Booking choice: The Széchenyi day ticket, from $44 per person. Check dates Compare the options below
Széchenyi is open every day of the year, from 7:00 on weekdays and 8:00 at weekends. When you go changes the price, the crowd and, in the evening, the atmosphere. It also changes what is open: in autumn 2026 several parts of the bath are being renovated, and the lap pool closes for two weeks in October.
This guide covers the hours, the early and evening tickets, the busiest periods, how long to stay, the weather, and the 2026 works with their dates. For the prices themselves, see the tickets guide; for skipping the queue, the fast track guide.
The quick answer
The bath opens Monday to Thursday 7:00 to 20:00, Friday 7:00 to 22:00, and Saturday and Sunday 8:00 to 20:00; last entry is 1 hour before closing and the pools close 20 minutes before. The Good Morning ticket, entry by 9:00 on weekdays, is the cheapest. On Fridays, evening bathing runs from 19:00 to 22:00 with live concerts on listed dates. Parts of the bath are under works into 2027, subject to change.
What are the opening hours of Széchenyi Baths?
Monday to Thursday 7:00 to 20:00, Friday 7:00 to 22:00, Saturday and Sunday 8:00 to 20:00, every day of the year.
Pools, saunas and hot-air chambers close 20 minutes before the bath, at 19:40, or 21:40 on Fridays. Last entry is 1 hour before closing, and pool areas must be vacated 20 minutes before. On holidays and in the peak season, 18 December 2026 to 6 January 2027, the bath opens at 8:00; on 25 December and 1 January it is open until 20:00.
| Day | Bath | Pools close | Last entry |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monday to Thursday | 7:00 to 20:00 | 19:40 | 19:00 |
| Friday | 7:00 to 22:00 | 21:40 | 21:00 |
| Saturday and Sunday | 8:00 to 20:00 | 19:40 | 19:00 |
| Holidays and peak season | From 8:00 |
What is the best time to visit Széchenyi Baths?
Early on a weekday: enter by 9:00 with the Good Morning ticket for 10,500 Ft from Monday to Thursday, before the bath fills.
The Good Morning ticket is sold on the spot only, from Monday to Friday; on Friday it costs 11,800 Ft. It is the cheapest ticket the bath sells. Weekdays from Monday to Thursday are also the cheapest days for the standard ticket, at 13,200 Ft. On a cold morning the steam rising from the 38 °C outdoor pool is part of the show.
If you cannot be there early, the afternoon fast track window, from 15:00, gets you in through the Spa entrance and lets you stay until closing.
Fixing your date ahead? The day ticket on GetYourGuide has a morning option and free cancellation up to 24 hours.
Check dates for the Széchenyi day ticketCan you go to Széchenyi in the evening?
Yes. The bath is open until 20:00, and on Fridays until 22:00, with evening bathing from 19:00 to 22:00 and live poolside concerts on dates the bath lists.
The Friday evening ticket includes a locker, and you can upgrade to a cabin on site. The GetYourGuide day ticket also sells a Friday evening option, with entry limited to the hours in the option's description.
On Saturday nights, the bath becomes Sparty, a separate party every Saturday from February to December, booked through the organiser or at the door; daytime services are not available during the party. The Sparty ticket is non-refundable and for 18 and over.
Saturday night in the outdoor pools, 21:30 to 2:00, with a locker. 18+, and non-refundable, so be sure of your night.
Explore the Sparty night spa partyWhen is Széchenyi busiest?
In the peak season from 18 December 2026 to 6 January 2027, on holidays, and on Fridays and weekends, which the bath prices higher.
The bath does not publish crowd figures, but it says standard tickets may need to wait when the bath is full and that online tickets have priority then. Guests report huge crowds on busy days; one found it really crowded even early in the morning. Others report that the saunas were not crowded while the outdoor pools were. On a peak day, book online and consider fast track.
How much time do you need at Széchenyi Baths?
