While I recommend spending a few days exploring Bath – if you’re short on time, you can totally do a DIY London day trip to Bath. This is perfect for those not having the budget for a Bath day tour from London or simply want to organise their own itinerary.
If you’re keen to do a Bath day trip from London, this is the perfect guide. Not only will this guide detail exactly how to get from London to Bath – it will also provide a detailed London to Bath day trip itinerary – so you don’t need to do any planning – we’ve taken care of it all for you.
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London day trip to Bath Map
To help you plan your London – Bath day trip, check out the map below, which shows the location of all the attractions covered in this guide.
You can zoom in and out for a better view.
A day trip to Bath from London by train
While there are various ways of getting to Bath from London (read our full guide here), you’re best to get the train for DIY day trips to Bath from London. The reason is that the train is by far the quickest way to reach Bath at just 90 minutes.
For a day trip to Bath from London by train – you’ll need first to make your way to Paddington Station. Trains leave all day, every 30 minutes or so, with the first train leaving Paddington at around 4.30 am.
To make the most of your one day trip from London to Bath by train– I recommend you take a train around 8 am so you arrive in Bath in time for the opening of the most popular attraction in Bath – the Roman Baths.
The station in Bath is very central and you can easily walk to all the attractions from there.
Trains leave Bath, returning to Paddington regularly throughout the day – every hour or so. The last train leaves around 11 pm – although most attractions close around 5 pm – so you’ll probably want to return to London soon after.
London to Bath train tickets can be quite expensive – particularly if purchased at the last minute. For the cheapest tickets, buy your train tickets around 3 months in advance, which you should get from around £20. However, purchase them on the day of your bath trip from London or closer to the day and the price could be closer to £100.
Click here to purchase your train tickets to Bath.
London to Bath day trip itinerary
Now as to what your family wants to do on their one day trip to Bath from London will very much depend on what your interests are. However, to help you plan your Bath day trip, I’ve provided a recommended itinerary below.
However, I’d recommend you check out our guide on things to do in Bath with kids here, choose what attractions you wish to do in Bath and then use the below as a bit of a base to plan your one day in Bath itinerary.
You can find another Bath 1 day itinerary here.
Roman Baths
A visit to the Roman Baths is a must for all day trips from London to Bath! This is what Bath is famous for, after all.
It’s just 450m / .3 miles from the Bath train station – so it should only take 5 minutes or so to walk there.
I’d recommend being at the Roman Baths for opening time – which is 10 am on weekdays and 9 am on weekends. It gets super busy soon after.
Allow around 1 hour to explore the Roman Baths.
Location: Abbey Church Yard, Bath, BA1 1LZ
Hours: Weekdays 10 am to 6 pm | Weekends 9 am to 6 pm
Price: £18 Adults | £10.50 Kids (6-18) | £45 Family Pass (2A+2-4C) – pricing changes on Weekends and throughout the year; check the website for up to date pricing for your travel dates
Bath Abbey
Right by the Roman Baths is Bath Abbey – so it makes sense to visit this stunning cathedral next on your day Bath one day trip.
You can join a tour to explore the Abbey – but I recommend just having a stroll around on your own.
Allow 15-30 minutes to visit Bath Abbey.
Location: Abbey Street, Bath
Hours: Weekdays 10 am to 5.30 pm | Saturday 10 am to 6 pm | Sunday 1.15 pm – 2.30 pm and 4.30 pm to 6.30 pm
Price: Free, suggested donations – £5 Adults | £2.50 Kids | £12 Family
Sally Lunn’s Eating House
By now, the kids and you have probably worked up a bit of an appetite, so next, I recommend you visit Sally Lunn’s Eating House for your trip to Bath from London. It’s just 170m / 0.1 mile from Bath Abbey.
This quaint little restaurant is in one of the oldest homes in Bath and is home to the Sally Lunn bun – created by Sally Lunn herself in the 1680s. Now people from all over the world come to try these amazing brioche-esque buns.
It is super popular, though, so you may need to line up for a table. But it doesn’t usually take too long, and the buns are worth it!
There is also a small museum here – although it wasn’t open when we visited.
