Budapest has been dubbed the “city of spas,” after living there, we understand why: there are so many! Thermal baths are an important element of the inhabitants’ “wellness” care since the waters are high in minerals, and they go for a soak to stay healthy.
We went on a quest to visit all of Budapest’s main thermal baths to determine which are worth your time and which are not, especially if you only have a limited time in the city! You don’t want to squander any valuable time that could be spent eating Hungarian food or drinking delicious Hungarian wine, right? Right.
In this guide, we’ll go over each spa and the general rules for visiting the baths so you don’t look like a tourist and make the same mistakes we did, such as bringing a water bottle. Let’s get to it!
Quick History of Budapest’s Thermal Spas
Budapest is located in the Carpathian Basin, which has a thinner earth crust, providing the water with mineral-rich healing powers. The Romans were the first to discover these wonderful waters and build spas for medical purposes.
The custom continued under the Ottoman Empire, with the creation of Hammam-style Turkish baths, many of which still exist today (such as Vali Bej).
Some more elaborate baths, such as the Széchenyi baths, were constructed during the Austro-Hungarian Empire (1867-1918), providing Budapest with a diverse range of thermal spas and natural hot springs!
Choosing the Ideal Thermal Bath for You
We don’t believe there is a single answer to the issue of what is the best thermal bath in Budapest because it all depends on the mood you’re looking for. Here’s a quick rundown of the most well-known baths (all of which we’ve personally visited) and what we believe they’re greatest for.
Széchenyi Thermal Bath
Széchenyi is unquestionably the most famous and contains the most “touristy baths” of them all. If you’ve ever seen an Instagram video of the Budapest baths or planned a trip, you’ve undoubtedly seen the huge yellow facility. It’s massive, with 18 pools spread among the indoor and outdoor complexes.
We believe that the outside section of Széchenyi Baths is the most attractive of the entire complex and that the indoor pools are beautiful in a modest and traditional style, but not as good as the outside. However, there are more pools indoors with varying temperatures than outside.
We appreciated how the outdoor pools had a chilly pool with a fascinating lazy river and whirlpool in the center, as well as a warmer pool that was ideal for relaxing.
📍 Budapest: Állatkerti krt. 9-11, 1146 Hungary.
Gellért Thermal Bath
Gellert is much smaller than Szechnyi (5 indoor thermal pools and 2 outdoor) and more lovely in its way. It features an art nouveau aesthetic, with magnificent tile work adorning the walls of the indoor pools.
Gellert’s indoor pools make up the vast majority of its offerings. There is an outdoor pool that is attractive but not as lovely as the indoor tiled pools, particularly the blue tiled pool shown in all of the images.
NOTE: We felt the creepiest carrying our phones and shooting photos in the Gelert thermal baths, and if you stay inside, there isn’t much to do with your phone. You’ll need to carry it above your head like a psycho (read: like us. 😅).
📍 Budapest, Kelenhegyi út 4, 1118 Hungary.
Rudas Thermal Bath
The magnificent rooftop pool with AMAZING views of the Danube, especially at sunset, is our favorite feature here. It’s one of the nicest things to do for couples in Budapest, even though you’ll be surrounded by people (unless you rent it out for the night, which you can do!)
We particularly enjoy that Rudas includes a poolside café where you can get a drink or a snack if you become hungry, as well as pools designed specifically for a contrast bath – hot, cold, heated.
I couldn’t stay in the chilly water for long enough since it was SO chilly. But you should certainly try.
📍 Budapest: Döbrentei tér 9, 1013 Hungary.
Lukács Thermal Bath
Lukacs is the bath best recognized for its restorative powers, and it is massive! This was my particular favorite since it has a little bit of Szechenyi vibes with its gorgeous, yellow outdoor pools, but it’s far less crowded.
We believe this is one of the most local spas to visit, and we appreciate that there is a water fountain where you may sip mineral-rich water!
📍 Budapest: Frankel Leó út 25-29, 1023 Hungary.
Veli Bej Bath
If you want the most local and quiet bath, this is it! The interior is modest, but it feels like a Hamam in Turkey or Morocco because it was created during the Ottoman Empire. There is one major octagonal pool with a few smaller surrounding pools inside, but no outdoor pools.
It has the most local vibe and is the least crowded because it limits the number of people that can enter at once and does not allow advance ticket purchases.
📍 Budapest: Árpád fejedelem útja 7, 1023 Hungary.
Dandár Bath
We didn’t like Dandar and urge you to skip it. Yes, it has a local flavor (even the outside pool felt like a party when we arrived), but it is small and located outside of the city center.
It is less expensive and located directly next to the Zwack unicum factory if you wish to attend a hot bath while also tasting some unicum!
We didn’t stay long and headed to our favorite wine bar nearby instead. 😅
📍 Budapest: Dandár u. 7, 1095 Hungary
What to Expect and How to Prepare for a Bath
What to bring
When visiting the baths, remember to pack the essentials: a swimsuit, a towel, flip-flops or slippers, and any personal necessities such as soap and shampoo.
If you plan to swim, bring a swimming cap as required.
If you forget to bring a towel, swimwear, cap, or shoes, you can purchase them there. Caleb made a beginner error and had to take this Lukacs bath, and the bikini was quite ugly and costly. Make sure you’re aware of this before leaving.
You will be given an electronic wristband that serves as a key to your locker in all of the tubs to store your belongings!
Etiquette & Customs
When you put on your swimwear (don’t worry, none of Budapest’s bathhouses allow you to go naked anymore!) Then prepare to enter the baths, being sure to shower first! From there, simply keep the noise down and follow the signs.
A tip about taking your phone: We took our phones into all of the hot baths. Some pools had ledges to store them, but others did not, making them cumbersome to transport.
However, at *all* spas, we felt a little weird shooting photos. Many individuals do it (we even saw influencers go live, lol), but be aware that you may feel like a creeper.
A remark about water bottles: we were the only ones who brought them in. I’m not even sure if you’re permitted to be honest, so we counsel against it. We thought that was a “we’re tourists” sign!
Tips and FAQs for Your Thermal Bath Experience
When to Visit the Thermal Baths:
You can visit the baths at any time because they are open all year. If you wish to visit the outdoor baths, we believe spring or fall is the best time. It’s not so cold that you freeze your buns off when you’re not in the bath, nor is it so hot that you don’t want to take a hot bath!
Time of Day:
If you want to escape the selfie crowd, we found that the best time to visit the baths is when they first open in the morning. If you go to any of the more local baths on the list, you’ll have a little more freedom.
How long to stay?
You can stay for as long as you wish, but we discovered that two hours in each bath was the ideal amount of time. If you want to spend more time just lounging about, you might want to stay longer.
Buying Tickets:
The simplest way to obtain tickets is online. We purchased tickets for a day-use locker, which provided plenty of storage space for our items. Then we changed into the restroom stalls. You could get a private cabin if you want your own space to change and a huge area to store your possessions, but we didn’t believe it was required.
Also, if you plan to arrive exactly at the start, you don’t need to pay for skip-the-line tickets. However, it is worthwhile if you plan to visit during peak seasons.
What to do when you arrive:
Relax! That is the entire aim of the spas! Some spas include contrast baths (hot/cold), saunas, and steam rooms. You can also schedule massage appointments or visit a beer spa in Szecheyni.
Simply soak in the mineral-rich water, relax, and enjoy skin as smooth as a baby’s bottom from all that good water!
Conclusion:
Visiting the thermal baths in Budapest is a must-do if you want to get a taste of “local life,” and we hope this fast guide helps you figure out how to use them! Remember to read our thorough guide for each spa (listed above) to learn about its ins and outs!
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