Enveloped in tropical greenery and soothing waters, Therme Bucharest felt like an oasis—an experience that surprised and delighted, even for us, frequent spa-goers.
We loved many aspects of this vast spa complex, but there were a few surprises worth noting. I’m giving you the full rundown of the pros and cons, so you can decide if it’s the right experience for you.
Overview of Our Visit
The Therme Bucharest is vast and offers access to several zones with a range of ticket time of the day options.
Full disclosure of the type of ticket that we purchased and time of the day visit:
- Zone — The Palm Adult only zone.
- 4.5 hours weekday ticket.
- Visited on a Tuesday evening, 6 pm to 11 pm, in July.
We visited during one of the hottest weeks that Bucharest ever experienced in July and while we thought it might be too hot to visit the Thermal bath, we were glad that we did after all. The waters were still very refreshing! (Thermal Spas are hot water springs)
In the summer, the sun sets at about 9 pm, which is nice if you want to hang out at the Bucharest outdoor beach area.
The pools were moderately busy on our visit and beautifully lit at night.
The crowd was a mix of locals and foreign tourists alike, with most of the local ladies wearing Brazilian style bikinis and the men at times wearing mini and thong swim briefs. People dress up in Bucharest.
Pros
| Pros | Notes |
| Size | The Therme Bucharest is one of the largest public spa facilities in Europe and the world. |
| 3 Different Zones | Galaxy: For family and kids with slides. The Palm: Adult only area with pool cocktail bars. Elysium: Themed Saunas with selenium pool. |
| Spotless Clean and New | One of the cleanest thermal facilities we have been too in Europe, en par with Austria and Germany in terms of hygiene and facilities. The spa opened its door in January 2016. |
| Stunning Green Environment | We were amazed to see real (!) palm trees and plants in the Bucharest Therme. Most spas keep replica palm trees in Europe, and therefore this was a great surprise. It's not just a few handfuls of palm trees, but a whole tropical jungle with hundreds of trees! |
| Large Outdoor Beach | The largest outdoor Thermal spa beach area in Europe. The sand beach comes with plenty of beach beds and a vast lounge area, and it's situated at a tropical pool. |
| Pool Bars | Only in the Palms zone. Bars that are in the pool, and you can order and enjoy non-alcoholic drinks and alcoholic drinks such as cocktails while you are in the water. These are common in Europe and they are super popular and fun! |
| Natural Thermal Water | Not every thermal spa in Europe has the luxury of being able to pull natural thermal waters from the deep of the earth. The water in Bucharest is known to be mineral rich and therapeutic. |
| Modern NEW Aesthetics | Super modern facility. We loved the entrance and rectangular glass dome of the Palms zone. |
| Location | Situated just outside of Bucharest city. It's about 30 minutes from the airport and about 1 hour from the city center if the traffic isn't too bad. |
| Lockers & Changing Rooms | New large clean lockers, that look great and work. Easy system to close with your assigned RFID wristband, which serves as your entry too. You will find plenty of changing rooms too and the doors can be opened and locked both sides with a nifty system. |
| Electronic Cashless Facility | The same wristband, to enter the facility and to move seamlessly between zones, is used for cashless transactions within the premises. You can purchase that way food and drink, and it will be booked on your wristband. You pay for the food and drink when you check out the facility. |
| Themed Events, Special Treatments and Senior Specials | Once in a blue moon, they organize special events. For example, in the past, they had a symphony orchestra play there while the guests enjoyed the classic music ensemble in the main palm area pool. You can also take part in various wellness activities and treatments such as yoga, suction cups, and massage treatments. They also have special activities designed for seniors, such as aqua kineto. |
| Late Opening Times & Open 365 Days | The public spa is open from 10 am to 11 pm daily all year round. Compare this to other upscale thermal spas in Europe, who usually close at 10 pm, and 7 pm in Hungary. Most thermal spas are closed on Christmas day, too, while the Therme București is one of the few that remains open to the public. |
| Budget-friendly with a Luxurious Feel | In the Bucharest therme you pay about half the price of what you would pay in any of the thermal spas in Central Europe. Most day tickets anywhere else are about €50-65 per adult, while the Bucharest therme offers day tickets at about €30 per adult. You get the same luxury service and a unique experience for this unbeatable price. |
| Seamless Zone Ticket Upgrade | You have the option to purchase a zone ticket and upgrade to another zone anytime for a reasonable ugrade fee. |
Cons
| Cons | Notes |
| Getting There isn't Straightforward | The problem is the way Bucharest is set up. The capital city of Romania is still in the process of building better infrastructure. Public transport isn't that great yet, in fact, you can only get there from Bucharest old town or from the airport via bus. We traveled there by car from our rental just outside the city, and our main issue was the traffic in this city, which is incredibly crazy (and I'm used to Indian roads). The roads were all the more dangerous after 11 pm where it seemed as if lawless drivers ruled the streets of Bucharest. I recommend hiring a taxi to and from the thermal spa! |
