[2024 Popular Korean Sauna Rooms] 8 Recommended Korean Sauna Rooms | Introduction to Sauna Culture, Facilities, and Process

Korean jimjilbangs on TV are often places where friends chat and get closer. Of course, when you go to Korea, you have to experience this special culture. We've put together a guide to jimjilbang etiquette, facilities, and 8 popular ones to give you a great first experience!

Korean saunas, known as "hanjeungmak", are places where people go to relieve stress and relax. They typically have rooms with varying temperatures and humidity levels, allowing individuals to gradually experience different intensities of sweating. The process of profuse sweating also helps eliminate toxins from the body, improve blood circulation, and even promote skin health and beauty!

Upon entering, please remove your shoes and place them in the shoe cabinet at the entrance. Receive your sweat sauna clothing, towel, and locker key wristband. Enter the bathhouse according to gender, with separate areas for men and women. Before entering the steam room, please wash thoroughly in the bathhouse. The steam room is typically nude, but you must wear a towel. Take another shower in the bathhouse before leaving. Each sweat sauna has different pricing methods. Usually, when you pay at the service counter, you can receive sweat sauna clothing, towels, and other supplies. You can also purchase other toiletries at an additional cost. Some stores will give you a device similar to a contactless sensor. During the experience, you can use the sensor to pay. At the end, they will tally up the amount you need to pay, so you don't have to carry cash with you, which is very convenient.

Before entering the sauna room, besides taking a shower and changing clothes, it is recommended that you cover your hair to avoid damage from high temperatures. Then you can enter the sauna room, sit quietly or lie down, relax your mind and body, allowing your body to sweat slowly and detoxify. It is recommended to leave after about 10 to 15 minutes and go to the rest area to replenish water.

Whether it's a traditional or newly built sauna, it usually has a shower area, sauna room, and resting area. Larger ones may also have bathing pools, massage areas, and beauty services. It is recommended to try "scrubbing," which requires entering completely naked. A staff member will use a coarser cloth to vigorously scrub your whole body. At first, you might feel a bit pain, but after getting used to it, it will feel very comfortable. After finishing, you'll noticeably feel your skin become very smooth because all the dead skin cells have been cleaned off. It's good for your skin and a unique experience!

Focusing on multi-sensory sauna experiences, there are many branches in the Seoul metropolitan area. The branch that opened in 2018 at StarField Shopping Center, in particular, centers around the design concept of "rest and healing." The overall environment is luxurious and unique, featuring saunas of various temperatures and themed steam rooms such as earthenware, salt brick, and cloud-themed. There's also an outdoor foot bath with scenic views.

This establishment is relatively small in size, but its location near Guangzang Market makes it very convenient to arrange your itinerary. You can purchase experience packages in advance, such as the basic course which includes 3 types of saunas, 3 types of baths, exfoliation, and massage, among others. Many people recommend their professional massages.

Friends who have been to "Single's Inferno" will definitely be familiar with PARADISE CITY Resort. Combining spa and sauna, it is designed as a romantic and fashionable art relaxation space. The lighting is bright and the environment is clean, so you can experience it with peace of mind. The ticket price is not expensive either. However, the sauna and SPA area tickets need to be purchased separately. But most people's reviews say that the overall experience is too comfortable and diverse, 6 hours is not enough!

If you're looking for a female-only sauna experience, I recommend Mingdong Hua MUD. They offer saunas, hot springs, full-body aromatherapy lymphatic massage, exfoliation, and mud spa treatments. The value is high, and it can relieve fatigue. You can purchase packages based on the services you want to experience, or add-on extras like massages and face masks.

SPAREX, which has branches in Dongdaemun, is a 24-hour sweat sauna that's actually quite suitable for overnight rest. The interior design is closer to what people generally imagine as a traditional Korean sweat sauna, with facilities like steam rooms, ice rooms, massage chairs, and resting areas. Prices are much cheaper and more reminiscent of the scenes in Korean dramas.

This is a very well-known sauna, located in the center of Seoul. Its biggest feature is the charcoal stove sauna, which retains the traditional experience of using wood to start a fire in the steam room, something other saunas don't have. There are also many other facilities here, such as BBQ, massage chairs, and a Korean restaurant.

Located directly at Incheon Airport, it's suitable for a stay on your first or last day of travel. You can purchase based on the number of hours you want to stay. There are areas for washing up, bathing, using an oven, resting, and dining. Although it's not as luxurious or spacious as previous locations, it's simple and comfortable. Consider it if you want to save on accommodation costs.

That's the introduction and recommendation of Korean hanjeungmak. As long as you understand the process and facilities, you can experience this very unique activity with confidence~There is also other information about Korean travel here: