Korean spa etiquette: what to expect at your first bathhouse or jjimjilbang

Short answer: At a Korean spa the bathing areas are separated by gender, and you are usually nude there: Jeju Sauna in Georgia says its gender-separate bathing areas “require full nudity.” Co-ed bathhouses such as Bathhouse, Othership and AIRE work the other way: one shared space, swimsuits required. Shower before any pool, wear what the spa gives you in the shared areas, keep your phone out of the locker rooms and baths, and check the footwear rule, since most Korean spas are barefoot inside. Allow at least two or three hours. ACOG says it is best not to use saunas and hot tubs early in pregnancy, so if you are pregnant or have a heart condition, check with your clinician before you go.

Expect to be nude in the gender-separated baths, expect a rhythm of moving between hot rooms and cold pools, and expect house rules that regulars already know. The rule most spas put in writing: shower thoroughly before you get into shared water.

It sounds intimidating written down. King Spa’s first-time guide says first-timers “often say they forgot to feel self-conscious once they settled in.”

Allow at least two or three hours at a Korean spa; King Spa’s Chicago guide suggests four to six. Some booked visits are shorter and fixed: AIRE’s baths-only visit is 90 minutes, and an Othership free flow is 75 minutes.

What the spas themselves require

House rules differ from spa to spa, and they change, so here is what 16 US Korean spas, bathhouses and banyas publish on their own websites, read on October 27, 2026. The first 11 are Korean spas with gender-separated baths; the last five are other bathhouses and banyas, for comparison. An empty cell means the spa publishes no rule on that point on the pages we read, not that anything goes. Check your spa’s own page before you go.

Nudity, clothing, showers and footwear

Spa	Bath area	Shared areas	Shower first	Footwear
Jeju Sauna, Duluth, Georgia	Gender-separate; “full nudity” required	Spa uniform, given after the bath	Advised before the tubs	Barefoot; shoes off inside
SoJo Spa Club, Edgewater, New Jersey	Gender-specific indoor bath house is “nudity optional”; suits required in its outdoor single-gender bath	Robe at all times indoors (robe or lounge wear provided)	Asked before any pool or bath	Barefoot indoors; sandals outdoors only; shower sandals in the locker room and bath house
Olympus Spa, Tacoma and Lynnwood, Washington (women only)	Nude (“a barefoot and nude facility”); no swimwear in the pool area			Barefoot
King Spa Chicago, Niles, Illinois	Gender-separated; nudity required	Provided loungewear in the co-ed sauna areas	Shower thoroughly before the baths	Shoes off at the entrance
King Spa Dallas, Texas	All nude; swimsuits prohibited	Provided loungewear in the unisex sauna rooms	Shower with soap before the baths	Barefoot; no sandals or slippers; clean socks allowed
King Spa Virginia, Chantilly	Nude in the gender-segregated bathhouse and showers; visiting the bathhouse is optional	King Spa uniform required; swimsuit for the bade pools		Barefoot; no sandals or slippers; clean socks allowed
Wi Spa, Los Angeles	No clothing in the spa and sauna on the gender-segregated floors; no bathing suits	Provided shirt and shorts; no robes or footwear in the co-ed area	Before the tub, and again after the sauna	Shoes off before the locker room
Spa Castle New York	Gender-separated bath area; nudity mandatory in its pools	Spa Castle robe over your own swimsuit	Required before any bath or pool	Only Spa Castle slippers, provided
Spa Castle Texas, Carrollton	Gender-separated bath area; nudity mandatory in its pools	Bring swimwear; robe and towel provided, no uniforms	Required before any bath or pool	Barefoot; spa slippers sold
Island Spa & Sauna	Fully nude; no textiles in the tubs	Provided cotton uniform, also in the dry saunas	Before and after the baths	No outside footwear; socks or bare feet
Spa World, Centreville, Virginia	Gender-separated pools; nudity optional, proper swimsuits allowed	Provided uniform in the unisex area	Before entering or re-entering any tub	Bring your own indoor slippers if you want them
Bathhouse, New York and Philadelphia	Co-ed; bathing suits required (nude only in the locker rooms)	Swimsuit; robes not provided	Rinse before any pool or sauna	Slippers provided; none in the pools
Othership, New York	Bathing suits required for everyone	Swimsuit; gender-neutral changing stalls	Rinse before the ice bath	Barefoot past the changing rooms
AIRE Ancient Baths, New York (Tribeca)	Shared baths (sold for couples too); bathing suits required	AIRE bathrobe, mandatory		AIRE non-slip footwear, mandatory
Russian & Turkish Baths, New York	Co-ed most hours, and you must be covered; men only Thursday noon to 5 p.m. and Sunday 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.	Robes, towels and shorts provided		Slippers provided; your own flip-flops allowed
Archimedes Banya, San Francisco	The Banya Floor is clothing optional after 6 p.m. daily and all day Wednesday and Friday; a women’s night and a men’s night each month	Swimsuit and robe elsewhere	On arrival and before any sauna or pool	Sandals everywhere except the Finnish sauna and the pools

