A Guide to Korean Bath and Sauna (Jjimjilbang) Experience in Seoul

Have you ever felt exhausted while traveling? Perhaps you're trying to hit as many tourist spots as possible within a short time frame that all your muscles start to hurt? That was me on a jam-packed 3-day trip in Seoul. Thankfully, I was able to squeeze in time to visit a Jjimjibang before my departure. If you're planning a visit to Jjimjilbang, here's a guide for this popular Korean bath and sauna experience.

What is a Jjimjilbang?

Jjimjilbang is a Korean bathhouse that is usually furnished with a communal shower area, hot and cold therapeutic tubs, ice room, heated salt rooms, sauna rooms, fitness room, lounging area, entertainment area, massage rooms, sleeping rooms, and a cafeteria. Most of them are opened for 24-hours so you could choose to stay overnight after relaxation. Visiting a Jjimjilbang is considered one of the must-dos to experience Korean culture.

A Korean R&R Getaway

You might think that a 24-hr bathhouse with so many amenities to offer would be extravagant and costly. In fact, they're actually very economical and down to earth. People there are laid back and Korean families love spending a weekend here as a getaway.

Siloam Sauna at Seoul Station

Jjimjilbang can be found everywhere in Seoul. And Siloam Sauna is conveniently located approximately 8-minute walking distance away from Seoul Station, making visits extremely easy for travellers. A full experience of bath, sauna, and jjimjil (heating) only costs 11,000 won and that's about $12 CDN! If you choose to stay overnight or check-in after 8 pm, the price is slightly higher at 17,000 won ($20 CDN) and that's still a pretty great deal! No wonder why jjimjilbang is sometimes used as an alternative to hotels for budget travelers or for those laying over. Although the cost is low, the place is huge and well maintained. I'm surprised that a bathhouse can be as large as a 5-story!

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The Full Sauna, Bath, Jjimjil Experience

After you've paid for your admission, you'd be given a ticket to the female and male change area. The staff would then take your ticket and lead you to a small locker where you'd store your shoes away. The key for the shoe locker is then exchanged for their smocks (usually t-shirt and shorts), a towel and another key to store your belongings.

Don't be alarmed if you see other guests walking around and drying hair butt naked inside the change area. Because you'd have to strip your clothes off before heading to the bathing area downstairs as well. Luckily, the males are separated from the females. Directions and signs can be seen everywhere on the walls and floors. So you won't get lost even if you don't speak the language.

The bathing area is huge. The therapeutic baths and sauna rooms are on the other side of the room. You'll need to take a shower before dipping into the baths or going into saunas. Each bath varies in temperature and offers different medicinal effects.

Here are the several baths that they offer:

Giok Bath - This bath is created by submerging the jade stone deep underground to collect its energy.
Salt Bath - Releases stress and muscle pains. It also kills fungi on your skin, making it brighter and more elastic.
Loess Bath - Loess is living soil with medicinal properties that we energize the body.
Mugwort Bath - Known for its vitamin and calcium. It's especially beneficial for females to heal irregular menstruation and cramps. 

At this point, you could also get someone to exfoliate your body. Experienced body scrubbers are available for an extra cost. They massage your body to improve circulation and help remove dead skins. After your time at the bathing area, you could go back to your locker, get dressed and enjoy other amenities offered at the Jjimjilbang.

Me wearing their smocks after bathing. Do I look cute in them?

Giok Bath

Rest area in the bathing area

Get Pampered at Beauty Salon

Ladies could also get pampered at the beauty salon on the first floor. You could enjoy services like getting a haircut, a shave, nail art, lash extensions, foot care and trimming eyebrows. Just keep in mind that these cost extra on top of your admission. 

On the 2nd floor is a lounge area, a place where you could hang out with your friends, watch tv or sleep. I especially enjoyed the hot stone foot therapy when I was there. It helped relax my muscles and release tension from walking.

Hot stone foot therapy

Many people like to relax and hang out freely in the open area after bathing and sauna

Play Area for Your Children

Jjimjilbang is a family-friendly activity in Korea. And that's why some larger bathhouses like Siloam Sauna even has a designated area for Children. Parents could relax and escape knowing their children are safe and occupied in proximity.  

Lots of Amenities at Your Disposal 

What amazed me while experiencing a Jjimjilbang is that there was a peck more to do then just bathing and saunas. At Siloam Sauna, you could exercise at their fitness center, sing karaoke, play chess and table tennis, use their computers, host seminars/meetings, and play arcade games! All of these amenities could be found on the 3rd floor and are included with your admission.

De-stress and Escape in Fomentation Rooms

Fomentation rooms are what made Jjimjilbang unique. These heated or cool cave-like rooms are formed by natural materials to provide therapeutic effects to your body. At Siloam Sauna, there're so many rooms to choose from, such as the Oxygen room, Hard Charcoal Cold Room, Ice Room, Grotto Room, Blue Jade Room, Loess Sauna, Salt Sauna, Fire-based Sauna, and Jade Sauna. To detox and improve blood circulation, you could choose the high-temperature rooms like the Salt Sauna or Jade Sauna. These rooms can be found on the 4th floor of Siloam Sauna and are usually shared with all genders. They are definitely worth a try if you're new to the Korean Bathhouse experience.

Fire-based sauna

Jade sauna

Salt sauna

Ice room

Charcoal cold room

Take a Power Nap

The bathhouse also has designated sleeping rooms for those of you who need to catch some sleep or stay overnight. Snorers are also encouraged to nap in their designated room so everyone can enjoy a comfortable and quiet time. 

Fuel Up With Traditional Korean Food

After you're well rested, it's time to fuel up with food! A large cafeteria-like restaurant is available on the 5th floor. Everyone could enjoy delicious Korean cuisine without leaving the bathhouse. Koreans like to snack on a smoked egg with a cup of Shikhae after Jijimjilbang. Shikhae is a traditional sweet Korean rice beverage that is usually served cold and is super refreshing to cool your body down. If you're down for a meal, a variety of stews, noodles and rice dishes are also available. The restaurant accepts credit cards.

What do you think about the Korean bath experience? Would you give Jjimjilbang a try?

Let me know in the comments below.

Until next time!

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Check out my posts of other bath experience!

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