If you’ve lived in New York City before, you’ve probably heard of Spa Castle.
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Spa Castle is a well-known Korean spa that—as the name suggests—is absolutely grandiose.
I remember my first visit back in the late 2010s. I was looking forward to spending time with my partner, soaking in hot tubs and then floating in pools before heading into a steam room.
That wasn’t the case. I was told to strip and then sent into a room to scrub my body clean—before getting into any of the pools. And speaking of pools, there were around five or six to choose from. Nude ladies were sitting in them, zenned out.
Naked, cold, and confused, I slipped into the closest option. For a while, I wondered what to do next; this space didn’t look like anything from the brochures.
I didn’t know it at the time, but this women-only, nude area is a gender-segregated area in Korean spa culture that’s known as the ‘wet area’ or jimjilbang. They’re segregated by gender because, like I just outlined, everyone is bucked naked.
Though it took my a while to figure out, this is the pre-spa area. Once you’ve prepped your body for more relaxation in the jimjilbang wet area, you can put on your bathing suit and head into the ‘dry area’ of the spa where there are saunas, sitting areas, cafeterias, and even gaming centers.
And while Spa Castle is some 6,800-something miles away from Seoul’s traditional spas, the experience isn’t too far off from what you might find if you travel to one of the city’s popular bathhouses.
If you’re heading to Seoul, don’t miss out. Even if you’ve never spent time in the nude before, you’ll be happy you went for it.
Consider this your guide to the best spas in Seoul and how not to get weirded out in the wet area wearing only your birthday suit. (Want a crash course in the Central European nude spa experience, instead? Start here.)
First, a note on nudity in spas
I don’t know if you’ve heard, but nudity is often cultural. In the context of the spa, nudity is non-sexual in the highest form.
Wet areas are gender-segregated because the idea is that you’re there for a medical-grade wellness treatment—not to see and be seen.
I can’t overstate this—there’s nothing sexy going on here. If you catch other guests staring at you, it’s probably just some unabashed curiosity. I noticed a few stares at Spa Castle because it was an overwhelmingly Korean establishment, and I stood out as a non-Korean.
So, what do you do if you want to have this experience in Seoul but you’re terrified of your own naked form and how others might see it?
Fake it till you make it. Walk in, undress, and keep moving. You’ll realize very quickly that it isn’t a beauty contest.
Here’s how things go at a traditional bathhouse. You enter and pay the admission fee, then pick up your smock and towels. These are the only items you’ll need in the wet area. Drop your shoes in the shoe locker, then store the rest of your belongings in a larger locker. Scrub yourself clean before getting into the water.
If you want to dig into spa experiences in Seoul, here’s a nice breakdown from a German solo traveler named Renata.
5 perfect spas in Seoul
Below, you can find five spas in Seoul that are perfect for your first jimjilbang and traditional bathhouse experience. As you check them out, you should be able to find a basic set of instructions on how the spa works. That should help you feel a bit more comfortable heading into your first South Korean spa.
- Siloam Sauna: Traditional dry spa experience that’s known for its high-quality treatments, including massages
- Myeongdong Hwanggeum Sauna: An upscale and traditional Korean spa where you can choose from four different sauna programs
- Whoo Spa Palace: A VIP-level spa that local celebrities love—expect to pay a pretty penny to soak here
- Spa Lei: A woman’s only bathhouse where family and friends usually gather—feel free to bring a (girl) friend
- Aquafield: A large-scale bathhouse that looks a lot like my Spa Castle experience—expect plenty of space to hang out in the cafeteria and even gaming areas (family friendly)
