One day 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

      Arrive at opening or come in the late afternoon in summer to avoid the midday tour groups, and use the free audio guide. Allow 2 hours.

   2. Late morning

      Bath Abbey

      Take a tower tour for views over the Roman Baths and the city's rooftops; groups are small. Allow 1 hour, plus 45 minutes for the tower.

   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

      Walk down to the riverside below Grand Parade for the classic view of the bridge and weir together. Allow 30 minutes.

   5. Late afternoon

      Victoria Art Gallery

      Pop in on a rainy hour between the Abbey and Pulteney Bridge. Allow 1 hour.

   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.

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 Jane Austen Centre (Upper Town): Combine the visit with the Jane Austen walking routes through the Upper Town and Sydney Place.
• 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 7–8 hours of visiting over one day, 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

• 2 days in Bath
• 3 days in Bath

Questions travellers ask