How To Spend A Perfect Day in Bath UK

Are you planning to spend a day in Bath, UK? Check out these recommendations to make the most of one day in Bath.

Why Visit Bath

Located just 97 miles (156 km) west of London, Bath attracts visitors from around the world as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a top day-trip destination in the UK.

The city of Bath first became popular during the Roman Empire era, when Roman baths were built to enjoy the area’s thermal waters.

Later, the city became a religious center, marked by the construction of the stunning Bath Abbey in the 7th century.

The city is also famous for its Georgian architecture, crafted with the distinctive Bath stone.

Iconic landmarks such as the Royal Crescent, the Circus, the Pump Rooms, and the Assembly Rooms showcase this unique style.

Additionally, literary fans often associate Bath with Jane Austen, the celebrated author of Pride and Prejudice, and Emma.

Miss Austen lived in Bath during the early 19th century.

Bath has drawn visitors for centuries, offering a rich blend of history, architecture, and culture.

We’ve visited Bath twice—first on a half-day tour and later for a full-day exploration.

Here’s our recommended itinerary to help you experience the best of Bath in just one day, hitting all the must-see spots.

Exploring Bath in Just One Day

Most visitors to Bath take a combined day tour of the city, which often only offer a few hours to explore Bath.

These tours typically begin with a quick stop at the Royal Crescent. Then, the bus driver drops passengers at Bath City Parade Gardens, where they explore the old city on foot before reboarding for the return trip to London.

The following itinerary is the walking route we took on our second visit, and you can follow it without booking a tour.

We hope this itinerary helps you when planning your visit so that you too can have a perfect day in Bath UK.

BATH SELF-GUIDED TOUR

Since Bath sits on a hill, we decided to walk down towards the River Avon and the train station.

Then, we returned to the Royal Crescent, which sits at one of the highest points in the city.

We took time to stroll around the crescent and enjoyed a fantastic view of the city below.

On one side of the Royal Crescent is the Royal Victoria Park which is very pretty and is a great place for children to play in for a while.

From here, you can walk down Royal Avenue into the city.

Alternately, you can walk down Brock Street into The Circus.

The Circus in Bath is famous for its stunning Georgian Neoclassical architecture and unique design.

It consists of three curved segments that form a perfect circle, with identical houses lining each section.

The design of The Circus draws inspiration from the Roman Colosseum, showcasing the city’s deep-rooted Roman heritage.

After you’re finished admiring the stunning homes of The Circus, head down Gay Street.

On Gay Street, you can stop by the Jane Austen Center and step back into the Regency era, when Ms. Austen lived in Bath.

In addition to films and interactive exhibits, the center has a shop and a tea room.

For information and tickets visit the Jane Austen Centre website.

Continue down Gay Street, passing Queen Square.

Here, you can take a detour into the small city streets and explore on your own.

Or you can continue to Barton Street and head toward Saw Circle.

On Saw Circle, you’ll find Theatre Royal, another Georgian building that still hosts modern theatre productions.

If it’s open, make sure to take a peek into the beautiful foyer.

At this point, you should take any of the streets or alleys that take you deeper into the old town.

To reach the Abbey more quickly, continue on Saw Cirlce until you reach Westgate Street

Turn left onto Westgate Street and follow it to the Abbey.

bath Abbey church

This medieval church with a gothic interior is stunning.

The church was founded in the 7th century but later fell into disrepair.

It was reorganized somewhat in the 10th, 12th and 16th centuries.

But major restoration and true changes were incorporated by Sir George Gilbert Scott in 1860.

The Abbey is recognized as one of the largest examples of what is called perpendicular gothic architecture which is very unique to England.

Large windows, four-centered arches, straight vertical and horizontal lines is what makes this type of architecture unique.

For me, it is simply grand in scale with a lot of light and great high ceilings, incredible.

Make sure to take photos of the exterior with its imposing doors and many angels.

If you have time visit the interior of this gothic Abbey.

Additionally, the church has two organs and ten bells!

One of the highlights of our visit was hearing the rehearsal for a concert that would take place at the church in a few nights.

The soprano’s voice was beautiful and the acoustics of the church heavenly.

As we paid our entrance fee we were welcome to enjoy the rehearsal which we did.

Don’t forget to visit the Roman Baths nearby.

You can no longer take a dip in the thermal waters of the original Roman baths, but you can see them.

You’ll need a ticket to enter the baths. For most recent information and to purchase tickets visit The Roma Baths website.

We only saw the building from outside due to time restrictions but if you have the time we highly recommend you pre-book a time slot and have a visit.

There are several Spas where you can enjoy the thermal waters of Bath but you’ll probably need to stay overnight to enjoy them and still see the city.

Don’t think that your day ends with Bath Abbey.

After completing your visit to the Abbey, head towards A309 and cross over to the Bath City Parade Gardens.

This charming park that borders the River Avon is a beauty.

Scenic rides can be taken on the river by boat.

Or take a walk along the picturesque Pulteney Bridge.

The bridge is lined with charming shops and cafes.

It’s a perfect setting from where to watch the river and gardens with a coffee, a glass of wine, or a cold beer on a hot day.

AFTERNOON IN BATH

Walk back to the Bath Markets area after you’re well-deserved break.

The buildings in the Market are recent construction but built with the traditional Bath stone and Georgian style architecture to preserve the old town feeling.

This pedestrian area is full of the shops you see everywhere, but also a few with Bath specialties like Bath glass.

If you like chocolates there are two very good shops worth searching out during your visit

• Bath Chocolate Company – 1 Railway Street, Bath. In addition to some great chocolates, they have coffee and pastries.
• Charlotte Brunswick Chocolates – 3 Church Street, Bath. This shop offers some of the best truffles we have tasted. We bought half a dozen truffles for the next week but they didn’t make it to the hotel that night. So good!

By this time your day will surely be coming to an end and the train station is just a hop away.

Enjoying Bath UK

Bath has some fun and unique things to see and do.

It is so close to London by train that it is a great option for spending a day in the city that so reflects our ideas of what the Regency era UK was.

The amazing abbey, the beautiful Georgian architecture, and the scenic River Avon make for a lovely visit.

We hope that this post will give you some great ideas for planning a visit to Bath if you only have one day.

If you want to extend your stay to enjoy the thermal baths or some of the other amazing events in Bath, check out the Visit Bath website.