Gellért Baths are closed, and they’ll stay closed for years, not weeks. The official notice now reads, in full, that the bath has been closed since 1 October 2025 with a planned reopening in 2028. Plenty of guides still describe Gellért as open. This one covers what’s actually happening, why the date may move, and which open bath gets you closest to what Gellért was.
For every open bath in the city, compared on price, crowds and atmosphere, see our guide to the best thermal baths in Budapest.
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Is Gellért Baths open in 2026?#
No. The Gellért Thermal Bath (Gellért gyógyfürdő) has been completely closed since 1 October 2025, and it’s still closed as of September 2026. The closure covers everything: the thermal halls, the domed swimming hall, the outdoor wave pool and the summer terraces. The operator’s own notice points visitors to Széchenyi instead, and its closing announcement also suggested Rudas and Lukács.
| Part of the complex | Status (as of September 2026) | Expected back |
|---|---|---|
| Thermal bath (indoor halls, swimming hall) | Closed since 1 Oct 2025 | 2028 (official “planned reopening”) |
| Outdoor pools and wave pool | Closed since 1 Oct 2025 | Summer 2029 (per the bath company, 2026) |
| Hotel Gellért | Closed since late 2021, under renovation | As Mandarin Oriental Gellért, announced for 2027 (unconfirmed in 2026) |
Status checked September 2026 on gellertbath.hu and the operator’s closure announcement.
When will Gellért Baths reopen?#
The official answer is 2028. The honest answer is “2028 at the earliest”. Here’s why the date isn’t fixed:
- The money isn’t approved yet. The city-owned bath company (Budapest Gyógyfürdői és Hévizei Zrt.) needs government permission to borrow for the renovation. The previous government refused in December 2025 without giving a reason. The company resubmitted in March 2026, and as of the latest reports (July 2026) no decision had been announced.
- Construction would start in early 2027, if the loan goes through. The original plan was to start in late 2026.
- The reopening would be split. The company’s chief executive said in May 2026 that the indoor areas would reopen in 2028 and the outdoor pools in summer 2029.
The renovation budget is about 20 billion HUF (roughly €53 million on the operator’s figures). It covers structural repairs, restoring the Art Nouveau interiors, new building services and the thermal-water system. The plans also add a sauna complex in the old drinking hall and a single, simpler changing system.
Verdict: don’t plan a 2027 trip around Gellért. If you’re coming in 2028, check the official site before you book anything. We’ll update this page when a date is confirmed.
Why did Gellért Baths close?#
Gellért closed early because the building around it was already being taken apart. The Hotel Gellért shares the building, and its renovation was disrupting the bath’s daily running. In 2026 the operator added that the plant room feeding the pools could no longer operate, so the bath couldn’t be renovated section by section while staying open.
The bath belongs to the City of Budapest and the hotel to a private group, but one structure ties the two projects together. The hotel is due to reopen as the Mandarin Oriental Gellért, announced in 2023 for 2027; we found no 2026 confirmation of that date.
What was Gellért Baths like?#
Gellért was the most beautiful bath in Budapest, and that’s why its closure hurts. It opened on 26 September 1918, built in the Secession (Hungarian Art Nouveau) style, and was decorated with Zsolnay ceramic tiles, mosaics and stained-glass windows from Miksa Róth’s workshop. The wave pool was added in 1927, and the bath’s own history calls it the first of its kind. The swimming hall has a roof that slides open.
The water comes from springs inside Gellért Hill at 41–43 °C. According to the redesign plans, the interiors will be restored rather than modernised, so the look should survive.
