If there’s a better way to while away an afternoon in Reykjavík than soaking in an ocean side infinity pool, we haven’t found it yet. Oh and that’s an ocean side infinity pool with hot water, so it was perfect for our visit in the middle of winter. We could even see small icebergs in the water!
Sky Lagoon is a geothermal pool surrounded by craggy cliffs and incredible views out to the wild Atlantic Ocean. It’s the perfect place to come for the afternoon, before catching sunset over the water. As the daylight slowly melts away you can enjoy the low lit lagoon, and maybe a starry night sky if the weather is kind to you.
It’s incredibly atmospheric, with clear blue water and billowing steam, in short it’s an unforgettable experience.
In this guide we’re sharing exactly what it’s like to visit Iceland’s Sky Lagoon.
Sky Lagoon
The packages
The first thing you’ll need to decide before booking your trip to Sky Lagoon is which pass to buy. There are three different passes, Pure Lite Pass, Pure Pass and Sky Pass.
You can also buy special passes for two people, which work out to be better value if you want to treat yourself to the lux experience, and have some food and drink included.
Pure Lite Pass
The Pure Lite Pass is the most basic package, which gives you entry to the lagoon, a towel and access to the public changing facilities. The public changing facilities are separated by gender and the showers are private stalls - so there’s no public naked showering like you’ll often find in Iceland.
There are large lockers and you’re given a wristband to operate them. You’re also given a bag to put your shoes in when you enter.
Pure Pass
The Pure Pass offers the same as the Pure Lite Pass, but you also get access to the amazing seven step ritual, including cold plunge, sauna, steam room, mist room and body scrub. More on that below.
Sky Pass
The Sky Pass offers all of the above, as well as access to private luxury changing rooms. The individual changing rooms have their own private shower and dressing area, with hairdryer and body lotion.
There is also shampoo and conditioner in the showers and you can use as many towels as you like. There are no set areas for men and women in the Sky changing area, as all the rooms are private anyway.
I’ve been to a few spas before and not experienced anything like the changing rooms here. The closest I can compare it to is when I was lucky enough to fly business class on a 5 star airline, and used the business lounge showers. But even then they weren’t nearly as good as the ones at Sky Lagoon.
You do have to pay a decent amount extra for them though, so whether it’s worth it will depend on your budget. They do make the whole experience feel super luxurious, and if you don’t like the idea of changing in the communal areas, it’s a great option.
I took a look at the Pure changing room as well and it was still nice though, so you can’t go wrong with either. One is good and one is extra special!
The Sky Lagoon experience
I’m not sure exactly what I’d been expecting from the Sky Lagoon, but it’s both more beautiful and more luxurious than I’d imagined.
It’s not just about the infinity pool views, or the dramatic setting nestled within the volcanic rock, it’s also the way it’s been designed.
As you enter the water directly from the changing rooms, there are no towels or flip flops lying around and ruining the vibe, it looks immaculate at all times. You can have drinks in the lagoon, but glasses are collected so frequently that you don’t see empties everywhere. It definitely gives it a luxury feel.
There are twists and turns within the lagoon, so you can usually find a quiet area that feels a bit more private.
The infinity views run across the whole length of the lagoon, so there’s a lot of space to relax beside the edge. The lagoon was pretty busy during our visit, but there was never a time we couldn’t snag a spot right by the edge.
It’s only open to those over 12 years old (and 12-14 year olds must be supervised) so it’s a different vibe to the Blue Lagoon, where children as young as two can enter. It basically felt like a high end spa and that’s how I think it’s best treated.
Entry prices aren’t cheap - this is Iceland after all - so I’d recommend allowing a good half day for the experience. Your time in the lagoon is not limited, so although you book a time slot to enter, you can stay as long as you like after that.
During the time we visited, it was around USD $21 extra to take part in the seven step ritual, and I think it’s totally worth it. It really elevates the experience and makes it feel like a proper spa day (minus a massage, but honestly the hot waterfall can fill that void for you!).
If you think you’re only going to want to spend a short amount of time at the lagoon, then I’d recommend booking one of the slightly cheaper time slots in the early morning or evening. If you go in the evening you obviously won’t see the lagoon by daylight, but it’s still gorgeous and very atmospheric.
The seven step ritual
As mentioned, in the grand scheme of things upgrading to the Pure Pass and gaining access to the seven step ritual is not much more expensive.
We absolutely loved the ritual and it really did make it feel like a proper spa day. The first step is chilling in the lagoon, so we’ll skip to the second step.
Step 2: The Cold Plunge
The ritual takes you from the lagoon (where you can spend as long as you like) to the cold plunge pool. The cold plunge is right beside the southern end of the lagoon (the left side when looking out from the infinity pool). The water is a glacial 12C, but trust me, even if you hate cold water, you have to give it a try.
You can plunge for as long as you like and as many times as you want, hopping back into the balmy lagoon inbetween. We became big fans of this hot cold experience a few months earlier in Norway and honestly it makes you feel so alive! Even if you only dunk yourself for a few seconds, it’s totally worth it!
Step 3: The Sauna
Step 3 takes you from the cold plunge into the sauna. And this is no ordinary sauna. This one has the wow factor. The first moment you walk in you’ll be struck by the view before the heat, it’s that magnificent.
You’re looking out to the ocean through a giant panoramic window and there’s soft music playing in the background. It is a really hot sauna though, so I couldn’t stay in as long as I normally would, but it’s definitely an experience I won’t forget.
Step 4: The Cold Mist
After the sauna, step 4 is much needed. You’ll enter a room full of cold mist - it basically feels like it’s raining on you. It might not sound that fun, but after the intense heat of the sauna it’s amazing, plus you feel like a kid again choosing to run through the ‘rain’!
