Looking for tips for a wellness weekend or a holiday to a thermal spa in Hungary? Check out our guide to the best spas in Hungary, including a map and practical information.
Hungary doesn’t have the mountains, the sea or the ancient monuments for which tourists from all over the world flock like Italy.
Yet it is absolutely unique thanks to its thermal springs, of which there are more than 1,000. The waters of the Hungarian thermal springs are rich in minerals. They are often used for therapeutic purposes, including the treatment of rheumatic diseases, arthritis and skin diseases, as well as for relaxation and wellness.
- Where to Visit Thermal Spas in Hungary: 9 Best Thermal Baths in Hungary
- 1. Sárvár – the best thermal baths in Hungary
- 2. Bük Thermal Spa – suitable for all age groups
- 3. Zalakaros – a large spa complex in Hungary
- 4. Moshon Spa – the nearest spa in Hungary
- 5. Thermal lake and spa Heviz
- 6. Saliris Resort – 4* resort at the Salt Hill in Egerszalók
- 7. Miškovec – thermal spa in natural caves
- 8. Budapest – the most famous thermal spa in Hungary
- 9. Győr – the nearest spa in Hungary
- The best thermals in Hungary on the map
- More information about Hungary
Whether you’re looking for thermal spas in Hungary for health reasons or just want to enjoy a long weekend with a spa, this guide to the best thermal spas in Hungary will help you decide.
Where to Visit Thermal Spas in Hungary: 9 Best Thermal Baths in Hungary
1. Sárvár – the best thermal baths in Hungary
- Availability: Prague 4,5 hours, Brno 3 hours
- Best time to visit: anytime
- Full day admission: 6 300 HUF
- Link to thermal baths
Sárvár is a picturesque town in western Hungary, home to the famous Sárvár Thermal Baths. Everyone will like it here – whether you are looking for relaxation or fun on the slides. The therapeutic/relaxation part is separate from the experiential part, so no one disturbs each other.
The spa offers indoor and outdoor pools, including whirlpools and adventure pools with water jets, great activities for smaller and larger children, water slides and slides. Here you will be entertained for hours and days. Even in winter.
The advantage of the Sárvár Spa is its accessibility for families. You can relax while watching the children run wild in the children’s pools, supervised by qualified assistants.
Another advantage is the opening hours, because unlike other spas, Sárvár Spa is open until the evening – if you come in the evening, you can enjoy the spa at a better price and without people.
Hotels Sárvár 😴
2. Bük Thermal Spa – suitable for all age groups
- Availability: Prague 4 hours, Brno 2 h 15 min
- Best time to visit: anytime. Some outdoor pools and attractions are only open in summer, but you won’t be bored inside.
- Full day admission: from 6 300 HUF
- Link to thermal baths
Bük Thermal Spa is one of the most popular spas in Hungary. This is also a disadvantage – sometimes they can be very crowded and you have to wait a relatively long time to get in. However, if you come here on weekdays or at less popular times, a pleasant spa with extensive indoor and outdoor facilities awaits you.
The spa includes several pools, including a treatment, swimming and adventure pools, with different temperatures and purposes.
It offers a wide range of services including spa treatments, massages, mud therapy, physiotherapy and wellness programmes.
☞ Advantageous stay packages with half board or wellness.
The Bük Thermal Spa is also a great choice for families with children – it offers dedicated pools and play areas for children to have fun.
The waters are known for their effects in the treatment of musculoskeletal disorders, rehabilitation after orthopaedic surgery, digestive tract diseases and chronic inflammatory conditions.
Bükfürdő is located in the western part of the country, near the Austrian border. Restaurants, cafés, accommodation and shops are available in and around the spa complex. If you are looking for excellent cuisine with traditional Hungarian cooking and live music, try Vadvirág Csárda. Great international cuisine is also cooked at Kes Pub.
Hotels Bük 😴
The 4* Danubius Hotel is one of the best All-Inclusive hotels in Hungary with its own spa, which includes an adventure pool, swimming pool, children’s corner, animation programme, hot tub, massage and beauty services.
The hotel is surrounded by greenery and you can play mini golf or go to the gym. The complex is huge and especially for families with children it is a paradise.
3. Zalakaros – a large spa complex in Hungary
- Availability: Prague 6 h, Brno 4 h 15 min
- Best time to visit: any time of the year.
- Full day admission: from 6 300 HUF
- Link to thermal baths
Zalakaros Thermal Spa is one of the largest in Hungary. They are located in the southwest of the country and are easily accessible from the Czech Republic via Bratislava and Vienna.
The spa offers a range of pools, including thermal baths, swimming pools and leisure pools of varying temperatures and depths. In addition to swimming, guests can enjoy wellness services such as massages, mud treatments and saunas.
The spa is a great choice for families with children. They include several pools designed for young visitors, including shallow pools and fun water attractions such as slides and play areas – indoors and out, this place is alive all year round.
The thermal waters of the Zalakaros Spa have healing effects, especially for joint problems and skin diseases. They include therapeutic procedures including mud wraps, magnetotherapy or stress baths.
