American senior traveler

There are the Roman baths (popular; I skipped); a lot of (highly repetitive to me) Georgian row houses, including the Royal Crescent; the good, rather small Museum of East Asian Art; and the also-good, larger Holburne Museum. I have not researched the "American Museum in Britain".

There are walking tours on offer.

See what your guide book says about ticketing for the baths. I think that's a place you might encounter a line.

In Bath we enjoyed visiting the Roman Baths. We then walked over and admired the Crescent. To us, it was worth a half-day. Bath is interesting if you are a fan of Georgian architecture or Jane Austen. If not, you might consider lingering in the Salisbury - Avebury for an overnight, then heading to Bath the next morning. En-route you could stop at Bradford-on-Avon.

It's been a while since we visited Bath, but I believe the scenic Cheddar Gorge might be in the vicinity.

I love the Roman baths and could spend hours there but everyone is different. If Roman history is not your thing then you probably won't find it that interesting, different strokes and all that.

Do your research and select what interests you, there are no 'must see' that appeals to everyone. A good example is Acraven, he/she (apologies, I haven't determined your gender!) wasn't enamoured by the baths but enjoyed the museum of asian art whereas my preferences would be opposite.

We skipped all the Georgian houses and museums (not a museum person) but did see the Roman bathes. Other than the bathes, we just walked around town. We used Bath as a base for a week and took a days trips from it. Believe it was a ghost walk we took one evening that started In front of the Huntsman Pub. My wife and I were underwhelmed with Chedder Gorge, so it isn’t a must see from our perspective.

If gorges aren't your thing, the village of Cheddar is home to the original cheddar cheese, and the cheese they sell in town is excellent. It's also famous (locally) for strawberries. Note, though, that it's a 25 mile drive from Bath - very doable as a half-day or even quarter-day trip if you have a car, but hardly right around the corner.

To each his own ... My daughter and I, Jane Austen fans, loved seeing the Assembly Rooms and the Costume Museum.

I love the Roman Baths and also the Georgian house museum at #1 Royal Crescent. The Holburne Museum is interesting but moreso if there is a good temporary exhibition on. I saw a Canaletto exhibit there a few years ago that was excellent. Bath Abbey is lovely but usually no evensong like at Salisbury Cathedral. Victoria Art Gallery is owned by the city, I think. I enjoy art, am not a connoisseur but felt this collection was pretty indifferent. I love doing walking tours in the city - so much interesting architecture that the guides point out. The Fashion Museum is interesting and you can see the Assembly Rooms as you go downstairs to the collection. You can buy a combo ticket to the Roman Baths and Fashion Museum if both are of interest.

I've done the American Museum. It's not something I would recommend for a 1-day visit. I found the exhibit choices slightly odd. The setting is lovely, the house very interesting but again, not really a 1st tier site in my mind. They do run a free shuttle from the area across from the Parade Ground gardens where all the day tours pick up and let off.

Also skip the Jane Austen Centre. It's expensive, has nothing original of Jane's and she never lived in the house.

I love Bath!

As others have mentioned, the Roman Baths are probably the biggest draw and they are quite incredible to tour. You can rent a handset and tour the complex at your own rate. I found it fascinating how the sauna, steam and cooling rooms were created back in the Roman days. i spent about 3-4 hours touring. The city itself is charming to wonder around and there is some hiking in the surrounding hills. Near the Royal Crescent there is a fashion museum that has preserved gowns and gentlemen's clothing from very early in British history up to the current time, including several of those that belonged to Princess Diana. These are all beautifully displayed. I spent 4 days in Bath a few years back so I don't think you'll have any problem filling one day. I hope you enjoy.

Thanks to all who replied for the great info!

We are,eaving Bath towards the Cotswolds for a night in Bourton on the Water onSeptember 6thwe plan to go on to Stratford upon Avon the next 2 nights. Will we have time to see Blenheim in the morning enroute to Bourton from Bath?

1) Take a free walking tour http://www.bathguides.org.uk I believe we spent an hour or so walking around historic town centre.

2)Roman Bath museum is a must. Learning about Minerva and seeing the Roman artifacts as well as walking through the 18th century restored baths. Going on a cold day and seeing the steam rising up from the baths just added to the atmosphere.

3)Bath Abbey-Beautiful church with burial stones of some famous Bath residents.

1) Take a free walking tour http://www.bathguides.org.uk I believe we spent an hour or so walking around historic town centre.

2)Roman Bath museum is a must. Learning about Minerva and seeing the Roman artifacts as well as walking through the 18th century restored baths. Going on a cold day and seeing the steam rising up from the baths just added to the atmosphere.

3)Bath Abbey-Beautiful church with burial stones of some famous Bath residents.

I’m curious about what attracts you to visit Bath in the first place? Or is it just the next place on the well trodden ‘see England’ list followed by the Cotswolds? With only one day I would see what you specifically want to see in this beautiful (IMO!) city that is behind your reason for visiting it.

Bourton on the Water is 55 miles from Bath and Blenheim Palace is about 25 miles east of BoW. Blenheim Palace is about 75 miles from Bath. Yes, both can be seen in a day. Bourton on the Water is very pretty with the stream running through it, but can be seen in a few hours. Blenheim palace will take about the same amount of time to see, maybe a little longer. Very near the palace is Churchill’s gravesite at the parish church of Saint Martin Bladon. Stratford is about 32 miles from Blenheim Palace. The earlier you leave Bath, the longer you’ll be able to spend in the other places. The roads between the towns are well maintained, but you’ll be driving 35-40 mph at most. If you’re spending the night in BoW, consider going directly to Blenheim Palace and by the time you get to Bourton you’ll be able to check into your hotel. BoW is nice in the evening when the majority of day trippers have left.

The Roman Baths are a must. After that a walk along the Crescent.

Dine at The Scallop Shell in Bath. Absolutely the best fish and chips I found looking all over England for three weeks.

Thanks to all for the great info. It sounds like the walking tours are a must along with the baths and the gown museum. Our next stop will be at Bourton on the Water with a morning stopover at Blenheim Castle on the way. We plan a full satY in the Cotswolds next finishing up Friday evening in Stratford with a performance of Romeo and Juliet at the RSC. Suggestions for the next day or 2 in Stratford appreciated.

In Stratford-u-A, there's a walking tour as well. Even if you're not a Shakespeare fanatic, its a pleasant town to spend time in. Walk along the riverfront and take the chain ferry across to the park on the other side. The Old Thatch Tavern is a good place to eat and drink.

In addition to everyone else’s comments above, I have to add that you never know what surprises you’ll find. When we were there in July 2012, the Abbey had a lovely exhibit of locally done artwork about the gospels (IIRC) that I really thought was great, even if the church itself paled beside other cathedrals we saw on the rip.