When you go to Iceland, there’s one spot that nearly every tourist visits…the Blue Lagoon. Yes, there are better, hotter, less expensive hot springs to swim, but the Blue Lagoon just has the atmosphere. Plus the convenience of locker rooms, a restaurant, a swim-up bar, and silica mud masks don’t hurt either. In any case, if you’re going to Iceland, I’d recommend checking it out. Without further ado, here are the important things to know before visiting the Blue Lagoon!
1 | Pre-booking is required
Honestly, don’t even bother showing up without a booking. The Blue Lagoon is incredibly popular, so please book in advance! There are standard packages (what I got) ranging up to fancier ones which included a robe, drink, towel etc.
2 | Combine with your arrival or departure
The Blue Lagoon is located close to Keflavik airport, so it makes sense to hop in on your way to or from the airport. I personally landed around 8AM, so booked my Flybus directly to the Blue Lagoon. After sitting on an overnight flight, it was absolutely the perfect way to unwind and welcome myself to Iceland. If your flight time coming in doesn’t work, try combining with your departure. The Blue Lagoon has locker rooms and showers, so you’ll be clean and relaxed for your flight home!
3 | Luggage storage is available
If you’re coming to or from the airport, this becomes incredibly helpful. The luggage storage is in the parking area; you get a ticket for your bag, and return the ticket to get your bag back.
4 | Bring your swimsuit (duh!)
This should seem like an obvious one, but if you’re coming off a red-eye flight, nothing is obvious anymore. Maybe it’s just me, but I definitely struggle when I miss a night of sleep. In any case, it’s super helpful to have a small Blue Lagoon bag tucked inside your luggage for easy access. Make sure to include the essentials like your swimsuit, towel, flip flops, brush, a change of clothes, and any shower items you might want!
5 | Don’t lose your magical wristband
Upon arrival at the Blue Lagoon, you receive a wristband that is your key to everything at the Blue Lagoon. It unlocks your locker, buys drinks, and basically acts as an in-water credit card. So don’t worry about carrying around your wallet. Do keep a good hold on your wristband though…they’ll charge you if you lose it!
6 | You have to get naked first
Before you hop into the Blue Lagoon, you need to take a naked shower before putting on your swimsuit. There are plenty of clean showers with frosted glass in the locker room. Plus, the showers have shower gel and conditioner so you’ll be nice and clean! You can use them on the way out too to clean up, and yes, there are hair driers.
7 | Condition your hair
Ladies, I’m not playing with this one. The silica in the water will absolutely wreak havoc with your hair; it will be stiff and downright unpleasant. The best way to avoid this is to slather your hair with conditioner (complimentary in the locker room) and leave it in your hair while in the lagoon. You could also wear a shower cap, but that makes your pictures significantly less cute, so I went with the conditioned bun look and just rinsed my hair afterward. Seemed like the conditioner worked just fine!
8 | Wear sunglasses and sunscreen
First off, the water is incredibly reflective, so I definitely opted for some sunnies to shade my eyes. Also, the Blue Lagoon recommends that you don’t go in with contacts, but I’m basically blind without mine, so I was hoping the sunglasses would protect them…worked for me! Also, I know the idea of wearing sunscreen while it’s freezing out sounds ridiculous to some, but just trust me here, I saw many sunburned people. Don’t let that be you.
9 | Bring a waterproof camera
Trust me, you’re going to want to take pictures in and around the Blue Lagoon. I brought my waterproof camera in with me (the Olympus TG-4), and it worked perfectly. If you don’t have a waterproof camera, I’d recommend investing in a waterproof phone case or even a cheap dry bag.
10| Visit the Silica Mud Mask Bar
These mud masks are included in every ticket, even the standard entrance. I definitely wasn’t expecting this and felt like I was at a spa. The mask makes your skin super smooth, so naturally I smothered myself in it…twice!
11| Give yourself plenty of time
This is especially important if you’re going before your flight. The last thing you want is to rush through the experience. Depending on what you want to do, save time for massages (book ahead!), eating, showering before and after, and even checking in and out. The lines can get long during peak times.
12| Come no matter the weather
Even if it is frigid outside, the water in the lagoon is nice and toasty! It usually runs 98-104 degrees, which feels just about perfect. The day I went was in the low 50s and it even started raining, but it was still an awesome time. There are definitely areas warmer than others (usually toward the edges), so I 100% migrated there.
