Our pick for most visitors
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Our pick for a first visit: a weekday Széchenyi ticket with a locker, valid all day in the big outdoor pools of City Park.
Budapest: Széchenyi Spa Tickets with Optional Upgrades
The Experience
Our Pick for a First Visit: Széchenyi
Three outdoor pools, a run of indoor thermal pools and saunas under one roof. Here is what the day ticket covers.
Highlights
- Outdoor thermal pool at 36-38 °C, leisure pool at 32-34 °C, swimming pool at 26-28 °C
- Neo-Baroque bath complex from 1913, which the listing counts at 3 outdoor and 15 indoor pools
- 13 options, from weekday locker passes to cabins, morning, Friday evening and weekend tickets
- Open until 22:00 on Fridays, 20:00 on other days
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before your visit
What's Included
- One-time entry to Széchenyi Thermal Bath on the booked day
- Locker in the public changing rooms or a private cabin, depending on the option
- Wristband that opens your locker or cabin
- Full-day validity until closing (morning and Friday evening tickets have set entry windows)
- Access to the outdoor and indoor thermal pools, saunas and steam rooms
- Fast-track entry on the fast-track options only
How Booking a Bath Ticket Works
Four steps from choosing a date to the first soak.
Pick the bath and the day
Weekday, weekend and peak days are priced differently. Choose a date in the live calendar and the ticket type: locker, private cabin, fast track or a morning ticket.
Get your e-ticket
Confirmation and a mobile voucher arrive by email straight away. The voucher says where to exchange it at the bath; online tickets usually skip the walk-in queue.
Wristband, locker, pools
Your wristband opens a locker or cabin. Bring a towel, slippers (compulsory) and a swim cap if you plan to use a swimming pool.
Stay as long as you like
A day ticket is valid until closing. Ticket sales end an hour before closing time and the pools empty 20 minutes before it.
Photo Gallery
Széchenyi, Pool by Pool
Photos from the Széchenyi day ticket listing.
The Four Big Public Baths Compared
Same thermal water, very different days out. The difference is the pools, the crowd, the hours and who can come.
| Feature | OUR PICK Széchenyi day ticket | Rudas day pass + 3-course meal | Lukács full-day ticket | Palatinus full-day admission |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | From $52 per person | $84 weekday, wellness + meal ($90 with Turkish bath) | $37 per person | $30 per person |
| Best for | First visit, big outdoor pools | Ottoman Turkish bath, Danube views | Local atmosphere, fewer tourists | Families with children |
| Pools/hours highlight | 3 outdoor pools, thermal pool 36-38 °C; Mon-Thu 7:00-20:00 | 6 Turkish pools 16-42 °C, 36 °C panorama pool | Thermal pools and saunas in a historic Buda bath; 7:00-19:00 most days | Children's pools, 40 m pool; 9:00-16:00 daily now |
| Under-14s | Not admitted | Not admitted | Not admitted | Welcome, child rate ages 3-14 |
| Open late | Fridays to 22:00 | Mondays to 22:00; night bathing Fri-Sat 22:00-03:00 (bath's own tickets) | Tuesdays to 22:00 | No |
| Guest rating | 4.3 from 28,758 reviews | 4.2 from 1,397 reviews | 4.0 from 351 reviews | 4.3 from 466 reviews |
| Check dates | Rudas tickets | Lukács tickets | Palatinus tickets |
The baths
One Ticket for Each Kind of Bath Day
The big outdoor pools, the Turkish bath by the river, the locals' bath, the family pools and a quiet indoor spa.
OUR PICKSzéchenyi day ticket, locker or cabin
A one-entry, full-day Széchenyi ticket with a locker or a private cabin, plus morning, Friday evening and fast-track options. From about $52 on a weekday.
OTTOMAN TURKISH BATHRudas day pass with 3-course lunch
A full day at the 450-year-old Rudas bath, with or without the Turkish bath, plus a 3-course meal and a drink at Rudas Bistro at a table time you pick when booking.
OPEN LATE TUESDAYSLukács thermal bath full-day ticket
A full-day ticket to the Lukács bath in Buda, a calmer local favorite with thermal pools, outdoor swimming pools and saunas, plus a cabin or locker.
