Your First Hammam: What to Expect, What to Wear and How to Prepare
Nervous about your first hammam? Here is exactly what happens, what to bring, how much to tip and the small mistakes first-timers make.
If you have never set foot in a hammam, the idea can be a little intimidating: How undressed do you get? Who scrubs whom? What are you supposed to do? The good news is that a hammam is a warm, welcoming place, and once you know the rhythm it becomes one of the most relaxing hours you can spend. Here is everything a first-timer needs.
Choose the right kind of hammam
For a first visit, a spa hammam is the gentlest introduction. You will typically get a private or semi-private room, an attendant to guide you, and all the supplies you need. Public neighbourhood hammams are a wonderful, authentic experience, but they assume you already know the ropes — better saved for your second or third time.
What to wear and bring
You will be given, or should bring, a pair of disposable or old underwear to wear during the scrub. Spa hammams usually provide towels, black soap, the kessa scrubbing mitt and a robe. If you are visiting a public hammam, bring your own soap, mitt, a plastic mat or stool, flip-flops and a couple of buckets are often rented on site. Tie long hair back and remove jewellery.
The experience, start to finish
You begin by relaxing in a warm, steamy room for ten to twenty minutes. The attendant then applies savon beldi, a soft olive-based black soap, and leaves it to work. The main event is the gommage — a brisk full-body scrub with the kessa mitt that removes an astonishing layer of dead skin. Many sessions finish with a rhassoul clay mask and a warm rinse, and some packages add a relaxing oil massage at the end. Expect the whole ritual to last forty-five minutes to well over an hour depending on the package.
Common first-timer questions
Is it painful?
No. The scrub is firm and thorough but should never hurt. If the pressure is too strong, simply say so — attendants are used to adjusting.
How much do I undress?
Keep your underwear on. Modesty is respected everywhere, and spa hammams provide disposable underwear if you prefer.
How much should I tip?
If an attendant performs your scrub and massage, a tip of roughly ten to twenty percent of the treatment price is customary and warmly received.
Small mistakes to avoid
Do not exfoliate at home in the day or two before your visit — you want that dead skin present for the scrub. Do not shave immediately beforehand, as freshly shaved skin can be sensitive to the black soap and the mitt. Avoid a heavy meal right before, stay hydrated, and give yourself nowhere to rush off to afterwards. The post-hammam calm is half the pleasure.
Walk in relaxed, follow the attendant's lead, and you will walk out with the softest skin of your life — and an understanding of why the hammam has been a beloved ritual for generations.