A jjimjilbang (찜질방) is one of the most Korean places you can spend an evening: a 24-hour bathhouse and sauna where families, students and office workers soak, sweat, nap on heated floors and eat. It has also become one of Seoul’s favorite date spots: today’s big spa-style jjimjilbangs have infinity pools, media-art rooms and cafés, and couples go in matching uniforms for an easy, cozy day out. And the eating is still half the point. Ask any Korean what they remember about the jjimjilbang and the answer is the same: sikhye and baked eggs.
Quick answer: For the modern experience, go to a new spa-style jjimjilbang like Aquafield at Starfield Hanam (₩26,000) or Spalex Dongmyo in central Seoul (from ₩14,000). Classic neighborhood jjimjilbangs cost about ₩10,000–20,000, often with a small extra charge to stay overnight. Baths are gender-separated and nude; the sauna rooms and rest areas are shared, and everyone wears the provided T-shirt and shorts. The must-order snack is sikhye (sweet rice drink) with maekbanseok eggs (eggs baked in the sauna), around ₩2,000–3,000 each.
Today’s Jjimjilbang: The New Spa-Style Places
Forget the image of a dim, old bathhouse. Over the last few years Korea has built huge, design-led “jjimjil spas” that feel closer to a resort: rooftop or infinity pools, themed heat rooms, media-art installations, quiet sleep rooms, cafés and proper restaurants. They are where young Koreans now take a date on a cold weekend, take photos in matching uniforms and sheep-head towels, and spend a whole afternoon.
Aquafield, Starfield Hanam (and Goyang, Anseong)
The best-known example. Aquafield sits inside the Starfield Hanam mall east of Seoul and combines a jjimjil spa with an indoor-outdoor water park. Its spa has eight themed rooms, including a media-art room with 360-degree projections and a misty “cloud room,” and the water park has an infinity pool with open views. The jjimjil spa costs ₩26,000 for adults (6 hours, 09:00–22:00), the water park ₩48,000, and a multi-pass for both ₩58,000; staying longer costs ₩5,000 per extra hour. There are also Aquafield branches at Starfield Goyang and Anseong.
View this post on Instagram
Inside Aquafield today: a short tour from the official account, @aquafield.official (embedded from Instagram; the caption is in Korean).
Spalex Dongmyo, central Seoul
Opened in July 2024 on the 12th and 13th floors of a building in Jongno, with city views from the heat rooms, plus red clay, salt, ice and cypress-forest rooms. Open 24 hours, every day. Adults pay ₩14,000 if you enter between 5 a.m. and 8 p.m., or ₩16,000 between 8 p.m. and 5 a.m.; children are ₩10,000. Bring a physical ID. (On its own signs and Instagram the place spells its name Sparex.)
View this post on Instagram
The baths at Sparex Dongmyo, from the official account @sparex_sauna_dm (embedded from Instagram).
Club K Seoul, Seolleung (Gangnam)
A 24-hour “club and sauna” concept with a separate lounge zone, book café, private sleep rooms and even a jazz lounge. Around ₩17,000 on weekdays and ₩19,000 on weekends.
Park Habio Water Kingdom, Songpa
A year-round indoor water park with a jjimjil spa attached, near Garak Market. The jjimjil spa costs about ₩18,000 for adults on weekdays; it is not 24 hours and is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, so check before you go.
Date tip: check online ticket sellers like Klook and KKday, which also sell Aquafield tickets, before paying at the door, go on a weekday afternoon to avoid crowds, and bring a phone pouch for photos in the shared areas.
How a Jjimjilbang Works
- Pay at the counter. You get a locker key on a wristband (it also tracks anything you buy inside), a T-shirt and shorts, and small towels.
- Shoes off first. Shoe lockers are at the entrance; clothes lockers are in the changing room.
- Baths (gender-separated, nude). Shower thoroughly before getting into any pool. Swimsuits are not worn, and phones and cameras are not allowed in this area.
- Sauna and rest areas (shared). Put on the uniform and head to the heated rooms: hot kiln rooms (불가마, bulgama), salt rooms, jade rooms and the “ice room” to cool down.
- Pay on the way out. Tap your wristband for anything you ordered inside, then settle up at the counter.
What to Eat at the Jjimjilbang
View this post on Instagram
A modern jjimjilbang snack shop at Sparex Dongmyo, with drinks, ice cream and snacks, from the official account @sparex_sauna_dm (embedded from Instagram).
