Jjimjilbang Guide for First-Timers (2026): What Happens in a Korean Spa, Etiquette, Prices and Sleeping Overnight

A jjimjilbang is a Korean bathhouse and sauna that is also a place to hang out. You soak in hot pools, sweat in a kiln-like sauna, get scrubbed until your skin peels, then put on a matching T-shirt and shorts and lie on the heated floor with a cold drink and baked eggs, among families, couples, students and grandparents. Many are open 24 hours, and some travellers use them as a cheap place to sleep.

For visitors the first time can feel awkward, mostly because of the nudity in the baths and not knowing the order of things. This guide walks you through a visit step by step, explains the etiquette, and gives realistic prices for 2026.

Short version
• Two zones: bath areas (separate for men and women, fully nude) and a shared sauna area (everyone in the provided clothes)
• Shower thoroughly before getting into any pool
• Entry usually includes towels and a uniform; scrubs and massages cost extra
• Many are open 24 hours; staying the night often costs a small surcharge

How a visit works, step by step

1. Pay at the counter. Prices are often listed separately for the bath only (목욕) and the bath plus sauna area (찜질). You receive a locker key on a wristband, towels and a set of clothes. In many places the wristband also records anything you buy inside, and you pay when you leave.
2. Shoe lockers come first, right by the entrance. Take your shoes off there.
3. Go to the changing room for your gender and put your things in your locker.
4. Bath area (nude). Undress completely, shower and wash with soap at the seated shower stations, then use the pools: hot, warm and cold, often with a steam room and dry sauna. Swimsuits are not worn here.
5. Get dressed in the uniform and go to the shared jjimjil area, where men and women mix. This is where the themed sauna rooms, the heated floors, the snack bar and the sleeping areas are.
6. Leave: shower again if you like, change, return the towels and uniform, and pay for extras at the counter with your wristband.

A price board at a neighbourhood jjimjilbang (2020): bath only (목욕) or bath plus sauna (찜질), adult (대인) and child (소인), with extra charges for clothes and towels. Prices have risen since. Photo: Choikwangmo9, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

The sauna rooms

The shared area usually has several rooms at different temperatures. You lie or sit on mats; bring a towel to put under your head.

• Bulgama (kiln room): the hottest, often a dome-shaped room built like a traditional charcoal kiln. A few minutes is enough.
• Salt, jade, clay or charcoal rooms: medium-hot rooms that each claim different benefits.
• Ice room: a cold room to cool down between hot rooms.
• Heated floors in the main hall, where people nap, read and watch TV.

The shared sauna area, with a domed kiln room (bulgama) on the right. Photo: Choikwangmo9, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

The classic jjimjilbang snacks

• Maekbanseok gyeran: eggs baked slowly in the sauna until the whites turn brown and chewy. Crack it on your forehead, as everyone does in Korean dramas.
• Sikhye: sweet, cold rice punch, the standard drink after the heat.
• Ramyeon, naengmyeon and bibimbap from the snack bar.
• The sheep-head towel (yangmeori): roll a small towel into a hat with two “ears”. Useful for keeping hair off your face, and a must for the photo.

Etiquette that matters

• Wash thoroughly before any pool, including your hair. This is the most important rule, and people do notice.
• No swimsuits in the bath area, and no towels in the water. Long hair should be tied up.
• Nobody is looking. Nudity in the gender-separated bath is completely normal in Korea, including among friends and families. Act naturally and it stops feeling strange after a few minutes.
• No phones or cameras in the changing rooms or bath areas. Ever.
• Tattoos: Korean bathhouses are generally more relaxed about tattoos than Japanese onsen, but a few places still discourage large ones. If you are worried, ask at the counter or cover them with a plaster.
• Keep the shared area quiet, especially in sleeping rooms at night.

Scrubs and massages: the seshin

The full Korean experience includes a seshin, a vigorous body scrub with rough towels known as “Italy towels”, done by a staff member in the bath area. You lie on a table and they scrub every bit of dead skin off. It is surprisingly intense and leaves your skin very smooth. Prices start at around ₩20,000–₩30,000 and go up for packages with massage or oil; the menu is posted in the bath area. Soak in the hot pool for 15–20 minutes first, so the skin is soft.

Prices in 2026

Entry costs vary by city, size and time of day. Small neighbourhood places are the cheapest; large modern spa complexes with pools, cafes and themed rooms can cost several times more. As a rough guide in 2026:

• Bath only at a neighbourhood bathhouse: roughly ₩9,000–₩12,000.
• Bath plus jjimjil area: roughly ₩12,000–₩20,000; big spa complexes more.
• Night stay: many places add a night surcharge after a certain hour (often a few thousand won).
• Extras: scrub, massage, food and drinks are paid separately.

Can you sleep in a jjimjilbang?

Yes. Many jjimjilbang are open 24 hours, and you can sleep on mats in the shared hall or in separate sleeping rooms (sometimes divided by gender). It is a cheap option for an early flight, a late arrival or a night in an expensive area. Be realistic, though: it is a mat on a heated floor with lights and other people around, lockers are small, and some places limit overnight stays or ask for ID. Keep valuables in your locker and bring earplugs.

Inside a neighbourhood jjimjilbang: massage chairs, rest areas and murals. Photo: Choikwangmo9, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Where to try one

Every neighbourhood in Korea has a bathhouse; the ones that say 찜질방 on the sign have the sauna area. In Seoul, large 24-hour places near major stations are used to foreign visitors. In Busan, the big spa complexes are some of the most famous in the country, and a spa evening fits nicely after a day at Haeundae. Search “찜질방” in Naver Map to see the closest ones with reviews and photos; our Naver Map guide explains how.

What to bring

• Nothing essential: towels, uniform, soap and usually shampoo are provided.
• Your own toiletries, hair ties and skincare if you have favourites (or buy at Olive Young; see our Olive Young guide).
• Cash or a card for extras, and a T-money card works at some snack bars.

Summary

Pay at the counter, leave your shoes, undress in the changing room, shower properly, soak, then put on the uniform and move between the hot rooms and the heated floor with a sikhye and a baked egg. Try a seshin scrub at least once. It is one of the most local, relaxing and inexpensive experiences in Korea, especially on a cold November evening.

Prices are rough 2026 ranges based on recent listings and vary widely by venue; check the board at the counter. Overnight rules differ by venue.