Age, phones, price and booking

Spa	Age	Phones and photos	Entry (as published)	Booking
Jeju Sauna	Children 3 to 11 pay a child rate		$40 adults (12+), $25 ages 3 to 11, $30 seniors (65+)	No appointments; first come, first served; open 24/7
SoJo Spa Club	18 and older	No phone or camera use in the locker room and bath house; no photos in saunas	Varies by date; shown when you book	Booking strongly recommended; no walk-ins after 7 p.m.
Olympus Spa	13 and older (Lynnwood: 13 to 17 with an adult and a consent form)	No electronic devices outside designated areas	$53 (Tacoma), $58 (Lynnwood)	Walk-in only
King Spa Chicago	8 and older, with a same-gender guardian		$75 at the door ($45 e-coupon offer)	Walk in; no entry from 2 to 6 a.m.
King Spa Dallas	Under 18 with a same-gender adult		$50; $30 under 12; under 2 free	No reservations
King Spa Virginia	12 and older; under 18 with a same-gender adult 21 or older	No phones in saunas, locker rooms or rest areas; no photos in the locker room or showers	Fall sale: $60 weekdays, $70 weekends (regularly $80 and $90)	No appointment needed
Wi Spa	All ages; under 18 with a same-gender adult	No photos in the spa and locker room	$40	No reservation for a day pass; open 24 hours
Spa Castle New York	All ages; under 18 with a guardian	No phones in the locker rooms; a phone in the nude areas gets you removed	$85 weekdays, $110 weekends; minors $55 and $65	No reservation
Spa Castle Texas	All ages; under 18 with a guardian	No videos or photos in the locker room	$75 weekdays, $90 weekends; minors $40 and $50	No reservation; buy admission in person
Island Spa & Sauna	Under 10 only on Family Days; 4 to 17 with a same-sex guardian	No phones or electronics in the locker and bathing areas	$55 weekdays, $65 weekends and holidays	No reservation needed
Spa World	Children with a same-gender guardian; no one under 18 alone	No phones in the locker rooms or dry saunas	$45; $35 seniors; $30 military and ages 3 to 12; under 2 free; good for 12 hours	Walk in
Bathhouse	18 and older	Never in the indoor amenities	From $39 (Flatiron, Williamsburg) or $29 (Atlantic Avenue, Philadelphia); varies by day and time	Book ahead; walk-ins only if space allows
Othership	18 and older	None past the entrance and common area	Intro offer: two weeks for $135	Book online up to two weeks ahead; no late entry
AIRE Ancient Baths	18 and older	Reception area only	Baths only: $160 for 90 minutes	Booked time; arrive 15 minutes early
Russian & Turkish Baths	18 and older		$60
Archimedes Banya	18 and older (except Family Day)

Jeju Sauna’s before-you-go page also explains that each guest gets an electronic watch that opens the lockers and runs a tab for anything you buy, so you can leave your wallet in the locker.

