It is hard to hear about Iceland without hearing about the Blue Lagoon. It is one of the most well-known tourist attractions in Iceland. But is a visit to Iceland’s Blue Lagoon actually worth it? It’s also the most expensive pool to visit in Iceland. So before making a decision to visit the Blue Lagoon, keep reading and you’ll find our honest review, tips for visiting, and alternative hot springs to visit in Iceland in case the Blue Lagoon isn’t worth it for you.
Pools In Iceland
Visiting a geothermal pool should definitely be on your Iceland buckets list. Why?
First, we should start by pointing out that outdoor pools in Iceland are super popular. Towns won’t have grocery stores but they’ll have an outdoor city pool. We were really surprised by this as Iceland is cold. We live in Wisconsin and you have to search to find an outdoor pool – and even then they’re only open in the summer. However, in Iceland these outdoor pools are typically heated by geothermal spring which naturally heat them. This means they can stay open year round. So even if the Blue Lagoon doesn’t make it on to your Iceland itinerary, we think at least one geothermal pool should be on your list of things to do.
What to Pack for Iceland Hot Springs
First, you’ll need your own swimsuit and towel. You can rent a towel at more developed pools, and some will even rent you a swimsuit. However, if you want to save money, make sure to pack your own. We loved using our quick drying towels at these pools! Especially since we visited two in one day during our Golden Circle road trip. Also, women may read that one pieces are the better option. While we found this to be true in regular lap-swimming type pools, plenty of people wore two piece swimsuits at the geothermal spa type pools.
Also, you’ll most likely change into your swimsuit onsite. And if you’re visiting from America – with our very modest changing rooms – you may be surprised and a bit uncomfortable. All of the man-made pools that we visited had men’s and women’s changing rooms. These are locker room style with everyone getting naked and changing in one area. There are no individual changing stalls and toilets are minimal so don’t be rude and change in them. Embrace the Iceland and get naked in front of strangers. You can do a fun modesty dance with your towel if you’re shy.
When you’re done swimming, you’ll want to change back into clothes and maybe dry your hair and/or put on makeup. There are very limited spaces for this in the changing rooms. The Blue Lagoon definitely has the best facilitates for this. However, a majority of people leaving these pools look like they just visited a pool. So we think you should just embrace this and plan accordingly. Just don’t plan on going anywhere fancy afterward.
Also, remember to pack a waterproof case for your phone. Because you want to snap some photos of this cool experience. And don’t forget your sunglasses too! These pools are outdoors and it does get sunny in Iceland.
Visiting The Blue Lagoon
Getting To The Blue Lagoon
The Blue Lagoon is just 20 minutes from the international airport. And it’s (mostly) on the way to Reykjavík. Most people visit the Blue Lagoon either as soon as they arrive or right before they leave. When we visited, it was our first stop after landing in Iceland. One definite advantage of the Blue Lagoon is that it is open much earlier than other Icelandic tourist destinations. (We got the impression that Icelanders don’t wake up until 10 AM as a general rule, based on opening times)
If you’re renting a car to do an Icelandic road trip, you can easily drive yourself to the Blue Lagoon. The parking lot is huge!
However, if you’re planning on staying in Reykjavík and doing tours or day trips, you’ll probably want to arrange transfers to and from the lagoon. You can do this by making sure the Blue Lagoon is included on a guided tour that you choose.
Alternatively, you can arrange a transfer with Destination Blue Lagoon, a bus line that goes to the airport and Reykjavík throughout the day. You can also arrive at the Blue Lagoon via taxi or private car. However, taxis are very expensive in Iceland and ride share options like Uber and Lyft aren’t available.
If you are visiting the Lagoon on your way to or from the airport, they also have luggage storage available for a fee.
When to Visit the Blue Lagoon
The Blue Lagoon is open year round. The Blue Lagoon opens at 8 or 9 AM and closes between 9:30-11:30 PM, depending on the season. You have a half hour after closing to use the facilities to change before they close.
Most guides to the Blue Lagoon on the web will tell you to visit in early morning or late evening to avoid crowds. We visited in the early morning (the first time slot) and left around lunch time and it was less busy when we left. So I’m not sure that advice is actually meaningful.
