Your guide to the best saunas in NSW

Across cultures and centuries – from Finnish forests to Japanese onsens – saunas have been embraced as spaces of renewal. These days, they feel more essential than ever. A good sauna session doesn’t just raise your temperature; it resets your nervous system, soothes your body and gives your mind a much-needed moment of stillness.

The health benefits of saunas include:

• Muscle and joint relief: The heat helps ease stiffness and tension, especially after a workout or long day on your feet.
• Natural detox: All that glorious sweat? It helps flush toxins through the skin and lymphatic system.
• Cardiovascular health: As your heart rate gently rises, circulation improves – like a warm hug for your body.
• Mental clarity and stress relief: Saunas are proven to lower cortisol and help you drop into a calm, meditative state.
• Glowing skin: Steam opens pores and boosts blood flow, leaving you with that post-sauna glow.
• Immunity boost: Regular sauna sessions may help strengthen immune defences by increasing white blood cell production.

Traditional Finnish saunas are the classic sauna experience – think high heat, thick hot air and that satisfying ‘bake and sweat’ feeling. Heated by either fire or an electric stove, rocks inside the sauna radiate warmth throughout the room. When water is poured over them, it creates a burst of steam (known as löyly in Finnish), intensifying the heat and opening up your pores. The ritual is usually done in cycles, alternating with cold plunges or brisk showers to stimulate circulation, awaken the senses and restore balance. It’s not just a sweat session – it’s a deeply cleansing, soul-soothing tradition that invites you to slow right down.

Infrared saunas take a gentler approach. Instead of heating the air around you, infrared light waves penetrate the skin to warm you from the inside out, triggering a deep, detoxifying sweat at lower temperatures (typically between 45°C and 60°C). This makes the experience easier to ease into, especially for those sensitive to heat. Many find it more meditative and longer-lasting, making it ideal for beginners or anyone looking to support recovery, reduce inflammation or manage chronic pain.

To make the most of your sauna session, it’s all about intention and ease. Start by staying well hydrated – before and after – so your body can sweat freely without feeling depleted. If you’re new to sauna therapy, ease in with shorter sessions around 10 to 15 minutes and build up from there.

Many sauna spots also offer cold plunges or showers and the contrast between hot and cold is not only invigorating but great for boosting circulation and mental clarity. After your session, take a few extra minutes to rest and cool down – don’t rush the moment. Whether you bring a cup of tea, a journal, or simply tune into your breath, sauna time is a chance to slow down, reconnect and soak in the afterglow – mind, body and soul.

You’ll find Safir House on the far South Coast, about an hour north of the Victorian border, and it feels more like a design-forward sanctuary than a traditional wellness centre. With sleek two-person infrared sauna pods, this is where the hustle melts away. Add a lymphatic massage, guided breathwork or a contrast therapy session and you’ve got a full-body reset wrapped in minimalist luxury.

For one of the best beachside sauna’s, head to Spa by the Sea at Bannisters in Mollymook. We highly recommend a sauna session before one of their luxurious spa treatments - as your body unwinds in the gentle heat, your mind also gets a chance to relax, preparing you for the ultimate relaxation that follows.

https://www.welltraveller.com.au/operatorlistings/rejuvenate-at-spa-by-the-sea/

Further up the south coast, Life Centre Holistic Health in the Shoalhaven blends Eastern and Western healing traditions in a calm, nurturing space surrounded by bushland. Their infrared sauna supports circulation, immune function and nervous system balance – and if you’ve got time, a float or breathwork session is the perfect complement.

In Sydney’s inner west, Nature's Energy channels old-world bathhouse energy with a modern twist. Here, you’ll find both infrared and traditional Finnish steam saunas alongside hot mineral baths, cold plunges, and spa rituals like clay wraps and herbal scrubs. It’s one of the best saunas in Sydney and the kind of place where the city fades away the moment you step inside.

Heading to wine country? Jila Wellness in Mudgee offers an intimate, soulful experience. Their infrared sauna has the added benefit of Chromotherapy (a colour and light therapy designed to help balance your body and boost your mood). So a sauna session at Jila is the ultimate wellbeing reset, leaving you rested, energised and refreshed.

In the heart of Leura, Ubika Day Spa offers the ultimate forest-side warm up. While not a sauna, their Steam room offers a serene and tranquil environment, setting the perfect mood for relaxation while you are enveloped by the soothing warmth and gentle steam. The heat and moisture combine to create a peaceful retreat, allowing your body and mind to completely unwind. Opt for their ‘Day Spa Pass’ and get access to the Salt room and jacuzzi too!

Close by, in Blackheath, Blue Mountains Sauna is a public, Finnish-style wood-fired sauna set against a backdrop of eucalypt trees, complete with a cold plunge pool to kick your circulation into gear. It’s community-led, nature-powered and utterly grounding – bring a friend, your journal or just yourself, and let the stillness work its magic.