My First Time Traditional Turkish Hammam Experience

I hadn’t even heard of a Turkish Hammam until I received a welcome email from my Istanbul hostel with suggestions for things to do. On the list was a Turkish Hammam experience, which I immediately googled. It definitely sounded a little out of my comfort zone, but hey isn’t that what travelling is all about? So, after some research, I showed up for my first ever traditional hammam, a little nervous, but ready for anything.

And now I am going to walk you through my experience, sharing some helpful tips along the way, to help you prepare for your own Turkish hammam experience! But first a quick spoiler alert: I really enjoyed it!

So what is a Turkish hammam anyway?

Essentially, it is a traditional, public bath house. Derived from roman baths, and common throughout the Ottoman Empire, hammams are still a popular part of Turkish culture today as places to go for cleaning, relaxing and socializing.

While there is some variety between different hammams, with some sticking to traditions and others adapting for western tourists (a cross between a  traditional hammam and modern spas), the general concept remains consistent. There is typically a large, warm, steamy, and often round, room with a heated marble slab in the centre of the room, and flowing taps all around. Small pools and saunas are also common features.

But what really makes the traditional Turkish Hammam a unique experience is the fact that someone else washes you! This is certainly something I have never experienced before so I was pretty nervous going into it, but I knew I would regret not giving it a try while in Turkey.

A quick note about the photos in this article:

I was lucky enough to be the only woman at the hammam when I went so I was able to take photos of the bath area. However due to the amount of steam in the room they aren’t very good quality. But you should still be able to get the idea of what it looked like!

First thing’s first. How do you pick a hammam to go to? There are so many choices!

There are hundreds of hammam options to choose from in Istanbul, but a few factors will help you narrow down your options. Consider location, price, and the type of experience you are looking for.

Do you want it to be a traditional experience, or would a bit of a modern twist making it more into a hammam spa be a welcome addition? Would you feel more comfortable to go to one with lots of other tourists? Or would you prefer to find one that locals go to? Some also have private rooms available if you are uncomfortable with the idea of a public bath. Or, if you are too weirded out by someone else washing you at all, many have self serve options too!

Ask the staff at your hotel, take a look at ones you walk by, look at pictures online, and read reviews. And, if you are a women, pay particular attention to reviews from other women.

If you are looking for a more luxurious hammam option check out Cagaloglu hammam. Starting at 60 euros, heading to Cağaloğlu Hamamı is definitely a treat yourself experience. But it might just be one of the most beautiful hammams around and it was featured in the book 1000 Places To See Before You Die! I didn’t actually go here myself but I heard that while beautiful and luxurious, the experience felt a bit rushed. If you want to sit around and hangout in the actual bath house (instead of with Turkish tea and desserts afterwards), this might not be the place for you.

If you are looking for a more authentic experience then I definitely recommend Gedikpasa Hammam. It was built in 1475 and is much more affordable (300 Turkish Lira). Plus, once you are done with the wash you can hang out in the bath house, pool, and sauna for as long as you like! This is where I went.

Prices, options, hours and location of Gedikpasa Hammam

Gedikapasa is located in the Sultanahmet area, not too far from the Grand Bazar. You can easily find them on google maps. However, when I went the hours on google didn’t align with their actual opening hours. They were open until midnight everyday! If you want to go in the evening, past when google says they close, it might be worth giving them a call or walking by to see the hours posted out front!

Here are the prices and options that were available when I went in December 2022:

Bath Services: 
Self Service Bath = 175 Turkish Lira
Body Scrub & Soap Massage = 300 Turkish Lira

Massage Services: 
Extra Oil Massage = 150 Turkish Lira
Extra Honey Massage = 150 Turkish Lira

Face Masks:
Clay Mask = 100 Turkish Lira

I opted for the Bath Scrub & Soap Massage option.

How to prepare and what to bring

Honestly, there is not much you need to do to prepare! Most things you need will be provided by the hammam. However there are a couple things to remember.

Take off any jewelry and leave it at home. Or you can leave it in the locker room you’ll be provided.

If you usually wear glasses and have contacts I definitely recommend putting them in. You’ll want to be able to see the place!

