Budapest is one of the few major cities where you can spend the morning sightseeing and the afternoon soaking in hot thermal waters under the open sky.

The spas here are not just a tourist attraction. Locals go there to swim, relax and undergo therapeutic treatments.

If you’re visiting Budapest for the first time and only want to visit one spa, choose Széchenyi.

In our opinion, Rudas offers the most interesting historical atmosphere and views of the Danube. You can have a dip at the Lukács Baths for a lower price, whilst Palatinus makes the most sense if you’re with children, or Dagály in the summer.

Please note: children under the age of 14 are not permitted at the Széchenyi, Rudas and Lukács thermal baths. Families with younger children should head primarily to Palatinus.

If you want to combine a swim with a relaxing stay, you can compare hotels with their own wellness facilities straight away. However, a hotel swimming pool cannot replace the atmosphere of historic thermal baths.

Hotels with wellness facilities in Budapest

Which thermal baths should you choose?

Spas	The best choice for	Standard admission price for adults	Children
Széchenyi	First-time visitors, historic setting and outdoor pools	13,200–15 800 huf	Ages 14 and over
Rudas	Turkish baths, saunas and views of the Danube	12,000–16 000 huf for the whole complex	Ages 14 and over
Lukács	Lower prices and a less touristy atmosphere	7,000–8 000 huf	Ages 14 and over
Palatinus	Families with children and summer swimming	3,800–6 500 huf	Yes
Dagály	Swimming, families and a large outdoor complex	5,500–5 900 huf	Yes, thermal section for ages 14 and over
Gellért	Art Nouveau architecture	Closed	Scheduled to open in 2028

Prices may be higher on public holidays, at weekends and during the peak season.

The Széchenyi Baths are the most popular choice. For weekends and busy periods, we recommend checking ticket availability in advance.

Tickets and how to avoid paying more than you need to

The official websites of the individual baths usually offer the lowest prices. Buying tickets through a reseller makes sense particularly if you’re looking for a Czech-speaking environment, the option to cancel your booking, or a combined package.

Always check the following before paying:

• Whether the ticket is valid for the entire complex
• Whether it includes a locker or a changing cubicle
• Whether you need to arrive at a specific time
• Whether it really does include priority entry
• Terms and conditions for changing or cancelling a booking

The best way to save money at Széchenyi is with the Good Morning Budapest ticket.

It is sold on weekdays only at the venue before 9.00 am and costs 10 500 hufon Fridays 11 800 huf and is valid until closing time. The downside is that it cannot be booked in advance.

We recommend buying a ticket in advance for the Rudas Baths, especially at the weekend. Here too, only the Fast Track option guarantees immediate entry.

Is the Budapest Card worth it?

The Budapest Card includes one free entry to the Lukács Baths.

At the Széchenyi Baths, it entitles you to a 20 per cent discount on a standard ticket including a locker, but the discount can only be claimed when purchasing on the spot.

It’s usually not worth buying the whole card just for Lukács. It starts to make sense if you also make use of public transport, museums, guided tours or a cruise on the Danube.

• Compare the options and prices of the Budapest Card
• Tickets and transport in Budapest

How does a visit to the thermal baths work?

Budapest’s thermal baths operate in a similar way to large public swimming pools. On arrival, you’ll be given an electronic wristband, make your way through the changing rooms, and then you’re free to move between the pools and saunas included in your ticket.

Standard tickets are usually valid for the whole day. Massages, private baths and other treatments are charged separately.

At Széchenyi, the ticket is valid for a single entry only. Once you leave the premises, you cannot return with it later.

• We recommend:Tips for affordable hotels, not only near the thermal baths in Budapest

Lockers or changing cubicles?

A locker is only for storing clothes and a small rucksack. You get changed in the communal changing rooms.

A changing cubicle is a lockable private changing room that is available to you throughout your visit. It’s ideal for couples, if you have larger luggage, or if you’d rather not get changed in a communal changing room.

A changing cubicle does not mean a private spa. You will still share the pools and other areas with other visitors.

What should you bring with you?

• Swimwear
• Your own towel
• Rubber slippers or flip-flops
• A bottle of water
• Swimming cap, if you wish to use the swimming pools
• Proof of identity for teenagers around the age of 14

Slippers are compulsory at Széchenyi. Towels, swimwear, slippers and swimming caps are not usually available to hire, only for purchase. Buying them on site is expensive – for example, a towel at the city baths costs around 6 900 huf.

