Iceland hot springs

Secret Lagoon

The Secret Lagoon is a natural hot spring pool at Hverahólmi, just outside the village of Flúðir in South Iceland, about an hour and a half's drive from Reykjavík. Locals call it Gamla Laugin, the old pool, and the reason to come is a small geyser that erupts every few minutes a few steps from the bathers. Built in 1891, it's the oldest swimming pool in Iceland, and the country's first swimming lessons were held here in 1909. Classes ran every year until 1947, after which the pool was left to the weeds for decades. It reopened on June 7, 2014, with a new building for changing and showers, while the old pool kept its natural edges. Three hot springs feed the water: Vaðmálahver, Básahver and the little geyser, Litli Geysir. Together they keep the pool at 38 to 40°C all year, and the steaming ground and bubbling vents around the edge are a big part of the appeal. Compared with the large spa lagoons, the Secret Lagoon in Flúðir is plainer and older, which is exactly why many people prefer it. It works best as an afternoon soak at the end of a Golden Circle day, since Gullfoss and Geysir are about half an hour away. Plan on one to two hours, and come on a clear winter evening if you want a shot at the northern lights from the water. The bistro sells snacks and drinks but no hot meals, so eat in Flúðir before or after. The pool is open every day from 10:00 to 20:00 between June 1 and September 30, and from 10:00 to 19:00 from October to May, closing at 18:00 on December 24 and 31. Adults aged 15 and over pay 4,500 ISK, seniors aged 67 and over and disabled visitors pay 3,300 ISK with ID, and children aged 14 and under pay 260 ISK, up to three per adult. Towels and swimsuits rent for 1,200 ISK each, and booking ahead is strongly advised because walk-ins aren't guaranteed a spot.

Sky Lagoon

Sky Lagoon is a geothermal spa on the Kársnes seafront in Kópavogur, a 13-minute drive from downtown Reykjavík. Its infinity edge makes the warm water look as if it pours straight into the North Atlantic, and it is the easiest lagoon in Iceland to fit into a city stay. The lagoon itself is 38–40°C and no deeper than 120 cm, with a swim-up bar and wide views across the bay. Every standard pass includes the seven-step Skjól ritual, which moves you from the lagoon to a 5°C cold plunge, a sauna with a sea-facing window, a cold mist, a body scrub, a steam room and finally back into the water. The difference between the Saman and Sér passes is the changing room: shared showers with Saman, private ones with Sér. Plan on about 1.5 to 2 hours, which is what the spa itself recommends. Entry is by timed slot, and the popular ones go first: sunset in summer, and dark winter evenings when there is a chance of the northern lights over the bay if the sky is clear. Hours shift with the season, from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. in winter to 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. around midsummer. You need to be out of the water 30 minutes before closing. Getting to Sky Lagoon from Reykjavík is simple. Parking is free with no time limit, and a partner shuttle from the city can be booked with your ticket. On public transit, take bus 4 from Hlemmur to Hamraborg and then bus 35 or 36 to Bakkabraut, a short walk away. Children under 12 are not allowed, and guests aged 12 to 14 must come with an adult. If you are torn between Sky Lagoon and the Blue Lagoon, distance usually decides it: this one suits an evening in Reykjavík, while the Blue Lagoon sits on the Reykjanes Peninsula near Keflavík Airport and fits an arrival or departure day.

Earth Lagoon Mývatn

Mývatn Nature Baths, now renamed Earth Lagoon Mývatn, is a geothermal lagoon at Jarðbaðshólar in North Iceland, a few minutes east of the village of Reykjahlíð and about 1 hour 15 minutes by car from Akureyri. The rename came with a rebuild, and the new building with redesigned changing rooms was scheduled to open in summer 2026, so older photos and prices may not match what you find. Geothermal water keeps the milky-blue lagoon at 36 to 40°C, and it is no deeper than 1.3 meters. Next to the main pool, a steam cave fed by vents in the wall holds around 45°C, and there is a swim-up bar plus a bistro for lunch or dinner. As for Mývatn Nature Baths vs the Blue Lagoon, the answer is mostly geography and price. Both have the same pale blue water, but this one is smaller, cheaper and far less crowded, and it fits naturally into a day around the lake. Námaskarð, Grjótagjá and Hverfjall crater are all within about 3 kilometers, so it makes an easy last stop. The lagoon opens daily at 12:00, and since September 1, 2026, it closes at 22:00, though hours change with the season. Tickets come in tiers, starting from 7,900 ISK for Earth Essential and from 9,900 ISK for Earth Signature, with prices that shift by time of day and demand. Children 5 and under enter free with an adult. Most visitors stay about 90 minutes. Booking ahead through the official website is the safest plan, although walk-ins get in when lockers are free. In winter an evening soak is the pick, when the dark sky over the lava field gives you a fair chance at the northern lights from the water.

