The Blue Lagoon is one of the most famous spots in all of Iceland. Soaking in steaming, milky blue water, relaxing and absorbing the minerals and the heat—it sounds lovely, right?
However, Blue Lagoon also has a rep for being touristy, overcrowded, and expensive—especially in Iceland where hot springs abound, many of them for free. All in all, deciding whether or not visiting Blue Lagoon is worth it depends on your priorities as a traveler. How about a handy pros and cons list?
Pros:
It’s famous. This one’s a no-brainer. It’s the Blue Lagoon, it’s famous, everyone knows about it, you can’t go to Iceland and not visit it. No surprises here.
It’s beautiful. We all know that I love a good photo, and Blue Lagoon is just so darned beautiful. That milky blue water is the stuff that dreams are made of.
It’s not bad value. While the entrance fee isn’t cheap, the basic Blue Lagoon package includes entrance with no time limit, one drink, one face mask, and a towel. It also includes amenities like full service, showers, toiletries, bathrooms, and even luxuries like hair dryers. That’s not bad compared to local hot springs where it’s BYOE…bring your own everything. (I’m not kidding, at some local hot springs they ask you to dig yourself a hole if you need to use the bathroom!)
It’s large. One advantage of Blue Lagoon is its sheer size. While we were there, I couldn’t figure out if we’d explored all the corners and sections or not because there were just so many of them. In contrast, some of Iceland’s local hot springs only fit 2-3 people, which means you might have to wait in line sometimes.
It’s close to Reykjavik (and the airport). Actually, it’s even closer to the airport than it is to Reykjavik, meaning that you can visit it on the same day you arrive or the day you leave (I don’t really recommend the latter though due to the uncomfortable hair situation…read on). Many of Iceland’s best hot springs are located in more remote areas, but if you don’t have enough time to venture into the backcountry, Blue Lagoon is super convenient.
Cons:
It’s pricey. The basic package for Blue Lagoon costs 53USD and as stated above, includes entrance, a face mask, towel, and one drink. $53 is a pretty steep price to pay for a hot spring that could be free, some juice, and some mud to smear on your face. Especially once you consider the total cost of an Iceland trip, you might feel slightly put off. If the price is the make or break point for you, you can consider the slightly less expensive Myvatn Nature Baths or go to a local hot spring (which may ask for a small donation or be completely free).
It’s touristy and crowded. So, since we visited Iceland just as international travel was opening up again, we didn’t really have much issue with crowds because, well, there were virtually no tourists in Iceland. However, in the case of touristy and overcrowded places, I always have the same solution: either come first or last. (Usually first.) Pick the earliest or latest time slot when people are least likely to be there and you’ll be able to enjoy Blue Lagoon with the least amount of people possible. Weekdays are also always better bets than weekends for crowd control. However, if you’re looking for a peaceful hot spring where no one else will bother you or cause a ruckus, this one is generally not it.
It destroys your hair. Okay, so this is something that I hadn’t really seen much about until after I experienced it. For all my long-haired friends, the beautiful white-blue water in the lagoon will mess up your hair like no tomorrow. I’m talking a sticky, hard, clumpy mess that can’t be brushed or detangled. It sucked! The staff says the conditioner in the showers will protect your hair, but it didn’t do anything for me. I read lots of different articles and found out that the silica in the water is what makes your hair hard and rough (note: it doesn’t actually damage your hair!), and the best way to get rid of it is to use clarifying shampoo and conditioner—aka no protein in your hair products. It took me a couple washes and lots of lathering, but after 2 days my hair went back to normal.
The final verdict:
For me personally, I always think it’s worth trying something once. I loved our experience at Blue Lagoon and it is just as beautiful as in all the photographs! I’m not even an avid lover of hot springs. But it was so relaxing to just soak in the hot water for a couple hours!
So, is it worth visiting? That depends on you.
Did you find this post helpful? Please consider pinning it on Pinterest with the buttons below, or following me on Instagram!
