Heritage

Széchenyi Thermal Bath

#9of 9 places to visit in BudapestBudapest, Central Hungary, Hungary

Also known as Széchenyi Fürdő · Szechenyi Baths · Széchenyi Spa

Quick answer

Opening hours: 07:00–20:00 and 07:00–22:00 and 08:00–20:00. Entry: HUF 13,200. Allow 3 hrs. Best time: 07:00-09:00.

Updated 18 September 2026 · Compiled by Traveliac, AI-assisted · 4 min read

Get directionsOfficial site

Photo: Marc Ryckaert (MJJR) / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0

Opening hours: 07:00–20:00; Monday-Thursday 07:00-20:00; Friday 07:00-22:00; Saturday-Sunday 08:00-20:00. Pool areas and saunas close 20 minutes earlier, and cash desks close one hour before closing.
Entry fee: HUF 13,200; Ticket from
Time needed: 3 hrs
Best time of day: 07:00-09:00
Best months: Apr – Jun, Sep – Oct
Address: Állatkerti körút 9-11, 1146 Budapest, Hungary (City Park, Városliget)

About Széchenyi Thermal Bath

Széchenyi Thermal Bath charges HUF 13,200 for a weekday locker ticket and HUF 14,800 at weekends, as of 2026, and holds 18 pools, 3 outdoor and 15 indoor. The yellow neo-Baroque palace in City Park opened on 16 June 1913 and is billed by its operator as the largest medicinal bath in Europe. Water arrives from two thermal springs at 74 degrees Celsius and 77 degrees Celsius, cooled to pool temperatures between 18 and 38 degrees Celsius, and the three outdoor pools run at 27 to 38 degrees Celsius. Széchenyi Thermal Bath is a working medicinal spa as well as a tourist attraction, with a medical wing and treatments alongside the pools. The chess tables in the outdoor thermal pool are a local tradition.

Best time of day: 07:00-09:00. On weekdays, using the Good Morning ticket, when the outdoor pools are close to empty and steam rises off the water in cool weather.

Széchenyi Thermal Bath timings

Opening hours: 07:00–20:00; Mon–Sun 07:00–20:00 and 07:00–22:00 and 08:00–20:00; Monday-Thursday 07:00-20:00; Friday 07:00-22:00; Saturday-Sunday 08:00-20:00. Pool areas and saunas close 20 minutes earlier, and cash desks close one hour before closing.
Closed on: Open every day

Mon–Sun	07:00–20:00 and 07:00–22:00 and 08:00–20:00

Good to know: Opening times may vary slightly according to the operator; Private Spa 08:00-19:00 daily; Medical Spa 09:00-19:00 Monday-Friday only. Verify at the official site.

Opening hours compiled from szechenyibath.hu and public records, last updated 18 September 2026. They change without notice — confirm before you travel. How we write these guides

Széchenyi Thermal Bath ticket price

Entry fees for Széchenyi Thermal Bath
Ticket	Price
Standard ticket	HUF 13,200
Concession (student / senior)	HUF 10,500
Children	HUF 13,200

As of 2026, a daily ticket with a locker costs HUF 13,200 Monday-Thursday, HUF 14,800 on Fridays and weekends, and HUF 15,800 on holidays and in peak season, according to the operator's price page. The 'Good Morning Budapest' weekday ticket is HUF 10,500 for entry before 09:00, and Fast Track tickets run from HUF 15,200 to HUF 17,800. The concession figure shown is the morning ticket, not a status-based discount; student, senior and child rates were not confirmed on the price page and the child figure is the standard rate as a placeholder, so verify at the official site. Towels rent at HUF 6,900, bathrobes at HUF 12,600 and swimsuits at HUF 6,300 on the operator's list. Tickets can be booked up to six months ahead and the Budapest Card is accepted.

Prices compiled from szechenyibath.hu and public records, last updated 18 September 2026. They change without notice — confirm before you travel. How we write these guides

Best time to visit Széchenyi Thermal Bath

Quiet
Moderate
Busy
Very busy

07:00 - 09:00
Good Morning WindowBest time to go
Cheapest tickets and the quietest outdoor pools, with locals swimming lengths and steam over the water.
Quiet
09:00 - 13:00
Late Morning
Coach groups and hotel guests arrive; outdoor thermal pools fill and the changing rooms queue.
Busy
13:00 - 17:00
Afternoon Peak
Busiest window at weekends and in summer, with crowded pools and a queue at the entrance.
Very busy
17:00 - 20:00
Evening
Crowds thin out; Friday hours run to 22:00, and pool areas close 20 minutes before the facility does.
Moderate

History of Széchenyi Thermal Bath

Széchenyi Thermal Bath was designed by the architect Győző Czigler in neo-Baroque style, and construction ran from 7 May 1909 to its opening on 16 June 1913 at a cost of about 3.9 million Austro-Hungarian korona. The first well in City Park was drilled from 1865 to 1875 to a depth of 975 metres, and a second well of 1938, 1,256 metres deep, supplies around 6 million litres a day. Some 200,000 people visited in 1913, and the total passed 890,000 by 1919.

