Bookings Up 11 Percent Since the Film! 24 Hours for 15,000–25,000 Won, a Sheep-Head Towel, Stone-Baked Eggs and a 20,000–30,000 Won Scrub—the Jjimjilbang Full Course [Things Worth Doing in Korea #9]

In the animated film KPop Demon Hunters there’s a scene where the heroines unwind in a bathhouse, towels wrapped on their heads, biting into eggs. The place where you can do exactly that is the jjimjilbang, and after the film’s June 2025 release, Klook bookings for jjimjilbang and scrub experiences rose 11 percent.

The foreign share shows in the numbers. At Spa Land in Busan’s Shinsegae Centum City, foreigners went from 8.7 percent of visitors in 2023 to 20.2 percent in 2025. In Seoul, Park Habio Water Kingdom in Songpa says 40–50 percent of its 400 daily guests are foreign, U-Like Spa in Yongsan had four times as many foreign guests in the second half of 2025 as in the first, and River Hill Spa in Hannam-dong went from 10 to 30 percent. Staff say many guests ask to be taught the “sheep-head” towel they saw on screen.

“So once I’m in, what do I do, and in what order?” This guide treats the jjimjilbang as one course from entry to exit: prices, how to move through the building, what to eat, how to ask for a scrub, etiquette and which spa to pick. Let’s get into it.

One Entry Fee Covers Everything! What a Jjimjilbang Is—a Bathhouse, Sweat Rooms and a 24-Hour Lounge

✔ It has two layers
A jjimjilbang has gender-separated baths you enter naked, and a shared floor of “sweat rooms” you use in the house uniform, men and women together. At the desk you pay and receive a locker key, a uniform (T-shirt and shorts) and towels. You wash and soak in the bath first, change into the uniform, and step out to the shared floor, where rooms of different temperatures line up: a pine-charcoal kiln (bulgama), a red-clay room, a salt room, an ice room. Ten minutes in a hot room, a rest, another room—and repeat.

The shared floor also holds a restaurant and snack bar, massage chairs, a big hall where people lie in front of the TV, and a sleeping room. At a 24-hour spa many visitors spend the hours after a late arrival or before an early flight here. The basics of Seoul jjimjilbangs are in a separate guide.

Seoul jjimjilbangs used to foreign guests — three compared

Spa	Nearest station	Hours	Price guide	Notes
Sparex (Dongdaemun)	Dongdaemun History and Culture Park, Lines 2, 4, 5	24 hours	15,000–20,000 won	Under Good Morning City; straight from late-night shopping
Siloam Sauna (Seoul Station)	Seoul Station, Lines 1 and 4	24 hours	15,000–20,000 won	Walking distance to the airport railroad; good before an early flight
Park Habio Water Kingdom (Songpa)	Munjeong Station, Line 8	24 hours	From the 20,000s	40–50% of 400 daily guests are foreign; attached water park

✔ If that wasn’t enough detail. “Seshin, the ₩40,000–50,000 Korean Full-Body Scrub” goes further in.

Crack the Egg on Your Shoulder? The Full Course in Order—Sheep-Head Towel, Eggs, Sikhye, Scrub

✔ The first job is the sheep-head towel
Once inside, wash in the bath and soak for 10–15 minutes. Change into the uniform and go to the shared floor, where the first job is the towel “sheep’s head” (yangmeori): fold the towel in thirds lengthwise, roll both ends outward, and set it on your head. It soaks up sweat and protects your hair in the hot rooms—and it’s exactly the shape from the film.

After two or three hot rooms, buy the brown stone-baked eggs (maekbanseok gyeran) and the sweet rice drink sikhye at the snack bar. The Korean way is to crack the egg on your shoulder, which is also the scene in the film. Banana milk and seaweed soup are the other regulars.

The scrub is ordered inside the bath. Go to the table where the scrub master (seshinsa) works; a full-body scrub runs 20,000–30,000 won and takes 20–30 minutes, no reservation, just wait your turn. Afterward soak again, put the uniform back on and lie down on the rest floor. If you plan to sleep until morning in the sleeping room, leave valuables in the locker.

First Time? Start in Dongdaemun! Where to Go—Dongdaemun, Seoul Station, Songpa

✔ For a first visit, Sparex in Dongdaemun is the easiest to read
It sits under Good Morning City, so you can walk in straight from the fashion malls that stay open past midnight. It runs 24 hours, which means it works even on the night you land. Siloam Sauna by Seoul Station is a short walk from the airport railroad, ideal for the hours before an early flight. Park Habio Water Kingdom at Munjeong Station in Songpa combines a water park and a jjimjilbang, and 40–50 percent of its 400 daily guests are foreign. One note: Dragon Hill Spa in Yongsan, still listed in older guidebooks, has been shut since 2021, so leave it off your 2026 shortlist.

If you go as far as Busan, Spa Land in Shinsegae Centum City has one of the highest foreign shares in the country and has been covered by CNN—but it runs on a four-hour ticket, so it can’t replace a night’s lodging. The three Seoul spas are all open 24 hours; most add a late-night surcharge, so check at the desk.

No Swimsuits! Etiquette and What to Bring—Nudity, Photos, Tattoos, Late Fees

✔ The baths are entered naked
Swimsuits aren’t allowed, and the uniform comes off in the bath area too. Covering yourself with a towel is fine, though nobody cares. No photos in the bath, obviously, and on the shared floor avoid shots with other people in them. Most spas no longer mind tattoos, but if yours is large, check at the desk.

Bring almost nothing. The uniform and towels are provided, and most baths have shampoo and soap. Toothbrushes and toner are sold at the snack bar. Valuables go in the locker. Purchases inside are usually logged to the barcode on your locker key and settled when you leave.

Most spas charge extra after midnight, and some don’t allow a full 24-hour stay. If you’ll sleep in the sleeping room, earplugs and an eye mask make it easy.

On the map — recommended places and Google ratings

Ratings and review counts were checked on Google Maps on September 4, 2026. They change, so tap through for the latest before you go.

• Sparex Dongdaemun — Google ★4.0 (1,675 reviews)
• Sparex Dongmyo — Google ★4.3 (687 reviews)
• Siloam Sauna (Seoul Station) — Google ★4.0 (456 reviews)
• Water Kingdom & Spa (Munjeong) — Google ★4.0 (1,844 reviews)

FAQ

Can I wear a swimsuit?

No. The baths are entered naked. The shared sweat rooms are used in the provided uniform, men and women together.

Are tattoos allowed?

Most spas no longer mind, but check at the desk if yours is large. Spas with many foreign guests, such as Sparex, are used to them.

Can I stay overnight instead of a hotel?

At 24-hour spas you can stay in the sleeping room until morning, but most add a late-night surcharge and some do not allow a full 24 hours. There are no beds — mats and wooden pillows on the floor.

How much is the scrub?

Ask the scrub master inside the bath: about 20,000–30,000 won for the full body, 20–30 minutes. No reservation needed.

How do I fold the sheep-head towel?

Fold the towel in thirds lengthwise, roll both ends outward, and place it on your head. Some snack bars will show you.