Therme Bucharest: Everything You Need To Know Before Visiting

In a rush and want all the info in 60 seconds?

Watch my video summarising the experience at Therme Bucharest here, or keep reading below for all the important details!

How to get to Therme Bucharest

Therme has quickly become one of the main attractions in Bucharest, although it’s located outside of the city centre. Yet, it is easy to get to Therme – there are a few options to reach this viral spa spot:

From the airport:

Therme Bucharest is only 5km away from Otopeni Airport (officially Bucharest Henri Coandă International Airport) – which is a 10-minute drive.

The most convenient way to get from the airport to Therme Bucharest is by car or taxi – please note that taxis in Bucharest are notorious for overcharging tourists so, if you want to be on the safe side, you should use Uber or Bolt – the fare price should be around 30 RON (6 EUR) one-way, in normal conditions.

However, the cheapest way to get to Therme Bucharest from the airport is by taking the public bus running from the airport to Therme Bucharest every 20-30 minutes (Bus 442) and the ride costs 3 RON (0.60 EUR). You can check the stop schedule here.
The bus ride takes approximately 15 minutes.

Tip: The spa has a storage room for luggage if you’re travelling directly to or from the airport. Otherwise, if you only have hand luggage, you can fit it inside your personal locker.

From Bucharest city centre:

Therme Bucharest is about 20km from Bucharest city centre – a 30-minute drive.

The fastest way to get to Therme Bucharest from the city centre is by car or taxi – please note that taxis in Bucharest are notorious for overcharging tourists so, if you want to be on the safe side, you should use Uber or Bolt – the fare price should be around 80 RON (approx. 15 EUR) one-way, in normal conditions.

Alternatively, there is also a public bus running from the city centre to Therme Bucharest every 20-30 minutes (Bus 442) and the ride costs 3 RON (0.60 EUR). The first stop is at Piața Presei Libere and you can check the stop schedule here.
The bus ride takes approximately 40 minutes.

However, the cheapest way to get to Therme Bucharest is by taking the free shuttle to Therme Bucharest from Piața Romana (it will display “Therme” on the windscreen), but the timetable is infrequent (runs once every 2 hours). For the minimal price of the public bus ticket, I would advise taking that one with a more regular schedule.

What time to go to Therme Bucharest?

Therme spa has quickly become Bucharest’s main attraction, with many foreigners travelling to Bucharest on weekend breaks (or even on extreme day trips) to visit the viral wellness spot.

Apart from tourists, the spa complex is also very popular with local families and schools. Therme Bucharest is open all year round, which makes it a great attraction to enjoy in all seasons, although the urban beach and some outdoor lounge areas are only open during the summer.

Along with busier weekends, tickets are also more expensive on Fridays, weekends, and on Romanian bank holidays and school holidays.

So, if you want a better chance of a quieter spa break, aim to visit Therme Bucharest from Monday to Thursday. Going at opening time in the morning provides a better chance for the insta-famous shot without anyone in the pool, but it also allows you to book a massage (as reservations are on a first-come basis and tend to sell out by 12pm).

Of course, either staying for the day until dark or visiting in the afternoon allows you to see the changing of the lights once the sun sets and the main pool turns a bright blue, with purple highlights and a very fun vibe!

How long to spend at Therme Bucharest?

This will depend on how long you have and which ticket you buy.

Personally, I initially thought that a full day at the spa would be too much, but we got the full day tickets anyway and ended up staying for 12 hours without getting bored! We had both lunch and dinner at the spa restaurants, explored all the different areas, and tried all the saunas. I also loved seeing the transition from day to night in the spa.

If you only get tickets for the Galaxy or The Palm zones, either 3 hours or 4.5 hours should be a good time to spend here.

How much does it cost to go to Therme Bucharest?

Therme offer a few different spa packages, based on how many Zones you want to have access to, and how long you want to stay for. There are three main spa Zones and ticket options for 3 hours, 4.5 hours, and for the full day.

For example, if you purchase a 3-hour ticket for the Galaxy zone on a weekday, the price is 67 RON (approx. 13 EUR) for 1 Adult. A full-day adult ticket for all three Zones costs 197 RON (approx. 38.50 EUR) on a weekday.

Please note that prices are higher if you visit on Fridays, weekends, and on Romanian bank holidays or school holidays.

You can check up-to-date admission prices on Therme’s website here and you can book tickets online directly here.

How big is Therme Bucharest?

Therme Bucharest soon became one the largest thermal and wellness complexes in Europe at the time of its opening in 2016.

Boasting capacity for over 8,000 guests (!) and housing 10 indoor and outdoor pools, 16 water slides, 10 saunas, 3 main restaurants, multiple pool bars, outdoor beach areas, and over 800,000 plants, this spa is an impressive attraction worthy of spending a full day in.

You can find a full-sized map of Therme Bucharest here.