Sikhye (식혜) and baked eggs: the classic pair
View this post on Instagram
Roasted eggs, sikhye and a sheep-head towel: a night at a jjimjilbang, by @aartisakpal19 (embedded from Instagram).
Sikhye is a cold, sweet rice drink with a few grains of rice floating at the top, and after a hot sauna it is perfect. It comes with maekbanseok gyeran (맥반석 계란): eggs slowly baked on hot stones until the shells turn brown and the whites go firm and slightly chewy. Expect to pay around ₩3,000 for sikhye and ₩2,000 for a couple of eggs.
Here is the insider part: in countless Korean dramas and variety shows, characters crack baked eggs on each other’s foreheads at the jjimjilbang. It is a running joke, and Koreans of every age recognize it instantly. Try it gently, and only on a friend who is in on the joke.
The rest of the menu
- Ramyeon, cooked to order, around ₩5,000. Eating ramyeon in uniform on a heated floor is a peak Korean experience.
- Patbingsu, shaved ice with sweet red beans, around ₩7,000.
- Proper meals at the in-house restaurant (naengmyeon, bibimbap, stews), usually ₩10,000–15,000.
View this post on Instagram
Sundubu jjigae (soft tofu stew) with rice and side dishes, served 24 hours at Sparex Dongmyo, from @sparex_sauna_dm (embedded from Instagram).
The Sheep-Head Towel
You will see people with their small towel rolled into two “ears” on top of their head. This is the yangmeori (양머리), the “sheep head,” made famous by Korean dramas and variety shows. It keeps your hair dry in the sauna, and it is mandatory for photos (outside the bath area only).
Old-School Jjimjilbangs (and What Has Closed)
- Forest Oriental Medicine Land (숲속한방랜드), Seodaemun: the best old-school pick, with traditional charcoal kilns at the foot of Ansan Mountain. About ₩16,000 for adults for the kiln, open 06:30–22:00 (not 24 hours).
- Spa Lei (스파레이), Sinsa: women only, 24 hours, about ₩20,000, popular with visitors.
- Spalex Goodmorning City (스파렉스), Dongdaemun: a hanok-style jjimjilbang with a traditional kiln sauna, a 24-hour food court and luggage storage, handy for late arrivals.
- Spa Land, Busan: inside Shinsegae Centum City, the famous large-scale option if you are in Busan; see our Busan food guide.
Watch out for old guides: Dragon Hill Spa in Yongsan, once the most famous foreigner-friendly jjimjilbang, has not reopened since the pandemic, and Itaewon Land was demolished in 2019. Many English guides still list both. Always check current hours on Naver Map before you go.
Practical Tips
- Tattoos: rules vary. Newer places are more relaxed; some older ones still refuse visible tattoos, so ask first.
- A body scrub (세신, sesin) by a staff scrubber usually costs about ₩20,000–50,000. You will leave pink and noticeably smoother.
- Staying overnight is common and cheap, but it is a shared floor, not a hotel. Keep valuables in your locker.
- Keep it quiet in rest areas, especially at night.
Order like a local
식혜 하나랑 계란 두 개 주세요.
Sikhye hana-rang gyeran du gae juseyo.
“One sikhye and two eggs, please.”
세신 예약할 수 있어요?
Sesin yeyakhal su isseoyo?
“Can I book a body scrub?”
FAQ
How much is a jjimjilbang in Seoul?
Usually about ₩10,000–20,000 for entry, with a small extra charge at many places if you stay overnight. Scrubs, food and massage chairs cost extra.
What do you eat at a jjimjilbang?
Sikhye (sweet rice drink) and maekbanseok eggs baked in the sauna are the classic pair. Ramyeon, patbingsu and simple Korean meals are also sold.
Do you have to be naked at a jjimjilbang?
Only in the gender-separated bath area. In the shared sauna and rest areas, everyone wears the T-shirt and shorts provided.
Is Dragon Hill Spa still open?
As of 2024 reports, Dragon Hill Spa in Yongsan had not reopened since closing during the pandemic. Check Naver Map for the latest before planning around it.
What is the best jjimjilbang for a date in Seoul?
Aquafield at Starfield Hanam is the classic date pick, with themed spa rooms and an infinity pool. In central Seoul, Spalex Dongmyo has city views and is open 24 hours.
