Roman Baths & Pump Room

View down onto the main pool with tourists around it

Credit Shutterstock.com/Edward Haylan

Last updated: 18 March, 2024

This superbly preserved Roman baths complex is Bath’s number one attraction, drawing in excess of a million visitors per year. Built over naturally occurring hot springs around AD 60, they were in use right up until the end of the Roman occupation circa AD 400. They stand today as a testament to the remarkable sophistication of Roman society and offer a fascinating insight into Roman life.

In case you’re wondering, bathing in the baths was ended in 1978, as the borehole water is no longer considered sufficiently hygienic. If you want the modern-day Roman bath experience, the nearby Thermae Bath Spa uses the same natural spring water taken from more recently drilled boreholes.

While you're there

The historic Grand Pump Room next door has a fountain spouting genuine mineral-rich Bath spa water for tasting. It also does an enjoyable afternoon tea, a popular and highly recommended way to round off your visit.

Logistics

Price from: £15

Minimum age: 0

Age suitable: 8+

When: All year around

Getting there & doing it

Guided tours are only available for group bookings. Otherwise, there are informative displays, an excellent audio guide (included in the price), and original artefacts on show in the in-house museum. There’s also a special free audio guide available for children, using a Celtic Boy and a slave girl to tell their inside story of life at the baths in Roman times.

When to do it

It’s open all year round, seven days a week.

The peak summer season sees hefty crowds, as do most weekends. It’s the city’s top tourist attraction, so it’s always popular. In July and August, the baths stay open until 9pm. This is a great time to visit – they’re torchlit and there are fewer crowds.

Who to go with: organised tours

Our selection of the best Viator tours of this attraction or activity

Roman Baths and Bath City Walking Tour

Bath

Viator

An enjoyable 2-hour tour that takes in the best of Bath's ancient Roman heritage, as well as its splendid Georgian architecture and its vibrant modern culture. Your knowledgeable local guides will show you the very best of Bath both past and present, and will give you the inside story on this fascinating city. They will even lead the group inside the Roman Baths to explore the artifacts left in Bath by Britain's Roman conquerors almost 2,000 years ago.

Price £20

Min age 0

Rating 4.57 / 5 [460 ratings]

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