Ultimate Iceland Hot Spring Showdown: The Best and Worst -

Spoiler alert: Iceland is basically the world’s spa day, but with more sheep and less cell service. While visiting, I decided to embark on a noble quest: hop into three of Iceland’s most famous hot springs, marinate like a human dumpling, and then rank them from “would live here” to “cool, but pass me a towel.”

Hvammsvík Hot Springs — My Cozy Oceanside Soulmate

Location: Whale Fjord, about 45 minutes from Reykjavík
Cost: ~$110 (Comfort ticket, includes towel + free drink, bless them)

First up: Hvammsvík Hot Springs, tucked away on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean in Whalefjord. This place was basically designed by Mother Nature on a day when she said, “You know what? Humans deserve nice things.”

The Vibe

Hvammsvík is what happens if a rugged Viking fell in love with a zen interior designer. There are eight natural pools, all different sizes, scattered along the coastline like little steamy puddles of joy. Some are hotter, some cooler, and a couple are so close to the ocean that if you lean back too far, you might end up in the Atlantic having a very bracing conversation with a puffin.

It’s quiet, it’s calm, and it’s somehow hip without trying. Think of your favorite dive bar — but make it geothermal. No pretension, just warm water and good vibes.

The Logistics

I splurged on the comfort ticket (about $110), which came with a free drink and a towel. I would have paid double just for the towel because no one warns you that Icelandic air will slap you with a brisk breeze the second you get out of the water. The drink didn’t hurt either. Sipping sparkling wine while submerged in a 104°F pool, watching the sun do weird midnight things on the horizon? Honestly, it felt illegal to be that happy.

The Crowd

Hardly anyone. Which was shocking. I half-expected a bachelorette party to cannonball in, but nope — just a handful of blissed-out strangers minding their own business.

10/10 would emotionally bond with a fjord again.

Pro tip: Bring sunglasses and a second liver because the bar is dangerously close and very persuasive.

Sky Lagoon — Spa Day for Your Soul (and Your Instagram Feed)

Location: Just outside Reykjavík
Cost: ~$130 (Ser Package — comes with the famous 7-step ritual and towel)

Next, I glided dramatically into Sky Lagoon, which is basically what happens when a spa decides to cosplay as a luxury Bond villain lair.

The Vibe

Sky Lagoon has this sleek, modern architecture that whispers, “Yes, you belong here. Also, moisturize.” It’s perched right on the Atlantic, and the infinity-edge design makes you feel like you’re about to swim off into the actual ocean like an elegant seal with a skincare routine.

But the real star is the Skjol Ritual — a seven-step saga of hot, cold, steam, and exfoliation that promises to reboot your body like an iPhone. There’s:

Soak in warm water until your problems dissolve (takes about 3 minutes).
Plunge yourself into icy water and immediately rethink your life choices.
Sit in a sauna and contemplate your sins while sweating out your regrets.
Walk through a cold mist (basically spa baptism).
Apply body scrub and question why you don’t exfoliate more.
Rinse off and pretend you’re in a shampoo commercial.
Float in the lagoon like an emotionally stable sea goddess.

There are cozy side spaces for seclusion if you need to escape humanity (same), and the staff move around so gracefully they might actually be part of the ritual.

The only reason Sky Lagoon is second place is because it’s slightly more curated and busy than Hvammsvík. It’s still magical, but in a “Instagram influencer soft launch” kind of way instead of a “I live here now and I have ocean hair” kind of way.

9/10, would absolutely narrate my memoir from the sauna again.

Pro tip: Don’t wear mascara unless you want to leave looking like a raccoon who just had an emotional breakthrough.

🥉 Blue Lagoon — The Instagram Famous Frenzy

Location: About 45 minutes from Reykjavík, near the airport
Cost: ~$105 (Premium Package — includes robe, drink, and 3 face masks)

Ah yes, Blue Lagoon — the Taylor Swift of Iceland hot springs in terms of fame, but the reality is a little more like “a sold-out concert where everyone forgot how to walk.”

Don’t get me wrong — it’s beautiful. The milky-blue water is otherworldly, and floating around with a silica mask on your face while holding a drink feels like you’ve ascended to a higher plane. But here’s the thing: it’s busy. Like, Black Friday at Target busy.

There are quiet zones, which are… fine. They feel like “time out” for adults who wanted peace and accidentally bought a ticket to a pool party. There are also multiple spa add-ons, but you need to book them far in advance unless you want to experience the unique Icelandic phenomenon of standing sadly in a robe watching other people get massages.

The face mask bar is fun — you get three different masks and can pretend you’re a skincare influencer while silently hoping you don’t drop your phone in the lagoon. The bar in the water is also great until you realize you’ve spent $30 on one smoothie and one beer but you’re too blissed out to care.

The biggest downside (other than the crowds) is that it just didn’t feel as relaxing as the others. Beautiful? Yes. Iconic? Absolutely. Relaxing? Only if you consider people-watching while trying not to get splashed by strangers “relaxing.”

Also, note: you must shower naked before entering (true at all three places). If that makes you want to disappear into the earth, book a package with private shower rooms. I powered through the communal showers like a champion, but it did feel like a scene from a very steamy Viking documentary.

7/10, beautiful but chaotic. Like if Disneyland and a skincare commercial had a baby.

Final Soaked Thoughts

If I had to sum it up:

Hvammsvík is where you go to truly unwind and commune with nature (and possibly the ocean spirits).
Sky Lagoon is where you go to feel like a glowing, reborn version of yourself.
Blue Lagoon is where you go to get that classic Iceland Instagram shot and accidentally body-check a stranger while applying a face mask.

Each one is beautiful in its own way — but if I had to pick just one to go back to?
Hvammsvík, every time.
Mostly because they handed me a free drink while I was soaking in the ocean and honestly, that’s the kind of love language I understand.