There’s no denying it: the days are getting shorter, wetter and colder. One up-side to this otherwise dismal trifecta is that Vancouver (and the surrounding vicinity) is full of places to retreat for some heat – we’re talking saunas, spas and steam rooms.

Since there have been some notable additions around town recently, we thought that now was a good time to update our guide of local options to help raise your temperature over the months ahead…

AETHERHAUS | West End sauna situation, AetherHaus, (pictured above and in feature) has mythical inspiration: it’s named in honour of the ancient Greek fifth classical element, aether. Amenities are stunning and include a Himalayan Salt sauna, communal ice baths, and herbal tea lounge space, and showers stocked with natural products from The Soap Dispensary. Experience Aetherhaus free flow style with one of their 90 minute sessions, and choose from either silent, with an ambient soundtrack, casual, or with increased social interactions. Semi-guided offerings are wide-ranging (from German Aufguss inspired ‘Haus Classic’ or ‘The Pause’ silent option to live music-filled ‘Sound Journey’ and ‘Breath and Sound’). Class times vary, but are generally scheduled throughout the day from 7am to 9:15pm on weekdays. Single classes are $49 each, or grab a five- or ten-pack for $230 or $440. Memberships start at $175 per month for four visits, or double up your time for $250 per month. Unlimited visits will set you back $275 per month.  DETAILS

UNDER THE ROSE | Under the Rose (located inside the Ellis Building) features a 20-person sauna, three solo cold immersion tubs, towel and sandal services, a tea station, a changing room area with lockers, and one hella groovy-looking indoor lounge area for chilling out in. The latter also serves as the setting for their Evening Sauna Socials (the last Friday of each month, 8-11pm) which play up the social aspect of the Under the Rose experience, and also feature DJs, drinks and snacks. Regular Sauna & Cold Plunge bookings are every two hours, Friday through Monday from 8am until 8pm, Tuesday to Thursday from 4pm to 8pm. Score a single 90-minute session for $35, or get a discounted rate by purchasing a three-, five- or ten-pack. Memberships ($200 per month for unlimited usage), private bookings ($550), activity-forward weekly Leisure Club meet-ups ($35) or Breath Work sessions ($55) are also available.DETAILS

GATHERWELL | Tucked away in the warehouse and office district of Mount Pleasant, inside The Beaumont Studios (316 West 5th Avenue at Alberta Street), Gatherwell is a sauna, cold plunge and social club, with social connection as a core value. Their hot electric barrel sauna set-up fits 8-10 people. Community Sessions are self-guided, slotted in either 50- or 90-minute durations for $24 or $33. (Guided sessions are planned for the future.) Class passes ($79-270) and monthly memberships ($155 for up to 2.5 hours daily) are also available. Private sessions can accommodate up to 10 people at a rate of $350 for 110 minutes. Mondays and Tuesdays, 12:30pm to 8pm; Wednesdays and Thursdays, 6:30am to 6pm; Fridays, 6:30am to 8pm; and Weekends, 8am to 8pm. Towel, robe and refreshments (water and tea) are provided. DETAILS

KOLM | With a 50-person capacity, Kolm Kontrast (located at 8th and Cambie) is touted as the city’s largest sauna. Add to that four custom Ice Baths and a slick and serene Tea Lounge; as well as a slew of other amenities like showers, change rooms, lockers, and towel service. Sessions are divided into three 75-minute-long options: self-guided, silent self-guided, or curated classes. There is also a two-hour-long “After Hours” deal. Morning start times differ depending on the day of the week, and are scheduled throughout the day, with the final session starting at 8:45pm. A single class is $55; shareable multi-packs are available to purchase from five- ($245) up to 100-class ($3300) increments – an awesome option for someone with sauna buddies. Bigger commitment memberships are also available, beginning at $45 for one class per month (for a minimum of three-months), with a moderate four-class-per-month option costing $145, and capping at $280 per month for unlimited sessions. DETAILS

