Budapest is sometimes called: the City of Spas. This term is quite accurate, and you can find dozens of thermal baths in Budapest.
When reading other blogs and websites, it sometimes feels as if there are only 2 or 3 spa baths in Budapest, but that’s definitely not the case. There are plenty of choices and there is absolutely no need the visit only the most popular ones around when visiting Budapest for a few days!
Some of these thermal baths are extremely busy and popular, while others are actually hidden wellness gems.
Depending on what you want and need, different bathhouses can be a match for your wishes.
In this article, we provide you with a wide range of options when it comes to choosing your ultimate Budapest hot springs experience. We’ll sum up the various spa baths in Budapest, the admission fee, the crowds, and the district they’re in.
All of these factors are important when deciding where you want to go and relax!
Have a look at the map below to find the different Budapest pools.
When you travel to Hungary and Budapest, we recommend getting a decent travel insurance and protecting yourself with a good VPN service.
Széchenyi Thermal Spa - Grandeur in Budapest
The thermal spa complex of Széchenyi is the largest and most visited in the entire city. These famous baths are extremely popular and thus: busy!
But they’re also among the largest spa complex in Europe, so even though it might be busy, there’s loads of space to accommodate all of the visitors.
In 1881, the underground hot spring below Széchenyi was first used. The first version of the actual spa house was built in 1913 and eventually finished in 1999.
Széchenyi Baths are medicinal hot pools which contain loads of minerals and other healing components.
Széchenyi Thermal baths are for a mixed audience all of the time.
Each Saturday, legendary parties are held in the pools of Széchenyi. This Turkish bath is currently the only place where you can attend a memorable party.
What’s so special about Szechenyi
These are the largest pools in Budapest and among the largest in Europe.
This one of the younger ones. It is built in Neo-Baroque and Neo-Renaissance style in order to impress!
There’s a rooftop Palm House you can access for an extra fee.
Practical information Széchenyi
Price on weekdays:
6800 HUF – 19,5€
Opening hours:
6 – 22h
Crowds:
super crowded
Mixed:
always mixed
Address:
Állatkerti krt. 9-11, Budapest, Hungary
Gellért Bath House - Popular thermal spa in Budapest
While Szechenyi might be the largest and most majestic, Gellért Baths are definitely the most beautiful.
When it comes to popularity and crowds, Gellért is right on top of the list, together with Szechenyi and Rudas.
The Gellért spa house was built in 1918, long before Budapest got the title of Spa City. These thermal baths have always been very popular amongst locals and visitors.
These pools are open to women, as well as men, all day, every day.
There used to be occasional parties at Gellért, but at this time, all parties are at Szechenyi and no longer in Gellért.
What’s so special about Gellért
The chambers in this thermal spa are beautifully decorated with different shades of blue tiles… bottom to top. So Gellert resembles a Turkish bath the most!
Practical information Gellert
Price on weekdays:
7100 HUF – 20€
Opening hours:
6 – 20h
Crowds:
super crowded
Mixed:
always mixed
Address:
Kelenhegyi út 4, 1118 Budapest, Hungary
Rudas Baths - Thermal spa mostly for men
Number 3: Rudas bath is the third in row of super popular Turkish baths in Budapest.
Rudas bath house was built in the Ottoman period and was renovated for current use. It was first built in the 16th century and reconstructed in 2004.
At Rudas, you can bathe in 11 different indoor pools and 1 outside pool on the roof terrace. Most of these pools are medicinal.
Women can only bathe here on Tuesdays and during the weekend. All the other days, Rudas is exclusively for men.
What’s so special about Rudas
From the pool on the roof, you get a wonderful view over the Danube.
The building is also built in Ottoman style, which looks really authentic!
Practical information about Rudas Spa
Price on weekdays:
5200 HUF – 16€
Opening hours:
6 – 22h (night opening on Friday and Saturday)
Crowds:
reasonably crowded
Mixed:
Men only – Women welcome on weekends and Tuesdays
Address:
Döbrentei tér 9, 1013, Budapest, Hungary
Kiraly Baths - Travel back to communist times
Kiraly was built in the 16th century, just like Rudas and the Veli Bej. So, these three are the oldest thermal pools in the city. Not much has been renovated, so you get an ancient vibe here.
