Pick Széchenyi if you want to soak outdoors in hot water, on any day of the week, at $52 on a weekday ticket. Pick Rudas if the Turkish bath is the point, and plan your day around its schedule: some weekdays are men-only or women-only, and mixed bathing in swimsuits runs on Monday, Thursday and Friday from 11:00 and all weekend. On GetYourGuide, Rudas is sold with a 3-course meal, from $90 with the Turkish bath on a weekday we checked in late October 2026.
Budapest: Rudas Turkish Bath or Spa Day Pass & 3-Course Meal
Széchenyi and Rudas at a glance
| Széchenyi | Rudas | |
|---|---|---|
| Where | City Park, Pest (District XIV) | Buda end of Elisabeth Bridge, foot of Gellért Hill (District I) |
| Signature | Three outdoor pools, 26 to 38 °C | Turkish bath with six pools, 16 to 42 °C |
| Hours | Mon to Thu 7:00 to 20:00, Fri to 22:00, Sat and Sun 8:00 to 20:00 | Mon 6:00 to 22:00, Tue to Sun 6:00 to 20:00 |
| Late nights | Fri to 22:00; Sparty on Saturdays, 21:30 to 2:00 | Night bathing Fri and Sat, 22:00 to 3:00 |
| Walk-in price (2026) | 13,200 HUF Mon to Thu, 14,800 HUF Fri to Sun | 12,000 HUF Mon to Thu, 15,000 HUF Fri to Sun |
| On GetYourGuide | Day ticket, $52 weekday | Day pass + 3-course meal, $84 to $90 weekday |
| Rating | 4.3 from 28,758 reviews | 4.2 from 1,397 reviews |
| Under-14s | Not admitted | Not admitted |
The review counts tell you something about crowds. Széchenyi’s main ticket has about twenty times as many reviews as the Rudas package, a rough guide to how many more visitors pass through Széchenyi.
Atmosphere: outdoor pools or a Turkish bath
Széchenyi is a large bath complex in City Park, and its life happens outside. The three outdoor pools are the photographs you have seen: a swimming pool, a 36 to 38 °C thermal pool and a leisure pool, with steam rising off the water on cold days. It is sociable, busy and easy for a first visit.
Rudas feels more like a bath in the old sense. Its heart is the Turkish bath, where you move between six pools from a 16 °C cold plunge to 42 °C, and the operator suggests about 20 minutes in each hot pool. Around it are a 20.5 m swimming pool at 29 °C, a wellness section with pools at 11, 32, 36 and 42 °C, and a 36 °C panorama pool with a view of the Danube. It suits people who want to sweat, cool down and repeat, and talk less. Gellért, across the hill, is closed, and Rudas is the nearest historic bath that is open.
The Rudas Turkish bath schedule
This is the part that decides your day. The Turkish bath section has its own rota:
| Day | Turkish bath |
|---|---|
| Monday | Men only 6:00 to 10:45, then mixed 11:00 to 22:00 |
| Tuesday | Women only, all day |
| Wednesday | Men only, all day |
| Thursday | Men only 6:00 to 10:45, then mixed 11:00 to 20:00 |
| Friday | Men only 6:00 to 10:45, then mixed 11:00 to 20:00 |
| Saturday and Sunday | Mixed, all day |
Mixed sessions require a swimsuit. The schedule can change, so confirm it on the Rudas website before you go; our men, women and mixed days guide covers it in detail. On GetYourGuide the Turkish bath option of the Rudas package is offered on Monday, Thursday, Friday and weekends. The cheaper Wellness option does not include the Turkish bath at all.
Széchenyi has no gendered days. Every pool is mixed, every day.
Pools, indoor and outdoor
Széchenyi’s outdoor pools run at 26 to 28 °C (swimming), 36 to 38 °C (thermal) and 32 to 34 °C (leisure), with cold plunges at 18 to 20 °C. Inside are a medical therapy pool at 28 to 40 °C and plunge pools at 18 or 40 °C. A swim cap is required in the swimming pool.