Blue Lagoon

The Blue Lagoon is a man-made geothermal spa in a black lava field on the Reykjanes Peninsula in southwest Iceland, filled with milky-blue seawater from the neighboring Svartsengi Resource Park. Since it sits about 20 minutes from Keflavík International Airport and about 45 minutes from Reykjavík, many travelers time a Blue Lagoon Iceland visit for the day they land or the day they fly home. The water comes from deep wells at Svartsengi, roughly 70% seawater and 30% fresh water, and it stays at 37–39°C all year. Silica gives it the pale blue color, and the same silica becomes the white mud you smear on your face at the in-water mask bar. Expect a slow, social soak rather than a swim, with a swim-up bar, a sauna and a steam bath around the edges. Entry is by timed ticket, and Blue Lagoon Iceland tickets for popular slots sell out days or even weeks ahead, so book through the official website as soon as your dates are fixed. Comfort, the cheapest package, covers entry, a silica mud mask, a towel and a first drink, while the higher tiers add extras such as a bathrobe and slippers. Prices change with the season, the day and your arrival time, and early-morning or late-evening slots are usually the calmest. Plan on two to three hours in the water, plus time to shower and change. Children aged 2 and over are allowed, kids 13 and under get in free with a paying adult, and those 8 and under wear free armbands. For a quieter and pricier spa day, the Retreat at Blue Lagoon on the same site has its own private lagoon and changing suites. In winter, the Blue Lagoon at night has real appeal, with steam rising under a dark sky and, on a clear night with a good forecast, a chance of northern lights overhead. Drivers follow Route 41 toward the airport and turn south on Route 43. A day trip to the Blue Lagoon from Reykjavík with hotel pickup takes the planning off your hands. The lagoon lies beside the Sundhnúkur crater row, which erupted repeatedly between December 2023 and August 2025, most recently from July 16 to August 5, 2025. Magma was still accumulating beneath Svartsengi in 2026, so another eruption could start with little warning. The Blue Lagoon usually closes when one begins and reopens once the authorities judge it safe, so check its official updates the day before you go.

Seljavallalaug Swimming Pool

Seljavallalaug is an outdoor swimming pool fed by a natural hot spring, set against the mountainside in a narrow valley below Eyjafjallajökull on Iceland's South Coast. Local people built it in 1923 so children could learn to swim, and at 25 meters long and 10 meters wide it was the largest pool in Iceland until 1936. The reason to come is the setting more than the swim. You change in a concrete hut, step into warm water with green slopes rising on three sides, and reach it on foot rather than through a turnstile. When Eyjafjallajökull erupted in 2010, ash filled the pool completely, and volunteers dug it out the following summer. The Seljavallalaug swimming pool lies between Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss, about 2 hours' drive from Reykjavík. Turn off the Ring Road onto Route 242 (Raufarfellsvegur) and follow it to the small parking lot at the end. From there, an easy path follows the stream up the valley for 15 to 20 minutes, with one or two rocky spots to step across. Expect warm water, not hot. The spring flows in at one corner, which is the warmest spot, and on a cold or windy day the rest of the pool feels closer to cool. Volunteers clean it only about once a year, so by late summer algae coats the walls and floor and makes them slippery. Entry is free, and a donation box helps pay for upkeep. The hut has basic changing rooms, but there are no showers, toilets or lifeguard, so bring a towel and carry out everything you bring in. An hour covers the walk, a swim and a dry-off, and early morning or evening is the time to go if you want the pool mostly to yourself.