Even though the place is quite small and old, it’s an interesting place to visit, exactly for that reason! The pools have been completely renovated and restored in… 1950!
There’s the typical octagonal pool, surrounded by a few smaller pools and the decay that just suits the environment. If you’re looking for a modern and shiny bath environment, Kiraly might not be right for you. But if you’re into seeing this how they used to be, this is your place!
It’s a reasonably small place, but it is quite popular, so it can get crowded at times.
What’s so special about Kiraly
These pools have not been renovated since the 50s. So they’re really old and worn down.
You can really get the communist and tatty vibe.
Practical information about Kiraly
Price on weekdays:
3000 HUF – 9€
Opening hours:
9 – 21h
Crowds:
sometimes crowded
Mixed:
mixed
Address:
Fő utca 84, 1027 Budapest, Hungary
Lukacs - Healing waters for worldwide visitors
The exact location where Lukacs Baths are now has been in use since the 12th century. Only in the 19th century, an actual bath house was built and the healing powers of the water attracted medical tourists from all over the world, as they still do today.
The place is somewhat smaller and more modest than Gellert and Szechenyi, but it’s built in the same style.
The large inside pool is round and completely tiled with a gentle color. A lot of the facilities are modern and slick. There are 2 outdoor pools and 4 indoor pools, all varying in temperature.
What’s so special about Lukacs
Check out the marble tablets of gratitude on the wall of the courtyard, which are donated by healed visitors in the past.
Practical information about Lukács
Price on weekdays:
3900 HUF – 13€
Opening hours:
6 – 22h
Crowds:
can get very crowded
Mixed:
mixed
Address:
Frankel Leó út 25-29, 1023 Budapest, Hungary
Császár or Veli Bej - Beautiful historical pools in Budapest
Veli Bej or more recently named Császár are located on the Buda side of the city, not too far from Margareta Island.
These Turkish baths are the oldest pools in town. They date back to the 16th century and were originally built by the Ottoman invaders. Later they were renamed and given to the Hospitallers Order of Saint John, who used it for helping the sick.
The pools have been restored recently and you can really get the old school and quiet vibe here. There are a large octagonal pool and a few smaller pools.
Men, as well as women, can visit these thermal baths during the designated opening hours.
What’s so special about Veli Bej
These baths are not really commercially operated. You can visit them to find peace and quiet and it’s not crowded.
Als, Veli Bej are the oldest and purest hot springs in Budapest. There’s not too much that has changed and they look authentic.
Practical information about Veli Bej
Price on weekdays:
3100 HUF – 9,5€
Opening hours:
6 – 21h (closed during lunch: 12 – 15h)
Crowds:
not at all!
Mixed:
Always mixed
Address:
Árpád Fejedelem útja 7, 1023 Budapest, Hungary
Dandár Turkish Bath - Healing water for the local people
Dandár is one of the under-the-radar baths you definitely need to go to if you want to experience a quiet and non-touristy thermal bath! It’s located in District IX, a little South of the tourist areas.
There are 3 indoor baths with variable temperatures and 2 outside pools.
The pools are quite modern and sleek, meaning that you won’t find too many Ottoman or Roman influences in the interior. People that come here, are in it for the hot water and not to discover medieval design!
Men, as well as women, can always visit this place of relaxation. There’s no exclusivity!
What’s so special about Dandár
These baths are not historical, nor are they Turkish, but they are relaxing and reasonable quiet!
Practical information about Dandár
Price on weekdays:
2000 HUF – 6,2€
Opening hours:
6 – 21h
Crowds:
not at all!
Mixed:
Always mixed
Address:
Dandár u. 7, 1095 Budapest, Hungary
Dagaly - Local hot springs outside the city center
Dagaly is located in the north of the city and it’s mostly visited by locals. So, it’s not too popular with tourists. In this place, you can get some quiet time away from the crowds.
