EmBath is one of England’s must visit cities. Away from the hectic delights of London, England (and the wider UK) has much to offer. Bath is a city that can’t be missed. The array of history on offer, from Roman times right through to the Georgian houses where Bridgerton is filmed, make Bath a must-see for both history buffs and Instagrammers. Find out the Top 10 things to do in Bath here!
I live about 40 minutes away, so I spend a lot of my time there and know the top things to do in Bath. Read on for the ultimate guide to this beautiful city.
Travel to do the top 10 things in Bath
Bath is well served by public transport, so it’s easy to plan out how to get to the things to do in Bath.
- Trains:
There are intercity/fast train services from London, departing regularly from London Paddington (about 1.5h). You can also get trains direct from Cardiff. The price for this varies wildly (as all long distance trains in England do).
It is best to book 6-8 weeks in advance if possible, when ‘Advance’ tickets go on sale. Many train companies let you set an alert for this. I personally use Trainline which offers this option. If you’re too late for this, book as quickly as possible. ‘On the day’ fares are exceptionally expensive and prices go up every few days.
There are also trains from Bristol, the next nearest city (about 20 minutes by train) and from a variety of destinations across the south west of England. Local trains are not subject to the same price variations as long-distance trains. You won’t save much by booking ahead (maybe £1-£2). If you use Trainline, it’s cheaper to book on the day as they waive their service charge for on the day bookings.
Be aware that if you do take the train, the current provider Great Western Railways (GWR) is known for being unreliable. You are likely to be delayed so build this into your plans. This is especially if you are booking something with a timeslot for shortly after you arrive.
Sundays are particularly bad for train travel anywhere in the UK, as services are more expensive, less frequent, busier, and it is more likely there will be rail replacement services due to repair work. You can check for rail improvement works/rail replacement buses on www.nationalrail.co.uk .If you’re going for a weekend, try to return on a Monday if possible.
- Air
The nearest airport is Bristol airport. There is a direct bus by Airdecker from Bristol airport to Bath. This departs hourly. It currently costs £17 one way for an adult (summer 2024). If you are planning to fly to Bath, Bristol airport would be my strong recommendation. Flying into Bristol is quick and painless, but if you are flying home from Bristol, be aware that the security queue can be exceptionally long at peak times (particularly 4am-7am). It can be best to leave extra time.
There are a few other local airports that you might also fly into, particularly if you are coming from Europe. Cardiff is the easiest of these, with regular trains from the city centre to Bath. There are also airports in Portsmouth and Bournemouth, though these are significantly more complicated to travel to/from.
- Bus/coach
There are also coaches to Bath from London Victoria bus/coach station – this is a few minutes walk from the train station of the same name. These can be booked via National Express which runs several coaches a day. This is usually substantially cheaper than the train. However it is less comfortable and also subject to delay due to traffic (particularly on Fridays and Sundays).
Be aware that coach travel in the UK does not offer the same level of comfort as in some other countries (e.g. South east Asia, South America). The seat size is standard aeroplane seating no matter the length of your journey and there is no entertainment on offer.
Finally, you can drive to Bath. However, be aware that Bath is a small city with limited parking and bad traffic. Plan ahead for where you intend to park, and have back up options.
Luggage storage while you do the top 10 things in Bath
One of the great things about Bath is that there are a number of luggage storage facilities near the train station if you arrive before your check in or have a late departure. These are clustered opposite the station and easy to find. This makes it easy to visit the top 10 things to do in Bath.
Where to stay to do the top things in Bath?
To take advantage of the top things to do in Bath, you need to pick the right accommodation.
Bath offers a range of accommodation. There are a number of backpacker hostels including Bath Backpackers. This is highly rated on both Booking.com and Hostelworld.com. It’s centrally located and has a range of typical backpacker facilities.
There are also more high end offerings including the Abbey Hotel. This is located between the river and the Abbey. It has a nice outside area to eat or have coffee, and is highly rated on Google and Booking.com. I often have coffee here when I come to Bath.
If you are after luxury, try The Royal Crescent Hotel and Spa, set in the iconic Royal Crescent in Bath (see below). This five star historic hotel offers true luxury in one of the most recognisable historic spots in Bath.
For the most part, hotels and hostels are in the city centre, and walkable to the main attractions. Read on for the top 10 things to do in Bath.
Is Bath safe? Is it good for solo travellers?
Bath is a very safe city. It has a strong student scene, so there are often people about at night time. However, be aware that like much of the UK, restaurants and clubs in Bath will close earlier than in many European cities. This means that in the very middle of the night, it is likely the streets will be empty. However, given it is a small city, you’re unlikely to need to walk far to wherever you’re going.
Bath is a great city for solo travellers. There’s a strong hostel scene, and lots of bars and cafes for hanging out. It’s well connected, particularly locally, and the food is great!
