Toronto has a good gay sauna scene with venues that have been operating for years. The Church Street area is where most of them are located, making it easy to combine a sauna visit with an evening in the Village. The venues are established, know their clientele, and are generally well-run.

What to expect

Standard bathhouse format: you pay at the front desk and receive a towel and either a locker or a private cabin. Lockers are the cheaper option and give you access to all communal areas. A cabin gives you a private room with a basic bed. Most venues have steam room, dry sauna, showers, and darker communal spaces.

Entry runs roughly $20-40 Canadian for a locker and $35-55 for a cabin depending on the venue and time of visit. Weekday afternoons tend to draw a regular crowd. Weekend evenings are busier. No time limit on sessions at most venues.

Church Street concentration

The saunas are near enough to the Village that you can arrive by subway on the Yonge line and walk to the venue. This is more straightforward than in cities where saunas are scattered across different neighbourhoods. If you are spending an evening in the Village, a sauna fits easily into the schedule -- before the bars get going, or after.

The saunas

    • Spa Excess — Modelled after European bathhouses, Spa Xcess at 105 Carlton Street is tucked away behind some sleek wooden doors at street level. It's known as the Bathhouse for a slightly older set and is also super popular with the Asian crowd. We're not sure why, but it's a thing. This bathhouse has an adorable hot tub space with palm trees and TVs playing porn that hard to leave. There's a wet sauna and a small dry sauna. Besides that, the most popular zones are the second-floor maze, complete with a gl
    • Steamworks Baths Toronto — STEAMWORKS Toronto is a private men's gym, sauna, bathhouse for men 18 years and older... you know, men looking for other men! Great modern facilities. Excellent shower steam room sauna and hot tubs area. Gym and nooks and crannies to explore
    • The Cellar — Tucked away at 78 Wellesley Street East, The Cellar is a (very) dimly lit space is accented with red lights, and is for the guy with extremely discreet tastes. It's a place to have sex where can't really see who you're having sex with. A place for blowjobs from semi-anonymous mouths. A place for older guys who aren't comfortable walking around Steamworks, and anyone else who's not into a scene of very visible bodies and orgies.  It's a maze-style sex dungeon with one completely b

Practical notes

Bring ID. Towels and basic amenities are included. Condoms are available. Some venues have no-phone policies in communal areas -- leave the phone in the locker. Staff can answer questions about the facilities. All the venues operating in Toronto have been doing so long enough that the staff are knowledgeable and professional.

For the full Toronto picture: Gay Toronto Guide.