Towels, hair and other house rules

• Hair: Island Spa requires hair tied up in the baths, and AIRE requires long hair tied up. Wi Spa, Island Spa and Spa World ban hair dye.
• Towels: Island Spa lets you carry a towel into the bathhouse, but nothing goes in the tubs. King Spa Virginia’s small towels are for washing or covering your head, not your body. Othership and Archimedes Banya ask you to sit on a towel in the sauna.
• Time limits: King Spa Dallas limits each sauna-room visit to 20 minutes. Island Spa’s sanitation rules limit a soak or sauna to 15 minutes, and its safety rules say a steam room or sauna “should not exceed 10 minutes,” so go by the shorter one.
• Periods: Olympus keeps guests on their period out of the pools and heat rooms. King Spa Dallas asks menstruating guests to skip the bathing pools when possible and to wear a tampon if they use them, and Island Spa allows the bathhouse with a tampon or menstrual cup.
• ID: Jeju Sauna, SoJo Spa Club, King Spa Chicago, King Spa Virginia and Spa Castle require ID at the door, and Jeju, King Spa Virginia and Spa Castle ask for a physical government ID. Jeju accepts a $100 cash deposit instead, and King Spa Virginia refuses photos of IDs.
• Staring: King Spa Virginia and Island Spa & Sauna both list staring or gawking among the behaviors that can get a guest removed.
• Tattoos: none of the 16 publishes a tattoo rule.

What most of them have in common

The 11 Korean spas agree on the basics. All of them keep the bath area single-gender (Olympus is women only throughout), and nine require you to be nude there; SoJo Spa Club and Spa World make it optional. Ten dress you for the shared areas in a uniform, loungewear or a robe. Nine publish a shower-before-you-soak rule, ten keep outside shoes out, and eight restrict phones or photos at least in the locker rooms and baths. Ten take walk-ins, most admit children with a guardian, and published adult day passes run from $40 to $110.

The other five differ on almost every point. Bathhouse, Othership and AIRE require swimsuits and expect you to book, Russian & Turkish Baths requires you to be covered during co-ed hours, Archimedes Banya is clothing optional only in set areas and times, and all five are 18 and over (Archimedes except on Family Day).

Will you have to be naked?

At a Korean spa, in the bath area, usually yes.

Korean spas separate the wet bathing areas by gender, and most require you to be nude there; Spa Castle says clothing was kept out of the tubs “for sanitary reasons.” US banyas and European-style baths vary: Russian & Turkish Baths in New York is co-ed most hours and you must be covered, Archimedes Banya in San Francisco is clothing optional only in set areas and times, and AIRE requires swimsuits.

Korean jjimjilbang spas usually add a large mixed-gender common area where everyone wears the provided loose cotton clothing, so there is a clothed social zone and a nude bathing zone. You are given the uniform on arrival. Spa Castle is the exception: you wear a swimsuit with its robe over it.

Staring is against the rules: King Spa Virginia and Island Spa & Sauna both list staring or gawking among the behaviors that can get a guest removed.

If full nudity is a dealbreaker, you still have Korean-spa options: SoJo’s bath house and Spa World’s pools are nudity optional, and King Spa Virginia says its nude bathhouse is optional. Co-ed bathhouses such as Bathhouse, Othership and AIRE require swimsuits. Our studio checklist covers modern sauna studios too.

What is the actual routine?

Shower, then cycle between hot and cold with rests in between.

The core rhythm is the same as contrast bathing: warm up in a hot room, a sauna, a steam room, or a hot soaking pool, then cool down in a cold plunge or cool shower, then rest, and repeat. Our right order guide covers the sequencing.

Most bathhouses have several rooms at different temperatures and a few pools, so you wander between them at your own pace. At a Korean spa there is no schedule and no instructor. Othership works the other way: you book a timed session, and Othership says each session is guided by a trained facilitator. Bathhouse adds optional 15-minute guided sauna sessions.

