Solo Travel Guide To The Blue Lagoon Spa Iceland

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A visit to the Blue Lagoon Spa Iceland goes hand in hand with a trip to this spectacular country for many people. One of the small nation’s most famous tourist attractions, who hasn’t looked at the milky blue water cascading around the black volcanic rock and thought about going for a dip there?

Iceland is already an expensive country to visit so it’s no surprise that a day at the Blue Lagoon also comes with a hefty fee. If you’re just looking to experience any thermal spa, there are cheaper and more accessible ones in Reykjavik itself.

But the Blue Lagoon is iconic and Instagram-worthy and all of those fun things. It’s also the perfect way to kill time on an arrival or departure day due to its proximity to Keflavik airport.

Keep reading to find all the practical information you’ll need for a visit, including answers to your biggest questions. My experience is also from a solo travel perspective, so some of my feelings towards the Blue Lagoon may be different than if you’re going with someone.

Solo travel experience at the Blue Lagoon

As a solo traveler I was interested to see how the experience would differ for me. The biggest question of the day – who would take my photo? But seriously, since this kind of experience is more commonly done with someone else I wasn’t really sure what to expect when I went there.

I did have a great time though, and I’m glad I made the effort to go. The one note I would make as a solo traveler is that you likely won’t spend as long there unless you book any treatments.

After the initial pictures and mud masks there isn’t much to do but soak in the hot waters of this elegant pool. And personally, there’s only so long I could do that for on my own. Never solo traveled before? Answers to your top solo travel questions here.

Blue Lagoon Spa Iceland – Location

The Blue Lagoon, is situated a short distance from Keflavik airport in Iceland. For that reason it’s most convenient to visit either right after you land on your arrival day, or the day of departure on your way to the airport. To visit from Reykjavik, then to go back to Reykjavik doesn’t make a lot of sense since you’ll be closer to it again when heading back to the airport.

The actual location is in the middle of nowhere, so there’s nothing else you will likely want to visit nearby. From Keflavik airport it’s about a 20-minute drive, and from Reykjavik city centre it’s around 45-minutes.

10 top questions about the Blue Lagoon Spa Iceland

I tried – and failed – to get straight answers to many of these questions before I visited the Blue Lagoon. That’s why I wanted to put the most common questions people have in one place. This is everything you need to know for a stress-free visit to the infamous Blue Lagoon Spa Iceland.

How do you get to the Blue Lagoon?

Given its location you might be wondering how on Earth you get there. If you’re renting a car for your time in Iceland – highly recommended so you can explore more of this beautiful country – there is parking there and it’s easy enough to get to.

For those of you (like me) who are car-less in Iceland there is a shuttle service operated by Destination Blue Lagoon. Buy tickets directly through their website, or for an easier way you can add the transfer when buying your Blue Lagoon tickets. That’s what I did and it was a seamless experience.

I booked my transfer from Keflavik airport to the Blue Lagoon, then on from the Blue Lagoon to downtown Reykjavik. Be warned, nothing in Iceland is cheap – the transfer costs around 7000 ISK (~$55 USD).

It’s easy to find the bus at the airport – there’s a service desk in the terminal if you need help. The bus will drop you off right outside the Blue Lagoon, and pick you up at the same location. In Reykjavik itself there are about a dozen drop-off/pick-up locations, all close by one hotel or another.

Which Blue Lagoon ticket is best?

The simplest way is to book is through the Blue Lagoon website. The price varies depending on how early you book, and the time you want to go. A good thing to keep in mind is there’s no time limit on your ticket. You select the time to enter, but after that you’re free to stay as long as you like.

Since my flight arrived at 6am, I chose to get there for opening time at 9am, getting on the first transfer of the day at 8:30am. This turned out to be the best decision as it’s also a little quieter first thing and will start to get busier by 10am or 11am. It was also the perfect way to relax after a long haul flight.

The next thing to decide is the ticket you want: Comfort or Premium. There’s also a Luxury option with access to both the lagoon and the Retreat Spa. Or you can stay at the Retreat at the Blue Lagoon.

Both Comfort and Premium give access to the Blue Lagoon, use of towels, a silica mud mask at the Mask Bar, and a drink at the swim-up bar. The Premium ticket gets you the benefit of a bathrobe for the day, an additional two face masks, a drink at the restaurant and best of all, a quicker check-in process.

