The Blue Lagoon was one of the most surreal aspects of Iceland, for me. The color is truly that blue and the warmth of the water is so welcoming after you’ve been standing in the blistering cold. The water is only about 5 feet deep at it’s deepest point, which was a little deep for me in some areas, as I am only 5’2″. The bottom feels like concrete and you’ll occasionally step on a piece of algae, reminding you that this bizarre body of water is indeed natural. It is self-cleansing and renews itself every 40 hours. So crazy. While it is warm throughout, there are areas that are slightly hotter. You are offered a silica mask that’s great for your skin, and as you can see in some of the photos below, there are a few people wearing theirs.

Tips for Visiting the Blue Lagoon

Tickets

You must pre-book on their website. We purchased the standard ticket (5400 ISK or $49.54 USD each). That included entrance to The Blue Lagoon and a silica mud mask. We didn’t realize that our ticket did not include a towel so we had to purchase a bathrobe in addition. I recommend the bathrobe instead of the towel because it is so cold and you will stay warmer in a robe than a towel. The robe is made of terrycloth that also served as a towel so the dual purpose aspect was nice. That cost 1400 ISK or about $13 each. They give you a wristband that you must wear at all times while there, which you use to get into your locker, buy lunch, buy drinks at the bar, buy an algae mask, rent a towel, etc.

Changing Rooms

You go to the locker rooms where you can change into your swimsuit and place your items into your locker. The changing room, showers, and bathrooms are very nice and clean. I wish I would’ve worn less layers that day because even though you are walking out into the freezing cold to and from your car, it’s kind of a pain to have to remove and reapply all of those layers. To give you an idea, I was wearing two pairs of socks, thermal underwear (shirt and pants), yoga pants, a long sleeve shirt, a sweater, a vest, my ski pants and jacket, a scarf, and boots. (I’ll do a post on packing so that I can explain how I managed to take all of that in a carry-on. Or truthfully, how I wore most of it and packed a little of it.) It was perfect for when I was outside, but wearing that many layers made changing in a steamy locker room difficult. I also wish I would’ve worn my swimsuit there instead of having to change into it because it would’ve been simpler. There are people who are perfectly fine with changing into a swimsuit in front of complete strangers. I am not one of those people. I prefer privacy so I waited my turn for the bathroom and changed in there. Ha! You are supposed to shower off (sans swimsuit) before you go down into the lagoon. They have open showers and private showers. Putting a swimsuit on when you are soaked is no fun – I just showered in my swimsuit.

Entering the Lagoon

Once you’re changed, have placed your items in a locker, and have your towel or robe and flip flops, you are ready to head out and into the lagoon. I recommend taking flip flops with you because your only other option is to walk around barefoot or maybe rent a pair? I think that’s probably an option. There are two ways to enter the lagoon, from inside or by going outside. If you enter outside you will be so grateful for that warm water after you’ve stood in the freezing cold for the 30 seconds it takes to disrobe and hang up your items.

Taking Photos

As you can see from some of the photos below, the lagoon is steamy so you don’t want to stay out there with your camera and phone for too long. I walked down and snapped a couple of photos and then took my camera and phone back up to my locker.

Lunch

We carried our pb&j sandwich ingredients every time we left the house because you never know if you’ll find a restaurant but we decided to save those for later and buy sandwiches while there. They had a full restaurant and also sandwiches and snacks you could pick up and eat quickly. The sandwiches ranged between 950 and 1150 ISK or $8-11. Water is free and you’ll want to stay hydrated because the Blue Lagoon water will dehydrate you.

After you’ve soaked up all the minerals you can stand and are ready to leave – trust me, you really won’t want to – you will head back to the locker rooms and shower off. They offer a conditioner there and I highly recommend using it because the water does make your hair feel a bit rough. In addition, they have hair dryers for you to use. As you leave you will pay for all of the items you’ve purchased using your wristband. They accept credit cards.

I cannot recommend The Blue Lagoon enough. You have to go if you visit Iceland. It’s definitely something I’ll never forget.