Free things to do in Bath
The crescents, Pulteney Bridge, the Skyline walk, the Victoria Art Gallery, Alexandra Park and the canal cost nothing, and the Abbey asks only for a donation.
8 picks that fit, best first. The order follows the live forecast and the time of day.
Victoria Art Gallery
Bridge Street
The city’s own gallery beside Pulteney Bridge, with Bath painters and Gainsborough, free upstairs.
Indoors, so the rain doesn't matter. Free.
- Free
- Indoors
- Under 2 hours
Permanent collection free; exhibitions ticketed
Royal Crescent and the Circus
Upper town
The two great Georgian set pieces, five minutes apart, with a museum house at No. 1.
Wet right now, so save this for a dry spell.
- Free
- Outdoors
- Under 2 hours
Free; No. 1 Royal Crescent ticketed
Walcot Street
Walcot
Bath’s artisan quarter: reclamation yards, independent shops, good restaurants and the Bell pub.
Free.
- Free
- In and out
- Under 2 hours
Alexandra Park
Beechen Cliff
The viewpoint on Beechen Cliff that puts the whole city in one frame, ten minutes from the station.
Wet right now, so save this for a dry spell.
- Free
- Outdoors
- Under 2 hours
Bath Skyline walk
Claverton Down
A six-mile National Trust loop through woods and meadows above the city, with the whole of Bath below.
Wet right now, so save this for a dry spell.
- Free
- Outdoors
- Half a day
Pulteney Bridge and the weir
Grand Parade
One of only four bridges in the world lined with shops, above a horseshoe weir on the Avon.
Wet right now, so save this for a dry spell.
- Free
- Outdoors
- Under 2 hours
Bristol and Bath Railway Path
Brassmill Lane
Thirteen flat, traffic-free miles along an old railway line to Bristol, by bike or on foot.
Wet right now, so save this for a dry spell.
- Free
- Outdoors
- Half a day
- Good with kids
Free; bike hire if needed
Kennet and Avon Canal to Bathampton
Sydney Gardens
A flat towpath walk from Sydney Gardens to a canalside pub in Bathampton, and back by the river.
Wet right now, so save this for a dry spell.
- Free
- Outdoors
- Half a day
- Good with kids
Good to know
What are the best free things to do in Bath?
The crescents, Pulteney Bridge, the Skyline walk, the Victoria Art Gallery, Alexandra Park and the canal cost nothing, and the Abbey asks only for a donation. There are 8 free picks here, and the order changes with the weather: on a wet day the free museums and galleries come first, on a fine day the parks and viewpoints do.
Do free attractions in Bath need booking?
Some do, at busy times. Where a place is free but asks you to book a slot, the card says so, and the official site link takes you to the booking page.