Rudas’s pool list is given above. The operator does not say which of its pools are outdoors, and it does not describe a rooftop pool, only the panorama pool with the Danube view. If outdoor soaking is what you came for, Széchenyi is the safer choice.
Winter
Budapest winters hover around freezing, and that is when Széchenyi’s 36 to 38 °C outdoor thermal pool is at its most memorable. The bath does not announce a winter closure for its outdoor pools, and Sparty uses them on winter Saturday nights. Rudas is the pick on a raw, windy day if you would sooner spend it moving between the hot and cold pools of the Turkish bath. Our winter guide covers what to expect in the cold.
Night options
Both baths stay open late, on different nights. Széchenyi runs to 22:00 on Fridays, and on Saturdays it hosts Sparty, a party in the two outdoor pools from 21:30 to 2:00 for over-18s, from $82. Rudas is open to 22:00 on Mondays and runs night bathing on Fridays and Saturdays from 22:00 to 3:00, for 15,000 HUF, sold online only; morning passes are not valid for it. Our night bathing guide compares the options.
Prices
At the desk, Rudas is cheaper Monday to Thursday (12,000 HUF against 13,200 HUF) and dearer Friday to Sunday (15,000 HUF against 14,800 HUF). Both add a peak price: 15,800 HUF at Széchenyi, 16,000 HUF at Rudas. Neither rents towels, so bring your own or buy one at the shop; Rudas charges 6,900 HUF.
Booked ahead, Széchenyi is $52 on a weekday with a locker, or $73 on the holiday Saturday we checked. Rudas on GetYourGuide comes as a day pass with a 3-course meal at the Rudas Bistro and a drink: $84 for Wellness, $90 with the Turkish bath on a weekday, and $146 for the all-inclusive option on a Saturday. Our Rudas package review →
Getting there
Széchenyi is at Állatkerti körút 9-11 in City Park. The M1 metro stops at Széchenyi fürdő station, and tram 1 and trolleybus 72 also serve the bath. Rudas is at Döbrentei tér 9, by the Buda end of Elisabeth Bridge, served by trams 19, 41, 56 and 56A and several bus lines. Rudas is currently not usable by mobility-impaired guests, because its stairlift is out of service, and the Széchenyi day ticket listing is marked as not suitable for wheelchair users.
Who should pick which
- First visit, any day of the week: Széchenyi. See our Széchenyi tickets page.
- You want a Turkish bath: Rudas, on a day that matches your group.
- A mixed couple or group on a Tuesday or Wednesday: Széchenyi, since the Rudas Turkish bath is single-sex all day.
- Outdoor soaking in winter: Széchenyi.
- A late night after 22:00: Rudas night bathing on Friday or Saturday, or Sparty on Saturday.
- Bath and a proper lunch in one booking: the Rudas package.
Frequently asked questions
Is Rudas or Széchenyi better?
They suit different visits. Széchenyi is the outdoor, sociable bath and works any day. Rudas is built around its Turkish bath and suits people who want to move between hot and cold pools, as long as the day’s men, women or mixed session fits.
Can couples go to the Rudas Turkish bath together?
Yes, during mixed sessions: Monday, Thursday and Friday from 11:00, and all day Saturday and Sunday, in swimsuits. Tuesday is women only and Wednesday men only.
Does Rudas have a rooftop pool?
The operator lists a 36 °C panorama pool with a view of the Danube but does not describe it as a rooftop pool. Check the Rudas website for the current pool list.
Which is cheaper, Széchenyi or Rudas?
Rudas at the desk Monday to Thursday (12,000 HUF against 13,200 HUF); Széchenyi Friday to Sunday (14,800 HUF against 15,000 HUF). On GetYourGuide, Széchenyi’s $52 entry is cheaper because Rudas is sold with a meal.
Can children visit either bath?
No. Széchenyi and Rudas both refuse entry to under-14s. Palatinus on Margaret Island is the public bath for families.
Book your bath day
Pick a date in the live calendar to see the real price for that day. Most bath tickets can be cancelled free up to 24 hours before.
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