Brimketill Lava Rock Pool

The Brimketill lava rock pool is a round basin the sea has worn into the black lava shelf on the south coast of the Reykjanes Peninsula, about 9 kilometers west of Grindavík. On a day with a big swell, the Atlantic pours over the edge, fills the bowl and drains out again before the next wave, and watching that happen is the whole point of the stop. Forget any idea of a dip. The water is cold, churning seawater, the site isn't supervised, and waves can wash across the surrounding rocks with no warning. Getting into the pool or the sea here can be life-threatening, so stay on the platform and hold on to children. Local legend says the pool once belonged to a giantess named Oddný, who came here to bathe. Brimketill sits on the ocean side of Road 425, roughly 30 minutes' drive from Keflavík Airport. A short set of stairs runs from the parking lot down to an extended viewing platform, which means it isn't wheelchair accessible. It's free to visit, there are no facilities, and 15 to 20 minutes is usually enough. Come when the sea is rough if you want drama, and bring a waterproof jacket, because spray can reach almost to the parking lot. Calmer days are the time to see into the pool itself. The Bridge Between Continents and the Reykjanes lighthouse are a short drive west, so Brimketill fits easily into a loop of the Reykjanes Peninsula. This corner of Iceland is volcanically active, and the area around Grindavík has seen repeated eruptions and road closures since 2023. Check the official safety and road-conditions updates on the day you plan to go, stay on marked paths, and respect any closure signs.

Landmannalaugar

Landmannalaugar is a geothermal valley in the Fjallabak Nature Reserve in the southern Iceland highlands, about four hours' drive from Reykjavík. Its best-known feature is the Landmannalaugar hot spring, a warm stream that runs out from the edge of the lava beside the mountain hut, free to soak in after a day on the trails. The color is the other draw. Rhyolite ridges streaked pink, yellow and green ring the valley, and because Landmannalaugar is also the northern trailhead of the Laugavegur trek, the multi-day route south to Þórsmörk, the campsite fills with hikers coming and going in July and August. Landmannalaugar hiking starts right at the hut. Short loops climb Brennisteinsalda or cross the black obsidian of the Laugahraun lava field in two to three hours, while Bláhnúkur and the longer ridge walks take most of a day. Plan on at least half a day here, or stay the night and hike in the long summer evening light. Only a 4x4 gets you here, and only in summer. The F208 and F225 usually open around June 20 and stay passable until mid-September, with exact dates set each year depending on snow, so check the official road-conditions map before you set out. The last stretch on the F224 has two river crossings, which is why smaller 4x4s should stop at the P1 parking lot by Námskvísl and walk in over the footbridge. Parking costs 1,500 ISK per car with up to five seats, charged around the clock. From June 20 to September 13, 2026, drivers arriving between 9:00 and 16:00 must book their space in advance online or in the Parka app. Ferðafélag Íslands runs the 78-bed hut, listed at 17,000 ISK, plus a gravel campsite where tents often need rocks to stay put in the wind. If you'd rather skip the river crossings, a Landmannalaugar tour by super-jeep or highland bus does the driving for you. Either way, bring a swimsuit, warm waterproof layers and food, and leave the soap behind, since it's banned in the hot spring.

Nauthólsvík Geothermal Beach

Nauthólsvík Geothermal Beach is a city-run bathing beach on the Fossvogur inlet in Reykjavík, where hot water piped into a sheltered lagoon takes the edge off the North Atlantic. Locals call it Ylströndin, and on a sunny day its golden sand draws a crowd you would not expect this far north. The beach sits below the wooded Öskjuhlíð hill, about 3 kilometers from downtown, and you can walk or cycle there on the coastal path or drive and use the parking lot by the service building. In summer the lagoon inside the breakwater averages 15 to 19°C, which is cool but swimmable. Hot tubs and a steam bath wait on the shore for warming up afterward. From mid-May to mid-August the beach usually opens daily from 10:00 to 19:00. The rest of the year it keeps winter hours, Tuesday to Friday 11:00 to 19:00 and Saturday 11:00 to 16:00, with Sundays and Mondays closed. In winter the sea drops into single digits Celsius, so regulars take a short cold dip and head straight for the hot tub. Adult entry is 1,500 ISK, children 9 and under get in free, and ages 10 to 17 pay 400 ISK. You can rent a towel or swimsuit at the desk, so it works as a spur-of-the-moment stop. An hour or two is plenty, and on a warm summer afternoon expect to share the sand with half of Reykjavík's families.

