Affordable spas in London

These traditional Russian treatments don’t come cheap. Venik – a good ten-minutes’ worth of thwacking from birch, oak or eucalyptus twigs – will set you back £30. Your best bet is booking one of the three-hour packages. The cheapest is £95; for that, you can enjoy a honey and salt or coffee scrub, a Parenie – a rejuvenating thermal massage – a mud mask and a pot of herbal tea to rehydrate.

Best for: getting zen the traditional way. 

Budget range: Mid-range, with some cheaper, shorter treatments on offer around the £30 mark.

There are Spa Experience branches in Kensington, Swiss Cottage, Waltham Forest and Wimbledon. But for a complete spa day package, you’re best off sticking to the history-steeped Old Street location. Some of the facilities at one of London’s oldest Turkish baths include steam rooms, a hammam and plunge pools. Treat yourself to a Head in the Clouds massage and hair treatment, or go all out with the Total Spa Experience.

Best for: sweating everything out in the sauna 

Budget range: Affordable to mid-range – a 50-minute massage begins at £69. 

When it first opened, Dalston’s Still London was home to a nail salon and offered some facials and massages in a small back room. Now, it boasts two treatment rooms and an infrared sauna, so you can properly take some time to relax here. As well as the standard spa treatments you’d expect, you can also take advantage of its reiki, sound healing and reflexology offerings to really get you in the zen zone.

Best for: holistic healing.

Budget range: Competitive – massages start at £55, or a sauna sesh begins at £35.

Community Sauna Baths is a sweltering oasis in the concrete-y maze that is Hackney Wick. For the ultimate sensory experience, take the plunge into one of the ice baths in an old whiskey barrel. It's very Hackney.

Best for: private options – you can hire a five or 22-person sauna for the exclusive use of you and your mates. 

Budget range: Cheap as chips – a 60-minute session during off-peak hours starts at £15. 

With its original 1920s décor and range of treatments inspired by Turkish and Moroccan bathing houses, The Porchester Spa offers an authentic experience. Take a dip in the large swimming pool or cool off in the plunge pool after a stint in one of the three Turkish hot rooms. Treatments include body wraps, facials and massages.

Best for: A revitalising range of facials that target tons of different skin concerns. 

Budget range: Affordable – you can get a host of treatments for under £50 each.  

For an immensely relaxing session of flotation therapy that’s a lot cheaper than a visit to the Dead Sea and just as calming, book a one-hour slot at Floatworks in Vauxhall. Not technically a spa, instead you’ll be lying face-up in saturated Epsom-salt solution in one of nine floatation tanks. You pay by the hour, but there are offers if you book multiple sessions or become a member, and there’s complimentary herbal tea.

Best for: floating your worries away. 

Budget range: Average – one hour will cost you £69, or you can take advantage of a £50 monthly membership and other deals. 

London’s newest sauna offers four different types of sessions to its visitors, each with its own angle. ‘Social Sauna’ offers just under two hours of access to the sauna and ice baths, plus unlimited time to hang out in the lounge and be social. ‘Ambient Sauna’ seshes on Friday and Saturday nights will be soundtracked by special DJ sets, while ‘Wellbeing Sauna’ will include activities like traditional sauna rituals, breath work, meditation, deep listening and stretchy yoga. If you’re short on time, opt for ‘Essential Sauna’, which gives you 50 minutes of off-peak access to the facilities.

Best for: mixing wellness and socialising. 

Budget range: A bargain – the £39.99 monthly membership gives you four credits to use on different sauna sessions a month. 

If your aching muscles are desperate for some TLC but your bank account is dry, head to the New Docklands Steam Club, located in an unassuming industrial brick building next to the River Lea. Once you're down sweating out your toxins, there’s a Russian Room so you can enjoy a good pummeling with those leafy birch twigs.

Best for: getting steamy – there are four steam rooms on site. 

Budget range: Affordable – entry is between £25 to £30 and you can stay for as long as you like. 

If you’re ditching the chemicals in search of natural treatments, the Aveda Institute on High Holborn is hard to beat. One of the original purveyors of plant-based hair and skin products, the brand continues to deliver quality treatments at this spacious hair and beauty spa. Time Out has long been a fan of the salon, not only for its fabulous botanical hair treatments and stylish glossy cuts, but also the intimate manicure and pedicure booths, tucked away at the back. 

Best for: eco-friendly relaxation. 

Budget range: At the higher end – the cheapest massages start at £130. 

Meander past the towers of delicious smelling, neon-coloured cosmetics which fill this Oxford Street store and you’ll find one of Lush’s seven in-store spas. Sure, Europe’s busiest boulevard hardly seems like the location for a day of relaxation; however, as soon as you step into the quaint, country kitchen-styled spa, where you can experience a mineral bath, a multi-sensory massage or a reflexology session all to a tailor-made soundtrack, the street’s shuffling tourists and tooting buses are forgotten. For the ultimate muscle untangler, we recommend stopping by for ‘The Good Hour’ (£140).

Best for: fun and quirky treatments. 

Budget range: A real gamut of affordable to pricier options, the average price is £90-£110.