6 luxurious Melbourne bathhouses for ultimate relaxation

Nourish your body and relax your mind at these six Melbourne bathhouses and spas.

Yes, you can enjoy a soak in a mineralised pool, a detoxing sauna or a relaxing massage, but these newly opened Melbourne bathhouses have all that and more. Each one is unabashedly committed to holistic wellness and rejuvenation. Choose from communal baths to breathwork to reiki, guided meditation and state-of-the-art facials, all designed to calm your nervous system and reignite your inner glow and share their passion for a happier, healthier life, (though the snacks and beverages don’t hurt either).

1. Sóma Bathhouse, Essendon

the pool inside Sóma Bathhouse, Essendon — Hit pause on the everyday hustle at Sóma Bathhouse. (Image: Charlotte/Studio on Hampton)

Intentionally designed as a haven to take that cortisol down, Soma , (a poetic term for “the body") is all soft curves, low-lit spaces and timber accents. Here, the emphasis is squarely on contrast therapy with two infrared saunas, one built for four and another that houses two people, along with two cold plunge pools so you can dive straight in for that dopamine hit. A warm, mineralised spa will relax muscles and ensure a good night’s sleep. There are also plenty of private facilities, too in case you want to relax alone.

Price: From $55 for one hour
Address: 15 Rose Street, Essendon

2. Soak Bathhouse, South Yarra

the hot pool at Soak Bathhouse, South Yarra — Soak in a crystal blue magnesium pool. (Image: Supplied)

Soak ’s leafy South Yarra bathhouse, with its crystal blue magnesium pool and marble walls, feels more like a self-contained five-star resort than a communal space to chat. But the pool is bordered by lounge chairs for a reason – Soak wants you to know self-care is more fun with friends. Hang out and chat with wellness snacks and drinks or hop into a hot spa, a cold plunge, a traditional cedarwood sauna, or a steam room. If that isn’t relaxing enough, massages are also available along with guided wellness journeys and LED facials.

Opening APRIL 2025

Price: From $39 for 60 minutes
Address: Suite 1, Ground Floor/10 River St, South Yarra

3. Comma, Cremorne

a traditional sauna at Comma, Cremorne — Reinvigorate your senses at this contemporary bathhouse. (Image: Comma)

A comma in grammar indicates a pause and it’s the philosophy behind this immersive bolthole, adjacent to the CBD. Built on a former mechanics workshop, Comma proudly draws on Melbourne’s laneway culture with its hidden spaces and concealed rooms. Stepping into the Bath House, all ceramic tiles, timber and raw brass, you can smell the cedar from the traditional sauna and hot tub. Sit down on a hinoki stool to wash your body before submerging yourself in the magnesium-infused water. Reinvigorate your senses and skin underneath a pail shower or rehydrate and soak up a quiet moment at the Entry and Tea Lounge. Or enjoy a signature massage or facial to restore your inner glow.

Price: From $60 for one hour
Address: 10-12 Hill St, Cremorne

4. Trinity

Trinity is swathed in calming neutrals. (Image: Elisa Watson Photography)

Named after its founder, Trinity Scarf and the three pillars of wellness: balance, renewal and growth, this recently-opened sanctuary blends Roman-inspired bathing rituals with a contemporary Australian aesthetic. As well as contrast therapy facilities, there is massage, breath work, kinesiology, reiki, holistic health coaching and movement classes, including yoga and pilates. Kick back in the LED light therapy lounge after a soak to maximise benefits to your skin.

Price: Starting at $45 for 45 minutes of hot and cold therapy
Address: Ground Floor, 18 Thomson St, South Melbourne

5. Sense of Self Day Spa Collingwood

the bathhouse at Sense of Self Day Spa Collingwood — Reset your body and mind with a mineral soak at Sense of Self Day Spa Collingwood.

Located on Easey Street in bustling Collingwood and housed within a two-storey warehouse building, Sense of Self ’s light, airy ambience, white decor and large windows, certainly live up to its name. As well as a large mineral bath, traditional Finnish sauna and cold plunge, there’s a focus on their communal Hammam (steam room). Purchase a Sud and Mud kit for $35 for your own self-led Hammam ritual. Walk up the stairs and there are massages for the back and feet and a gua sha facial. Choose from an array of light refreshments and snacks to keep your energy up.

