from $63.07 Laugarás Lagoon on Iceland's Golden Circle
Two pools stacked on the bank of the Hvítá river, joined by a 6.6-metre waterfall you can walk through. Laugarás Lagoon opened in October 2025, sits 94 km from Reykjavík, and costs about half what the Blue Lagoon does.
Updated July 2026
- Rated 4.7 by 62 travellers
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours
- Entry from ISK 6,900
Quick answer
Laugarás Lagoon is a geothermal bathing lagoon at Skálholtsvegur 1, 806 Selfoss, in the village of Laugarás on the Golden Circle. It opened in October 2025 and is built on two levels linked by a 6.6-metre waterfall, with the water held at 38–40 °C. Entry starts at ISK 6,900 direct, the minimum age is 8, and it lies 94 km from Reykjavík — about 1 hour 20 minutes by road, or 26 minutes from Geysir and 36 minutes from Gullfoss.
Key takeaways
- Entry only: the lagoon's own GetYourGuide listing starts at $63 per person and is rated 4.7 from 62 reviews, with free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead
- Three tiers: Birki from ISK 6,900 (entry), Lerki from ISK 9,400 (adds towel and one bar drink), Ösp from ISK 15,900 (adds a two-course meal at Ylja)
- Without a car: four Golden Circle day tours from Reykjavík finish here and give the lagoon a 2-hour stop, from $203 to $234 per person
- The small-group minibus at $203 includes the Lerki ticket, towel and bar drink, so the ticket is not a second payment on the day
- Minimum age is 8, and children aged 8–15 must have an adult with them — the strictest part of the rules to plan around
- Open 10:00–21:00 most of the year, until 22:00 (23:00 on Fridays and Saturdays) between 15 June and 15 August
best rated Entry Sold by the Lagoon Itself
Laugarás Lagoon Entry Ticket: Birki, Lerki or Ösp
Admission sold by the lagoon itself, in three tiers. All of them cover the whole outdoor area — upper pool, waterfall, grotto, forest pool, cold plunge, two saunas — plus a locker and toiletries. Lerki adds a towel and a bar drink, Ösp adds two courses at Ylja.
- Duration
- No time limit; the lagoon closes 1.5 hours after the last slot sold
- Meeting Point
- Skálholtsvegur 1, 806 Selfoss — free parking outside the entrance
- Included
- All three tiers cover the whole outdoor area, a personal locker and shampoo, conditioner and shower gel
- Stops
- Upper pool with the infinity edge, waterfall stair, grotto, forest pool, cold plunge, dry sauna, steam room, two swim-up bars
- Price Range
- From $63 per person, rated 4.7 from 62 reviews
Check Dates and Time Slots
Live availability for the lagoon's own entry ticket. Slots run from 10:00 and the last one is sold 90 minutes before closing, which in winter means 19:30. Late afternoon is the quietest stretch on most days.
Ways to Book Laugarás Lagoon
Six listings reach the lagoon and they split cleanly. One is the ticket on its own, for anyone arriving by car. Four are Golden Circle day tours from Reykjavík that end here with two hours in the water. The last is a three-day wellness trip that pairs it with the Blue Lagoon and Sky Lagoon. Prices are per person in US dollars, taken from the operators' own listings.
from $63.07 
from $220.16 Golden Circle Day Tour With Laugarás Lagoon Entry
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from $202.96 Small-Group Minibus: Golden Circle and Laugarás Lagoon
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from $208 Golden Circle, Friðheimar Tomato Farm and Laugarás Lagoon
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from $234.27 Golden Circle and Laugarás Lagoon With a Chinese-Speaking Guide
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from $1028.58 Three-Day Wellness Trip: Blue Lagoon, Sky Lagoon and Laugarás
Check AvailabilityLaugarás Against Iceland's Other Big Lagoons
The question people arrive with is whether to swap the Blue Lagoon for this one. Prices below are the cheapest adult admission each place publishes, checked in July 2026; all four use time slots, and Blue Lagoon and Sky Lagoon also move their price by demand.
