You can reserve your online bath tickets in Hungarian Forint (HUF for short) to Széchenyi Thermal Bath to use the QR-enabled expedited check-in service for a smoother arrival experience. The QR codes are to be redeemed upon entrance: instead of a paper voucher you will be given a waterproof silicon wrist band with a built in chip equipped ‘watch’ which opens and closes the locks (of lockers and cabins alike).
HUF price list is available on the following page: Széchenyi Baths prices. The page shows a combination of EUR and HUF pricing depending on the type of ticket you wish to buy. Typically online tickets are priced in Euro. Most Budapest baths set their official admission prices in Hungarian forint, while prices shown in other currencies are usually converted for convenience. The base of the rates is Hungarian Forint, which means that Euro pricing may change several times within a given year. Please note that prices are subject to change and may vary seasonally so it is best to re-check prices before your planned visit if you wish to purchase the tickets on the spot rather than securing them online in advance.
HUF payment is accepted at the cashier in cash or by card. Kindly note that only Forint banknotes / coins are accepted at the cashier no other currencies (in cash).
Paying by Card? Choose HUF at the Cashier
If you pay by credit or debit card at the payment terminal in the thermal baths and are asked whether you would like to pay in Hungarian forint (HUF) or in your home currency (such as GBP, EUR or USD), it is generally advisable to select HUF rather than your home currency. Choosing your home currency – rather than HUF – usually means the conversion is less favourable as it is carried out by the merchant or payment provider using Dynamic Currency Conversion (DCC), which often includes an additional exchange rate markup.
By selecting HUF when paying by card in Hungary, the currency conversion is normally handled by your own card provider, which frequently offers a more favourable exchange rate. (As always, this depends on your bank’s terms and any foreign transaction fees.)
Exchanging Cash at the Cashier in Szechenyi Bath
If you prefer to pay in cash, where you exchange your money before the bath visit can make a noticeable difference. Exchange rates for Hungarian forint are often less favourable outside Hungary, while reputable exchange offices in Budapest city centre frequently offer better rates.
On the other hand, currency exchange desks at airports are commonly among the more expensive options due to wider exchange spreads. If possible, compare exchange rates before converting larger amounts of cash.
Online tickets allow entry from 7:00 am onwards (depending on the ticket type it may change), and are especially recommended for Friday – Sunday visits throughout the year, not only in peak holiday or festive season. Early risers may benefit from a quieter and calmer bath environment and can also choose to purchase tickets directly at the cashier with shorter queues building up at the cashiers (typically between 7 am and 8.30 am).
Before your visit, it is strongly recommended to check the current HUF exchange rate. If you plan to exchange money, city center exchange bureaus typically offer better rates than airport offices, which work with considerably less favourable rates.
If you are interested in Euro based Szechenyi bath tickets rather than HUF, you can make the reservation in the following booking form:
Does the cabin also include storage with a locker? Or if we want the locker we need to purchase that in addition to the cabin?
Thank you
Dear Guest,
You can select tickets with lockers or with cabins.
If you choose tickets with lockers, you can get changed in the public men only and women only changing rooms and store your belongings in the lockers. Lockers are closed with the wristband provided upon arrival.
The cabin is like a tiny room where you can get changed and store your belongings.
The cabin size is approx. that of a dressing room in a clothes shop and the door has a unique chip code lock, which opens and closes with a special waterproof bracelet: in fact, with the chip incorporated in the wristband bath entry provided at the bath. Please make sure that your door is locked with the silicon wristband before leaving the cabin. As you are wearing the band all the times, it is quite secure if you make sure that the door is not left open.
Hope we can welcome you at the beloved Szechenyi Spa Baths!
Hi there,
I tried to buy two tickets for the 18th of June but whenever I click on submit the page is just refreshed despite filling in all the details, making sure popups aren’t blocked etc.
Is there another way to buy the tickets? Is this just a glitch?
Thank you.
Hello Rory,
we have contacted you via email.
Can two people share a cabin or are they required to buy two tickets?
Hello Morge,
Thank you for your inquiry about Szechenyi Spa Baths.
