Roman Baths

What you are walking through

The Roman Baths sit about six metres below the streets of Bath, and the site includes mezzanine displays, a lower museum, the Great Bath and the East Baths. The Baths describe the site as one of the best preserved Roman remains in the world. The collection holds thousands of archaeological finds from pre-Roman and Roman Britain, and its key object is the gilt bronze head of the goddess Sulis Minerva. Bath itself has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1987.

How the visit works

Bath and North East Somerset Council runs the Roman Baths. An audioguide is included in admission and comes in 13 languages, and a free children’s audioguide is narrated by Michael Rosen. A one-hour guided tour starts at the Great Bath, is given in English and costs extra, so book it ahead because numbers are limited.

Buy tickets only from romanbaths.co.uk, because the Baths warn of a fraudulent site selling half-price tickets. The entrance is in Abbey Church Yard, next to Bath Abbey. You join a queue, pass a security check and may have your bag searched, and entry can take up to 15 minutes after your booked time. Backpacks up to 30 litres are allowed, but larger luggage and pull-along cases are not, and there is no storage on site.

Access

There are four accessible lifts to the mezzanine displays, lower museum, Great Bath and East Baths. The Baths say the site is 90% accessible to wheelchair users, but there are a number of steps. Wheelchair users are limited to four at a time on the lower levels, and customer service on 01225 477785 can help if you need the lifts.

Next door to Bath Abbey

The Baths and Bath Abbey sit side by side, but they are separate visits with separate operators. The abbey is a working church and the Roman Baths are a council-run archaeological site. Find more on the town page for Bath, and check current opening arrangements on the Roman Baths website.