| Lagoon | From (adult) | Drive from Reykjavík | Book | Minimum age | What you get |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laugarás Lagoon | ISK 6,900 (about $56) | 1 h 20 min, 94 km | 8 | Two levels, waterfall, grotto, cold plunge, two saunas, restaurant by a named chef | |
| Blue Lagoon | ISK 11,990 (about $96) | 50 min, on the way to the airport | 2 | Silica mud mask, towel and a drink, the largest and busiest of the four | |
| Sky Lagoon | ISK 12,990 (about $105) | 15 min from the centre | 12 | Ocean-edge infinity pool and the seven-step Skjól ritual, no food included | |
| Secret Lagoon | ISK 4,500 (about $36) | 1 h 30 min, near Flúðir | None, under 15 pays a token fee | One plain hot pool from 1891 with a small changing block, no frills |
The Numbers That Decide Your Visit
Most of what people want to know before booking is a number: how hot, how cold, how old you have to be, how much a towel costs if you forgot one.
38–40 °C
Main lagoon water
That is 100–104 °F, warm enough to sit in for an hour without going soft. Several reviews call it a touch cooler than the Blue Lagoon, which is worth knowing if you feel the cold
10–12 °C
Cold plunge
It sits on the lower level next to the sauna house, so the hot-cold circuit is a few steps rather than a walk across the site
6.6 m
Drop between the levels
The water spills over a stone weir and a stair runs down behind the falling sheet, which is the one bit of the design everybody photographs
8 years
Minimum age
Under-8s cannot enter at all, and 8- to 15-year-olds need an adult with them. Blue Lagoon takes children from 2, so families sometimes have to split the plan
Chlorine-free
How the water is treated
It comes out of the Laugarás geothermal field and is cooled with glacial water from the Hvítá, then naturally filtered. Expect it to look slightly cloudy — that is the mineral content, not dirt
ISK 1,200
Towel or swimsuit rental
About $10. Only the Birki tier leaves the towel out, so this is the number to check before you pick the cheapest ticket
How the Two Levels Fit Together
The site is built into the slope above the Hvítá. You enter on the upper level, and everything colder or quieter is a level down.
Upper level
38–40 °CThe big pool, and where most people spend most of the visit. The far edge is cut as an infinity edge so the water line runs into the river valley.
- Infinity edge — looks out over the Hvítá and the farmland on the far bank
- Swim-up bar — one drink included on the Lerki and Ösp tiers; a wristband settles the rest
- Waterfall stair — steps run down behind the falling water to the lower terrace
Lower level
10–40 °CSmaller, quieter, and where the hot-cold circuit lives. Reviews consistently rate the sauna view here above the main pool.
- Secluded grotto — a sheltered corner with seating, out of the wind
- Forest pool — a hotter tub at about 40 °C set back towards the trees
- Cold plunge — 10–12 °C, next to the sauna house
- Dry sauna and steam room — the sauna has a panoramic window over the valley
- Second bar — and the restrooms, so you need not go back up
Stepping stones link parts of the lower terrace and reviewers report them slippery in wet weather — take the paved route if you are unsteady.
What Laugarás Lagoon Is and What It Costs
A Lagoon Built Around a Village Greenhouse Field
Laugarás Lagoon sits at Skálholtsvegur 1, 806 Selfoss, in Laugarás — a small village in Bláskógabyggð that has run on geothermal heat since the 1960s, when the hot ground here was put to work under greenhouses. The lagoon opened in October 2025 on a wooded slope above the Hvítá, the glacial river that Gullfoss pours into further upstream.
The building is the first thing you notice: two grass-covered arches over dark, charred timber, set among spruce that has had sixty years to grow. It looks nothing like the lava-field starkness of the Blue Lagoon, and that is the point. You are bathing in a forest above a river valley, not on a plain of black rock.
