8 Unbelievable Hot Springs in Iceland That Feel Like a Spa Built by the Earth Itself

Thanks to all the geothermal activity, there are a dozens of hot springs in Iceland (they don’t call it the Land of Fire and Ice for nothing!). I was super excited to hit as many hot springs as we possibly could during our time there.

And Iceland delivered – I loved the hot pots in Iceland so much! They were all so unique and varied, and the toasty water felt amazing in the chilly weather.

Many of the hot springs are all in secluded spots in nature – surrounded by hills or mountains, in a cave, or overlooking the ocean. Others are more spa-like, but still heated by natural hot springs.

Being the nerds that we are, we actually brought a thermometer with us so we could take the water temps for ourselves – so the temperatures noted in this post are original data! These are 8 of our favorite hot springs all around Iceland.

Note: In Icelandic, “laug” means hot pot

1. Reykjadalur Thermal River

This spot is very well-known and we thought it deserved its reputation. The hot river is located up in the mountains and you have to hike to get there. It took us 1 hr 10 minutes to hike to the hot river.

You’ll hike up into the foothills where you are treated to some fantastic views. There is a beautiful canyon gorge that the trail follows, and you see several waterfalls and rolling hills in the distance.

The hills were covered in a mixture of moss and grass, and the vistas felt like they were straight out of a medieval fantasy story – I half expected a knight on his noble steed to come charging down the hill. There were several points where steam was rising off the streams coming into the valley. We loved it.

You know when you’ve reached the thermal river spot when you come to a boardwalk. It was constructed to help prevent erosion of the soil next to the river and there are a few dividers set up for changing. The whole section of the river is steaming and creates an idyllic effect as it babbles between the hills.

There is some moss in the river – just embrace it! It’s totally worth it and was actually really nice (and this is coming from a girl who hates seaweed and algae).

2. Hruni Hot Pot

This absolutely adorable little Icelandic hot pot is located in a quiet corner of the country side near the Golden Circle. Once you get there, the laug is a very short 3 minute walk from the parking lot.

When you arrive, there is a charming, sod-covered little hut for changing and then 3 different pools: a small plunge pool, a circular pond, and a long, rectangular, rock-lined pool.

The rock-lined pool is where the hot spring originates and is thus the hottest, at 100 degrees Fahrenheit, cooling down to 96 in the plunge pool, and 92 in the pond.

The scenery is gorgeous as the hot pot is surrounded by rolling hills, and a little stream coursing nearby. When we were there, there was some algae in the plunge pool (the steps were a little slick) and pond, but the rectangular one was pretty clean!

There is a box that asks for a $10 or 1000 krona donation to help cover the upkeep, so bring some cash with you.

3. Djúpavogskörin Hot Pot

This hot pot came highly recommended by our glacier tour guide, so we decided to make a stop. I am so glad we did because we loved this hot spring.

It is right before the city of Djúpivogur. You really need to be watching the map because there were not any marking for it – it was basically just a dirt pulloff on the road. Head 100 yards over the rise of the hill and you are there.

The hot pot is right by the sea and you have a great view of it and of a little stream going by. It was nice and toasty at 106 degrees.

This Iceland hot pot was almost like a pool set above the ground – definitely not built into the ground. The water was really clean, and it was so isolated (especially since we were there at 3am). We loved this spot and didn’t want to leave.

4. Blue Lagoon

The Blue Lagoon is conveniently located between Reykjavik and the airport – unsurprisingly, it gets a lot of tourists and is definitely the most well-known hot pot in Iceland.

Despite this, I actually found Blue Lagoon to be really nice. There were several amenities included in the price (a towel, a complimentary drink from the bar, a mud mask, use of the saunas).

The lagoon was very, very big and there was a lot of space to spread out. To beat the crowds, be there first thing in the morning!

The water was this gorgeous milky blue color! It gets that way from the naturally occurring silica in the area. The rocks lining the sides of the lagoon produce a white mud – you walk on this mud in the bottom of the pools. While that may seem kind of gross, it is actually feels pretty nice!