WITH A VIEW | There are three ways (soon to be four – stay tuned!) to enjoy the Tality Wellness experience, but we tend to favour their newest spa on East 3rd Avenue, slightly east of Main Street. Amenities of this third location (Tality’s other two current locations are in North Vancouver) include a Electric Sauna with space for 25-30 people, Cold and Ambient plunges, indoor and outdoor spaces for lounging, and all you can drink of their very own (delicious) kombucha on tap (or tea, if that’s more your thing). It’s also located five floors up, which means that awesome views of the city are an additional (free) part of the package. Enjoy the communal ambience, beginning at $35 for a single 50-minute-long express session, or shell out an additional $10 to relax into a 110-minute-long session. Five- or ten-class passes ($160-$350) are also available. Or, if you’re really committed, you can sign up for one of their monthly membership deals: $130 per month will hook you up with four sessions monthly (a three month minimum is required); or go with the unlimited option for $245 (includes one class per day each month). Private bookings are also available upon request. Tality Mount Pleasant is open daily from 8am until 10pm. DETAILS

PRIVATE | The expanded Circle Wellness Granville Island location opened in late summer of 2023. First crack at bookings happens on the first day of each month at 9am sharp, so securing a time slot still requires a bit of organization – but it’s totally worth it in order to score a private spa day (yes, you read that right). Prices range from $219-285 per ‘circuit’ (open-air shower, cedar soaking tub, multi-sensory sauna featuring Himalayan salt walls, cold water plunge, and heated stone bed), depending on the time of day and length of your desired session (90 or 120 minutes). Time slots begin bright-and-early at 6:30am and the final one is at 10:15pm, from Sunday to Thursday; an additional late night start time of 10:45pm is available Friday through Sunday only. The 90-minute slot before 9am on a weekday is the most affordable – so all you early birds and folks with flexible schedules out there, take note! If your schedule doesn’t gel with their availability, though, you can always add your name to the waitlist. DETAILS.

FANCY | The Fairmont Pacific Rim’s The Nordic Spa is an outdoors self-guided thermal experience unlike anything else within Vancouver city limits. Located six stories up, it features a hot tub, cold plunge and cedar plank sauna for you to cycle through at your own pace. Rest areas are outfitted with sofa lounges, fire pits, and patio heaters. This outdoor oasis is available to hotel guests from 8am until 8pm for the added cost of $40 for 90 minutes. Doors are also open to the public, albeit for the rate of $170 for a 60-minute session – a considerably steeper price, but that also covers access to Fairmont Pacific Rim’s pool and hot tub facilities. Spa Reservations can be made in advance online. DETAILS.

APRES BEER | The Good Sauna is a pop-up wood-fired Finnish sauna and cold therapy experience that can be done two ways, depending on your level of comfort and budget: either as a communal experience ($45 per person; 10 person max) or you can book the whole thing for yourself and a large group of up to a dozen for the grand sum of $450. Sessions are 1hr 45min long, at Container Brewing (1216 Franklin Street) in Strathcona. Bookings are available for weeknights after 4pm, and weekends from 8am to 10pm. (Weekday daytime bookings can be arranged by special request; same-same for groups of more than 10.) To arrange a private situation, and for more details, email [email protected]. Currently a BYO towel and sandals situation. DETAILS

BASIC | Both the YWCA and YMCA have steam and hot tub facilities in their pool areas. Membership is required if you want to avoid the drop-in entrance fee of $20, but the annual fee is pretty reasonable. Approximately $61-71 per month (plus a $50 joiner fee) gets you access to all facilities, as well as group fitness programs for the year and other perks, depending on which association you sign up with. Towel service ($12 per month) is also a nice touch. DETAILS | DETAILS

OLD SCHOOL | If you’re looking for modern frills, then Hastings Reflexology & Sauna (which has been operating since 1926) probably isn’t for you… On the other hand, if you keep your expectations about the nearly-century-old public bath house in check, then you can count on a satisfying experience. Yes, the price point here is more expensive than a community centre, but it is also less crowded. A standard 90-minute booking for a private sauna room will run you about $37 dollars (reduced rates apply to groups of two to five). Steam, High Heat, and Hybrid Saunas are all available. Reflexology and Body or Foot Massage services are also add on options. DETAILS.

