How to Visit a Korean Jjimjilbang (Bathhouse)

A jjimjilbang is a Korean bathhouse with gender-separated baths and a shared lounge with heated rooms where everyone wears the same loose outfit. Here is what to expect on your first visit, step by step.

Your first visit, step by step

1. Shoe lockers: take off your shoes at the entrance and lock them in a small locker. Keep the key.
2. Counter: pay the entry fee and hand over your shoe key if asked. You usually get a locker key (often on a wristband), towels and the jjimjilbang outfit. Prices differ by facility.
3. Changing room: go to the men’s or women’s side, put your things in your locker and undress fully for the bath area.
4. Shower: wash your whole body with soap at the shower seats before you get into any bath.
5. Baths and saunas: hot, warm and cold pools, plus steam or dry saunas. Take your time and drink water.
6. Shared area: put on the outfit and go to the mixed lounge — heated rooms, sleeping mats, snack bar and TV areas.

Bathhouse etiquette

• Shower first, thoroughly — this is the one rule everyone notices.
• Keep towels out of the water. Many people fold a small towel on their head.
• Tie up long hair so it doesn’t touch the bath water.
• Bathing is nude in the gender-separated area; swimsuits are not worn there.
• No phones or cameras in the changing room and bath area.
• Tattoos: policies differ by facility — some don’t mind, some ask you to cover up or may refuse entry. Check before you go if this matters to you.
• Keep your voice down in the sleeping rooms.

Bath area vs shared area

The bath and sauna floors are separate for men and women. The shared lounge is mixed, so everyone wears the outfit there — families, couples and friends meet up in this area. Follow the signs between floors; some places use colour-coded outfits or wristbands for each side.

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Can you stay overnight?

Some jjimjilbangs are open around the clock and let you sleep on mats in the shared area, sometimes for an extra charge at night. Others close at night or don’t allow overnight stays. It is not a hotel: lights stay on in some rooms, it can be noisy, and your valuables should stay in your locker. Ask the counter about overnight rules before you pay.

What to bring

• A card or some cash for the entry fee and snacks.
• Your own toiletries if you want specific products — basic soap is usually provided, other items may be sold at the counter.
• Hair ties, a change of underwear and a small bag for wet things.
• Your phone charged before you go — and the address saved in Naver Map or Kakao Map for the trip back. Heading back late? Check a fair fare with the Seoul taxi fare calculator.

First-timer mistakes

• Getting into a bath before showering.
• Walking into the shared area without the outfit, or into the bath area with clothes on.
• Bringing a phone into the changing room or bath area.
• Staying too long in the hottest rooms — step out, cool down and drink water.
• Losing the locker key: it is often needed to get your shoes and settle your tab.

Where to try one

You will find jjimjilbangs across Seoul, from neighbourhood places to large spa complexes, and Busan is known for its hot-spring bathhouses. Search “찜질방” (jjimjilbang) in Naver Map or Kakao Map near where you stay, and check recent reviews for opening hours, overnight rules and tattoo policy.

Planning a relaxed day in Seoul? Compare activities you can book ahead.

Last checked: October 2026. Rules, prices and facilities differ by place — follow the signs and ask the staff.

FAQ

Do you have to be naked in a jjimjilbang?

In the gender-separated bath area, yes — that is the norm. In the shared lounge everyone wears the outfit you get at the counter.

Can foreigners with tattoos go to a jjimjilbang?

It depends on the facility. Some don’t mind, others ask you to cover up or may refuse entry. Check reviews or ask before you go.

Can I sleep in a jjimjilbang?

Some places are open around the clock and allow sleeping in the shared area, sometimes with an extra charge. Ask the counter first.

How much does a jjimjilbang cost?

Prices differ by facility, time of day and extras. Check the sign at the counter or recent reviews in Naver Map or Kakao Map.

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