Checked 15 September 2026; Dagály prices and the Gellért renovation status updated 23 September 2026. Every water temperature, price and opening time below comes from the bath’s own website; Budapest’s baths typically adjust prices at the start of the year, so check the live price tracker before you go.
This guide contains an affiliate link. If you book a ticket through it, HungarySpaGuide earns a small commission at no extra cost to you. It does not change which baths we recommend.
The short version
The best outdoor thermal baths in Budapest are Széchenyi, with three outdoor pools from 26 °C to 38 °C, and Rudas, whose 36 °C rooftop pool looks over the Danube. Lukács, Dagály and Pesterzsébet also keep a warm outdoor pool open all year, at a fraction of the price. Gellért’s outdoor pools are closed until at least 2028.
- Most outdoor pools: Széchenyi – swimming pool 26–28 °C, experience pool 32–34 °C, thermal pool 36–38 °C.
- Only rooftop thermal pool: Rudas – 36 °C, 16 people, minimum age 14.
- Cheapest outdoor thermal pool: Dagály – 36 °C, 4,500 HUF (~€12) on weekdays.
- Summer-only: Római and Palatinus’s outdoor thermal pools are closed until next season; Csillaghegy’s outdoor pools are summer-only and not thermal.
Which Budapest thermal baths have outdoor pools?
Six baths in Budapest have a warm outdoor pool that tourists can use in September 2026: Széchenyi, Rudas, Lukács, Dagály, Pesterzsébet and, in a reduced form, Palatinus. The table compares them on the three things that decide a visit: how warm the outdoor water is, whether it is open in winter, and what a 2026 adult ticket costs.
| Bath | Outdoor pools and water temperature | Open in winter? | Adult ticket 2026 (weekday / weekend) | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Széchenyi | Swimming pool 26–28 °C, experience pool 32–34 °C, thermal pool 36–38 °C | Yes | 13,200 / 14,800 HUF (~€36 / €40) | The classic outdoor experience |
| Rudas | Rooftop panorama pool 36 °C (16 people) | Yes | 12,000 / 15,000 HUF (~€33 / €41) | Views over the Danube |
| Lukács | Experience pool 33–35 °C | Yes | 7,000 / 8,000 HUF (~€19 / €22) | Half the price of Széchenyi |
| Dagály | Thermal pool 36 °C, healing pool 34 °C | Yes (summer pools closed) | 4,500 / 4,900 HUF (~€12 / €13) | The lowest price |
| Pesterzsébet | Thermal sitting pool 35–37 °C | Yes | 4,700 / 5,700 HUF (~€13 / €16) | Budget bathing in south Pest |
| Palatinus | Sitting pool 32–35 °C, swimming pool 26 °C (thermal pools closed 31 August) | Partly | 3,800 / 4,200 HUF (~€10 / €11.50) | Summer days on Margaret Island |
Euro figures are approximate, converted at the ECB rate of 366.71 HUF per euro.
Which outdoor thermal bath in Budapest is best?
Széchenyi is the best outdoor thermal bath in Budapest for a first visit, because it has the most outdoor water and it is open all year. Rudas is the best choice if the view matters more than the pool size. The other four are cheaper, and each suits a different kind of day.
1. Széchenyi Baths – the classic outdoor experience
Széchenyi Baths in City Park has three outdoor pools: a 26–28 °C swimming pool, a 32–34 °C experience pool and a 36–38 °C thermal pool. The bath is open 7:00–20:00 Monday to Thursday, 7:00–22:00 on Friday and 8:00–20:00 at weekends. The pools close 20 minutes before the building does.
A 2026 adult ticket with a locker costs 13,200 HUF (~€36) Monday to Thursday and 14,800 HUF (~€40) Friday to Sunday. Two cheaper tickets are worth knowing:
- Good Morning ticket: 10,500 HUF (~€29) on weekdays if you enter by 9:00.
- Evening ticket: 6,600 HUF (~€18) on weekdays for the last two hours before closing.
Széchenyi, booked ahead: a skip-the-line ticket with a locker or a private cabin, valid all day. Check Széchenyi ticket prices and availability
Read the full Széchenyi Baths guide for the indoor pools, saunas and how to get there.
2. Rudas Baths – the rooftop pool
Rudas Baths, at the Buda end of Elisabeth Bridge, has the only rooftop thermal pool we could verify at a public bath in Budapest. The panorama pool is kept at 36 °C, holds 16 people and is 90 cm deep. It sits in the wellness section, which is open 6:00–20:00 (until 22:00 on Mondays).
