2 days in Bath

Day by day

1. Day 1: Roman Baths and Bath Abbey

   Roman Baths, Bath Abbey, Pulteney Bridge and weir and Victoria Art Gallery, then Thermae Bath Spa in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Roman Baths

      A walkway leads around the green Great Bath, lined with Victorian statues, and down to the remains of the temple, the steaming Sacred Spring and the gilt bronze head of Minerva. Bathing is not allowed.

   2. Late morning

      Bath Abbey

      Its west front shows angels climbing ladders to heaven, and inside, fan vaulting soars over the nave and large windows earn it the nickname 'Lantern of the West'. Guided tower tours climb more than 200 steps to the roof and behind the clock face.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Sally Lunn bun

      Sally Lunn's Eating House on North Parade Passage, in one of the oldest houses in Bath.

   4. Afternoon

      Pulteney Bridge and weir

      Just below, the curved, stepped Pulteney Weir spills the Avon in a horseshoe, best seen from Grand Parade or the riverside path.

   5. Late afternoon

      Victoria Art Gallery

      Next to Pulteney Bridge, the city's public art gallery has a domed upper gallery hung with British paintings from the 17th century onwards, including Gainsborough and Sickert, and changing exhibitions on the ground floor.

   6. Evening

      Thermae Bath Spa

      Go up to the rooftop pool after dark, when the Abbey is lit up and steam rises from the water.

2. Day 2: Royal Crescent and No. 1 Royal Crescent and The Circus

   Royal Crescent and No. 1 Royal Crescent, The Circus, Jane Austen Centre and Royal Victoria Park, then City centre lanes in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Royal Crescent and No. 1 Royal Crescent

      No. 1 Royal Crescent is a house museum furnished as it would have been in the late 18th century, from the drawing rooms to the servants' kitchen.

   2. Late morning

      The Circus

      Gainsborough lived at No. 17, and Brock Street links it directly to the Royal Crescent.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Bath bun

      Bakeries and tearooms around the Abbey and the Pump Room.

   4. Afternoon

      Jane Austen Centre

      A Georgian townhouse on Gay Street, close to where Austen lived in 1805, tells the story of the author's Bath years and the city's role in Northanger Abbey and Persuasion, with costumed guides and a Regency tearoom upstairs.

   5. Late afternoon

      Royal Victoria Park

      Hot-air balloons often take off from the park on calm summer mornings and evenings.

   6. Evening

      City centre lanes

      Historic pubs, cocktail bars and wine bars around Kingsmead Square, George Street and the lanes near the Abbey.

Before you go

• Roman Baths: Book a timed ticket online for weekends and school holidays, when walk-up queues are long.
• Bath Abbey: Tower tours run at set times with small groups and often sell out at weekends; book ahead.
• Thermae Bath Spa: Weekend and evening sessions are busy; booking is recommended. Children are not admitted to the main spa.

If it rains

• Swap in Holburne Museum (Bathwick): Walk on through Sydney Gardens behind the museum to the Kennet and Avon Canal bridges.
• Swap in Herschel Museum of Astronomy (Kingsmead): Look out for the small garden behind the house where Herschel set up his telescope.

Where to stay for this itinerary

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 10–12 hours of visiting over 2 days, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 7.9 hours in December to 16.6 hours in June, so in winter start early and keep museums for the afternoon.

Getting between stops: Walking. The Abbey, Roman Baths, Pulteney Bridge and Milsom Street are within five minutes of each other; the Circus and Royal Crescent are 10–15 minutes uphill.

More or fewer days

• One day in Bath
• 3 days in Bath

Questions travellers ask