What are the best alternatives to Gellért Baths?#
The best alternative to Gellért Baths is Rudas Bath for atmosphere and location, or Széchenyi Baths for size and outdoor pools. No open bath in Budapest has Gellért’s Art Nouveau interiors, so pick based on what you wanted from Gellért in the first place.
| Bath | Weekday ticket | Getting there from Gellért | Best for | The catch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rudas | 12,000 HUF (€33) | Under 1 km, ~10 min walk | Ottoman dome, rooftop pool, night bathing | Turkish bath is single-sex on some days |
| Széchenyi | 13,200 HUF (€36) with locker | Across the river in City Park (metro M1) | Outdoor pools, first-timers, winter | Busy, especially weekends |
| Lukács | 7,000 HUF (€19) | North along the Buda bank, tram 19 | Locals’ bath, low prices | Plainer building, some facilities out of service |
| Ensana Thermal Margaret Island (hotel spa) | from 12,000 HUF (€33) | Margaret Island, bus 26 | Quiet, hotel-style thermal pool | Day guests only when there’s capacity |
| Veli Bej | 5,700–7,200 HUF (€16–20) | Next to Lukács, tram 19 | A small, genuine Ottoman bath | Desk sales only, 3-hour limit, closed 12:00–15:00 |
Prices checked September 2026 on rudasfurdo.hu, szechenyibath.hu, lukacsfurdo.hu, ensanahotels.com and Veli Bej’s official page. Every bath on this list bars children under 14.
Verdict: if you were going to Gellért for the historic atmosphere, go to Rudas. If you wanted the big outdoor pools and the classic steaming-in-winter photo, go to Széchenyi.
Rudas: the closest match, 10 minutes away#
Rudas sits at the foot of the same hill, under 1 km south of Gellért along the river, at Döbrentei tér 9. It has a 16th-century Ottoman octagonal pool under a stone dome, Turkish pools of up to 42 °C, and a rooftop panorama pool at 36 °C looking over the Danube. A daily ticket for all zones costs 12,000 HUF (about €33) Monday to Thursday and 15,000 HUF (about €41) Friday to Sunday.
Check the day before you go. The Turkish bath is men only on Wednesdays and on Monday, Thursday and Friday mornings until 10:45, and women only on Tuesdays. It’s mixed on weekends and the other afternoons. On Friday and Saturday nights, Rudas opens from 22:00 to 03:00 for night bathing: 15,000 HUF, sold online only on the official site.
There’s no plain Rudas entry ticket on GetYourGuide, so for a simple visit buy at the desk or on the official site. The GYG product that exists bundles the bath with lunch at the on-site bistro. It only makes sense if you’d eat there anyway:
Rudas Turkish Bath or Spa Day Pass & 3-Course Meal
A day pass for the Turkish bath or the spa zone, a three-course meal at Rudas Bistro, and towel and robe included. Rated 4.1 from 1,362 reviews. Compare it with the official 12,000 HUF ticket plus lunch before booking.
View Tour →Széchenyi: the big outdoor alternative#
Széchenyi in City Park is the bath Gellért’s own website recommends. It’s larger than Gellért ever was, with three outdoor pools, including the 36–38 °C thermal pool that steams all winter. A daily ticket with a locker costs 13,200 HUF (about €36) Monday to Thursday and 14,800 HUF (about €41) Friday to Sunday. Our Széchenyi ticket guide covers fast track, the Palm House and what to bring.
Széchenyi’s autumn 2026 pool maintenance (outdoor thermal pool until 2 October, outdoor lap pool 5 to 16 October) has finished. Check the official available services page for any pool closed on your date, and if one is, Rudas is the better day.
Széchenyi Spa Tickets with Optional Upgrades
The easy swap for a cancelled Gellért plan: a full-day Széchenyi ticket with free cancellation up to 24 hours before, and options for Good Morning, weekend and fast-track entry. If your date is fixed and certain, the official site is slightly cheaper.
A hotel spa with its own thermal spring#
The Ensana Thermal Margaret Island hotel, on Margaret Island, pipes water from its own spring into a 37–38 °C thermal pool. It’s the calmest option on this list. Day tickets start at 12,000 HUF (about €33), but day guests are admitted only when the hotel has space, and not at all from 19 December 2026 to 10 January 2027. GetYourGuide sells the same Margaret Island day spa ticket from €33, rated 4.3 from 557 reviews, which reserves your place. For thermal water on your own floor, see our Budapest spa hotels guide.
