Steaming Serenity: The Best Public Saunas in Helsinki, Finland

The Finnish take their sauna seriously. Many people in Finland have personal saunas in their homes and you can find saunas everywhere in Helsinki: on Ferris wheels, at the top of universities, at Burger Kings, and even in libraries. 

The Finnish believe that sauna time will solve all your problems. I’ll attest, after my sauna sessions in Helsinki, I felt fabulous. Even if all your problems aren’t resolved post-sauna, you’ll leave feeling great.

Trying a sauna in Finland is an essential cultural experience and one that I highly recommend. Whether you’re in Finland in the dark of winter or during the country’s long summer days, head to a sauna to get the full Finnish experience.

What to bring to A sauna

For most saunas, I’d recommend bringing a towel, flip flops, a water bottle, and a swimsuit. Whether you need to wear your swimsuit depends on the sauna, but worst case, you end up not using it. Most places have towels to rent or provide them, but you can often save a few Euros by bringing your own.

Make sure to come (and stay) well-hydrated. I drank a bottle of water or two before I headed to the sauna and continued to drink lots of water between sessions. Most saunas supply water or you can refill your water bottle – the tap water in Finland is top notch. 

Best Public Saunas in Helsinki

There are plenty of public saunas in Helsinki to choose from, but here are my recommendations for top saunas to visit in the city:

The modern, upscale sauna experience: Löyly

• The Lowdown: Löyly is one of the most popular saunas in Helsinki and for good reason: with its multiple sauna options and lovely location right next to the Baltic Sea (which you can jump in to cool off in between sauna sessions), it was named one of Time Magazine´s “World’s 100 Greatest Places” in 2018. Make a reservation for one of their two-hour time slots in advance and be sure to check out their restaurant post sauna. They provide free towels, lockers, and a cloth to sit on in the sauna.
• What to bring: Swimsuit, flip flops
• Cost: €24-€25 (depending on the day and time) for a 2-hour time slot

The traditional local sauna experience: Kotiharjun

• The Lowdown: This no-frills sauna is for those seeking a more traditional sauna experience. The oldest existing wood-heated public sauna in Helsinki for men and women (established in 1928), Kotiharjun has you sweat it out in the sauna sans clothing and then cool off with a cold shower and by chilling outside in just your towel with a beer or water between sessions. There are no lockers, but you can leave things behind the sauna’s front desk or in the changing areas.
• What to bring: Towel (or two), water or beer (to enjoy between sessions), flip flops
• Cost: €16

The centrally located sauna: Allas Sea Pool 

• The Lowdown: If you want to hit some of Helsinki’s highlights and then head to the sauna, Allas Sea Pool is an urban spa and sauna with a great location right next to Helsinki Market Square. You can swim in its sea pool or warm water pool (27 C° year-round), lounge in chairs outdoors by the Baltic Sea, or get your sauna on in one (or all) of Allas’ five saunas.
• What to bring: Towel (or two), flip flops, swimsuit, water
• Cost: €18-€22

The free (-spirited) local sauna experience: Sompasauna

• The Lowdown: This free sauna is a little further from central Helsinki and more difficult to get to than the others, but offers a unique local experience. Sompasauna has three saunas right next to the Baltic Sea that are mixed gender and bathing suit optional. It’s open 24/7/365 but there are no staff, so it’s run communal style by everyone who uses it. To cool down post sauna session, you can jump into the Baltic Sea. Lockers are available to use with your own lock.
• What to bring: Swimsuit, flip flops, towel (or two), lock for locker, water
• Cost: Free

tips for those New to Saunas

First time in a sauna? Here are a few tips for those with limited sauna experience:

1. Be sure to shower before getting into the sauna
2. Sit on your towel while in the sauna (some places provide a little cloth to sit on). This is good for hygienic reasons and creates a nice buffer between your bum and the hot wooden steps. 
3. Ask before you add water to the rocks in the sauna (this increases the heat in the sauna, as it creates steam). The more water you add, the hotter the sauna gets. If you’re new to the sauna, not to worry – others will take the lead on this.
4. Try to follow your sauna’s dress code, whether it’s fully sans clothing (fully nude saunas are quite common in Finland and generally separate people by gender) or wearing a swimsuit.
5. The higher up in the sauna you sit, the hotter it is. Along similar lines, the closer you are to the heated stones or wood-heated stove in a sauna, the hotter your sauna experience will be.
6. For first timers, try spending 5-10 minutes per session in the sauna, for at least a session or two. Don’t spend more than 15-20 minutes per session in the sauna. Make sure to cool off with a cold shower or cold plunge (perhaps in the Baltic Sea) in between sessions and ideally wait at least 15-30 minutes to bring your body temperature down before going in again.

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Headed to other Nordic countries? I’d recommend checking out FjordSauna in Flam in western Norway, which offers gorgeous views of the fjords while you sweat, or trying Centralbadet, an excellent sauna and spa in Stockholm.