Landbrotalaug Hot Springs

Landbrotalaug Hot Springs is a tiny natural hot pot in the marshy lava country of the farm Stóra-Hraun, near the Eldborg crater on the eastern edge of the Snæfellsnes peninsula in West Iceland. The main pool is a narrow, deep hole where warm water wells up from below, and it fits two people at a time, which is both the charm and the catch. A second, larger pool nearby is filled by a hose rather than by the spring itself, and it takes extra bathers when the main hot spring is full. The water is comfortably hot, though the temperature shifts with the weather. There's no building, fence or lighting, just open moorland and a wide sky, and on clear winter nights a chance of northern lights overhead. To get there, follow Route 54 from Borgarnes past Eldborg and turn at the sign for Stóra-Hraun onto a rough gravel track that ends at a small parking area. The drive takes about 40 minutes from Borgarnes or roughly two hours from Reykjavík. From the parking area it's a short walk over wet ground, and you may have to wade through shallow water. A regular car usually manages the track when it's dry, but it turns muddy after rain and icy in winter. Entry is free and there's no booking. There are no toilets, changing rooms or trash cans, so change in your car and carry everything out again. The Landbrotalaug hot spring is on private land, and access has depended on the landowner's goodwill, so check its current status before a special trip, skip the soap and keep the noise down. Come early in the morning or late in the evening for a chance at the pool alone, and be ready to wait or move on if it's taken. Half an hour is plenty, and the basalt columns at Gerðuberg are about 10 minutes away.

Geosea Sjóböð

GeoSea Húsavík is a set of geothermal sea baths on the Húsavíkurhöfði headland in Húsavík, North Iceland, with infinity pools on the cliff edge looking straight out over Skjálfandi Bay. The baths opened in August 2018 beside the town lighthouse, and they offer something the region's freshwater lagoons can't: a soak in warm, mineral-heavy seawater with a chance of whales in the bay below. The water is pumped from drill holes near the shore, already hot from the geothermal ground, then blended and held at 38 to 39°C. It flows through the pools continuously rather than relying on cleaning chemicals, so expect a salty taste on your lips. A swim-up bar, a steam room and a café round out the visit, and whales do sometimes surface in the bay, though no one can promise a sighting. You'll find the GeoSea sea baths at Vitaslóð 1, a five-minute drive from the town center. Akureyri is about 75 km away, roughly an hour and a quarter by car, and Lake Mývatn and Ásbyrgi canyon are both within about an hour. Most people spend one and a half to two hours here. The baths are open all year, with standard GeoSea opening hours of 12:00 to 22:00, though winter schedules can be shorter on weekdays. Children under 6 enter free with an adult, and there are reduced rates for kids, seniors, students and disabled visitors, while towels, swimsuits and robes can be rented. GeoSea prices change often, so check the current list on the official website and book ahead online for summer evenings, when the low sun sets over the bay.

Grettislaug

Grettislaug is a stone-walled hot pool at Reykir on the Reykjaströnd coast of Skagafjörður, North Iceland, where you soak at the edge of the sea with Drangey island standing offshore. Grettis saga tells how the outlaw Grettir Ásmundarson swam about 7 kilometers from Drangey to this spot and warmed up in the spring through the night. The pool you see today is a rebuild. A storm in the fall of 1934 wrecked the old pools when the sea pushed the shingle ridge inland, and in 1992 local farmer Jón Eiríksson rebuilt Grettislaug with a seawall in front. The Grettislaug hot spring measures about 4.5 by 3.75 meters and 80 centimeters deep, and its water is around 42°C. A second, smaller pool called Jarlslaug sits a few steps away. Reykir is the last farm on the coast road, about 25 minutes north of Sauðárkrókur on Road 748. The final stretch is gravel but manageable in a regular car. Expect basic facilities and an entrance fee, and check the current season and price with the operators before you drive out, since the site isn't staffed year-round. Go on a calm evening in summer, when the low sun lights up Drangey and the bay. An hour is plenty for a soak and a walk along the beach, and summer boat trips to Drangey also leave from Reykir if you want to see the island up close.