An adult ticket costs 12,000 HUF (~€33) Monday to Thursday and 15,000 HUF (~€41) Friday to Sunday. Rudas does not admit anyone under 14. On Friday and Saturday nights Rudas runs a separate night-bathing session from 22:00 to 03:00 for 15,000 HUF (~€41), sold online only, which covers the Turkish bath, the swimming pool and the wellness section.
We don’t link to a Rudas ticket: the only Rudas product on our booking partner is a dinner package, so the official Rudas price list is the better place to start. More in our Rudas Baths guide.
3. Lukács Baths – half the price of Széchenyi
Lukács Baths, in Buda near Margaret Bridge, has one outdoor experience pool at 33–35 °C, open all year, alongside indoor thermal pools at 32, 36 and 40 °C. It is open 7:00–19:00, and until 22:00 on Tuesdays.
At 7,000 HUF (~€19) on weekdays and 8,000 HUF (~€22) at weekends, Lukács costs about half as much as Széchenyi, for one outdoor pool instead of three. See the Lukács Baths guide.
4. Dagály – the cheapest outdoor thermal pool
Dagály, in District XIII by Árpád Bridge, is run by the National Sports Agency rather than the Budapest Spas company, which is why it rarely appears in tourist guides. Its outdoor thermal pool (36 °C) and healing pool (34 °C) are open all year; the large summer pools closed on 13 September 2026, and the 50-metre pool is closed indefinitely.
From 16 September 2026, a weekday adult ticket costs 4,500 HUF (~€12) and a weekend ticket 4,900 HUF (~€13). The bath is open 6:00–20:00.
5. Pesterzsébet – budget bathing in south Pest
Pesterzsébet Baths, in District XX, has an outdoor thermal sitting pool at 35–37 °C that stays open all year. Its wave pool and children’s pool closed for the season on 6 September 2026.
An adult ticket costs 4,700 HUF (~€13) on weekdays and 5,700 HUF (~€16) at weekends. It is open 8:00–20:00, and until 22:00 on Saturdays.
6. Palatinus – the summer lido on Margaret Island
Palatinus Strand on Margaret Island is Budapest’s biggest outdoor pool complex, but it is a summer venue. Its outdoor thermal pools, wave pool and beach pool are already closed for 2026. The 26 °C swimming pool and a 32–35 °C sitting pool stay open, and the Margaréta pool runs until 27 September.
From 14 September the ticket drops to 3,800 HUF (~€10) on weekdays and 4,200 HUF (~€11.50) at weekends. Palatinus is open daily 9:00–19:00. For the full thermal-pool experience, come back in June.
Is there a rooftop thermal pool in Budapest?
Rudas Baths has the only rooftop thermal pool at a public bath in Budapest that we could verify: a 36 °C panorama pool for up to 16 people on the roof, looking over the Danube. It is open all year, including winter evenings.
With room for only 16 people, the pool can fill up at busy times, and at 90 cm deep it is a soaking pool rather than a swimming pool. Hotel rooftop pools in the city are not the same thing: the Continental Hotel’s rooftop pool, for example, runs at 28–30 °C, opens only from spring to autumn, and is not described as thermal water.
Which outdoor pools in Budapest are summer-only?
Palatinus, Római and Csillaghegy are Budapest’s summer outdoor pools, and Palatinus and Római have already closed their main outdoor pools for 2026. Each bath publishes its own season:
- Római Strand: open 14 June – 30 August 2026; now closed.
- Palatinus: outdoor thermal pools, wave pool and beach pool closed on 31 August; the Margaréta pool closes on 27 September.
- Dandár: the two outdoor experience pools (36 °C and 38 °C) open from spring to autumn only; the indoor thermal pools run all year. Outdoor access costs a 1,000 HUF add-on to the thermal ticket.
- Csillaghegy: outdoor pools are summer-only and are not thermal (22–23 °C); the thermal pools there are indoors.
- Dagály: the summer pools closed on 13 September; the thermal pools stay open.
- Pesterzsébet: the wave pool and children’s pool closed on 6 September; the thermal sitting pool stays open.
Paskál also has warm outdoor pools, but the bath itself lists them as not thermal.
Can you use the outdoor pools in winter?
Yes. Széchenyi’s three outdoor pools, Lukács’s experience pool, the Rudas rooftop pool, Dagály’s thermal pool and Pesterzsébet’s sitting pool all stay open through the winter. Bathing in 36–38 °C water when the air is below freezing is one of the best reasons to visit Budapest between November and February. Our guide to Budapest thermal baths in winter covers opening hours over Christmas, sunset times and which bath is open latest on each night.
What happened to Gellért’s outdoor pool?
