The best is not Blue Lagoon!
One thing that we made almost a daily occurrence while traveling through Iceland was a trip to a hot spring or thermal bath. Let me tell you…after a long day of hiking, nothing feels better than a long soak in hot thermal water and an ice cold beer in hand. Honestly, with the amount of hiking we did, the hot springs probably saved our legs and bodies from exhaustion during our trip.
Of course I did not visit every hot spring in Iceland as there are so many, but I did visit seven! Below I have highlighted my three favorite hot springs I visited, some honorable mentions, and a couple that I think you can just skip altogether.
My Three Favorites
1. GeoSea – Geothermal Sea Baths
Location: Husavik, Northern Iceland | Maps
Price: 5,990 ISK ($40 USD)
GeoSea was definitely my favorite thermal bath that we visited in Iceland. Biggest reason is because of the absolutely stunning view. The thermal pools are hanging on a cliff overlooking a beautiful fjord with snow-capped mountains in the distance. This place offered some of the best views I saw in all of Iceland.
GeoSea is located in northern Iceland so it is way less touristy and way less crowded than the ones in the south. It is open super late and the price was the most reasonable of all the places we went. Come for the stunning views, avoid the annoying crowds, and don’t break the bank! I cannot recommend this one enough.
2. Reykjadalur Hot Spring Thermal River
Location: Near Reykjavik, Western Iceland | Maps
Price: Free!
This was by far the most unique one that we visited simply because it is a hot spring river rather than a hot spring pool. The water is a fantastic temperature and since the river is so long at the swimming area, you will have a good amount of privacy between groups. Bring some beers, chill with friends, and take in all of the beautiful scenery.
The park and river are free to enter but you do have to pay to park at the visitor center (something like 1,000kr / $7 USD). You have to hike about an hour one way to reach the area where you can swim in the river but the hike is very easy. But hey, having a little hike before relaxing in the hot spring makes it feel that much better!
One thing to note: there are not really any great spots to change up near the swimming area. We ended up changing under our towels out in the open. If you don’t feel comfortable with this, then I recommend changing at the visitor center before hiking up.
3. Hvammsvik
Location: Near Reykjavik, Western Iceland | Maps
Price: 7,000-9,000 ISK ($50-60 USD) depending on day/time
This one had actually JUST opened when we were traveling through Iceland. It was so brand new that I don’t think a lot of people had heard of it yet – so we ended up having the entire place to ourselves. No joke, there was not a single other person and it was incredible.
Hvammsvik offers around 10-20 different pools of varying temperatures as well as the option to swim in the ocean right out front. The best part about this place is that it looks out over a fjord and the view (pictured above) is simply spectacular. An absolutely amazing place to end your day and watch the sunset. There is also a swim up bar, a restaurant, and even private houses available for rent if you felt inclined. Only downside to this place is that it is pricey but then again, most of Iceland is.
Honorable Mentions
1. Blue Lagoon
Location: Grindavik, Southwest Iceland | Maps
Price: $80-100 USD depending on day/time
The most famous hot spring of them all, Blue Lagoon. A trip to Iceland really wouldn’t be complete without visiting here. But just because it is the most popular, doesn’t mean it’s the best!
Blue Lagoon is very close to the airport and Reykjavik so it’s super easy to get to, which is part of the reason it is so popular. They even have a Blue Lagoon Express which takes people here directly from the airport. Don’t get me wrong, I liked Blue Lagoon – it is very beautiful with the blue silica water and the black lava rocks surrounding it all but just be prepared for lots of crowds. This place is extremely touristy and very expensive.
Every ticket comes with one beverage from the swim up bar as well as a silica mask from the mask bar. Of course you can shell out more money for more ticket perks but it starts to get really expensive.
2. Forest Lagoon
Location: Akureyri, Northern Iceland | Maps
Price: 6,590 ISK ($47 USD)
Also a newer spa when we were there as it had opened a few months prior. This spa is nestled into a hillside forest with trees completely surrounding the thermal pools. It is like you are in a forest, hence the name. This place is similar in size to GeoSea but it is missing the amazing view. It is semi-unique in the fact that it is in a forest but aside from that there isn’t anything extremely exciting about it and the price doesn’t really match the experience.
You can skip these
Secret Lagoon: This one was really disappointing. It is small, crowded, the water was really really dirty, and it seemed run down. There just really wasn’t anything special about it at all. It felt like a cheap run-down water park or crappy motel pool. Definitely not worth it and I recommend skipping.
Hot Pots Drangsnes: These aren’t even hot springs but rather just hot tubs by the ocean. We only stopped here because we were nearby and it was free to use them. Perks are that it is not crowded (really cant be), and it has a decent ocean view. Problem is if you get there and there do happen to be a bunch of people already there, then you are kind of screwed for a spot to sit. Additionally, there isn’t really a great place to change. There are some crappy bathrooms across the street but the only other option would be changing in your car. These were semi-relaxing and only okay because they were free to use but otherwise nothing special.
Hope this helped you out on your hot spring journey! If you have any other questions, feel free to reach out.