Step 5: The Body Scrub
Step 5 will see you cover yourself in body scrub - it feels great, but watch out if you have any cuts!
Step 6 & 7: Steam Room & Shower
The next step is entering the world’s steamiest steam room, still covered in scrub. And I mean steamy to the degree that you have to fumble your way in - I’ve never seen anything like it! You can sit basting in the scrub for as long as you want before showering it off in step 7. The showers are communal, but you keep your bathing suit on.
After this you can re-enter the lagoon for as long as you like!
Your skin will feel really soft afterwards, in fact I’m writing this the following day and my skin still feels really soft. Like I’ve moisturised, but it must just be the scrub combined with the minerals in the water!
Tips for visiting the Sky Lagoon
Don’t bother arriving already in your swimsuit. To enter any hot spring in Iceland you need to shower naked.
If you’re planning to spend a long time in the lagoon, don’t forget to get out regularly to drink some water. You can dehydrate easily if you spend hours in hot water, even if the air temperature is cold.
Don’t worry about bringing cash for lockers, or anything else. You can add a credit card to your locker key and use that to pay for drinks at the bar, and lockers are included in your entry fee.
Don’t let bad weather put you off. Although ideally we’d all want to visit in nice conditions, you don’t always get that lucky in Iceland! We visited in winter when the outside temperature reached a high of 2C and there was a fair amount of wind later in the day. It was still toasty inside the pool and I was actually grateful for the cold air temperature as it meant I didn’t have to get out as often as I usually do at hot springs.
If the weather is going to be really bad, the lagoon will add a note to the booking page of its website. The day after we visited, really strong winds were predicted and anyone who had booked to visit at this time were recommended to come a little later in the day (without needing to amend their booking). Just check the booking section of the site if you’re unsure.
Embrace the cold plunge! It’s honestly the best feeling. Don’t judge it by how it feels when you put your first foot in - it gets easier and you feel amazing afterwards! Even though the cold plunge is technically step 2 of the seven step ritual, anyone was allowed to use it on our visit. I think it really adds to the experience and makes it that extra bit special if you’ve bought the Pure Lite Pass .
There’s a gorgeous looking cafe at the lagoon. As soon as we saw it, we wished we hadn’t just eaten. It’s low lit and beautifully designed, so add a little time to grab a coffee or some lunch before or after your spa experience. We checked the menu and prices were average when compared to other similar places in Reykjavik. In fact it was a bit cheaper than our favourite coffee shop in Reykjavik.
If you’re on a budget check the Sky Lagoon website for which time slots are the least expensive. At the time of our visit the first couple of slots in the morning and those in the late afternoon and evening were a little cheaper.
Don’t worry about getting your hair wet! The water here is different to the Blue Lagoon and won’t turn your hair into something resembling a scarecrow.
You can take cameras and phones into the lagoon and the water is shallow enough you can always walk through with them in hand easily enough. I got a little water in my phone and a warning came up that I couldn’t charge it for a few hours afterwards, but after that it was totally fine. Obviously watch out if you’re bringing a big expensive camera in though.
Sky Lagoon vs Blue Lagoon
I have to say that before arriving in Iceland, I’d been more excited to visit the Blue Lagoon than Sky Lagoon. This was mainly because I’d heard of the Blue Lagoon so long ago and always wanted to experience it for myself. As it turns out I absolutely loved my visit to Sky Lagoon and found the Blue Lagoon disappointing - yikes it feels weird to write that when it’s such an iconic place.
I won’t go into too much detail here because I’ve written a whole guide on it, but apart from the spectacular milky blue water of the Blue Lagoon, Sky Lagoon was a better experience all round. Of course if you can visit both then go and see for yourself, but if you can only visit one, my personal preference would be Sky Lagoon.
You can read the full lowdown on Sky Lagoon vs Blue Lagoon here.
Is the Sky Lagoon worth it?
In my opinion it definitely is, especially if you’re visiting outside of peak season when the prices are lower. When I think about what I’ve paid for pool or spa experiences in the UK, it’s much better value for the quality. And on that note, I think overall it’s actually better value to add on the seven step ritual. It’s not hugely more expensive, the equivalent of USD $21 during the time of our visit, and it really does add to the experience (I checked for the coming April and August for comparison as we were visiting in winter, and the price difference was the same).
Rather than just, an albeit spectacular, hot spring lagoon, you also get to use the sauna, mist room, steam room and scrub, which makes it feel more luxurious. All of this combined made the whole day really memorable and a highlight of our trip to Iceland.
With regards to the top tier package, the Sky Pass, it adds on somewhere between USD $21 and $28 depending on the time of year you visit. This is purely for the use of the luxury changing rooms. It definitely makes it feel more special, and you can have a really lovely shower experience and get ready in private, which does feel very opulent. It doesn’t feel as good value as adding the seven step ritual to the package, but it definitely makes a visit extra special, so it really depends on your budget.
To be completely transparent, we were invited to visit the Sky Lagoon, but we are already planning our return to Iceland this September (to do all the things that aren’t open in the winter time) and we will be returning to the lagoon at our own expense. We genuinely loved it and have already recommended it to our friends and families.
Getting to the Sky Lagoon
By car
The Sky Lagoon is located around a 15 minute drive from downtown Reykjavík and there is plenty of free parking onsite.
By bus
From Hlemmur square you can catch, bus no. 4 and get off in Hamraborg, this takes approx 15 minutes. From there catch bus no. 35 and get off at Hafnarbraut, approx 4 minutes, this is the nearest stop to Sky Lagoon. From here it’s signposted and you walk for a few minutes along Hafnarbraut until you reach Vesturvör. From here you follow the ocean to the lagoon.
By transfer
You can also pay extra to get a shuttle bus transfer from Reykjavík to Sky Lagoon, it can be booked through the lagoon’s website.
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