Booking choice: The Széchenyi day ticket, from $44 per person. Check dates Compare the options below
Many visitors arrive expecting a hotel spa and find that the bath rents nothing at all. One guest's only complaint, in a five-star review, was not being able to rent towels or bathrobes. The rule is simple: everything you wear or dry yourself with, you bring, or you buy it in the shop at shop prices.
This guide covers the full packing list, towels and their price, flip-flops, the swimwear rules, swim caps, food and drink, phones, the hygiene rules and the one way to have a robe and towel waiting for you. Ticket prices are in the tickets guide.
The quick answer
Bring swimwear, a towel and flip-flops; add a swim cap only if you want to use the lap pool. Slippers are compulsory in the bath (not in the pools), nude bathing is not permitted, and only swimwear is allowed in the pools: no street or gym clothes, underwear or leggings. You may bring your own food and soft drinks but no alcohol. The Palm House (Dayspalm) and the Private Spa include a robe, towel and slippers.
What should I bring to Széchenyi Baths?
Swimwear, a towel, flip-flops, a swim cap if you want to swim laps, and a bag that fits a locker. Food and soft drinks are optional.
- Swimwear: a swimsuit or swim shorts; no street or gym clothes in the pools.
- Towel: you need it on the sauna benches, where it is compulsory.
- Flip-flops or slippers: compulsory in the bath, though not in the pools.
- Swim cap: only for the lap pool.
- A small bag: the locker takes a backpack; suitcases need a cabin (1,000 Ft extra).
- Your QR code: exchanged at the entrance for a wristband or proxy watch.
- Card or forint: machines take cards only, the Steam entrance offices take cash; euro is not accepted.
The GetYourGuide listings also ask you to bring a passport or ID card, and the bath may check ID for age, since under-14s are not admitted.
Do Széchenyi Baths provide towels?
No. Towels, bathrobes, slippers, swimwear and caps cannot be rented. The shop sells them, a towel for 6,900 Ft.
These are the bath's shop prices for 2026. A towel and a pair of slippers together cost 11,100 Ft, close to the price of a weekday ticket, so they are worth packing.
| In the shop | Price |
|---|---|
| Towel | 6,900 Ft |
| Bathrobe | 12,600 Ft |
| Slippers | 4,200 Ft |
| Swimsuit | 6,300 Ft |
| Swim cap | 2,100 Ft |
| Safe | 1,100 Ft |
| Rental of any of these | Not available |
Rather not pack a towel? The Palm House pass includes a robe, towel and slippers with the lounge.
Check dates for the Palm House day passDo you need flip flops for Széchenyi Baths?
Yes. Slippers or flip-flops are compulsory everywhere in the bath, though not in the pools themselves.
The fast track listing spells it out: flip-flops must be worn in the spa areas for safety, but it is forbidden to enter the pools in flip-flops, clogs or other rubber footwear. So wear them on the floors and leave them at the edge. Bare feet are listed as not allowed. If you forget them, slippers cost 4,200 Ft in the shop. Guests on the transfer listing say the same thing in four words: remember to bring flip-flops.
Is swimwear required at Széchenyi Baths?
Yes. Only swimwear is allowed in the pools, and nude bathing is not permitted.
The rule covers what people often try: no street clothes, no gym or sports clothes, no underwear and no leggings. The fast track listing adds jeans and skirts to the list. A swimsuit or swim shorts is all you need. If you forget yours, the shop sells a swimsuit for 6,300 Ft.
A swim cap is needed only in the lap pool, the 26 °C outdoor pool for swimming lengths; the thermal and leisure pools do not require one. The lap pool is closed for maintenance from 8 to 23 October 2026.
What to wear in thermal baths in Budapest?
Swimwear in the water, flip-flops on the floor, and whatever you like to and from the bath. At Széchenyi the pools are mixed and swimwear is the rule.
For the journey, dress for the weather and wear something easy to take off: you change in the shared area with a locker, or in a private cabin. In winter, a warm hat and a robe make the walk from the indoor halls to the 38 °C outdoor pool easier, though robes, like towels, cannot be rented.
Other baths have their own rules. At Rudas the Turkish bath has men-only, women-only and mixed days; the Lukács listing notes that swimwear covering the whole body is not permitted there. The Budapest baths guide compares them.
Want everything waiting for you? The Palm House pass comes with a robe, towel, slippers and a cap.
Check dates for the Palm House day passCan you bring food and drinks to Széchenyi Baths?
Yes, your own food and soft drinks, but no alcohol. You may eat only on the terrace and in the restaurant.
Inside there are snack bars and a restaurant that serves breakfast from 8:00 and hot Hungarian dishes at lunch. A water bottle is worth packing, because you will spend hours in warm water. Glass is better left at home, and alcohol cannot be brought in.
The Palm House package includes one cocktail of your choice, alcoholic or not, unlimited mineral water and a fruit bowl. The BeerSpa in the same building pours unlimited draft beer for 45 minutes, for those 18 and over.
A 45-minute private beer tub with unlimited draft beer from your own tap, in the Széchenyi building. Towels cost extra; bring slippers.
Explore the BeerSpa with a Széchenyi ticketCan you take your phone into Széchenyi?
Yes, but phones and smart devices are not allowed in the saunas. Leave valuables in your locker or the 1,100 Ft safe.
The locker opens with the wristband or proxy watch you get at the entrance, so you do not need to carry a key. A waterproof pouch is useful if you want photos outdoors, but think of the people around you before you take them.
Are the Budapest baths hygienic?
The bath sets clear rules: swimwear only, slippers on the floors, a towel on sauna benches and no shaving. Guests report mixed impressions of the upkeep.
The rules are there for hygiene: slippers are compulsory, towels go on sauna benches, and the fast track listing adds that shaving is prohibited throughout the spa area. On the state of the building, reviews differ. Many guests describe the pools as clean and well run; others report tiles coming off or a place that was not the cleanest. The bath is renovating parts of the building through 2026 into 2027, and the dates are in the best time to visit guide.
If you want a smaller, calmer setting, the Mandala Day Spa and the Margaret Island day spa are day spas rather than public thermal baths.
The Palm House lounge: a cabin, robe, towel, slippers, cap, a cocktail and a fruit bowl, with the whole bath.
Explore the Palm House day passFrequently asked questions
How much is a towel at Széchenyi Baths?
6,900 Ft in the shop. Towels cannot be rented. A bathrobe costs 12,600 Ft.
Do I need a swim cap at Széchenyi?
Only in the lap pool. The thermal and leisure pools do not need one. A cap costs 2,100 Ft in the shop.
Are clothes optional at Budapest baths?
Not at Széchenyi: swimwear is required and nude bathing is not permitted.
Can you bring alcohol into Széchenyi?
No. You may bring your own food and soft drinks, but no alcohol.
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.
Palm House Day Pass
- A full-day bath ticket with a private cabin
- The Palm House lounge with loungers
- Bathrobe, towel, disposable slippers and a swim cap
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
BeerSpa with a Széchenyi Ticket
A private beer tub; the bath only with the add-on