ECLECTIC | Not sure which type of sauna does it for you, Finnish, Turkish Hammam or Roman? Maybe a Himalayan Salt Room, Dry Aroma or Eucalyptus Steam Room is more your thing? Take a trip out to Burnaby to put in some ‘research and relaxation’ time by trying out all eight of the specialized rooms that Art of Sauna has to offer. $50 will hook you up with two hours to do a thorough tour of the various European and Middle East inspired styles; or you can pick-and-choose and divide your time as you please. DETAILS

PUBLIC | Many City of Vancouver Community Centres offer access to a hot tub, sauna, and/or steam room. Of course, recreation centres come with some drawbacks (crowds and the occasional floating bandage come to mind), but at roughly $8 for a single drop-in admission, plus early morning through to evening hours and multiple locations, this option gets points for affordability and convenience. We’ve noted a few of our favourite locations below, but check out the full list of COV facilities and what they offer to find out which works best for you. DETAILS.

UBC AQUATIC | For those living off-campus, the UBC Aquatic Centre can be a bit of a trek, but this updated and stunningly designed facility is a great place to sweat. Outfitted with a steam room and a sauna (as well as a 34-person family friendly hot tub and three swimming pools), the cost of an adult single day admission is just $7 – even cheaper for students, youth, and UBC faculty/staff members. DETAILS.

DEAL | Unless you live in Coquitlam, you’ll need to factor in a bit time to get to this option. But with both wet and dry saunas, plus salt, charcoal, yellow earth and ice rooms, and an affordable $35 admission fee that gives you three-hour access to it all (plus your spa outfit, a couple of towels, and a locker to use meanwhile), JJ Family Spa is a real winner on the value front. Also of note: JJ operates on a ‘walk-in’ basis, which is nice if you have a sudden urge to decompress and/or didn’t have the foresight to book an appointment in advance. Additional services at this Korean-style bath house include wet and dry massages, acupuncture, and skin care – also at reasonable rates. Open daily from 10am to 8pm; last appointment slot is 6:30pm. DETAILS.

NO FIXED ADDRESS | The Finnish Sauna offers three different kinds of local experiences: an off-grid 14-person Finnish-style sauna by the river at Cheekye Ranch in Squamish (reserve Sauna socials on Fridays and Sundays for $40 for two hours; or book a private session with your group of friends on a Wednesday, Saturday or Sunday for $450); portable “sauna tents” that accommodate 4-5 people for $275 (plus tax) for a weekend or three-day weekday rental, available for pick-up from spots in Vancouver or Squamish; or, most exciting of all, you can opt to have the sauna delivered directly to you. That’s right, this team will literally roll up their mobile sauna situation to a farm, campground, beach, backyard or parking lot, ready to go. Mobile saunas accommodate groups of 7-12 people, and are available for 3-4 night stints for a total of $490-720, depending on the size. Ready to make an even bigger commitment? The Finnish Sauna also does custom builds! Also of note: if you happen to be on Vancouver Island, these guys also have a location in Parksville. DETAILS.

COMING SOON | Stay tuned for the opening of the holistic-focussed Tevah Wellness indoor sauna and ice bath, located in downtown Vancouver. Tevah plans to offer two different ways to experience their circuit of breathwork, sauna, and cold plunge: by signing up for their guided classes, scheduled as morning, mid-day and evening time slots; or for those who prefer to experience the space and connect with others at their own pace, you can take advantage of their “free flow” hours. DETAILS

worth the trip

Did we miss your favourite sauna or steam room? Let us know in the comments below or email michelle [@] scoutmagazzine.ca