The pools were first built in 1948, but expanded later and got renovated over time. Today, you can swim in 8 different pools with varying temperatures. Some of them are indoors, while others are outside.
What’s so special about Dagaly
These are the types of thermal baths you can find all over Hungary. They aren’t historic or bombastic. People visit these because of the hot water and its healing powers.
Practical information about Dagaly
Price on weekdays:
2900 HUF – 9€
Opening hours:
6 – 20h
Crowds:
not at all!
Mixed:
Always mixed
Address:
Népfürdő u. 36, 1138 Budapest, Hungary
Palatinus Strandfürdő - water fun for the entire family
The Palatinus Strand fürdő is located on Margareta Island and aside from being a thermal complex, it’s also a great place to spend an entire day during the summer. It was the first place in Budapest where outdoor pools were available.
Palatinus offers 14 different pools, most of which are outside. On the domain, you can find slides, pools for children, and playgrounds. So these are one of the only thermal baths in Budapest where children can come and play.
These pools are mixed, so men and women are welcome at all times.
What’s so special about Palatinus
The location on Margaret island is green and forested. This is a great location for ‘beach’ time with the children.
Practical information about Palatinus
Price on weekdays:
3200 HUF – 10€
Opening hours:
8 – 20h
Crowds:
can be crowded in the summer
Mixed:
Always mixed
Address:
Soó Rezső stny. 1, 1003 Budapest, Hungary
Paskal Strandfürdő - Local hot spring experience
Paskál is another strand fürdő, which is Hungarian for ‘beach’. These baths are located outside the city center in District XIV.
These baths are the youngest in the area. They were built in 1989.
Aside from the thermal pools, there are also a few large outside swimming pools. A total of 9 different pools are available to guests. The thermal bath complex also has a wellness center on site.
What’s so special about Paskál
These are thermal baths and open-air baths, which are also a lot of fun in summer.
You can visit them all year round and for various reasons.
There’s also a wellness center.
Practical information about Paskál Strandfürdő
Price on weekdays:
2900 HUF – 8,5€
Opening hours:
6 – 20h
Crowds:
can be crowded in the summer
Mixed:
Always mixed
Address:
Egressy út 178/F, 1149 Budapest, Hungary
Pro Tip: The Budapest Bath Museum
If you’re interested in the fact that hot water flows underneath the capital of Hungary and you’re eager to learn more about it… Visit the Bath Museum in District III.
The main draw of the museum is the cool facts that you can wander around the very first thermal spa complex ever built in Budapest.
The Thermae Maiores or Great Bath dates back to the 2nd century and you can visit them for free. You can find this archealogocal gem at Florianski Square in District III.
What you need to know about thermal baths in Budapest
- Swimwear is obligated: no nudity
- Popular baths can be extremely busy
- Weekends are the busiest
- Water temperature is between 30 and 40 degrees Celcius
Benefits of thermal baths
Due to the composition of the water in the thermal baths in Budapest, people with different health issues can benefit from bathing here.
The medicinal baths have components like calcium, sodium, fluoride, hydrogen carbonate, and sulphate chloride.
Bathing in thermal baths can help with these conditions:
- arthritis
- joint problems
- back problems and spine issues
- neuralgia
- spinal issues
Conclusion - Which are the best thermal baths in Budapest?
Each of these baths has it’s own charm and character. Thus they all have their functions!
There are 3 types of thermal Spas in the city: Turkish baths, historical baths, and regular thermal baths.
Turkish baths look exquisite and they have this Ottoman vibe to them. In this category, Kiraly and Rudas are the main bath houses.
Historical baths date from a younger era between 1900 and 1950. These baths are built to impress. They are large, bombastic and made to accommodate loads of people. Szechenyi and Lukacs baths are the main spas in this category.
Gellert is the one bath house that kinda falls in between. Maybe that’s exactly why it’s so popular!
Check out the official website for the thermal baths in Budapest here.