There is a little stand in the water where they will give you a spoonful of the mud for a mud mask (you can also pay more for a mud scrub).

The water temperature varies as you walk through the lagoon. The very far back spot has the hottest water, and the most mud on the bottom. It was also a little bit less crowded there. They advertise that the water comes in at around 100 F, but we found most parts were closer to 96 or 97 degrees.

We came here straight from the airport on our first day and the water felt fantastic after a long flight!

Blue Lagoon Silica

The silica in the water, while supposedly great for your skin, can make your hair very unmanageable. The silica will get in between strands of hair and make your hair really tough and coarse. To combat this, I definitely would do the following hair care recommendations.

• First, put your hair up.
• Second, in the showers before you go in, coat your hair with conditioner.
• Finally, in the lagoon, try to not get your hair wet!

I did these things, but I did accidentally get part of my hair wet once. If your hair does get wet at all, you DEFINITELY want to do the following routine: wash your hair really well several times with clarifying shampoo. Then, condition with a protein-free conditioner.

Despite planning to keep my hair up and dry, I still brought the clarifying shampoo /protein-free conditioner with me and ended up using it, and I’m glad I did. I think I didn’t even use it enough, as I could tell my hair was a little bit coarse in the following days. It’s a good thing to have on your Iceland packing list.

5. GeoSea

GeoSea hot spring is a spa-like infinity pool in Husavik, on the north coast of Iceland. It overlooks the bay and the mountains on the other side of the bay and is absolutely gorgeous. Seriously, the views were just incredible.

The spa is divided into several sections, and the water temperature varies quite a bit from pool to pool (they varied from about 98 to 106). We found the northernmost pool to be the hottest. There is a swim up bar you can buy drinks from. Don’t forget to bring your own towel or rent one.

6. Fosslaug

This hot spring was so unique because you could sit in the pool and almost touch the water of the river, and the falls were juuuuuuust behind the you! (The waterfall is just out of view on the right side of the picture above).

It was super crazy that the water you were sitting in was 106 to 112 degrees (be careful, the 112 degrees areas were very hot) and literally 5 feet away the river water was 40 degrees.

It takes about ten minutes to walk to the hot pot. You will open and close 4 different gates in that 10 minutes! You will walk by the river and see the waterfall, cross a little stream, climb a small crest, and then you are there.

7. Grjótagjá

Grjótagjá is a hot pot in a cave in northern Iceland, about 45 minutes south of Husavik.

You can look at it, but because the water temperature is so high, are not allowed to go into. I’m still including it on this list because it is a COOL spot and is definitely a hidden gem.

You park right outside the cave and scramble down some big rocks to enter the cave (it’s a very short descent). There are some rocks along the edge you can sit on, but most of the cave is the hot pot filled with striking blue water.

The whole thing feels like something right out of a fantasy novel – and in fact, it was used as a filming location for Games of Thrones. It’s a relatively quick stop since it’s fairly small and you can’t get in the water, but I would still highly recommend it.

Read More: The Ultimate 7 Day Ring Road Itinerary for Iceland

8. Hoffel Hot Pot

The hot pot is on private property – there is a 1000 krona ($8) fee to use the hot pot. It consists of several circular tubs in a line. The temperature is around 100 degrees.

Recommended Gear for Visiting Iceland Hot Pots

Microfiber Camping Towels: This is the #1 most important thing to bring with you to Iceland for the hot springs! These thin towels are very absorbent, but pack down really small and dry extremely fast. They are must haves for all the hot pots you’ll be visiting in Iceland, particularly if you are traveling Iceland by campervan.

The Wrap Up

Wherever you choose to go, definitely do not miss hitting at least a few hot pots in Iceland! There is something for everyone and such a cool and fun part of the landscape. Hitting up the hot pots was definitely one of my favorite things we did in Iceland!