The Dress Code in Gellert Spa is essentially requiring covering the essentials with decent swimwear made of swim wear fabric. The dress code relatively recently changed when the thermal baths turned into a mixed spa bath complex on January 01, 2013. Before Jan 2013, men and women had separate thermal pools, so guests were often nude, or just wearing an apron. This is no longer the case as the spa operates with coeducational system.
Swimwear at All Times
Now, as Gellert Spa & Thermal Bath has become a coed bath palace, all guests need to be in some sort of swim wear at all times. No more nudity, no more aprons. Every guest has a swim suit, or a swim trunk, etc. Swim wear is compulsory in the pools, saunas, steam baths, and during massage treatments too.
Swim Caps in the Swimming Pool
Swim caps are obligatory to wear in the swimming pool, but not in the other 9 thermal pools. If you do not have a swim cap, you can buy a swimming cap in the main hall at the spa shop.
Dress Code in Gellert Spa
What is the dress code of Gellert Baths? What should men wear at the baths, and what are women bathers to wear? One of the most frequently asked questions about Gellert Spa & Thermal Baths in Budapest is what to wear. Please read our guide if you are a first time visitor in Gellert Furdo, or if visited the thermal bath a long time ago, before Jan 2013.
Some of the first time visitors have no idea what they should wear, if anything, in the formerly gender separated Gellert Spa. Can you be naked? Should you be nude in the pools of Gellert Baths? Men wonder if they can don a speedo or if they need to wear longer swim trunks? Women want to find out if a bikini is accepted in the baths, or they are to wear a more complete one piece swimming suit?
Please note the the Private Bath in Gellert Spa is exempt from the general Dress Code policy.
Let’s see the dress code of Gellert Baths:
Swim Wear to Cover
As Gellert Spa is now a fully mixed thermal spa baths complex, all bathers are expected to cover the most important gender essentials during the whole visit in the baths (in the public areas). All the ten pools (indoor and outdoor), all the thermal baths, all the steam rooms and saunas, the gym, are completely coed in Gellert Spa & Thermal Baths on every day.
Women’s Swimwear in Gellert Spa
Women guests are kindly asked to wear decent swim wears. The bare minimum is the proper bikini style swim wear, but you can don a sporty tankini, shorts (with a top), or a one piece ladies swimsuit too, if you prefer more coverage, or you are planning to do some laps in the open air swimming pool. Burkini is also allowed and long sleeve / long legged swimwear as long as it is made of quick dry swimming fabric. Normal fabric, like cotton, is not accepted. That means that a T-shirt or other street wear is not accepted.
Men’s Swimwear in Gellert Spa
Men guests are kindly asked to wear decent swim wears. The bare minimum is the speedo style swim wear, but you can choose to wear a sporty pair of swim trunks, or shorts (maximum knee-length) and a top (maximum shoulder-length). If you prefer more coverage, try to get some wet suit or wet suit style T shirts (maximum shoulder-length). It is not unusual to see men with hairy chests and backs in Gellert Spa. It should not be an issue.
Children’s Swimwear in Gellert Spa
Gellert Spa Baths is geared more towards adults and teen children rather than kids under 14 (kids under 14 are not allowed to use the hot spring water pools for potential cardio stress).
In general, teenagers wear the same as adult bathers (the dress code is the same).
Useful Bath Gear in Gellert Spa
Flip Flops / Slippers / Clogs for your Feet
Flip flops are the most ideal type of footwear for treading the wet floors in Gellert Spa. Slippers or flip flops are required to be worn at all times in Gellert Spa.
Put on a sun hat on sunny days
Heatwaves in the summer in Hungary are not rare. June, July and August can be especially hot (over 35 degrees Celsius). Regulars who spend more hours in or around the outdoor pools (in the wave pool, or chatting around in the thermal sitting room, sunbathing on the sun terrace), usually wear a light coloured baseball cap or some kind of sun hat to protect the top of their heads from the strong sun rays. If you have a sensitive skin, and you are planning to stay a full day or half a day in Gellert Spa having a sun hat is a must (unless you alternate your outdoor stay with the indoor funs).
Sun-tan lotion to protect your skin
From June to September the weather can be quite hot and sunny. Please bring your own sun tan lotion to protect your skin from potential sun damage. There are some nice shady areas in the back court of the Gellert Spa Palace, but it is warmly recommended to have a protective layer on your skin.
Related Info about Budapest Thermal Baths:
I am sorry to see that it is no longer possible to enjoy the Gellet baths without swimwear or in an apron.
Hello Bernard, it is true Gellert Spa is now mixed / coed: it was a matter of long debate and discussion, and eventually the management of Gellert Spa and Budapest baths decided to run Gellert Spa as a mixed thermal baths instead of a men only and women only separated bath as in former years. If you wish to enjoy the geothermal waters in Budapest without swimwear, donning an apron, you may wish to consider visiting Rudas Bath, another beautiful bath (owned by the Hungarian state too), a few minutes distance from Gellert Spa. Men only days in Rudas Baths on certain weekdays (weekend is coed in Rudas): http://www.bathsbudapest.com/rudas-bath
please can we have just one evening where it is mixed nude bathing. same as elsewhere in europe. This is necessay for the survival of the human race. thank you.
Hello, in Rudas Baths Budapest there are gender separated weekdays where you can bath in a loin covering (and bottom covering) little apron on women only and men only days. Strictly on UNmixed days, sorry.
Hey! Do you give or rent for customers towels? How much it costs?
Hello Leila, customers can bring their own towels to Gellert Spa Bath, or you can also use the towel rental service in the baths. The current price (2013) is
HUF 700 / towel rental fee
HUF 4000 / towel rental deposit (refunded after the towel is brought back).
There is also a boutique in the main hall of Gellert Spa where you can buy your towel (price is about HUF 4000)
Payment at the rental station is in HUF short for Hungarian Forint, in cash only. The rental station is inside the pool areas, so you can rent a towel once you are already changed into swim wear. Please bring enough Forint with your for renting the towel in the bath.
For groups we can arrange a towel rental in advance.
Do you sell swim wear? At what cost? Thanka
Hello, swimwear is sold in Gellert Spa by a private seller – the prices widely range depending on what kind of swimwear you wish to buy in the bath, from approx HUF 5,000 to 15,000.
There are many shopping malls in Budapest with boutiques and sports shops, e.g. Mammut shopping mall in Buda, or some shops in Vaci Street in Pest side where you can also buy swimwear
What a sad decision they took to oblige people to wear a swimsuit! This is totally againt the century long tradition of going nude in thermal baths. I never want to go there,this is upmost stupid. By the way, who ever takes a shower in a swimsuit?
You are not showering, you are in a pool with OTHER people!!! Why do you want ro be nude with other guys anyway?
Hello! I would like to ask if there is still possibility to rent a towel in the spa and if yes, what is the cost. Thank you for your reply.
Dear Veronika,
There are two types of towels in Gellert Spa that you can rent.
Simple Bath Sheet: HUF 500 (deposit HUF 1,000) – It is a big, thinner sheet to e.g. cover your sun lounger.
Towel: HUF 1,000 (deposit HUF 2,000) – It is slightly smaller, but thicker and fluffier than the bath sheet.
You will get back the full amount of the deposit when you return the rented towels, before leaving the Spa.
Payment options: cash or credit card.