Things to do · Bath · United Kingdom
14 best things to do in Bath
14 sights and experiences ranked for a first visit, with honest notes on time, cost and crowds.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: GarfieldJAustin, CC BY 4.0
Quick answer
The essential sights in Bath are Roman Baths, Bath Abbey and Royal Crescent and No. 1 Royal Crescent. Of the 14 picks below, 5 are free, 6 work on a rainy day and 3 suit children. Allow about 2 days to see the highlights without rushing.
Key facts
- Top sight
- Roman Baths
- Free sights
- 5
- Good on a rainy day
- Roman Baths
- Time to see the highlights
- 2 days
At a glance
| Sight | Area | Time needed | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roman Baths | City Centre | 2 hours | Mid-priced |
| Bath Abbey | City Centre | 1 hour, plus 45 minutes for the tower | Low cost |
| Royal Crescent and No. 1 Royal Crescent | Upper Town | 1–1.5 hours | Low cost |
| Pulteney Bridge and weir | City Centre | 30 minutes | Free |
| Thermae Bath Spa | City Centre | 2–3 hours | Expensive |
| The Circus | Upper Town | 20 minutes | Free |
| Holburne Museum | Bathwick | 1–1.5 hours | Low cost |
| Jane Austen Centre | Upper Town | 1 hour | Mid-priced |
| Prior Park Landscape Garden | Widcombe | 1.5 hours | Low cost |
| Bath Skyline walk | Bathwick | 3–4 hours | Free |
| Victoria Art Gallery | City Centre | 1 hour | Low cost |
| Kennet and Avon Canal towpath | Bathwick | 2–3 hours | Free |
| Herschel Museum of Astronomy | Kingsmead | 1 hour | Low cost |
| Royal Victoria Park | Upper Town | 1–2 hours | Free |
The 14 best things to do
Historic site · City Centre
1.Roman Baths
The Romans built a bathing complex and a temple to Sulis Minerva over the city's hot springs, where about a million litres of water at around 46°C still rise each day. 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.
Arrive at opening or come in the late afternoon in summer to avoid the midday tour groups, and use the free audio guide.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Book ahead
- Book a timed ticket online for weekends and school holidays, when walk-up queues are long.
- Iconic
- History
- Rainy day
- Kids
Religious site · City Centre
2.Bath Abbey
The current abbey church was begun in 1499 on the site of earlier Saxon and Norman churches. 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.
Take a tower tour for views over the Roman Baths and the city's rooftops; groups are small.
- Time needed
- 1 hour, plus 45 minutes for the tower
- Cost
- Low cost
- Book ahead
- Tower tours run at set times with small groups and often sell out at weekends; book ahead.
- Iconic
- Architecture
- History
- Views
Architecture · Upper Town
3.Royal Crescent and No. 1 Royal Crescent
John Wood the Younger's sweeping half-ellipse of 30 terraced houses, completed in 1774, looks over the lawns of Royal Victoria Park and is the defining image of Georgian Bath. 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.
View the crescent from the lawn below for the best photograph, then see the servants' quarters in No. 1.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Iconic
- Architecture
- History
- Photo spot
Landmark · City Centre
4.Pulteney Bridge and weir
Robert Adam's Palladian bridge of 1774 is one of only a handful of bridges in the world lined with shops on both sides. Just below, the curved, stepped Pulteney Weir spills the Avon in a horseshoe, best seen from Grand Parade or the riverside path.
Walk down to the riverside below Grand Parade for the classic view of the bridge and weir together.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Iconic
- Architecture
- Photo spot
- Couples
Experience · City Centre
5.Thermae Bath Spa
The only place in Britain where you can bathe in natural thermal spring water, this modern spa combines restored historic buildings with a glass-walled block. The Minerva Bath sits indoors, and the open-air rooftop pool looks over the Abbey and the surrounding hills; a session includes the wellness suite of steam rooms.
Go up to the rooftop pool after dark, when the Abbey is lit up and steam rises from the water.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Expensive
- Book ahead
- Weekend and evening sessions are busy; booking is recommended. Children are not admitted to the main spa.
- Couples
- Views
- Rainy day
- After dark
Architecture · Upper Town
6.The Circus
Designed by John Wood the Elder and finished by his son in the 1760s, the Circus is a ring of three curved terraces around a circle of giant plane trees, decorated with hundreds of carved symbols. Gainsborough lived at No. 17, and Brock Street links it directly to the Royal Crescent.