The highly rated Park Inn by Radisson is directly connected to the thermal baths – you can go in your swimsuit and bathrobe, because just walk through the corridor and you’re in the baths.
In addition to the spa, half board is included in the price. The rooms are cozy, suitable for couples and larger families. You can park in the private car park right next to the hotel.
4. Moshon Spa – the nearest spa in Hungary
- Availability: Prague 3,5 h, Brno 2 h
- Best time to visit: anytime
- Full day admission: from 5 250 HUF
- Link to thermal baths
Mosonmagyaróvár Spa is located in the northwestern tip of Hungary, just half an hour from Bratislava. From Prague you are here in 3.5 hours by car, from Brno in less than 2 hours. Thanks to the location, you will often encounter Czech and Slovak, even with the staff.
The spa has recently undergone renovation and is smaller and more peaceful. The centrepiece of the spa is the outdoor Golden Spa Pool with water temperatures up to 38℃.
If you’re looking for a quiet place to relax, the Moson Spa is one of the best in Hungary.
Families with small children can enjoy the Children’s Kingdom, which includes a paddling pool, children’s pool, slide and playground. Compared to other thermal spas, it is smaller and more suitable for small children. For families with bigger children who want to have fun on the slides, Sárvár, Zalakaros or Bükfürdő are better.
Thanks to the composition of the water, which contains, among other things, calcium, magnesium, bicarbonate and sulphate, the spa is particularly effective in the treatment of rheumatic diseases, rehabilitation after orthopaedic surgery and various chronic inflammatory diseases.
The spa includes a bistro and restaurant, and the facilities, including the changing rooms, are clean and newly renovated.
If you are in the mood for traditional Hungarian cuisine, I recommend the Harsfa restaurant, located just across the street from the spa.
Next to the spa there is a smaller hotel Aquasol Resort , a pleasant 4* accommodation with direct access to the spa, private pool and rich breakfast. Everything is included in the price including the spa on the day of arrival and departure.
If you are travelling with your family or in a group, a better choice is Hotel Panorama . In addition to classic double rooms, it also offers larger triple rooms and four-bed apartments.
5. Thermal lake and spa Heviz
- Availability: Prague 5,5 h, Brno 4 h
- Best time to visit: anytime
- Full day admission: 7,500 HUF (3-hour admission can also be purchased for 4,500 HUF)
- Link to thermal baths
Discover the world’s second largest thermal lake in Hévíz near Balaton, with temperatures ranging from 24 °C to 37 °C depending on the season. This makes it suitable for bathing all year round, even in winter.
The lake is dotted with water lilies, surrounded by green forests and hiking trails – an ideal place for a few days of relaxation. Interestingly, the water in the lake is renewed by a natural process every 72 hours.
There are spa facilities, saunas, a wellness centre and mud treatments around the lake. The indoor baths are older but still serve their purpose very well.
You can rent sun loungers for free, there is a restaurant and several buffets. In truth, it’s not worth much and you can find better ones in Heviz. For good pizza you can go to La Montanara and for delicious Hungarian cuisine with live music you can go to Magyar Csárda or Teri mama vendéglője.
As far as accommodation is concerned, there is a wide range of accommodation in Heviz. One of the best accommodations is NaturMed hotel Carbona which has been awarded as the best wellness hotel in Hungary. And there is a lot of competition! The hotel offers its own extensive wellness facilities and the option of half or full board.
Even closer to the thermal lake there is a pleasant hotel Ensana Thermal Aqua . The hotel provides perfect facilities with a spacious spa and excellent all-inclusive. This is a place you will love to come back to in the future.
Hotels Heviz 😴
6. Saliris Resort – 4* resort at the Salt Hill in Egerszalók
- Availability: Prague 6,5 h, Brno 5 h
- Best time to visit: anytime
- Full day admission: 7 800 HUF
If you’re looking for a really good spa with a great view, check out Saliris Resort near Eger.
The Saliris Resort is unique because of the Salt Hill, a white limestone formation that was formed over thousands of years by the deposition of minerals from flowing thermal water. It creates cascading pools and is a spectacular sight right from the spa.
Saliris Resort draws thermal water from a depth of 410 metres, with a surface temperature of 65-68 °C. It offers a wide range of spa and wellness facilities, including many indoor and outdoor pools of different temperatures, saunas, steam baths and a range of medical and beauty treatments.
In addition, the spa provides services such as massages, mud therapies and various rejuvenating treatments.
Everything is modern and clean. The spa is open to everyone – both those staying in the resort and those outside. There is also a restaurant and a bistro, and another restaurant for guests, where they cook great food.
☞ Here you will find more information about the Saliris Resort.
7. Miškovec – thermal spa in natural caves
- Availability: Prague 7 hrs, Brno 5 hrs 15 mins
- Best time to visit: anytime
- Full day admission: 6 850 HUF
- Link to thermal baths
The Miskolctapolca Barlangfürdő Thermal Spa is absolutely unique – set in a beautiful setting in natural caves. You won’t find anything like it in Hungary or anywhere else in the world.