I chose the Premium ticket and think the extra benefits were worth the additional fee. Particularly skipping the line to get in since the Premium ticket people had a separate line.

Can I leave my luggage anywhere?

So many people visit the Blue Lagoon Spa Iceland on the way to or from the airport with lots of luggage. The good news is the Blue Lagoon has thought of this.

Smaller backpacks and personal belongings can be stored in the changing room lockers (more on that later), but larger items and suitcases can be checked in at the luggage storage in the parking lot.

Getting off the bus, there’s a small building you can’t miss. Here you can check any luggage for 800 ISK per piece (~$6 USD) with the attendant. They’ll give you a ticket to hold onto which you hand in when you leave. It’s really simple, and the luggage goes on racks, not in lockers, so you don’t have to worry about it fitting.

Top Tip: Remember to leave time to collect your luggage before your transfer. Allow up to 15 minutes in case it’s busy as there’s often only one person working.

How do I pay for things during my visit?

Buying extra drinks or mud masks at the swim up bars? Planning to grab some snacks or a drink at the lagoon-side café? It’s all super easy to do and you won’t need to carry your credit card or cash around with you.

Upon arrival at the lagoon you’ll be given a waterproof wristband. Keep it on for your entire visit. You scan it to go through the gates to enter the lagoon, use it for the lockers (more on that below) and show it when getting things at the bar or café. Items will be charged to your wristband, then you settle up as you leave.

To leave the Blue Lagoon you will need to scan your wristband to see if there’s a balance owing. If there is, use one of the machines to pay your bill and once paid you can get through the gate. After scanning your wristband a slot will open up in the gate to return it.

Where do I put my personal belongings?

The changerooms have lockers that can be locked and unlocked using your wristband. The lockers are quite large. I was able to comfortably fit an average size backpack (35L in size) as well as my purse (a larger tote bag), clothing and jacket.

To lock/unlock the lockers might take you a try or two but there are attendants to help if you have problems. Each group of lockers is next to a central scanning point. Close the locker door, scan your wristband and it will show the locker number, which will then be locked. To unlock, simply scan your wristband again and the system remembers which locker you had. The door will pop open.

You can access the changerooms and lockers at any point during your visit very easily so don’t worry if you forget something.

Are there private shower stalls?

One thing you may have read about the Blue Lagoon Spa Iceland is that before you go in the lagoon, you must shower without your swimsuit on. The changerooms are connected to the shower block with attendants who are diligent about people following this rule.

While there are communal showers, and there’s a lot of nakedness in the changeroom/shower areas, not everyone is comfortable with that. So you may be glad to hear there are private shower stalls should you require them.

I was there early in the day so had no problem finding an empty stall. Even in the busier late morning I could easily find one. In advance of my visit, everyone made it sound like there were only a couple of private showers. But there were over a dozen private shower cubicles, plenty for everyone.

Top Tip: If you have a robe make sure to hang it on the outside of the shower. The shower cubicles are pretty snug and there’s no room inside – and hanging things over the top of the door will get them wet.

Does the water damage your hair?

The water is not harmful to your hair. It can, however, make it really dry and stiff since the geothermal seawater has a lot of minerals in it that build up on your hair the longer you are there.

If you have long hair, I recommend you tie it up, and try not to get it too wet. Whatever length hair you have, the best thing is to apply lots of conditioner before getting in the water – and don’t rinse it out. This will help keep your hair softer and more manageable afterwards. I did both of these things and never had any issue with my hair at all.

Conditioner, as well as all other toiletries, are provided in the shower area. I also recommend buying a clarifying shampoo to use for the next couple of washes after your visit to the Blue Lagoon. Clarifying shampoo is better at removing the build up of residue on your hair, which may happen at the Blue Lagoon.

Top Tip: The changerooms also have use of hairdryers so when you’re done in the lagoon you don’t have to leave with wet hair. This was something I didn’t know in advance so was really good to find out.

Can I take my phone with me?

Yes, you can. Take all the photos and selfies you want. Everyone does, so you won’t be the odd one out if you do. The only rule is that you’re not allowed to use your phone in the changeroom/shower area – makes sense.

The water isn’t too deep so you could very well just be really careful and not get your phone in the water by holding it up. However, unless your phone is waterproof I would recommend investing $10 in a waterproof phone pouch. You can easily get them on Amazon and they will take the worry out of dropping your phone in the water.

