A cosy wooden room that calms your mind the moment you step in. The heat pouring in from the vents embraces you and relaxes your muscles. As the sweat finds its way out, so does all the stress, leaving you completely refreshed. A sauna is probably the only place where you can really welcome heat with open arms. The higher the temperature, the calmer you arguably become. Need to unwind? Head to a sauna in London…
1. The Finnish Church, Rotherhithe
What could be better than returning to the people who created the concept of the sauna in the first place? The Finns! The Finnish Church in Rotherhithe is a place of literal worship that welcomes guests for lodging too. Plus, they offer the authentic experience of a sauna in London for incredibly low prices – sounds pretty darn good to us!
The sauna facility is in the basement, and is a small yet cosy place which leads to a shower and a changing room with a few benches available for seating. You can share the space with up to seven other folks from different households in the separate sessions they host for men and women, or book a private session in advance.
Their sauna is also called the löyly, which means heat and mist rising from the sauna stove. After the bath, you can linger on for some coffee and cinnamon bun or dig into some genuine Finnish rye bread with salty liquorice. Winner, winner.
You will find The Finnish Church at 33 Albion Street, London, SE16 7HZ. Nearest station is Rotherhithe.
2. Rooftop Saunas Hackney, London Fields
We know two things: Londoners love a rooftop bar and saunas. The Rooftop Saunas in Hackney offer private sauna cabins, showers and cold water plunge barrels which you can book for 30 minutes, 60 or 90. Located on the roof of Netil House, prices start from £11 per person.
The saunas are Scandinavian-inspired, featuring wooden interiors and an adjacent cold plunge pool or shower for contrast therapy. The atmosphere is serene and rejuvenating, with natural elements like wood and stone enhancing the overall aesthetic.
You’ll find the Rooftop Saunas Hackney in Netil House, 1 Westgate Street, London, E8 3RL.
3. Spa Experience by Better, Various Locations
Looking for a great sauna at an even greater price? Well then, make a beeline for any one of the the Spa Experiences dotted across town to let off some steam. They brought the concept of an affordable spa and sauna to the city when they first opened their gates back in 2007, and have been an incredibly popular spot to rest and recuperate ever since.
You can drop into their high-end saunas for a few hours of thermal treatment, or combine it with a Turkish hammam, monsoon shower, facial or body massage. An award-winning spa chain, a visit here promises you a relaxing journey with various different services to soother your senses and relax your aching muscles.
You’ll find the Spa Experience in various locations across London. You can find out more here.
4. Community Sauna Baths, Bermondsey
Community Sauna’s Bermondsey location is a collaboration with the women-led Innervisions Alchemy Centre. The site features two mobile saunas, along with a pop-up cold plunge and shower facilities to meet all your relaxation needs.
The sauna operates seasonally, open only from June to August.
You’ll find Community Sauna Baths at St James’s Church, Thurland Road, London, SE16 4AA.
5. Brockwell Lido, Herne Hill
Brockwell Lido is not only a stunning spot for swimming but also offers modern saunas, a steam room, cold showers, and relaxation areas where visitors can cool down and unwind between sauna and swimming sessions.
With large glass windows, the saunas offer stunning views of the surrounding park enhancing the experience. The saunas are open year round.
You’ll find the saunas in Brockwell Lido at Brockwell Park, Dulwich Road, London, SE24 0PA.
6. The Bath House – Banya London, Victoria
If you think you know the sauna, think again as a visit to The Bath House is sure to surprise you. Their Russian variant of the sauna, called the ‘Banya’, entices you with their centuries-old tradition. It is not just a vapour bath but a complete cultural experience that unclogs your senses and refreshes you thoroughly. The cold water bucket simulation is also well worth a try and will make you feel thoroughly refreshed.
Based in an old bank right opposite Buckingham Palace, it’s a really great spot to visit. Mosaic art from Sanduny decorates the walls, and the café rustles up some delectable Russian cuisine. You’re well suited here to heated saunas and a cold plunge pool. Plus, if that isn’t enough, you can select from a range of specialists who can perform conventional therapies like body scrubs and wraps or soothing massages.
But the highlight of their services platter is the ‘Parenie’. This traditional full-body massage involves brushing your body with eucalyptus, oak and birch leaves. It enhances blood circulation and relieves tension so you’ll find yourself leaving the premises stress-free.
You’ll find The Bath House at 1 Grosvenor Gardens, London, SW1W 0BD. Nearest station is Victoria.
