A recent trip to Scandinave Spa in Whistler got me rightly in the mood for Sauna Season: the comforting smell of cedar, the warming from the inside out, the satisfying feeling that all that sweat means toxins are leaving my body.

Back home in Vancouver, we might not have anything quite as spectacular in setting as Scandinave, which is literally built into the side of a mountain—but we sure do have a great selection of our own spots, each with their own draws and charms.

Saunas have a myriad of health benefits, including stress relief, improved quality of sleep, increased energy, and improved circulation. Just make sure to drink plenty of water during (and after) your session.

‘Tis the season for saunas in the city. Here’s a handy firsthand guide.

Halsa

Kitsilano’s Halsa offers an array of services, including floats, reiki, and massages. But I’m partial to the infrared sauna (lined with either cedar or hemlock wood), which comfortably fits two people—with room for stretching or impromptu yoga—and comes with an adjoining shower for cool-off periods. Unlike traditional saunas that use steam or heated rocks, infrared saunas use infrared light to gently heat the body. The result is a comfortable warming from the inside out. Halsa’s space is calming, airy, and light, with a relaxation room to chill out in after with tea if you so choose.

Cost: $56 for one person for one hour ($10 to add another person).

Best for: A seamless, simple, fast experience that fits into your busy schedule.

Float House

Better known for its sensory deprivation tanks, Float House in Gastown also has a hot-cold facility complete with sauna and frigid bath. The sauna itself is pretty tiny, so fitting two people in there would be on the tight side. The private room comes with a pre-filled bath of extremely cold water for dipping in and out as you please.

Cost: $75 for one person for one hour (or same price for two people for 40 minutes).

Best for: A true hot-cold circuit with none of the frills.

Hastings Spa

Iconique! Hastings Spa is an institution that dates back to 1926, when it was called the Hastings Bath House. These days the place has gone through some renovations to bring it into the modern era, but it still retains some of that East Van, shall we say, ruggedness. There are two options available here: steam saunas or high-heat saunas (word to the wise: leave all jewellery off, as it can sting the skin when it heats up). For an extra-great experience, book a reflexology massage and you also get access to a large, private cedar infrared sauna for 50 minutes afterwards.

Cost: $35 for one person for 1.5 hours ($63 for two people; price goes up for additional people, with a maximum of four). Or $62 for a 50-minute reflexology massage and 50-minute sauna (per person).

Best for: Value for money. Hands down. And being able to bring a small crew.

Fairmont Pacific Rim’s Nordic Spa

Quietly one of the best pool decks in the city, the Fairmont Pacific Rim has upped the ante even more with the launch of The Nordic Spa, which is perfect for locals who aren’t staying at the hotel but still want a taste of the good life. Set up on the outdoor deck, The Nordic Spa features a spacious cedar plank sauna and a cold-plunge tub, along with access to the gently heated pool and the hot tub. With a recommended four-time tour of hot and cold, you can do 15 minutes in the sauna, then cold plunge, then swap to the hot tub, then cold plunge, and so on. Surrounded by palm trees and outfitted with loungers, special warming robes, and fire pits (plus access to the pool bar), a few hours here will go by in a blink. (To make this experience feel even more like a getaway, consider stopping into the hotel’s Botanist restaurant for brunch first. For just over $70, you get a glass of sparkling wine, a cocktail of your choice, and a three-course meal. The burrata and smoked beet salad with crispy capers is delightful, as is the fermented salmon with crushed potatoes and garlic sauce; finish it off with the vegan almond creme brulee for something decadent but not overly sweet).

Cost: $148 for one person for two hours (Monday to Thursday only); includes access to Willow Stream Spa facilities, the fitness centre, and movement studio.

Best for: Feeling like you’re on vacation in your own city.