The water comes from the Laugarás geothermal field and is cooled with glacial water drawn from the Hvítá, then naturally filtered. It carries no chlorine. That answers the question the search results are full of — yes, the water is natural, and the mild cloudiness people notice is mineral content rather than a cleaning problem.
The Three Tiers, and Which One Is Actually Worth It
Admission comes in three named tiers, all of which cover the entire outdoor area — nothing on the site is fenced off behind a higher ticket. What changes is the towel, the drink and the meal. Prices are the operator's own, converted at 124 ISK to the dollar on 30 July 2026.
The honest read: if you are bringing a towel and skipping the bar, Birki is all you need. If you are not, Lerki costs ISK 2,500 more and hands back a towel worth ISK 1,200 in rental plus a drink, so it roughly pays for itself. Ösp only makes sense if you were going to eat at Ylja anyway, and it must be booked ahead because the kitchen holds a table for you.
| Tier | From | Towel | Bar drink | Food |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birki | ISK 6,900 (~$56) | Rental ISK 1,200 | Pay as you go | Restaurant open to all tiers |
| Lerki | ISK 9,400 (~$76) | Included | One included | Pay as you go |
| Ösp | ISK 15,900 (~$128) | Included | One included | Two courses from the day menu at Ylja |
Ylja, and Why the Food Is Part of the Argument
The restaurant on site is called Ylja, and its menu was built by Gísli Matthías Auðunsson — Gísli Matt, the chef behind Slippurinn in the Westman Islands. The cooking leans on what grows in the geothermal greenhouses around the village, which is how you end up with a tomato carpaccio made from three local growers on a menu in rural South Iceland.
This is unusual for a bathing lagoon, where food is normally an afterthought at a counter. It is also the reason several reviewers rate the meal above the swim. Swimwear is not allowed in the restaurant, so budget the time to dry off and dress — an hour, realistically, on top of the bathing.
Kitchen hours run to 21:15 for most of the year and 22:00 on summer Fridays and Saturdays, and they close before the lagoon does. If you want to eat after your soak rather than before, book a late-afternoon slot rather than the last one of the day.
Getting There, and What to Expect on the Day
Reykjavík Is 94 km Away, and the Bus Is Not a Plan
The drive from Reykjavík is 94 km and takes about 1 hour 20 minutes on paved roads the whole way — no F-roads, no fords, nothing that needs a four-wheel drive. From Keflavík Airport allow around 1 hour 55 minutes.
The more useful numbers are the Golden Circle ones, because almost nobody comes here as a standalone trip. Þingvellir is roughly 34 minutes away, Geysir 26 minutes, Gullfoss 36 minutes, and Selfoss 34 minutes. That geography is why the lagoon has become the closing stop on so many day tours within a year of opening: it is the natural place to end the loop.
Public transport is where it falls apart. Buses 72 and 73 do reach Laugarás, but they run no regular schedule and are built for residents rather than visitors. Without a car, the practical answer is a guided day tour. Parking on site is free.
Guided Tour, Rental Car or Neither
If you already have a car, buy the entry ticket on its own and drive: you choose your slot, you stay as long as you like, and you are not watching a coach departure time. Two hours is what the tours allocate and it is enough, but only just.
If you do not, the four Golden Circle day tours from Reykjavík all give the lagoon a two-hour stop. They differ in what else they add. The 9.5-hour ICELANDIA coach at $220 is the straight Golden Circle plus lagoon. The BusTravel Iceland minibus at $203 runs small-group and includes the Lerki ticket, towel and bar drink, so nothing is left to pay on arrival. The Glaciers and Waterfalls minibus at $208 adds lunch at the Friðheimar tomato greenhouse and holds a 5.0 rating from 15 reviews. There is also a Chinese-guided departure at $234 that works in Brúarfoss on the way.
One thing the reviews are consistent about: in winter the daylight runs out, and a tour that reaches the lagoon at four o'clock delivers a very different experience from the same tour in July. Neither is worse. They are just not the same day out.
