The best non-market things to do in Bath at Christmas are skating or playing glow golf at Bath on Ice in Royal Victoria Park, catching the pantomime or a Dickens one-man show at Theatre Royal Bath, and warming up in the rooftop pool at Thermae Bath Spa, which stays open through most of the festive period. Add a free wander around the city's Christmas Light Trail and a late-afternoon visit to the Roman Baths, when the torches around the Great Bath are lit for the evening, and you have a full day that has nothing to do with chalets and mulled wine queues.
Bath on Ice and Glow Golf, Royal Victoria Park
Royal Victoria Park, a short walk from the Royal Crescent, turns into a seasonal rink each winter. There's a real ice rink, a heated alpine-style bar for mulled wine and hot food, and a glow-in-the-dark mini golf course next door. It runs from mid or late November through to early January, with hourly sessions and, in past seasons, student nights and themed skate evenings. Weekend sessions sell out, so book ahead rather than turning up on the day.
Dates, prices and session times change every year and the operator is often slow to confirm them, so check our Bath on Ice guide for what's actually confirmed before you plan around it.
Pantomime and Christmas shows at Theatre Royal Bath
Theatre Royal Bath puts on a full festive season every year, not just a token panto. The Main House hosts the family pantomime, usually running from early or mid-December into early January with two shows most days, plus access performances (relaxed, audio-described and BSL-interpreted dates) worth knowing about if you need them. Alongside it, smaller venues in the same building tend to run a one-man Dickens adaptation, a Christmas-themed play, and the odd festive talk or carol dinner at a nearby hotel. It's an easy way to fill an evening that isn't centred on the market stalls.
For the building's longer story and a general visitor guide, see our Theatre Royal Bath guide.
Thermae Bath Spa's rooftop pool in winter
Thermae Bath Spa, Britain's only natural thermal spa, keeps its doors open through almost the entire festive period. The New Royal Bath closes only on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day, and runs shorter hours on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve. That means you can book a two-hour session, float in the 35.5°C open-air rooftop pool with the city's rooftops and hills around you, and go home without having set foot near a single chalet. It's one of the few genuinely relaxing things to do in Bath over Christmas, and a good counterpoint to a busy day at the market or the ice rink.
If you're deciding between a spa session here and a visit to the Roman Baths next door, our Roman Baths vs Thermae comparison covers which suits what you're after.
The Roman Baths by torchlight, late afternoon
Worth a clear note here: the Roman Baths does not run a separate ticketed torchlit evening tour in winter, so don't go looking for one. What it does do is light flaming torches around the Great Bath at around 4pm each winter afternoon as part of its normal opening hours, and the attraction stays open into the evening on most days, closing only on Christmas Day and Boxing Day. Book a visit for the last hour or so of daylight and you get the steam rising off the water and the torchlight together, which is the closest Bath comes to a candlelit Roman Baths experience without needing a special-event ticket. Over the festive weeks there's also usually a pop-up bar by the Great Bath serving mulled wine and hot chocolate, and some years have brought choir performances beside the water in the week before Christmas. Check the attraction's own Christmas page for that year's exact dates before you travel.
A free Christmas Light Trail around the city
Bath's Business Improvement District lights up streets, passages and landmark buildings across the centre every Christmas, independent of the market. Past years have included illuminations in Abbey Green, Kingsmead Square, Northumberland Place, Union Passage and Walcot Street, plus the big tree outside Bath Abbey and seasonal lighting on the Abbey itself. It costs nothing, works well as an evening walk after dinner, and you can wander it even on the days the market is closed. Exactly which streets and installations feature changes year to year, so treat any specific route as illustrative rather than guaranteed.
FAQ
Is there a torchlit evening tour of the Roman Baths at Christmas?
No. That's a summer thing (the Roman Baths' "Summer Lates" events run in warmer months). In winter, torches are simply lit around the Great Bath at about 4pm as part of the normal daily visit, so a late-afternoon ticket gets you a similar atmosphere without a special event.
Is Thermae Bath Spa open on Christmas Day?
No. It closes on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day, and runs shorter hours on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve. It's open as normal on every other day of the festive period.
Do I need to book Bath on Ice in advance?
Yes, especially for weekends, which regularly sell out. Sessions run hourly and pre-booking online is the only reliable way to guarantee a slot during December.
Is the Christmas pantomime at Theatre Royal Bath suitable for young children?
Yes, it's aimed squarely at families, and the theatre also runs relaxed and audio-described performances on specific dates for anyone who needs a calmer or more accessible show.
Are any of these activities free?
The Christmas Light Trail around the city centre is free to walk any time. Everything else, the ice rink, the panto, Thermae and the Roman Baths, needs a paid ticket.
What's the best order to do these in on one day?
A late-afternoon Roman Baths visit timed around 4pm torch-lighting, then an early-evening skate or glow golf session at Bath on Ice, then dinner and a show at Theatre Royal Bath works well without much backtracking, since all three are within easy walking distance of the centre.