If you’re planning a trip to Bath, you’re going to be spoiled for choice. It’s a small city, but it packs in more history and more genuinely beautiful architecture per square mile than almost anywhere else in the country. I drive tourists to and from these exact spots every week, so this isn’t a top five pulled off a tourist board leaflet, it’s the places I actually see people come back raving about.
1. The Roman Baths
You can’t come to Bath and not go to the Roman Baths, it’s the reason the city exists and it’s the reason it’s named what it is. The preserved bathhouse itself is remarkable, and the museum around it does a proper job of bringing Roman Britain to life rather than just being a few cases of pottery. Get there for opening time if you can, it gets busy by mid-morning, especially in summer.
2. The Royal Crescent
This is the postcard shot of Bath, thirty Georgian townhouses curved round a sweep of lawn, and it’s every bit as impressive in person. Walk the Crescent itself, then wander down onto the grass and look back at it. If you want to go a step further, Number 1 Royal Crescent is set up as a period house and gives you a proper sense of how the wealthy actually lived here in the 1700s.
3. Bath Abbey
Right in the centre, next door to the Roman Baths, and worth going in for the fan vaulted ceiling alone. If you don’t mind stairs, the tower tour takes you up onto the roof for the best views over the city, well worth it on a clear day.
4. Pulteney Bridge and the Weir
One of only a handful of bridges in the world lined with shops on both sides. It’s a lovely spot in its own right, but the real photo is from the riverbank looking back at the bridge with the horseshoe weir in front of it. Grab a coffee and sit by the water for a while.
5. The Circus and The Jane Austen Centre
The Circus is the Royal Crescent’s slightly less famous but equally striking neighbour, a perfect circle of Georgian townhouses. It’s a two minute walk from there to the Jane Austen Centre, which is a nice stop if you’re a fan of her books or just curious about Bath’s Regency era heyday.
Getting around while you’re here
Bath’s compact enough that you can walk between all five of these in a day, most people do. If you’re short on time, coming in for the day, or you’d just rather not be on your feet the whole visit, we cover pickups and drop-offs across the city and can also put together a private tour that takes in all five plus a bit of the surrounding countryside if you fancy it. Get an instant quote on our website or give us a call on 01225 484346.