This is the list I hand people on day three, once the hills have done their work. Five bathhouses and saunas, ranked, from a Japanese communal bath in Japantown to a Russian banya in the Bayview with a cafe attached to it.
Read the etiquette in each write-up before you go. Kabuki alternates men’s and women’s days, several of these are clothing optional, and Pearl is women only.
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1
Kabuki Springs & Spa
A Japanese-style bathhouse in Japantown's Japan Center with communal hot and cold pools, a steam room, and a dry sauna. Gendered days; all-gender on Mondays and Tuesdays.
1750 Geary Boulevard, San Francisco, CA 94115 Full write-up → -
2
Onsen
A Japanese-inspired communal bathhouse with a 104-degree soaking tub, redwood sauna, steam room, and cold plunge. Reopened in 2025 after a five-year closure. Bathing suit optional on select days.
466 Eddy Street, San Francisco, CA 94109 Full write-up → -
3
Archimedes Banya
A Russian-style bathhouse in the Bayview with saunas, plunge pools, an on-site cafe serving Russian and European food, and chess meetups. Happy hour pricing on weekday afternoons.
748 Innes Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94124 Full write-up → -
4
Alchemy Springs
A 2,500-square-foot sauna and cold-plunge garden on Lower Nob Hill. The centerpiece is a 40-person circular sauna; the space also includes cold-plunge tubs, rain showers, and a fire pit.
Lower Nob Hill, San Francisco Full write-up → -
5
Pearl Spa & Sauna
A women-only Korean spa in Japantown with body scrubs, saunas, steam rooms, and hot tubs. Open since 2016. Appointments only.
Japantown, San Francisco, CA 94115 Full write-up →
Last checked August 17, 2026