Logistics
Cheap flights: I’d recommend searching through eDreams.net. They scan tons of different travel discount sites and feature special flight deals. You can typically find good flights on IcelandAir and WOW Air.
Where to Stay in Reykjavik: For higher end hotels, look into Hotel Ódinsvé—the hotel has an awesome location downtown. For a mid-range option, I’d recommend Hotel Frón; this hotel is also centrally located and even has kitchen facilities in the apartments. If you’re looking to avoid hotels and go the hostel route, I recommend checking out Hostelworld – there are plenty of options in Reykjavik! My personal hostel recommendation is Loft Hostel. You have an amazing location in the heart of the city, and I absolutely loved the ambiance of the common area/bar and outside terrace. If you’re traveling with friends, another good option here is to do an Airbnb. (Use my link for savings on your first stay!)
More Resources on Iceland: For more awesome guides on Iceland by yours truly, check out my guide to Iceland’s Golden Circle, what to see on Iceland’s South Coast, top photo spots in Reykjavik, and the ultimate foodie’s guide to Reykjavik.
And there you have it, the top things to know before visiting the Blue Lagoon. Have you visited the Blue Lagoon? What are your tips for visiting?
P.S. This post contains affiliate links. If you click on one and make a purchase, I might make a little extra spending money, at no extra cost to you. As always, all opinions are my own.
Thank you so much for this super informative post, especially the conditioner hair tip!! That is gold for me 😉
Glad I could help 🙂 And honestly, pretty sure that conditioner saved my hair haha. I put soooo much in
Good tips. I spent three days in Iceland and managed two trips to the blue lagoon. It really is that special. I’d love to know what counts as better!
Haha two trips in three days is super impressive!!
what a great guide… this definitely is something i’m saving for my trip to the blue lagoon!
Thanks! Hope it will help when you make it to the Blue Lagoon one day!
nice information. You have given small but quite useful tips.
Thanks Varsha 🙂
I honestly wonder sometimes if this is pure hype. Are there other, equally beautiful hot springs that aren’t so expensive? There has to be, right? Oh, and it looks beautiful!
There are definitely other options in Iceland that are less expensive. The Blue Lagoon has all of the conveniences though (shower, conditioner, locker rooms, mud masks, bar & restaurant etc.) that most others don’t have. It’s definitely the easiest to do if you don’t rent a car (I didn’t), but if you’re spending a lot of time driving around Iceland, I’m sure you’d be able to find a less expensive option along your travels. However, if you’re traveling for a limited amount of time and are based in and around Reykjavik, I’d recommend doing the Blue Lagoon.
Great post! I’ve never been but definitely glad I read your post first before we plan our trip to Iceland!
Thanks Zoe! And hope you enjoy Iceland whenever you get to go 🙂
Definitely agree with the conditioner tip! I put it on before and then used a ton of it when I got out and my hair was fine! I had even gone under one of the waterfalls!
That’s good to know! I slathered my hair up, but was way too scared to get it wet haha
Iceland is high on our bucket list, really hoping to finally get there in 2018.
Yay, I hope you do!! So glad I finally got to see it!
Great tips Melissa – I always kick myself when I forget sunnies for these kind of things.. yet somehow I always do!!
Haha just have to always have some extras laying around! I’m basically attached to mine!
It looks so beautiful and tempting seems like a great way to beat the cold in iceland
Such a good way to beat the cold! It still amazes me that even though it was so cold out, the Lagoon felt so warm.
Great tips there – didn’t realise it’s close to the airport so it makes a lot of sense to maybe have a nice soak just before a long flight! Will definitely be using these when I eventually find myself in Iceland!
Thanks!! Hope you get to Iceland soon 🙂
Excellent information! Thank you. This is somewhere I would definitely like to visit!
Yay I hope you get to soon!!
Will definitely have to put Iceland on our ‘Must Travel To’ list. The Blue Lagoon looks amazing! Thanks for the tips and inspiration. 🙂
Thanks, glad you enjoyed it!
This is a great guide for visiting the Blue Lagoon! I never knew you could store your luggage there or that it’s perfect for visiting at arrival or departure. I thought it was a lot further from the airport. Thanks for sharing your tips!
Happy to help!! Def a good stop on the way to or from the airport 🙂