From the art galleries and Georgian architecture to the live music scene, you can enjoy many sides of Bath without spending a penny. Here are some of the top things to do for free in the city.

Bath World Heritage Centre

This new interactive visitor centre showcases what makes Bath a UNESCO World Heritage Site – the hot springs, Roman remains, Georgian architecture, Georgian town planning, the social setting of the Georgian spa town, and the city’s natural landscape setting. Explore exhibits, pick the brains of the local expert staff, and discover walking trails and guides to help you enjoy the city.  

People looking at a map in the Bath World Heritage Centre
Image - Bath World Heritage Centre

Victoria Art Gallery

Based in the first-floor gallery, which has been restored to its Victorian splendour, the permanent collection at the city’s public art museum is free to visit. Admire works by European artists from the past 500 years, as well as a fantastic collection of decorative arts in the small upper gallery next door.

Permanent collection in the first floor gallery at Victoria Art Gallery
Image - Victoria Art Gallery

The Holburne Museum

While there’s usually an admission fee to visit the Holburne Museum, you can explore for free from 3pm to 5pm on Wednesdays or 5pm to 9pm on the last Friday of the month. This grand gallery – which you may recognise from Netflix smash-hit Bridgerton – houses a collection of fine and decorative art, with continually changing exhibitions on offer too.  

Exterior of the Holburne Museum
Image - Holburne Museum

Free Live Music at Bath Pubs and Bars

Fancy a great gig for free? You’ll find one most nights of the week in Bath, at places like Komedia’s relaxed mini venue The Electric Bar; steakhouse and jazz bar Green Park Brasserie; and live music pubs The Bell Inn and The Grapes. Check our music listings to see what’s on while you’re in town.  

Fiddle player at Green Park Brasserie
Image - Green Park Brasserie

Bath Royal Literary and Scientific Institution BRLSI

Exhibitions at the BRLSI, where they maintain an extensive collection of books, fossils and artefacts, are free to enjoy. You can also attend talks from experts in science, the arts, and current affairs for as little as £2.

Bath Royal Literary & Scientific Institution
Image - BRLSI

The Royal Crescent

Brace yourself for the beauty of the Royal Crescent, one of the most magnificent examples of Georgian architecture in Bath. Designed by famed local architect John Wood, the Younger, the sweeping crescent of Grade I-listed houses built from honey-hued Bath stone and lined with classical Ionic columns is incredibly photogenic, so have your camera ready.  

People pushing prams across the Royal Crescent lawn
Image - The Royal Crescent

Royal Victoria Park

Just below the Royal Crescent is another “royal” must-visit in Bath. This green hangout was originally an arboretum and among the 57 acres of parkland, there’s still a beautiful botanic garden and secluded woodland forest glade, The Dell. Picnicking, duck feeding, mini golfing, ziplining and skateboarding are just some of the activities you can enjoy here. Look out for hot air balloons taking flight from the park when the weather is bright and still.

Botanical garden at Royal Victoria Park
Image - The Botanical Gardens at Royal Victoria Park

Mayor of Bath Honorary Guides

These free, twice-daily walking tours cover all the main points of historic and architectural interest in the city, with each volunteer guide putting their own unique spin on the content. Join them from the Pump Room in Abbey Churchyard, at the sign board 'Free Walking Tours Here.' 

In the Footsteps of Jane Austen: A Free Audio Walking Tour

Follow in the footsteps of Bath’s most famous resident on this self-guided walking tour. It includes extracts from Austen’s novels and letters, which describe Bath in its Georgian heyday, and can be completed at your own pace, with stop-offs for visits to attractions, cafes and shops whenever you please.

Women in Regency costumes

Bath Carnival

One of Bath’s best-loved summer events is completely free. The carnival is an arts extravaganza, filling the city streets with colourful outfits, energetic music and dance, and creative workshops.

Crowd of people in costume at Bath Carnival
Image - Bath Carnival, credit Lucy Baker Photography

The Bristol and Bath Railway Path

Have a cycling adventure along this 13-mile path connecting Bristol and Bath. Open to walkers too, keep your eyes peeled for wildlife and pieces of local history along the route. There are plenty of interesting places to explore between the two cities too, like the Avon Valley Railway and nature reserve Willsbridge Mill.

