Checked 16 September 2026 against the bath’s official website and Hungarian press reports listed at the end of this page. There are no affiliate links in this guide.
The short version
Király Baths (often spelled Kiraly Baths) is closed and has been since 15 March 2020. The official website says the bath is closed for an indefinite period, and no reopening date exists in September 2026. The renovation has a design but no money. If you want an Ottoman bath in Budapest today, go to Veli Bej or Rudas.
- Status: closed since 15 March 2020, no reopening date.
- Why: closed for Covid-19, then kept shut because the building was too run-down to reopen.
- Renovation: designed by 3h Architecture, no funding or tender as of July 2026.
- See inside: Hungarian-language guided tours, 9,990 HUF.
- Go instead: Veli Bej (1574) or Rudas (1571/72), the two Ottoman baths that are open.
Is Király Baths open in 2026?
No. Király Baths has been closed since 15 March 2020, and its official Hungarian website says it is closed for an indefinite period, with no reopening date. Some travel guides updated in 2026 still list opening hours and ticket prices for Király. Those details are from before 2020 and no longer apply.
Why did Király Baths close?
Király Baths closed in March 2020 because of the Covid-19 lockdown, and stayed closed because the building was in too poor a state to reopen. According to Termál Online, the bath had been operating without health-authority approval since 2018. The operator, Budapest Spas cPlc (BGYH), said its pandemic losses of 3–4 billion HUF wiped out the money that had been planned for the renovation.
The closure had been coming for a while. In January 2019 the operator announced that Király would close for a two-year renovation from the second half of that year, but the work never started.
When will Király Baths reopen?
There is no reopening date, and none is likely soon. The renovation has a winning design but no confirmed funding and no construction tender as of September 2026. In July 2026 Infostart described Király’s situation as complicated and dependent on cooperation between the City of Budapest and the Hungarian government.
Three things explain the delay:
- Split ownership. The Hungarian state owns the building, the City of Budapest has the right to use it, and BGYH runs it, according to Világgazdaság (April 2024).
- Rising costs. The estimate was 3.5 billion HUF in 2019 and 6–7 billion HUF by 2024. A scaled-down 2024 plan brought it back to 4–4.5 billion HUF, according to the District II local paper.
- Other priorities. Hungarian press coverage of Budapest’s bath renovations in 2026 has focused on Széchenyi, Gellért and Rác. We found no Király funding or tender news between June and September 2026.
The design itself exists: 3h Architecture won the design competition that ran in 2017–2018. In 2024 the District II mayor restarted talks on funding, and the Gül Baba Türbe foundation signalled interest in taking part, as Népszava reported in July 2024.
Can you still see inside Király Baths?
Yes, but only on a guided tour. Imagine Budapest runs 90-minute building tours of the closed bath, including the pool hall, for 9,990 HUF per person. The tours are in Hungarian and are for visitors aged 12 and over.
The 2026 dates are 29 September, 6, 10 and 14 October, and 11, 19 and 23 November. The meeting point is Ganz utca 4 (at the Taras Shevchenko statue), and some dates are already full. Imagine Budapest runs English-language walks separately; this tour is listed only in Hungarian.
What made Király Baths special?
Király Baths is one of Budapest’s four Ottoman-era Turkish baths. Construction began in 1565 under Arslan, the pasha of Buda, and was completed by his successor Sokollu Mustafa, according to the bath’s own history page. Some sources date it to 1566–1572 instead.
- Built inside the walls. Király was deliberately built away from the springs so that it would stay inside the town walls during a siege.
- Water from Lukács. Thermal water reaches the building through a pipe of about 700 metres from the Lukács spring area, originally made of larch wood.
- The name. The König family took over the bath in 1796. König means “king” in German, and Király is the Hungarian word for king.
- Listed building. The bath was damaged in the Second World War, restored afterwards, and is a protected monument.
Which Turkish baths in Budapest are open in 2026?
Two of Budapest’s four Ottoman-era Turkish baths are open in 2026: Veli Bej and Rudas. Király and Rác are both closed. Our guide to Turkish baths in Budapest compares them in full.
| Bath | Built | Status in September 2026 | Adult ticket 2026 | Minimum age |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Veli Bej | 1574 | Open | 5,700–7,200 HUF (~€16–20) for 3 hours | 14 |
| Rudas | 1571/72 | Open | 12,000 / 15,000 HUF (~€33 / €41) weekday / weekend | 14 |
| Király | begun c. 1565 | Closed since 15 March 2020 | – | – |
| Rác | Ottoman era | Closed since 2002 | – | – |
Euro figures are approximate, converted at the ECB rate of 366.71 HUF per euro.
What is the best alternative to Király Baths?