A jjimjilbang adds heated themed rooms, often lined with salt, clay, or charcoal, in the common area, plus places to nap, eat, and lie around. It is built for lingering.

What is bathhouse etiquette?

Quiet, clean, and considerate. A few rules cover most of it.

Shower thoroughly before entering any pool, and rinse again after the sauna before you get back in the water. Spa Castle, Island Spa and Wi Spa all make the first part a rule. Keep your voice low, because bathhouses are calm spaces, not pool parties. Sit on a towel in the sauna; Archimedes Banya and Othership both ask for it.

Stay out of shared water when you are sick or your skin is broken. The CDC says: “Stay out of the water if sick with diarrhea.” Cleveland Clinic’s hot tub advice is to keep open cuts or sores out of the water. Island Spa asks guests with diarrhea or severe skin conditions to skip the baths, and Spa Castle and King Spa Virginia may turn away anyone with a contagious illness or a skin condition. Spa World keeps children who are not potty trained out of its pools.

Keep your phone out of the locker rooms and baths, both for etiquette and because everyone is undressed: Spa Castle removes guests found with a phone in its nude areas. Move calmly, do not splash, and give people space in the pools. Our first sauna guide covers the general sauna manners that carry over.

If you are unsure what to do, ask the front desk.

What should you bring?

Less than you think, and a couple of essentials.

Most places provide towels, and jjimjilbangs provide the uniform and often everything else. Bring a government ID: Jeju Sauna, King Spa Virginia and Spa Castle ask for a physical one at the door. Bring a hair tie if your hair is long (Island Spa and AIRE require long hair tied up), any toiletries you prefer, and a swimsuit if the spa has co-ed pools.

Check the footwear rule before you pack flip-flops: most Korean spas are barefoot inside. King Spa Dallas and King Spa Virginia ban sandals and slippers but allow clean socks, Spa Castle allows only its own slippers, and SoJo allows sandals outdoors and shower sandals in the bath house.

Plan to hydrate, but check before you bring water: SoJo wants an empty, non-glass bottle to fill on site, Island Spa allows clear drinks in shatterproof containers, and King Spa Virginia, Wi Spa and Spa Castle ban outside drinks. Take off jewelry and leave valuables in the locker you are assigned on arrival. Our food and hydration guide covers not going in overly full or hungry.

How long should you stay, and who should be careful?

At least two or three hours, and the usual heat cautions apply.

A Korean spa visit is unhurried; King Spa’s Chicago guide suggests four to six hours. Some spas cap single sessions: King Spa Dallas limits each sauna-room visit to 20 minutes, and Island Spa says 15 minutes per soak or sauna in one rule and that a steam room or sauna “should not exceed 10 minutes,” in another.

Do not stay in any hot room to the point of dizziness: Island Spa says to “exit immediately if uncomfortable, dizzy, or sleepy.” Cool down and rest between rounds, and drink water throughout. Getting out of the heat when your body says so is the skill, not endurance.

If you feel faint, sit or lie down first, then leave slowly. Our guide to what to do if you feel faint in a sauna covers the steps and when to call 911.

If you are pregnant, ask your OB or midwife before you book, and expect some spas to say no. ACOG says it is best not to use saunas and hot tubs early in pregnancy.

King Spa Virginia says: “We recommend that you do not visit any spas while you are pregnant.” Its pools and rooms vary in heat from 94 to 200 degrees. AIRE says its experience is “not suitable for pregnant people” and not recommended for people with cardiovascular problems.

Spa World, SoJo Spa Club and Othership tell pregnant guests to consult a doctor first, Olympus Spa’s Lynnwood location welcomes them after the first trimester with a provider’s OK, and Island Spa asks guests in full-term pregnancy to skip the baths. Our pregnancy guide covers heat, cold and massage.

