and have access to bikes. Is Cheltenham good for biking? If so do you have any recommendations. I am not keen on step hills but the rolling hills I remember the Cotswolds for should be fine.
Lucy
August 2, 2018 at 9:25 pmHi Toni, hope you have a great time in Cheltenham! The town centre is fairly flat and easy for biking, and a bit further afield there are some good options here (some have train stations so you can train one way if you don’t want to cycle it all: https://www.sustrans.org.uk/ncn/map/walking-and-cycling-inspiration/best-regional-routes/cycling-cotswolds). Avoid Leckhampton Hill though if you don’t like hills – it’s a real thigh-burner!
Lark Vc
January 18, 2020 at 6:44 pmHow is it for solo travelers? & as a winter weekend break.
Lucy
January 27, 2020 at 3:17 pmHi I think it’s fine for solo travellers, small enough and easy to get around, and in winter there are some great events like there’s the Light Up Cheltenham light show in February.