Best spas and saunas in London’s East End, home of the capital’s first ever public baths

The East End has a rich history of sauna culture spanning centuries, so sit back as we show you the best places to detoxify, relax and do absolutely nothing.

London could be described as many things, but the word ‘relaxing’ probably isn’t on the tip of many people’s tongues. With 91% of Londoners saying they feel stressed at least once a month – the highest of anywhere in the UK – it seems we’re in dire need of spa time.

However, it’s the East End in particular whose rich migrant heritage has interwoven with spa and sauna culture over the last couple of centuries. 

The first ever public baths in London were The Whitechapel Public Baths, opened in 1847. For the poor living in an unhygienic and overcrowded Victorian East End, public baths played a pivotal part in improving sanitation and providing a place to wash themselves and their clothes.

However, something resembling the saunas we know and love today didn’t appear until a few decades later. In the late 19th century and early 20th century, thousands of Russian and Eastern European Jewish refugees migrated to London to escape economic hardship and religious persecution, 70% of whom settled in the East End, according to London Museum.

Along with kosher food and the Yiddish language, Jewish people brought with them the custom of Russian Bathhouses, also known as banyas, which were steam baths that used wood stoves and high humidity. The steam baths were typically used by Jewish men on Fridays after work at the beginning of the Sabbath before going to synagogue. 

These bathhouses elevated public washing facilities beyond simple hygiene, and instead towards spaces to de-stress and bond as a community. While the Jewish population in the East End has since decreased as Jewish families moved to the suburbs, the Russian-inspired spas around the area are a living, breathing peekhole into the past.

There is a great diversity of spas throughout Tower Hamlets ready to be explored, from the swish Arc spa in Canary Wharf, to a hippy dippy community spa in Hackney Wick, and the Victorian-Turkish hammams in Bethnal Green. 

So get your robe on, put your feet up, and let us take you on a guide of spa spots in and around Tower Hamlets – starting with London’s oldest remaining baths…

York Hall – Be Well the Spa 

BEST FOR AFFORDABLE LUXURY

In April, the refurbishment of Bethnal Green’s York Hall spa and thermal rooms, newly branded ‘Be Well the Spa’, was completed after renovations were announced in 2024. York Hall was built in the 1920s and is not only a leisure centre, but also one of England’s best-known boxing venues. Grand from the outside, it’s one of London’s last remaining Turkish baths and spas and similar in style to historic East End banyas. 

Tower Hamlets Mayor Lutfur Rahman branded it the “People’s Spa” at its reopening on 3 April 2025 after a half-million-pound renovation. With prices set by the council, the spa is part of a wider project to bring as many services ‘in-house’ as possible, such as council housing and youth services. 

Price-wise, it’s on the more expensive end of the list. However, it does offer luxury in the form of services such as soundproof treatment rooms, fluffy white bath robes and slippers, an infrared sauna, a plunge pool, and a relaxation lounge serving cucumber water. You’ll be among good company as a visitor to the spa, as it was opened in 1929 by the future King George VI and Queen Elizabeth.

York Hall Leisure Centre, 5 Old Ford Road, London E2 9PJ. For more info, visit Be-well.org.uk/spa/

Community Sauna Baths – Hackney Wick

BEST FOR HEAT THERAPIES

Located in the car park of The Bath House, the old 1930s Public Baths building on Eastway, Community Sauna Baths – Hackney Wick is a not-for-profit sauna that is a short walk away from Victoria Park and provides an unusual dose of nature. It’s outdoors, allowing you to feel the sun on your skin or gaze up at the stars, and includes wood-fired saunas, properly cold plunge pools, and a log brazier around which you can enjoy complimentary cups of free herbal tea.

However, what makes this sauna stand out is its mission to be as inclusive as possible through its range of events, such as Myth Mondays, where ancient myths are explored through rituals, storytelling & creative activities. Other events include Queer Poetry Saunas, Sauna Chorus group singing, and Sweat and Sketch sauna life drawing.

Our editor’s particular recommendation is Saunasthesia, where you experience temperature, sound and scent in a blackout sauna. Profits go towards their social prescribing programme, which supports cheaper community tickets for people who otherwise wouldn’t be able to attend.