Location: 4 North Parade Passage, Bath
Hours: Daily 10 am to 4 pm (Kitchen Museum) | Dinner available until 9 pm
Price: Museum entry: 30p Adults (free if you order a refreshment) | Kids are free | Dining menus
The Royal Crescent
Now the kid’s tummies are full; it’s time to take a 15 minute walk to the Royal Crescent.
This is a must see for any families with Bridgerton fans. Even if you’re not a fan of the popular Netflix series – it’s well worth checking out the spectacular architecture in the form of 30 terraced houses in a sweeping crescent.
The exterior of No.1 Royal Crescent is used as the home of the Featherington family from Bridgerton, and it’s also home to a museum. This beautifully restored Georgian townhouse has been decorated and furnished just as it may have been from 1776 to 1796.
The Royal Crescent is highly recommended for Bath day trips from London.
Location: 1 Royal Crescent, Bath
Hours: Tuesday to Sunday from 10 am to 5.30 pm
Price: £15 per adult | Kids are free
The Circus
Next up on your Bath one day trip from London – head to the Circus, just a 5 minute walk from the Royal Cresent. This is a ring of stunning townhouses built in the 18th century and known around the world as being one of the iconic pieces of architecture in Bath.
Well worth a quick photo stop on your way back from the Royal Crescent.
Location: 1 – 30 The Circus, Bath
Hours: Anytime
Price: Free
Visit a museum
Now depending on your family’s interests, I’d recommend next up visiting one of the museums in the area.
Within a short walk from the Circus is the Jane Austen Centre or Mary Shelley’s House of Frankenstein. You might even want to return to town and visit the Postal Museum if your kids are little.
Each museum will take an hour or so to visit – perfect for things to do in Bath in a day.
Jane Austen Centre
Location: 40 Gay Street, Bath
Hours: Sunday – Friday 10 am to 4.30 pm | Saturday 10 am to 5.30 pm
Price: £13.25 Adults | £6.50 Kids (6-16) | £35 Family Pass (2A+4C) | Under 6s are free – Click here to book your tickets online
Mary Shelley’s House of Frankenstein
Location: 37 Gay Street, Bath
Hours: Daily 11 am to 5 pm
Price: £15.50 Adults | £12.50 Kids (5-15) | £38.30 Family Pass (1A+2C) | £53 Family Pass (2A+2C) | Under 5s are free – Click here to buy your tickets online
Postal Museum
Location: 27 Northgate Street, Bath
Hours: Monday & Thursday 11am to 4pm | Tuesday, Wednesday & Friday 2pm – 5pm | Closed Weekends
Price: £6 Adults | £3 Kids (6-16) | £12.50 Family Pass (2A+2C) | Under 6s are free
Pulteney Bridge
A day in Bath is not complete without a stroll over the Pulteney Bridge – just a 10 minute walk from the Circus. This stunning piece of Georgian architecture is one of only four bridges in the world to have shops across its full spa on both sides.
It’s a great spot to grab something to eat if anyone is hungry or pop into the shops for some souvenirs.
The Holbourne Museum
From the Pulteney Bridge, keep walking another 10 minutes or so and you’ll come across the Holbourne Museum. As well as being a fantastic museum with plenty of kid friendly activities – for Bridgerton fans, you may recognise the exterior of the building as Lady Danbury’s house.
This is the last stop on our recommended day trip – London to Bath. Maybe find somewhere for dinner – before returning to the train station and heading back to London.
Location: Great Pulteney Street, Bath
Hours: Monday – Saturday, 10 am to 5 pm | Sunday 11 am to 5 pm
Price: £12.50 Adults (including donation) or £11 (without donation) | Under 18s are free
Bath day tours from London
While the above 1 day in Bath is super easy to do yourself, you may prefer an organised tour that takes care of everything for you. If this is the case, you may want to check out one of the Bath day tours from London.
Most Bath day trips from London include a stop in Bath and a stop in another nearby location such as Stonehenge, Windsor or Brighten. This means that you’ll only see the highlights of Bath.
Most guided tours start at around £75 per person up to £100+ depending on what is included.
Click here to see a range of Bath day tours from London or read our guide here on the best Bath day tours from London.
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Hopefully, you found this guide to getting to Bath from London helpful. Other great guides which you may also find helpful include where to stay in Bath with kids, things to do in London with kids and where to stay in London with kids.