The Bay Area splits on where the cold comes from. San Francisco holds the chilled tubs, while Sausalito and Point Richmond put the bay itself within reach.
Most of these are private bookings rather than communal benches. Expect a room to yourselves, and a plunge built in rather than added on.
In the Bay Area, 5 of the curated saunas fit this cut. See the full the Bay Area region guide for every venue, or keep scrolling for just the saunas with a cold plunge.
Every sauna with a cold plunge in The Bay Area
Alchemy Springs
$$San Francisco, United States
A preview "Sauna Garden" in lower Nob Hill, running ahead of the full Alchemy Springs bathhouse opening in 2026. Two-hour guided sessions take in a sauna, outdoor cold plunge, garden seating, thermal benches and a tea bar. Small-scale and ritual-focused rather than a full bathhouse circuit.
Archimedes Banya
$$$San Francisco, United States
A three-storey Russian-led banya on the Bayview waterfront, fusing Russian parilka, Turkish hammam, German sauna and Roman bathing into one circuit. Sessions revolve around heat-cold-rest cycles with venik platza treatments. A rooftop deck over the bay, a restaurant and a bar make it as much a social hangout as a wellness facility.
Fjord
$$Sausalito, United States
Two floating Finnish-style saunas anchored in Sausalito's Richardson Bay marina, each running around 190°F. Plunging is off the deck into a demarcated zone of the bay itself, with freshwater showers and changing rooms onshore. Booked as 90-minute shared sessions or two-hour private buyouts.
Good Hot
$$$Richmond, United States
Good Hot calls itself a deconstructed bathhouse: five private wood-fired saunas along the Point San Pablo coastline. The cold side of the cycle is San Francisco Bay itself, with outdoor showers for rinsing afterwards. Each sauna goes to one group, and the project subsidises low-income QTBIPOC visitors with discounted sessions and Uber reimbursement.
Kabuki Springs & Spa
$$San Francisco, United States
A 50-year-old Japanese-style bathhouse in Japantown, built around a sento-inspired ritual. Seated-shower wash, 104°F hot bath, 55°F cold plunge, cedar-lined dry sauna at 140°F, then a 120°F herbal steam room. Bathing is gender-segregated most of the week, with co-ed swimsuit days.