You can bring a small backpack (up to 30 litres) and a sealed water bottle into the Roman Baths, but large luggage, pushchairs, food, and pets other than trained assistance dogs all have to be left behind. The site is open daily from 9am to 6pm, with last entry at 5pm, and most people spend 90 minutes to two hours inside.
The Roman Baths get over a million visitors a year, and the rules exist mostly to protect a 2,000-year-old site with narrow walkways, uneven Roman paving, and one genuinely irreplaceable body of water. Here is exactly what's allowed, what isn't, and the handful of questions every visitor asks before they go. For the wider question of ticket prices and whether to visit the Baths or Thermae Bath Spa instead, see our guides to the Roman Baths and Roman Baths vs Thermae.
What you can bring in
- A small backpack or daypack, up to 30 litres, which you keep with you the whole visit
- Water in a sealed, secure bottle
- Wheelchairs, mobility scooters, walking sticks and other mobility aids
- Trained assistance dogs
- A baby carrier rather than a pushchair (see below)
Sensible, flat footwear is worth the effort too. The floors around the Great Bath and the lower Roman levels are original or near-original stone, and they're often damp and uneven.
What you have to leave at home
- Large rucksacks, suitcases and other luggage (there's no cloakroom on site, so use left-luggage facilities elsewhere in the city first, such as those at Bath Spa station)
- Food and drink other than water in a sealed bottle, including alcohol
- Pushchairs and buggies
- Pets other than trained assistance dogs
- Large sports equipment or wheeled shopping trolleys
- Drones, flags, banners and anything the security team judges a risk
Every visitor passes through a walk-through security scanner at the entrance in Abbey Church Yard, and bags may be searched, so it's worth arriving a few minutes before your booked slot.
Can you touch or drink the water?
No. The water in the Great Bath is untreated, has been sitting in lead-lined Roman conduits, and is neither safe to touch nor to drink. Visitors are asked not to reach into the Great Bath at any point, and you can't swim in it either, despite how tempting the steaming green water looks on a cold morning. If you want the genuine hot-spring experience, that's what the rooftop pool at Thermae Bath Spa up the road is for.
Pushchairs, buggies and small children
Because of steep steps and narrow walkways through the museum, pushchairs aren't allowed beyond the main reception hall, where they have to be left before you go round. The Roman Baths recommend a baby carrier instead. If you're planning a visit with a very young child, it's worth reading our separate guide on the Roman Baths with a baby or toddler before you book.
Photography and filming
Handheld photography, including flash, is allowed throughout the site for personal use. Tripods aren't permitted, except for disabled visitors using them in the Great Bath and Terrace areas by prior arrangement. Commercial photography and filming need permission and a fee arranged in advance with the museum, and can only take place outside normal opening hours.
Audioguides and how long to allow
The self-guided audioguide is included in admission and comes in thirteen languages: English, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish and Ukrainian. There's also a children's version narrated by Michael Rosen in English, French, German, Mandarin and Ukrainian. Most visitors are told to allow 90 minutes to two hours to see everything at a comfortable pace, longer if you plan to linger over the museum displays or catch one of the costumed guide talks.
Quick reference table
| Item or question | Allowed? |
|---|---|
| Small backpack (up to 30L) | Yes, keep it with you |
| Sealed water bottle | Yes |
| Food, hot drinks, alcohol | No |
| Pushchair | Left in reception hall only |
| Baby carrier | Yes, recommended instead |
| Pet dog | No, assistance dogs only |
| Handheld photography and flash | Yes |
| Tripod | No, except pre-arranged disability access |
| Touching or drinking the water | No |
| Large luggage or suitcases | No, no on-site storage |
Getting there and around the rules on the day
The entrance is in Abbey Church Yard, right next to Bath Abbey, and it's under ten minutes' walk from Bath Spa station. If you're driving, note that Bath's clean air zone charges apply to higher-emission vehicles in the city centre, which our Clean Air Zone guide explains in full, and central car parks fill up fast in summer, covered in our honest Bath parking guide.
You can leave the site and come back later the same day if you need to, just ask a member of staff on your way out so they know to expect you. Payment on site is accepted by card and contactless; it's best to assume cash isn't the easiest option, though the shop and cafe areas vary.
FAQs
See below for quick answers to the questions visitors ask most often.