Sauna Gus in Copenhagen: Sessions and Available Times

From floating saunas on Refshaleøen to harbour saunas in Nordhavn and Sydhavn and quieter indoor spots in Frederiksberg, there's a lot to choose from. Most places combine guided gus sessions with a cold dip in the harbour or the sea.

First time? Read how to pick your first sauna gus. Want the full rundown with neighbourhoods, prices and tips? See our visitor's guide to sauna gus in Copenhagen.

Every sauna has its own booking system, which makes finding a free spot a pain. Zauna collects the available times in one place, shows how many spots are left and sends you straight to the sauna's own booking page. No middleman and no extra fees.

Want to book gus in Copenhagen today? See all available times.

Zauna currently lists around 100 saunas in Copenhagen and the rest of Zealand that run gus sessions, about 70 of them in and around the city itself. Together they hold hundreds of sessions every week, and new places keep opening.

Nordhavn: modern harbour saunas

New architecture, harbour swimming and saunas with a view. Calm and a little polished. Try Sauna House or Analog Sauna.

Sydhavn: raw and social

Rougher around the edges, with intense sessions and the hot and cold contrast front and centre. Try Sauna Club Sydhavn or Sidste Mole.

Refshaleøen: floating saunas and big views

The old shipyard island, now full of food markets and saunas on the water. Lively, especially at weekends. Try Sauna Svala - La Banchina or Havgus.

Amager: beach and city

Saunas right by the sea at Amager Strand, plus everything from small clubs to bigger venues. Try INIPI or Sauna Svala - Amager Strand.

Frederiksberg: quiet and indoor

Smaller groups and more control over the details. Frederiksberg Kurbad is a classic.

Indre By: right in the centre

Handy if you're staying in town. Social Sauna at Papirøen sits on the water across from Nyhavn.

Worth the trip: north along the coast

With a free afternoon, head north. Kurhotel Skodsborg has gus with direct access to the Øresund, and Temple Sea Bath is out in Gentofte.

Browse all saunas on the map →

Ten years ago, a guided sauna session was something you did at a spa. Now it's a normal Tuesday evening for a lot of Copenhageners. Winter swimming went mainstream, saunas started opening on the harbour, and gus masters got properly good at what they do.

What sets the city apart is how close everything is. You can leave the office, take the bike to the harbour and be in a sauna 15 minutes later.

A spa is quiet and you do your own thing. A gus is shared and guided: a group in one room, a gus master in charge of the heat, and a clear start and finish.

In Copenhagen it usually ends with a jump into the harbour or the sea, which is about as far from a hotel spa as it gets.

A large part of Copenhagen's sauna culture is connected to the city's harbour baths and cold-water swimming.

Many saunas sit directly on the water, so you can jump in between rounds. Nordhavn, Sydhavn, Refshaleøen and Amager Strand are the obvious places.

In winter the water is around 4 degrees. It sounds mad until you've tried it straight out of a hot sauna.

A sauna gus session typically lasts 20 to 60 minutes and usually has two or three rounds of 10 to 15 minutes. Between rounds you cool down for a few minutes in cold water, outside or in a rest area. Including breaks, plan for 60 to 90 minutes.

Sauna gus is a guided sauna session where a gus master leads the experience with essential oils, towel-waving techniques and often music or storytelling.

The word "gus" refers to the moment when the master pours water and essential oils onto the hot stones and distributes the fragrant steam around the sauna with a towel. The result is an intense, sensory heat experience where the temperature gradually rises.

In short: the sauna is the room, the gus is what happens in it.

You can always leave the sauna if it gets too much. Nobody minds. More questions? See our FAQ about sauna and gus.