Széchenyi Baths keep their main outdoor pool at 36–38 °C all year. That’s the whole appeal, and in January it’s also why half of Budapest seems to be in it with you. The soak itself is easy. The part people get wrong is the ticket: which one, where to buy it, and whether paying extra to skip the queue makes sense.
Below: 2026 prices from the official list, where to buy, what to bring, the age rule that catches families out, and when the pools are emptiest. To see how Széchenyi compares with every other bath in the city, read our comparison of the best thermal baths in Budapest.
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How much are Széchenyi Baths tickets in 2026?#
A standard Széchenyi Baths daily ticket with a locker costs 13,200 HUF (about €36) Monday to Thursday, 14,800 HUF (about €41) Friday to Sunday and 15,800 HUF (about €43) on holidays and peak days. Every other option is priced relative to that, up or down:
| Ticket (official) | Mon–Thu | Fri–Sun | Holidays / peak | The catch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daily ticket with locker | 13,200 HUF (€36) | 14,800 HUF (€41) | 15,800 HUF (€43) | You may queue at the ticket office |
| Fast Track with locker (online only) | 15,200 HUF (€42) | 16,800 HUF (€46) | 17,800 HUF (€49) | Morning tickets: enter by 11:00. Afternoon tickets: enter after 15:00 |
| “Good Morning” with locker (enter by 9:00) | 10,500 HUF (€29) | 11,800 HUF (€32), Fridays only | Not sold | Not available on Saturday or Sunday |
| Cabin instead of locker | +1,000 HUF (€3) | +1,000 HUF (€3) | +1,000 HUF (€3) | Only needed if you’re carrying more than a backpack |
| Palm House (Pálmaház) day | 29,000 HUF (€79) | 36,000 HUF (€99) | 37,000 HUF (€101) | A separate lounge area, priced per person |
Prices checked September 2026 on the official Széchenyi price list. Euro amounts are approximate.
Three rules in the small print matter more than the numbers:
- Friday is priced as a weekend day. “Weekday” means Monday to Thursday.
- Official tickets can’t be changed or refunded once confirmed, which matters if the forecast turns.
- The locker fits a backpack, not a suitcase. Coming straight from the airport? Pay the 1,000 HUF for a cabin.
Where should you buy Széchenyi Baths tickets?#
You can buy Széchenyi Baths tickets in three places: at the ticket office on the day, on the official website (tickets.szechenyibath.hu), or through a reseller such as GetYourGuide. Each one suits a different kind of trip:
| Where | Price (weekday, locker) | Skip the queue? | Change or cancel? | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ticket office | 13,200 HUF (€36) | No | Buy on the day | Weekday mornings, flexible plans |
| Official site, standard | 13,200 HUF (€36) | No | No refunds | Fixed dates, lowest price |
| Official site, Fast Track | 15,200 HUF (€42) | Yes | No refunds | Weekends and summer afternoons |
| GetYourGuide | from €39 | Depends on the option | Free cancellation up to 24 hours before | Uncertain dates or weather |
Prices checked September 2026.
Verdict: If your date is fixed, buy directly from the official site. It’s the cheapest and simplest option. If there’s any chance you’ll swap days (a rainy forecast, a late flight, a day trip that runs long), a reseller ticket with free cancellation costs about the same as the official Friday-to-Sunday price and is worth the difference.
Széchenyi Spa Tickets with Optional Upgrades
A full-day ticket with free cancellation up to 24 hours before and “reserve now, pay later”. It’s the one to book if you’d rather not commit to a date that can’t be refunded. The same listing sells weekday, weekend and morning passes, plus Fast Track morning and afternoon tickets with a cabin, so pick the option at checkout.
If you want Széchenyi to be the second half of a sillier afternoon, GetYourGuide sells a combo with a beer spa session:
Beer Spa with Unlimited Beer + Széchenyi Add-on
A 45-minute soak in a wooden tub of hop-and-malt thermal water with your own beer tap, plus an optional full-day Széchenyi fast-track ticket with a private changing room. Adults only (18+), and towels cost extra.
View Tour →Is the Széchenyi fast track worth it?#
The Széchenyi fast track is worth it on weekends, public holidays and summer afternoons, when the ticket-office queue is at its longest. It’s rarely worth it on a weekday morning, when queues are usually short. The official fast track costs 2,000 HUF (about €5) more than the standard ticket, is sold online only and comes in two entry windows: morning tickets must enter by 11:00, afternoon tickets after 15:00. An afternoon ticket won’t get you in at 13:00, so pick the window that matches your plan.