Guðlaug

Guðlaug is a small geothermal bathing pool built into the sea wall on Langisandur beach in Akranes, West Iceland, about 50 minutes' drive north of Reykjavík through the Hvalfjörður tunnel. Steps lead from the hot water straight down to the beach, so you can take a cold plunge in the bay between soaks. The pool opened in December 2018, paid for by a memorial fund in the names of Jón Gunnlaugsson and Guðlaug Gunnlaugsdóttir, which is where the name comes from. It's built on three levels. At the top is a viewing deck, the middle level holds the hot pool and showers, and the bottom has a shallow wading pool. Treat Guðlaug in Akranes as a quick soak on the way north, since an hour is plenty. There are changing rooms on site, and you can rent a towel for 830 ISK, or sea-swimming shoes and gloves for 1,140 ISK each if you want to try the sea. On a clear day, you look across Faxaflói Bay toward Reykjavík and Snæfellsjökull. Under the 2026 town price list, adults pay 2,800 ISK, while seniors, disabled visitors and teens aged 10 to 17 pay 1,400 ISK. Children under 10 get in free, and so do 10- to 17-year-olds with a paying adult. A 10-visit card costs 18,630 ISK. Guðlaug is open all year, but the hours change with the season and sometimes at short notice, so confirm them on the day before you drive up. On a dark winter evening, the bay is a good place to watch for the northern lights from the hot water.

Hellulaug

The Hellulaug hot spring is a small, rock-lined geothermal pool on the shore of Vatnsfjörður in the southern Westfjords, just below Route 60 near Flókalundur. Few hot pools in Iceland sit this close to the sea, and from the water you look straight down the fjord toward Breiðafjörður. The pool fits only a handful of people at a time. Nobody monitors the water temperature, so test it with a hand before you climb in. There's nothing built here, so expect no changing rooms, showers or toilets. Most people change in the car and leave their clothes on the rocks, and there's no entry fee. Skip the soap and shampoo, and take every bit of trash away with you. To find it, drive Route 60 to the Flókalundur hotel and service station, where Route 62 branches off. The small gravel parking lot is a short walk above the pool, which you can't see from the road. Brjánslækur, the landing for the Baldur car ferry from Stykkishólmur, is only a few kilometers away. That location makes Hellulaug the obvious first soak in the Westfjords if you're arriving on the ferry, or a last one on the way back. Dynjandi waterfall is under an hour's drive north over the Dynjandisheiði plateau, and the red-gold beach at Rauðisandur lies farther west, reached from Route 62. The pool has no opening hours and is warm in every season. Go in daylight, and in winter check the official road-conditions map before crossing the mountain passes. On long summer evenings the light over the fjord is at its best, and by then most of the day traffic has moved on.

Heydalur

Heydalur is a farm hotel and campsite at the head of Mjóifjörður, one of the long fjords off Ísafjarðardjúp in Iceland's Westfjords, known for a pool inside a geothermal greenhouse and a natural hot spring across the river. For anyone driving between Hólmavík and Ísafjörður, it's the obvious place to break the journey for a night. There are three places to bathe. The pool sits inside the greenhouse, where the farm grows fruit and vegetables with geothermal heat, and it's kept at 23–28°C and open around the clock. Just outside, a hot pot fed with pumped groundwater runs at about 40°C. A few minutes' walk away, on the far side of the river, is the natural spring, also about 40°C. Local tradition says Bishop Guðmundur the Good blessed it in the 12th century, and people have bathed there ever since. Heydalur is 12 km off Road 61, about 130 km from Ísafjörður and roughly 110–120 km from Hólmavík, so expect around two hours of winding fjord driving to Ísafjörður. In winter, check the official road-conditions map and weather warnings before you set out, because Westfjords weather changes fast. Bathing is at your own risk, and parents must supervise young children. The pool and the natural spring are free for hotel and campsite guests. In 2026 the Heydalur campsite charges 2,000 ISK per adult and 500 ISK for ages 7–15, plus 400 ISK tax per unit, and electricity costs 1,200 ISK per 24 hours. The campsite is open from 1 June to the end of October, and since no day-visitor price is published, call reception on +354 456 4824 before you come just to bathe. One night is the right amount of time here. From mid-September to mid-April, the outdoor hot pot is a warm place to wait for the northern lights, while in summer you can join a guided kayak trip on the fjord to look for seals or ride Icelandic horses from the farm.

Hoffell Hot Tubs

Hoffell Hot Tubs are a set of geothermal tubs at the foot of Hoffellsjökull, a tongue of Vatnajökull glacier about 19 km north of Höfn in Southeast Iceland. You sit in hot water with the glacier valley and the jagged peaks above it in view, and it's one of the easiest soaks to fit into a drive along the southeast coast. The tubs belong to Glacier World, the farm guesthouse at Hoffell, and now run as the Hoffell Baths, so the old cash honesty box is gone. There are four tubs and a sauna, with a small bar on site. Hoffell is roughly 20 minutes from Höfn by car, about 3 km off the Ring Road on paved Road 984. Entry costs 4,900 ISK per person, and guests staying at Glacier World use the tubs for free. From May to September, the baths open 10:00–21:00. In October, November and February to April they open 12:00–21:00, and they close in December and January, with the last booking each day at 19:00. An hour is about right for a soak. Go late in the day after Jökulsárlón or Vestrahorn, when the light on the mountains is softer and you're ready to sit still.