The thermal water in the cave pools is not as hot as in typical thermal baths – its temperature is around 30 °C, so it is pleasantly warm and ideal for longer relaxation. In addition, the air is beautifully clean and fresh.
☞ Advantageous stay packages with half board or wellness.
The spa itself has been through something. But the view of the naturally formed cave chambers and passages will make up for it.
In the summer season, the outdoor pools are also open, with a landscaped beach, pleasant corners and children’s pools, where children can have fun on slides and other water features.
☞ Get inspired by the things to do in Hungary.
Hotels Miskovec 😴
8. Budapest – the most famous thermal spa in Hungary
Budapest, the beautiful capital of Hungary, is often referred to as the “city of spas”. The most visited thermal spas in Hungary, Széchenyi and Gellért, are located here.
Széchenyi Spa – the most popular spa in Hungary
- Availability: Prague 5 h 15 min, Brno 3 h 30 min
- Best time to visit: any time of the year. In winter, the thermal springs and low temperatures give you the best experience.
- Full day admission: from 7 500 HUF
- Link to thermal baths
Széchenyi Spa
Let’s start with the Széchenyi Spa, which is one of the top thermal spas in Hungary. It is one of the largest spas in Europe – it consists of 15 indoor pools and 3 outdoor pools. Moreover, all set in beautiful architecture with neo-Baroque domes.
Széchenyi Spa is located on the edge of the centre and surrounded by a pleasant city park.
Admission to Széchenyi Spa varies depending on the time and day you visit – detailed information on admission fees can be found here.
The best time to visit is early in the morning, when it is least crowded, or towards the evening. The spa opens between 7 and 8 in the morning, when you’ll be with just a few locals.
Hotels in Budapest 😴
Gellért Spa – a beautiful Art Nouveau spa in Budapest
- Availability: Prague 5 h 15 min, Brno 3 h 30 min
- Best time to visit: any time of the year
- Full day admission: from HUF 9 400
- Link to thermal baths
The Gellért Thermal Spa is located on the other side of the Danube, at the foot of Gellért Hill. The spa is set in an Art Nouveau hotel, which houses 13 pools with spring water and one large outdoor pool.
The spa is open daily from 9:00-19:00. For more information on admission fees, click here. If you want to enjoy the beautiful interiors without people, come during opening hours or later in the afternoon.
More thermal baths in Budapest
If you prefer a more intimate spa, the Lukacs Spa is a popular option. You can find them in Buda near Margaret Island. The spa is also part of the Budapest Card.
Rudas Spa is located at the foot of Gellért’s Hill. They date back to the 16th century and offer a traditional Turkish bath and a beautiful rooftop pool.
The last tip for thermal baths in Budapest is the Turkish baths of Veli bej. These are newly renovated and offer a quieter atmosphere than the Gellért or Széchenyi baths.
Note: Bathrobe, slippers, towel are not included in the price of admission to the spa. If necessary, you can buy them on the spot.
☞ Planning a trip to Budapest? Here is a detailed travel guide to Budapest.
Hotels in Budapest 😴
9. Győr – the nearest spa in Hungary
- Availability: Prague 4 hours, Brno 2 h 15 min
- Best time to visit: for relaxation at any time. For fun, the summer season, when the outdoor swimming pools and water park are also open.
- Full day admission: 6 900 HUF
- Link to thermal baths
Győr is a lively city in the northwest of Hungary that is easily accessible from the Czech Republic. It is one of the closest thermal spas in Hungary.
In the past it was one of the most popular spas, after the reconstruction it is worse. The reconstruction is still not finished in some places, so all pools are not accessible. Still, full admission is charged, which discourages many visitors.
There are also long queues to get in, but on the other hand, the spa has been renovated and everyone wants to come here. Hopefully everything will be fine-tuned in the future.
If you want to make the most of the Győr Thermal Baths, visit them in the summer season, when they are open, including the outdoor areas and the water park. Preferably during the week and early in the morning when the queues are smallest.
The spa includes indoor pools and outdoor pools with water slides and water features suitable for all ages. For children, there is an amusement park that looks like something out of a fairy tale, a playground and plenty of activities.
The complex also includes a restaurant and a café, and changing rooms with lockers are commonplace as in other spas.
☞ Stay packages with half board or wellness.
The best thermals in Hungary on the map
On the map below, you’ll find the best tips for thermal baths in Hungary. The map also includes the best accommodation in the area and restaurant tips.
HOW TO USE THIS MAP: Above you will find a detailed map of where to the thermal baths in Hungary. Click at the top left of the map to see separate layers with highlighted locations. You can hide and show the different layers or click on the icons on the map to see the names of the places mentioned in my guide to the best thermal spa in Hungary. If you want to save the map, star it. For a larger version, click on the icon in the upper right corner.
These were our tips on the best thermal baths in Hungary. Do you have a question? We’ll be happy to answer it in the comments below. Have a safe journey!
More information about Hungary
BUDAPEST: Get inspired by the things to do in Budapest or check out our itinerary for 2 days in Budapest. Are you only planning a short trip to Budapest? Here is the itinerary for 1 day in Budapest including a map.
HUNGARY: Get inspired by the best things to do in Hungary.