Top 10 things to do in Bath
1. The Roman Baths
To start off your things to do in Bath, enjoy some history! Bath got its name from the natural hot springs under the city. These have been used at least since Roman times. The Romans, who loved a hot bath, built an elaborate set of pools in the city. These have been modified over the years, including in the 18th century when taking the waters became extremely popular. You can see Roman artefacts in the lower rooms in the complex. For me, the Roman Baths are the top thing to do in Bath.
To visit the Roman Baths, you need to book in advance and select a timeslot (be aware here of possible train/coach delays if doing so on the day you arrive). On arrival in Bath, it’s easy to find them, as they are in the centre of the city next to the Abbey – they can’t be missed!
The organisation of the Roman Baths is done really well – there are lots of interactive/hologram displays to show how the Romans would have used them. But for me, the green water of the pool itself, surrounded by the beautiful statues of Roman gods, is the showstopper. My favourite spot shows the baths and statues with the mediaeval Abbey behind, really highlighting the complexity of Bath’s past.
2. Thermae Bath spa, the most relaxing of the things to do in Bath
Next on the list of things to do in Bath is relax! Once you’ve seen how the Romans enjoyed the hot springs, it’s time to enjoy them for yourself! The very modern Thermae Bath Spa is a short walk from the Roman Baths. It offers a number of different pools giving you the opportunity to soak in waters which have been seen as beneficial to health for at least 2000 years. This includes the famous rooftop pool, overlooking the city, which absolutely cannot be missed.
You can also book spa packages and treatments at Thermae, including massages. If you go for this option, you’ll gather near the spa area at your allotted time. You massuse will take you to your private room for your treatment. It’s a lovely slice of luxury!
Booking for Thermae is essential, as it gets very busy. You get a two hour hour slot to enjoy all the baths have to offer.
3. Live out your Jane Austen and Bridgerton dreams
Bath is famous for being the location of choice to film period dramas such as Bridgerton and almost every Jane Austen adaptation ever. While the Romans founded Bath, it then declined in popularity. A boom in the Georgian period (the 18th and early 19th centuries) saw the city thrive as the upper classes invested in the healing power of the hot springs. This period saw the building of almost all of modern Bath.
One of the top things to do in Bath is taking time to wander the streets, admiring the beautiful Georgian architecture. The main shopping streets still have their Georgian splendour. There are some beautiful covered arcades, such as The Corridor, which became popular in Georgian towns.
It’s also worth walking out of the centre a bit to find the wide, magnificent side streets. My favourite is Great Pulteney Street, where the lack of traffic makes it easier to imagine the street filled with horse drawn carts. I love looking at the sides of the buildings, where you can see bricked up windows – a casualty of the ‘Window Tax’ of 1696 and later variations. This imposed a tax on buildings with a certain number of windows, which led to many being bricked up.
4. The Royal Crescent, the poshest of the things to do in Bath
No trip to Bath would be complete without seeing the most famous street in the city. The Royal Crescent is a bit of a walk out of the city centre, but well worth the trip. The immaculately preserved buildings provide a sense of the splendour of Georgian Bath, as well as a beautiful view over the city.
Begun in 1767, it was severely damaged during the Second World War and subsequently repaired. You can understand the lives of Georgian Bathonians through visiting No. 1 Royal Crescent. Book your visit in advance for £15 and note that it isn’t open on Mondays.
5. Bath Abbey, the oldest of the religious things to do in Bath
Once you’ve been to the Roman Baths and the Royal Crescent, it’s time for a different historical era. Number 5 on my list of things to do in Bath, it’s impossible to miss Bath Abbey, built from 1499 onwards. It dominates the city centre, rising above the smaller buildings. It’s Gothic in style, with elaborate masonry both inside and out. It currently costs £7.50 to visit (summer 2024) and the visit is worth it to understand a different time in Bath’s history.
The courtyard outside, next to the Roman Baths, will also be full of people taking picture. The Abbey makes a stunning backdrop for your next insta post.
6. Try a Sally Lunn bun, the oldest of the foodie things to do in Bath
During mediaeval and Georgian times, Bath was famous for Bath buns, a bready delight. You can experience that time in history by heading to Sally Lunn’s Historic Eating House, which has served this traditional meal since the 1680s. It’s one of many tasty things to do in Bath!
Easily found in the centre of the city, on a small lane, you might have to queue for this famous restaurant. However, it’s worth the wait to sit in the tiny restaurant. It’s as tiny and crooked as it would have been during Georgian times. There is also a small museum downstairs which shows what the kitchen would have originally looked like.
Total honesty – the buns themselves are not that great. They’re very plain bread with an assortment of different toppings available. However, for me it was worth the experience to sit in a shop that was so clearly little changed from its heyday, eating the same food as people would have eaten over 300 years ago.