Veli Bej is the best alternative to Király Baths: it is also an Ottoman bath, it has an octagonal central pool, and it is a short walk north of Király in District II. Rudas is the better choice if you also want a swimming pool, a wellness section and a rooftop pool.
Veli Bej – the closest match
Veli Bej Baths, at Árpád fejedelem útja 7, was built in 1574 by Sokollu Mustafa and has been run by the Hospitaller Order (Irgalmasrend) since 1806. Only 80 people can be inside at once. The bath does not admit anyone under 14, and it does not accept the Hungarian SZÉP card.
- Tickets: valid for three hours, 5,700–7,200 HUF depending on the day and time. Each extra minute costs 40 HUF.
- Opening hours: Monday and Tuesday 15:00–21:00; Wednesday to Sunday 6:00–12:00 and 15:00–21:00. The ticket desk closes at 11:00 and 20:00.
- Midday break: the bath is closed between 12:00 and 15:00 every day.
We could not load Veli Bej’s official website, so the prices and hours above come from Termál Online (prices updated 1 January 2026). Check the bath’s own website or Facebook page before you go.
Rudas – Ottoman bath plus rooftop pool
Rudas Baths, at the Buda end of Elisabeth Bridge, dates from 1571/72 and keeps its Ottoman dome and octagonal pool. The Turkish bath has six pools from 16 °C to 42 °C. Rudas sells its standard adult ticket as an all-zone ticket, which also covers a 29 °C swimming pool and the wellness section, where the 36 °C rooftop pool is.
The Turkish bath has separate sessions. Tuesday is women-only. Men-only sessions run 6:00–10:45 on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. It is mixed, with swimsuits required, on Monday, Thursday and Friday from 11:00 to 20:00 and all day at weekends. Check the timetable on the bath’s website before you go, because it changes. An adult ticket costs 12,000 HUF (~€33) Monday to Thursday and 15,000 HUF (~€41) Friday to Sunday. More in our Rudas Baths guide.
Lukács – same spring, not a Turkish bath
Lukács Baths draws on the same spring area that feeds Király, but its building is not an Ottoman bath. It has indoor thermal pools at 32, 36 and 40 °C and an outdoor pool open all year, for 7,000 HUF (~€19) on weekdays. See the Lukács Baths guide.
Frequently asked questions
Is Király Baths open in 2026?
No. Király Baths in Budapest has been closed since 15 March 2020, and its official website says it is closed for an indefinite period. No reopening date has been announced as of September 2026.
Why is Király Baths closed?
Király Baths closed in March 2020 because of the Covid-19 lockdown and did not reopen because the building was too run-down to operate. According to Termál Online, it had been working without health-authority approval since 2018, and the operator’s pandemic losses wiped out the money set aside for its renovation.
When will Király Baths reopen?
Nobody knows. The renovation has a design but no funding and no construction tender. In July 2026 Infostart described the situation as complicated and dependent on cooperation between the City of Budapest and the Hungarian government.
Can you visit Király Baths while it is closed?
Only on a guided tour. Imagine Budapest runs Hungarian-language building tours of the closed bath, including the pool hall, for 9,990 HUF per person. Tours last 90 minutes and are for visitors aged 12 and over.
What is the best alternative to Király Baths?
Veli Bej is the closest match: an Ottoman bath from 1574 with an octagonal central pool, a short walk north of Király. Rudas is the other Ottoman bath open in 2026 and adds a swimming pool, a wellness section and a rooftop pool.
Where to go next
Compare all four Ottoman baths in our Turkish baths in Budapest guide, or see the best thermal baths in Budapest for the full ranking. Current ticket prices for every open bath are on the Budapest thermal bath price tracker.
Sources
- Király Baths – official website, closure notice and history page: kiralyfurdo.hu (checked 16 September 2026)
- Termál Online – “Tartósan zárva marad a Király gyógyfürdő” (3 August 2020, updated 28 October 2025)
- HVG – renovation closure announcement (21 January 2019)
- Világgazdaság – ownership and renovation talks (17 April 2024)
- Második Kerület – renovation cost estimates (19 April 2024)
- Népszava – renovation talks with the Gül Baba Türbe foundation (30 July 2024)
- Ártér – design competition and building condition (19 March 2025)
- Infostart – overview of Budapest bath renovations (10 July 2026)
- Imagine Budapest – “Egy törökfürdő meséje” building tour (checked 16 September 2026)
- Termál Online – Veli Bej opening hours (updated 7 December 2024) and 2026 ticket prices (updated 1 January 2026)
- Rudas Baths – pools, opening hours and 2026 prices: rudasfurdo.hu (checked 16 September 2026)
- Lukács Baths – 2026 prices: lukacsfurdo.hu (checked 15 September 2026)