Lukacs Bath is one of the historical thermal baths in Budapest, and is a good value for money, especially when the Budapest Cards include free entry to the Lukacs Baths (open from Monday to Sunday).
Lukacs Bath is one of the favourite baths of locals, and until 2011, it has almost exclusively been visited by locals only. Due to recent changes, the bath has got more attention (parties, Budapest Card free bath entry inclusion).
Opening Hours of Lukacs Baths:
Mon-Sun: 7 am – 7 pm
Entry Tickets to Lukacs Baths:
Booking Lukacs Bath TicketsEntry to Lukacs Baths as part of Budapest Card benefits: Please learn more about the Budapest Card acceptance places for tourists on this page: Budapest Card Tourist Pass including Lukacs Thermal Ticket
Even though the architecture and facilities in Lukacs Baths are more modest than the popular Szechenyi Bath or the famous Gellert Bath, both of which are ornate palaces, Lukacs Bath has its strengths and specialities, like the many Gratitude Tablets or stone plaques on its walls saying thank you for the healing power of the geothermal waters, or the Himalayan Salt Room for curing respiratory problems, or the Weight Bath used for stretching the back, treating spinal injuries, etc. Detailed info about the Lukacs Bath Pools.
The history of Lukacs Bath reveals that the geothermal hot spring waters coming from deep underground have been used by the St John’s knights in the 12th century, later by the Turkish dignitaries and soldiers in the 16th century, while in the 1880s the bath has been completely redesigned and rebuilt as a spa hotel and wellness centre. In the 1970s, the bath has officially become a water hospital to treat locomotive diseases and prescribed as physiotherapy.
There are many a marbled Thank You plaques placed here after the successful aqua therapies in the thermal waters, from the 1890s onwards. Most of them got broken in World War II, unfortunately.
The bath, named after St Luke (Szt Lukacs Gyogyfurdo) is located close to the Margaret Island, a few mins walk from Margaret Bridge on the Buda side with some Budapest hidden gems in its vicinity (16th-century Turkish attractions, or a cave under the Buda hills called Szemlohegyi Cave.
Lukacs Bath may give a small taste of why Budapest is the City of Baths, but if you want to experience something even more magnificent, we strongly recommend trying Szechenyi Baths or Gellert Spa too.
Booking Lukacs Bath TicketsLukacs Baths were also known among locals and tourists as the party venue of the Saturday night party series. In the 2020s, the venue of the Bath Parties in Szechenyi Baths all year around as the thermal complex can cater for several hundreds of party goers easily (More info about Budapest Bath Parties)
I was able to enjoy the baths twice during my visit. And the sauna experience , especially the ‘essential oil’ steam room was a new experience ( I have many years doing wood-fired saunas). Unfortunately, with the rush in the last 30-60 minutes, with people wanting to try one more thing and get ready to leave- I was assaulted by an older man in the Finnish sauna area. I know women deal with this behavior constantly, but as I didn’t speak Hungarian- I didn’t know how to tell this Ass**le to leave me alone or how to report his behavior. What safeguards do u you have in place for preventing this? I imagine also that some local men feel safe in their local bath to prey on others. There is hyper vigilance to protect the waters from being ‘contaminated’- what about for protecting people from predators?
Dear Ted,
Thank you for sharing your experience at Lukács Baths. While sauna areas are designed for privacy and calm, they do pose challenges, as surveillance isn’t used for health and technical reasons, and staff presence is limited to maintain a peaceful atmosphere. In such cases, reporting concerns — even briefly, in writing if needed — is crucial. Alerting staff or leaving a note at reception can help them take immediate action or recognize recurring issues.
We have forwarded your concerns to the official management team.