Gellért baths renovation: what we know and how to plan around it

A bath that needs some context

The Gellért is one of Budapest’s most photographed buildings — an Art Nouveau masterpiece that opened in 1918, attached to the four-star Gellért Hotel on the Buda embankment. Its main pool, with Roman columns, mosaics, and a vaulted glass ceiling, is the kind of image that has filled Instagram grids and guidebook covers for decades. It is also a building that is, by any honest assessment, showing its age.

Reports began circulating in 2024 about a possible renovation project. What followed was a familiar information fog: partial statements, social media speculation, varying reports from tour operators, and no definitive official communication. This piece attempts to cut through that and tell you what’s actually confirmed, what remains uncertain, and — most importantly — how to plan your Budapest bath trip in a way that doesn’t hinge on assumptions.

The essential advice: verify current status before booking any Gellért-specific tickets. The situation has been fluid, and this page cannot guarantee what you’ll find when you arrive.

What’s confirmed and what isn’t

The Gellért complex — both the hotel and the baths — is operated separately from Budapest’s other municipal thermal facilities. Unlike Széchenyi or Rudas, which are run by Budapest Spas (Budapesti Fürdők), the Gellért operates through a different management structure connected to the hotel ownership.

Renovation of historic spa buildings is common in Budapest. The Lukács baths underwent significant works. Sections of the Rudas have been closed and reopened over the years. What’s different about Gellért is the scale of the building and the complexity of doing any substantial work while maintaining hotel operations.

As of the writing of this post, no confirmed closure date or start date for a major renovation has been officially announced. There have been market reports and industry speculation, but the Gellért has not made a definitive public statement about a long-term closure. Things may have changed since publication — please check current status via the official Gellért Hotel website or Budapest Spas before making plans.

Why this matters for visitors

Travellers sometimes book Budapest specifically to visit the Gellért, treating it as a centrepiece experience. If the baths are partially closed, operating on reduced capacity, or mid-renovation, the experience may differ significantly from what they’ve seen in photographs.

The Gellért is also the most expensive of Budapest’s main thermal baths. A full-day ticket can reach 18,000–24,000 HUF (roughly €45–60) depending on timing and booking method. That’s a meaningful spend to make without confirming you’ll get the full experience. A Gellért day ticket booked in advance typically includes access to pools, thermal baths, and outdoor areas — but check what’s included given the current situation.

The honest comparison: Budapest’s baths without the uncertainty

The silver lining of any Gellért situation is that Budapest has excellent alternatives that, in some respects, offer a more authentic thermal experience.

Széchenyi (City Park, District XIV) is the most visited thermal complex in Hungary, but for good reason: it’s enormous, well-maintained, has genuine outdoor pools usable year-round, and the neo-baroque architecture is remarkable. On winter mornings, soaking in the hot outdoor pool surrounded by steam is one of Budapest’s defining experiences. Read the full Széchenyi baths guide and see our bath comparison.

Rudas (Buda embankment, District I) is the most architecturally distinctive of the functioning historic baths — a 16th-century Ottoman-era octaganal pool beneath a domed roof with star-shaped skylights. The weekend sparty nights are an entirely different experience. The Rudas baths guide covers the practical details.

Lukács (District II, Buda side) is the local’s choice — less tourist infrastructure, lower prices, a genuine neighbourhood spa where you’re as likely to be sitting next to a retired doctor as a stag group. It has a lovely outdoor pool and a long history of therapeutic use. Quieter, calmer, more the Budapest that Budapestians actually use.

Dandár (District IX) is the most budget-friendly municipal bath, almost entirely off the tourist map. Prices are aimed at local residents, the facilities are functional, and you’ll almost certainly be the only foreigner there.

For a structured decision about which bath suits your priorities, see our best thermal baths in Budapest guide, which covers the trade-offs honestly.

How the baths fit into a wider Budapest itinerary

A thermal bath visit works best when it’s not an isolated attraction bolted onto a day of sightseeing. The Hungarian bath tradition is about a certain pace: enter, acclimate, move between pools at different temperatures, rest, repeat. Two hours minimum; a full half-day is not unusual.

This rhythm fits naturally into a late-morning start or an afternoon-into-evening visit. Many visitors find that pairing a bath with the Gellért Hill walk (before or after) makes geographic sense — the citadella views over Budapest, the Liberation Monument, and the Gellért embankment are all within easy walking distance. Our Budapest 3-day itinerary has a suggested structure that incorporates baths without making them the whole day.

The Budapest Card offers discounts at participating thermal baths, but not typically the full-price establishments, so check what’s included before assuming it covers your preferred bath.

What to pack and what to expect

Regardless of which bath you choose:

What to bring: swimwear (briefs for men in some traditional baths), sandals or flip-flops, a towel (or rent one at the entrance), and the patience to figure out the locker systems, which vary by venue. The thermal bath etiquette guide covers everything from how to navigate the changing rooms to tipping practices.

What to know about tickets: Budapest’s major tourist baths have been subject to reseller activity — third-party apps and street touts who sell at inflated prices. Buy tickets at the official counter, via the official website, or through established booking platforms. Our baths prices and tickets guide explains the pricing tiers and what each includes.

What to know about the experience: You can spend 90 minutes or five hours. Nobody rushes you. The baths are year-round operations — winter visits to outdoor pools are specifically worth seeking out, something the outdoor baths in winter guide covers in detail.

The bottom line

The Gellért baths are worth visiting if they’re fully operational. They’re an architectural experience unlike any other bath in the city, and the outdoor wave pool — a quirky historical addition — is genuinely fun. But the uncertainty around renovation is real, and making a Budapest trip contingent on the Gellért is not wise planning in late 2024 and beyond.

Check status before you go. Have a backup bath in mind. And know that Budapest’s thermal culture is bigger and richer than any single building — even one as beautiful as the Gellért.

For everything you need to plan a bath-focused visit, see our thermal baths hub. For broader trip planning, the Budapest travel guide brings it all together.