You only need a swimming cap in standard swimming pools marked with the relevant symbol. It is not compulsory in thermal and adventure pools.

How much time should you set aside?

Allow 2 to 4 hours for a standard visit. You can easily spend half a day at Széchenyi or Rudas, but a whole day is unnecessarily long for most visitors.

It’s usually least crowded on weekday mornings. Expect the biggest crowds at the weekend between late morning and the afternoon.

For the hottest pools, it is often recommended to stay in the water for no more than about 20 minutes at a time; after that, it’s better to rest and rehydrate.

Are the spas open in winter too?

Széchenyi, Rudas, Lukács and part of the Dagály complex are open all year round. It is in winter that swimming in a hot outdoor pool has the best atmosphere.

Palatinus is also open outside the summer season, but its large outdoor pools, water slides and other seasonal attractions close down gradually. Outside the peak season, it therefore functions more as a smaller thermal and wellness centre.

Before each visit, check which pools are currently open on the official website. Short-term closures for maintenance are common.

Thermal spas with children

From August 2025, significantly stricter rules will apply at several thermal baths in Budapest.

Children under the age of 14 are not permitted anywhere on the premises:

• Széchenyi
• Rudas
• Lukács

Exceptions intended for children with a doctor’s recommendation are not, in practice, applicable to ordinary tourist visits.

For younger children, we recommend Palatinus, where you’ll find children’s pools, family tickets and, in summer, water slides and a large outdoor area.

An alternative is the Dagály Spa. Children can use the swimming pools and seasonal family pools, but they are only permitted in the thermal therapeutic pools and the wellness area from the age of 14.

Therapeutic focus of the spa

There is an extensive system of thermal springs beneath Budapest. The water contains, amongst other things, calcium, magnesium, bicarbonates, sodium, sulphates and fluorides.

The spa states that the thermal water is used in particular for:

• Degenerative joint diseases
• Chronic and less acute joint inflammation
• Orthopaedic rehabilitation
• Recovery following injuries to the musculoskeletal system

However, a standard visitor’s ticket does not constitute a therapeutic stay and is no substitute for specialist treatment. If you have any health restrictions, please follow your doctor’s advice and the instructions posted at the individual pools.

The best thermal baths in Budapest

1. Széchenyi Thermal Baths

Széchenyi is the first choice for most visitors. This huge Neo-Baroque complex offers three outdoor pools and a number of indoor pools, as well as saunas, steam rooms and a classic swimming pool.

The outdoor thermal pools are the highlight of the experience. They remain open even in winter, and it is precisely the contrast between the freezing air and the water, which is around 36–38 °C, that creates the photographs of Budapest that almost everyone recognises.

However, the Széchenyi Baths are also the most popular and the most expensive. Expect large crowds at weekends and on public holidays. If you can, visit first thing in the morning on a weekday.

• Price: 13 200 huf – 15 800 huf
• Early-bird admission: 10 500 huf – 11 800 huf
• Opening hours:7.00–20.00, until 22.00 on Fridays and from 8.00 at weekends
• Children: admission from 14 years of age only
• Transport: M1 metro, Széchenyi fürdő station
• Detailed information about the Széchenyi Baths
• Official price list and opening hours

2. Gellért Thermal Baths

The Gellért Baths will be closed from 1 October 2025. They are scheduled to reopen in 2028.

This Art Nouveau complex is one of the most beautiful spas in Europe, but at present there is no point in planning a trip there or booking accommodation in the area specifically for the spa.

The original link to the Gellért Hotel and the information regarding free admission for hotel guests are no longer valid.

• Detailed information about the Gellért Baths
• Official information on the renovation

3. Palatinus on Margaret Island

Palatinus is Budapest’s best choice for families. In summer, it operates as a large water park with children’s pools, slides, a wave pool and grassy areas. The complex also features an indoor thermal area and saunas.

Outside the summer months, there is considerably less on offer. The slides and most of the outdoor adventure pools are seasonal, but this means that admission is significantly cheaper outside the peak season.

Palatinus is situated in the centre of Margaret Island. The stop for bus 26 is right by the entrance.

