The city of Bath in southwest England is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the UK, with around 6 million visitors each year.
Bath is the only city in the UK to be named a UNESCO World Heritage site, thanks to its combination of stunning Georgian architecture, beautiful landscapes, and Roman ruins.
My husband and I visited the beautiful historic city of Bath in late September after a sunrise tour of Stonehenge. We only had a few hours to spend in the city, so we had to choose our itinerary carefully.
Three days in Bath is pretty ideal for fully exploring the city’s attractions. However, if you only have one day in Bath, you can still see the main highlights, such as the famous Roman Baths and Bath Abbey.
To help you plan your Bath itinerary, I’ve picked out the best Bath attractions, including a list of places I wish we’d visited. I’ve also included a few child-friendly options to check out if you want to visit Bath with kids.
Prices in USD are approximate.
How to Travel to Bath, England
Bath is very easily reached by car or train. If you have access to a car, the quickest and easiest route is via the M5 and M4 motorways. These bring you to Bath from the north, and you’ll find several car parks around the city center. If you don’t want to park in the center of Bath, you can use the Lansdown Park and Ride.
If you’re visiting London, taking the train to Bath is an ideal way to fit a day trip to Bath into your itinerary. High-speed direct trains run regularly from London Paddington Station to Bath Spa train station, which is just a few minutes walk from most of the main tourist attractions in Bath.
Alternatively, a slower, cheaper service runs between London Waterloo and Bath Spa station.
Take a Guided Tour of Bath
Bath is a very walkable city with many pedestrian-only streets. You can explore the city on your own, but a guided tour is a great way to make the most of your time in Bath.
Walking Tour Of Bath With A Blue Badge Tourist Guide
This 2-hour tour will take you around some of Bath’s most famous sites, including the Roman Baths, the Royal Crescent, Pulteney Bridge, and Bath Abbey. You’ll be shown around the city by one of the city’s accredited Blue Badge guides, who are fully trained to give you the best possible experience.
Private Walking Tour of Bath with a Blue Badge Guide
This private walking tour of Bath is perfect if you want a customized walking tour to suit your specific interests. Your group will explore Bath’s attractions with your own dedicated Blue Badge-registered guide, who can tailor the 2-hour tour based on your preferences.
Guided Ghost Tour of Bath
If you’re staying overnight in Bath, why not explore the city at night on a walking tour with a difference. You’ll see Bath in a very different light as you listen to your guide’s spooky stories and take part in paranormal experiments.
The Ancient Roman Baths
The 2,000-year-old Roman Baths are the number 1 must-see tourist attraction in Bath, Somerset. After all, the historic site is located in the very heart of the city and gave Bath its name.
When we visited Bath, we were some of the first people to arrive at the Roman Baths just after they opened for the day. It turned out to be the perfect time to take a tour, as there weren’t many other visitors.
There are quite a lot of museum exhibits that you have to wind your way through before you actually get to the Great Bath. This was a bit of a surprise to me, and I wasn’t really in the mood for the museum – I wanted to see the Roman ruins!
I think if you can speed through the ancient history exhibits, you’ll probably spend around 30 minutes at the Roman Baths. Your visit will take around two hours if you prefer to take your time to learn about Roman Britain in the museum.
The ancient baths were built around natural hot springs in Roman times, when Bath was known as Aquae Sulis. Sulis is the Celtic goddess of the hot springs, whose power was believed to live in the water. You can’t actually touch or taste the water in the Great Bath, but you can see the Sacred Spring, where water has been rising to the surface at 115°F for thousands of years.
You can taste the hot waters from the spring at the Spa Water Fountain. They have a very distinctive flavor, thanks to the 46 different minerals they contain. I wouldn’t say it’s a good flavor, and you won’t go back for another cup, but it’s worth trying.
There’s another spa water fountain in the Pump Room Restaurant, which has been entertaining visitors to the Baths for over 200 years. The restaurant features in a lot of novels by Jane Austen and other authors, and it’s absolutely stunning. It’s a popular spot for breakfast, lunch, or dinner accompanied by live music. Highly recommended as a brunch spot to pair with an early visit to the baths.
The menu is quite limited, but that means the food comes out really quickly, and they were able to accommodate my husband’s gluten allergy pretty easily.