Price: From $65 for 2 hours
Address: 30-32 Easey Street, Collingwood

6. Inner Studio

friends dipping in a cold plunge at Inner Studio, Collingwood — Dip in a hot or cold plunge pool to fully unwind. (Image: Inner Studio)

Walking into Inner Studio , the shimmering green space in Collingwood, is a little like entering a rainforest. Their focus is on managing stress, so along with hot and cold plunge pools, there is a sauna in which to strengthen your heat tolerance and resilience and yoga to fortify your muscles. Breathwork and guided meditation classes are also available as well as a movement class, designed for anyone with an open mind.

Price: From $45 for open sauna and plunge (non-guided)
Address: Warehouse 9/5-11 Campbell St, Collingwood

From ancient aquaculture systems to sacred rock art shelters, Victoria’s First Peoples cultural experiences offer a powerful connection to one of the world’s oldest living cultures – where every site, story and smoking ceremony invites a deeper understanding of the land beneath your feet.

Victoria’s sweeping landscapes hold stories far older than any road map can trace – stories etched into stone, sung through generations and woven into every bend of river and rise of hill. From the lava flows of Budj Bim to the ancient middens of Moyjil/Point Ritchie and the volcanic crater of Tower Hill, the state is home to some of the most significant First Peoples cultural sites in Australia. These places, along with other immersive experiences, offer not only a window into a 60,000-year legacy, but a profound way of understanding Country itself. As more travellers seek connection over checklists, guided tours by Traditional Owners offer respectful, unforgettable insights into a living culture that continues to shape the land and the people who walk it.

Budj Bim cultural landscape

Venture beyond the surf and sand of the Great Ocean Road to discover a deeper story etched into the volcanic landscape. At Budj Bim , ancient aquaculture channels built by the Gunditjmara people to trap, store and harvest kooyang (short-finned eel) reveal one of the world’s oldest living cultures. While you’re in the area, head over to the state-of-the-art Tae Rak Aquaculture Centre, where you can observe the eels in a special tank, wander the shores of Tae Rak (Lake Condah), and enjoy a bite at the Bush Tucker Cafe. Also nearby is Tower Hill, a dormant volcano reborn as a wildlife reserve, offering trails through bushland teeming with emus and koalas.

eel tank — The kooyang (eel) tank at Tae Rak. (Image: Visit Victoria)

Dumawul Kooyoora Walking Tour

Dumawul walkingtour — Guests are guided through Kooyoora State Park on the Dumawul walking tour. (Image: Visit Victoria)

Step into a timeless landscape with Dumawul’s guided tour through Kooyoora State Park, around an hour’s drive west of Bendigo in north-central Victoria. Led by Djaara guides, this immersive half-day journey breathes life into Country, weaving together stories, bush tucker and ancient rock art. Known to the Dja Dja Wurrung people as Guyura – the ‘mountain of light’ – this dramatic granite range is rich with cultural and spiritual significance. The adventure begins with a meet-up at the Bridgewater Hotel on the banks of the Loddon River, before guests are welcomed onto Country with a traditional Smoking Ceremony – a powerful ritual that honours ancestors and cleanses those who walk the land. From there, it’s a gentle wander through rugged outcrops and open bushland, with sweeping vistas unfolding at every turn. Along the way, guides share their knowledge of how the Dja Dja Wurrung peoples have cared for and adapted with this land for generations, offering a rare and moving window into an ancient way of life that continues to thrive today.

Kooyoora walking tour — Knowledge of the Dja Dja Wurrung is shared on the trail. (Image: Visit Victoria)

Kingfisher Cruises

Glide quietly through the Barmah-Millewa forest – the nation’s largest river red gum ecosystem – on a scenic journey along the Murray River and into the Barmah Lakes with Kingfisher Cruises . Led by passionate guides who share stories of the cultural significance of this ancient landscape, these cruises reveal the stories, totems and traditional knowledge of the Yorta Yorta people. As you navigate narrow waterways and spot native birds, you’ll gain a richer understanding of how First Peoples have lived in harmony with this floodplain for tens of thousands of years. It’s a gentle, immersive experience that leaves a lasting impression – one where every bend in the river carries echoes of culture, connection and Country.

wawa biik

Exploring Nagambie with Taungurung leaders. (Image: Visit Victoria)

Translating to ‘hello, Country’ in the language of the First Nations People and Custodians of the rivers and mountains of Taungurung Country in Central Victoria, wawa biik guides a range of authentic and deeply immersive experiences. Leaving from either Nagambie or Euroa, the tours are woven with ancient stories of the Taungurung, telling how a sustained connection and responsibility ensures the continued health of biik – benefitting the people, animals and plants that live in and around the Goulburn River. During the wawa Nagambie experience, guests participate in a Welcome Smoking Ceremony, and enjoy lunch and conversation with two Taungurung leaders as they cruise through the wetlands of tabilk-tabilk (place of many waterholes). The 4.5-hour tour begins at Tahbilk Winery, which is set in the wetlands of Nagambie on Taungurung Country and collaborates with Taungurung Elders to share knowledge of biik.