There are three main spa Zones at Therme Bucharest:

• Galaxy (All ages): Kids can also go to Therme Bucharest, and Galaxy is its family-friendly zone, though fun for kids and grown-ups alike!
  
  There are multiple water slides (some only for smaller children and others for older kids and adults), an indoor wave pool, indoor and outdoor pools, a relaxation area, a restaurant, and even a park and an outdoor beach terrace (open only in the summer).

Tickets to Galaxy can be purchased as standalone and do not include entry to other Zones unless an upgrade is purchased.

• The Palm (14+): The famous large thermal pool you see in all videos and photos, surrounded by tropical vegetation. It includes, not only this pool, but also other indoor mineral pools, jacuzzis, pool bars, a wet sauna, hydromassage beds, restaurants, and outdoor pools.
  
  In the summer, the outdoor fine-sand beach and pool bar are also open and included.

Tickets to The Palm include entry to the Galaxy zone as well.

• Elysium (14+): This Zone is all about relaxation and includes multiple themed dry saunas (including a Hollywood sauna screening wildlife documentaries!) with rituals taking place throughout the day, a cold shower room, a mineral pool with a bar, an outdoor terrace, and an à la carte Thai restaurant.
  
  You can also book massages and wellness treatments here (but be quick – they fill up fast!).

Tickets to Eysium include entry to all other Zones (The Palm and Galaxy).

What to wear at Therme Bucharest

Before visiting Therme Bucharest, you should be prepared to bring a few things. However, there is also an option to rent or purchase these items (and more) from the spa reception and shop.

What you need:

• Swimwear: Therme Bucharest is not a nude spa so you must bring swimwear. The spa rules state that you should bring the swimwear in your bag and not worn on your body (they ask at the reception). If you don’t have any swimwear, you can purchase it from the reception at Therme.

• Flip flops / skid-proof slippers: It is mandatory to wear flip flops or slippers inside Therme Bucharest and, similarly to swimwear, you must bring them in your bag and not on your feet. You can buy them from the reception (for 35 RON / ~7 EUR), however, if you can bring your own it will be much easier to distinguish your slippers from all the other Therme-branded ones at the entrance of the pools (which all look the same).

• Towel: It is mandatory to use a towel inside the spa, as well as under your seat and feet inside the dry saunas. You can rent towels from the reception (for 31 RON / ~6 EUR), but you can also bring your own (or if you are staying at a hotel, you can bring your hotel towel – just make sure not to lose it!).

• Bathrobe (optional): It is not mandatory to wear a bathrobe inside the spa (except for when visiting the à la carte Thai restaurant in the Elysium area – but employees do provide robes to dining guests if they do not have any). However, I found it more comfortable to wear a robe when walking around. You can rent one from the reception (for 39 RON / ~7.50 EUR) or, if you’re staying at a hotel, you may avoid renting by bringing your hotel robe instead – just make sure not to lose it!

Can you eat at Therme Bucharest?

Yes, you can! Before going, I was worried that we couldn’t leave the spa to have a meal, however, there is no need to worry as there are three main themed restaurants inside Therme Bucharest, as well as multiple pool bars and smaller eateries for snacks and coffee, cake, ice cream, etc.

I ate both at the à la carte Thai restaurant in the Elysium zone and at the restaurant in The Palm zone. For this kind of place, I would expect the food to be both poor quality and very overpriced, but I must say that I was very pleasantly surprised!

Where to stay near Therme Bucharest

Therme Bucharest is not a hotel, so you’ll need to find accommodation at an hotel either nearby or in the city centre of Bucharest.

My recommendation is to stay in central Bucharest – hopefully you are visiting Romania and looking to experience its culture while adding Therme as an attraction, so this will leave you better located for all of Bucharest’s main sights.

However, while I don’t recommend it, I am aware that some people will travel to Bucharest only to visit the spa. If this is your case, then staying near the airport is a better option.

Hotels near Therme Bucharest

Here’s my recommendations for hotels near Therme Bucharest or Otopeni Airport.

Hotels in Bucharest city centre

This is where I stayed in central Bucharest – VISIONAPARTMENTS Bucharest Calea Victoriei.

I found these apartments and decided to stay here due to their convenient location near the Old Town, as well as the indoor spa. It was my birthday after all, so having the option to relax at the spa after sightseeing all day was a very appealing idea!

The room was clean and modern, the bed was comfortable, and we had a small kitchenette with a microwave to cook quick meals when we were too tired to go out for dinner after returning from our day trip to Transylvania one day.

Here’s some other accommodations I recommend in central Bucharest:

Finally – Is Therme Bucharest worth it?

In my opinion – definitely!

Before going, I had read some reviews that left me a bit hesitant, but I honestly think that, if you go on a weekday and generally follow the rules, you will have the best time!

I didn’t witness anyone having any issues, and we didn’t experience any negative situation. We literally had the most relaxing day ever swimming in the pool, watching documentaries in the sauna, eating decent food, having fun on the water slides, and sipping cocktails!