As I sat in a hammam in Turkey, the sound of women singing together echoed off the domed ceiling. Within minutes, my shoulders relaxed, releasing weeks of tension. As I watched the eclectic group come together, my mind slowed, and I felt relaxed from head to toe. This unexpected joy of bathing with other people set me on a years-long quest to experience public bathhouse cultures across the world, from floating saunas in Norway to onsens in Japan. Each is unique, yet they all left me with a feeling of serenity and a deeper understanding of local culture.
“What’s remarkable is that cultures separated by thousands of miles developed bathing traditions that fulfill the same basic human needs,” says Mikkel Aaland, the author of several books about bathhouses, including Sweat and Naked Sweat, and the host of the Perfect Sweat, a documentary series about his 45-year career studying bathing cultures around the world.
Bathing traditions worldwide are just as varied as global food cultures—and in some ways just as elemental, according to Craig Hanson, a historian who specializes in bathing culture at Calvin University in Michigan. While the modern world has made solitary bathing the norm, for most of human history the necessary task of cleaning ourselves was a ritual that connected individuals with their friends, family, or community, he says.
That desire for connection through bathing rituals is making a comeback. More than half of the respondents in Hilton’s 2027 Trends Report said they are interested in heat-centered or water-based experiences, including saunas or thermal pools. “I’m thrilled with what seems to be a renaissance in public bathing,” Hanson says. “Socially, it points to a longing for human connection. It might be the perfect antidote to doomscrolling.”
Here are several of the traditional bathing experiences that are having a resurgence and where you can try them.
Hammams
Hammams pair a centuries-old purification ritual with a social setting.
Courtesy of Argos in Cappadocia
Turkish hammams are bathing rituals that take place in an eponymous room, typically built of marble and stone, filled with heated marble slabs, and separated by gender. Guests lay unclothed on their individual table while an attendant pours bowls of warm water over their bodies and scrubs their skin with an exfoliating hand towel called a kese mitt. This is followed by a massage with a soapy foam, often made of olive oil.
“Instead of a dry-heat sauna or a soaking-focused onsen, the Turkish bath uses humid warmth and a hands-on cleansing,” says Hüner Parlar, a spa manager for Argos in Cappadocia, who grew up with the ritual. “Hammams have also long played an important role in Turkish social life, serving as gathering places for special occasions and socializing.” Hammams are common throughout the Middle East, including in Morocco and Jordan, though temperatures, decor, and some cultural practices reflect local preferences.
Where to have a hammam experience
While in Istanbul, visit the Hurrem Sultan Hamami, which lies in the heart of the city’s historic Old Town, between the Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque. In Cappadocia, Argos has its spa in an underground cave. For the traditional version of a Moroccan hammam, visit Les Bains de Marrakech.
Saunas
Northern Lights Village Pyhä is one of literally thousands of sauna options in Finland.
Courtesy of 50 Degrees North
Saunas were invented in Finland and then spread across the Nordic countries; they are now popular worldwide, although similar to hammams, each culture has its own take on the tradition. In some countries, saunas use dry heat, while others rely on steam. “Most bathhouse traditions are built around water. You soak in an onsen, or scrub in a hammam,” says Terhi Runnalls, the communications and design manager for the Nordic travel-planning company 50 Degrees North, who created a guide to floating saunas. In contrast, she says, saunas are “built around heat. You sit on wooden benches and throw water on hot stones.”
In Finland, sauna culture is so ingrained in daily life that it is protected by UNESCO as part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. In Norway, the practice nearly disappeared in the 1600s, when strict anti-nudity laws were instituted, but today it’s thriving once more, as people seek to disconnect from technology and find new ways to socialize, says Niek van Eck, product manager at HX Expeditions. Floating saunas across Scandinavia have made the ritual more accessible than ever, he explains. In some countries, saunas are paired with cold plunges, since contrast therapy (transitioning quickly from extreme heat to the opposite temperature) is believe to have muscle recovery benefits. Cold plunges also force participants to slow down and maintain a relationship with nature year round.
Elsewhere in Eastern Europe, sauna culture has evolved to include Aufguss, dances performed within saunas that often involve waving towels to circulate air and using large balls of ice infused with scented oils or herbs to enhance the experience. The routine has become so popular in Europe that Therme Bucharest in Romania now hosts an annual festival with Aufguss masters from more than two dozen countries.
