If you are visiting Oslo anytime in the cooler months, this is a MUST-DO activity! It was by far the best thing we did in Oslo! So, which sauna should you visit? What do you need to bring? Is it expensive? Here is everything you need to know about partaking in an Oslo sauna experience!
- Why Even Participate in an Oslo Sauna Experience?
- About the Oslo Saunas
- Which Sauna Should you Choose?
- The Logistics of the Oslo Sauna Experience
- Cost of the Oslo Sauna Experience
- How to Book Tickets
- How Much Time should you Allot
- What to Pack/Bring With you to the Sauna
- Oslo Sauna Experience Final Thoughts
Work on Monday Travels is supported by readers and, at no cost to you, may earn commission when you book or purchase using our links. Full disclosure found here.
Why Even Participate in an Oslo Sauna Experience?
All of the info coming your way is useless if you aren’t even convinced you need to add this to your Oslo itinerary!
In all honesty, my initial thought of sitting in a STEAMING HOT room to sweat to death and then step out into the FREEZING, SNOWY weather to then plunge down into bone chilling water did not sound like a fun time.
- However, I was more than pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it! Was it uncomfortable in both extreme temperatures? Yes. But we all felt so good and had the same endorphin-releasing feeling as you do after a good exercise!
I can see why locals sign up for memberships and go frequently! I definitely recommend adding the sauna experience to your Oslo itinerary!
About the Oslo Saunas
With growing popularity in ice baths and the growing list of benefits of alternating from heat to cold plunging, the sauna experiences in Oslo and around the world are quickly growing! Saunas have been part of the Norwegian culture for a while, however, the history of the floating saunas in Oslo is relatively new!
The first floating sauna was only introduced in abut 2011 and the first saunas by Oslo Sauna Association were only established in 2016.
Now, Oslo has close to 50 saunas scattered around the city supplied by three major companies: Oslo Badstuforening, KOK and Oslo Fjord Sauna by Fjord CleanUp.
Sauna Companies in Oslo
Oslo Badstuforening (Oslo Sauna Association)
- The Oslo Sauna Association is a non-profit organization that supplies the workers for their saunas and then uses the money to upkeep the saunas.
- This company has about 20 different sauna options in 5 different locations; some that are mobile, some that are private saunas, and some shared saunas
- The main floating saunas are located at Langkaia 1, 0150 Oslo, just across fjord from the Opera House or at Sukkerbiten, located just past the Opera House.
KOK
- The second popular option for booking saunas in Oslo is through KOK Norge AS. These were established about a year after the Oslo Sauna Association and have saunas located along Langkaia just beside saunas of the Oslo Sauna Association at Langkai as well as at Aker Brygge
- KOK has private and public saunas as well as the option to do a sauna cruise which floats around the fjords of Oslo.
Oslo Fjord Sauna by Fjord Cleanup
Fjord CleanUp was founded in 2021 by the owner of Mad Goats who noticed a lot of trash while doing kayak and SUP tours. They do organized sessions to clean up trash out of the fjord regularly and then also have two saunas which you can book publicly or privately.
- All proceeds from the Oslo Fjord Sauna go to the Fjord CleanUp project.
- These saunas are located just behind the Opera House at 0150 Oslo, Norway
Mad Goats
- Mad Goats is a company that provides kayaking and SUP along the Oslo waterways. This company also added sauna experiences, but these are currently closed (as of September 2024), due to local residents complaining about it (don’t know the details)
Which Sauna Should you Choose?
It can be a little intimidating trying to choose which sauna to choose; there really are a lot of options. In all honesty, they all have similar attributes; sauna rooms, ladders to dip into the fjord, etc.
However, I do recommend choosing one that has a changing room option and a fresh water shower (we didn’t shower off until we got back to the hotel, but we were salty and sticky until we got there).
Oslo Badstuforening vs KOK vs Oslo Fjord Saunas
Again, these are the most popular companies to book tickets through and they offer very similar sauna options. All are going to be good experiences, but here are some pros and cons to each company.
- Oslo Badstuforening (Oslo Sauna Association)
- Pros: The non-profit feeds back into maintaining the saunas for the public, more location options, more variety in sauna types (yurt, mobile, etc)
- Cons: No sauna cruise option
- KOK
- Pros: Has a sauna cruise option, which can give you different views while enjoying your sauna experience
- Cons: Not as many unique sauna options
- Oslo Fjord Sauna
- Pros: Proceeds go to the Fjord CleanUp project, little cheaper than the other options
- Cons: Only 2 sauna options that are more self-served
Private vs Public Saunas
In all honesty, you will probably only want to do a private sauna if you have a group of 8-10 people. Otherwise, you will be spending way more then you really need to be. I highly recommend the public saunas!
How is the public sauna experience?
Is it awkward to share a sauna with a bunch of people you don’t know? Honestly, no. Here are a few things to know, though:
- Most people are at a sauna with the intention of having a peaceful, relaxing experience. I would minimize talking to be respectful of this.
- People are in the sauna with the expectation of a STEAMY, HOT room. Minimize how long you keep the door open when you leave to take a dip and try not to go in and out every 5 minutes.