The Rules Nobody Tells You Until You Are Inside
Icelandic pool etiquette applies here as it does everywhere in the country, and staff enforce it: every guest must shower without swimwear before entering the water. There are semi-private shower stalls as well as open ones, and two private locker rooms are set aside for guests with mobility disabilities. Restrooms are wheelchair accessible.
Bring or rent a towel, bring a bag for the wet swimsuit, and leave the good jewellery at the hotel — mineral water and silver do not get on. Everything else, you can walk in without.
- Swimsuit — rental is ISK 1,200 if you forget
- Towel — included on Lerki and Ösp, ISK 1,200 to rent on Birki
- A bag for wet things; there is no swimsuit dryer on site
- Clothes you can change into for the restaurant, since swimwear is not allowed inside
- A card for the wristband tab; the bars settle at the end, not per drink
- Warm outer layers for the walk between the levels in winter
When to Go, and Which Slot to Book
The lagoon runs two seasons. From 15 June to 15 August it opens 10:00–22:00 Sunday to Thursday, with the last entrance sold at 20:30, and 10:00–23:00 on Friday and Saturday with the last entrance at 21:30. From 16 August to 14 June it opens 10:00–21:00 daily, last entrance 19:30. There is no time limit on a visit; the site simply closes 1.5 hours after the last slot sold.
Midday belongs to the day tours, since all four arrive within the same window. Early morning and the last two hours before closing are the quietest. In summer that means a 20:00 slot still has hours of light in it. From September to April, a late-afternoon booking puts you in the water after dark, which is when the aurora becomes possible — there is no light pollution in the valley, and the upper pool faces away from the building.
One caveat worth planning around: this is a small site by Icelandic lagoon standards, and reviewers who arrive at peak times say so. It is not a capacity problem, it is a character one. Come at the edges of the day and it feels like a different place.
Where Laugarás Lagoon Is
Skálholtsvegur 1, 806 Selfoss, in the village of Laugarás on the east bank of the Hvítá. Skálholt cathedral is five minutes down the same road, and Friðheimar is ten minutes north.
The Year at Laugarás, Month by Month
The water is the same temperature all year. What changes is the air you walk through to reach it, how late the doors stay open, and whether there is any darkness for the aurora.
Late opening — 22:00, and 23:00 on Fridays and Saturdays
Dark enough for the aurora from the water
Busiest — every Golden Circle day tour arrives mid-afternoon
Bars show the average daily high in the South Iceland lowlands. The lagoon holds 38–40 °C in every one of these months.
What People Wrote After Going
★★★★★
★★★★★
We enjoyed this so much more than the Blue Lagoon! We stayed for 3 hours and loved every minute.
★★★★★
★★★★★
This place is gorgeous. Welcoming staff, clean and spacious locker rooms; both open and semi-private showers. The water temperature is perfect and there's a swim up bar on two levels, with a staircase that goes through a waterfall. The second level has a spacious sauna and steam room, a cold plunge tub and another small hot tub in the back. The water is a little cloudy but this is a natural hot spring and to be expected.
★★★★★
★★★★★
Super relaxing experience surrounded by stunning snow covered landscape — arrived at 2.30 so was lovely and peaceful in the sauna and steam rooms — spotless changing facilities with special products — perfect after a morning snorkelling at Silfra.
Reading These Listings Before You Book
The ticket alone assumes a car
Entry on its own is the cheapest way in by a wide margin, but only if you can drive there. Buses 72 and 73 exist and run no useful schedule, so factor a rental into the comparison rather than the ticket price alone.
Two hours is the tour allowance
Every Golden Circle day tour gives the lagoon the same two-hour stop. That covers the pools and one sauna round comfortably. It does not cover a sit-down meal at Ylja, so eat before or plan a separate visit.
One tour includes the ticket outright
The BusTravel Iceland minibus builds the Lerki admission, towel and bar drink into its price. On the others you are buying transport and the entry sits inside the tour price at whichever tier the operator chose — check before assuming.