Verdict: Buy fast track for Friday to Sunday and for any visit between late morning and mid-afternoon from June to August. On a Tuesday at 8:30, save the money for a lángos afterwards.
Is the Palm House upgrade worth it?#
The Palm House (Pálmaház, sold as “DaysPalm”) is a separate lounge area at Széchenyi, worth it mainly if crowds are what put you off. It costs 29,000 HUF (about €79) per person Monday to Thursday and 36,000 HUF (about €99) Friday to Sunday. That’s more than twice a standard ticket, so it only makes sense for a long day. The lounge keeps shorter hours than the pools: 9:00–18:00 on weekdays, 9:00–19:00 at weekends.
The GetYourGuide version costs more but bundles what you’d otherwise buy or bring. According to the listing, that’s a cabin, robe, towel, disposable slippers, swim cap, one cocktail, mineral water, a fruit bowl and a separate skip-the-line entrance.
Széchényi Thermal Bath Palm House Pass
Palm House access with everything included, plus free cancellation up to 24 hours before. The all-in option for a birthday or an anniversary.
View Tour →Verdict: Most visitors don’t need the Palm House. For a special occasion, book it direct on a weekday if you’ve packed a towel, or take the GetYourGuide bundle if you’re arriving with nothing but a swimsuit.
What should you bring to Széchenyi Baths?#
Bring a swimsuit, slippers or flip-flops, a towel and, if you plan to swim lengths, a swim cap. None of them come with the ticket, and rental is currently suspended, so anything you forget you buy at the shop:
| Item | Needed? | Price if you forget it |
|---|---|---|
| Swimsuit | Yes. Only proper swimwear is allowed, and nude bathing is prohibited | Sold in the shop |
| Slippers / flip-flops | Yes, mandatory everywhere outside the pools | 4,200 HUF (€12) |
| Towel | Yes, nothing is provided | 6,900 HUF (€19) |
| Swim cap | Only for pools marked with a cap pictogram, in practice the 50 m lap pool | 2,100 HUF (€6) |
| Bathrobe | Optional, useful in winter | 12,600 HUF (€35) |
| Water and snacks | Allowed. Alcohol is not, in any quantity | Bar and buffet on site |
| Card or cash | Card at the machines, cash at the office | — |
Prices checked September 2026.
Forgetting all three essentials (slippers, towel, cap) costs 13,200 HUF (about €36), the same as a weekday ticket. Pack them the night before.
When is the best time to visit Széchenyi Baths?#
The best time to visit Széchenyi Baths is a weekday morning before 9:00, when you pay the Good Morning price and the pools are at their quietest. Weekends and summer afternoons are the busiest. Friday is the only late opening, until 22:00, for soaking after dark.
| Day | Bath open | Pools and saunas until |
|---|---|---|
| Monday–Thursday | 7:00–20:00 | 19:40 |
| Friday | 7:00–22:00 | 21:40 |
| Saturday–Sunday | 8:00–20:00 | 19:40 |
Hours checked September 2026 on the official opening-hours page. On public holidays and in peak periods (for example, 18 December 2026 to 6 January 2027), the bath opens at 8:00.
Two timing rules apply every day. Last entry is one hour before closing, and you must be out of the pools 20 minutes before the bath closes. Arriving at 19:15 on a Tuesday gets you nothing but a view of the ticket desk.
Winter or summer? In summer the 50-metre pool (26–28 °C) is a proper swim. From November to February the 36–38 °C thermal pool steams in the cold air, which is the classic Széchenyi scene. If you can only go once, go in the cold months, and go early.
Can children go to Széchenyi Baths?#
No: since 1 August 2025, children under 14 cannot visit Széchenyi Baths. The only exception is a child with a medical certificate from a specialist, such as a rheumatologist or orthopaedic doctor. This is the official rule on the bath’s FAQ as of September 2026, so don’t trust older guides that predate it.
How do you get to Széchenyi Baths?#
Take the M1 metro (the yellow Millennium Underground) to Széchenyi fürdő station, which comes up right beside the bath in City Park (Városliget). The M1 runs from Vörösmarty tér along Andrássy Avenue, and it’s the route the bath recommends. Trolleybus 72 also stops nearby.
The address is Állatkerti körút 9–11, 1146 Budapest (District XIV, Zugló). For tickets, passes and how to validate them, see our Budapest public transport guide.