Worried about photo quality? I saw no noticeable difference in the quality of my pictures by using the phone pouch.

Top Tip: Get to the lagoon early, take your photos out of the lagoon and in the lagoon, and then put your phone in your locker and enjoy the experience. As long as you have your phone with you, you won’t fully relax.

What mud masks can I get?

One of the most fun things at the Blue Lagoon Spa Iceland is trying the different mud masks. There are 4 different masks you can try: Silica, Algae, Mineral and Lava Scrub. Apparently the secret to younger looking skin is by combining the Silica and Algae mud masks.

If you have the “Comfort” ticket, you will get to try one of the masks. If you have the “Premium” ticket you can try up to three masks. It’s a swim-up mask bar where the attendant will put some of the mud in your hands. If you have a preference, remember to ask, otherwise they will help make suggestions.

For additional masks you will have to pay. Those with a Premium ticket have a different color wristband so it’s easy to see who is allowed one mask and who is allowed three.

Top Tip: Near the mask bar are mirrors and cold running fresh water to wash your hands. When you need to take your mask off I recommend either going to one of these taps or washing off near the lagoon edge nearer the towels. When I had the Lava Scrub mask I keep getting it in my eyes and it was black so the saltwater in the lagoon was not helping.

Are drinks available in the lagoon?

As mentioned earlier, there is a lagoon-side café where you can relax out of the water with a drink or snack. But far more fun is to go to the swim-up bar in the lagoon and get a refreshing drink.

With your ticket you are entitled to one complimentary drink. They will scan your wristband and then you choose from the menu. It seems like any drinks are included (so go for a more expensive drink first).

Any additional drinks have a price attached and they will add this to your wristband to pay as you leave. There’s a menu with pricing but soft drinks are around 500-700 ISK (~$4-6 USD) and beer/wine is around 1200-1500 ISK (~$9-12 USD).

There is beer, wine and cider if you want some alcohol. Soft drinks, bottles of water and sports drinks if you don’t. I opted for one of the fun, fruity (kinda healthy) smoothies. The green smoothie – banana, mango, spinach, ginger and orange – looks questionable but was actually delicious.

A few other tips for the Blue Lagoon Spa Iceland

While this answers most of the main questions you might have about the Blue Lagoon, there are a few additional things I observed from my time there that I want to share.

• Towels are in the café area poolside. You can take them into the shower area, but not the changeroom. Make sure to dry off before going in the changeroom or the attendants may shout at you. There’s a never ending supply of towels so don’t worry about claiming one.
• If you forget something in your locker you can go back as many times as you want. But you are meant to shower each time before going in the lagoon so try to limit your trips to the changeroom. Otherwise you’ll have taken 10 showers before breakfast.
• There are bench seating areas and a couple of walkways around the lagoon. Perfect for getting some good shots of the steamy blue waters with contrasting black rock. There is also some in-water bench seating around most of the lagoon, especially near the swim-up bar.
• If you’re on your own and want that coveted shot of you in the water gazing into the distance, make some friends and ask someone to help you. I definitely wasn’t the only solo traveler there and you won’t be either.
• The bottom of the pool is smooth enough. However, there are some rockier areas closer to the edges, so tread carefully so as not to trip.

A relaxing day at the Blue Lagoon Spa Iceland

Earlier in the day it was nice and quiet, but it did get busier around 10:30-11am. Which wasn’t too bad because 2-3 hours was enough for me there, but if you want to spend longer be prepared for this.

Overall I guess I was expecting a much more “spa-like” relaxing experience. With constant chatter as well as lots of people moving around taking photos, getting drinks and masks, it wasn’t the kind of place I could just feel the calm wash over me. There are some quiet spots around the edges and some hidden areas if you go looking, but don’t expect an empty lagoon.

Between the Premium ticket (around $90 USD) and the transfer cost ($55 USD) it wasn’t a cheap experience. Keep in mind that there are local geothermal pools where you can get in for about $10 USD. They don’t have that lagoon look but they are still great pools.

All in all I’m definitely glad I booked a ticket to the Blue Lagoon. After years, of hearing about it and seeing amazing photos, I was happy to experience it myself. This was something I would do once, but likely not again if I return to Iceland.

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