What to expect at a Korean spa (jjimjilbang)

A jjimjilbang is a Korean bathhouse: part public bath, part heated lounge, often open long hours. The big US ones, in places like Los Angeles, Dallas, Chicago, the New York area and Atlanta, feel like a day out rather than a quick sauna. Here is how a typical visit runs. Every spa words its rules a little differently, so the signs at the desk win.

Check-in

You pay for entry (usually a day pass, sometimes with a time limit or an overnight surcharge) and get a locker key on a wristband, towels and a uniform of shirt and shorts. The wristband usually charges food, drinks and treatments to your locker so you pay on the way out.

The baths: separated by gender, usually nude

The wet area is the part that surprises first-timers. Men and women have separate locker rooms and bath areas, and in most Korean spas bathing there is nude. You shower first, then move between hot pools, warm pools, a cold plunge, steam rooms and dry saunas. Swimsuits are often not allowed in the pools. Towels stay out of the water.

The heated rooms: shared and clothed

Put the uniform on and head to the common floor, which men, women and families share. Here are the jjimjilbang rooms: domes or chambers lined with clay, salt, jade, charcoal or amethyst, at different temperatures, plus usually an ice room. People lie on mats, nap, read and eat. Each room usually posts its temperature; move on if one is too hot.

Scrubs and treatments

The body scrub is the classic add-on: an attendant scrubs off dead skin with textured mitts after you have soaked. It is brisk. Scrubs and massages cost extra and fill up on weekends, so book at the desk when you arrive.

Food

Many have a restaurant or snack bar serving Korean staples. Eating happens in the common areas, never in the baths.

Rules that trip people up

• Shower before any pool, every time.
• No phones or cameras in locker rooms or bath areas.
• Tie long hair up and keep it out of the water.
• Some spas have age rules for children or set family hours. Check before you take kids.
• Visible tattoo policies vary. Most US spas allow tattoos, but ask if you are unsure.