The sauna is also home to the Saunaverse, which provides sauna information and events, including the annual Sauna Festival, which began in 2024.

The sauna offers six communal saunas for individuals, including a five-person sauna for group bookings, an additional private sauna, and plenty of cold plunges. At around £13, it sits in the middle of our list in terms of affordability. It’s cheaper off-peak, and the concessional rate is a third of the regular price. Sessions fill up quickly, so be sure to book in advance.

For a more detailed description, check out our Community Sauna Baths review.

The Old Baths, 80 Eastway, Hackney Wick, London, E9 5JH. For more info, visit Community-sauna.co.uk/hackney-wick-sauna

Sauna at Mile End Climbing Wall

Two tranquil traditional electric-fired Finnish saunas have made their way to an unlikely home at Mile End Climbing Wall, both set at different temperatures to allow a calming space for both seasoned sauna goers and newbies. 

Sauna Yksi (‘one’ in Finnish) feels like 85°C for optimal recovery, while its more gentle neighbour, Sauna Kaksi (‘two’ in Finnish), is tailored to first-timers and those looking for a less intense experience. However, if even that gets too much, their whisky-barrel plunge pool is just around the corner if you’re in need of a cool plunge.

At around the £9 mark, this is the cheapest option on the list, and understandably so, given it only offers two saunas, and you may have to wait to change as space is tight. You could get changed in the climbing centre changing rooms, but then you’ll have to negotiate the gravel forecourt in your bare feet and swimmers. Still, it’s an accessible option for those looking to dip their toe into the world of spas. 

Mile End Climbing Wall, Haverfield Road, London, E3 5BE. For more info, visit Mileendwall.org.uk/courses/detail/sauna-sessions

Arc at Canary Wharf

If you want a more social sauna experience, Arc is the place to go. The swish Canary Wharf sauna holds 60 people, promoting an open and communal space with an emphasis on unity and comfort. Their guided sauna sessions include a variety of practices such as meditation, breathwork and aromatherapy. 

Once you’re done in the sauna, you’re encouraged to sample the ice baths. While uncomfortable at first, you’ll feel incredible afterwards and will offer a bonding experience with the community you’ve formed. Your visit to Arc also includes the lounge, which offers herbal teas and water to help you stay hydrated during your stay.

The price per class is around £28, so it’s towards the more expensive end of our list.

Level -2, Unit 46, Minus, 1 Crossrail Pl, London E14 5AR. For more info, visit Arc-community.com/

Netil Rooftop

While not in Tower Hamlets, we wanted to give a mention to Netil Rooftop spa in Hackney. 

Receive a private sauna room and use of cold plunge pools and waterfall buckets while looking out across London. Longer spa sessions that are 60 or 90 minutes also provide a private cool down room which features a mini-bar, complimentary tea & coffee and essential oils & skin care botanicals.

From £11 per person, it’s one of the cheaper options on the list, making it an affordable chance to sit back and relax.

Netil Corner, 2 Bocking Street, London, E8 4RU. For more info, visit Rooftopsaunas.com/locations/hackney/

New Docklands Steambath 

BEST FOR DIE-HARD STEAMBATH FANS

One of the last remaining bathhouses in London, the New Docklands Steambath in Canning Town has been going since 1977. Opened in response to the gentrification of other spas and with a clientele of Cockneys, Russian immigrants, and ḥasidic Jews, this spa may be the closest you’ll get to the banyas of the late 19th century.

Among its offerings are four steam rooms of variable temperatures for both newbies and experienced steamers, a traditional cedarwood banya suite, a plunge pool and a bistro. The spa experience prides itself on simplicity, community, and unbeatable heat, so book in advance if that sounds up your street.

Prices are around the £25 mark, but vary greatly depending on the time you go. There are concessionary rates for over 65s and those in the emergency services, as well as further reductions for over 75s, but these don’t apply for mixed and weekend sessions.

30a Stephenson St, Canning Town, London E16 4SA. For more info, visit Newdocklands.uk/

If you enjoyed this article, read How to have a sober night in London’s East End