Guide · Saunas · 9 spaces
Best Saunas in London.
London has more sauna options than any UK city — wood-fired community cabins in car parks and lidos, Russian banyas with venik treatments, infrared rooms, and floating rooftop setups. This guide covers the ones that turn one-off visitors into regulars.
London’s sauna scene splits three ways. The not-for-profit community-sauna movement — Community Sauna Baths across Hackney Wick, Peckham, Walthamstow and the Royal Docks — runs wood-fired cabins in car parks and lidos from around £9.50 a session. The traditional banya (Banya No.1 Hoxton) brings venik oak-leaf treatments and parilka rituals with tea between rounds. And the new wave of floating and rooftop saunas (TEMZ on the water, Rooftop Saunas at Netil House and Brixton) has pushed the cabin outdoors.
The community question for a sauna isn’t how hot the cabin runs. It’s whether the heat is shared. A sauna becomes a place you return to when there’s a bench you sit on with the same faces — the shared rhythm of hot cabin, cold plunge, rest, repeat puts strangers on the same bench, and the cooldown is where the talking starts. Spas that sell private slots by the hour skip that. Community saunas, banyas, and guided Aufguss sessions build it in.
Prices range from £9–15 off-peak at community saunas (Community Sauna Baths from £9.50) to £30–60 at banyas and spas with treatments. Floating and rooftop saunas sit around £20–30. Most sell 90-minute or two-hour slots; the community sites are the cheapest way to go weekly.
London Saunas — Comparison
| Space | Borough | Setting | Type | Booking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Urban Heat Sauna | Southwark | Indoor & outdoor | Finnish | Book ahead |
| The Bath House — Banya London | Westminster | Indoor | Russian banya, Wood-fired, Traditional | Book ahead |
| Banya No.1 — Chiswick | Hounslow | Indoor | Russian banya, Traditional, Wood-fired | Book ahead |
| Saunos | Islington | Indoor & outdoor | Floating, Wood-fired, Traditional | App booking |
| Innervisions Alchemy | Southwark | Outdoor | Wood-fired, Traditional | Book ahead |
| The Sanctuary &Soul | Tower Hamlets | Indoor | Finnish, Traditional | Members only |
| Sauna Social Club | Southwark | Indoor | Finnish | Book ahead |
| WellNest | Southwark | Indoor | Finnish, Infrared | App booking |
| Stoke Newington Sauna | Hackney | Indoor | Finnish, Infrared | App booking |
Beginner's Guide to Saunas in London
If you've never been to a sauna in London, start at a community sauna or a banya — they're built for first-timers. Arrive 10 minutes early with a swimsuit and towel. The rhythm is 10–15 minutes in the heat, then a cold plunge or shower, then rest — repeat two or three rounds. Sit on a lower bench first; it's cooler. No need to talk — the cooldown does that on its own.
A swimsuit, a towel, water, and flip-flops are all you need. Leave jewellery and your phone in the locker — the heat is hard on both. Don't buy a membership until you've visited twice to see if the vibe fits. Community saunas are the most forgiving entry point: they run open sessions, Aufguss slots, and have regulars who remember being new.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a sauna session cost in London?
Community saunas run £9–15 off-peak (Community Sauna Baths from £9.50). Banyas and spas are £30–60 with treatments. Floating and rooftop saunas sit around £20–30. Most sell 90-minute or two-hour slots; the community sites are the cheapest way to go weekly.
How does a session work if I’ve never been?
Arrive 10 minutes early with a swimsuit and towel. The rhythm is 10–15 minutes in the heat, then a cold plunge or shower, then rest — repeat two or three rounds. Sit on a lower bench first; it’s cooler. No need to talk — the cooldown does that on its own.
What is Aufguss?
A guided session where a sauna master pours water and essential oils over the stones and waves the steam around the room with a towel. It’s the closest a sauna gets to a shared ritual — everyone goes through the heat together. Community Sauna Baths and several rooftop sites run them on schedule.
Sauna or banya — what’s the difference?
A banya (Banya No.1 Hoxton) is the Russian tradition: higher humidity, venik treatments where you’re gently brushed with oak leaves, tea between rounds. A sauna is drier and usually self-led. Banyas are more social by design; community saunas get there through repeat hours.
Can I go alone?
Yes, and most regulars started solo. The contrast circuit and the shared cooldown mean you’re rarely sat in silence for long. Open community hours and Aufguss sessions are the easiest entry — you’re on the bench with the same people each week.
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