Entry at the Roman Baths starts at £24.50 ($32) for adults, and guided tours are available for an additional £5 ($6.50) per person. Tickets for the Roman Baths often sell out, especially in the summer months, so book ahead to guarantee entry. I did find that booking early didn’t save us any time, though…they sent everyone through the same line so we waited behind several people who were booking tickets.
Thermae Bath Spa
If you’re planning an overnight stay in Bath, you might like to visit the adults-only Thermae Bath Spa next door to the Roman Baths.
This blends the historic spa with a beautiful contemporary building, containing two natural thermal baths. These are filled with the same hot spring water as the Roman Baths, but the water has been treated for your safety. There’s also a stunning rooftop pool, steam rooms, and a range of spa treatment rooms.
A visit here would be a wonderful way to relax after a long day of sightseeing in Bath, England.
Bath Abbey
Just a short walk from the Roman Baths, you’ll find the beautiful Bath Abbey. It was founded in the 7th century and has been rebuilt and restored several times throughout the centuries.
The Abbey is a Grade 1 Listed Building, which means it has exceptional architectural, historical, or national importance. It’s famous for its impressive fan-vaulted ceiling and stained glass windows, and the Abbey’s west front has amazing sculptures of angels climbing stone ladders to heaven.
You’ll often see street artists, family-friendly entertainment, and live music performances in the area around Bath Abbey and the Roman Baths. Bath Christmas Market is also held in this area in the weeks before Christmas.
Unfortunately we didn’t have time to explore inside the Abbey, but you can pay to go inside and look around. You can also take a tour of the bell tower, which allows you to see the fan-vaulted ceiling and clock face from a closer perspective. There are 212 steps to the top of the bell tower, so you need to be reasonably fit to do the tour.
Entrance to the Abbey costs £7.50 ($10) for adults. Tower Tour tickets cost £15 ($20) including your entrance fee to the Abbey. Children under 5 can’t go on the Tower Tour, and children aged 5-15 must be accompanied by an adult.
If the inside is as stunning as the outside, you’re in for a treat.
Explore Bath’s Georgian Architecture
Bath became a very fashionable spa destination during the eighteenth century, so you’ll see a lot of Georgian architecture around the city centre.
Many of the buildings are made from the local honey-colored Bath stone, and it’s worth seeking out some of the best examples while you’re in the city.
Royal Crescent
The Royal Crescent is a row of 30 Georgian terraced houses designed by John Wood the Younger and built between 1767 and 1774. The houses are arranged in a crescent in front of a large grass lawn and have stunning views over the parkland opposite.
The Royal Crescent is a Grade 1 listed building and considered to be one of the best examples of Georgian architecture in the United Kingdom. The Royal Crescent Hotel & Spa takes up No. 16 and No.15, but most of the houses are still full-size townhouses or have been split into apartments.
If you’re interested in Georgian era history and have time to spare, you might like to visit the No. 1 Royal Crescent Museum. This historic house museum preserves the end townhouse as it would have looked in the late 18th century.
The museum is open between February and December, and entrance costs £15.50 ($20) for adults. Admission numbers are limited, so pre-booking tickets is recommended.
What I didn’t realize is that the Royal Crescent is actually a bit out of town, and it takes about 15 minutes to walk there from the pedestrian zone in the center of town. Give yourself a bit of time to get there and back if you want to see this architectural gem.
The Circus
The Circus is another Grade 1 listed building, around 10 minutes walk from Bath Abbey. The name “Circus” means a circle or ring in Latin, and John Wood the Elder designed the Circus to have 30 townhouses arranged in a circle around a central lawn.
The Circus has three entry points, each looking directly at a beautiful row of 10 Georgian houses. Each townhouse is still a private residence so you can’t tour inside, but it’s worth a visit if you’re interested in Georgian history and don’t have time to walk to the Royal Crescent.
Bath Assembly Rooms
Are you a fan of Jane Austen novels or Regency-era fiction like “Bridgerton”? If so, you’ll love the Bath Assembly Rooms.
This Grade 1 Listed Building was one of the most fashionable meeting places in Georgian Bath, popular with the rich and famous of the time. Famous authors like Jane Austen and Charles Dickens would meet there to have afternoon tea or enjoy concerts and society balls.
