Soak, Steam, and Unwind: Welcome to Therme
Looking for a way to escape the hustle and bustle of Bucharest? Look no further than Therme Spa. This massive spa complex is located just outside the city center and offers a variety of thermal pools, saunas, infrared beds, body treatments, and water slides to help you relax, rejuvenate, and have fun!
Therme Spa is divided into three zones: Galaxy, Palm, and Elysium. Each zone has its own unique atmosphere and offers a different experience. We’ve included a section about each of these zones that should help you make up your mind on what you should buy tickets for.
If you’re worried about cost, don’t be! As unemployed backpackers, we thought that this place would be far too luxurious and expensive for us when we first came across it. However, for an all day pass with complete access, lunch, and a few bottles of water, it cost less than $50 each. You can certainly spend more money on cocktails at the many pool bars, multiple kinds of massages, and other wellness treatments, but if you’re on a budget this place is still very within reach.
Whether you are looking to relax, rejuvenate, or have some fun, Therme Spa is the perfect place to escape the city and enjoy a day of pampering.
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Which Zone Should I Get Tickets For?
Galaxy: If you’re visiting Therme with your family, this will be the zone you’ll want to be in. This is the only zone that allows children under 14. The Galaxy is definitely the most crowded (and loud) zone in Therme because any ticket for Therme will include access to Galaxy. This zone has the longest indoor water slide system in Europe (consisting of 16 waterslides!), and the slides are a ton of fun.
Palm: If you’re visiting Therme for relaxation purposes but are not a huge sauna fan, the palm is the zone for you. This area has a huge thermal pool where you can order drinks and lounge around all day in a real botanical garden. This area is gorgeous and was probably our favorite of the three zones.
Elysium: If you’re looking to relax with some pool time and some sauna time or participate in one of the sauna activities, Elysium is for you. Elysium only offers one more pool, but it also offers a variety of themed saunas that have aroma and aufguss activities all day.
Tip: A ticket for the Palm automatically gets you access to the Galaxy zone, and a ticket for Elysium gets you access to the entire complex.
Don’t Forget Travel Insurance!
Safety Wing’s Nomad Insurance is how we travel knowing that if something bad were to happen to us, we’d be protected. They cover medical assistance if you get sick or get into an accident which gives us peace of mind while on the road. In addition to medical benefits, they also cover lost baggage, travel delays, and even evacuation from political and environmental dangers! They have additional add-on coverage for non-US residents for extreme adventure activities, electronics theft, and US coverage. This is a must-have for every long-term traveler!
What to Do at Therme
There is so much to do at Therme. They host a bunch of activities each day, so don’t forget to check out the activities schedule before you go! The colors next to each of the activity names shows you what zone they’re in: Galaxy is pink, Palm is blue, and Elysium is green.
Most activities are held in the Elysium saunas, where some simply involve an aroma in the sauna and others are Aufguss rituals. Aufguss rituals are led by an Aufguss Master, who controls the heat and aromas through rhythmic movements. These rituals last for about 10 minutes (though you can leave anytime!), and they’re definitely an experience you shouldn’t miss if you get access to the Elysian zone.
During our time there, we went to Cold Skincare in the Provence Sauna and Scandinavian Rain in the Bavaria Sauna. Both were very cool experiences and unlike anything we’d done before.
If you’re looking for some outdoor time, there is a ton to explore outside of the main building. Therme has giant outdoor pools, and during the summer, they have the largest urban beach in Europe. In fact, they even host a beach volleyball tournament there every year. You can also spend some time walking around the multiple parks (Therme has the largest indoor and outdoor botanical garden in Romania).
Therme really does have something for everyone and SO much to explore, so I have no doubt that you’ll be able to fill your day and have an amazing time here.
How Long to Stay at Therme
You can choose to stay at Therme for 3 hours, 4.5 hours, or get an all day pass. Personally, we got all day passes and ended up staying for 8 hours because there is SO much to do. If you want to explore all three areas, we definitely recommend the all day pass. If you want to beat the lines for the waterpark in the Galaxy area, we recommend getting here early!
Therme is open from 10am to 11pm Monday-Thursday, 9am to 12am Friday-Saturday, and 9am to 11pm on Sundays.
What to Bring to Therme
Within the Complex
The most important things to bring to Therme are your bathing suit, flip flops (or any sandals that you don’t mind getting wet), and a towel. Flip flops are required throughout the complex; you take them off only at the entrances to pools and saunas. Towels are required for any sauna, and you’re expected to always have the towel between your body and the sauna wood. If you have long hair, make sure you bring a hair elastic or something to keep your hair up, as you’re not allowed to have your hair down in the pools.
Tip: If you don’t have flip flops with you, you can buy some at Therme. The complex also has towels and robes for rent.
When you enter Therme, you receive a wristband with your locker number on it, and you’ll use this wristband to pay for everything while you’re inside the complex. Therefore, you really don’t need to walk around with anything other than flip flops and a towel. You pay for whatever you’ve charged to your wristband when you leave at the end of your stay.
