Morning

I took the 10AM train from London Paddington to Bath Spa, which takes around 90 minutes. I grabbed a croissant and a tea from M&S at the station — a classic combo to start the day. Luckily, I managed to get a window seat too, so I just chilled out and enjoyed the journey.

I hadn’t really planned anything for this trip. I thought I’d just see where the day takes me once I arrived. Sometimes that’s the best way to explore a new place.

Once I arrived at Bath Spa, I stepped out of the station and just took a moment to soak in the surroundings. The town has that instant charm — old buildings, soft colours, and a calm vibe that hits you straight away.

The first thing I wanted to do (bit random, I know) was check out a funny street name I’d seen online — Swallow Street. It’s only about a 6-minute walk from the station, and on the way you pass through the town centre. You really start to get a feel for Bath here. There are some great photo spots along the way, and you’ll also come across some public toilets — which, for me, are a key find after any train journey.

From here, it’s just a 2-minute walk to both the Roman Baths and Bath Abbey — they’re basically next to each other. I took my time walking over and popped into a few shops along the way. Sometimes it’s nice to browse and maybe grab a little souvenir or two.

If you’re planning to visit the Roman Baths, tickets range from £25–£32.50 for adults, depending on whether you go on a weekday or weekend. Just a heads up, there were some queues when I got there, especially for those who hadn’t booked online — so it’s worth planning ahead if you’re keen to go in.

Bath Abbey tickets are £8, and I didn’t see many queues at all for that one. It might not be necessary to book in advance unless you’re visiting at a really busy time. As I was trying to cover as much of Bath as possible in a day, I decided not to go inside and just took a few photos from outside. Still impressive from the outside!

After taking a few photos and taking in the atmosphere, I walked just 2 minutes over to the famous Sally Lunn’s Eating House. It’s the oldest house in Bath and known for its iconic Bath Bunns.

I headed inside to check it out — there’s a little area where you can learn about the history and how the Bunns are made. Just a heads-up: the steps leading up are quite narrow and steep, so watch your footing. I found it all really interesting! There was a short queue to eat inside, but since I was a bit tight on time, I decided to pick up a couple of Bunns to take home instead.

Afternoon

I was feeling a bit peckish, so I decided to snack on one of the Bunns I’d just picked up — couldn’t resist ha. From there, it was just a 4-minute walk to Pulteney Bridge. I realised this was actually a really good route to take, as it naturally leads you past some key sights without needing much planning.

On the way, there were even more photo opportunities — spots like Monks Mill, the Angel of Peace, and the Mlzard Statue caught my eye. It’s those little surprises along the walk that really make exploring a new place fun.

Before crossing the bridge, I took a quick detour through a small alley called The Eastgate to check out the Market Pillar. You’ll also find a bunch of independent shops here, which is perfect if you’re after something unique. It had started raining heavily by this point, so this spot was a great place to take shelter and have a proper look around. There were plenty of food stalls inside too, including some good veggie options.

Once it had stopped raining, there was approximately a 9-minute walk to Bath Rugby. I decided to check it out and snap a good picture while I was there. I then went back on Great Pulteney Street to see the symmetrical buildings and walked it to The Holburne Museum. This is a Victorian collection of art & silver. Tickets are £12.50. As I was running short on time and had booked an evening train back to London, I just took a picture outside. On the grounds, there are also public toilets for 20p. I passed this museum and ended up in Sydney Gardens. It’s quite a large park. As you keep walking along Sydney Gardens, you come across an old cast iron arch bridge. You can see amazing views of train tracks and canals.

I then had a long 24-minute walk to see The Circus. This is a historic ring of large townhouses. I did see a lot of Ubers and taxis on my walk, just in case you’re not feeling it. I do like walking as it allows me to see the sights and really take in the experience I’m visiting. Before getting to The Circus, I took a quick detour to Bladud’s Building — you get a nice view to see Bath City.

If you can’t see everything in Bath, please try and see The Circus — it’s definitely in the top 10 sights that I’ve seen. From here, I walked to the Jane Austen Centre, and on the way, tried to improve my photography skills by taking a pic of a postbox ha. I didn’t have enough time to go inside, but I definitely need to visit Bath again to explore the attractions properly. This visit ended up being more of a walking tour than anything else. Tickets to the Jane Austen Centre are £17 — I’d definitely recommend booking in advance as I saw quite a few queues outside.

The Evening

I kept an eye on the time as I had an evening train to catch. Sometimes it’s hard to fully relax when you’re on a time constraint — maybe next time I’ll take the car. I did notice quite a bit of parking around during my walks. I worked out I had around two hours left, so I decided to head to the Bath Lookout, which I’d heard offers a great view of the city. It was about a 25-minute walk from the Jane Austen Centre. The sun had come out by then, so I was hopeful of catching a nice view. I picked up some water from Sainsbury’s on the way and passed through an underpass to get to the other side — usually they’re a bit grim, but this one was actually really nice and decorated with wall art too.

It’s quite a hilly walk with a lot of steps, so just be prepared for that. But once I got to the top, the view was amazing — I’m so glad I made the effort. It was the perfect way to wrap up my day in Bath.

Once again, there were public toilets at the top, and even some benches to sit and take it all in. In my opinion, this was the best part of the trip. The views were incredible, and it really gave me a moment to pause and appreciate the charm of Bath. On the way down, there were even more viewpoints — honestly, you could spend ages just exploring this area. There are so many different routes you can take depending on how much time you’ve got, which makes it perfect for a flexible plan.

I then made my way back to Bath Spa station to catch my train back to London. Just a heads-up — you’ll need to cross the bridge at the station to get to the right platform.

Overall, Bath was such a refreshing day trip — full of charm, character, and beautiful sights at every turn. Even though I didn’t go into all the attractions, just walking around gave me a great feel for the city. I definitely want to come back and explore more, maybe at a slower pace next time (and with less clock-watching!).

If you’re thinking about visiting — even just for a day — I’d highly recommend it. There’s something peaceful and timeless about Bath that makes it really stand out.

Thanks again for reading — I’m still learning when it comes to photography and writing, but I hope you found this helpful. Looking forward to sharing more with you soon!