Therme București

About Therme București

Therme București is a complex of thermal pools, saunas and relaxation areas that opened in January 2016 in the commune of Balotești, on the DN1, a few kilometres north of Henri Coandă Airport. It is run by Therme Nord București, part of the Austrian Therme group, and its building, a steel-and-glass structure with a section of roof that opens in summer, houses an indoor botanical garden with hundreds of thousands of plants and more than a thousand palm trees. It passed one million visitors in its very first year, and in December 2016 the family area was extended by 4,000 square metres.

The water comes from the complex's own well, about 3,100 metres deep, drilled between December 2014 and February 2015, and reaches the surface at around 81 °C. It is a chloride-bicarbonate, calcium-magnesium geothermal water with a mineral content of about 2.3 g/l; before it reaches the pools it is softened, desulphated and ozonated, and in the pools it is 33–36 °C. This is not a spa resort with medical treatments but a place for relaxation and fun, where you come for a few hours or a whole day.

Good to know before you go

Getting there

By car: the complex is on the DN1 at Balotești, ~19 km from Piața Victoriei and ~4 km north of Henri Coandă Airport. From Bucharest, take the DN1 towards Ploiești and, ~300 m before the Hornbach store, move into the extra lane on the right, which leads straight into the Therme car park. From Ploiești (~40 km), turn back under the bridge at the airport and turn right at the Therme flags. Traffic on the DN1 is heavy at rush hour and at weekends, especially on the way back into the city.

Public transport: STB bus 442 links Piața Presei Libere with Therme, via Bd. Mărăști, Șos. București–Ploiești and the DN1, stopping at Henri Coandă Airport; the timetable is on the STB website. You can also reach the airport by train from Gara de Nord and then take bus 442. When you leave, there is a machine at the exit of the complex where you can call a taxi.

Where to park

The complex's car park is large and free, right next to the entrance; when it opened it had about 1,000 spaces. On very busy days access to the car park may be temporarily restricted once the complex reaches capacity. The car park also has an electric-vehicle charging hub, with 7 double stations (14 bays), at 1.75 lei/kWh, via the Voltrelli app. There is a bike rack, but it is not guarded.

Fees & discounts

Tickets are bought by zone and duration (3 hours, 4.5 hours or a full day), with a lower rate from Monday to Thursday and a higher one from Friday to Sunday, on public holidays and in the school holidays. Galaxy, the family zone: adults ~71 / 81 lei for 3 hours, ~101 / 111 lei for 4.5 hours, ~141 / 151 lei for a day; children aged 3–14 pay ~55–135 lei, seniors and pupils or students ~56–136 lei. The Palm, no children, which also includes Galaxy: adults ~102 / 117 lei for 3 hours, ~132 / 147 lei for 4.5 hours, ~172 / 187 lei for a day. Elysium, the sauna zone, which also includes access to The Palm and Galaxy: adults ~132 / 147 lei for 3 hours, ~162 / 177 lei for 4.5 hours, ~202 / 217 lei for a day. Children under 3 go in free, with their birth certificate. Every 30 minutes beyond the time paid for costs ~10 lei, and a visit longer than 5 hours 30 minutes is charged as a day ticket. There are also Smart Pass family packages (Galaxy, 1 or 2 adults with 1 or 2 children), cheaper Evening Special tickets on Monday to Thursday evenings outside the holidays, and a Morning Special ticket for The Palm, Monday to Friday until 11:30. Visitors with disabilities get 40% off, only at the ticket desks on site. Towel hire is ~31 lei, bathrobe hire ~39 lei. Massages and treatments are paid for separately. Holiday vouchers and holiday cards are not accepted. Prices checked in September 2026.

Rules

Children under 14 must be accompanied by an adult and may use Galaxy only; babies under 3 may also go into The Palm, and no children are allowed in Elysium. From 14, young people may come on their own, with an identity card. Swimwear, a towel and pool slippers are compulsory, and you shower before using the pools; men may wear swim shorts. You may not bring in food or drink from outside (except for children under 3), pets, pushchairs (prams are allowed) or bags larger than 25×35 cm. Children under 3 wear swim nappies and those under 5 armbands. Phones are not allowed in the pools, on the slides or in the saunas, and professional photography is forbidden. The slides have age and height limits posted at each one. You cannot leave the complex temporarily. Everything is paid for with the wristband you get at the entrance and settled on the way out; a lost wristband costs 300–600 lei.

Facilities

Changing rooms with lockers and cubicles · three restaurants (Humboldt, Greens, The Mango Tree), pool bars and a café, with ordering at kiosks and payment by wristband · shop selling swimwear, slippers and rubber rings; towels and bathrobes for hire · lifeguards at the pools and three first-aid points · free Wi-Fi · Galaxy and The Palm are at ground level and accessible to visitors with disabilities; Galaxy has an accessible toilet that doubles as a baby-changing room · high chairs for children · a room for large luggage, handy for those arriving from or leaving for the airport · smoking terraces · taxi-booking machine at the exit