If you have heart disease, diabetes, or high or low blood pressure, or are older, talk to your doctor first. Spa Castle says: “Elderly persons and persons suffering from heart disease, diabetes, or high/low blood pressure, shall not use the spa pool without medical consultation.” Island Spa adds anyone taking prescription drugs or in poor health, Othership adds a history of fainting, and our heat, cold and medications checklist covers medicines.

The cold pools count too. They trigger a sudden, rapid rise in breathing, heart rate and blood pressure, and “I would caution against it for anyone with a cardiac history,” a preventive cardiologist told American Heart Association News. Our cold plunge safety guide covers who should be careful.

Never combine alcohol with the heat. Island Spa warns: “Breathing heated air in conjunction with consumption of alcohol, drugs, or medication may cause unconsciousness.” The CDC says: “Don’t drink alcohol before or during hot tub use.”

House rules back this up: King Spa Virginia ejects guests who drank before entry, SoJo Spa Club and Othership are alcohol-free, and Spa Castle, which allows a maximum of 3 alcoholic beverages per person, says anyone “under the influence will not be permitted in the sauna or steam rooms.” Our guide to alcohol and saunas explains why.

Some bathhouses are known for add-on treatments like a vigorous exfoliating scrub, sold on top of admission. They are optional and occasionally intense, so tell the therapist about any skin problem, skin product or pregnancy first.

The American Academy of Dermatology, writing about exfoliating at home, says: “Never exfoliate if you have open cuts or wounds or if your skin is sunburned.” It adds that prescription retinoid creams and products with retinol or benzoyl peroxide may make skin more sensitive or peel. SoJo Spa Club does not permit Korean body scrubs for pregnant guests. Our spa tipping guide covers how the bathhouses handle gratuity on them.

FAQ: Korean spa etiquette

Do you have to be naked at a Korean spa? In the gender-separated bath area, usually yes. Nine of the 11 Korean spas above require it there: Jeju Sauna says its gender-separate bathing areas “require full nudity,” and Wi Spa asks “that no clothing be worn” on its gender-segregated floors. SoJo Spa Club’s indoor bath house and Spa World’s pools are nudity optional, and King Spa Virginia says visiting its nude bathhouse is optional. Everywhere else you are dressed; Spa Castle puts it plainly: “Nudity is only allowed in the locker room and bath areas.”

What do you wear at a Korean spa? Nothing in the bath area, and what the spa hands you everywhere else: a uniform or loungewear at Jeju Sauna, King Spa, Wi Spa, Island Spa and Spa World, or a robe at SoJo Spa Club. Spa Castle works differently: you wear your own swimsuit under its robe, and Spa Castle Texas no longer issues uniforms. Pack a swimsuit if the spa has co-ed pools, since Spa Castle and King Spa Virginia require one there.

Can you wear a swimsuit at a Korean spa? In the co-ed pools, yes, and often you must: Spa Castle and King Spa Virginia require swimwear there. In the gender-separated baths most spas forbid suits, including Wi Spa, King Spa Dallas, Spa Castle and Island Spa. The exceptions are SoJo Spa Club, whose indoor bath house is nudity optional, and Spa World, which permits proper swimsuits; SoJo’s outdoor bath for women or men only requires a suit.

Can you wear flip-flops inside a Korean spa? Usually not. Most of the Korean spas above are barefoot inside: King Spa Dallas and King Spa Virginia ban sandals and slippers but allow clean socks, Island Spa allows socks or bare feet, and Spa Castle allows only the slippers it provides or sells. SoJo Spa Club allows sandals outdoors and shower sandals in the locker room and bath house. Spa World is the exception: bring your own indoor slippers if you want them.

Is Korean spa etiquette different for men and for women? The rules are the same on both sides: each gender has its own bath area, with the same nudity, shower and phone rules. A few places are single-gender or keep single-gender hours: Olympus Spa is for women only, and among the other bathhouses, Russian & Turkish Baths in New York has men-only hours on Thursday and Sunday, and Archimedes Banya holds a women’s night and a men’s night each month. Period rules differ: Olympus keeps guests on their period out of the pools and heat rooms, King Spa Dallas asks them to skip the bathing pools when possible and to wear a tampon if they use them, and Island Spa allows the bathhouse with a tampon or menstrual cup.