• Price: 3 800 huf – 6 500 huf depending on the season and day
• Children’s admission: 2 500 huf – 5 000 huf
• Opening hours:9.00–19.00
• Children: yes, family tickets are also available
• Transport: bus 26
• Detailed information about Margaret Island and the Palatinus Spa
• Official Palatinus price list

At the northern tip of Margaret Island, you can enjoy wellness and spa facilities in the very private setting of two thermal hotels, accessible only to hotel guests.

• Ensana Thermal Margaret Island
• Ensana Grand Margaret Island

4. Rudas Turkish Baths

We’d recommend Rudas if you’re looking for more than just a large swimming pool complex. The historic Turkish section, featuring an octagonal pool beneath a dome, dates back to the 16th century and is complemented by modern wellness facilities, saunas and a small panoramic pool overlooking the Danube.

When buying a ticket, make sure you select the correct section of the complex. Admission to the wellness centre only does not include the historic Turkish baths.

If you wish to see the entire complex, choose a ticket that includes both the Turkish Bath and the Wellness Centre.

The Turkish section has special rules:

• Tuesdays are reserved for women
• On Wednesdays, it is reserved for men
• On Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays, the mornings are reserved for men and the rest of the day is mixed
• At weekends, it is mixed all day
• Swimwear is compulsory during mixed-use sessions

On Fridays and Saturdays, there is also night-time swimming from 10.00 pm to 3.00 am. Tickets for night-time swimming are sold online only.

• Price for the entire complex: 12 000 huf – 16 000 huf
• Opening hours:6.00 am–8.00 pm; on Mondays, part of the complex is open until 10.00 pm
• Children: admission from 14 years of age only
• Transport: trams 19, 41, 56 and 56A
• Detailed information about the Rudas Baths
• Official price list and current opening hours
• Entry to Rudas with the option of a three-course menu

5. Lukács Thermal Baths

Lukács is considerably less opulent than Széchenyi or Rudas.

The surroundings look a bit dated in places, and finding your way around the complex isn’t entirely intuitive on a first visit. The reward is a lower admission price and a less touristy atmosphere.

You’ll find three indoor therapeutic pools, an outdoor adventure pool, swimming pools, saunas and steam rooms. The outdoor thermal area is open all year round.

Lukács is the best choice if you want to truly relax and don’t need to take iconic photos. What’s more, it’s the only spa in Budapest offering one free entry as part of the Budapest Card.

• Price: 7 000 huf – 8 000 huf
• Opening hours:7.00–19.00, until 22.00 on Tuesdays
• Children: admission from 14 years of age
• Transport: trams 4, 6, 17 and 19, Margit híd stop
• Detailed information about the Lukács Baths
• Official Lukács price list
• Budapest Card including admission to Lukács

6. Dagály Thermal Baths and Swimming Pool

Dagály combines a traditional swimming pool, a swimming complex and thermal baths.

They lack the historic atmosphere of Széchenyi or Rudas, but they offer plenty of space, large grassy areas and significantly lower prices.

Two outdoor swimming pools and two outdoor thermal pools are open all year round. In summer, adventure, teaching and children’s pools are added.

Families should be aware that children under the age of 14 are not permitted to use the therapeutic thermal pools or the wellness area. They may, however, use the seasonal children’s and leisure pools.

• Price: 5 500 huf on weekdays and 5 900 huf at weekends
• Wellness area: additional charge 1 250 huf
• Open: daily 6.00 am–8.00 pm
• Children: yes, thermal and wellness area from 14 years of age
• Transport: M3 metro, Forgách utca station
• Detailed information about the Dagály Spa
• Official website of the Dagály Spa

Where to stay when visiting the spa?

You don’t need to stay right next to the spas to visit them. Budapest has an excellent metro and tram network, and you can reach most of the spa complexes from the city centre in 15 to 30 minutes.

Convenient areas based on your chosen spa:

• Széchenyi: the area around the M1 metro line or the city centre around Andrássy Avenue
• Rudas: the centre of Pest near the trams running along the Danube, or the Buda side
• Lukács: the area around Margaret Bridge
• Palatinus: Margaret Island, if you’re looking for a quieter spa break
• Dagály: the area around the M3 metro line

We describe specific neighbourhoods and hotels in our guide to where to stay in Budapest.

If you’d like a swimming pool or spa facilities right in your hotel, do have a look at our selection of spa hotels in Budapest.