Most guests stay a few hours; one guest describes it as a place to spend a whole day at a leisurely pace. The ticket is for a full day, one entry.
The bath has no time limit on the ticket, but it is valid for one entry only. A Palm House guest stayed from 10:00 until 17:00. The private transfer package allows about 4 hours, which is a fair minimum to try the outdoor pools, the indoor thermal halls and a sauna or two without rushing. Allow time to change and to collect your wristband at the entrance.
Residents can buy a 2-hour evening ticket, but visitors cannot: there is no half-day ticket for them.
Is Széchenyi good in winter or in bad weather?
Yes. The outdoor pools stay warm all year: the thermal pool is 38 °C and the leisure pool 34 °C. Only the lap pool is cooler, at 26 °C.
The bath is open every day of the year, and the outdoor pools are the reason many people come in winter. The walk between the building and the pool is the cold part, so bring flip-flops and something warm to put on. In autumn the weather can still surprise: one guest reported 28 °C on 3 October 2026.
Indoors, the pools run from an 18 °C cold plunge to a 40 °C hot plunge, and there are 10 saunas and steam rooms if it rains.
What works are going on at Széchenyi in 2026?
Several parts of the bath are under renovation through autumn 2026, and the women's thermal section from 26 October into 2027. The bath's own dates, subject to change:
- Main pool entrance staircase: 24 August to 1 November.
- Fountains, the women's-side outdoor stone steps and the stepped sunbathing area: 28 September to 8 November.
- Poolside changing rooms: 28 September to 27 December.
- Women's thermal section: from 26 October into 2027.
- Men's-side outdoor steps: 9 November to 27 December.
- Lap pool: closed for maintenance 8 to 23 October 2026.
The bath says pools and saunas are also subject to regular maintenance, and one guest this month reported a closed pool. Check the bath's available services page the day before you go.
Not sure of your date yet? Book the day ticket with free cancellation up to 24 hours, and change your mind if the works move.
Check dates for the Széchenyi day ticketIs the Széchenyi Thermal Bath worth it?
For most visitors, yes: a building from 1913, warm outdoor pools all year, and more than a dozen indoor pools and 10 saunas and steam rooms for one ticket.
The bath was built in 1913 to plans by Győző Czigler and expanded in 1927 with an outside part; the swimming pools were rebuilt in 1999. The GetYourGuide ticket holds a 4.3 rating from 28,357 reviews. The honest caveats: it gets crowded, nothing can be rented, children under 14 are not admitted, and some areas are under works. If Gellért was on your list, read Gellért or Széchenyi first: Gellért is closed.
The bath's day ticket with every option, morning, Friday evening or fast track, and free cancellation up to 24 hours.
Explore the Széchenyi day ticketFrequently asked questions
What time does Széchenyi open?
At 7:00 from Monday to Friday and 8:00 at weekends, on holidays and in the peak season.
Is Széchenyi open on Sundays?
Yes, from 8:00 to 20:00. The bath is open every day of the year.
When is the last entry at Széchenyi?
1 hour before closing: 19:00 on most days, 21:00 on Fridays.
Is the lap pool open in October 2026?
Not from 8 to 23 October 2026, when it is closed for maintenance.
Ready to book
Choose your Széchenyi ticket
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before, except Sparty Night Spa Party, which is non-refundable. Prices are from-prices in USD and move with the season.
Széchenyi Day Ticket
- One entry to the Széchenyi Bath, valid until closing
- A locker or a private cabin, by the option you pick
- Fast track, morning and Friday evening options
Fast Track Admission with Locker
Spa entrance, before 11:00 or after 15:00; 8 reviews
Sparty Night Spa Party
- Party entry from 21:30 to 2:00, last entry 1:00
- A locker; drink coupons on the premium option
- Bars take only a SpartyPay card (20,000 Ft top-up incl. a 3,000 Ft deposit)
