A Guide to Korean Jjimjilbangs for Foreigners | Bathhouses in Korea

Last Updated on August 3, 2023 by Christine Kaaloa

찜질방  A guide to Korean Jjimjilbangs | Korean Bath house & Sauna

 

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While living in Korea, I fell in love with Korean jjimjilbangs (aka bathhouses in Korea)! So I put together a guide to Korean jjimjilbangs for foreigners.  The reason is that Koreans know how to make the spa experience naturally healthy, economical, community-oriented and just plain fun.  It’s not just taking a bath… it’s a bucket list experience!
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Guide to Korean Jjimjilbangs  for Foreigners 찜질방
Bathhouses in Korea

Jjimjilbangs are 24 hour bathhouses in Korea, that also have spa facilities that can make the bath house experience feel like Disneyland.  As the operating hours are 24 hours, you can also sleep in them.

1. Pay the admission fee

These Korean bathhouses charge a rate for day and evening. The evening is at least 2,000 won higher than the day rate and starts anywhere from 6p-8p, depending on spa.  With your admission fee, you get a smock, two towels, a shoe locker key and you can stay up to 24 hours; anytime longer is charged a next day fee.  There is no leaving and returning; once you leave, you will need to pay another day rate in order to return to the spa.

 

2. Get a smock and towels

You’ll get these items upon paying admission at a Korean bathhouse.  Men and women have different colored smocks.  Sometimes you get your smock/towels at the toiletries counter after entering the  bathhouse locker area.

 

3. Get your shoe locker key

The shoe lockers are to store your shoes. Each key has an assigned locker.  After securing your footwear in the locker, go into the bathhouse.

4.  The toiletries counter/shop

Give your key to the Korean bathhouse attendant at the toiletries counter.  She’ll exchange it for a locker key, which you will keep with you at all times as it will also act as a surrogate charge card in the case you want to buy anything in the jjimjilbang but didn’t bring money.   In some Korean jjimjilbangs, you’ll get your smock/towel here.

 

In the case you forgot to bring a scrubber or soap, never fear.  The toiletries shop sells toiletries, everything from scrubbing mits to facial masks.  In some cases, they also sell drinks, light snacks and hard-boiled eggs!
Read 42 Things to Know about Korea

5. Your locker

Each person gets their own locker unit.  The locker is about the size as a high school locker and fits a small duffle bag.  It has a hook and mirror.  The locker key has a spring wristlet so you can wear it either around your wrist or ankle.   If you’re going to the Korean spa/bathhouse, you disrobe and leave your clothes and smock in the locker.

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Locker areas: Dragon HIll Spa
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Entering the Bathhouse… Naked

 

General rule of thumb of bathhouses in Korea : you enter naked.

You’ll see showers, scrubbing stations and mineral bathing pools in these Korean jjimjilbangs. Some Korean spas even have outdoor mineral pools (yes, you will be naked there too)

But it’s not like this is Germany!  These Korean spas are not co-ed.  Only the rest of the facilities are! This means you’re generally naked among your own sex. As nude as you are, it’s very  non-sexual. Asians tend to have strong ties with family, so you’ll often see mothers scrubbing their children or grandmothers, scrubbing or being scrubbed by daughters.

Take a drying towel and your Korean jjimjilbang toiletries with you and place them on the scrubbing station walls or cubby holes (if there are any).

The Korean Bathhouse Ritual

1. Do a light pre-shower with a soap and scrubber.

2. Visit the bathing pools and sample the different herbal waters (or Infrared light stations), which have health benefits.

3. Ready for a scrub?  Get your toiletries and take them to the scrubbing station, where you’ll see others sitting and scrubbing themselves down.  Koreans take scrub baths seriously and after your soaking, your dead skin will be ready for husking.  Don’t feel like a scrub, take a shower instead.

Many spas have an area with an ajumma, dressed in black lace underwear, who will scrub you down.   They look a little S&M but the service is pure innocence. You will lie on a table and she will pummel massage you and scrub you down, removing dead skin in chunks like in a Moroccan spa. This is an extra charge, usually starting from around 20,000 won.

4. Dry off with you towel and go to your locker to change into your smock.

Exploring the Korean Jjimjilbang facilities

You’ll find various types of saunas and facilities.  Some have DVD rooms for entertainment, PC bangs, game rooms, gyms,  restaurants, Korean beauty salons, even golf courses.  Some spas offer beauty packages, ripe with massages, facial treatments and other fun yah-yahs (read about Dragon Hill Spa in Seoul).

