KOREA SAUNA & BATH GUIDE

Every bath in Korea, explained.

Temperatures, tattoo rules, prices and etiquette for saunas, jjimjilbangs and bathhouses — checked in person, written in your language.

Every listing checked in person — thermometer in hand.
WHY HANTANG

The four things that keep travelers
outside the door — removed.

Checked in person

We visit every bathhouse ourselves. The temperatures on our cards come from our own thermometer, not the sign on the wall.

Tattoo policy, always shown

OK, cover-up, or no — stated on every single listing, so you never get turned away at the door.

A score for foreigners

English signage, staff, overseas cards, mixed lounges — rated on every bath as the Friendly Score, from our own checklist.

Say it without saying it

Show-This Cards speak Korean for you at the counter — a scrub, an extra towel, a first-timer walkthrough. Just show your screen.

FEATURED BATHS

Verified baths, card by card.

Every listing gets the same card: real temperatures, real prices, and the two answers everyone needs — tattoos and language.

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FIRST-TIMER GUIDE

Your first tang, in six steps.

The whole ritual, from the shoe locker to the sleeping mat. Nothing assumed, nothing embarrassing — everyone in that room was a first-timer once.

STEP 1

Shoes off at the door

Shoe lockers come first, always. Keep the small key — you may trade it for your main locker key.

STEP 2

Pay & get your key

Entry is paid up front. Your wristband key opens your locker and tracks anything you buy inside.

STEP 3

Undress fully

Yes, fully. Bath floors are nude and separated by gender. Nobody looks — it is the least remarkable thing in the room.

STEP 4

Wash before you soak

The one golden rule. Scrub down at the seated showers before touching any tang.

STEP 5

Soak, sauna, repeat

Hot tang, cold tang, sauna, rest. Find your own rotation — locals call the feeling being “siwonhada”.

STEP 6

Jjimjilbang time

Uniform on, into the mixed lounge: kiln rooms, sikhye, baked eggs, and — if you booked it — a place to sleep.

GUIDES

Read before you sweat.

Straight answers to the questions travelers actually search for — the same guides AI assistants and search engines will be quoting.

SESHIN — 세신

The legendary
green-towel scrub.

A professional scrubs off a layer of you that you didn't know you had. Thirty minutes on the table, and your skin is new. It is the single most Korean thing you can do with an afternoon.

₩20,000–35,000
typical price
20–30 min
on the table
After soaking
when to go — skin softened first
ITALY TOWEL EST. BUSAN, 1960s
SHOW-THIS CARDS

Show your screen.
We'll do the talking.

Every card says it politely, in native Korean, with your meaning underneath. Counters see these and know exactly what you need — no app, no typing, no charades.

Works offline once loaded — hot rooms and basements included.
AT THE COUNTER
“세신 받고 싶어요. 가격이 어떻게 되나요?”
I'd like a body scrub. How much is it?
STAMP LOG — 韓湯 인장

하루 한 탕.One tang a day.

Every listed bath carries its own seal. Visit, soak, and stamp your log — your bath journey across Korea, collected in red ink. Fill a row and your next seshin is on us.

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4 / 6 STAMPS — SESHIN REWARD AT 6
HANTANG PASS

Pay from home.
Enter with a QR.

Korean booking sites need a Korean phone number. HANTANG PASS doesn't. Buy your bath or seshin voucher before you fly, show the QR at the counter, walk in.

Overseas cards accepted — Visa, Mastercard, JCB, Amex
No Korean phone number, no local app, no ID checks
Free cancellation until the day before

Run a bathhouse or seshin shop? Get listed on HANTANG →

QUESTIONS, ANSWERED STRAIGHT

Before you ask Reddit.

Can I enter a Korean sauna with tattoos?+
It depends on the bathhouse — and that's exactly why every HANTANG listing states its policy up front: Tattoo OK, cover-up (rash guard or patch), or no. Filter by Tattoo OK and you'll never have the awkward door moment.
Do I really have to be fully naked?+
In the bath area, yes — it's gender-separated and completely normal there; nobody pays attention. In jjimjilbang lounge floors, everyone wears the cotton uniform you're given at entry, and those floors are mixed.
How much does it cost?+
Public bathhouses typically run about ₩8,000–12,000 for entry, jjimjilbangs a little more with the uniform included, and a seshin scrub is usually ₩20,000–35,000 on top. Every listing shows its real, checked price.
What exactly is seshin?+
A full-body exfoliating scrub done by a professional with the green “Italy towel”, after you've soaked for 15–20 minutes. It removes a visible layer of dead skin — strange for one minute, addictive after ten. Look for the Seshin badge on listings.
Can I sleep overnight in a jjimjilbang?+
In many, yes — it's a classic budget stay. Listings marked Sleep OK have overnight hours and sleeping rooms; a few close at midnight, so check the card before you plan on it.

Your first tang is waiting.

하루 한 탕 · One tang a day
Find a bath