Hraunsnef

Hraunsnef is a country hotel and farm on Route 1 in Norðurárdalur, West Iceland, with outdoor geothermal nature baths open to day visitors as well as hotel guests. Hot soaks right off the highway are rare on the long drive north from Reykjavík, which makes it worth knowing about. The baths use naturally heated water in a quiet valley setting, and the Hraunsnef restaurant keeps the same opening hours, so a soak and a farm-to-table dinner make an easy evening stop. Hraunsnef sits just north of Bifröst, about 35 km from Borgarnes and roughly an hour and a half from Reykjavík. Deildartunguhver hot spring and the Hraunfossar waterfalls are both within about 40 minutes. Entry is 4,900 ISK for adults and 3,500 ISK for children aged 3 to 12, and children up to 2 get in free. Hotel guests get 20% off. Forgot your gear? Swimsuits and towels rent for 1,500 ISK each, robes for 2,000 ISK and swim shoes for 2,500 ISK. Opening hours change with the season. From April to September the baths open 12:00 to 21:00, in March and October 17:00 to 21:00, and in February and November only on Friday and Saturday evenings. They close in December and January, and because the hotel says hours can change with the weather, check before a shoulder-season visit.

Hreppslaug

Hreppslaug is a geothermal swimming pool at Andakíll, near Hvanneyri in Borgarfjörður, West Iceland, filled with hot spring water since 1928. It sits in open farmland, and the local youth association UMF Íslendingur that built it still runs it today. The Hreppslaug swimming pool is simple: one large concrete pool and two small hot tubs, all filled with water piped straight from a nearby hot spring. You won't find slides or a café here. What you get instead is a quiet soak with a view over the river flats and the mountains at the mouth of Skorradalur, which is exactly why people make the detour. The drive from Reykjavík takes about an hour, and Borgarnes is roughly 15 minutes away. Hreppslaug pairs well with Deildartunguhver, Europe's most powerful hot spring, about 25 minutes inland, or with a drive up the valley to Skorradalsvatn lake. An hour is plenty for a swim and a soak. This geothermal pool is seasonal. It opens from late spring to the end of October and closes for the winter, with the longest hours in June, July and August, when it's usually shut on Mondays. Hours change from year to year, so call 437 0027 before you go.

Hrunalaug Hot Spring

Hrunalaug Hot Spring is a small natural hot spring on private farmland near Flúðir in South Iceland, where water at 37–38°C fills three pools in a quiet green valley. It's about 10 minutes' drive from Flúðir and about an hour and 40 minutes from Reykjavík, close enough to add to a Golden Circle day. The land belongs to the farm Ás, owned by the same family since the 1890s. The oldest pool was built around 1890 for laundry and bathing, the second in 1935 for dipping sheep against scab, and the third in 2017 for visitors. That newest pool was rebuilt in 2023 with an outer ring of columnar basalt, which made it larger and deeper. Hrunalaug charges entry. As of October 2026, adults pay 3,000 ISK before 14:00 and 3,500 ISK after, ages 11–15 pay 2,000 or 2,500 ISK, seniors and guests with disabilities pay 2,500 or 3,000 ISK, and children 10 and under go free. There's no booking system, so it's first come, first served, with room for about 25–30 people and a 90-minute limit per visit. The spring is open all year: 9:00–22:00 from May through August, 9:00–21:00 in spring and fall, and 10:00–20:00 from November 1 to March 14. Outside those hours the site is closed and monitored by an alarm, so late-night soaks are no longer possible. It also closes now and then for private sessions, which the owners announce on the official website. A new changing building opened in 2026, set into the hill behind the pool, with lockers, toilets and showers. Towels rent for 1,000 ISK, and the walk from the parking lot is under 200 meters. The stones in and around the water are slippery, the site isn't wheelchair accessible, and drones and glass containers aren't allowed. Plan on an hour in the water, and come before 14:00 if you want the lower price. In very dry spells this natural hot spring has dried up before, so check the official website on the day of your visit.