Where to have a sauna experience
There are thousands of saunas in Finland, so you won’t go wrong with most any choice. Northern Lights Village Pyhä allows guests the possibility of seeing the aurora borealis from private saunas. The nearby Sunday Morning Resort has a lakeside wood-heated sauna and a traditional smoke sauna a few meters from Lake Pyhäjärvi. For those in Helsinki, the spa at the Waldorf Astoria Helsinki has a sauna open to all guests, and the hotel features select suites with in-room saunas, steam rooms, and private terraces with Jacuzzis. In addition to the annual Aufguss festival in October, visit Therme Bucharest to experience its 10 saunas. Each sauna draws on different bathing traditions from around the world.
Jjimjilbang
A jjimjilbang is a Korean bathhouse that’s split in two. The bath side, called a mogyoktang, is traditionally separated by gender and fully nude. “You scrub down at a shower station first, then move between hot and cold pools, a dry sauna, and a steam room,” explains Leo Cho, founder of the travel website Korea No Filter. The jjimjil side is mixed gender and clothed. “Everyone wears the same T-shirt and shorts handed out at the front desk,” he says. Guests then lounge on heated floors in rooms with kilns that reach 122 degrees Fahrenheit or more.
In 24-hour jjimjilbangs, some visitors spend the night snoozing on a mat on a heated floor. Because jjimjilbangs can last all day (or longer), eating and drinking are often part of the experience. Traditionally, visitors snack on baked eggs and a Korean rice drink. “It’s as much a hangout as a bath,” says Cho. “Families, friends, and couples spend whole afternoons there, eating, napping, and talking.”
Where to have a jjimjilbang experience
In Korea, Cho recommends Spa Rex, Dongdaemun in Seoul for a 24-hour jimjilbang option. In Busan, Spaland is fed by hot spring water. For a jimjilbang experience within the USA, head to Spa Castle in Queens, New York.
Icelandic geothermal baths and pools
Hot springs are common around the world, but Iceland harnessed these underground-heated waters to create an abundance of pools with a social bathing ritual around them. UNESCO recognized the country’s unique public bathing culture as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. “Geothermal lagunas act as community spaces where locals unwind, converse, and connect year-round,” says Raquel Isabel Díaz, brand manager at the Retreat at the Blue Lagoon.
These hot springs also serve as a great equalizer, says Eyrún Aníta Gylfadóttir, Hotel Rangá’s marketing manager, since they’re either low cost or free to use for people of all ages and backgrounds. The country’s breathtaking landscapes surrounding the pools also helps their popularity.
Where to have an Icelandic geothermal bath
Though you can experience geothermal waters from Bath, England, to Banos, Ecuador, it’s the ritual more than the source of hot water that makes Iceland’s bathing culture unique. Visit the Blue Lagoon and stay at the on-site hotel, the Retreat, which includes a private thermal pool. Or stay at Hotel Ranga in southern Iceland to visit nearby hot springs by day, and relax in the hotel’s naturally heated hot tubs with views of the northern lights at night. Or book an Icelandair hot springs vacation that includes airfare and stops at several geothermal baths.
Roman baths
Keep an eye out for Therme Bucharest’s annual Aufguss festival.
Courtesy of Therme Bucharest
In ancient Rome, bathhouses integrated bathing, relaxation, physical exercise, and social interaction. “The sheer size and variety of these bathhouses set Roman traditions apart from other bathing rituals,” explains Francesco Mennella, general manager of Anantara Palazzo Naiadi Rome Hotel. Traditionally, Roman bathhouses included a hot caldarium, a warm tepidarium, and a cold frigidarium. “Many large complexes also featured exercise areas, gardens, and spaces for socializing,” Mennella says.
Today, ruins of Roman baths appear throughout the city, including beneath the Anantara, which has a transparent Lucite panel on the hotel’s ground floor that allows visitors to view the remains. “The bathhouses’ monumental scale reflects the importance of public bathing in Roman society and the sophisticated architectural and engineering solutions developed to support it,” Mennella says. In addition to being a place for personal care, these spaces allowed mingling of people from different social backgrounds.
