The best saunas in London
Last reviewed September 2026
London's sauna scene runs east and south — a canalside bathhouse at Hackney Wick, a railway arch in Peckham, a Shoreditch basement, ice baths in Walthamstow, wood-fired rooms in a corner of Ruskin Park. Most of it is cheap, and a good deal of it is non-profit.
#1 · Community Sauna Baths — Hackney Wick
Seven wood-fired saunas, canalside · London
Seven wood-fired saunas fill a converted bathhouse on the canal near the Olympic Park, and the industrial setting suits how uncompromising the heat is. It runs non-profit, so the price stays low without the bathing being softened. Two curator visits rate it the best community sauna in the city.
“Since they first opened, they’ve made a bunch of changes, added quite a lot of new saunas.” · James
Finnish · £ · Cold plunge · Session-booked
#2 · Banya No.1
Venik birch branches, Hoxton warehouse · London
A Russian banya at industrial scale in a Hoxton warehouse, where the parílka runs hot enough to make you reconsider your choices. The venik birch-branch beating is the real draw, and it sounds considerably worse than it is. Cold plunge, steam room, and a restaurant that takes the food as seriously as the heat.
Banya · Steam · £££ · Cold plunge · Session-booked
#3 · Sauna Social Club
Sauna listening bar in Peckham · London
A Peckham railway arch holding two decently sized saunas, plunge baths at a range of temperatures, and a sound system. Aufguss sessions run through the week and DJs play at weekends. Our curator was taken through the aufguss by the owner and scored it 5/5, reckoning the trek across town worth it.
“A bit of a trek, but worth a visit.” · Josje
Finnish · £ · Cold plunge · Session-booked
#4 · &Soul Shoreditch
Aufguss at forty-person scale · London
The aufguss room in this Shoreditch basement seats forty, a size London rarely manages, and the programme runs regularly rather than as an occasional event. A sober bar and plant-based dining sit upstairs. Day passes sell alongside memberships, so an evening here needs no commitment.
Finnish · ££ · Cold plunge · Session-booked
#5 · Arvo Sauna
Three ice baths, stepped down · London
Two large Finnish saunas in Walthamstow, one for conversation and one silent, with a breathwork and yoga studio due in 2026. Sessions run 55 minutes with tea and showers included. The cold side is three ice baths stepped at 10, 7 and 5°C, so you can work down them rather than commit at the first shock.
Finnish · £ · Cold plunge · Session-booked
#6 · Lowlu — Kentish Town
Five saunas by Sami Rintala · London
Five Finnish saunas in a Kentish Town warehouse, designed by the architect Sami Rintala and running from 75 to 95°C, so a session can be built around the heat you actually want. A cold plunge sits between rounds. Off-peak pricing makes it the best value of London's dedicated sauna rooms.
Finnish · £ · Cold plunge · Session-booked
#7 · Community Sauna Baths — Camberwell
Step-free sauna in Ruskin Park · London
Three wood-fired saunas and four cold plunges sit in Ruskin Park, with the water held between 5 and 10°C. Run as a community-interest company, it keeps concession pricing in place and the bathing unhurried. One of the three saunas is step-free.
Finnish · £ · Cold plunge · Session-booked
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That's the shortlist. See every curated sauna in London in the full London guide.