City centre
First-timersAround the abbey and the baths: everything within ten minutes, and the priciest beds.
Bath city guide
Things To Do In Bath
Roman baths still full of hot water, Georgian crescents in honey-coloured stone, and a small walkable city that is UNESCO-listed twice over.
5
Hostels in the city
9.2
Average, from 21,316 reviews
46°C
The temperature the spring still rises at
1,170,000
Litres of hot water a day
30
Houses in the Royal Crescent
Two thousand years of people coming here for the water
Britain's only hot spring rises here at 46°C, and people have been building around it since the Romans arrived and called the place Aquae Sulis.
The Roman Baths are the surviving complex — the Great Bath still full, the plunge pools, the temple remains and the spring itself steaming in the open.
The Georgians rebuilt the city on top of it in honey-coloured Bath stone, all of it to a plan, which is why the Royal Crescent and the Circus look the way they do. Jane Austen lived here and set two novels here, largely complaining about it.
It is small and walkable and it gets a lot of day visitors, so mornings and evenings are much better than the middle of the day.
One full day, or two at a relaxed pace. Bristol is fifteen minutes away by train and much cheaper to sleep in.
Where to stay
A small centre, or cheaper beds in Bristol fifteen minutes away.
Around the station
Value and transportSouth of the centre, five minutes' walk in, with cheaper rooms and fast trains to Bristol and London.
Widcombe and Bathwick
Quiet and greenEast across the Avon: canal towpaths, the Kennet and Avon, and a residential calm ten minutes from the abbey.
Orange labels are neighbourhoods, dots are the 4 top-rated hostels. Map © MapTiler © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Things to do
Things to do in Bath
The Roman Baths are the reason to come, at about £28 in peak season. The Great Bath is still full of hot spring water, the temple and plunge pools survive, and the audio guide is genuinely good. Book online, go at opening or in the last two hours, and skip the middle of the day entirely.
You cannot swim there — the water is untreated and carries a real infection risk. Thermae Bath Spa next door uses the same spring, treated, and has a rooftop pool looking over the city at about £40 for two hours.
The Royal Crescent and the Circus are free to walk to and are the Georgian set pieces. Number 1 Royal Crescent is furnished as it would have been and costs about £15.
Bath Abbey is about £8 and has a tower tour. Pulteney Bridge, lined with shops like the Ponte Vecchio, is free and best seen from the weir below.
Free things
Free things to do in Bath
The city itself is the free attraction: the Royal Crescent, the Circus, Pulteney Bridge and the whole Georgian grid are open streets.
The Victoria Art Gallery and the Museum of Bath Architecture have free or low-cost entry, and the Holburne Museum's ground floor is free.
Royal Victoria Park and the Crescent lawn are free, and the lawn in front of the Royal Crescent is where people sit in summer.
The Kennet and Avon canal towpath runs east out of the city past locks and narrowboats.
Alexandra Park on the hill south of the centre gives the best view of Bath — the whole honey-coloured bowl of it — and costs nothing. The climb takes about twenty minutes.
Food and drink
Eating and drinking in Bath
Bath is pricier than its neighbours and geared to visitors, so stepping one street back from the abbey improves both the food and the bill.
The Sally Lunn bun, a large light brioche served since the seventeenth century, is the local thing and costs about £8 with toppings.
A pub main is £15 to £20, and the pubs on the edges of the centre are better value than the ones on the square.
Bath Farmers' Market on Saturdays at Green Park Station is the good cheap option, along with the food stalls there through the week.
A pint is £5 to £6.50, and Bath is close enough to Somerset that proper cider is easy to find.
Nightlife
Going out in Bath
Quiet by design. Bath is a small, wealthy, heavily residential city and it is not where anyone comes for a night out.
There are good old pubs — the Star Inn and the Bell among them — and a couple of clubs aimed mostly at the university crowd.
A pint is £5 to £6.50 and cocktails £10 to £14.
The Theatre Royal is the serious evening option, with touring productions on their way to or from London.
Bristol is fifteen minutes away by train and has everything Bath does not, which is what most people under thirty do with a Saturday night here.
Getting around
Getting around Bath
Walk. The centre is compact and everything listed here is within fifteen minutes of the abbey, though the city sits in a bowl and the edges climb steeply.
Buses cover the hills at about £2.50, and the skyline walk out of the city is signposted from the centre.
Trains reach Bristol in fifteen minutes for £8 to £12, London Paddington in an hour and a half, and Cardiff in an hour.
Bristol Airport is an hour by bus, about £15.
Driving in Bath is a poor idea — a clean air zone applies, parking is expensive and the streets are Georgian.
Costs
What Bath costs
One of the more expensive small cities in England. Dorms are £22 to £40 and beds are limited, a pub main £15 to £20, and a pint £5 to £6.50.
A day is £60 to £110, and the entries are what drive it: the Roman Baths at about £28 and Thermae at about £40 if you want the spa.
The obvious saving is to sleep in Bristol and come over for the day — fifteen minutes and £8 to £12 each way, with dorms several pounds cheaper a night.
Booking the Roman Baths online in advance is cheaper than the gate price and skips the queue.
Safety
Staying safe in Bath
Bath is among the safest cities in England, and the main risks are not criminal.