7. Pulteney Bridge and the weir
Built in 1770, Pulteney Bridge is one of the most famous images of Bath. It crosses the River Avon, with a weir underneath the bridge providing a beautiful shot of the water. Pulteney Bridge still retains the shops over the bridge that would have been typical of all bridges at that time – one of only three such bridges in the world. As well as taking your pictures from the riverbank, you can pop into the coffee shop and sit on the bridge itself, looking down the river.
It’s also worth popping around to the back of the bridge, on the way to Waitrose, to see the way the buildings stick out at the back over the water!
8. Visit bookshops
Bath is a bit of a haven for bookshops, both for new and second hand tomes, and one of m favourite things to do in Bath is wander around them. A few of my favourites are:
- Topping & Co – this bookshop near the river occupies a glorious, vaulted space, making it one of the most beautiful bookshops I’ve ever seen. Well worth popping in to have a browse, or check out their diary of regular evening events.
- Mr’s B’s Emporium – another delightful independent bookshop in Bath. In contrast to Topping & Co, this smaller space focuses on beautiful murals and has a number of small reading spaces, particularly in the children’s section. It regularly wins independent bookshop awards and also hosts regular evening events.
- George Bayntun – this second hand bookshop by Bath station is another place in the city that takes you back to a different century. From the moment you have to ring a bell to enter, it feels like you’re entering a Georgian bookshop, which is only increased by the high ceilings and old books on display. I love wandering in here to look at the rare books, and there is also a section with more modern second hand books downstairs.
9. Seen the top things in Bath? Get out of Bath on a day trip!
As usual, one of the top things to do in Bath is leave Bath! There are a number of small towns around Bath that are well worth a visit, as well as stunning countryside. My favourites are:
- Bradford on Avon:
This town is a smaller, less crowded version of Bath. It has the same Georgian vibes, with bits of much older history thrown in. Take a morning to wander around, and discover the Saxon Church (thought to date to the 10th or 11th centuries) and the 14th century Tithe Barn.
The Tithe Barn in particular for me drives home that era of English history – built for the local convent, it was where they kept the tithes received from the local peasants, who were obliged to donate 10% of their earnings or produce to the nuns. The space is absolutely huge, highlighting the massive income disparity that would later lead to the Protestant Reformation. Both are free to enter.
If you do head to Bradford, get lunch or afternoon tea at the award-winning Bridge Tea Rooms. Built in 1502, this building is older than most of Bath and Bradford, and it shows in the uneven floors and crooked ceilings. The food is good and reasonably priced, and you’ll once again feel like you’ve stepped back in time as you’re served by waitresses in pinafores.
- How to get to Bradford on Avon
You can get to Bradford on Avon via regular trains from Bath station – it takes about 20 minutes. There are also local buses but these will take significantly longer.
- Frome
This town dates from 685. It is a Doomsday town, meaning that it is featured in the Doomsday Book. Commissioned by William the Conqueror. This book recorded all towns and villages in England to ensure they were paying their taxes. Frome is a thriving, arty town, with lots of little craft and independent shops lining the cobbled streets.
The most famous is the enormously steep St Catherine’s Hill, which remains much as it must have looked in Mediaeval times. You can also visit Cheap Street, also filled with independent shops, which still has the mediaeval drain/stream running in a channel down the centre of the street.
If you are in Bath for the first Sunday of the month, check out the Frome Independent Market (monthly except January and February).This award-winning, enormous market is one of the largest in the South West of England and features a huge array of independent sellers, food stalls and even live music. It does get incredibly busy, so best to go early (it opens at 10am).
- How to get to Frome
Frome can be reached by bus from Bath (bus D2X). There are also irregular direct trains, but be aware that Frome station is a 15 minute walk from the main town. It’s downhill on the way but a steep uphill on the way back.
10. The Jane Austen museum
The last thing on my list of things to do in Bath is to visit a museum! If you’re a big Pride and Prejudice fan, this is the place for you! The Jane Austen Museum focuses on the life and works of the famous author. You are taken through the museum by ostumed guides and you even have the opportunity to dress up yourself!
You can try their ‘Afternoon Tea with Mr Darcy’ in their Regency Tea Room. Full disclosure, I have yet to visit the museum, but it is a TripAdvisor award winner, and who doesn’t love an afternoon tea. The only irony is that Jane Austen hated Bath and tried to never visit, but if her ghost is still around, that ship has sailed as she’s well and truly associated with the city.
Done the top 10 things in Bath?
Got your list of things to do in Bath sorted? Ready to start planning your next weekend break? Check out my guide to having an amazing weekend in Porto for somewhere with just as much history but slightly more reliable weather.