The Assembly rooms are now under the care of the National Trust. This UK charity maintains around 500 significant sites, including historic buildings, gardens, woodlands, and coastline areas.
You can wander around the Assembly Rooms on a guided tour and imagine what it must have been like to promenade in your finest clothes. Kid-friendly tours and activities are also on offer.
A guided tour of the Bath Assembly Rooms costs £10 ($13) for adults, and pre-booking is essential.
Indulge Yourself on a Foodie Tour of Bath
Bath has so many amazing places to eat, so why not indulge in homemade cakes and artisanal pastries on your own gastro tour of Bath.
We stopped into several bakeries and cafes during our visit to Bath, and they had a ton of gluten-free options that were perfect for my husband.
Sally Lunn’s Historic Eating House
Sally Lunn’s Historic Eating House is believed to be the oldest house in Bath. It’s the home of the famous Sally Lunn bun, a regional specialty that’s famous worldwide.
The bun is baked using a secret recipe passed down through the generations. It’s thought to have been brought to Bath in the 1680s by a French baker called Solange Luyon, whose name was anglicized as Sally Lunn. It’s not really a sweet bun, but a kind of cross between a bread roll and a brioche. It’s also huge, about the size of a small pie.
I bought one to take back to my hotel room and honestly it was a bit plain. It tasted like a nice dinner roll and that’s about it. But if you try one at Sally Lunn’s Historic Eating House, you can choose from a range of savory toppings like a Full English Breakfast or smoked salmon, and sweet options like cinnamon butter or dulce de leche.
The menu has a lot of other options for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, but I think you need to try the famous bun if you’re visiting Bath for the first time!
Pro tip: If you want to just buy a bun and not sit down at the restaurant, you actually go down the stairs when you first enter the building into a teeny tiny museum. They have an exhibit set up of what the kitchens would have looked like in Sally Lunn’s time, and they sell boxed, pre-made buns that you can grab and go.
The Olive Tree
If you’re in the mood for fine dining, Bath has many excellent restaurants. The Olive Tree is Bath’s only Michelin Star restaurant and also holds 4 AA rosettes. It’s located in the basement of The Queensbury Hotel, a boutique hotel set in a stunning Georgian townhouse.
The Olive Tree offers delicious seasonal food, and its tasting menus are a memorable experience worth booking.
Delicatessens and Bakeries
Bath has many lovely little stores selling artisanal produce and locally sourced provisions. You’ll find more chain stores and international brands on the city’s periphery, but the downtown area of Bath has a lot of these independent stores and eateries.
If you’re visiting Bath on a sunny day, it’d be really fun to visit the delis, bakeries, or wine and cheese stores and get everything you need for a picnic in one of the city’s parks.
My favorite was The Bath Bakervee across from Sally Lunn’s, where we bought several insanely good cookies. We also loved Mrs. Pott’s Chocolate House.
Royal Victoria Park
Bath is a very ‘green’ city with beautiful parks and gardens to explore. One of the best is Royal Victoria Park, a 57-acre park opened in 1830 by the future Queen Victoria when she was just 11 years old.
It’s one of the most beautiful places for a picnic in Bath, with botanic gardens and stunning views from the Great Dell Aerial Walkway.
Royal Victoria Park is also one of the best places in Bath for kids to burn off some energy with tennis courts, an 18-hole mini golf course, and a large adventure playground. If you visit Bath in November or December, a large open-air ice rink will get you in the Christmas spirit.
Parade Gardens
Parade Gardens is a Grade II Listed Park originally known as St James’s Park. It was created in 1709 to delight spa visitors and is known for its stunning flower gardens, which are some of the best floral displays in the UK.
If you visit Bath in the summer, it’s a great place to listen to concerts at the park’s bandstand and kids can enjoy a range of children’s entertainment. Look out for the fabulous 3D floral feature that pops up every summer.
It’s the perfect place for a picnic, or you could visit the park’s cafe for cream teas, cakes, and sandwiches.
Adult tickets for Parade Gardens cost just £2.50 ($3.25), which you pay on arrival.
Pulteney Bridge and Weir
You’ll also have a great view of Pulteney Bridge and Pulteney Weir from the Parade Gardens.