Bataluk Cultural Trail

Cape Conran on the Bataluk Trail. (Image: Visit Victoria)

The Bataluk Cultural Trail winds through East Gippsland like a thread stitching past to present, tracing the deep connection between the Gunaikurnai people and their land. Starting at the Knob Reserve in Stratford, visitors walk among scarred trees and ancient stone tools once used for survival and ceremony. At the Den of Nargun near Mitchell River, the earth holds stories of women’s sacred spaces, cloaked in myth and legend. Further along, Legend Rock at Metung tells of greed and consequence, its surface etched with ancient lore. At Cape Conran, shell middens lie scattered like breadcrumbs of history – 10,000 years of gatherings, stories and saltwater songs still echoing in the wind.

Healesville Sanctuary

Set on the historic grounds of Coranderrk Aboriginal Station, Healesville Sanctuary honours the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation through immersive storytelling and connection to Country. Along Wurundjeri Walk, visitors are invited to reflect on the land’s rich First Peoples history, with native plants revealing their traditional uses. Wurundjeri Elder and educator Murrundindi shares culture in-person with the Wominjeka Aboriginal Cultural Experience every Sunday, and most days during Victorian school holidays. Murrundindi’s smoking ceremonies, storytelling and bush tucker knowledge reveal the sacred relationship between people, animals and the environment. Bird-lovers can’t miss the incredible Spirits of the Sky show featuring native birds daily at 12pm and 3pm.

The Grampians

Known as Gariwerd to Traditional Owners, the Grampians is a place of immense cultural and spiritual significance. This rugged landscape holds more than 80 per cent of Victoria’s known First Peoples rock art, offering a powerful window into the region’s deep heritage. Visitors can respectfully explore five remarkable rock art sites: Billimina and Ngamadjidj in the Wartook Valley, Manja Shelter near Hamilton, Gulgurn Manja shelter near Laharum, and the Bunjil Shelter near Stawell, where the creator spirit is depicted. Each site tells a unique story of connection to Country, shared through ancient handprints, dancing figures and Dreaming narratives etched into stone.

6 luxurious Melbourne bathhouses for ultimate relaxation

Nourish your body and relax your mind at these six Melbourne bathhouses and spas.

1. Sóma Bathhouse, Essendon

2. Soak Bathhouse, South Yarra

3. Comma, Cremorne

4. Trinity

5. Sense of Self Day Spa Collingwood

6. Inner Studio

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Unforgettable First Peoples tours and experiences in Victoria

From ancient aquaculture systems to sacred rock art shelters, Victoria’s First Peoples cultural experiences offer a powerful connection to one of the world’s oldest living cultures – where every site, story and smoking ceremony invites a deeper understanding of the land beneath your feet.

Budj Bim cultural landscape

Dumawul Kooyoora Walking Tour

Kingfisher Cruises

wawa biik

Bataluk Cultural Trail

Healesville Sanctuary

The Grampians

Nourish your body and relax your mind at these six Melbourne bathhouses and spas.

1. Sóma Bathhouse, Essendon

2. Soak Bathhouse, South Yarra

3. Comma, Cremorne

4. Trinity

5. Sense of Self Day Spa Collingwood

6. Inner Studio

A sultry Shanghai-style cocktail den has just landed in Melbourne

A new luxury hotel is opening in Melbourne’s hottest neighbourhood

Time travel to ‘80s Tokyo at this new disco bar in Melbourne

Melbourne’s floating sauna combines relaxation and city views

From ancient aquaculture systems to sacred rock art shelters, Victoria’s First Peoples cultural experiences offer a powerful connection to one of the world’s oldest living cultures – where every site, story and smoking ceremony invites a deeper understanding of the land beneath your feet.

Budj Bim cultural landscape

Dumawul Kooyoora Walking Tour

Kingfisher Cruises

wawa biik

Bataluk Cultural Trail

Healesville Sanctuary

The Grampians

From ancient aquaculture systems to sacred rock art shelters, Victoria’s First Peoples cultural experiences offer a powerful connection to one of the world’s oldest living cultures – where every site, story and smoking ceremony invites a deeper understanding of the land beneath your feet.