Budapest Rudas Bath
Budapest Rudas Bath

Budapest the City of Baths

Budapest Baths are one of the top reasons Budapest is visited by hundreds of thousands of travellers.

Booking

Szechenyi, Gellert, Lukacs & Rudas Baths

Szechenyi Bath
Szechenyi Bath Budapest

Opening hours (may be subject to change over the year) in the thermal baths. Pools are to be emptied 30 min before the closing hours, cashiers close 1 hour before the closing time.

The Baths is open until 4 pm on Dec 3, 2024.

Szechenyi Bath: open all week. More info: Szechenyi Bath Opening Hours. Saturdays: special Bath party night until 2 am

The Daysplam area will remain open until 6 pm on Dec 6, 2024 and until 5 pm on December 13, 2024.

Gellert Spa is open all week. More info: Gellert Bath Opening Hours.
Wave Pool – no waves currently!

Saunas and steam chambers in the former female department are currently out of order due to technical reasons.(updated, Nov 11, 2024)

Lukacs Baths: Open all week. Free entry with Budapest Card.
Rudas Baths: Open all week. Fridays and Saturdays night bathing until 3 am.

Szechenyi Baths alone is visited by over a million bathers per year, approx. 90% of whom are from abroad: spa tourists, or visitors who want to feel what it is like to be in one of the baths of Budapest. Each bath in Budapest gives a special experience, unlike the others, so if you can, visit more than one of the Budapest Baths.

baths budapest
Baths Budapest

Budapest the City of Spas

Budapest has several nicknames, like the Paris of the East or the Pearl of the Danube, and also the City of Spas. Indeed, there are so many natural warm spring waters under the city (imagine a cauldron topped with some layers) that Budapest has had several great thermal baths for many centuries. The Turkish baths along the river Danube are still functional and much favoured. But more than a thousand years before the Turks, the Romans and even before them, the Celts have been enjoying the warm spring waters as baths, healing waters and drinks.

No wonder that by the 21st century, Budapest has reinvented itself as the city of medicinal waters and amazing thermal spas. The bathing culture of the Hungarians is very lively and health-conscious: not only are water sports held in great respect, but the young and the old all enjoy the spa waters and the fun bath complexes. Aqua therapy is part of the regular medical practice, and doctors often prescribe water treatments in the healing spa waters for Hungarian patients. In the last few years, the bathing culture has been ingeniously fused with trance spa parties (Sparties), so you can even be part of once in a lifetime cool bath parties.

Spa Baths in Hungary

Budapest is not the only settlement in Hungary with a powerful source of spa waters. There are many many baths in Hungary called Fürdő (Furdo): from BukkFurdo to Zsorifurdo. Heviz, the most important bath town in Hungary, literally translates as ‘hot water’ (hév-víz or Hévíz). According to estimates, there are approximately 1000 natural spring water sources in Hungary.

Gellert Bath Indoor Palace
Gellert Bath Indoor Palace

Many of the thermal baths in Budapest are century-old, most importantly the Turkish baths, like the Kiraly Bath, Rudas Bath or Veli Bej Bath (the former Kaiser Bath or Császárfürdő). Interestingly enough, the most popular bath complex in Budapest, Szechenyi Baths and Pool, was only opened at the end of the 19th century (in a makeshift house, later on, transformed into a beautiful palace). Another Budapest bath, which is architecturally equally stunning, or maybe more, is the Art Nouveau spa baths complex, the Gellert Baths at the foot of the Gellert Hill. Needless to say, the Turkish baths are unique with their original octagonal Turkish pools covered with mysterious domes with colourful glasses.

Booking

Which are the best baths in Budapest?

One of the most common questions we get from tourists is which is the best Budapest bath. Our answer is usually, it depends. It depends on what you like, how much time you have, if you are in Budapest with your partner, or with kids, if you are interested in a budget ticket, pampering spa services, massage or just a few hour fun time at a great bath. If you spend more than 3 days in Budapest, we strongly recommend trying more baths. Each has a distinct character and is worth a visit for its own merits, pools, architecture, history, style, programs.

Veli Bej Night Bathing Budapest Bath
Veli Bej Night Bathing Budapest Bath

If you only have three days, you can try the most popular bath, the Szechenyi Baths and Pool in the City Park (mixed all week), or the Turkish Rudas Baths (mostly mixed at weekends), or, if the beautiful Gellert Baths (mixed all week). Budget travellers may find the recently refurbished Veli Bej Baths a great option (also has a historical Turkish pool). The more ruinous Kiraly Bath may appeal to those who like odd, cool, historical – communist things (weird in a good sense, ‘quirky’ – as in a cool special historical bath, with odd white-clothed personnel from the communist times, outdated interior, cheap prices, completely local clientele). Lukacs Baths is probably the most visited by Hungarians, so if you are a tourist who wants to mingle with the locals and keenly seeks out non-touristy places, Lukacs is your best bet.

