The best saunas in London

If there’s one country that knows how to sauna, it’s Finland – the original home of the treatment. No surprises then that Rotherhithe’s Finnish Church (a meeting place for London-based Finns) has a top class version for natives and newbies alike. It’s small and only holds eight people, so either be prepared to share or book a private session from £25/hour.

With five locations across London, this one’s got the capital covered (Our fave is the Bethnal Green one at York Hall). Alongside their high-end saunas, the thermal spa package (a pretty reasonable £31 for two hours) also includes hydrotherapy pools, a hammam (Turkish baths), plunge pools and more. 

As far as sweaty splurging goes, fancy West End hotel The Corinthia’s Espa should rank near the top. Luxurious spa days start from £275, or you can join as a member for more regular gym ’n’ steam action. But with super stylish, top-end facilities including an epic-sounding amphitheatre sauna (gladiators not included), sometimes you’ve just got to treat yo’self

There's a true tranquillity to be found in this holistic salon. At the front of the space, you can get a manicure or shop for candles, bath salts and skincare products. On the lower-ground floor, there are treatment rooms and a wonderful private infrared sauna. During a 25 or 45 minute stint you'll get access to your own deliciously-smelling private room with a shower, water and the infrared sauna, which revives and boosts your immune system, helps you sleep better and is good for the skin. 

If you want to get more bang for your buck, then Brockwell Lido might just be your answer. Here, the Health Suite (featuring a sauna, steam room, jacuzzi and plunge pool) is an additional extra tacked on to their main gym and swim facilities. But for just £8 you can use the spa and gym. A true beauty bargain.

Trad saunas too flimsy for you? Fancy yourself a bit of a heat freak? Hoxton’s Banya No.1 might the one you’ve been looking for. Modelled on Russian spa rooms, it’s an intense, steamy experience that involves water being splashed onto pieces of 700º cast iron inside a brick furnace. Not one for the faint-hearted.

Want to heat-treat your aching muscles but don't want all those other naked bods in the room? Well, here you can try out your own personal infra-red sauna. Professing to be 20% more effective at eliminating toxins than regular saunas, these one-person pods don't come cheap (prices start at £40 for 25 minutes). But for some true me-time, they're top of the list.

Bayswater’s Porchester Spa claims to be the city’s oldest, but it’s still more than capable of competing with its more modern cousins. Day prices are comparatively cheap compared to some of London's most prestigious spas – non-members can expect to pay just under £30 a pop – and you’ll have the run of its sauna, steam rooms, hot rooms and plunge pool in the centre’s nearly 100-year-old surrounds. And relax.

Channel your inner Tolstoy with a good ol’ parenie, an old school Russian massage, which involves being swathed in hot wet leaves and pummelled by venik – a leafy bundle of herbs. It’s meant to reduce muscle tension and stress and it’s the speciality treatment at Banya No.1 – the only traditional Russian baths in London.

Unlike conventional saunas, the banya surrounds you with high levels of steam as water is splashed onto cast iron heated to 700ºC inside a brick furnace. Amid the pummellings you can also expect plenty of vodka shots and tasty Russian delicacies as part of the Slavonic experience. 

Parly Hill Lido's sauna is inside a shipping container, which is pretty cool. Even cooler is the price, as you can spend a stint in the hot box for only £3.30, which is less than a meal deal. An absolute bargain if we ever heard of one.