Do not touch or enter the water in the Roman Baths. It is untreated, it carries bacteria including the organism that causes Legionnaires' disease, and the warnings are there for that reason rather than for preservation.
The hills are steep and the pavements are old stone that gets slippery in rain.
The Avon floods occasionally and the towpaths can be closed in winter.
Day-trip crowds make the centre a pickpocketing opportunity in summer, though at low levels. Emergency number is 999, or 112.
Day trips from Bath
A stone circle, a gorge and a city, all within an hour.
Bristol
Street art, a suspension bridge over a gorge and far more nightlife.
Stonehenge
The stone circle. Book the timed entry ahead; the visitor centre is a mile from the stones.
Cheddar Gorge
England's largest gorge, with caves and a clifftop walk.
Lacock
A National Trust village with no visible modern fittings, used constantly as a filming location.
What's on
What is on while you are there
A Christmas market in the Georgian streets, and Jane Austen in September.
Staff pick
13–21 November
Bath Mozartfest
Bath Mozartfest in Bath, United Kingdom, is a renowned classical music festival that has delighted audiences for over 30 years with its exceptional chamber…
Staff pick
14 October
Avatar - The Last Airbender
Avatar – The Last Airbender live event features a full orchestra performing music from the beloved animated series, paired with scenes from the show.…
Staff pick
16–25 October
Bath Film Festival
Bath Film Festival transforms Bath, United Kingdom, into a cinematic hub each autumn, showcasing over 50 films, special events, and immersive experiences in historic…
Staff pick
17 October
Chris Ramsey
Chris Ramsey is a British comedian known for his sharp observational humor and relatable storytelling. His energetic performances blend quick wit and everyday charm,…
Staff pick
19–22 October
Wildscreen Festival
The Wildscreen Festival, held biennially in Bristol, UK, is a must-attend event for wildlife and environmental enthusiasts worldwide. With an anticipated attendance of over…
Staff pick
22 October
Tony Blackburn
Tony Blackburn is a legendary British radio DJ and presenter known for his long career on BBC Radio and his upbeat, nostalgic music sets.…
Staff pick
12 November
Jools Holland and His Rhythm & Blues Orchestra
Jools Holland and His Rhythm & Blues Orchestra deliver lively shows filled with boogie-woogie piano, classic covers, and swinging brass. Led by the acclaimed…
Staff pick
13 November
The Amy Winehouse Band
The Amy Winehouse Band reunites the original musicians behind Amy’s iconic sound to perform her greatest hits live. Their shows deliver soulful, nostalgic performances…
Hostels
Where to stay in Bath
A small scene for a city this visited, so book early — or sleep in Bristol and come over. Live from Hostelworld.
When to go
May, June and September. December is the Christmas market, and it is heaving.
Jan
Cold and quiet. The spa is at its best in winter
Feb
Grey and cheap
Mar
Improving. Crowds still light
Apr
Good. Blossom in the parks
May
Excellent. Long evenings and the stone at its best
Jun
The best month. Everything open, crowds manageable
Jul
Peak day trippers. Go early or late in the day
Aug
The same, busier still
Sep
Superb. Crowds thin and the light is good
Oct
Autumn and good value
Nov
Wet. The Christmas market opens at the end
Dec
The Christmas market fills the centre completely
Bar height is temperature. Colour is how busy it gets:
quiet
busy
peak
Average highs. The rooftop pool at Thermae is at its best in cold weather, when the steam comes off it — winter is the better spa season, not summer.
What your trip will cost
Pick how you travel. Per person per night, in pounds.
The doing line is high because the Roman Baths are about £28 and the spa about £40. Sleeping in Bristol cuts the bed line noticeably.
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- Beds—
- Food and drink—
- Getting around—
- Doing things—
Bath travel questions
The ones we get asked most.
Can you swim in the Roman Baths?
No. The water is untreated and carries bacteria including the organism behind Legionnaires' disease, so you should not touch it either. Thermae Bath Spa next door uses the same spring water, treated, and has a rooftop pool — about £40 for two hours.
Are the Roman Baths worth £28?
Yes, once. The Great Bath is still full of 46°C spring water, the temple and plunge pools survive, and the audio guide is genuinely good. Book online for a cheaper rate, and go at opening or in the last two hours to avoid the day-trip crowd.
How long do I need?
One full day covers the baths, the abbey, the Royal Crescent and Pulteney Bridge. Two days at a slower pace, with the spa and a walk up to Alexandra Park for the view.
Should I stay in Bath or Bristol?
Bristol is fifteen minutes and £8 to £12 away by train, has far more beds and they are cheaper, and it has the nightlife Bath does not. Staying there and day-tripping to Bath is the standard budget move.
Is there a nightlife?
Not really. Bath is small, wealthy and residential, with good old pubs and a theatre but very little else. Bristol is fifteen minutes away and is where people go.
When is the best time for the spa?
Winter. The rooftop pool at Thermae is open-air and the steam rising off it in cold weather is the whole point — it is a much better experience in January than in July.
Can I see Stonehenge from Bath?
Yes, about an hour and a half each way by bus via Salisbury for around £20. Book the timed entry in advance, and note the visitor centre sits a mile from the stones with a shuttle in between.
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