Where to have a Roman bath
While no traditional baths exist today, several places offer a similar experience. The Anantara Spa in Rome offers a signature Diocletian Bath Ritual that uses ingredients from ancient wellness practices, including olive oil, honey, sea salt, mud, and herbs like St. John’s Wort and laurel, which ancient Romans believed had medicinal properties. For those looking for a large bathhouse experience with a variety of options, from saunas and cold plunges to thermal baths and outdoor pools, Balian Springs just outside of Washington, D.C., has an enormous multi-experiential bathhouse that combines wellness and socializing.
Onsen
Roku Kyoto, one of the thousands of onsen in Japan, is inspired by traditional ryokan or inns.
Courtesy of Roku Kyoto, LXR Hotels & Resorts
A highlight of my trip to Japan was soaking in onsen, which are naturally occurring thermal pools. Although the hot springs themselves are similar to those found elsewhere in the world, the traditions are distinctly Japanese. “Onsen is much more than a hot bath, and it’s certainly not just a spa experience,” says Karen Zaho, Central Asia regional product manager for Intrepid Travel. “It’s an essential part of Japanese culture and an ancient tradition that has been passed down through generations.” Even today, visitors to onsen are expected to follow a strict cultural code, which includes bathing completely naked in facilities separated by gender and a ban on swimming in most facilities.
The tradition is also connected to spirituality. “Onsen can symbolize cleansing and purification, particularly in connection with Shinto practices, although this isn’t the focus of every onsen,” Zaho explains. Some bathers seek out specific onsen for their purported health benefits, rather than heading to the closest one. “The various minerals found in hot springs are traditionally believed to have different therapeutic effects,” Zaho says. People often pair onsen visits with stays at traditional Japanese ryokans for a more holistic experience and more time in the pools. Today, both traditional onsen and modified versions that allow swimsuits and all-gender bathing are available throughout Japan. Be aware that many onsen require visitors to be tattoo-free or cover tattoos before entering.
Where to have an onsen experience
Roku Kyoto, a modern ryokan-inspired hotel, houses the only year-round, natural outdoor onsen pool within Kyoto’s city limits. For a more remote option about 90 minutes by bullet train from Tokyo, Tenzan Hot Spring Village in Hanoke is a traditional onsen set in the woods. For a popular mixed-gender option with on-site lodging, visit Takargawa Onsen in Minakami. I enjoyed traditional onsens and the family-friendly Yunessun hotel in Hanoke, which has mountaintop baths and waterslides.
Indigenous North American sweat lodges
Several Native American and First Nations peoples have deeply rooted sweat lodge traditions. These are sacred ceremonies that differ according to each nation’s teachings, prayers, and healing practices, explains Erica Louttit, a member of Beausoleil First Nation. “The ceremonies vary according to the conductor, teachings, and purpose of the gathering,” she explains. Although some sweat lodges are open to non–First Nations members, they are not tourist attractions or a part of traditional bathhouse culture, Louttit emphasizes. Due to the intensely spiritual nature of the sweat lodge, each person’s experience will be different. Many take place in dome-shaped structures made from branches covered with blankets or animal skins. Frequently, stones are heated over an outdoor fire and then brought inside the structure to increase the temperature of the room. Often, water is poured over the stones to create steam.
The intentions you bring are essential to the practice, says Edward Thomas Lawson Jr., a Mohawk writer from Québec. Sessions typically involve a facilitator and fire keeper who might hum, sing, play an instrument, or share teachings under the dome. He says that before entering, attendees should offer a gift of tobacco to the leader. “Be ready to receive guidance and direction that will help your life change,” Lawson explains, adding that you should focus on “what you’re holding onto, what you’re ready to release, the transformation you’re ready to receive. Profound things can happen when you just allow yourself to be present in your own mind and are ready to receive what might come through during a sweat.”
Where to experience a sweat lodge
Participating in a sweat lodge ceremony typically requires an invitation from a Native American or First Nations member. However, some sweat lodge experiences are open to the public. Real Eyes Meditation in Laurel, Maryland, periodically holds sweat lodge ceremonies that draw on several traditions and vary based on which Indigenous person is leading a particular session. Additionally, the Terra Nova Center in Cedar Mountain, North Carolina, offers sweat lodge experiences led by a Cherokee Wisdom Keeper. In Ontario, Miitig Healing Lodge has a monthly community sweat that’s open to all and can arrange group or individual sessions by request. Erica Louttit’s father, Elder Thomas Louttit of Moose Cree, leads the sessions.