What can you still do at Gellért Hill?#
Gellért Hill is still well worth the visit, even with the bath shut. The Cave Church, the Citadella and the view are all open, and the Great Market Hall is just across Liberty Bridge.
- Gellért Hill Cave Church (Sziklatemplom): a chapel cut into the rock just above the bath. It’s open Monday to Saturday 9:30–19:30 and closed to tourists on Sundays and during the 17:00 Mass. Entry is 1,400 HUF (about €4) with an audio guide, according to the official site.
- The Citadella: it reopened in spring 2026 after years of works. The park, the lookouts and the Liberty Statue are free. The “Bastion of Liberty” exhibition costs 4,900 HUF (about €13) in timed slots (citadella.hu). A guided Citadella panorama tour (1 hour, from €22) adds a guide and 20% off the exhibition.
- The walk up: paths climb the hill from the riverside, and it’s a steady uphill walk. Bus 27 is the lazy alternative: it stops about 500 m from the Citadella’s north entrance.
- The Great Market Hall: across Liberty Bridge in District IX (Ferencváros), open daily (Sunday only 10:00–16:00) and closed on public holidays.
The bath is at the Szent Gellért tér – Műegyetem stop on metro M4, served by trams 19, 41, 47, 49 and 56A.
Is it worth waiting for Gellért to reopen?#
For a first trip to Budapest, no. Rudas and Széchenyi are both excellent, and the Gellért renovation has no approved funding and no fixed opening date. Once it reopens, the choice becomes a real one: Gellért for Art Nouveau elegance and a smaller bath, Széchenyi for scale and outdoor pools. If you’ve been before and Gellért was your favourite, it’s worth planning a 2028 or 2029 return around it. Just wait for the operator to confirm the date before you book flights.
Whichever bath you pick, fit it into our 3-day Budapest itinerary. For a soak after dark, our guide to Budapest at night compares Rudas night bathing, the Friday late opening at Széchenyi and Sparty.
FAQ#
Is Gellért Bath open?#
No. Gellért Thermal Bath has been closed since 1 October 2025 for a full renovation, and every part of it is shut, including the outdoor pools and the wave pool. As of September 2026 the official site gives 2028 as the planned reopening.
When will Gellért Baths reopen?#
The official site says the planned reopening is 2028. The bath company has said the indoor areas would reopen in 2028 and the outdoor pools in summer 2029, but only if the renovation loan is approved. As of summer 2026 the government had not given that approval, so treat 2028 as the earliest date, not a promise.
Why is Gellért Bath closed?#
It closed for a renovation costing about 20 billion HUF. Work on the Hotel Gellért in the same building was already disrupting the bath, and the operator says the plant room that feeds the pools could no longer run, so the bath could not be renovated in phases while staying open.
What is the best alternative to Gellért Baths?#
Rudas Bath is the closest alternative, about a 10-minute walk south along the river, with an Ottoman-era Turkish bath and a rooftop pool. A weekday ticket costs 12,000 HUF (about €33) as of September 2026. For size and outdoor pools, go to Széchenyi Baths in City Park instead.
How far is Rudas Bath from Gellért Bath?#
Rudas Bath is under 1 km from Gellért Bath, about 10 minutes on foot along the Buda embankment towards Elizabeth Bridge. Both sit at the foot of Gellért Hill in District I and District XI.
Is Gellért or Széchenyi better?#
Right now Széchenyi, because it is open and Gellért is not. Gellért was the more elegant, Art Nouveau building; Széchenyi is bigger, with three outdoor pools. Until Gellért reopens, the comparison only matters for planning a trip in 2028 or later.
Can you still see inside Gellért Baths?#
No. The bath is closed to the public during the renovation and there are no tours. You can still see the façade on Kelenhegyi út and visit the Cave Church and the Citadella on the hill above it.
Last verified: 16 October 2026. Prices and timetables change, so confirm with the operator before booking.