Look up at the frieze of carved emblems above the ground floor; no two are quite the same.
- Time needed
- 20 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Architecture
- History
- Photo spot
Museum · Bathwick
7.Holburne Museum
At the end of Great Pulteney Street, this museum in a former Georgian hotel holds Sir William Holburne's collection of paintings, porcelain, silver and miniatures, including works by Gainsborough and Stubbs, with a modern glass extension overlooking Sydney Gardens.
Walk on through Sydney Gardens behind the museum to the Kennet and Avon Canal bridges.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Art
- Rainy day
- Architecture
Museum · Upper Town
8.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.
Combine the visit with the Jane Austen walking routes through the Upper Town and Sydney Place.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Rainy day
Garden · Widcombe
1.Prior Park Landscape Garden
Ralph Allen, the 18th-century owner of Bath's stone quarries, created this National Trust landscape garden on the hillside south of the city, with a rare Palladian bridge over a lake and a classic view down the valley to the city. It is a steep 30-minute walk or a short bus ride from the centre.
Wear sturdy shoes; paths are steep and muddy after rain, and there is no visitor car park.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Outdoors
- Views
- Nature
- Couples
Nature · Bathwick
2.Bath Skyline walk
A waymarked circular walk of about 10 km through National Trust meadows, woodland and old quarries on the hills east of the city, with views back over Bath's terraces. It passes Sham Castle, an 18th-century folly built to be seen from the town.
Start from Bathwick Hill and walk the loop clockwise; allow half a day with a picnic.
- Time needed
- 3–4 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Active
- Views
- Nature
- Outdoors
Gallery · City Centre
3.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.
Pop in on a rainy hour between the Abbey and Pulteney Bridge.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Art
- Rainy day
Waterfront · Bathwick
4.Kennet and Avon Canal towpath
The canal joins the Avon at Widcombe through a flight of locks, then climbs past Sydney Gardens towards Bathampton and the Dundas Aqueduct. The flat towpath is good for walking or cycling, with narrowboats moored along the way and pubs at Bathampton.
Walk or cycle about 4 km to the George pub at Bathampton for lunch by the water.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Outdoors
- Kids
- Active
- Nature
Museum · Kingsmead
5.Herschel Museum of Astronomy
The Georgian townhouse at 19 New King Street where William Herschel, a musician turned astronomer, discovered the planet Uranus in 1781 with a telescope he built himself. His sister Caroline, also an astronomer, worked alongside him.
Look out for the small garden behind the house where Herschel set up his telescope.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Rainy day
- Off the beaten path
Park · Upper Town
6.Royal Victoria Park
Opened by the young Princess Victoria in 1830, this large park below the Royal Crescent has a botanical garden, a big adventure playground, open lawns and a pond. Hot-air balloons often take off from the park on calm summer mornings and evenings.
Bring children to the adventure playground at the western end after the Royal Crescent.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Kids
- Outdoors
- Nature
Pick by interest
| Interest | Best picks |
|---|---|
| Art and museums | Holburne Museum, Jane Austen Centre, Victoria Art Gallery and Herschel Museum of Astronomy |
| History | Roman Baths, Bath Abbey, Royal Crescent and No. 1 Royal Crescent and The Circus |
| Views | Bath Abbey, Thermae Bath Spa, Prior Park Landscape Garden and Bath Skyline walk |
| Outdoors and nature | Prior Park Landscape Garden, Bath Skyline walk, Kennet and Avon Canal towpath and Royal Victoria Park |
| After dark | Thermae Bath Spa |
| With children | Roman Baths, Kennet and Avon Canal towpath and Royal Victoria Park |
| On a rainy day | Roman Baths, Thermae Bath Spa, Holburne Museum and Jane Austen Centre |
What to book ahead
- 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.
Plan the rest of your trip
Questions travellers ask
+What is the number one thing to do in Bath?
Roman Baths. The Romans built a bathing complex and a temple to Sulis Minerva over the city's hot springs, where about a million litres of water at around 46°C still rise each day.
+What can you do for free in Bath?
Pulteney Bridge and weir, The Circus, Bath Skyline walk, Kennet and Avon Canal towpath and Royal Victoria Park. More free things to do.
+What is there to do in Bath when it rains?
Head indoors to Roman Baths, Thermae Bath Spa, Holburne Museum and Jane Austen Centre.
+What is there to do in Bath at night?
Thermae Bath Spa are best after dark.