Rudas Bath is probably the most popular medieval Turkish bath in Budapest, the City of Baths, famous for its bathing palaces like the Neo-Baroque Szechenyi Bath or the Art Nouveau Gellert Bath.
What makes Rudas Bath stand out is the modern rooftop panorama pool overlooking the river Danube and its many Budapest river cruise boats, the Parliament, the historical bridges and more. Also, Rudas Bath boasts a 16th-century thermal bath in its core, called the Turkish Bath.
In addition, Rudas Spa offers a special late night bathing opportunity, with its special overnight opening hours every Friday and Saturday (the baths reopen from 10 pm to 3 am, both nights: Rudas Night Bathing is only available with tickets booked online). Finally, Rudas is the only thermal bath in Budapest, which has – at least in a smaller part of the thermal complex – men only and women only weekdays in certain hours, when aprons are worn by many guests instead of traditional swimwear. You can book your Rudas Bath entries with a nice dinner right in the Thermal Baths for a special extra.
Rudas Bath & Dinner Booking
Opening hours – Rudas Bath Coed
Mon-Sun: 6 am to 8 pm (pools must be left by approx. 7.30 pm)
The bath is open on holidays, including national and any other holidays, e.g. Christmas, New Year, etc with a mixed set up (open to all genders). That means that the bath is open 365 days. Due to its popularity among locals, expats and tourists alike places are subject to availability at all times. Rudas Bath is a large bath complex, mostly co educated, but one of its several pools, the Turkish Bath has gender specific days, as seen below.
Turkish Baths Gender Days
Monday: Men only
Tuesday: Women only
Wednesday: Men only
Thursday mornings: Men only
Thursday afternoons: Coed
Friday mornings: Men only
Friday 11:00-20:00: Coed
Friday 10 pm – Sat 3 am: Coed Night Bathing with online tickets
Saturday: Coed
Sat 10 pm – Sun 3 am: Coed Night Bathing with online tickets
Sunday: Coed
National Holidays & Peak season periods: Coed
(hours and settings are subject to change, including the gender specific days in the Turkish Bath inside Rudas Bath. Kindly note that the majority of the bath complex, the saunas, plunge pool, large indoor thermal swimming pool etc. are coed, mixed seven days a week)
Rudas Bath is located at the foot of the scenic Gellert Hill on the Buda side.
Turkish Bath inside the Rudas Bath Complex
Turkish baths in Budapest are amazing oriental monuments with modern-day facilities. Many tourists who visited Turkey will expect to see the dry Turkish sauna as a Turkish bath, but the medieval Turkish baths of Budapest are not steam baths as in modern-day Turkey, but historical Turkish baths with a central octagonal-shaped pool extended with other baths.
That said, you can take a Turkish bath as a steam bath too, as Rudas Bath offers a complex bath and wellness experience, including a hammam (Turkish sauna) as well as an ilidza (Turkish “Ilica” for warm thermal spring). There are 6 thermal baths in Rudas Bath as well as a larger swimming pool.
The knights of St John in the 13th century built their healing center here, then after the Buda Castle siege, when the Ottoman Turkish armies successfully captured the Royal Palace of Hungarians, the Turks started to build a series of Turkish baths along the river Danube, using the deep underground hot spring waters for relaxing, bathing and healing. Sokollu Mehmed Pasha (Sokoli Mustafa), the Turkish pasha, who excelled in the siege of Vienna, and governed the town of Buda for 12 years during the Turkish occupation in Hungary, made sure that the baths are well built (with hard ceramic pipes, and tiles brought from Turkey).
Last updated on Oct 11, 2024
Hi, we are coming to Budapest this week but are having trouble online trying to book tickets for the baths, it is saying some are sold out. Is this correct or is there another way to purchase tickets?
Hello Jonny,
Thank you for your comment.
We have sent you an email with information about the busy holiday season.
