The 10 best saunas in London (2026)
London has gone from a handful of gym saunas to wood-fired community saunas, a real Russian banya and Victorian-era Turkish baths. These are the places we would send a friend, from the cheapest drop-in to the full ritual.
Community Sauna Baths
Hackney Wick
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Admission pricePrice not published ↗The not-for-profit that started London's sauna boom: wood-fired outdoor saunas and cold plunges, social and cheap enough to make a habit of it. It also runs a site in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
Banya No.1
Hoxton
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Admission priceCheck current prices ↗London's most authentic Russian banya, on Micawber Street: an intense steam room, venik (birch whisk) treatments by a banshik and an ice-cold plunge pool.
AIRE Ancient Baths London
Westminster (Covent Garden)
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Admission priceCheck current prices ↗A candlelit thermal bath on Robert Street, in the style of Roman, Greek and Ottoman baths: pools at different temperatures, a steam room and an ice-cold bath. The most expensive on this list, and the calmest.
Porchester Spa
Bayswater
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Admission priceCheck current prices ↗Art Deco Turkish baths in a Grade II-listed building run by the council: hot rooms, steam rooms, a sauna and a plunge pool, at a price far below private spas.
Finnish Church sauna
Rotherhithe
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Admission priceCheck current prices ↗A real Finnish sauna inside the Finnish Church in London. No frills, proper löyly and a quiet, communal crowd: the closest thing to Helsinki in the city.
Ironmonger Row Baths
Clerkenwell (Islington)
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Admission priceCheck current prices ↗One of the last historic Turkish baths in London, restored with a spa of hot rooms, steam room, sauna and plunge pool, next to a public swimming pool.
Rooftop Saunas
Brixton and Hackney
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Admission priceCheck current prices ↗Private sauna and cold plunge sessions on rooftops, with views over the London skyline. Good for a small group that wants the place to itself.
York Hall Spa
Bethnal Green
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Admission priceCheck current prices ↗A spa inside the historic York Hall baths in east London, with a sauna, steam rooms and a plunge pool: an affordable classic.
Sauna Social Club
Peckham
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Admission pricePrice not published ↗Opened in 2024 in Peckham's railway arches: wood-fired saunas and cold plunge barrels, run as a place to meet people rather than a spa.
The Cabin Sauna
Clapham Common
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Admission priceCheck current prices ↗An outdoor sauna cabin and cold plunge on Clapham Common, booked by the hour. It closes part of the year: check the reopening date on its website.
How we chose
This shortlist is based on published information, not on visits or independent temperature measurements. Sauna types vary, including steam-bath alternatives. Facts with a source and date are attributed to the operator; confirm current access and prices before booking. Nobody paid for inclusion.
Saunas in London: your questions
How much does a sauna session cost in London?
Community saunas usually cost £15–25 for a session of an hour or so, and historic council-run baths are in the same range. A Russian banya costs around £45–55, and luxury thermal spas such as AIRE start near £100 for 90 minutes.
Do you wear a swimsuit in London saunas?
Almost always, yes. Community saunas, spas and leisure-centre baths are mixed and ask for swimwear. A few places run single-sex sessions; the venue's booking page says which.
What is the best way to use a sauna?
Go in for 10–15 minutes, cool down for a few minutes in the plunge pool or a cold shower, rest, then repeat two or three times. Drink water between rounds and leave if you feel dizzy.
Which London saunas offer a cold plunge?
Compare these entries and their official booking pages: Community Sauna Baths, Banya No.1, Porchester Spa, Rooftop Saunas, Sauna Social Club, The Cabin Sauna. Check the exact branch, session and facilities before reserving.
Which London saunas are wood-fired?
Compare these entries and their official booking pages: Community Sauna Baths, Sauna Social Club, The Cabin Sauna. Check the exact branch, session and facilities before reserving.
Saunas in other cities
- Saunas in Amsterdam
- Saunas in Berlin
- Saunas in Copenhagen
- Saunas in Helsinki
- Saunas in Kyiv
- Saunas in Madrid
- Saunas in Moscow
- Saunas in Oslo
- Saunas in Paris
- Saunas in Prague
- Saunas in Riga
- Saunas in Rome
- Saunas in São Paulo
- Saunas in Seoul
- Saunas in Stockholm
- Saunas in Tallinn
- Saunas in Tokyo
- Saunas in Vilnius
- Saunas in Warsaw
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