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First came cold water therapy. Next came wild swimming. Now, London’s onto something new. And if you like feeling warm, clean and relaxed when you’re in your swimwear, you’re in for a treat.
That’s right, sauna culture is here, and London is here for it. We’re talking simple, authentic, high-quality saunas at an affordable price.
And there are some real gems – most for a tenner or less – and all just a couple of tube stops away.
If you needed any persuading, the health benefits of moving from hot to cold and back again have been well researched. Here are the claims: relieving stress, improving circulation, reducing blood pressure, releasing muscle tension, repairing muscle and even promoting longevity.
This list is of course based entirely in London, but you’re heading off for a weekend and want an authentic sauna experience, check out this directory of the best in the UK from the British Sauna Society.
Now, if you’ve got your favourite swimwear ready for summer and you can’t think of anywhere to wear it without freezing our nipples off, read on. It’s time to do summer differently. Release your inner lizard, relax and get ready to bask in the glorious heat of London’s best cladded hot boxes.
The Finish Church
Best for: An authentic Finish sauna experience
As the self-professed ‘Best Finish Sauna in London’, it’s the perfect one to kick this list off. An authentic, communal, affordable sauna where you’re bound to bump into a fair few friendly Finns.
It might be a surprising setting, but that’s what gives it all the more charm. As the name suggests, it really is in a Finish church; a community space for Finns living in the UK as well as “all friends of Finland”.
After your session, you might want to leave time to grab a treat from the café or shop that sell Finnish delicacies including cinnamon buns, Karelian pies, rye bread and classic Finnish sweets like Salmiakki (salty liquorice). A treat all round.
Location: Rotherhithe
Price: £12 per person, public sauna.
For a 1hr private hire, it’s £25 for 2 people any weekday, £28 on the weekend.
Where to book: The Finish Church
Community Sauna Baths
Best for: Great value and outdoors
Community Sauna Baths are on a mission to revive British bathing culture and bring affordable, authentic sauna and cold plunge to neighbourhoods across the UK. And thankfully for us, they’ve started that mission in London.
The flagship location is in Hackney Wick, where they’ve breathed new life into an old 1930s public baths building. Walking through the very grand front doors (still with ‘Men’ and ‘Women’ etched in stone above the two entrances), you’re greeted with a lovely indoor café. Carry on through to the back and six small, different shaped wooden saunas surround a serene communal garden area.
After the heat, take a cold plunge in a repurposed whiskey barrel or an old-fashioned metal bathtub. Both options are temperature-controlled to 5-8° Celsius in winter and 10-14° Celsius in summer. And there’s a bank of cold-water outdoor showers too.
It’s fun, social and affordable. Keep going from hot to cold and back again to really reap the benefits (and try all the cold plunge options). You’ll probably find that the time flies. And if you want, there is the option to hire one of the saunas for a private group.
Locations: Hackney Wick and Stratford with two temporary pop-ups in Peckham and South Bermondsey.
Price: £8.50 for a 60-minute morning session, £10 for a 90-minute off-peak session or £15 for 90-minutes on evenings and weekends. £100 for private group bookings.
Where to book: Community Sauna Baths
Rooftop Sauna
Best for: Views
Move over rooftop bar; enter, the rooftop sauna. This one is literally on the roof of Netil Corner, next to London Fields. And with clear views of East London from windows inside the sauna, this option is a very London twist on the Scandi classic.
Much more private than the earlier options, each booking here gives your group sole access to the sauna cabin for either 30, 60 or 90-minutes. For the cold plunge there are bucket waterfalls showers and plunge barrels to dunk into.
If you choose to go for a 60 or 90-minute session, you also get a private cool-down space and mini-bar.
Once you’re dry and dressed, you can continue enjoying the views with pizza and drinks around at Netil360 rooftop. And because you’ve been in the saunas, you don’t have to queue for entry (a huge deal on those sunny days!) – just hop through the gate when you’re ready.
Location: London Fields
Price: £11/£16.50/£22 for 30/60/90mins
Where to book: Rooftop Saunas
Banya No.1
Best for: A traditional Russian Banya
The Russian banya is the closest relative of the Finnish sauna. If you’re not yet familiar with it, imagine the classic wooden-clad box of a sauna. And then think extreme heat, extra steam and a mandatory felt hat (to keep the head cool).
Each booking gets you access to the steam sauna, plunge pool, bucket showers, massage & hot stone rooms and fully licensed lounge cafe with your own table and booth for tasty Russian delicacies. And yes, there are vodka shots.
The signature treatment is less whale music, more being wafted with a massive bundle of birch, oak and eucalyptus twigs (called venik). It’s quite an intense process, designed to work the steam around you to warm you up so deep that you feel the need to plunge into the chilled water afterwards.
The venik massage is said to boost blood circulation, improve the immune system and relieve muscle tension and stress.
It may not be the classic sauna experience that springs to mind – and not as relaxing as the other options on the list – but it definitely is an experience.
Locations: Hoxton and Chiswick
Price: Between £85-175 depending on the package
Where to book: Banya No.1
Parliament Hill Lido
Best for: A bargain
London is blessed with many affordable outdoor swimming options. But when you think of a lido, you don’t necessary think of a high-quality sauna. They tend to be more leisure centre than luxury.
But this one is both. Part of the Better Leisure group, the Parliament Hill Lido is an unheated 50m outdoor pool with plenty of space and sunlounges around the outside. And then, in a shipping container to the side, is a large communal sauna. Anyone using the lido has access so it’s just £3.30 for entry. Stay as long as you like, use the lido as your plunge pool and maybe even get a few lengths in.
Once you’re done, you’re right on the Heath and next to the cafés in Gospel Oak. What could be more London?
Location: Hampstead Heath / Gospel Oak
Price: £3.30
Where to book: Parliament Hill Lido
Brockwell Lido
Best for: A bargain and maybe bunch
While Parliament Hill reps the Lido category for North Londoners, Better Leisure’s second addition to the list is a South London icon: Brockwell Lido. It’s also an unheated 50m outdoor pool with plenty of space and sunlounges around the outside. And when it comes to saunas, there are two options. There’s a stand-alone cylindrical outdoor sauna next to the lido which is open only the cooler months (a welcome reward after braving unheated lengths in British winter). And a mixed indoor sauna and jacuzzi that’s open all year round. So any time of year, this hidden gem is has a sauna to offer.
The star of this addition is the café. With seating spilling out into the lido area, it’s got a real breakfast-by-the-pool holiday vibe and a great brunch menu. Who needs Spain when you’ve got Costa-del-Brixton?
Location: Brixton / Herne Hill
Price: £3.30
Where to book: Brockwell Lido
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