Széchenyi Thermal Bath is built around a courtyard of outdoor pools framed by its yellow neo-Baroque wings. Major renovations ran from 1999 to 2009, and the complex now covers about 6,200 square metres in City Park, with the indoor pools, saunas, steam rooms and medical department inside the main building. The bath sits on the Pest side of the city at the edge of City Park, near the zoo and Vajdahunyad Castle, and it is one of the best-known Budapest sights outside the Danube riverfront.

Rules & etiquette at Széchenyi Thermal Bath

Széchenyi Thermal Bath requires swimwear in all pools, and plastic sandals or flip-flops are practical on the wet tiled floors. Cash desks close one hour before closing, so buy tickets earlier in the day. The lap pool usually requires a swimming cap, which can be bought or rented at the bath; ask at the entrance.

Széchenyi Thermal Bath enforces a strict schedule at closing: visitors must leave pool areas 20 minutes before closing time, and saunas close at the same point. Phones left in lockers are safer than at the poolside. Rental prices for towels, bathrobes and swimsuits on the official list are steep, so bring your own from the hotel to save several thousand forint.

Tips for visiting Széchenyi Thermal Bath

1
Széchenyi Thermal Bath is cheapest at 07:00-09:00 on a weekday, using the HUF 10,500 Good Morning ticket, and the outdoor pools are at their emptiest then. Buy tickets online in advance, because the operator sells tickets up to six months ahead and weekend queues at the desk can be long. Fast Track tickets cost about HUF 2,000 more than the standard locker ticket on the operator's price list.
2
Széchenyi Thermal Bath sells tickets on its own website, and third-party resellers list the same entry at higher prices, so compare with the official rate. Friday hours run to 22:00, and the outdoor pools stay open in winter, when steam rises off the water. Bring a towel, flip-flops and swimwear, and leave jewellery at the hotel. The neighbouring Vajdahunyad Castle and the Városliget park are good for an hour after the soak.

How to reach Széchenyi Thermal Bath

The red star is Széchenyi Thermal Bath; the numbered pins are the 8 nearest places in our guides, each showing its rank in its city. Tap a pin for details.

Állatkerti körút 9-11, 1146 Budapest, Hungary (City Park, Városliget)Directions in Google Maps

From Deák Ferenc tér
4 km · 10 min
HUF 500 single ticket (as of 2026, third-party listing; verify at BKK)
From Budapest Ferenc Liszt Airport (BUD)
25 km · 55-65 min
HUF 2,500 for the 100E plus a metro ticket (as of 2026, third-party listing; verify at BKK)
From Hősök tere (Heroes' Square)
0.7 km · 10 min
Free on foot

Nearest airport

From Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport (BUD), about 20 km to central Budapest; 100E bus to Deák Ferenc tér, then metro M1 to Széchenyi fürdő.

Nearest station

From Széchenyi fürdő (metro M1, the yellow line), exit directly at the bath's edge, roughly a 2-minute walk.

Széchenyi Thermal Bath FAQs

How much does Széchenyi Thermal Bath cost?

HUF 13,200 for a weekday locker ticket and HUF 14,800 on Fridays and weekends, as of 2026, with HUF 15,800 on holidays and in peak season. A weekday morning ticket before 09:00 costs HUF 10,500.

What are the opening hours of Széchenyi Thermal Bath?

Monday-Thursday 07:00-20:00, Friday 07:00-22:00 and Saturday-Sunday 08:00-20:00, with pools closing 20 minutes before the facility. Hours may vary slightly, so verify on the official site.

Do you need to book Széchenyi Thermal Bath in advance?

No, but booking ahead is recommended. Tickets can be bought online up to six months ahead, and cash desks sell tickets on the day until one hour before closing, though weekend and summer queues can be long.

What should you bring to Széchenyi Thermal Bath?

Bring swimwear, flip-flops and a towel, since rentals cost HUF 6,900 for a towel and HUF 6,300 for a swimsuit on the operator's list. A swimming cap is usually required for the lap pool.

Compiled with AI assistance from official sources and public records, and published only after the checks in How we write these guides. Nobody from Traveliac has visited this place. Last updated 18 September 2026. How we rank and check places