Mandala Spa Bath Budapest Pools
Mandala Spa Bath Budapest Pools

For a quiet, small and cozy boutique bath one of the best choices in Budapest is Mandala Bath & Spa.

Relaxing and Exciting baths in Budapest

How can these baths be both relaxing and exciting? Well, most of the baths in Budapest, have several pools with various sizes, facilities, activities, temperature etc. so there is bound to be a pool, which you will like. During day time, the baths are mostly visited by those who want to feel the healing power of the water, use the jets in the pools to get some water massage, play chess with old pals, chat with friends, take their foreign friends to the baths to share the joys of bathing, enjoy a massage, giggle at the fish pedicure, revitalize in the saunas and steam rooms (plus the cold plunge pools), do laps in the swimming pool, have a few beers at the cafe, laugh at the whirlpools (Szechenyi Baths) and fun wave pools (Gellert Baths), and at night may go and enjoy the Sparties (Spa Parties).

Booking

Most baths have various bath tickets. Full-day tickets usually include the use of all bath pools and facilities, but not the personal care services (massage, manicure or hairdressing). If you are planning to spend a spa day or half a day in a Budapest bath, make sure that you book the spa services in advance (the pools and facilities do not need to be booked, but in the high season the baths get very full, so you can save yourself about 45 min by buying the tickets in advance at the more well-known baths, especially the Szechenyi Baths)

Last updated on Oct 11, 2024

123 comments

  1. Hello , i want to book ticket for 2 persons for 25th or 26 december 2023, however i am unable to book them, can you guide me please how to buy them.

  2. Hi, how do I book a massage?

  3. Hi, me and my partner are coming to Budapest in 2 weeks. We’re wondering what the best bath would be for some relaxation. Are there any adult only baths? I would also like to treat him to a massage if possible, I saw you can book these in advance but not sure how? If you could come back to me asap, that would be great. Also, are the baths open on Sunday’s?

    • Hi. Which baths would you recommend for visiting with children (aged 14 & 11)

      • Dear Andy,
        Thank you for contacting us.

        We would recommend (also) visiting Dagaly Bath, Csillaghegyi Bath, Palatinus Bath on Margitsziget (Margit Island) in Budapest with the kids or, if they love moving about, slides and excitement, the water theme aqua park called AquaWorld.

        In Szechenyi Baths, children under 14 have only a limited access to baths as follows: There are 3 pools outside, out of which, two can be visited by families where the children are under 14: the whirlpool thermal pool and the lap swimming pool (not the 3rd pool with a hotter temperature).
        Please find more relevant information on the following page: https://szechenyibath.com/can-children-go-to-szechenyi-baths-szechenyi-bath-faq/
        No slides or chutes and no ball games allowed so Szechenyi may be interesting and well known, but for families there are so many better options in Budapest city and in Hungary.

        Have a lovely time in Budapest!

  4. Hello,

    I’m trying to make a booking in advance for this December, are all the baths fully booked? Or are bookings only allowed a couple of months in advance?

    • Dear Richard,
      Thank you for your comment.
      Bookings are available until the end of November.
      The booking calendar for December will be opened, however end of December dates are normally not bookable online.
      Please check our website in October to see the available dates.
      Have a lovely winter holiday in Budapest!

    • Hello
      I have booked for gellert spa on 12/9. Do we need to wear swim hats?

  5. Hello, I have made a booking for Friday 21st July for two people I have proof of payment but I have never received my confirmation email. I have left a comment here last week but I cannot see it anymore. Can someone please contact me to confirm my booking? Thank you

    Mary

    • I made this booking on the 27th May

      • This has happened to me as well – was your issue resolved?

        • Dear Kathryn,
          Thank you for your question. Yes, both questions have been replied via email, which is now followed up via comment reply too.

          I would like to confirm that we have received your booking, and the confirmation email as well as the QR code have automatically been sent to the given email address as it was originally provided in the form.
          We do not question or check email addresses: the system is set up to trigger a reply to the email address as seen and read by the data processors.

          There was a typo, however, in the yah… version, therefore I have now forwarded it to your corrected email address (as well as the comment email address) you sent your email and comment to us from today.
          Please let me know if I can be of further assistance.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *