Finnish Sauna – A Practical Guide for Visitors to Finland

If you are visiting Finland for the first time, trying a Finnish sauna may be high on your list – but you may also be wondering what actually happens in a sauna. What is löyly? What should you wear? How hot is the sauna, and how long should you stay inside?

The good news is that enjoying a Finnish sauna does not require special skills. This practical guide covers the basics and helps you know what to expect from your first sauna experience in Finland.

What is a Finnish sauna?

A Finnish sauna is a heated room with a stove called a kiuas, topped with sauna stones. Water is thrown onto the hot stones, creating steam and making the heat feel more intense. This is known as löyly and is an essential part of the Finnish sauna experience.

Sauna bathing usually alternates between enjoying the heat and cooling down. You can sit in the sauna for a while, step outside or take a shower, and return when you feel ready. There is no set amount of time you need to spend in the sauna.

Saunas come in different forms. Electric saunas are very common, while wood-heated saunas are often found in cottages and rural settings. Finland is also known for its traditional smoke saunas, or savusauna.

What does löyly mean?

If you learn one Finnish word before going to the sauna, make it löyly.

When water is thrown onto heated sauna stones, the humidity rises and the heat feels stronger. This sensation – and the steam created by the water – is called löyly.

In a shared sauna, take the other bathers into account when throwing water onto the stones. Sauna is not about tolerating as much heat as possible. Everyone can enjoy it at their own pace.

How hot is a Finnish sauna?

The temperature varies from sauna to sauna, as does the amount of löyly. Instead of concentrating too much on the thermometer, find a place where the heat feels comfortable.

The upper benches are generally hotter, so sitting lower down can make your first sauna experience gentler. You can leave to cool down whenever you wish and return later.

Listening to your body is more important than trying to follow what everyone else is doing.

What should you wear in a Finnish sauna?

This is one of the questions many international visitors have before trying a Finnish sauna for the first time – and there is no single rule that applies everywhere.

Nudity is common in private and gender-separated saunas. In other places, swimwear may be worn or required, and mixed public saunas can have their own practices.

The easiest rule for a traveller is to check the instructions at the sauna you are visiting. If you are staying at a hostel or other accommodation, the staff can tell you how their sauna is used.

How to use a Finnish sauna

Take a shower before entering the sauna and follow the instructions provided at the location. In many saunas, bathers sit on a small sauna towel or disposable seat cover.

Sit down, relax and give yourself time to get used to the heat. Water can be thrown onto the stones to create löyly, taking other bathers into consideration if you are sharing the sauna.

When you feel warm enough, step out and cool down. Depending on the location, this could mean taking a shower, sitting outside or going for a swim. Remember to drink water, particularly if you spend a longer time alternating between the sauna and cooling down.

Most importantly, sauna is not a competition. You do not have to stay inside for a certain amount of time or tolerate heat that feels uncomfortable.

Can you swim after a Finnish sauna?

Sauna and swimming are a popular combination in Finland, especially when a sauna is located beside a lake, the sea or another natural body of water. A swim between sauna sessions can be a refreshing way to cool down.

In winter, some sauna-goers also swim in a hole cut into the ice. Winter swimming is entirely optional, and there are plenty of other ways to cool down.

Always follow local safety instructions, especially when swimming in natural waters or during winter.

Sauna is everywhere in Finland

Saunas are found all over Finland. According to UNESCO, Finland has around 3.3 million saunas, so you are likely to come across one during your trip – at accommodation, in a public sauna, at a summer cottage or even in an apartment building. Finnish sauna culture was inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2020.

Experience a Finnish sauna at a hostel

A sauna experience can also be part of your accommodation. Many hostels in the Finnish Hostel Association network have a sauna, and the experience can be very different depending on where in Finland you travel.

For example, at Hostel Ahopää in Kiilopää, Finnish Lapland, you can experience a traditional smoke sauna and cool down with a dip in a fell stream.

In Central Finland, Vaihelan Tila has a wood-heated sauna in the hostel building, surrounded by the landscapes of the Finnish countryside.

Sauna is not limited to rural or nature destinations. In Helsinki, Eurohostel has two atmospheric electric saunas with the look and feel of a traditional Finnish sauna.

At Hostel Ukonlinna in Imatra, sauna can be combined with the landscapes of Lake Saimaa: the sauna area next to the hostel offers different sauna experiences as well as the opportunity to swim in Lake Saimaa.

These are just a few examples of the sauna experiences available at hostels around Finland. Sauna facilities and practices vary between hostels, and you can check whether a sauna is available and find more information in the hostel’s details on the Finnish Hostel Association website.

Enjoy your first Finnish sauna

Your first Finnish sauna does not require a long list of rules. Follow the instructions at the sauna, take your time and enjoy the heat at a level that feels comfortable to you.

Sauna can become a memorable part of your trip whether you experience it at your accommodation, in a public sauna or somewhere surrounded by Finnish nature.

Want to learn more about Christmas sauna, Midsummer sauna, vihta and vasta, public saunas and the cultural meaning of sauna in Finland? Continue with our guide to Finnish Sauna Traditions – Discover Sauna Culture in Finland.

Published on 23 September 2026