The baths of ancient Rome that you can still visit today

The capital of Rome once had hundreds of baths, or thermae, communal spaces of relaxation where Romans both soaked and socialized. While many of these Roman baths have since been left abandoned or destroyed over the centuries, the structures and remains of a few still stand, giving us a glimpse into the decadent bath culture of Ancient Rome.

While you might not be able to do as the Romans did and soak in the warm pools, here are some of the best-preserved baths in Rome that you can still visit and relive this ancient Roman practice.

Starting with the Baths of Agrippa in 25 BC, many Roman emperors commissioned public bathing facilities, often named after the emperors who had built them. Apart from getting clean and the healing properties of the waters, above all, these Roman baths were the center of social life and activity in Rome. The Romans did all sorts of things in the baths, from eating snacks to gambling. Even politicians and the wealthy, who had marbled bathrooms in their own private residences, went to the public baths to see and be seen.

Though thermae roughly translates to mean “hot spring”, the water in most baths wasn’t naturally warm. Instead, each caldarium (a hot plunge bath) was heated by a state-of-the-art furnace and heating system. A trip to the baths usually involved a whole sequence of spa treatments, starting in the warm tepidarium (a warm room) and caldarium, and ending in the cool frigidarium (a cold pool). Some bathhouses in Rome even had gyms and libraries. The Romans sure know how to do a spa day.

As the Roman empire declined, many aqueducts and baths were left abandoned and others were looted or reused in other construction projects throughout the ages. Thankfully, there are still many of the ornate and extravagant structures that are still standing today, welcoming you through its arches to experience the charming bath culture at the height of ancient Rome.

The Baths of Caracalla in Rome were commissioned by Emperor Caracalla in 212 AD and were one of the most luxurious buildings at the time with up to 1,600 Romans visiting the baths every day.

While only the huge walls and exteriors of the baths are left standing, many of the underground tunnels are still accessible and open to the public and the interiors are now a large lawn, staging plays, operas and other theatrical performances. A €10 (USD 11.40) ticket will give you access to the baths and there are also private tours that will bring you to both the complex and other attractions like the Circus Maximus, Colosseum or Aventine Hill.

While you won’t find any pools here, the Baths of Diocletian are one of the best-preserved structures in the city. At its peak, up to 3,000 Romans would exercise, relax, and socialize in the bathhouse every day. When the baths shut down after 230 years of operation, the complex stood half-empty for another 1,000 years until a Carthusian monastery occupied the lot in the 1560s. It eventually became what is known as the Basilica of Saint Mary of the Angels, a church originally designed by Michelangelo, built in what was once the main hall of the baths.

The Baths of Diocletian in Rome are also home to the Church of San Bernardo alle Terme and part of the National Roman Museum—all of which you can explore on a skip-the-line walking tour of the baths.

Commissioned in 109 AD, the Baths of Trajan are one of the largest and oldest baths of Rome. Located on Oppian Hill Park right behind the Colosseum, the baths were erected on top of what was left of Emperor Nero’s Domus Aurea, a lavish palace that had been destroyed in a great fire.

Today, two parts of the baths remain visible: a semicircular wall and the Seven Halls, a complex of cisterns (nine to be accurate) that once held up to eight million liters of water.

The Baths of Caracalla and Diocletian are some of the more famous baths in Rome, but there are remnants of other baths from emperors like Agrippa, Nero, and Titus that you might unwittingly stumble upon on your travels.

An arch of the Baths of Agrippa—the first public bath in Rome—stands at Via dell’Arco della Ciambella, right behind Largo di Torre Argentina. The Baths of Nero left behind two columns on Via di Sant’Eustachio, which is west of the Pantheon. And, just like the Baths of Trajan, a few structures from the Baths of Titus can be spotted on Oppian Hill Park.

While you can’t bathe in the ancient Roman baths, you can take a day trip to Grosseto in Tuscany to visit the Baths of Saturnia, a group of hot springs that have been around since pre-Roman times. Soak in the bubbling thermal baths or head downstream to the Mulino Waterfalls, where you can relax in the cascading thermal pools on this full-day tour.

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