Nuru massage in Vietnam: the studios that offer it in Hanoi, Saigon and Da Nang

What a nuru massage is and how it differs

A nuru massage is a body to body massage that comes from Japan. The therapist works on a waterproof mattress laid on the floor or on a low frame, using a warm, slippery gel. Traditionally the gel is made from nori seaweed; the versions used in studios today are odourless and easy to rinse off. You shower before the session and again afterwards, and the room is set up for that.

The format is what separates a nuru massage from the other services the same studios list. A standard oil massage is given on a table with the therapist standing beside it. A body to body massage uses the therapist's own body as the working surface, and a nuru massage is the gel version of that idea. Four hands means two therapists at once. A couples session means two clients in one room, usually side by side. Some studios also publish lingam as a menu word, which you can ask about when you book.

A nuru massage is not therapy. Nothing about it is offered as treatment for the body or the mind, and no effect is promised. The therapist sets the limits of the session, and nothing is owed beyond what the two of you agreed before it started. Read the listing, ask your questions in advance, and treat the hour as a service with a shape and a price.

See Nuru Massage Saigon.

Nuru Massage: the studios in Hanoi

Hanoi has six studios whose listings offer nuru massage, and this page is the only place on the site where they are described. The addresses place them in different parts of the city, which matters when you are choosing by travel time.

• Massage Nuru Hanoi gives its address as Hanoi, Vietnam, and opens every day from 10:00 to 02:00. Its listing says it comes to your hotel, and it takes phone, WhatsApp, Telegram, e-mail and website contact.
• J Spa Massage is at 168 Ngoc Khanh, Giang Vo, in Ba Dinh. It publishes hours of 10:00 to 21:00 on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, with the other day not published. Contact is by phone, WhatsApp or website.
• Nuru Massage Osuka is at 12 Alley 131 Nguyen Thi Dinh, Nhan Chinh, in Thanh Xuan, reached by phone or website.
• Rosespa Vietnam is at No. 47, Lane 167, Duong Quang Ham, Quan Hoa, in Cau Giay, open every day from 10:00 to 02:00, by phone, WhatsApp or website.
• Vip Massage Eva does not publish an address, and takes phone, e-mail or website contact.
• Xuka Massage is at 62 Hoa Ma, in Hai Ba Trung, by phone, e-mail or website.

Two of the six publish opening hours that run late, which suits an evening arrival. For a nuru massage in Hanoi, the practical first step is to pick the district you are staying in and message the studio nearest to it.

Nuru Massage: Saigon and Da Nang

Saigon has five studios whose listings offer nuru massage, and the city has a page of its own on this site with the full detail. The addresses spread across the centre and the outer districts. Massage Nuru Ho Chi Minh gives its address as Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, opens every day from 10:00 to 02:00, and its listing says it comes to your hotel. Massage Nuru District 1 is in District 1, by phone, WhatsApp, e-mail or website. Massage at Home also says in its listing that it comes to your hotel. Tantra massage Thao Dien is at 6 Street 4, Press Village, Thao Dien Ward, District 2. Xuka Massage Saigon is at 143 Dong Den, Ward 11, Tan Binh District, open every day from 11:00 to 02:00.

Da Nang has two studios, and this page is the only place the site describes them. Massage Nuru Da Nang gives its address as Da Nang, Vietnam, opens every day from 10:00 to 02:00, and its listing says it comes to your hotel. Massage Nuru Đà Nẵng My Khe is at 30 Mỹ Khê Đà Nẵng, close to the beach, and takes phone, WhatsApp or e-mail.

Of the seven studios across the two cities, three state in their own listing that they come to your hotel: two in Saigon and one in Da Nang. For a nuru massage in Da Nang or Saigon, that is the line to look for if you would rather not travel.

A studio room or a visit to your hotel

At a studio, the shape of a nuru massage session is fairly consistent. You arrive, say who you are and what you booked, and are shown to a room. You shower first, because the gel needs clean skin to work. The mattress is already laid out. The therapist explains how the hour will run, you agree the length and the price if that was not settled in the messages, and the session begins. Afterwards you shower again, dress, settle up and leave. Allow a little over the booked time for the two showers.

A hotel visit works differently. The therapist travels to your room or apartment with the gel and the mat, so you need floor space and a bathroom you are willing to use. Confirm the exact address and the room number in the messages, and say if reception needs to know someone is coming up. Some buildings ask visitors to leave a document at the desk, so build in a few minutes for that. The studios that offer this say so in their own listing; the rest do not state it either way, so ask.

Either way, a nuru massage is a booked appointment with a start and an end. The therapist sets the limits, and the session covers what was agreed beforehand, no more.

Booking, timing and what to ask

Every studio in this guide takes messages. Most list WhatsApp, the featured hotel service also lists Telegram, and several give an e-mail address; the phone is universal. Vietnamese readers often use Zalo, so ask if that is easier for the studio you have picked. Write in short sentences, give the city and the district, and say whether you want the studio or your hotel.

No studio in this guide publishes a price in its listing, so there is no figure to quote here. Ask for the price in dong, in writing, before you go, along with three other things: how long the session runs, what the hour includes, and whether the gel and the mat are part of it. If you want a nuru massage and nothing else, say that plainly, and ask what the studio's own menu calls the other options so there is no confusion on the day.

On notice, same day is often possible, especially at the studios open from 10:00 until late. For a hotel visit, give more: an hour or two lets the therapist plan the journey. For a weekend evening or a group of two, message earlier in the day. Confirm the booking once more an hour before, and keep the thread.

Choosing well and being a good guest

The first choice is between a studio with a room and a service that travels. A studio gives you a prepared space, a shower and a mat already laid out, and no need to explain your building to anyone. A hotel visit saves the journey and suits a late evening, but depends on your room and your building's rules for visitors. If you want a nuru massage without leaving the hotel, start with the studios whose listing says they come to you, and confirm the details in the messages.

Beyond that, the practical points are simple. Be on time, or message if you are not. Shower before the session, as the gel needs it. Bring cash in dong, since not every studio takes a card and a hotel visit is usually settled in cash. Read the listing before you write, so your first message is specific. Ask about the length, the price and what is included, and accept the answer.

The therapist sets the limits of a session. What you agreed before it started is the whole of it, and nothing beyond that is owed. Treat the room, the mat and the person with ordinary respect, and a nuru massage is a straightforward hour: booked, paid for and finished on time.