Tongdo Charcoal Kiln Sauna
통도참숯가마
Six oak-fired kilns at different temperatures, ten minutes by car from Tongdosa Temple.
About this place
NotesA charcoal-kiln sauna complex in Sangbuk-myeon, Yangsan. You sit inside domed kilns that have been fired with oak, so the heat behaves quite differently from a tiled sauna room — it radiates out of the mass rather than being blown at you. Several kilns are kept at different temperatures, and the intended way to use the place is to move between them rather than to endure the hottest one. It sits about ten minutes by car from Tongdosa, a UNESCO World Heritage temple, which makes it easy to build a day around, and there is a restaurant on site where you grill pork belly. Entry is 16,000 KRW for adults, 10,000 for children and 6,000 for preschoolers. Closed on Thursdays. The venue takes a break from 3 to 14 August 2026 and will be closed on those days.
Practical notes
There are several kilns at different temperatures, so it is easier to start with a cooler one and work up rather than going straight into the hottest. According to the venue's own notice, Tuesdays and Saturdays are the days the kilns are unloaded.
Compiled from publicly available information and visitor reports. The rating shown is an editorial summary of the same, and does not mean we have visited every place in person. Prices and hours may change — please confirm with the venue before visiting.
No booking needed
Just walk in
Places like this do not take bookings. Pay at the counter and go in. Know the steps below and a first visit is fine.
From the door to the exit
- Pay the entry fee at the counter. Many take cards, but a little cash is the safe bet. You get a shoe-locker key.
- Put everything in a locker in the changing room. The bath area is fully nude — no swimwear. Wear the key on your wrist.
- Shower before entering any tub. This is the one rule everyone notices.
- For a body scrub (seshin), go straight to the scrub attendant inside the bath area. Usually cash, and you wait your turn.
- Return the key at the counter on the way out. Some places settle extras (scrub, drinks) at that point.
Good to know
- Men and women bathe separately. In jjimjilbang common areas you wear the provided sauna clothes.
- Large tattoos may be refused at some places. If that concerns you, check before you go.
- A towel is usually provided but small. Scrub mitts, toothbrushes and razors are sold at the counter.
- No photos inside the bath area. Easiest to leave your phone in the locker.
- Prices and hours are compiled from public information and may have changed. If you are coming from far, one phone call is worth it.
Point and show at the counter
No Korean needed — just show this screen.
Tongdo Charcoal Kiln Sauna
어른 1명 입장이요.
Eoreun han-myeong ipjang-iyo. — One adult, please.
세신(때밀이) 얼마예요?
Seshin eolma-yeyo? — How much is the body scrub?
문신이 있는데 들어가도 돼요?
Munsin-i inneunde deureogado dwaeyo? — I have a tattoo — is it okay to enter?
수건 하나 더 주세요.
Sugeon hana deo juseyo. — One more towel, please.
Need something checked?
Tattoo policy, scrub-attendant hours, whether foreign visitors are welcome — it varies by place. LUWEI can call and check for you. Free for now.
Ask LUWEI to check →If a public bath feels like a lot
Private scrub rooms are one-to-one, bookable, and run on a fixed time slot. If a public bath feels unfamiliar, this is the easier route.
See private scrub rooms →Before you go
EssentialsThis page contains affiliate links. If you book or buy through them, LUWEI may earn a commission — at no extra cost to you.
Confirmed by the venue, Jul 30, 2026
Info updated: 2026-09
Details may differ from actual conditions.
What stands out
- +Several kilns kept at different temperatures
- +Ten minutes by car from Tongdosa Temple
- +Grill restaurant on site
- +Entry in the mid-10,000 KRW range
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