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From hot and cold baths to full-body massages.
There are bathhouses in Korea that are higher-end as well as those that are more tourist-focused.
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Lets dive right in (pun intended)!
Keep scrolling to find out how to navigate a Korean bathhouse.
Getting In
Its all very unceremonious.
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You pay a small entrance fee of anywhere between $2-$10.
You also take your shoes off by the entrance and put them in the shoe rack by the door.
You trade in your shoes for indoor slipperssome are rubbery and foamy, and some are flat cotton slippers.
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As soon as you walk in, be prepared to see a lot of nudity everywhere.
No one is going to lead you to a locker.
You walk in and find an empty one with a key hanging off it.
The towels are usually small, thoughlike a large-ish face toweland will probably only cover up your torso.
Local bathhouses dont come with a ton of bells and whistles.
Theyre neat, practical, and comfortable.
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Then theres another section, a slightly larger one, of sit-down showers that run next to each other.
These stools are really low, about a foot-and-a-half high.
The sit-down section gets pretty communal.
Gentle is usually the better way to go here.
Its not uncommon for people to come together and chat while showering and take turns scrubbing each others backs.
(In reality, Im sure its actually due to sweat, not exfoliated skin).
Most people bring their own bathing supplies.
In the middle of the room, there are two bathtubs that can fit about 20 people easily.
One is filled with extremely hot water, and the other is filled with ice-cold water.
The hot tub can also be used as a half-bath to help with circulation.
Youll work up a sweat, and Korean tradition says it helps with circulation.
I love doing this, and I often tend to sit like this for about 15 minutes.
Its my bathhouse peacetime, and many of my meditative moments have happened here.
Theres also a regular warm-water tub to bathe in located in the far corner.
Along one wall, there is also a wet sauna room.
(you’re able to find the dry sauna room outside the main bathing area).
Across the opposite wall is a small, low glass partition.
Behind the partition are five beds covered in a rubbery material.
My bathhouse heroes are the five women manning the beds.
They also finish up with an invigorating scalp massage as they wash your hair.
Before heading into the bathing area, I always double-check to use the bathroom.
I mean, who wants to be interrupted during the whole bathing ritual?
After this, I head in and shower, usually using the sit-down showers.
Next, I do my half-bath in the hot tub.
After this, I head into the wet sauna armed with my other towel soaked completely in ice-cold water.
Im usually gasping for air and struggling to stay in the hot, wet room.
Thanks to my moms storytelling, I make it to the 10-minute mark and quickly exit the room.
I make it to the rubber bed, and I always ask for a softer scrub-down.
I wouldnt call this massage relaxing (since its a bit vigorous), but its really rejuvenating.
She washes off the milk and also washes my hair.
I love this part because the scalp massage is one of the best massages Ive ever had to date.
I still haven’t found a better place for head massages than my local bathhouse.
The Results
After this, I walk back out to the non-bathing area onto dry land again.
I go to my locker and get out my skincare products.
I skip blow-drying my hair, but dryers are available for those who might need them.
I sprawl on the floor as I wait for my mom to finish up, sometimes falling asleep.
(Shes still going at it at the vanity table, at this point).
Once shes done, I get dressed and were all done.
The whole experience takes about two hours, but its always two hours well-spent.
