Though it’s not as famous for its luxurious bath houses as neighboring Budapest, Prague is a wonderful city to get pampered for cheap. You can enjoy an incredible time at a sauna or a day spa for next to nothing if you know where to look. This is everything you need to know about having a spa day in Prague on a budget.
Picking the right spa in Prague
Sure, you can spend the day at the Mandarin Oriental for $150. But you’re a sucker if you do. Because for a small fraction of that price, you can get the same treatment anywhere else in town.
The key is knowing how to look. When you search for spa in Prague, you get a variety of places where you can get spa treatments, from facials to erotic massages, which are outrageously popular for some reason. You’ll also find a lot of beer spas, where you can sit in a foamy tub of beer. I don’t know about you, but I think that sounds like a disgusting, sticky infection waiting to happen. In general, a lot of “spas” in town don’t have many facilities to just hang out.
If you’re looking for a couple of steam rooms and a jacuzzi and some lounge chairs, then you have to search for “sauna.” This can also be tricky because some of these are gay saunas where gay guys go to hook up. But I’ve done the leg work for you and scoped out some of the nicest saunas where you can enjoy a fabulous spa day in Prague on a budget.
Sauna Central
Sauna Central might be right off of Wenceslas Square but it won’t cost you Wenceslas prices. A visit to their wellness center is 295 czk for 90 minutes, giving you access to their four unique saunas and steam room (If you’re staying at their hostel, Sleep & Go, entrance is buy one get one free for two people). They have an infrared sauna for those who prefer a lower temperature, but if you’re not afraid of the heat, their Finnish sauna boasts temperatures up to 100°C. My favorite was the fragrant herbal sauna, which is just the right temperature and smells awesome. Between saunas, you can take a dip in the whirlpool to cool off or lounge around with some refreshments from the bar. If you want to enjoy one of their sauna ceremonies, check their ceremony schedule on Facebook or Instagram.
That being said, their private wellness area has really gone downhill. The private suite has its own jacuzzi, sauna, lounge area, shower, and mini bar. And I’m pretty sure the jacuzzi hasn’t been cleaned since the last time we went two or three years ago. So unless you want to float around in a half filled hot tub that’s full of hair, dead skin, and unidentifiable floating bits of God knows what, skip it.
Infinit
This spot is a little outside of the center of town but still accessible by public transport, but it’s by far my favorite spa in Prague. Entrance is 270 czk for 90 minutes and by the minute thereafter. Entrance gives you access to Sauna World and Water World, which features two jacuzzis and an Olympic style swimming pool.
But the real fun is upstairs in the sauna area where you can enjoy many different saunas including two Finnish saunas, an herbal sauna, a honey sauna, and a tropical sauna. The honey sauna smell tends to linger after you visit, and it’s a smell you almost won’t want to wash off. They also have sauna ceremonies every two hours where you can sweat along with a sauna master and some music or a story. There are amazing lounge areas, both indoors and outdoors where you can sip on a fresh lemonade or a glass of wine.
Aquapalace
This is actually a water park, so it’s a good place to bring kids if you’re traveling with them. But if you want some peace and relaxation, they also have Sauna World where you can lay back in a steamy room and let all your stress evaporate. With seven Finnish saunas and five Turkish steam cabins, you can sweat at Aquapalace for hours. You can also relax in the whirlpools or the lounge chairs indoors or outdoors throughout the facility.
Entrance is for 859 czk for one day, 619 czk for 3 hours, or 719 czk from 5 pm until closing.
Sauna Spot
Sauna Spot faces the Vltava River and has the distinction of being the only spa in town with a sauna that has a view of the river. It’s far south though, so don’t expect a picturesque view of Prague Castle. Aside from Finnish and tropical saunas, they have a salt sauna that you can enjoy for less than it costs to buy a salt lamp.
Entrance is 225 czk with some discounts for morning and afternoon entry. At Sauna Spot, you can also rent a private jacuzzi and sauna for two people for 1,600 czk. Not as cheap as Sauna Central, but still cheaper than the Mandarin Oriental, and you don’t have to see anyone else naked.
Saunia
Saunia is a chain of spas around Prague (and the Czech Republic) where you can go to enjoy a couple of Finnish saunas and steam baths. As with most of the saunas in town, they have sauna ceremonies throughout the day that include relaxation ceremonies, honey peeling, and salt peeling.
Entrance is 249 czk without a time limit. One is located in Centrum Chodov and another at Galerie Butovice. If you really want to pamper yourself, you can go shopping when you’re done steaming.
Spa etiquette in Prague
You might be intimidated about going out into some local bath house for your spa day in Prague, but as long as you’re prepared with some useful information, you’ll be absolutely fine.
Even if a sauna is frequented mostly by friendly locals, almost everyone speaks English and is happy to help. The important signs are either translated or have photos. And everything else, I’ve outlined for you.
What to expect
- Saunas are quiet. Even if you’re with a friend, if you’re in sauna or steam room, you should respect the people around you by enjoying your spa day in Prague in peace and silence.
- You shouldn’t wear bathing suits in the sauna. It’s considered unhygienic to steam in a bathing suit that absorbs the toxins you’re sweating out or the chlorine from the pool.
- Don’t worry, you won’t have to be butt naked either (unless you want to). You’ll get a towel and a sheet to lay on and cover yourself up with. But if you’re gonna jump in one of the cooling pools, you’ll probably have to do that in your birthday suit.
- As you probably noticed, very few spas in Prague have a daily rate. To be honest, that’s because you probably shouldn’t severely dehydrate your body by spending 6 hours in a room that’s 200°F.
- After the base rate, which is usually for 90-120 minutes, you’ll pay by the minute, usually commensurate to that rate. Still, if you decided to stay 6 hours at Infinit, for instance, you’d still only spend around $35. So don’t sweat the timetable.
- There are secure lockers to keep your stuff. The changing room where you get ready for the sauna has a locker, that you can personally lock and unlock with your wristband or some other personal key. This is where you’ll leave your clothes and valuables like your phone and wallet that you won’t need in a steam room.
- There are unsecured areas to keep non-valuables. If you go past the locker room with anything else (your bathing suit, sunglasses or a bottle of water), you can tuck them into an open cubby hole outside the steam rooms. Obviously you probably don’t wanna leave an iPad in there, but no one will touch your flip flops.
- You’ll be able to get something to drink. Any good spa will have a refreshments bar (or two) so you can get a flavored homemade lemonade or a beer. Some places even offer a food menu.
- Even if you’re choosing not to bare all, don’t stare at people that do. They’re just trying to relax.
Get the GPS-guided version of this and other Prague guides on GPSmyCity here.
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