AQUAFIELD Goyang — Attraction in Goyang-si

This is a really nice and fancy jimjilbang, we had a great time here!! It was definitely daunting at the start since it was our first visit to a jimjilbang but let me break it down here so that you know what to expect.

When you go in, they will pass you a key that you can tie onto your wrist (this is the key to your shoe locker and clothing locker; yes they are separated). You will need to remove your shoes and put them in the shoe locker first. Afterwards, you will find yourself in the clothing locker. At this point, you are supposed to take a shower before entering the pool. You will strip down here at the locker area (gender-segregated) before heading to the shower region (which is just beside the wet sauna area). They provide shampoo, soap and conditioner so you don’t need to bring any. The towel that they provide is quite small so I would recommend bringing your own towel so that you can wrap yourself while walking to the shower area (if you’re shy).

We spent about an hour exploring the different pools in the wet sauna area. I liked that the pools and shower region were dimly lit (I’m shy). You can also get a body scrub/massage at the shower region if you want.

Afterwards, you can rinse yourself again before changing into your jimjil clothing (provided by the facility). You will then find yourself in another huge area with different dry saunas, massage chairs, outdoor foot spa and also the cafeteria. We spent another 2-3 hours here exploring different rooms (almost fell asleep cuz that was how peaceful and relaxing it was) and then went for dinner at the cafeteria. Everything can be paid with the wristband that they have given you at the start. You will then do the payment at the end.

After all the sweating, we took another shower and changed into fresh clothes. They also have a powder room… filled with fancy moisturizer and hair oil, along with hair dryer.

This is an extremely long post but I hope this helped!! If you’re in Korea and have 5-6 hours to spare, it is definitely an experience that you won’t...

This was an amazing jjimjilbang! It was extremely clean on our visit (we didn't notice any dirt or hair debris or anything of this sort).

I thought that the gender-segregated baths were a bit small with not that many types of baths, but I still enjoyed myself regardless. There was one cold bath (abt 19C), a warm bath with jacuzzi jets (~34C), and two hot baths (39C and 40C). Do note that you have to be naked to go into the baths, for those unfamiliar with jjimjilbangs.

There was also an outdoor foot spa with a great view of the Bukhansan mountain range, which is mixed gender and which you can enjoy as a family.

The hot sauna rooms are also great, I have lost count of how many, but there were at least a cloud room, a salt room, a yellow ochre room, a cypress room, and a multi-media art room. I loved how each of them had a distinct (nice) smell and music, and found them all to be relaxing.

Children are also welcome here. I saw families with babies, and also brought a young child (3.5yo) here. Strollers can be left at the concierge, and children can enter the hot water baths when accompanied by an adult.

There is also a small playground and arcade, and a mini Korean library for children + a baby care centre inside the sauna + family restroom.

There are also good food options here, with a food court of sorts (and they are able to do a vegetarian bibimbap, you just have to tell them at the counter), and also a snack bar where the sauna is. Because this is located about 42min away from Seoul by car, it is not very crowded and this made for a really...

ATTENTION FOREIGNERS: this place was good, I'm just writing a few tips that should help plan your visit.

The spa entrance costs approx 25,000w for 4 hours. The rooftop pool entrance costs 45,000w. The multipass including both costs 55,000w for 9 hours. We paid for the multpass, expecting that given the rooftop pool was more expensive, it would mean better, and we were wrong. One of the rooftop pools was a basic pool and the other one was closed. The spa area, on the other hand, was totally woth it. Imagine  "top floor of a fancy shopping centre MEETS futuristic rwhab facility": you are given pijamas that you have to use in the hot room areas (all men wearing the same pijamas, all women wearing their same pijamas). You'll be walking barefoot EVERYWHERE. You can't use any sort of clothes in the hot/cold pools (separate for men/women). If you leave the venue you must pay again to enter. In the mornings there's less people, so it's better to enjoy all the hot rooms and hot pools. After lunchtime it gets bussier and less peaceful: rooms are full, noisy, people sleeping on the floor and snoring, etc.

When you leave, there's nowhere to properly sit to put your shoes on, so everyone's sitting on the floor. Also, if you got there using public transport, consider an uber/taxi to take you back to your place, or you might lose your zen in the train/bus.

My advice: only pay for the spa (25,000w), go as early as you can (they open at 10 am) and enjoy the 4 hours in the hot rooms and hot pools. Don't waste time/money on the...