Is Iceland’s Blue Lagoon Worth It? My Honest Review

What to Expect of the Blue Lagoon:

What is Blue Lagoon’s Hot Spring Like?

The Blue Lagoon is a man-made hot spring filled with real geothermal water from the nearby Svartsengi Geothermal Power Plant. The water gets its milky blue colour from the high amounts of silica in the water.

It’s supposed to be good for your skin, but oh man, it tangles up your hair real good.

Blue Lagoon has one massive pool with tons of little sections divided by curving walls, bridges, and waterfalls. It has a swim-up bar and a swim-up face mask bar. The large size and all the features made it so fun to explore. It wasn’t just sitting in a bright blue hot tub for hours.

Here’s a complete list of the amenities they have:

Swim-up bar: The admission ticket into the lagoon included one drink from the swim-up bar. And not a measly juice box either. They offer wine, sparkling wine, beer, and even fresh-made smoothies. I got their mango-and-ginger smoothie and felt like a healthy queen sipping it in the healing waters.

Face-mask bar: Another swim-up window, but this time you get to choose a mud mask. They are made from silica mud, algae, mineral, or a lava scrub. It’s included with your admission ticket and you can put it right on your face there. I chose the lava scrub and it felt so good on my face.

Changing rooms: They were clean and had wristband-activated lockers to keep our stuff. The showers had shampoo and lots of conditioner. They actually recommend coating your hair with conditioner and leaving it in before entering the lagoon.

Lava Restaurant: They have lagoon-view dining with Icelandic dishes. You need to make a reservation in advance. I chose to eat in nearby Grindavik instead because the prices are really high!!

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Where is Blue Lagoon?

Blue Lagoon is located 50 km and about an hours drive from Iceland’s capital of Reykjavik. It’s in a region with frequent volcanic activity and a great day trip from Reykjavik.

Blue Lagoon is a few minutes from Fagradalsfjall volcano. The area had 12 eruptions between 2021 and 2024, so it is FILLED with dried lava and craters. They even had to close Blue Lagoon in November 2024 when lava advanced toward the site and engulfed the main parking lot.

This was one of my favourite regions in Iceland and we ended up hiking on top of real lava. As a side note, you should definitely add that to your Iceland itinerary as well.

What were the crowds like (and how I worked around them)?

This was the biggest con that made me question if Blue Lagoon was worth visiting. It is arguably Iceland’s #1 thing to do. But here’s what I did to avoid them as much as possible:

I booked the earliest time slot.

They have time slots running every hour and no matter which one you book, you can stay as long as you want afterwards.

We booked for the first time slot in the morning at 8 am. When we got there, there was a huge line. I was worried at first, but once the time struck 8, the line moved SO fast.

When we got out into the lagoon, the large size of the lagoon combined with the fact that we were just one time slot’s worth of people meant we had a solid hour without anyone near us at all.

We swam over to the furthest pool and were basically alone. As the time went by, it got busier and busier, but for the first hour it didn’t feel busy at all. And honestly, even when we left around 11 am, it was busy but didn’t feel overcrowded. 

Pro’s of Visiting the Blue Lagoon

1. The Wow Factor

The Blue Lagoon is famous for a reason. It’s absolutely stunning and unlike any single place in the world. The water is a rich blue colour, it is surrounded by real volcanic rock, and in a region filled with real volcanic activity. 

There are some real cons that keep some people away, but I found the wow factor made all of them so worth it to me. I got amazing pictures of myself and my family floating in the blue water, we loved exploring each section of the lagoon, and the swim-up bar and face masks were amazing touches that made it feel more than a simple hot spring experience. 

2. There’s A LOT of fun amenities included

There were a surprisingly large number of inclusions that made the higher price of entry (compared to hot springs like the Vok Baths in east Iceland) feel worth it.

You get a free drink included from their swim up bar. They didn’t even cheap out on drink options, you could get alcoholic beverages or fresh juices. My sister sipped on sparkling wine and I enjoyed a mango and ginger smoothie.

The swim up face mask bar was also an amazing inclusion. I loved trying the lava scrub mask, putting it on right in the lagoon and then washing it off with the mineral-rich water.

3. Easy to get to from Reykjavik

Out of all the hot springs in Iceland, Blue Lagoon is one of the easiest to get to because its only an hour from Reykjavik. Even if you don’t have a rental car, there are tours that include entry tickets and round trip transportation. 

I actually recommend doing one of these tour versions because they include free 24 cancellation. If you buy the tickets direct from the website, you don’t get any refunds or transfers. We purchased tickets on the website for our trip which was originally supposed to be in 2020 and lost the money from them.

You need to book tickets far in advance to ensure you get your desired time, so the cancellation can be a real life saver.

4. Zero Risk of FOMO

Blue Lagoon is arguably Iceland’s #1 attraction and on many people’s bucket list. You won’t ever need to wonder if you should have visited or question what the hype is all about. You get to see this insane bucket-list worthy destination with your own eyes. 

That’s how I felt about it anyways.

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The Con’s

1. The crowds are high

This is probably the main reason you are even reading this post, trying to decide if Blue Lagoon is worth the hype and braving the crowds to see it. You’ll see long (yet quick moving) lines and lots of people taking selfies in the water. But if you book into the first time slot, it really isn’t to that level for the first hour. 