| No Connected Hotel Facility | Most thermal spas in Europe have upscale hotels connected to the spa facility. Or at least you will find decent rooms and rentals just opposite the facility. This is not the case at the Therme Bucharest. I think it's a huge drawback for all those who would be ready to travel all the way from another EU country to spend some days with their family or partner in this superior spa facility. Imagine flying in from London to Bucharest, just to relax at the Therme București. A connected hotel is dearly needed, especially because of Bucharest's current infrastructure. |
| Saunas are with Swim Wear Only | This was a considerable drawback for us, as we are used to nude only saunas in Central Europe (see German Saunas dos and don'ts). Due to this rule, you won't find any nude only pools, either. Therefore, we didn't see the point upgrading our tickets for the Elysium zone. The problem with saunas that allow swimsuits is that it's a breeding ground for bacteria, and it's not very hygienic. But it might be a pro for you, if you are not comfortable with nude only saunas. |
| Lack of Pool Choices | The palms, which is the main pool area, is large and takes over the whole inner main area, with a part even leading outdoors. Indoors you have 3 small rectangular themed pools, one with salt water, one with sulfur and another is mineral rich. Outside you will find one pool at the beach and that's it. For the side of the facility, you'd expect more pools, even if it's just smaller whirlpools. |
| A Lot of Deco Only Areas with No Real Use | Outdoor is a large water body, which admittedly looks great, but it seriously takes over a lot of space which could be better used for pools and other real attractions. The Pangaea park is also just a place with some plants, and perhaps it would look great from the view of a drone, but it has no real use. |
| Size Claims | Therme Bucharest claims to be the largest thermal bath in Europe, but that's just a claim because Therme Erding in Munich, Germany, and other Thermal spas claim the same title. |
| Low-quality Food Choices | The Food wasn't that great, and it's somewhat overpriced for what you get. I had a sad Éclair pastry and my wife had some fried Asian noodles (actually cooked by Asians) that tasted like nothing. We had only outstanding food experiences on our trip across Romania, and therefore we felt disappointed by the food restaurant at the Thermal spa in Bucharest. |
| You have to Walk Around a Lot | At the Palms, if you want to get to the beach area from the main building, you have to walk for about 5 minutes to get there. All essential facilities such as restrooms and bars can be found there as well, so at least you don't have to walk up and down all the time. |
| You are assigned a Locker Number | This was a bit of a hassle. So, we were both assigned a locker number, but these were random numbers (the number is on the contactless bracelet), with one in the 2000s and the other in the 4000s. They were not next to each other, and therefore we wasted time searching for our lockers. The locker rooms are huge and like a maze. In other thermal spas, it is the norm that you get a bracelet where you can either pick your lockers, or where the bracelet numbers are next to each other. |
| Prices are displayed in Romanian Lei Currency | Romania is part of the EU, but they are still using their local currency and have not switched yet to the Euro. This can be a disadvantage, as you have to convert to your currency, especially if you are from the EU or if you are traveling within the EU with Euros. (see list of countries that accept the Euro currency) |
Bucharest Therme Photos
Points We Couldn't Judge
- We didn't have many interactions with the staff, but they seemed nice and helpful. They all spoke English.
- We didn't visit the children's (Galaxy Zone) and the sauna area (Elysium), so can't judge on these.
- Wheelchair accessibility: Everything is on ground level, so technically it's somewhat wheelchair accessible, but I don't remember seeing that many wheelchair accessible pool points.
Tips
You need to bring your bathing slippers and a towel, it's compulsory. Optionally, you can buy them in the shop on the place. You also have the option to rent a towel or robe.
You have to sign a liability waiver when you buy a ticket. This releases the property of any legal responsibility in case of a guest injury.
Leave 10–20 minutes before the announced closing time because most people move out of the pool when the announcement is letting them know that the facility is closing. That way you will avoid the rush in the showers and the locker rooms.
You can purchase tickets online. This can be useful if you intend to visit on a busy weekend.
The 4 ½ hour ticket is perhaps more than enough if you are in the city for a short time, and you'd like to experience at least one of the 3 zones.
If you want to spend time in the Palms and the Elysium sauna area, ask for the best upgrade/combo ticket option at the cash counter. They will be happy to assist you with the best choice for you.
You cannot bring food and drink from outside into the facility.
If you feel hungry after 11 pm, there is a McDonald's near the Bucharest Therme. (The food is really that bad in the Therme.) The Elysium zone has a fine dining area, but I can't comment on it since we didn't get to do this zone.
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