Booking choice: The Széchenyi day ticket, from $44 per person. Check dates Compare the options below
Older guides still set Gellért against Széchenyi as the classic Budapest choice. That comparison is on hold. The Gellért Bath's own page says it has been closed since 1 October 2025, with reopening expected in 2028. Any ticket or tour still sold as Gellért deserves a careful look.
This guide covers what that means for your visit, then compares the baths you can actually go to: Széchenyi in City Park, Rudas on the Buda bank of the Danube, and Lukács, also in Buda. For a wider view, including day spas, see the Budapest thermal baths guide.
The quick answer
Gellért is closed: since 1 October 2025, with reopening expected in 2028. Széchenyi is the big, outdoor choice, with warm outdoor pools all year. Rudas is the Buda-side alternative, with a Turkish bath that has men-only, women-only and mixed days, a rooftop panorama pool and night bathing on Fridays and Saturdays. Both Széchenyi and Rudas admit only visitors aged 14 and over.
Is the Gellért Bath open?
No. The Gellért Bath has been closed since 1 October 2025, and its reopening is expected in 2028.
The bath's own Hungarian page states it in two lines: the bath is closed from 1 October 2025, and opening is expected in 2028. The date is an expectation, not a promise. If you see Gellért tickets for sale, check what the listing actually sells and where. On this site we do not offer any Gellért product.
Which bath is better, Gellért or Széchenyi?
In 2026, Széchenyi, because Gellért is closed. Choose between Széchenyi, Rudas and Lukács instead.
Széchenyi is the obvious replacement for a first visit: it is the bath most visitors picture, with three outdoor pools, the thermal pool at 38 °C, more than a dozen indoor pools and 10 saunas and steam rooms. It stands in City Park, on the M1 metro at Széchenyi fürdő. If you were drawn to Gellért's place by the Danube, Rudas sits on the same Buda bank, by the river.
The Széchenyi day ticket on GetYourGuide resells the bath's ticket with free cancellation up to 24 hours, from $44.
Switching from Gellért? The Széchenyi day ticket with free cancellation up to 24 hours keeps your plans open.
Check dates for the Széchenyi day ticketRudas or Széchenyi: which bath is better?
Széchenyi for outdoor pools and space; Rudas for a Turkish bath, a rooftop pool and late nights.
They suit different moods. Both are open daily and both admit visitors aged 14 and over only. From-prices are GetYourGuide's, in USD; the Rudas listing includes a 3-course meal.
| Széchenyi | Rudas | |
|---|---|---|
| Where | City Park, Pest; M1 Széchenyi fürdő | Buda bank of the Danube |
| Signature | Outdoor thermal pool, 38 °C | Turkish bath; rooftop panorama pool |
| Nights | Fridays to 22:00; Sparty on Saturdays | Night bathing Fri and Sat, 22:00 to 3:00 |
| Turkish bath days | Not applicable | Men-only, women-only and mixed days |
| Age | 14 and over | 14 and over |
| On GetYourGuide | Day ticket from $44 | Day pass and meal from $84 |
What is the Rudas Turkish bath like?
A Turkish bath with men-only, women-only and mixed days, beside a wellness section with a rooftop panorama pool.
The GetYourGuide listing offers two options: full access including the Turkish bath, or a wellness ticket with every other area except the Turkish bath. The listing describes the wellness area with saunas, a 42 °C thermal pool, an 11 °C plunge pool and the rooftop pool. Check the Turkish bath's day before you go if you want the mixed day.
The Rudas day pass with a 3-course meal adds a table at Rudas Bistro; you choose the time when you book and can swim before or after. Guests report the rooftop pool's views of the Danube as a highlight; one found it really busy. Towels and flip-flops are not included and, as at Széchenyi, cannot be rented: they are sold at the cashier.
A full day at Rudas, wellness or the Turkish bath, the rooftop pool and a 3-course meal at Rudas Bistro by the Danube. 14+.
Explore the Rudas day pass with a 3-course mealIs Lukács a good alternative to Széchenyi?
Yes, if you want a quieter, more local bath: guests report more locals than tourists. It is smaller, and rated 4.0 on GetYourGuide.
The Lukács day ticket is a full-day ticket with a cabin or locker, depending on availability. The listing describes outdoor pools with jets and waterfalls, saunas and steam rooms. Guests report a hottest pool of 40 °C, a sauna at 70 °C and a rooftop sunbathing area, and that you need a swim cap to swim. The listing notes that swimwear covering the whole body is not permitted. Like Széchenyi and Rudas, it is not for children under 14.
One guest felt it should be cheaper given the size of the thermal pools; others call it good value. It starts from $37.
Which bath is better for a first visit to Budapest?
Széchenyi: it is the largest, the outdoor pools are warm all year, and the metro stops at the door.
The M1 Millennium Underground stops at Széchenyi fürdő, and trolleybus 72 also serves the bath. A BKK single ticket costs 500 Ft, or 700 Ft bought on the spot. There is no car park, only street parking at 450 Ft an hour for 3 hours at most on weekdays.
For a second bath on another day, Rudas gives you the Danube and the Turkish bath, Lukács a calmer local feel. Whichever you pick, bring a towel and flip-flops.
Already decided on Széchenyi? Add the Palm House lounge with a robe, towel and slippers.
Check dates for the Palm House day passWhich bath is better at night?
Rudas for late night bathing on Fridays and Saturdays from 22:00 to 3:00; Széchenyi for Friday evenings to 22:00 and the Saturday Sparty.
Széchenyi's Friday evening bathing runs from 19:00 to 22:00 with live poolside concerts on listed dates. Sparty is a separate night party there every Saturday from February to December; the GetYourGuide ticket runs from 21:30 to 2:00, is for 18 and over and is non-refundable. For a quieter evening after a day in the water, the Danube cruise lasts 75 minutes with a rooftop terrace and a heated indoor deck in the colder months.
A 75-minute Danube cruise with unlimited Prosecco and Aperol and a rooftop terrace, an easy evening after the bath.
Explore the Danube cruise with unlimited ProseccoWhich bath is better for families with children?
Neither Széchenyi nor Rudas: both are 14 and over. The Széchenyi Bath itself points families to Csillaghegy, Paskál and Palatinus.
Since 1 August 2025, children under 14 are not admitted to Széchenyi at all, outdoor pools included, except with a specialist's medical certificate approved 24 hours ahead. The Lukács listing is also marked as not suitable for children under 14. The Budapest thermal baths guide sets out the options by age.
Frequently asked questions
When will Gellért Bath reopen?
Its reopening is expected in 2028. It has been closed since 1 October 2025.
Is Rudas better than Széchenyi?
It depends on what you want: Széchenyi for the big outdoor pools, Rudas for the Turkish bath, the rooftop pool and night bathing on Fridays and Saturdays.
Can children go to Rudas?
No. Rudas, like Széchenyi, admits visitors aged 14 and over.
Is there a bath by the Danube now that Gellért is closed?
Yes: Rudas, on the Buda bank, with a rooftop panorama pool.
Ready to book
Choose your Széchenyi ticket
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before on each option below. 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
Rudas Bath Day Pass and 3-Course Meal
A Buda bath with a rooftop pool, and a meal
Lukács Thermal Bath Day Ticket
A quieter bath with more locals; rated 4.0
