Things to know before visiting the Blue Lagoon

Things to know About the Blue Lagoon
The Blue Lagoon is not in Reykjavik.
Two-thirds of Iceland’s population may live in Reykjavik, but the Blue Lagoon is quite a distance away. If you haven’t rented a car, you’ll need to book a transfer with a tour company. This tour includes round-trip transport from Reykjavik and Blue Lagoon admission. The drive takes about 45 minutes each way.

The Blue Lagoon is not a natural phenomenon.
While Iceland is a country brimming with natural hot springs, the Blue Lagoon isn’t one of them. The land is natural, as is the lava that shapes the pool, but the water is actually the result of runoff from the geothermal plant next door.

The plant was built first, and it uses Iceland’s volcanic landscape to produce heat power. The runoff is filtered straight into the Blue Lagoon, which is what heats the water.

That doesn’t mean it’s dangerous or toxic — far from it! It’s just not the natural phenomenon that many people believe it to be.

You have to get naked and shower first.
Not unlike many spas around the world, you need to take a shower before going into the pool. However, the Blue Lagoon goes one step further and requires you to shower naked. Don’t worry if you don’t want to be naked in public: there are now several shower stalls that lock for privacy.

Once you’re rinsed and conditioned, you can put your bathing suit back on and head on in.

You can go to the Blue Lagoon before or after your flight.
If you have super early flights, you may not be able to do this — but if you have a morning or afternoon arrival or an afternoon or evening departure, you should take advantage of hitting up the Blue Lagoon on the way to the airport. The Blue Lagoon is much closer to Keflavik than Reykjavik. Doing this will save you time.
Even if you take precautions, your hair will get DESTROYED.
The one thing that everyone says is, “Use lots of leave-in conditioner.” The locker rooms at the Blue Lagoon offer lots of conditioner, so that made it easy.

Well, after covering my hair in conditioner, twisting it up in a French twist, leaving the conditioner in, and going into the Blue Lagoon, then coming out, rinsing my hair, conditioning it like crazy, and leaving it in again — my hair was destroyed for the next five days.

Take my advice — even if you condition your hair, don’t let it touch the water. You’re not missing out on much if you don’t.

Essential Info: The Blue Lagoon offers no-frills entry from 40 euros ($43 USD) in winter and 50 euros ($54) in summer. A series of packages have higher rates. Book tickets to the Blue Lagoon including a transfer from Reykjavik here.

Iceland is full of awesome tours, from ice climbing to whale watching to snorkeling between the techtonic plates. Check out some of the best tours here.

For flights to Iceland, I find the best rates on Skyscanner. Double-check here to make sure you got a good rate.

For accommodation in Reykjavik, I recommend Radisson Blu 1919 for midrange travelers, Black Pearl for luxury travelers, and Kex Hostel for budget travelers. Find the best Reykjavik hotel deals here.

Looking for a group tour to Iceland? G Adventures has several Iceland tours, all with small groups. Alternatively, Intrepid Travel has several tours lasting 5-10 days.

The best way to get from the airport to downtown Reykjavik is the Flybus. It’s cheap, easy, and runs frequently.

While Iceland is one of the safest countries in the world, it’s vital to get travel insurance before your trip. If you get seriously injured and require an air ambulance home, it could save you literally hundreds of thousands of dollars. I don’t travel anywhere without insurance, and I use and recommend World Nomads.