- Swimsuits are required unless otherwise stated (some saunas are clothing optional)
Who We Used and WHy
We chose to use the Bademaschin 1 Sauna booked through Oslo Badstuforening because:
- It was within a short walking distance of our hotel (which was convenient when we were walking back semi-wet and ready to take a proper shower)
- It had a place to change, had a fire pit outside and offered a fresh water shower.
- One of the most useful thing if offered was a smaller room before you went into the main sauna room where you could still be warm but not smoldering hot; great for transitioning in/out of the extreme temperatures.
- It also had a cool diving platform, but we were NOT brave enough to use it 😅 we did witness come locals diving in though!
There are several other saunas located at Langkaia that fit this criteria, but I DO recommend the sauna that we used. We REALLY enjoyed this experience!
Stay at Comfort Xpress Hotel Central Station to be conveniently located by the saunas at Langkaia
The Logistics of the Oslo Sauna Experience
These logistics are based upon our experience at the Bademaschin 1 Sauna booked through the Oslo Badstuforening, but I lot of this will translate to MOST of the saunas!
- Arrive to the sauna in your warm, clothes with your swimsuit underneath to minimize how often you have to change.
- Once you arrive, head to the changing rooms to drop off your layers and belongings. There are lockers available, but most do not have locks (bring your own if you want)
- Note: Our changing room was not gender specific, nor were there partitions to change behind. We did the “hold a towel up for your friend” technique
- During the sauna experience:
- You will sit in the sauna until you can’t stand it anymore (the sauna sits at about 175 degrees F (80 degrees C) so it really doesn’t take much time before you feel like you are melting
- To control the heat, there is a bucket of water and dipper where you pour water onto hot coals to increase the steam and heat production
- The higher you sit in the sauna, the hotter it is (the seating is similar to stadium bench seating)
- Once you are so hot you can’t stand it, you will step outside, go down the ladder and stay in the cold water until you can’t stand it anymore. Then Repeat
- If you are brave enough, some of the saunas (the one we used) have diving decks to plunge head first into the water 😅
- Many of the saunas have fire pits outside to allow you to cool off without freezing
- Showers are available outside most of the saunas as well to wash off the salt water before changing back into your clothes
Cost of the Oslo Sauna Experience
Another perk, the Oslo saunas are quite affordable!
Oslo Badstuforening Sauna Prices:
- Public Sauna at Langkaia: 195 NOK or $18 USD per person (cheaper during the weekday and mid-day hours)
- Private Saunas: 1,300 NOK or $118 USD per sauna (8 people). Also have 10, 12, 16 and 25 person options
KOK Prices:
- Public Saunas: around 290 NOK or $26 USD per person
- Private Saunas: around 1,900 NOK or $173 USD per sauna (holds 10 people)
- Sauna Cruise: 3,600 NOK or $328 per sauna (10 people)
Oslo Fjord Sauna Prices:
- Public Sauna: 150 NOK or $13 USD per person
- Private Sauna: 2,000 NOK or $182 USD per sauna (14 people)
How to Book Tickets
At this time, tickets to the saunas need to be purchased directly through the sauna websites. RIGHT NOW, sites like Get Your Guide, Viator, Trip Advisor, etc, are not selling tickets to the saunas.
- HOWEVER, if you go onto all of the sites, you will see an option provided by Mad Goats for a public sauna experience. But, again, this company is currently closed (as of September 2024) which isn’t clear on the booking sites.
Book Oslo Badstuforening Sauna tickets here
Book KOK Sauna tickets here
Book Oslo Fjord Sauna tickets here
*these are not affiliate links*
How Much Time should you Allot
Most of the saunas give you a certain amount of time to spend in the sauna, which is usually about an hour and a half. Private sauna sessions are abut 2 hours.
We arrived at around 8:35 am and was dressed and leaving by 10:00 am.
What to Pack/Bring With you to the Sauna
The saunas will not supply you with towels or any supplies, so anything you think you may need will have to be brought on your own. Here is what you should bring:
- Towel- They actually recommend 2; one for sitting and one for drying. However, as a traveler, we had to borrow the hotel towel and only had one each and it was fine
- Water bottle- You are going to sweat a LOT; stay hydrated.
- Swimsuit- Again, these are required for most saunas!
- Wet beg- Anything you can put your swimsuit in before putting it into your backpack to prevent everything from getting wet.
- Undergarments- If you arrive in your swimsuit, don’t forget undergarments to change into after you are done
Shop
What NOT to wear during the Sauna Experience
Remember, the sauna is about 175 degrees F. Don’t wear
- Anything that can melt! I.E. plastic hair clips (Liz’s melted).
- Metal jewelry/accessories- I had a metal hair clip that got extremely hot. Be careful with necklaces and bracelets. I forgot to take off my wedding ring, but it did fine in the sauna.
Shoes aren’t necessary during the sauna experience either, so you don’t need to worry about bringing water shoes or sandals.
Oslo Sauna Experience Final Thoughts
Despite it kind of being a pain to change in/out of swimsuits, walk in the cold temperatures back to a hotel while being semi-wet and then having to shower and get ready for your day while traveling, the Oslo sauna experience is 100% worth adding to your itinerary!
Pin for Later!