Discover 12 of the very best places to visit for day trips from Bath including practical tips & information to plan your trip. Options to visit by tour, car and train are covered too!
Bath is a fabulous city to spend time in – there’s lots to discover and it also makes a great UK base for visiting other attractions close by.
Sights well worth seeing that are within easy reach of Bath include ancient Stonehenge, the charming Cotswolds area with its beautiful villages, breathtaking Cheddar Gorge, bohemian Glastonbury and the stunning but small cathedral city of Wells.
The easiest way to see what lies beyond the city and the countryside surrounding it is to take a private or small group organised day trip from Bath. Booking onto a Stonehenge tour from Bath for example, means you don’t have to hire a car to reach this must-see in the nearby county of Wiltshire.
So read on to find the perfect tour for you. Small group tours from Bath to glorious places all over south west England are covered, and within each listing, we reveal a little more about what makes each destination special.
This guide includes both small group and private tours from Bath, and there is also a walking tour of Bradford-on-Avon thrown in, too, for good measure. Booking many of these tours is also risk-free, as you can cancel up to 24 hours before to receive a full refund.
If you prefer to take public transport, you will find information about possible day trips from Bath by train included in this post, with information about the best routes and timings.
Here they are – 12 of the best places to visit on a day trip from Bath you’ll find anywhere, all handpicked by a pair of well-travelled Brits!
- ⭐️ Quick picks – Best day trip tours from Bath
- 12 Best places to visit near Bath
- 📍The Cotswolds: Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
- 📍Stonehenge: Neolithic stone circle
- 📍Avebury: Neolithic stone circle
- 📍Glastonbury: Mystical place with spiritual connections
- 📍Salisbury: Pretty cathedral city
- 📍Longleat House: Tudor mansion and home of the Marquis of Bath
- 📍Nunney Castle: Moated medieval castle
- 📍Bradford-on-Avon: Picturesque village
- 📍Wells: Beautiful cathedral in one of the UK's smallest city
- 📍Cheddar Gorge: Limestone gorge in the Mendip Hills
- 📍Bristol: Historic port and city
- 📍Cardiff: Welsh capital
- 5 Best places to visit on a day trip from Bath by train
- Which are the best day trips from Bath for you?
⭐️ Quick picks – Best day trip tours from Bath
If you are considering a private tour from Bath, we recommend Bath Insider Tours. Led by local guide Daniel, these tours offer a truly personal experience.
Whether you’re exploring Bath’s iconic landmarks or visiting nearby spots like Stonehenge and the Cotswolds, Daniel’s expertise ensures a memorable, customised tour.
| Destination | Duration/Type |
|---|---|
| Stonehenge, Cotswolds & Avebury trip from Bath | 9 hours/Group |
| Cotswolds Experience tour from Bath | 9 hours/Group |
| Half-day Stonehenge tour from Bath | 4 hours/Group |
| Bath Tour & Fly a Hawk Experience | 6/7 hours/Private |
| Lacock and Castle Combe Afternoon Tour | Half-day/Private |
| Bath and Stonehenge Private Tour | Full day/Private |
| Private Tour of Stonehenge | Half-day/Private |
| Wells, Cheddar Cheese and Cheddar Gorge | Full day/Private |
| Glastonbury Tour | Half day/Private |
12 Best places to visit near Bath
12 of the best places to visit near Bath and precisely why you should include them on your UK itinerary.
📍The Cotswolds: Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
Even the most jaded Brits cannot get enough of the Cotswolds. Covering an area of almost 800 square miles in size, this gentle landscape is incredibly easy on the eye.
Parts of Worcestershire, Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, Oxfordshire and Warwickshire all belong to the area in central England.
The area is famous for some of the prettiest villages you’ll find anywhere on earth, all lined with old, honey-toned cottages constructed centuries ago from the local stone.
Rolling green hills, stately homes, historic castles, and grand palaces are also available to discover.
📍Stonehenge: Neolithic stone circle
Stonehenge barely requires an introduction – the circle is one of those iconic sights that’s known all over the world.
Exactly how the standing stones got there is something of a mystery, and the intrigue only adds to the appeal of this ancient site featured in Thomas Hardy’s Tess of the D’Urbervilles.
📍Avebury: Neolithic stone circle
Though lesser-known than Stonehenge, Avebury gives the former a serious run for its money. It comprises a range of ceremonial sites dating from Neolithic times and the Bronze Age.
Here you can find the biggest stone circle in Britain as well as smaller ones and other prehistoric points of interest.
📍Glastonbury: Mystical place with spiritual connections
Glastonbury in Somerset is known for its Tor (hill), its Abbey and of course the renowned music festival held every June (often, when it’s wet, this becomes a mud bath).
The town itself is also a fascinating place to visit, and is packed with folklore, New Age and alternative shops and cafes and an eclectic mix of people.