The cabin comfortably accommodates one person, so if you are a couple it might seem a bit tight, but you can take turns in getting changed. As cabins take up more space and ensure your privacy, bath entries with cabin use (or more precisely, cabin hire) are more expensive than simple lockers. If you buy the cheaper bath entries with lockers, you will have to get changed in the women-only / men-only public changing rooms, and then store your bags in the lockers. If you wish to have your own privacy or are shy, cabins are definitely an ideal solution.
Since the price difference between the cabin and locker tickets is only €1, we recommend you buy 2x cabin tickets (rather than 1x cabin and 1x locker tickets in 2 different transactions as the transaction fee on your credit card could be more than the actual price difference),but is is a good option for families or groups.
Please let me know if you have any other questions.
Thank you very much for the information – very well explained! We will get two cabins then :)
what is the opening hours during the week? I want to go as early as possible
Hello Tayane,
the bath opens at 7 am.
Enjoy your stay in Budapest!
Why is the online order unavailable after 22nd of December?
Dear Pavel,
Thank you for contacting us with regard to your December visit to Budapest. Szechenyi Baths will be open throughout the holiday season, every day, including Christmas and New Year days.
Tickets on the Spot only
In a recent communication, the bath management has decided to temporarily suspend online pre-booking services, which does not mean that the baths would be closed down, quite on the contrary. Like in previous years, this period in December is hugely popular in the thermal baths in Budapest. So much so that long queues build up where fast track ticket holders would often get stuck in the line, making pre-booking questionable.
As a result, the baths decided to serve every guest on a first come first served basis: buying tickets at the cashier is the only option (except for a limited number of very early bird tickets already sold before this decision came into effect). Likewise, massage treatments and spa services can only be booked on the spot.
Kindly note that – since Covid – rental services have been canceled. Bath footwear and towels, etc. are available for sale or – to minimise impact on the environment – guests are encouraged to bring their own bath kits.
Please let me know if I can help more.
How long can the lines be upon arrival during the month of December? 50-100 people? More?
Thank you in advance.
Hello Noah,
It is a really good question, and, annoying as it may sound, it is very hard to predict for a given hour of a given day in general but particularly for this year. We are freshly in the post pandemic era, so the overall bookings in Hungarian hotels are getting closer to the pre-pandemic, 2019 year. We can also see some of the intended pre-booking attempts for Szechenyi thermal baths and some of the questions that suggest plans to visit the thermal bath, or other baths in Budapest like Gellert or Lukacs, etc.
We would prefer to err on the side of caution and expect a line of 50 or more at peak hours. But, unlike a queue of people in a grocery shop or at airport check ins, in the baths the turnover is slower: guests who enter will take their time (some people stay only for 2 hours while others may have longer extended visits, or may just plan to have a quick dip then change their minds to relax a whole day). Most tickets allow guests to stay for a full bath session without having to consult with the baths in advance about it. That means that predictability of the speed of the queue stepping ahead is low. Hence our advice of visiting the baths, taking your chance, getting dressed warmly and having a plan B with a lesser known hot spring baths where the lines may be shorter:
Lukacs Baths is by the Margaret Island also included in Budapest Cards (a tourist travel pass incl. public transportation)
Rudas Baths is along the river Danube, Buda side – very popular but on certain days men or women only (except weekends, holidays)
Paskal Baths may not be located in a historical building (recently modernised) but very popular with locals (closed on Dec 24 though)
Palatinus Baths and Lido on Margaret Island (closed on Dec 24 and 25 in 2022)
Gellert Spa – in some parts the spa bath complex is being renovated so this year not all pools have been functional
etc.
In the last few decades there have been all sorts of ticket schemes, from half a day to full day, or limited time, etc.
In the very large complex of Szechenyi Baths with 18 pools, accommodating over 1,500- 2,000 or more guests per day it is, however, a surmounting challenge to follow through limited hours visits without being inconvenient to bath guests, especially in the peak hours from 10 am to 7pm (basically all day).
The baths will do their best to welcome guests and we hope that waiting times will be limited to 30 minutes but it is better to prepare for 60 minutes (or more) in warm clothes, maybe with a hot thermal flask. After waiting the hot spring water will surely be refreshing and rewarding.
Have a great winter holiday in Budapest city.