A day in Bath, England: what to see and do

While staying in Bristol in England, we decided to dedicate a day to Bath, easily accessible by train and perfect for a day trip.

Bath: it’s all in the name! This English city has been renowned for centuries for its thermal baths and natural hot springs. Today, the whole city is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a status it’s held since 1987 for its Roman remains and Georgian architecture… and it’s the only city in the country to hold this distinction. Bath is also the city where Jane Austen lived for many years: fans of English literature among you will probably recognise the city often described in her books.

How much time do you need to visit Bath?

You can visit Bath in a single day, if you’re on a day trip like we were from a nearby big city like London or Bristol, or on a road trip through Somerset. The historic centre is small, so you can easily get around on foot.

Two days seem to us like the ideal amount of time to really enjoy the city, do some extra activities and stroll along the River Avon. It also means you get to see the city at night with its monuments lit up. Check out Booking to find a place to stay in Bath.

How to get to Bath from Bristol or London?

Bath is only about ten minutes by train from Bristol (Bristol Temple Meads station) with Great Western Railway. The trip costs from £10 (€12) round trip per person within the same day (pick the “Off-Peak Day Return” ticket). Once you arrive at Bath Spa station, it’s just a few minutes’ walk to Bath’s city centre: really handy when you’re only coming for the day!

From London, the train is the fastest option, with a direct service from London Paddington run by Great Western Railway: the journey takes around 1 hour 20 minutes (several departures an hour during the day). You can also take a bus with National Express or Flixbus (allow 3 hours to 3 hours 30 minutes).

What to see in Bath?

The Roman Baths

You can’t leave Bath without visiting its Roman Baths! This historic site, over 2,000 years old, was built around England’s only hot spring: it quickly became a healing destination renowned throughout the Roman Empire for its benefits. Today, you can see the Roman foundations as well as elements of 19th-century Victorian architecture, particularly on the upper terrace.

You need to factor the price of the visit into your budget, but the site is such a must-see that it would be a shame to skip it. The price includes an audio guide in English, which you can use throughout the visit. We spent close to two hours in the baths, which we think is enough to see the whole site, but if you read every panel in the museum, allow more time.

The visit is laid out in three parts: the exteriors, the museum section and the archaeological remains of the Roman baths. Even though there are a lot of people, it doesn’t feel cramped, except in a few rooms of the museum.

• Price: £26.50 on weekdays and £29.00 on weekends for adults, for a ticket bought in advance (discounted rates are available for families)

Pulteney Bridge and the banks of the Avon

In Bath’s city centre you’ll find Pulteney Bridge, one of the rare examples of a bridge lined with shops on both sides. The view from the banks of the Avon is stunning. For a lovely view from the other side, take the staircase down to “The Terrace” bar after crossing the bridge.

From there, we carried on our walk along the River Avon, all the way to the station before catching our train back. The riverbanks are well laid out and offer different views over the city: this is where you really see how much nature is part of Bath, it’s really lovely to stroll along in peace and quiet.

The historic centre

Bath’s city centre is packed with shops, cafés each cuter than the last, and more historic spots to discover: we visited most of them during our guided tour of the city, which we tell you about further down in the article. A few must-sees not to miss, in our opinion:

• Bath Guildhall Market: the covered market and its stalls
• The Cross Bath: an open-air bath (which you can even book privately)
• Hospital of St John the Baptist: an almshouse with a chapel in a hidden courtyard
• The Pump Room: now a well-known (and touristy) restaurant
• Theatre Royal
• Assembly Rooms: Bath’s high-society function rooms in Jane Austen’s day
• Milsom Street: one of Bath’s main shopping streets
• The bookshop “Topping & Company Booksellers”

What to do in Bath?

Guided tour of the city (Free Walking Tour)

To see the city from a different angle and learn all the historical details of Bath, what could be better than a (free) guided tour? Coming out of Bath Spa station, we walked into the city centre to start the guided tour of Bath run by volunteers from The Mayor of Bath’s Corps of Honorary Guides. Tours run daily at 10:30am and 2pm from Sunday to Friday (only at 10:30am on Saturday): extra tours are organised in summer, check their website for more info. No booking is needed, you just need to show up at the meeting point 10 minutes before departure. The tour lasts a little over two hours and isn’t limited to the historic city centre. Our guide Lindsey was fascinating and passionate, and gave us, with a good dose of (English) humour, the key things to know about the city of Bath. We 100% recommend this tour!

Rent a rowing boat or canoe

We didn’t get the chance to do this, but you can rent a small boat to go out on the Avon on your own, with Bath Boating for example, which rents out rowing boats and canoes (closed Mondays and Tuesdays). It costs £10 an hour and £15 for 2 hours for adults.

Take a boat trip on the Avon

Another activity idea we didn’t have time to fit into one day in Bath. It’s a chance to see the city from a different angle, from the River Avon, with Pulteney Cruisers, which offers guided tours for £15 an hour for adults.

Enjoy the spa

If we’d had more time in Bath, we would have gone to Thermae Bath Spa, located in the city centre. This spa is known for its rooftop pool, which offers a panoramic view over the city, and which our guide Lindsey said would be magical at night. Not to be missed!

Food and drink: where to eat in Bath?

• Crescent Restaurant & Bar Bath: a great spot in Bath (with a terrace), just steps from the Royal Crescent, on a quiet pedestrian street. Bistro-style English cooking with beautifully presented dishes and a warm, modern decor, everything we love! We paid €57 for two, for a starter, two mains and a dessert.

What we thought of Bath

Bath really deserves at least a full day, if not two, there’s so much to see and do. We fell head over heels for this city, so rich (in every sense of the word), peaceful and close to nature. A big plus: the city is easy to reach by train, especially from Bristol, so you can easily combine both destinations in one weekend. I (Marie) had already visited Bath about fifteen years ago on a school trip, but I didn’t really remember much about it at the time. So this long weekend in England was the perfect chance to (re)discover the city together and explore every corner of it!

So make sure to add Bath to your plans if you’re heading to London or Bristol for a weekend, for example, or doing a road trip around England, you won’t regret it. Staying overnight also lets you explore the surrounding area, especially along the Avon, with villages like Bradford-on-Avon.

Planning a trip to England? Read all our articles on the country!