CHILDREN WELCOMEPalatinus full-day pass, Margaret Island
A full-day ticket to Palatinus on Margaret Island, the family bath with children's pools, a 40 m swimming pool and thermal seating pools open all year.
LUXURY DAY SPAMandala Day Spa 3-hour pool pass
A 3-hour pass to Mandala Day Spa's candlelit bath in District XIII: four pools, a 10-person jacuzzi, a sauna and a steam cabin, with packages that add champagne, a robe, a massage chair or a light lunch.
Choosing
Which Budapest Bath to Book
For a first visit, book a weekday Széchenyi day ticket. It was $52 with a locker on Monday to Thursday dates we checked in late October 2026, it gets you into three outdoor pools and the indoor thermal halls for the whole day, and with 28,758 reviews at 4.3 it is the bath most visitors pick. Choose another bath if you want a Turkish bath, children with you, a smaller crowd or a quiet luxury spa. Our Széchenyi review →
Famous outdoor pools: Széchenyi
Széchenyi is the yellow bathhouse in City Park with steaming outdoor pools in a courtyard. The outdoor thermal pool runs at 36-38 °C, the leisure pool at 32-34 °C and the swimming pool at 26-28 °C, where a swim cap is compulsory. It opens at 7:00 on weekdays and stays open to 22:00 on Fridays, and a Monday to Thursday morning ticket for entry before 9:00 was $44. Weekend prices are higher: on the holiday Saturday we checked, the same locker ticket was $73. Bring a towel and slippers, because the bath sells them but does not rent them. Our Széchenyi tickets page covers locker versus cabin, the fast-track and Palm House upgrades, and the Saturday-night Sparty for over-18s.
Ottoman Turkish bath and Danube views: Rudas
Rudas sits at the Buda end of Elisabeth Bridge, at the foot of Gellért Hill. Its Turkish bath has six pools from 16 °C to 42 °C, and in the wellness section a 36 °C panorama pool looks out over the Danube. On GetYourGuide, Rudas is sold as a day pass with a 3-course meal at Rudas Bistro: $84 for the wellness section alone on a weekday, or $90 with the Turkish bath added. The wellness ticket does not include the Turkish bath, and the Turkish bath is men-only or women-only on several weekdays, so check the day before you pay. On Friday and Saturday nights the bath runs its own night bathing from 22:00 to 03:00, sold online by the bath only. Details on our Rudas tickets page.
Traditional local atmosphere: Lukács
Lukács, in District II on the Buda side, is where you are likely to share the pools with Budapest regulars; several reviewers say the crowd is mostly locals. The Lukács full-day ticket was $37 on the dates we checked, and the bath stays open to 22:00 on Tuesdays. Two things are out of use for now: the wellness Finnish sauna and the private bath service are closed for renovation. Bring a swim cap if you want to use the swimming pools. See our Lukács tickets page, or Széchenyi vs Lukács if you are torn between the two.
A family pool complex: Palatinus
Széchenyi, Rudas, Lukács and Dandár do not admit children under 14. Palatinus on Margaret Island does: children aged 3 to 14 pay a child rate, there are family tickets and two children’s pools. The Palatinus full-day admission was $30. Its wave pool and most outdoor pools are summer features, while the seating pools and the 40 m swimming pool stay open all year. From 19 October 2026 it closes at 16:00 daily, so go in the morning. More on our Palatinus tickets page and in the thermal baths with kids.
A small local bath: Dandár
Dandár is a modest neighborhood bath in District IX, on the Pest side, with a 38 °C outdoor wellness pool. At $25, the Dandár full-day admission was the cheapest bath ticket we found, and it stays open to 22:00 on Thursdays. It has 24 reviews against Széchenyi’s 28,758, which tells you how few visitors find it. Under-14s are not admitted.
Luxury indoor wellness: Mandala Day Spa
If the public baths sound too busy, the Mandala Day Spa pool experience in District XIII is the calm, indoor option: four pools, a jacuzzi for ten, a steam cabin and a sauna, open daily 10:00 to 20:00. It started at $54 for three hours on the dates we checked, and at 4.6 from 3,518 reviews it is the best-rated spa ticket in this comparison. Our luxury spas page compares it with the Széchenyi Palm House and the Margaret Island day spa, which takes no day guests from 19 December 2026 to 10 January 2027. For treatments, see the spa and massage packages.