Pulteney Bridge is a covered bridge over the River Avon and one of the most famous examples of Georgian architecture in Bath. It’s one of only four bridges in the world with shops running along the full length on both sides of the bridge.
Pulteney Weir lies just in front of Pulteney bridge, and this is where they filmed part of Javert’s death scene for the 2012 film “Les Misérables”.
There’s no charge to cross Pulteney Bridge, so it’s worth taking a walk over the bridge to check out the independent shops and restaurants. Boat trips on the River Avon also depart from this location.
Explore History in Bath Museums
In addition to its excellent restaurants, impressive architecture, and historic Roman ruins, Bath has over 40 museums on a wide range of topics. Here are a few of the most popular museums in Bath:
The Jane Austen Centre
If you love Jane Austen novels like “Pride and Prejudice”, you won’t want to miss this museum celebrating Bath’s most famous resident.
You’ll start your visit with a short welcome talk from one of the expert staff members and then explore the exhibition which is located in a beautiful Georgian townhouse.
You can discover how Bath features in Austen novels like “Persuasion” and “Northanger Abbey”, and there’s even a chance to dress up in Regency-style fashion. Finally, you can end your visit with afternoon tea in The Regency Tea Room.
Adult tickets for the Jane Austen Centre cost £15.75 ($20.50), and online pre-booking is recommended.
Mary Shelley’s House of Frankenstein
Fans of Gothic literature will enjoy this immersive experience exploring the life of the author Mary Shelley. She was living in Bath when she wrote a lot of “Frankenstein”, which is considered to be the first science fiction novel.
Mary Shelley’s House of Frankenstein has four floors packed with unusual exhibits including an 8-foot animatronic reproduction of Shelley’s creature. At the same time, strange smells and spooky sound effects add to the super-creepy atmosphere.
There’s also a small screening room, two Escape Rooms, and a horror walkthrough experience in the museum’s basement.
This museum is not for the easily-scared, and all children aged 15 and under must be accompanied by an adult. Adult tickets start from £15.50 ($20) and pre-booking tickets online will give you a discount compared to buying tickets on the day.
The Holburne Museum
The Holburne Museum in Bath, England, is housed in a beautiful 18th-century building that was originally the Sydney Hotel. The building once hosted grand balls and concerts, and in the present day, it’s home to world-class collections of paintings, sculptures, and decorative arts.
The museum is centered around the collection of Sir William Holburne. It overlooks the Sydney Pleasure Gardens, the only remaining Georgian pleasure gardens in the UK.
In Georgian times, pleasure gardens were a popular place for people to walk and enjoy the fresh air. Jane Austen used to enjoy spending time in Sydney Pleasure Gardens while writing “Northanger Abbey”.
The front of the Holburne Museum is also featured as the home of Lady Danbury in Seasons 1 and 2 of “Bridgerton” and the spin-off show “Queen Charlotte”.
Adult entry starts at £11 ($14), and you can book tickets online or pay on the day.
What to wear to visit Bath, England
Bath is a walkable city, but it’s very hilly, so you’ll definitely need to wear comfortable flat shoes to make the most of your visit. Layering two thin pairs of lightweight socks will help you avoid blisters.
If you book the Bell Tower tour at Bath Abbey, you’ll have to walk up and down 212 steps. You’ll need to wear shoes with a decent tread and secured around the back of your foot. High heels, flip flops, or sandals aren’t suitable, and you might be refused tickets if your shoes aren’t appropriate.
The UK is known for its rain, so always take a lightweight rainproof jacket or umbrella, even if you visit Bath in the summer.
Is it worth visiting Bath, England?
We only had a few hours in Bath, England, but I thought it was really beautiful with its honey-colored Georgian townhouses and historical buildings.
I’m not sure my 8 and 11 year old sons would have enjoyed exploring Bath’s history, and I don’t think they’d like to wander around the delis and pastry shops. However, there are some kid-friendly activities and tours on offer if you are visiting Bath with kids.
But Bath is absolutely perfect for a couple’s adventure, a day trip from London, or a short break with adults. We had a wonderful time and there’s so much more in Bath that I would love to go back and explore on another visit.
