If you’re searching for a perfect day trip from London, you must check out Bath!
Leave the crowds of London behind and experience life in a small, historical English town.
This post contains affiliate links. If you use these links to buy something I may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you.
WHERE IS BATH?
Bath is one of the oldest towns in England and also one of the most well-known. This tiny charming town is situated about 156 km west of London and it makes a perfect escape from modern London. Since 1987, the city is on the UNESCO World Heritage Site list. If you like Roman history and Georgian architecture, you will LOVE Bath.
HOW TO GET TO BATH?
You can reach Bath by car, train, or bus.
If you choose to go by car, keep in mind that you might get stuck in a traffic jam, especially if you’re going during the weekend. Londoners LOVE to spend their weekends outside of London.
Read more >>> THE ULTIMATE LONDON WALKING TOUR: SEE EVERYTHING IN ONE DAY
Read more >>> KEW GARDENS: HOW TO DISCOVER THE MOST UNIQUE DAY TRIP FROM LONDON
The bus is definitely the cheapest option but it also lasts the longest and it’s the least comfortable. You can take the National Express bus from Victoria Coach Station. The bus ride lasts 3 hours and you can find a ticket for only 9 pounds!
The train is the best option, in my opinion. The train leaves from Paddington station and the ticket is around 50 euros. It’s an hour and a half long train ride and it’s really enjoyable. We went to Bath by train and we were very happy with our choice!
WHAT TO DO AND SEE IN BATH:
1. FIND THE PULTENEY BRIDGE
One of the prettiest views of Bath is the Pulteney Bridge which sits over the river Avon. Pulteney Bridge has shops on both its sides so it faintly resembles Ponte Vecchio, the most famous bridge in Florence. Right under the bridge, there’s a dam shaped like a horseshoe, so the scenery is quite unique. If you like boat rides, you can also take a boat tour right next to the bridge and pass under it!
2. VISIT BRIDGERTON FILMING LOCATIONS
If you’re a fan of the Netflix TV show Bridgerton, you’ll be happy to know that most of the show’s filming locations are in Bath. It’s very interesting to see how the locations from the show look in real life and where our favorite characters walked through.
The first location you must visit is the Holburne Museum. The museum represents Lady Danbury’s townhouse in the tv show and it’s often on screen in Season two. Edwina, Kate, and Anthony spend a lot of time at Lady Danbury’s!
You can also visit the No. 1 Royal Crescent and see where the Featheringtons live. Another museum serves as a house for the well-off Featherington family. If you’re interested in the 18th-century interior, feel free to enter and explore this museum, since that is the style of decoration.
A location that looks even better than in the TV show is the Abbey Deli – a deli that is used as Madam Delacroix’s dress shop. If you’re interested in where our favourite characters got their dresses fitted, come right here. You can also have a little snack while observing, which is always a plus!
3. EXPLORE THE ROMAN BATHS
The Roman baths are surely the most popular attraction in Bath. Each year the baths get over a million visitors, so keep in mind that it’s probably going to be crowded. You cannot swim in these baths but there are other thermal baths in Bath where you can take a dip. The Roman baths are a historical site built somewhere between 60-70AD by the Romans.
The site is still very well-preserved and you can explore four sections: the Sacred Spring, the Roman Temple, the Roman Bath House, and a museum. The admission ticket is around 25 pounds and the baths are open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
4. TAKE A BATH ABBEY TOUR
Our favourite activity in Bath was the Bath Abbey tour. You can buy the tour tickets inside the church and the tour is only 10 pounds. On this tour, you’ll climb over 200 spiral stairs and learn various facts about the clock of the church and the massive bells. You will also get the best view of the city of Bath from the top of the church tower.
The tour is not really for claustrophobic people because the rooms are tiny and the stairs are tightly-packed, but if you’re okay with that I would highly recommend it. Our tour guides were great and we even got a badge for completing the steep climb up. It was so fun!
5. DO A JANE AUSTIN TOUR
If you like Jane Austen, you might know she lived in Bath for a few years. The famous author brings many literary fans to Bath each year, and there are many things you can do in Bath if you’re a Jane Austin fan!
First, you can visit the Jane Austin Centre and discover what the clothing, housing, and food were like in Regency times. The Centre has everything that could have inspired Austin to write her classic novels like Pride and Prejudice and Persuasion. You can even try the Regency fashion yourself – you can dress up into bonnets, top hats, and dresses and take some iconic pictures in the Jane Austin Centre.
Each September, Bath is home to the Jane Austen Festival. During those days, many Austen fans come dressed up in Regency fashion to promenade through the city. Along with that, you can enjoy workshops, dance classes, concerts, and many other things! This year the Jane Austen Festival is going to be held from 9th to 18th September 2022, so if you like Austen, make sure you go during that time!
We had an amazing time in Bath and I hope these tips are going to be useful to you. Have you ever visited Bath, is it on your travel list?
Great guide – and really beautiful pictures!
This looks like a lovely place to visit. I’ve saved your Pin to refer back to. Thanks!
AWESOME tips, I’ve always wanted to visit Bath. The abbey tour seems so cool!
I’m heading to England this fall so this is a perfect guide. Definitely adding a day trip to Bath.
Bath looks beautiful! I’ve lived in England for a year, but I didn’t manage to visit bath. Will definitely do so next time 🙂
Just spent a day in Bath a couple months ago and loved it. We visited the Roman Bath and then enjoyed wandering around the city to explore.
I just met a friend from Bath and really want to visit her soon, this gives me lots of ideas of places to visit if I wander around on my own! Also, we just got back from London and now I really wish we had taken a day trip to Bath. Great, helpful post.
Looks lovely and the Jane Austen Festival sounds fun!
This was a hard read for me. We had to cancel a trip to bath due to COVID and I’m not sure when I will be able to reschedule. I wasn’t aware of the Bridgerton locations. I will have to check those out. Thanks for the tip!
Lovely pictures. I grew up near Bath and this post is making me nostalgic! Think I might have to go back and visit soon
Bath looks like such a historically interesting and beautiful city. I’d love to go there one day.
I visited here once and love it! Great post 🙂
If for nothing else, I would go there only for the Jane Austin Tour. I am a huge fan.
I love Bath so much! You’ve penned this guide so wonderfully – thanks for sharing!
That would be a fantastic trip! Thank you for sharing!
Bath is definitely on my “to visit” list. Thank you for these ideas for our visit!
I am thinking about taking a trip abroad with my husband and son and might have to put Bath on the list!
I’d love to go someday! Thanks for the tips!
I knew I saw some of these locations in the movies and tv series! My friends were in Bath once, I almost moved to UK for uni but health problems made me stay in Poland so I only hope I’ll visit my friend next year and visit few places in the UK 🙂
Nice write-up about one of my favorite towns.
Bath looks so beautiful! I’m also a huge fan of Bridgerton (the books and the movies!), so I would love to see some of the filming locations up close. Thanks for sharing!
What a great trip!. We went to Bath and found it so charming. Perfect write-up capturing the charm and history of this iconic city. Thanks!
I didn’t know this was where Bridgerton was filmed! I’ll have to pay more attention 🙂