2. The price is higher than other hot springs in Iceland

Compared to other hot springs, like my favourite Vok Baths, Blue Lagoon tickets are pricier. For example, it costs $97 – $147 as I’m writing this in 2025 versus $60 for the Vok Baths in eastern Iceland. You can check the updated prices here.

The price makes sense because it really is a world famous place to visit. So, if you think about it that way, it feels worth it. However, if you are on a budget or want to enjoy less famous but equally unique hot springs, I get it. I ended up doing four different hot springs/hot tubs because I couldn’t decide. 

3. The commercial vibe

 With the time slots, booking in advance, efficient queues, and locker room setups, the Blue Lagoon feels a lot less authentic and more commercialized than most of the other hot springs in Iceland.

Going into it with those expectations helped, and I ended up actually appreciating how smoothly everything ran. 

My Experience Visiting Blue Lagoon

We booked the 8:00 am time slot (the first slot) and showed up a little early. The locker rooms were clean, sleek and modern with wristband-activated lockers. I slathered my hair in the free conditioner like they told me to and left it in.

Pro tip: do not skip this part!!

We spent 3 hours in the lagoon. We swam straight to the far section of the lagoon and had it all to ourselves for a while. We got so many great photos of each other before the second time slot arrived.

I loved how large the lagoon is because it felt like there were different corners to explore. We stood under the waterfall for a shoulder massage, put on lava scrub and silica face masks, and sat at the swim up bar with our drinks. It felt luxurious!

Around 11, the vibe shifted a little. There were more people, more photos, but the lagoon is big enough that it didn’t feel cramped. We just kept drifting to the quieter edges and dipping into new sections. We already had our fair share of time around this time anyways and left.

Even with the crowds, I left relaxed, warm, and very glad we went. The early slot and “go straight to the far pool” plan made the experience! My answer to ‘is Blue Lagoon worth it’: absolutely YES.

How to Visit the Blue Lagoon?

Booking Your Time slot 

You should book your time slot weeks in advance of going. You can book either directly through their website here, or by booking through one of the local tour operators who include round trip transportation with hotel pickup and all the logistics taken care of for you. 

You have to book a specific time slot for Blue Lagoon in advance. As far in advance as you can! The Blue Lagoon hours are:

• Summer (between June 1 – August 20): 7 am – midnight
• Winter (between August 21 – May 31): 8 am – 10 pm

The retreat spa is always open between 8 am – 8 pm.

Their time slots run every hour.

Getting to the Blue Lagoon

We had a rental car because we road tripped around Iceland’s Ring Road for our 9 days. However, I would book through this tour operator if you don’t have a car. As an extra bonus, which honestly I wish I had, was the free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance.

We originally had booked to go for June 2020. Yep. That 2020. So we ended up losing our money on the Blue Lagoon tickets entirely when they didn’t offer refunds.

👉 Here’s the RIB boat puffins and whale watching tour option!

Blue Lagoon Alternatives

1. The Vok Baths in Eastern Iceland

The Vok Baths were actually my favourite hot spring experience in Iceland. They have floating pools on a lake fed from real geothermal boreholes.

They are in eastern Iceland so wayyyyy quieter than places like the Blue Lagoon. It felt more like a local spot so it was more authentic. You can check out my full review of the Vok Baths here!

👉 You can find more info on Vok Baths here!

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2. Sky Lagoon

The Sky Lagoon is another hot tub experience only 25 minutes from Reykjavik. It is stunning with an infinity-edge pool overlooking the ocean.

They have a 7-step ritual to experience the full spa vibe, which involves a sauna with a huge ocean window, cold plunges, and steam rooms. It is less authentic and more commercialized, similar to Blue Lagoon, but has some serious WOW factor.

👉 Here’s the ticket that includes the 7-step ritual AND round trip transport from Reykjavik.

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3. Hvammsvik Hot Springs

The Hvammsvik hot spring has a way more natural and wild feel. They are about an hour outside of Reykjavik and right on a fjord. They have small pools built into the fjord lake using river stones.

It is quiet, has amazing scenery, and laid-back vibe. If you want something more nature-forward than the spa, this is your best bet.

👉 Here’s the entry ticket with round trip transport from Reykjavik

Things to Do Near the Blue Lagoon

1. Visit the Golden Circle and Kerid Volcano Crater

You can combine Blue Lagoon into a day trip of exploring the top sights around Reykjavik. The Golden Circle is made up of three of Iceland’s most famous sites, Thingvellir park (known for being able to walk between tectonic plates), the great geysir (shoots water hundreds of feet into the air), and Gulfoss waterfall (it’s HUGE!). There is also a red-rimmed crater nearby called Kerid.

You can join a tour that brings you to all of these places and then stops at the Blue Lagoon afterwards for a soak. You won’t have to worry at all about transportation or logistics.

👉 Check out the Golden Circle, Kerid Crater, and Blue Lagoon day trip here!

FAQs About Visiting Blue Lagoon

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Read More About Adventuring in Iceland:

• 22 EPIC Day Trips From Reykjavik (Half and Full Days)
• My Honest Review of Whale Watching Tours in Husavik Iceland
• Is Iceland’s Blue Lagoon Worth It? My Honest Review
• My Honest Review of the Vok Baths in Iceland
• 19 Amazing Things to Do in Vik, Iceland
• An EPIC 4 Day Iceland Itinerary For Summer
• How to See Lava in Iceland: The ULTIMATE Guide!
• The Ultimate Iceland Road Trip Guide (With 7-10 Day Itineraries)