Have a great time visiting Budapest!
we would like to visit the baths & have a baby with us, not taking her into the bath waters but can an adult look after her in the building & take turns to look after her please?
Dear Helen,
Thank you for contacting us.
We have sent you an email with more details.
Have a lovely family holiday in Budapest!
Can I book for Mid-February? When is the earliest I can book?
As I’m coming with my GF. My good friend from Pest highly recommended me these baths. So was thinking of going during Friday afternoon when i’s coed (does that mean we can bathe in the medieval bath together?)
Can you book treatments on the day as well (is there a price difference?)
Hello Daniel,
Thank you for contacting us.
We have sent you an email with information about Rudas Baths.
Have a great time in Budapest!
Hi
I am looking to book the Rudas bath. What day would you say is the least busiest for night bathing?
If going in the day, which day and times are least busy? I am looking at either the 28th, 29th or 30th December, but unsure on time or whether to do night swimming until I know which is not as busy.
Thanks in advance.
Hello Charlotte,
Thank you for contacting us.
Generally speaking the morning hours are the least busy all year round.
However, as it is peak season in Budapest right now, it is hard to predict which of your preferred dates will attract relatively fewer visitors.
We would assume that tourists who are spending the New Year’s Eve in Budapest might already arrive in Budapest and decide to visit Rudas Thermal Bath on 29th or 30th in Budapest, so maybe the 28th would be the most ideal, from a holiday perspective.
Also because it is a Thursday, and as a weekday it tends to be less busy than weekends when even more visitors come to Budapest to enjoy the spas. So we would assume, but there is no knowing strictly speaking, that a weekday morning would be the most ideal, also because you have access to many other facilities that are only open during day time hours.
The Rudas Bath Spa & Gastro package is available for Dec 28, 29 and 30 at the moment, including a bath entry and dining inside Rudas Baths.
Friday night swimming may also be quite relaxing, after 10 pm or so (it is not a party night, just literally night swimming, but many facilities are closed: during night bathing saunas and massage treatments are not available). This year in 2023, Dec 30 is a pre New Year’s eve gathering in Rudas Bath from the evening hours, 10 pm with a welcome drink so it again may be more appealing to more guests.
We hope you have a lovely time in Budapest!
Good evening me and my 2 daughters are thinking of visiting the thermal baths on Monday the 15th January I can’t find anywhere online to book tickets. And also is this day available for females to visit.
Hello Jennifer,
Thank you for your comment.
We have sent you an email about booking in Rudas Baths.
Have a lovely time with your daughters in Budapest!
Hello! I have some questions about visiting Rudas Baths.
1)Do we need covid vaccine certificate or PCR test to entry?
2)Also do we need masks?(if we do, in which places?).
Thank u!
Hello Christodoulos,
Thank you for your comment.
Covid passports and masks are no longer required (but are welcome) in Rudas and other thermal baths or generally speaking in public buildings / attractions in Budapest.
Please make sure to check te coed, men only and women only days in Rudas Bath before planning your visit in the thermal spa.
We hope you enjoy your stay in Hungary.
Hi, how big are the lockers at Rudas Bath? Is it possible to put in a small cabin suitcase? 56 x 45 x 25 cm?
Hello Steffen,
Thank you for contacting us.
Normally the size of the lockers is 120x30x65 cm. In case your suitcase does not fit, you have the option to rent a cabin ( a small changing cubicle for one person) instead. Please note that cabins are subject to availability.
We hope you have a great time in Budapest!
Hi, trying to call to get some info and trying to book for today. Can we just get the tickets in siete ? Can we renta towels ? Thanks
Hello Maria,
Thank you for your comment.
For a last minute enquiry please check at the cashier in Rudas Bath. As today is a weekday it is likely that there will be fewer guests. The medieval Turkish Bath is open for women only today, but the rest of the bath can be visited by all.
Towel rental is unfortunately not available, you can either bring your own towel or purchase one in the gift shop.
We hope you enjoy the thermal baths in Budapest!