Gellért Baths closed on 1 October 2025 for a full renovation, and its outdoor pools closed with it. The bath’s own website gives 2028 as the expected reopening. Hungarian press reports from June 2026 said the indoor bath could reopen in 2028 and the outdoor area in 2029, but only if the renovation loan is approved. The government refused the roughly 20 billion HUF loan in December 2025, and the city re-applied in March 2026. As of 23 September 2026 we found no public confirmation that it has been approved.
Any guide that still lists Gellért’s outdoor pool as an option is out of date. For an outdoor pool in Buda, go to Rudas or Lukács instead.
How much do outdoor thermal baths in Budapest cost in 2026?
An adult ticket to an outdoor thermal bath in Budapest costs between 4,500 HUF (~€12) at Dagály and 14,800 HUF (~€40) at Széchenyi at the weekend. Weekend tickets cost roughly 9–25% more than weekday ones at every bath in this guide.
To pay less at the big two:
- Go on a weekday. Széchenyi costs 1,600 HUF less Monday to Thursday; Rudas costs 3,000 HUF less.
- Go early or late at Széchenyi. The Good Morning ticket (entry by 9:00) is 10,500 HUF, and the evening ticket is 6,600 HUF on weekdays.
- Bring your own towel. Buying one at the bath adds a cost that many visitors don’t expect. Our what to wear guide has the full packing list.
All current prices, including cabin and locker surcharges, are on our Budapest thermal bath price tracker.
Frequently asked questions
Which Budapest thermal baths have outdoor pools open all year?
Széchenyi (three outdoor pools, the warmest at 36–38 °C), Lukács (an outdoor experience pool at 33–35 °C), Dagály (an outdoor thermal pool at 36 °C) and Pesterzsébet (an outdoor thermal sitting pool at 35–37 °C) all keep outdoor pools open year-round. The Rudas rooftop pool (36 °C) is also open in winter.
Is there a rooftop thermal pool in Budapest?
Yes. Rudas Baths has a rooftop panorama pool at 36 °C with room for 16 people and a depth of 90 cm, overlooking the Danube. It is part of the bath’s wellness section, and the minimum age at Rudas is 14.
What is the cheapest outdoor thermal bath in Budapest?
Dagály is the cheapest outdoor thermal bath we checked: an adult ticket costs 4,500 HUF (~€12) on weekdays and 4,900 HUF (~€13) at weekends in 2026, and its 36 °C outdoor thermal pool is open all year.
Is Gellért Baths’ outdoor pool open in 2026?
No. Gellért Baths closed on 1 October 2025 for renovation, including its outdoor pools. The bath’s own website gives 2028 as the expected reopening, but as of September 2026 the renovation’s financing had not been publicly confirmed.
Are Budapest’s outdoor summer pools still open in September?
Mostly not. Római closed on 30 August 2026, Palatinus closed its outdoor thermal pools on 31 August, and Dagály’s summer pools closed on 13 September. Széchenyi, Lukács, Rudas, Dagály’s thermal pool and Pesterzsébet’s sitting pool stay open.
Where to go next
For a ranking that includes the indoor baths, read our best thermal baths in Budapest guide. Before your first visit, the bath etiquette guide explains the house rules and the unwritten ones.
Sources
- Széchenyi Baths – pools, opening hours and 2026 prices: szechenyifurdo.hu (checked 15 September 2026)
- Rudas Baths – pools, opening hours, 2026 prices, night bathing: rudasfurdo.hu (checked 15 September 2026)
- Lukács Baths – pools, opening hours and 2026 prices: lukacsfurdo.hu (checked 15 September 2026)
- Dagály – pools, prices and opening hours: National Sports Agency, nsu.hu, including the price list valid from 16 September 2026 (checked 23 September 2026)
- Pesterzsébet Baths – outdoor pools and 2026 prices: pesterzsebetifurdo.hu (checked 15 September 2026)
- Dandár Baths – outdoor pool season and 2026 prices: dandarfurdo.hu (checked 23 September 2026)
- Gellért renovation loan refused in December 2025: termalonline.hu; re-application and timeline: infostart.hu (3 May 2026), nepszava.hu (18 June 2026)
- Palatinus Strand – pools, available services and 2026 prices: palatinusstrand.hu (checked 15 September 2026)
- Csillaghegy, Paskál and Római – pool parameters and prices: each bath’s own website (checked 15 September 2026)
- Gellért Baths – closure notice: gellertfurdo.hu; Budapest Spas cPlc announcement, 25 September 2025; Népszava, 18 June 2026
- Continental Hotel Budapest – wellness page (checked 15 September 2026)