Húsafell Canyon Baths

The Húsafell Canyon Baths are a set of small geothermal pools built into the floor of Hringsgil, a narrow ravine in the hills above Húsafell in West Iceland. You can only reach them on a guided walk, which keeps groups small and the canyon quiet. The family-run tourism business at Húsafell built the pools from flagstone taken from the canyon floor, with no cement or concrete, and drilled for the hot water that feeds them. Water temperatures range from about 30 to 41°C (86 to 105°F), and a cold spring of around 10°C (50°F) gives you somewhere to cool off between soaks. Even the small bathhouse is built from salvaged local timber. Tours leave from Hotel Húsafell with a short drive to the trailhead, followed by an easy walk past Langifoss, a two-tiered waterfall, and 64 steps down into the canyon. The whole outing takes about 1 hour 45 minutes. Prices start at 10,900 ISK per person, which covers the guide, transport from the hotel, entry to the pools and a towel. The Canyon Baths run year-round, but snow, ice, mud or high water can change the route, so dress for the walk as much as the soak. Bring a swimsuit, warm waterproof layers and hiking boots, or rent a swimsuit at the Húsafell swimming pool. Groups are capped at 16 people, so book a few days ahead in summer through the official website. Húsafell is about a two-hour drive from Reykjavík via Borgarnes and Reykholt. That makes the Canyon Baths an easy add-on to a day in upper Borgarfjörður with Hraunfossar, Barnafoss and the Víðgelmir lava cave.

Krauma Geothermal Baths

Krauma Geothermal Baths is a small spa in Reykholtsdalur, West Iceland, built beside Deildartunguhver, Europe's most powerful hot spring, and filled with that spring's water. The source comes out of the ground at 100°C, so it's cooled before it reaches the six baths: five warm pools between 37 and 41°C and one cold plunge at 5 to 10°C. Beyond the pools, you get two saunas, a steam bath and an infrared cabin, plus a relaxation room with a fireplace and music. Because the hot spring keeps flowing, the water in the Krauma baths is replaced constantly. The whole place is small enough to feel calm next to the big lagoons near Reykjavík. Krauma is open every day from 11:00 to 21:00, with shorter hours (11:00 to 16:00) on December 24 and 31, and it's closed on Christmas Day and New Year's Day. Adult admission (17 and over) is currently 7,900 ISK, teens pay 4,160 ISK, seniors 67 and over pay 5,790 ISK, and children up to 12 pay 500 ISK. Towels, swimwear and robes aren't included, so bring your own or rent them on site. The spa is about 97 kilometers from Reykjavík, or roughly an hour and a half by car. That makes the Krauma spa an easy add-on to a Borgarfjörður loop with Hraunfossar and Reykholt. The restaurant next to the pools serves Icelandic dishes made with local farm produce, and about two hours covers a soak and a sauna.

Laugarvatn Fontana

Laugarvatn Fontana is a geothermal spa on the shore of Laugarvatn lake in the village of Laugarvatn, on the Golden Circle about an hour's drive (77 kilometers) from Reykjavík. You sit in steam rising straight out of the ground, then walk a few steps into the cold lake to cool off, and the hot spring under the spa also bakes the dark rye bread it's known for. Þingvellir is 25 kilometers west and Geysir 29 kilometers east, so Fontana fits easily between the two or at the end of the loop. Plan on about two hours for a soak, longer if you add the bakery tour. The centerpiece of the Laugarvatn Fontana geothermal baths is a steam bath built over a natural hot spring, where the temperature usually sits between 40 and 50°C depending on the spring's activity. Warm baths sit alongside it, and you can go from the hot water straight into the lake. The spa reopened on August 1, 2026, after the biggest renovation since it first opened. The geothermal bakery tour is the other reason people come. Staff dig up a pot of rye bread that has baked in the hot sand by the shore, and you taste it while it's still warm. Tours run at set times each day and often sell out, so book ahead through the official website. In summer (June 1 to September 30) the baths open daily from 10:00 to 21:00, and from October to May from 11:00 to 21:00. Adult admission (16 and over) is 7,490 ISK, youth tickets (ages 6 to 15) are 4,990 ISK, and children 5 and under go free. From late fall, closing time comes well after dark, so on a clear night keep an eye out for the northern lights.

