1. Roman Baths

The Roman Baths are the best-preserved ancient religious spa complex in Northern Europe and Bath’s unmissable attraction. Built around the only natural hot springs in Britain, the complex includes the Great Bath (the main pool, open to the sky), the Sacred Spring (where ancient worshippers threw offerings to the goddess Sulis Minerva), and the Roman Temple. The museum houses an incredible collection of Roman artefacts including the Gorgon’s Head (the temple’s carved pediment) and over 12,000 Roman coins found in the spring. The audio guide (included) is excellent.

Entry: £19. Book online for best price. Include the Pump House tour (free with Baths ticket).

2. Royal Crescent & The Circus

The Royal Crescent is Britain’s most famous row of terraced houses — 30 identical Georgian townhouses arranged in a sweeping crescent overlooking a large communal lawn. Built between 1767 and 1774 by John Wood the Younger, it’s a masterpiece of Georgian architecture. No. 1 Royal Crescent is now a museum showing what the interior of an 18th-century house looked like (£12). Nearby, The Circus (a ring of 33 houses designed by John Wood the Elder) is equally impressive and predates the Crescent by a decade.

Entry: No. 1 Royal Crescent Museum £12. Royal Crescent lawn free.

3. Bath Abbey

Bath Abbey is the last great medieval church built in England, a soaring perpendicular Gothic structure founded in 1499. The west front features carved ladders with angels ascending to heaven — the “Jacob’s Ladder” motif. Inside, the fan-vaulted ceiling, the beautiful stained glass, and the magnificent organ (one of the finest in Britain) are the highlights. The tower tour (212 steps) offers panoramic views over Bath and the surrounding hills. The abbey also houses a fascinating Heritage Vaults museum beneath the floor.

Entry: Free (suggested donation £5). Tower tour £8.

4. Jane Austen Centre

Jane Austen lived in Bath from 1801 to 1806 and set two of her novels — Northanger Abbey and Persuasion — in the city. The Jane Austen Centre on Gay Street offers an engaging introduction to her life and work, with costumed guides, a small exhibition, and a Regency tea room serving the famous “Bath Bun.” The shop stocks every Austen-related book, film, and souvenir imaginable. The annual Jane Austen Festival (September) draws fans from around the world for costume walks and readings.

Entry: £12.50. Tea room separate.

5. Bath Skyline Walk

The Bath Skyline Walk is one of England’s finest urban walks — a 6-mile circular trail that takes you along the ridge above the city, offering spectacular views over Bath’s Georgian crescents and the surrounding Avon Valley. The walk passes through ancient woodlands, Iron Age forts, and National Trust-managed meadows. It takes about 2.5–3 hours and starts from the top of Bathwick Hill. The views from Sham Castle (a mock-Gothic folly built in 1762) are the photographic highlight.

Entry: Free. National Trust car park at Bathwick Hill (£5 for non-members).

6. Pulteney Bridge & Weir

Pulteney Bridge is one of only four bridges in the world with shops built across its full span on both sides. Designed by Robert Adam in 1774 and modelled on the Ponte Vecchio in Florence, it crosses the River Avon and connects the city centre to the Georgian suburb of Bathwick. Below the bridge, the horseshoe weir creates a dramatic cascade that’s beautiful to photograph. The riverside parade from the weir along the Avon toward the Bathwick meadows is a lovely 15-minute walk.