Getting Into the Blue Lagoon
Whenever you choose to visit the Blue Lagoon, you will need to to pre-book your tickets. You may be able to stop in and get tickets. However, several entrance times were completely booked on the day that we visited so if you don’t have tickets ahead of time, you may wind up waiting hours to enter.
There are two different ticket options that you can buy.
The first is $65 USD. This Comfort level ticket buys you one face mask, one drink and one towel rental. The Premium ticket is $84 USD. This ticket gets you three face masks, one drink, plus a towel and a bathrobe rental. Additionally, spa treatments are available – but since we’re travelers on a budget and not writing a luxury travel blog – we won’t go into that.
You can enter the Blue Lagoon at your scheduled time with your preferably pre-booked tickets. However, you do have some wiggle room. You can enter within that one hour time period, so the 9 AM ticket gets you in between 9:00-9:59 AM. However, once you’re in, you can then stay for as long as you’d like. It is likely that you still need to wait in line to enter, even with a pre-booked ticket. The line moves really quickly as it’s just people getting checked in.
At the entrance, you get a wristband. This is your key for your locker and your coupon for your pre-purchased drinks and face masks.
The Blue Lagoon Locker Rooms
Once you are in to the Blue Lagoon facilities, you are ushered into the men’s or women’s changing area that is open during that time period. They seem to rotate between two different changing areas to spread people out. Once you’re in the changing room there are a few things you should know.
First, the Blue Lagoon is one of the few pools in Iceland that offers more “American” style changing areas, with more private changing and shower areas. But there still are people there who are very comfortable with nudity.
In the locker room, you must find an open locker. You can get changed into your swimsuit here and store your belongings. Once your locker is shut, you wave your wristband in front of the locker to lock it. Full instructions are inside your locker. I think it’s a good idea to test locking and unlocking your locker before you put your belongings inside.
Next, you should use the toilet and then shower. You are expected to shower without a swimsuit on. The Blue Lagoon is one of the few geothermal baths that have individual showers with doors. These doors don’t lock but provide some privacy. They also have communal showers. In the shower, it’s a good idea to slather your hair in the complimentary conditioner to protect it from the minerals in the lagoon. Don’t rinse it out.
Now you’re all set to enter the lagoon! You can take your towel with you, however there really isn’t a good place to store it. We’d recommend keeping it in the locker for your return.
Inside the Blue Lagoon
Once you’re in the Blue Lagoon, enjoy! There are plenty of spots to take photos. There are also some really cool features in this pool like a waterfall and a cave area.
There are two bars in the pool. One is for your drinks. You get one free drink with your admission. We recommend the Icelandic beer or the healthy smoothies. You can charge additional drinks to your wristband and pay when you exit. You cannot order more than three drinks. When you get your cup, keep it and you can refill it at water stations in the pool so you can stay hydrated.
The second bar is for your face masks. There are a few different masks to choose from. If you’ve purchased the premium tickets, they have recommendations for the order you should apply face masks. When you pick out your mask, staff will place the mask in your hand. You rub it on your face, let it sit for the recommended amount of time and then wash it off into the pool.
You can also spend time in the steam rooms located around the edge pool.
We stayed for about an hour and a half before leaving.
Exiting the Blue Lagoon
When you’re back inside the locker rooms, grab your towel and take a shower. The Blue Lagoon is a mineral pool and you’ll be left feeling gritty without a shower. Also, they have complimentary shampoo, conditioner, and lotion from their product line so lather up with those freebies!
Once you’re clean and moisturized, you can get dressed. Leave your locker open when you’re done with it.
If you want to blow dry your hair, the Blue Lagoon does offer hair dryers. They also are the only pool we went to with a makeup area in the women’s locker room.
Once you leave the locker room, you follow directions to the exit. Here you swipe your wristband once again. If you’ve charged anything to it, you’ll have to pay at this point. This step is completely self-service. You then return your wristband and leave.