The age rule is stricter than elsewhere
Nobody under 8 gets in, and 8- to 15-year-olds need an adult. Blue Lagoon admits children from 2 and Secret Lagoon has no floor at all, so families with younger children need a different plan for this stop.
Book the tier, not just the day
Ösp includes a table at Ylja and has to be reserved in advance. Birki and Lerki release by time slot, and the summer evening slots are the first to go because the daylight makes them the best ones.
It is small, and that is the trade
Reviewers who compare it to the Blue Lagoon say it is smaller — and quieter, cleaner and better fed. If you want scale, this is the wrong lagoon. If you want a two-hour soak without a crowd, it is the right one.
Laugarás Lagoon: Common Questions
Is Laugarás Lagoon worth it?
For most Golden Circle visitors, yes. It holds 4.7 from 62 reviews, entry starts well below the Blue Lagoon and Sky Lagoon, and the recurring praise is for the quiet, the sauna view and the food. The recurring criticism is that it is smaller than the big-name lagoons and that without a car you have to buy a whole day tour to reach it.
Which lagoon is better in Iceland?
It depends what you are optimising for. Blue Lagoon is the biggest and the easiest to fit around a flight. Sky Lagoon is 15 minutes from central Reykjavík with an ocean edge. Laugarás Lagoon is the cheapest of the three, the quietest, and the only one with a restaurant menu by a chef of Gísli Matt's standing. Secret Lagoon is cheaper still and far plainer.
Is the Laugarás Lagoon natural?
The water is. It comes from the Laugarás geothermal field, is cooled with glacial water from the Hvítá river, goes through natural filtration and carries no chlorine. The pools themselves are built, not natural formations, and the slight cloudiness people notice in the water is mineral content.
Which is better, Secret Lagoon or Laugarás Lagoon?
Secret Lagoon at Flúðir costs ISK 4,500 and is a single historic hot pool from 1891 with a simple changing block — plain, cheap and full of character. Laugarás Lagoon costs from ISK 6,900 and gives you two levels, a waterfall, a cold plunge, two saunas and a restaurant. Choose Secret Lagoon for the history and the price, Laugarás for the facilities.
How much does Laugarás Lagoon cost?
Three tiers, direct from the lagoon: Birki from ISK 6,900 for entry, Lerki from ISK 9,400 adding a towel and one drink at the swim-up bar, and Ösp from ISK 15,900 adding a two-course meal at Ylja. Towel or swimsuit rental is ISK 1,200. On GetYourGuide the entry ticket starts at $63 per person.
How far is Laugarás Lagoon from Reykjavík?
94 km, about 1 hour 20 minutes by road, on paved roads the whole way. From Keflavík Airport allow around 1 hour 55 minutes. Within the Golden Circle it is 26 minutes from Geysir, 36 minutes from Gullfoss, 34 minutes from Þingvellir and 34 minutes from Selfoss.
What is the age limit at Laugarás Lagoon?
Children under 8 are not admitted. Those aged 8 to 15 are welcome when an adult comes with them. This is stricter than Blue Lagoon, which admits children from 2, and looser than Sky Lagoon, where the minimum is 12.
Do I need to book Laugarás Lagoon in advance?
Advance booking is strongly recommended and the lagoon sells by time slot. The Ösp tier must be booked ahead because it holds a restaurant table. Summer evening slots and any slot on a day when several Golden Circle tours are running are the ones that sell out first.
How do I get to Laugarás Lagoon without a car?
Take a Golden Circle day tour from Reykjavík that ends here — four of them do, from $203 to $234 per person, each giving the lagoon a two-hour stop with hotel or bus-stop pick-up. Public buses 72 and 73 reach Laugarás but run no regular schedule, so they are not a realistic option for a day visit.
Is there a Laugarás Lagoon promo code?
There is no public promo code. What moves the price is the tier you pick and the time slot you book — the cheapest combinations are Birki admission outside the summer evening peak. Booking through a platform adds free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead rather than a discount.