The Budapest Card doesn’t get you in free, but it gives 20% off standard tickets bought on site (not online), bringing a weekday ticket to 10,560 HUF (about €29). Whether the card pays for itself depends on the rest of your plans: see is the Budapest Card worth it?.
What is Sparty, the Széchenyi bath party?#
Sparty is a party with DJs and a light show held at Széchenyi every Saturday night, after regular bathing ends. According to the GetYourGuide listing, it’s 18+, last entry is 1:00, and bar drinks are paid only with a SpartyPay card (initial top-up 20,000 HUF, including a 3,000 HUF deposit).
The official Sparty site, spartybooking.com, is linked from the bath’s website and listed basic tickets from €59 in September 2026, cheaper than the non-refundable GetYourGuide Sparty ticket at €73. Book direct. If you’d rather have late-night water without the DJ, compare it with the other options in our guide to Budapest at night.
Széchenyi vs the other Budapest baths#
Széchenyi is the biggest and busiest Budapest bath and the right pick for a first visit. With 3 outdoor and 15 indoor pools, it has the most choice, though not the most atmosphere. Here’s how it compares with the two alternatives people ask about most:
| Széchenyi | Rudas | Gellért | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Status (as of Sept 2026) | Open daily | Open | Closed since 1 Oct 2025; reopening planned for 2028 |
| Style | Huge, neo-baroque, outdoor pools | Ottoman-era Turkish bath, rooftop terrace pool | Art Nouveau (closed) |
| Under 14s | Not admitted | Not admitted | — |
| Night bathing | Friday until 22:00; Sparty on Saturday | Friday and Saturday 22:00–03:00, online tickets only | — |
| Best for | First-timers, winter steam, space | Atmosphere, couples, late nights | — (closed until 2028) |
Verdict: Choose Széchenyi for your first bath and for winter. Choose Rudas if you’ve done Széchenyi before or want a late-night soak without the party. Forget Gellért for now: our Gellért Baths closure update has the latest. For thermal water without leaving your hotel, see our Budapest spa hotels guide.
Who should skip Széchenyi Baths?#
Families with children under 14 should skip it, because children aren’t admitted. Crowd-averse visitors who can only go on a summer Saturday afternoon should think twice: at those times it’s more waterpark than spa. With one evening and a taste for atmosphere over size, Rudas at night is the better use of it.
For everyone else, Széchenyi is worth building a day around. Fit it into our 3-day Budapest itinerary, go early, and bring your own towel.
FAQ#
How much are Széchenyi Baths tickets?#
A daily ticket with a locker costs 13,200 HUF (about €36) Monday to Thursday, 14,800 HUF (about €41) Friday to Sunday and 15,800 HUF (about €43) in peak periods, according to the official price list as of September 2026. The online-only fast-track ticket costs 2,000 HUF more, and a private cabin adds 1,000 HUF.
Do you need to book Széchenyi Baths in advance?#
No, you can buy a daily ticket at the ticket office, but on weekends and summer afternoons the queue can be long. Book the official fast-track ticket online if you want to walk straight in, or a reseller ticket with free cancellation if your dates or the weather might change.
What should I bring to Széchenyi Baths?#
Bring a swimsuit, slippers or flip-flops (mandatory outside the pools), a towel and a swim cap if you want to use the 50-metre lap pool. Towels, slippers and caps are not included in the ticket and rental is currently suspended, so anything you forget has to be bought at the shop.
Can children go to Széchenyi Baths?#
Since 1 August 2025, children under 14 cannot visit Széchenyi Baths unless they have a medical certificate from a specialist such as a rheumatologist or orthopaedic doctor. Families with younger children should plan a different bath or activity.
How long should you spend at Széchenyi Baths?#
Plan on three to four hours. That is enough for the three outdoor pools, a loop of the indoor thermal pools and a couple of saunas without rushing. The ticket lets you stay until closing, and the pools must be vacated 20 minutes before the bath closes.
Is Széchenyi or Gellért better?#
Széchenyi is the only one of the two you can visit right now. Gellért Bath has been closed for renovation since 1 October 2025, with reopening planned for 2028. If you want a historic alternative, Rudas Bath has an Ottoman-era Turkish bath and a rooftop terrace pool.
Can you use the Budapest Card at Széchenyi Baths?#
Yes, the Budapest Card gives a 20 percent discount on standard Széchenyi tickets, but only when you buy them on site at the bath. It does not give free entry.
Last verified: September 2026. Prices and timetables change — confirm with the operator before booking.