Just don’t call it Glastonbury Festival while you’re here. It’s referred to as the Pilton Pop Festival by locals, after the village down the road where the venue Worthy Farm can be found.
📍Salisbury: Pretty cathedral city
Salisbury is located in Wiltshire and is a cathedral city dating from the Mediaeval era. As it’s less than 10 miles from Stonehenge on Salisbury Plain, it’s easy to combine the two destinations in one day.
You can see a copy of the historic 12th century Magna Carta at 13th century Salisbury Cathedral. The 14th century clock still actually works too.
Much like Bath, Salisbury is a lovely city to spend time in too, with a lively market, smart shops and some very appealing cafes and restaurants.
📍Longleat House: Tudor mansion and home of the Marquis of Bath
The Marquesses of Bath own Longleat House, an imposing country manor located in Wiltshire. You can tour the Elizabethan home and the gardens, which were landscaped by the famous Northumbrian gardener Capability Brown.
Inside Longleat House there is a considerable collection of books, furnishings and artwork to explore.
📍Nunney Castle: Moated medieval castle
Nunney Castle is also in Somerset and is like something from a fairytale. It dates back to medieval times, and a moat surrounds the 14th-century structure. Originally it was intended for defence purposes, and was built using profits from the Hundred Years War.
📍Bradford-on-Avon: Picturesque village
While Bradford on Avon isn’t exactly undiscovered, it’s not as much on the beaten tourist track as other places in Wiltshire and Somerset.
It’s a pleasant town between Salisbury Plain, the Cotswolds and the Mendip Hills. The streets are lined with graceful old buildings, and the town is intersected by the Kennet and Avon canals.
📍Wells: Beautiful cathedral in one of the UK’s smallest city
Wells in Somerset is only around 20 miles south west of Bath and is one of (if not the) smallest cities in England. This is correct as long as you discount the City of London, which occupies less space but is of course part of a much bigger urban area.
Wells was named for three water wells located in the city and is famous for its cathedral, the Bishop’s Palace and the Vicar’s Close.
📍Cheddar Gorge: Limestone gorge in the Mendip Hills
Cheddar Gorge is just one of the attractions of this part of Britain famous for being where the cheese of the same name originated. The village is a pleasant spot, bisected by the Cheddar Yeo river. Unsurprisingly there are lots of cheese, fudge and gift shops here.
The Cheddar Caves area is also an attraction, and the oldest skeleton in the UK was found here at the start of the 20th century. As for the limestone Gorge, it’s an incredible sight and quite unlike anything else in the land.
📍Bristol: Historic port and city
Two names are linked with Bristol. One is Victorian engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel. The other is artist Banksy. Both of their works can be admired in Bristol – from a famous suspension bridge to an ocean liner to 11 works of Banksy’s street art you can see it all in the city.
🌟 Essential Resources for your UK Trip 🇬🇧
📒 UK Travel Toolkit – Organise your travel plans with our essential UK Travel Toolkit
🛤 UK Train Travel Guide – Our guide to travelling the UK by train. Remove the stress and overwhelm of travelling on an unfamiliar system with our ebook
📍UK Itinerary Planners – Plan your visit to 9 popular UK destinations with our itinerary planners
📍London Travel Planning Map – With over 950 points, our London map is your go-to digital tool for exploring one of the world’s most vibrant cities.
📋 London Travel Guide Itinerary Planner – Our essential London planner (+ 4 bonus ebooks)
5 Best places to visit on a day trip from Bath by train
If you prefer to take the train, visiting some of these places from Bath in a day is possible. In our view, some destinations are better visited by tour, such as most of the Cotswolds, but these are our top picks from Bath by train.
Salisbury and Stonehenge
- Distance from Bath – 40 miles
- How to get to Salisbury and Stonehenge by train from Bath – Take the train direct from Bath Spa to Salisbury then hop onto the Stonehenge Tour bus.
- Travel time? Just under 1 hour
- Read more – Salisbury Travel Guide
Bradford on Avon
- Distance from Bath – 7 miles
- How to get to Bradford on Avon by train from Bath – Direct from Bath Spa
- Travel time? 15 minutes
Cardiff
- Distance from Bath – 54 miles
- How to get to Cardiff by train – Generally one change at Bristol Parkway (there are some direct train services)
- Travel time? 1 hour 20 mins
- Read more – Cardiff Travel Guide
Bristol
- Distance from Bath – 13 miles
- How to get to Bristol by train – Direct train Bath Spa to Bristol Temple Meads
- Travel time? 20 mins
- Read more – Bristol Travel Guide
Which are the best day trips from Bath for you?
With a wealth of day trips near Bath to choose between, which one (or ones) will you go for? Whether it’s several separate day trips from Bath, a walking tour of a fascinating town or a private Stonehenge trip from Bath with your car and guide, there’s so much to see in this part of south west England.
More to read about visiting Bath and surrounding areas:
- One day itinerary for Bath – our popular guide for those planning one day in the city
