Bath Day Trip From London (2024) – What To Do & Tips

How to take a day trip to Bath from London

I recommend you suss out your journey time and arrive in good time. Although Bath is a relatively small city, there’s quite a lot to do.

It would be a shame to rush your Bath day trip so aim to arrive before 11am and stay until late afternoon. Obviously, it’s easier to be flexible in the summer when it’s light until late evening.

Catch a train from London Paddington arriving into Bath Spa in 1 hour 16 minutes. This is the quickest option for seeing Bath in a day.

I use Trainline for booking UK trains. The most convenient option is booking an open return which means you can return whenever you’re ready. Open returns start at £69.20. If you’re travelling the UK on a budget, you can pick individual tickets instead which start at £31.

Although this option is cheaper, it’s less flexible as you have to travel at the time you’ve selected. But as long as you plan your Bath day trip well, it shouldn’t be a problem.

Search London to Bath trains.

London to Bath day trip by bus

Parking in Bath

After the train and bus, the final option for visiting Bath as a day trip is by car. Parking in Bath city centre isn’t recommended as it’s crowded with high prices. A better option is…

When you arrive in Bath from London, you’ll likely be in need of a hearty feed. There are plenty of places to eat breakfast and brunch in Bath.

One of my favourite restaurant chains in the UK is Bill’s; find the Bath branch on Cheap Street. The menu is short and sweet with English breakfasts, eggs benedict dishes and pancakes.

For an elegant option, visit either the Roman Baths Kitchen (before noon when they stop serving breakfast) or, for something really luxurious, indulge in a Champagne Breakfast at the Pump Room Restaurant.

The Circus

Just a five-minute walk from the Royal Crescent is The Circus, another striking example of Georgian architecture designed by John Wood and originally called the King’s Crescent.

This set is arranged in three segments making up a large circle shape with a grassy area in the middle. One of these beauts would set you back a casual £3 million – but wandering around as a tourist is free and you’ll even spy some of the spots where Oliver! was filmed.

A highlight of my day trip to Bath was spying the intricate details and carvings on the houses. My new camera zoom came in handy when looking at the carvings and sculptures up high.

Before leaving the circus, check out…

Bath’s best-known attraction is steeped in history. Although the city’s thermal properties were discovered in the first century, the original Iron Age settlers were thrown out by the invasion of the Romans who built a religious complex around Bath’s hot springs.

Healing and leisure were combined by the bathhouses which allowed locals to relax as they enjoyed the therapeutic properties of the waters.

You can spend a good few hours wandering around the well-reserved bath complex while spending a day in Bath. Although you can’t take a dip, you probably won’t want to when you see the bright screen shade of the waters! Instead, wander the complex and shady walkways, listening to the audiotape included with your ticket.

At the onsite Pump Room Restaurant, you can try a safe sip of the water and try some local food while listening to a resident pianist.

The Roman Baths are open 9am-9pm and entrance costs £19 per adult on weekdays and £21.50 at the weekend.

Once you’ve visited the Roman Baths, The Circus and The Crescent, you can reward your sightseeing efforts by stopping at a cafe on Pulteney Bridge.

This pretty bridge on the River Avon is one of the only in the world to have shops built into either side. Lots of them have clear views of the river so it’s the perfect place to curl up with a coffee OR hit the shops.

Visually, the bridge is impressive in its own right. It built in 1769 and named after Frances Pulteney, the wife of the wealthiest man in Britain at a time.

From Pulteney Bridge, you can board a boat trip down the River Avon. This is a great way to see Bath from a different angle and spot some wildlife along the way. Book your 25 minute Bath boat trip.

Break up your London to Bath day trip itinerary with a spot of afternoon tea. If you’re British, you’ll be well-versed in this and, if not, do as the locals do!

I like the Bridge Coffee Shop on the bridge itself. Bag a window seat for the best views. Here you can have a cream tea with scones and tea or coffee.

For a full afternoon tea (which is similar to a cream tea but includes sandwiches), splash out nearby instead at No.15 Great Pulteney. Between 12-5pm, they serve a decadent afternoon tea with fancy treats like Champagne jelly and macaroons.

They also do an outdoor afternoon tea which, with 24 hours notice, can be delivered to nearby Henrietta Park. For an indulgent day trip to Bath, this could be a lovely option to surprise a friend.

On the other side of Pulteney Bridge is one of the buildings that helped Bath earn its UNESCO World Heritage site status. In fact, the king of England was crowned on this very spot.

With its stained-glass windows, huge pillars and intricate carvings, add this place to your Bath one day itinerary to soak up 1,200 years of history.

Bath Abbey is free to go inside but a £5 donation is recommended. The Abbey is open from 10am-4pm apart from Sundays when it opens to the public at noon since it’s still a functioning church.

Although our Bath one day trip is nearly at a close, there’s still time to browse the shops and pick up a few souvenirs. Right beside Bath Abbey is a collection of independent shops with pretty facades such as Bath Retro Shop.

From bookshops to boutiques, homeware stores, ice cream parlours and traditional sweet shops, there are plenty of independent shops in Bath where you can do your bit for the local economy while treating yourself in the process.

Where to stay in Bath

If you decide to stay overnight at the end of your Bath day trip from London, there are plenty of places to stay although the city can be expensive during the summer months.

Budget option: Z Hotel is a comfy hotel with all your amenities. Check availability for £50pn.

Self-catering option: Student Castle Studio Apartments are beautiful, modern apartments inside traditional Bath University buildings. Check availability for £100pn.

Browse all hotels and self-catering accommodation on Booking.com.

Where next?

After a day in Bath, why not explore some other nearby parts of England? There are plenty of things to during a day or two days in Bristol including some quirky Bristol street art – quite unlike traditional Bath!

In Bath, you’re also nearby many charming pretty Cotswolds villages. For a complete guide to the Cotswolds, check out my Cotswolds itinerary.

Not far from Bath is beautiful Lacock Village and better yet the Lacock Abbey Harry potter movie locations!