Things to Know About the Blue Lagoon
First, the Blue Lagoon is not a natural phenomenon, like our favorite bathing springs below. The water from the nearby geothermal power plant was designed to seep through the volcanic rocks. However, the minerals in the water coated the lava rocks, prevented the water from seeping through, and then created pools. People started bathing in these pools. Then someone got the brilliant idea to make a spa and charge admission. And BAM Blue Lagoon.
The temperature of the Blue Lagoon hovers just below 100 degrees Fahrenheit. For context, this is like a warm bath, not a hot tub.
I’m 5’7” and there was no where in the Blue Lagoon that I had to swim to stay above water. This pool isn’t for swimming, it’s for lounging.
Also, the water in the Blue Lagoon circulates about every 40 hours though continual runoff from the geothermal plant that feeds it.
If you get hungry, there is a cafe on site. You can also book reservations for the sit down restaurants on site as well. And while you can drink in the Blue Lagoon, you are limited to 3 drinks. So don’t expect to get drunk and “party” here.
Lastly, the hair myth. You may read that the waters in the Blue Lagoon will ruin your hair. This isn’t true. The water just makes it really stiff, dry and hard to brush out. I had really long hair when visiting so I coated it in conditioner and put it in a bun. The little bits of hair that feel out of the bun got dry and stiff but for the most part my hair was fine. I also didn’t ever dip it under the water.
Should you Visit the Blue Lagoon?
Maybe. We’d definitely recommend visiting a hot spring when you’re in Iceland. Was the Blue Lagoon the best hot spring we visited? No. However, it is the most convenient. So maybe this is the best option for you. We think this is best if you are on a short trip, aren’t renting a car, or aren’t planning on leaving Reykjavík.
The best things about the Blue Lagoon were the modern American-style amenities. It definitely felt like something designed for tourists to make us feel comfortable. And if that is your travel style, then this is for you.
Here’s some things we didn’t like about the Blue Lagoon:
- It’s a giant bathtub that you’re sharing with other people – this grossed me out when thinking about it.
- The mineral deposits on the floor of the pool. These are presumably from the masks people are washing off and the minerals in the water settling. The floor is super smooth and it feels kind of good. Until you realize that a ton of other people’s dead skin cells are probably mixed in with it.
- The water is white. You can’t see the bottom. And we’re fairly confident we saw some couples taking advantage of that fact – so that also grossed us out.
- It was really expensive compared to other things we did in Iceland. REALLY expensive.
So while we’re happy we visited the Blue Lagoon. We’re also happy it was our first stop. I think if we had visited this after visiting some of the other hot springs, we would have been disappointed.
Myvatn Nature Baths
The Myvatn Nature Baths are very similar to the Blue Lagoon. But with a better view. These are located in Northern Iceland and overlook the town of Myvatn. The amenities here feel more like a YMCA but the pool is beautiful.
Bonus: the steam rooms are beautiful. And they have free water everywhere to keep you hydrated. Plus, there are little benches to relax on. And it’s cheaper. Of the paid nature baths that we visited, we liked this one the best.
Seljavallalaug Pool
This is an authentic and historic Icelandic experience. Seljavallalaug Pool is built into the side of a mountain with geothermal water running down the mountain and into the pool. This pool was built a long time ago and has algae growing on it to prove it. You have to hike to get here. Plus the changing rooms are minimal and the actual pool is gross. But the experience is super cool. The hike is beautiful and the place is quiet. I’d recommend this for people who want a more authentic Icelandic bathing experience. And this is 100% free.
Reykjadalur Hot Springs
These hot springs were our absolute favorite. But they aren’t for the faint of heart. We hiked for a hour to get here over rolling hills. And then we bathed in a river. It was sooooo neat. You sit in a cold river in sections where the hot spring water enters to find the perfect temperature for you. And the water is constantly flowing so it didn’t gross us out. I could have spent all day here living my best life. You do have to pay a small parking fee and the changing rooms are really changing walls that you duck behind. But this was the best natural Icelandic bathing experience that we had!
I hope this will help you to decide if visiting the Blue Lagoon is right for you. It was a great first stop on our Icelandic road trip that we wouldn’t visit again. But hopefully, this post will help you to find the perfect geothermal bathing site for you.