Laugarás Lagoon

Laugarás Lagoon is a geothermal lagoon on the bank of the Hvítá river in Laugarás, a small greenhouse village beside the old bishop's seat of Skálholt in South Iceland. It opened on October 15, 2025, and spreads its water over two levels, with a waterfall about 6.6 meters long pouring from the upper pool into the lower one. The layout rewards a slow lap. A secluded grotto sits in the lower corner, the forest pool backs onto a small stand of trees, and the infinity edge looks straight out over the river. Two swim-up bars serve drinks in the water, and at the edge of the woods a sauna house has a dry sauna, a steam bath and a cold plunge pool. The water stays at about 38–40°C all year. The lagoon is at Skálholtsvegur 1, about 94 kilometers from Reykjavík, roughly an hour and 20 minutes by car, and Selfoss is closer to 40 minutes away. Buses 72 and 73 do reach Laugarás, but they run infrequently, so plan on driving or joining a tour, and park right outside. Prices are dynamic. Birki, the basic entry, runs 6,900–9,900 ISK, and Lerki adds a towel and one drink for 9,400–12,400 ISK. Ösp also includes a two-course lunch at Ylja, the on-site restaurant led by chef Gísli Matthías Auðunsson, for 15,900–18,900 ISK. If you book Birki, bring a towel or rent one for 1,200 ISK. From August 15 to November 1, Laugarás Lagoon is open daily 10:00–21:00, with last entry at 19:30. Winter hours, November 2 to April 30, are 10:00–20:30 with last entry at 19:00, and shorter hours apply on December 24 and 31. Children under 5 can't enter the water, and ages 5 to 15 must come with an adult. There's no time limit inside, so two to three hours is a comfortable visit, longer with lunch. Book ahead, since time slots sell out and there's no luggage storage. Compared with the Secret Lagoon across the river near Flúðir, Laugarás is newer and more polished, while the Secret Lagoon is simpler and older.

Lýsuhólslaug

Lýsuhólslaug is a geothermal swimming pool at the Lýsuhóll farm on the south side of the Snæfellsnes peninsula in West Iceland, filled straight from a mineral spring. No chlorine goes in, so natural algae turn the water green and leave it feeling soft, which is exactly why people stop. The complex, also known as Lýsulaugar, has a large pool that usually sits at 28–34°C, two hot tubs at roughly 38–40°C and 40–42°C, and a cold tub at 4–6°C. Because everything depends on the natural source, temperatures can drop on windy or rainy days. Wednesday evening is the usual cleaning night, so the big pool may not be full the next morning. Lýsuhólslaug is just off Road 54, about 2 hours and 15 minutes from Reykjavík and roughly 20 minutes east of Arnarstapi. It makes an easy break on a Snæfellsnes loop, after the beach at Ytri Tunga or the black church at Búðir. The pool is a summer operation, open daily from 11:00 to 21:00 between May 15 and August 31 in 2026. Posted 2025 prices were 1,800 ISK for adults and 500 ISK for ages 10–17, with free entry for younger children. Plan on an hour, and note that in the last week of August the large pool may close for school swimming lessons while the hot tubs stay open.

Reykjaböð Hot Springs

Reykjaböð Hot Springs is a geothermal bathing and wellness center at Árhólmar 5 in Hveragerði, South Iceland, at the foot of the Reykjadalur valley. It opened in September 2026 and gives you a hot soak without the hike up the valley. The outdoor pools are filled with natural hot spring water, and alongside them are a Kneipp pool for switching between warm and cold, an event sauna and an indoor and outdoor bar. The Nordic bathhouse is a separate circuit of ten spaces that move between heat and cold, steam and stillness. Réttir restaurant is on site, with the kitchen open from 11:30 to 20:30. Hveragerði is about half an hour's drive from Reykjavík and 15 minutes from Selfoss, on Route 1 toward the South Coast and the Golden Circle. That makes Reykjaböð Hot Springs in Hveragerði easy to add at the end of a day trip, or to pair with the Reykjadalur hike if you want a shower and a proper changing room after the trail. Plan on two or three hours if you do the bathhouse too. The Hot Springs Pass starts at 8,900 ISK, and the Hot Springs & Bathhouse Pass starts at 16,900 ISK, with tickets sold online. From June 1 to September 30 it's open daily from 10:00 to 22:00. From October 1 to May 31, hours are 10:00 to 21:00 Monday to Thursday and 10:00 to 22:00 Friday to Sunday, and everyone leaves the water 30 minutes before closing.