Luggage Storage at Therme Bucharest
If you’re visiting Therme on your way to or from the airport, rest assured that you’ll be able to store your carry-on bags in the lockers included in your ticket. If your checked bags are too big you can leave your bags at the reception desk!
What NOT to Bring
If you’re planning on using any of the slides in the Galaxy area, do not wear any jewelry. You will be instructed to take necklaces/bracelets/rings off before using any slides. Also, taking photos or videos of the complex is permitted as long as you do not bring your phone into any pools or saunas. Pay close attention to the signs at the entrance to pools or saunas; those list out the rules for the areas you are entering, and these rules are strictly enforced.
Dining at Therme
You’re not allowed to bring any food or drinks into Therme from outside, so you’ll have to get food in the complex. There’s one restaurant in each of the three areas, so your ticket determines where you’re allowed to eat. We ate at the Humboldt Restaurant in the Palm, and the food was amazing. They have tons of choices from around the world; we got the drunken noodles and a Lebanese chicken dish and both were fabulous. It was also much cheaper than we expected it to be – it was about $10 per meal!
Cost of Therme Spa
The cost of entry to Therme Spa depends on how old you are, how long you stay, and which zone you visit. The different age groups, in order of most expensive to least, are adults, seniors and students over 14 years old, kids between 3 and 14 years old, and kids under 3 years old (free). Students over 14 years old and seniors have the same prices. You can stay either 3 hours, 4.5 hours, or the full day. The Elysium section is the most expensive and gives you access to the entire complex, The Palm is the next most expensive and gives you access to Galaxy, and Galaxy is the cheapest.
Below are the prices for adults visiting Monday-Thursday; if you’re visiting on the weekend or a school holiday add 10 RON to the Galaxy prices, 15 RON to The Palm prices, and 20 RON to the Elysium prices.
| Galaxy | The Palm | Elysium | |
| 3 Hours | 59 RON ($13 USD) | 81 RON ($18 USD) | 111 RON ($24 USD) |
| 4.5 Hours | 83 RON ($18 USD) | 105 RON ($23 USD) | 135 RON ($30 USD) |
| Full Day | 115 RON ($25 USD) | 137 RON ($30 USD) | 167 RON ($37 USD) |
Check the prices for your age, length of stay, and desired areas
There are additional treatments you can pay for such as massages, that can cost $80+ USD as well as tons of places you can grab a drink or some food. We spent less than $50 USD but could have definitely spent more!
Is Therme Spa Adults Only?
There is no age limit for the Galaxy section of Therme Spa. However, you have to be 14 years old or older to enter The Palm and Elysium. You can easily get to The Palm and Elysium from Galaxy, so if one parent watches the kids in Galaxy, the other parent can enjoy The Palm and Elysium in a more peaceful environment. Keep in mind that you do still have to buy tickets for the zones you want to enter!
How to Get to Therme
Public Transportation
If you’re coming from the city center, the buses will be the best option to get to Therme. We took the 783 bus (which is also the airport bus) and then switched to the 442 bus at one of their shared stops. The 442 bus is the only one that takes you all the way to Therme, so you’ll definitely want to end up on that one.
In order to use the Bucharest public buses, you’ll need a ticket beforehand. You can either use the 24pay app or buy tickets at a kiosk near the bus stations.
From the Airport
You can take a taxi or take the 442 bus from the airport bus station to the Therme bus stop.
Check out the Schedules for all Bucharest Buses Here
With a Tour
If you don’t feel like organizing the transportation to get to Therme, you can go as part of a tour, which will include round trip transportation from your hotel as well as the ticket price. For a 4.5 hour trip to Therme, check out this tour; and for all day, check out this tour!
Is Therme Spa in Bucharest Worth Visiting?
Absolutely! We had an amazing time, felt extremely relaxed in spas and thermal pools and got our adrenaline pumping at the waterpark. The restaurants provide a variety options of delicious food so neither picky eaters nor culinary enthusiasts can complain! The prices are extremely reasonable–but they definitely won’t stay this low forever!
Keep Exploring Romania….
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- Brașov and Sinaia: The Best Four Day Transylvania Itinerary
- The 10 Best Things to Do in Bucharest
- Sighișoara: A Charming Transylvanian Town with a Rich History
- Salina Turda: The World’s Most Exciting Salt Mine
Our Favorite Travel Resources
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Flights: We recommend using Skyscanner to find the cheapest and best flights.
Ground Transport: We use 12Go and Omio for buses and private transfers, and rentalcars.com and Discover Cars for rental cars.
Activities: GetYourGuide and Viator are the best websites for booking organized tours.
International Medical Insurance: We highly recommend SafetyWing for Digital Nomads and HeyMondo for those not traveling full-time, or who frequently engage in higher-risk adventure activities.
eSIM: We recommend Airalo or Holafly for getting data internationally.
Check out our Travel Resources Page for more of our favorite travel-related products and services!
