Christmas
Bath Christmas Market: Dates, Crowds and Where to Stay
Photo: Raj Patel / Google
Bath's market fills the streets around the Abbey and the Roman Baths for just under three weeks. The setting is the best in the country, and so are the crowds. Here is how to do it well in 2026.
Bath's Christmas market wins on setting. The chalets sit in the streets around the Abbey and the Roman Baths, between Georgian stone that already looks like a Christmas card, and the city does not have to try very hard. The catch is that a compact centre and a short season concentrate the crowds, so timing matters more here than almost anywhere.
At a glance
When: 26 November to 13 December 2026. Where: the streets around Bath Abbey and the Roman Baths. Cost: free to browse. Best for: setting, independent makers, and pairing with the thermal baths.
When it runs in 2026
The market runs from Thursday 26 November to Sunday 13 December 2026 — under three weeks, which is shorter than most big city markets. It opens at 10am daily and closes at 6pm on Sundays, 7pm Monday to Wednesday and 8pm Thursday to Saturday.
What to expect
The market leans towards independent makers and local producers rather than imported decorations, which suits the city. The stalls are spread through the streets around the Abbey Churchyard and Stall Street rather than gathered in a single square, so you find them as you walk.
Beating the crowds
Weekdays, early
Weekend afternoons are the hardest time to move. A weekday morning, shortly after opening, is a completely different experience.
Do not drive in
Bath's centre is small and its car parks fill quickly in the market season. The city runs park-and-ride services from the edges of town, and the station is a five-minute walk from the stalls.
Making a weekend of it
The thermal baths
The obvious winter pairing is the open-air rooftop pool at Thermae Bath Spa, warm natural spring water with the Abbey tower in view — especially good on a cold, clear evening. Book ahead in December.
Indoors when it rains
The Roman Baths themselves, the Holburne Museum and No. 1 Royal Crescent all make good wet-afternoon fallbacks.
Where to stay
Rooms in the centre go early for market weekends and prices rise accordingly. Staying a short train ride out, or midweek, helps. Our Bath staycation guide covers the city in more detail, and you can browse hotels in Bath or cottages near Bath.
Day trips from Bath in December
Wells
Wells, often called England's smallest city, is under an hour away and has one of its most beautiful cathedrals, with Advent and Christmas services of its own.
Bradford on Avon
A short train ride away, Bradford on Avon is a hillside town of honey-coloured stone with a medieval tithe barn and a small Saxon church — a quieter counterpoint to the market crowds. Our listings cover more things to do in Bath.
For a direct comparison with the other big markets, see our guide to UK Christmas market breaks.
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