I love the saunas- each jjimjilbang has their own specialties.   Watch my video to see some of the options.

Salt room at Silloam Sauna
Salt room at Silloam Sauna
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Ice Room

 

There will also be a snack center where you can buy drinks and even snacks like patbingsu (depends on season), etc…  A popular drink is something that looks like a cross between an iced coffee and/or herbal tea. Koreans love to drink them at jjimjilbangs as much as they hard-boiled eggs.  I think this has to do with replenishing your body after the soaks and saunas.

Gym in a jjimjilbang at Dragon Hill Spa
Gym in a jjimjilbang at Dragon Hill Spa

Where are the beds in bathhouses in Korea?

Some spas have separate sleeping spaces for men and women.  But there is always a co-ed option too.  Basically, any floor or reclining chair real estate is open for sleeping.  On a particularly crowded night (usually weekends), it’s not uncommon to sleep right next to another person (I’d just watch out on the flailing arms). Some Koreans fall asleep in the saunas.

At my favorite jjimjilbang in Seoul, I like sleeping in both, the charcoal room and the bunk bed room.

In Korea and especially in the spas, a wooden block is your pillow and a mat or towel like blanket on the floor is your bed.  Korean floors (aka ondols) are often heated.

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Puksuwon Jjimjilbang

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Korean bathhouse FAQ

Do they store  luggage for you?

Yes and no.  Depends on the jjimjilbang. Jjimjilbangs are 24 hour spas, not hotels.  Some spas may accommodate you by putting it behind their desk. Others, if close to a transportation hub, might have a storage area, but don’t expect it to be in a secure room.  Koreans however, aren’t known to be big on theft, especially in public areas.

Is there WiFi or charging outlets?

Depends on the facilities.  At the very least, they’ll have a PC bang where you can use the internet via coin-operated computers.  Some places might have many outlets for guests to charge; others might have a limited few.  It’s best to bring a backup external charger to be safe.

What if I forgot to bring soap?

You’ll find the toiletries store in your locker room, fully equipped to sell all the common toiletries. Prices are standard to dollar stores (and Korea has dollar stores!).

How do I buy things inside the spa?

The locker key that you’ll keep around your wrist has a computer chip in it that will act as a surrogate charge card.  You’ll tap it on the electronic pad near the register when you buy something and when you leave and return the key, the front desk will total your expenses.

How much is admission?

Each spa charges different rates but they tend to rate around 6,000 won to 12,000 won. In the evenings, the rates raise to the higher end of that spectrum.  After 24 hours, if you’re still in the spa, you’ll need to pay the next day rate too.

Will people stare at me if I’m foreign?

If you’re foreign, you’ll probably attract attention, naked or clothed. Korea, for a long time, was a homogenous country. While there’s been more exposure to foreigners, it’s still largely homogenous.  Things like tattoos and Brazillian waxes may turn heads as Korea is a conservative culture also and there is some stigma associated with these things. It doesn’t stop expats from frequenting these spas.

Overall,  Koreans tend to be more fascinated with foreigners than look upon them with negative feelings.

Read about Bathhouses in Korea & love motel experiences .

Top Jjimjilbangs in Seoul to give it a try

  1. Dragon Hill Spa (website) is one of the most popular jjimjilbangs in Seoul, offering a wide range of saunas, hot tubs, and relaxation areas. Its facilities are well-maintained and hygienic, and visitors love the variety of amenities, including a movie theater, arcade, and rooftop garden.
  2. Siloam Sauna (Jung-gu, Seoul) (website) is famous for its traditional Korean bathhouse experience, featuring different themed saunas and pools. It’s known for its herapeutic hot baths.
  3. Spa Lei (Mapo-gu, Seoul)  Spa Lei is renowned for being a women-only bathhouse. Located in Gangnam. It offers an infra red sauna, saunas, and DVD room and offers a top experience in Seoul.

Looking for the best spa hotels in Seoul, then check this list.

 

Travel Resources for your Korea trip

Booking.com – Hotel bookings. No cancellation fees
Safety Wing – affordable travel insurance with COVID coverage
Get your Guide – book tours in Korea
Korea SIMs – for prepaid travel SIM Cards
Korea Rail Pass – for getting around Korea

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