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 have to wear a hernia support and prefer to do so with an undershirt. Is this permissible?
Dear Tony,
unfortunately, only swimming shirts are accepted (surfing tops etc).
Hope we can welcome you at Gellert Spa!
No Burkinis, well you’ve lost my business and any potential recommendations, wake up guys and stop being discriminatory as a quarter of the world are now Muslim and need to dress modestly, never heard of this nonsense in any other part of the world!
Dear Riyaz,
thank you for your invaluable feedback. We have forwarded it to the management of Gellert Spa.
Stay at home where you feel comfortable!
Different businesses have different policies. They probably has a valid reason. Even if there is no valid reason and it is a discriminatory policy, it’s OK, right? There are other options out there. But then again if it is based on discrimination. But most likely it is not. Can we not all give each other the benefit of the doubt, and some respect? And as a Muslim, I myself argue about the definition of modesty. It seems to me that the definition can vary, and we should try to respect each others views.
I see the dress code restricting full coverage swim suits. This would really restrict us from enjoying the thermal bath. I would like to request the management to be considerate and allow the burquinis like majority of the world. I am from US and I have never had a problem wearing Burquini in a pool or water park ever!!
Dear Ramia,
thank you for your suggestion.
We have forwarded your feedback to the management. Unfortunately, the actual policy does not allow burkinis.
Thank you for your kind understanding.
Stay in your beloved US!
Spread love, not hate. Try that, you will feel good even though no one can see you.
The example for not allowed suit for women is so extreme I guess. I’m not sure if I am allowed to or not.
My bottom is high rise bikini panties and my top is long sleeved. But still you can see my skin between my bikini panties and my top. So is long sleeved crop tops allowed or not? Just it’s bikinis but it got arms.
Hello Melpo,
if it is a regular swimwear material it is ok.
Hope we can welcome you at Szechenyi Spa Baths!
I’m so glad that there are no burkhini at your baths. I am sick and tired of having to make everyone else feel okay, I don’t feel okay seeing these women wondering around a bathing area in such long clothing, it makes me very uncomfortable, so for those who complain, it’s not all about YOU! It’s about everyone and you should fit into the country you are visiting, give it a go, or choose to go to a bath that does allow it, while everyone else can go freely to the one’s we enjoy without feeling everyone always has to be accommodated. How about you accommodate the region you are visiting and adapt to local customs? Thankyou for providing a safe and comfortable environment that fits with your own cultural expectations in your own country.
Lol wow. You are in serious need of education as you wxide ignorance. Burkinis is a label that has been made and is not fair on women who would like to cover up their stretch marks for instance but still experience the world the same way you can! How and why would it make you feel uncomfortable? Your atittude stinks, and it is appauling that this spa does not allow women the freedom to dress however they want
Excellent reply SAM
Thank you from all of us who have to be covered up
There are some very racist narrow minded individuals on this earth who need to be educated in democracy
Dear Guests,
although all your opinions are welcome on this platform, please kindly note that this is no place for arguments or judging each other thinking or beliefs. Hereby we would like to close this comment thread from further commenting. All further comments will be removed. Thank you for your understanding.
It is the Spa management’s right to create their own dress code policy. Thank you for accepting this.
Hello,
Thank you for this information, but I have a question : does this “new” Dress Code policy is also applied to your solarium area ? I read that you have had a naturist-friendly solarium where one could sunbathe without swimsuit. Is it still the case today, or is it not possible anymore ? Thanks
Dear Yohan,
there is a naturist sunbathing area (terrace) in Gellert Spa, but I’m afraid it’s not a solarium.
Thank you for your quick answer! Pardon my english, I simply meant “sunbathing area”, sorry. Thank you.
Dear Yohan,
no problem at all.
The naturist sunbathing area is available for HUF 1,800 per person per day.