Circle Wellness

Perhaps the buzziest sauna offering in the city, the new Circle Wellness facility on Granville Island is nothing short of perfection. Circle Wellness began as a single circuit in a parking lot on Industrial Avenue, originally intended to showcase the kind of home spa design work that owner Paul Hennessey was capable of. He threw it up online for private bookings and the thing became so popular that he decided to expand—and I’m sure glad he did. Tucked away near the Granville Island Hotel, Circle Wellness offers what it bills as the world’s first automated spa circuit. You’re assigned a private pod (two people maximum), which is equipped with a change room to get ready for your session. Then you open the sliding door and enter an open-air spa circuit: rain shower with Circle Wellness’ own line of soap and shampoo, plant-lined walls, a beverage section with cold water and hot tea, a hot cedar soaking tub, a pad of warm stones, and a cold tub. The idea is that you spend about 30 minutes in the outdoor area, flipping between soaker tub, warm stones, and cold plunge as you please. Then a little bell dings and gently ushers you into the sweat portion, which has been dubbed the Wellpod; the salt-block-lined room is a timed experience that includes a gradual fading of light and increase in temperature. Afterwards, there’s enough time to hang around in the tubs for a little longer, shower off, and then float into the night.

Cost: $219 to $279 for two people (depending on length of session, time of day, and day of the week).

Best for: A totally private, unique, and luxurious experience. An absolute treat when you need it most.

Hillcrest Aquatic Centre

For a truly cheap option, head to Hillcrest Aquatic Centre right by Nat Bailey Stadium. Admission gives you access to the water facilities, which include a lazy river, an indoor leisure pool, an outdoor leisure pool, and a hot tub—plus a steam room and a sauna. Things can get really busy and loud here, meaning the sauna and soak experience might not be the most chill—but the price sure is right. Don’t forget to bring a lock for the change room lockers (better yet, leave all valuables at home or in the car).

Cost: $6.99 for most adults (prices are cheaper for kids, youths, seniors, and families).

Best for: A short, public sauna experience coupled with a soak in the hot tub or a few laps in the pool.

The Good Sauna

This pop-up experience travels around Vancouver, setting up shop in everywhere from Chinatown to East Van. Included in your experience is a Finnish steam sauna, very cold plunge baths, and a rest area for letting your body chill between rounds. You can drop-in by yourself and make some new friends (up to eight people are booked at once), or you can book the whole thing for you and nine of your pals and have it to yourself. Due to the transient nature of the experience, it’s less *cute* than some of the other options, but they still do a great job of making back alleys and parking lots feel cozy.

Cost: $45 for one person for one hour and 45 minutes (communal); $450 for 10 people for one hour and 45 minutes (private).

Best for: A sense of community and a cool ever-changing environment.

Gatherwell

New to the city is Gatherwell, which opened in Mount Pleasant in January 2024. Billing itself as a social club, Gatherwell really emphasizes the community aspect of sauna culture. Whether you come by yourself or with a partner (or pal), you will find yourself happily chatting with the other people in your session as if you’re old buds. Located in a parking lot just off of Broadway and Manitoba, Gatherwell’s space features a large barrel sauna, four cold-plunge tubs, and a lounge area with fireplace. The circuit is yours to run through as you please over the course of two hours. After just a few minutes, you’ll completely forget that you’re in the heart of the city.

Cost: $39 drop-in per person for two hours (community session); private sessions are more.

Best for: Low-cost sauna time with a true neighbourhood vibe (and perhaps some new friends).

The Finnish Sauna

With original stoves imported from Finland (and real-life Finnish man who runs the thing), The Finnish Sauna is perhaps the most authentic sauna experience in the city (fun fact: this is also the brand that supplies The Good Sauna with its hot room). Anyway, there is something spectacular about pulling up to one of Vancouver’s beaches, where The Finnish Sauna is often parked, and doing a hot-cold tour that means you’re either standing outside in your bathing suit in winter as bundled-up joggers look at you curiously—or you’re running into the ocean to get some extra relief from the heat. There are lots of options and locations to choose from, but truly nothing beats bursting out of the sauna and sprinting into the ocean. Tip: try to book during a time when the tide is in so that your sprint to the water is significantly shorter. Trust me.

Cost: $28 for one person for one hour and 50 minutes (communal, up to eight people); $275 for eight people for one hour and 50 minutes (private).

Best for: Making you want to fling yourself into the icy Pacific. Feeling the most alive you’ve ever felt in your life.