Closed baths: Gellért and Király
Gellért has been closed since 1 October 2025 for renovation. The operator expects it to reopen in 2028, and press reports say the outdoor part may take longer. Any ticket still advertised for Gellért will not get you in; Rudas is the nearest open historic bath. Király is closed indefinitely. Our guide to whether Gellért is open tracks the reopening.
Planning more than a bath? The beer spa adds a private hop-water tub to a Széchenyi or Lukács visit, the spa and Danube cruise packages pair a bath with an evening on the river, and our where to stay page picks hotels close to the baths.
Guest Reviews
What Bathers Say About Széchenyi
Ratings and review counts are the ticket sellers' live figures on GetYourGuide and may shift slightly day to day.
"The thermal baths were fantastic. Really simple entry and once in you could stay all day. Outside there is a relaxing pool, a swimming pool and a fun pool with a jacuzzi and a whirlpool current. There are also multiple indoor pools too. The water is lovely at 38C. There are security boxes beside the pool for your phone etc which are coded to your wristband, really easy to use. Overall fantastic experience. Just remember your towel and slippers!"
"Great place, water at 38°C. We arrived at 7:00 AM, and there weren't many people there. At 9:00 AM, we had breakfast at the restaurant. The cappuccino is amazing!"
"We loved the experience. The fast lazy river was so much fun. Highly recommend!"
"I’m second time visiting this magical place :) have to visit if you in Budapest"
"Think it’s slightly overpriced compared to other countries. But was a nice relaxing afternoon"
"Everything was great. The pools were nice and fun, especially with the whirlpool areas. My only suggestion is that there are no clear instructions on where to go when you first arrive, or once you're inside. We had to look around for people and walk in the back of the place to go in for the fast pass option. Also once inside the staff wasn’t around and once we found someone there were still no clear instructions as to where to go. Once we figured it out we had a great time and it was a great experience."
"Disappointed the main pool was closed Very good day exceeded all expectations would highly recommend getting the private cabin for changing and keeps your things dry and safe. The comunal Changing rooms are VERY busy."
"The Széchenyi Baths were a great experience during our trip to Budapest. The outdoor pools are beautiful, but we also loved the indoor area, with its various thermal baths and saunas. The private changing rooms where you can leave your clothes were a great idea."
Read all 28758 verified reviews
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Budapest Thermal Baths FAQ
Short answers on choosing a bath, children, late opening and the closed baths.
Széchenyi, for most people. It has three outdoor pools in a courtyard, indoor thermal pools and saunas, and the day ticket was $52 with a locker on weekdays we checked in late October 2026. If a Turkish bath under a domed roof matters more to you, pick Rudas instead.
Not to Széchenyi, Rudas, Lukács or Dandár, which do not admit anyone under 14. Palatinus on Margaret Island is the family bath, with a child rate for ages 3 to 14, family tickets and two children's pools. See the thermal baths with kids.
No. Gellért closed on 1 October 2025 for renovation and the operator expects it to reopen in 2028; press reports say the outdoor part may take longer. Rudas is the nearest open historic bath. Király is also closed indefinitely. More in is Gellért bath open.
Széchenyi stays open to 22:00 on Fridays, Lukács to 22:00 on Tuesdays, Dandár to 22:00 on Thursdays and Rudas to 22:00 on Mondays. Rudas also runs night bathing on Friday and Saturday from 22:00 to 03:00, sold online by the bath itself. The Saturday-night Sparty at Széchenyi is for over-18s. See the baths at night.
Of the bath tickets on GetYourGuide, Dandár was the cheapest at $25 for a full day on the dates we checked, then Palatinus at $30 and Lukács at $37. Széchenyi started at $52 on a weekday. Our prices guide lists every ticket.
Bring a towel, slippers and a swim cap. The public baths sell towels and slippers but do not rent them, slippers are compulsory, and a swim cap is required in the swimming pools. Payment on site is by card. Our packing list has the rest.
Still have questions? Email us at info@budapestthermalbathstickets.com