Can kids go to a Korean spa? At most Korean spas, yes, usually with an adult of the same gender. Minimum ages vary: King Spa Chicago admits children from 8, King Spa Virginia from 12 and Olympus from 13, and Island Spa admits children under 10 only on its Family Days. SoJo Spa Club is 18 and over, and so are all five bathhouses and banyas above (Archimedes Banya except on Family Day). Being let in does not mean every room suits a child: Spa World says children 10 and under may not use its hot dry sauna rooms, under a Fairfax County health regulation, and keeps children under 4 feet tall out of its bade pool. The CDC says: “Don’t let children less than 5 years old use hot tubs.” Our guide to saunas, hot tubs and cold plunges for kids and teens covers how heat affects children.

Can you use your phone at a Korean spa? Not in the locker rooms or baths. Spa Castle removes guests found with a phone in its nude areas, Island Spa may check your phone and delete photos taken there, and SoJo Spa Club bans phone and camera use in the locker room and bath house. Olympus goes further and bans electronic devices anywhere in the spa outside designated areas. The modern bathhouses are strict as well: Bathhouse bans phones in its indoor amenities, Othership allows them only at the entrance and common area, and AIRE only at reception.

Do you have to shower before going in? Yes. Jeju Sauna advises showering before entering any of the tubs, and SoJo asks guests to shower before entering any pools and baths. Spa Castle, Island Spa and Wi Spa make it a rule too.

How much does a Korean spa cost? On October 27, 2026, the published adult day passes at the Korean spas above ran from $40 (Jeju Sauna, Wi Spa) to $110 (Spa Castle New York on weekends). Several charge more on weekends and holidays and less for children and seniors, and SoJo Spa Club’s price varies by date. Treatments cost extra: King Spa Chicago, for example, sells its Korean body scrub on top of admission. Our spa day pass prices page compares the entry prices that Korean spas, bathhouses and thermal spas publish.

Do you need a reservation at a Korean spa? Usually not. Ten of the 11 above take walk-ins, and Jeju Sauna, King Spa Chicago and Wi Spa are open around the clock (King Spa Chicago lets no one in between 2 and 6 a.m.). SoJo Spa Club is the exception: it strongly recommends booking, often turns walk-ins away on weekends and holidays, and takes none after 7 p.m. The modern bathhouses expect a booking: Othership sells sessions online up to two weeks ahead, AIRE gives you a set time, and Bathhouse cannot guarantee entry without one.

Is Othership a bathhouse or a Korean spa? Neither, exactly. At Othership everyone wears a swimsuit, changing is in gender-neutral stalls, and you book a timed session (a self-guided free flow runs 75 minutes, with guides on hand). A Korean spa separates the baths by gender, usually requires nudity there, dresses you for the shared areas and usually lets you stay as long as you like. Bathhouse sits in between: a co-ed space with swimsuits, like Othership, but with a day pass that has no time limit.

Are tattoos allowed at Korean spas? None of the 16 places above publishes a tattoo rule on the rules, FAQ and pricing pages we read, so if it matters to you, ask the spa before you go. A new tattoo is a safety question as well as a house rule: our tattoo guide covers when it has healed enough for shared water.

The bottom line on your first bathhouse

Expect nudity in the gender-separated baths at most Korean spas, a self-paced rhythm of hot and cold, and house rules built on showering before you soak and keeping phones away. Check the footwear rule, bring an ID, hydrate, and give yourself a few unhurried hours. Skip alcohol, and if you are pregnant or have a heart condition, check with your clinician before you go.

Co-ed bathhouses like Bathhouse, Othership and AIRE are the swimsuit alternative, booked ahead and for adults only.

To find a bathhouse, banya, or sauna near you, start with our city wellness maps.