While in the bath house you typically only wear a pashmina towel (provided). You keep the towel on while walking around and in the sauna, but if you are uncomfortable with the idea of some public nudity, you could wear a bikini. Up to you!

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, I encourage you to keep an open mind and embrace the whole experience. 

First steps, what to expect when you arrive

The first room you walk into will be a large room with tables for people to enjoy Turkish tea and chat. There are also small side areas off here with hair dryers and mirrors for after your hammam! This space is for both men and women.

After you have paid, you will then be brought to a gender specific area. That said, it’s worth noting that from this point forward my experience is from a woman’s perspective! I have heard there may be slight differences between a woman’s hammam and a man’s, but they are quite similar. However, while many hammams have separate areas, others have separate times for men and women instead, so make sure you check the one you will be going to!

This next area was another big room, but this time had small change rooms all around. The spa attendant who had brought me in gave me a pashmina towel, an exfoliating mitt, and directed me into one of the rooms. The changing room had a bench, several hooks and a key to lock it. I took off all my clothes, wrapped myself in the towel, grabbed the mitt and the key, and locked the door.

Then the same lady guided me into the bathing room. There was a door to a sauna in one of the corners and she told me “sauna 10 minutes” before leaving me to it. She didn’t speak very much English. I was also the only one there at this point. I headed into the sauna and relaxed for awhile!

The washing

After what felt like closer to 15 minutes (though I had no way of telling), I was too hot to sit in the sauna any longer. So, I went back out to the main bathing room and sat on the heated marble slab. Soon a woman came in and started filling up buckets from the taps around the room. I wasn’t sure who she was at this point so I just kept sitting on the marble slab.

After the buckets were full and she had changed into a bathing suit, she told me to come over. Having no idea how any of this was supposed to go, I just stood in front of her looking a little lost. She clearly picked up on this because she said “Is this your first time at a Hammam?”

“Yes,” I said, and she quickly took charge! She grabbed my towel from me, briefly leaving me standing there naked and confused. Then she lay the towel down on the marble slab and told me to lie on it.

I did as I was told, lying face down, and then she started scrubbing me with the exfoliating mitt. She scrubbed my entire back side, then told me to flip over and did my entire front side. Finally, she had me sit up and did my whole arms like that. The mitt is definitely a bit rough, but it didn’t hurt at all. Actually, I thought it felt really good. And so many dead skin cells came off.

Then she had me rinse off in the shower, and come back to lie on the towel again. I was a bit awkward through this whole process, not knowing exactly what to do, but she was so nice about it.

This next part was definitely the best. She got a bucket full of very sudsy, very warm water and a washcloth. Then she washed my entire body, in the same way she had scrubbed it with the exfoliating mitt. However, this time she also massaged me as she washed. Between the massaging and the fact that the sudsy cloth was probably the softest thing I had ever felt, this part was so relaxing!

After she finished washing me, I rinsed off in the shower again. There was shampoo and conditioner to wash your own hair as well.

What happens after you are done being washed?

When you are done being washed, you can stay and hang out for as long as you like! There is small, but deep, pool and of course the sauna, to enjoy. The pool had cold water, but not uncomfortably cold. Perfect for cooling off after a sauna! And it is a really unique pool, up some stairs so it is like it’s own small room with a dome ceiling.

Then, when you are ready to go, there is a nice warm, dry, and large towel waiting for you! You can get changed, use the hairdryers if you like, and enjoy a cup of Turkish tea in the front area. This also gives you a chance to relax a little with anyone of the opposite gender you might have come with. But don’t forget to leave a tip for the person who washed you on your way out!

Final Thoughts

While my first time Turkish hammam experience definitely took me out of my comfort zone a little, I really enjoyed it! In fact, I was hoping to go again before leaving Turkey, but unfortunately it didn’t work out. (Make sure you check if the Hammam you plan to go to is for both men and women or if it has separate times for men and women!) That said, I will definitely go again next time I’m in Turkey!

Would you try a traditional Turkish hammam? Or if you have already, what did you think of it? Let me know in the comments!

Like this? Pin it!

Other Posts About Turkey You Might Like:

• A Guide To The Friendly Cats of Istanbul (With Photos)

Thanks for reading! If you want to follow along for more content like this, subscribe to my newsletter to stay up to date on new posts!