Bike by the Bristol and Bath Railway Path
Image - Bristol and Bath Railway Path, credit @tatsuhiko_a

Alexandra Park

One of the best views of Bath is waiting in Alexandra Park. Take a walk up a wooded hillside just south of the city centre to Beechen Cliff to reach this tranquil spot, where you get a panoramic look at the city’s skyline.

View of Bath from Alexandra Park
Image - Alexandra Park, credit Paolo Ferla

Bath Skyline Walk

Speaking of the city’s skyline, this three-mile walking trail mixes city and countryside, taking in stunning views, hidden waterways, and Georgian history. It’s inspired by the leisurely strolls members of eighteenth-century high society would go on to “take the air”. There’s also a six-mile circular route if you have time for a longer walk.

Bath Skyline Walk view
Image - View from Bath Skyline Walk

Sydney Gardens

The oldest park in Bath dates back to 1795 and was a popular place for fashionable residents of Regency Bath to spend time, Jane Austen included. Today it’s a picturesque spot with fine trees, flowers, and a stretch of the Kennet and Avon Canal running through, as well as tennis courts and a children’s play area. Join one of the free walking tours for a wander through the park’s past.  

Bridge over the canal in Sydney Gardens
Image - Sydney Gardens

The Circus

The Circus is a supremely pretty circle of Grade I-listed townhouses, rivalling the Royal Crescent as a piece of iconic Georgian architecture. It’s even designed by the same architect, John Wood, the Younger. It’s said that the Circus is joined to the Royal Crescent by a ley-line, and that together they represent the sun and the moon.

The Circus
Image - The Circus

The Georgian Garden

When you’re finished marvelling at The Circus, peek behind the façade of number four to discover a faithful recreation of a garden from the 1760s. It’s a little oasis that transports you back to Georgian Bath.

Georgian Garden
Image -  The Georgian Garden

Pulteney Bridge and Weir

Another beautiful Bath landmark is Pulteney Bridge. Designed in 1769 and commissioned by an influential landowner, it was intended to be the first piece of a new town that would rival John Wood’s west side of the city. This grand scheme was never completed but luckily the elegant bridge remained. The horseshoe weir on the river below adds to the scenic setting, making this one of the most photographed views in the city.

Pulteney Bridge and weir
Image - Pulteney Bridge and weir, credit Lloyd Evans

Summer Sundays

If you’re visiting in the summer months, look out for free family-friendly entertainment Sundays. The Summer Sundays programme brings a variety of arts, crafts and music to the city centre. You might catch a flamenco performance, stilt walkers, balloon modelling, or anything in between!

Bathscape Walking Festival

Any keen walkers will want to be in Bath for September’s annual Bathscape Walking Festival. Sign up for a host of free guided walks to discover Bath and beyond on two feet, learn about local history, and meet like-minded ramblers.

Walking in Bath

Two Tunnels Greenway

Journey through the longest cycling and walking tunnel, Combe Down, in Britain on the Two Tunnels Greenway. It’s over a mile long and features an interactive light and sound installation. Once a former railway line, the four-mile path also leads you through the Devonshire tunnel, a wooded valley, and over the Tucking Mill viaduct.

Two cyclists on the Two Tunnels Greenway
Image - Two Tunnels Greenway

Bath City Farm

A great free place to visit with kids, Bath City Farm has a play park, walking trails, a farm shop, café, and lots of farm animals. Donations are encouraged to help fund the running of the farm, which is also a charity supporting people with enduring mental health issues, living with disabilities, or otherwise facing adversity.

Bath Cricket Club

Bath Cricket Club play at two grounds in the city centre – one at their club HQ on North Parade and The Brownsword Ground on Lansdown Road. Grab a drink from the bar and enjoy a match for free.

More Money-Saving Tips

Are you a Bath local? Sign up for a Residents’ Discovery Card and make the most of discounts and offers at heaps of attractions, places to eat, and on activities too.

View of Bath Abbey from the Roman Baths
Image - Roman Baths and Bath Abbey

Our special offers are another handy way to save money on your Bath break and you can also check our what’s on listings for free events happening while you’re in town.  

If you’re staying the night, don’t forget to book accommodation direct to get the best rates possible. Perks like breakfast and parking are often included too!

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