Design your own spa experience at Rudas, from a brisk exercise in the lap pool to a soak in the muscle-soothing thermal pools; temperatures range from 60–107°F (16–42°C). Unwind with a massage or body scrub, which you can book in advance or at check-in. Treatments usually incorporate local elements such as Hungarian wine and mountain herbs.
A separate wellness center has additional hot-water pools and a rooftop gastropub where you can supplement your spa experience with a multi-course meal overlooking the Elisabeth Bridge and Danube River.
The Rudas Baths sit at the base of Gellert Hill near the Elisabeth Bridge on the Buda side of Budapest. Take tram 18 or 19, or hop on buses 5, 7, 8, 86, or 112.
The baths are reserved for men only on Mondays and Wednesdays to Fridays, and for women only on Tuesdays. Saturday and Sunday are co-ed. Weekends have extended hours.
Public bathing is a centuries-old tradition in Budapest thanks to its natural thermal springs, and the city has dozens of spring-fed bathhouses to choose from for a quick soak or indulgent spa day. Széchenyi Thermal Bath is the largest in Europe, with a sprawling outdoor pool and many soaking tubs inside an ornate neo-baroque bathhouse. Gellert Baths is a local favorite for its gorgeous Art Nouveau design, while Lukács Baths are known for its extensive menu of medicinal treatments.