7. Yue Float, Wandsworth
Build your immunity with the perfect rejuvenation and refreshing course at Yue Float. What’s more enriching than a plain, simple sauna? Infrared heat. Come to Yue Float for the complete spectrum of infrared restoration. After an engaging workout session, opt for their infrared sauna session that uses the natural light form to warm you up.
They utilise the full spectrum of far-, mid- and near-infrared rays. A few moments among the rays can salve your aching muscles, reduce inflammation, detox, and improve blood circulation to give you that perfectly radiant skin. A treatment known for its natural therapeutic power, they also hand the controls over to you, so you can manage the temperature, lighting, audio and the intensity of the heat radiation to suit your senses.
Another highlight of this calming paradise is the aptly-named floating treatment. You can float in their pods for an hour in the Epsom salts’ rich water, further away from the city’s life and your chain of thoughts. Then, prepare to lose yourself in the hibernation mode, somewhere between being asleep and awake.
You’ll find Yue Float at Unit A Trafalgar House, Juniper Drive, London, SW18 1GY. Nearest station is Wandsworth Town.
8. ESPA Life at Corinthia, Central London
Think a sauna is just a hot bath? Then ESPA Life will really blow your mind. There are several sauna rooms and pools, and the awe-inspiring thermal suite housing an ice fountain also comes with a glass-walled amphitheatre sauna and a slick black-marbled floor.
ESPA Life’s team of world-renowned experts brings you the perfect sauna in London, extraordinary therapies, beauty remedies, and the Daniel Galvin hair salon too. It’s a four-storeyed space serving an out-of-the-world experience to those looking to sweat out some stress.
Their award-winning menu serves everyone well, whether you are looking for spa or facial treatments or a Theragun deep tissue body massage. In addition, the gym at ESPA Life works with Athletic Medical Performance (AMP) and offers a complete range of body workouts. So don’t sweat it if (literally) if you feel like going for a warm misty bath after that exhausting session.
Comforting tea, soulful music, a pool and a jacuzzi to let you blow off some steam are another set of attractions at ESPA Life. Plus, they have a nail bar and a spa lounge that serves excellent food and drinks as a bonus after your massage.
You’ll find ESPA Life at Whitehall Place, London, SW1A 2BD. Nearest station is Embankment.
9. LondonCryo, Various Locations
Usually, the word sauna brings to mind the hazy picture of a room with wooden seating and hot mist, and people giving into perspiration. However, LondonCryo offers something a bit different – an outstanding selection of infrared saunas with a rainbow of light colours that serve your needs well.
You’ll get a private sauna room with water and electrolytes to drink, the option to have some tunes playing while your steaming yourself and a shower with shampoo and conditioner.
LondonCryo also raises the standard even further for having a sauna in London by combining cutting-edge technology with the practice of cryotherapy. This place can relieve many sports injuries and bodily pains and give you a special session of anti-ageing treatment that promises to take years off your face. And that’s not all. They offer specialised services like lymphatic drainage, a specialised massage to clean your lymphatic nodes or photobiomodulation, a light therapy to revitalise degenerated tissue.
You’ll find LondonCryo at various different locations in London. You can find out more here.
10. The Akasha Holistic Wellbeing, Central London
The wooden panels at the reception area, the glossy tiles of the rooms inside, and the serene marble walkways leading up to warmly-lit pool. Add in a sauna, a jacuzzi, an enticing hammam and London’s only watsu pool for shiatsu, hydrotherapy, and meditation – welcome to the Akasha Holistic Spa.
One of the best places for a sauna in London, it’s cocooned in the basement of the Hotel Café Royal, just a few steps away from Piccadilly Circus. Soundproofed throughout, it’s a great place to escape the hustle and bustle of loud city life, and they even do massages here too. Win, win.
You will find the Akasha at Hotel Café Royal, 68 Regent Street, London, W1B 4DY. Nearest station is Piccadilly Circus.
11. Sauna Social Club, Peckham
Sauna Social Club is London’s newest edition offering a different type of experience. Offering four different types of sessions, visitors can choose between ‘Social Sauna’ which is two hours of access to the sauna and ice baths and unlimited time to hang out in the lounge area, ‘Ambient Sauna’ which run on Friday and Saturday nights and have DJ sets. More traditional ones include ‘Wellbeing Sauna’ which includes traditional sauna rituals, breath work, meditation and yoga. Lastly, the ‘Essential Sauna’, which gives you 50 minutes of off-peak access if you’re running short on time.
Whether you want to blow off some steam or simply unwind after a hectic week, a sauna in London can be the best place to really sweat it out. Roll into one of the seven listed above and you’ll feel all the stress leave your body – trust us!