Sauna etiquette: your first public sauna visit

A public sauna is simple. Heat, cool down, rest, repeat. The rules below keep it pleasant for everyone.

Before you go

• Book if you can. Social saunas sell timed slots, and winter weekends fill up. Each listing on this site says whether booking is required.
• Check the dress code. Swimsuit, nude, or gender-separated. It varies more than people expect.
• Bring: a swimsuit if required, two towels (one to sit on, one to dry off), sandals, a water bottle. Many places rent towels.
• Eat light. Not a big meal right before, and no alcohol.

The session

Most social saunas and bathhouses run a session of 60 to 90 minutes. A typical rhythm:

1. Shower first. Always. It’s the one rule every sauna shares.
2. Heat. Sit on your towel. Stay until you’re warm through, then leave. Five to 10 minutes is plenty the first time (Cleveland Clinic).
3. Cool down. Cold plunge, cold shower, lake or open air. Ease in. A few seconds counts.
4. Rest. Sit or lie down for as long as you were in the heat. Drink water.
5. Repeat two or three times.

The unwritten rules

• Ask before pouring water on the stones. Steam raises the felt heat for the whole room.
• Keep it quiet. Some saunas are social, some are silent. Match the room.
• No phones. Heat damages them, and people are undressed.
• Upper benches are hotter. Start low.
• Leave when you want. There’s no prize for staying longest.

Korean spas and banyas

A Korean spa is a day out. You get a uniform for the shared areas, move between heated rooms and pools, and stay for hours. Bath areas are usually nude and separated by gender.

A banya centers on a very hot, humid steam room, cold plunges and a food-and-tea rest area. Many offer a platza, a treatment with a venik (a bundle of oak or birch branches). Book it in advance.

Find one near you: Korean spas · Banyas and hammams.