In preparation for our trip to Iceland, we did tons of research on the best way to experience the Blue Lagoon. We were surprised to see a lot of negative reviews and we thought about skipping it altogether. The decision was almost made for us when the Blue Lagoon sold out for the date we were looking at – but luck was on our side and we were able to score last-minute tickets! After going through the experience, we came away with some tips to help you navigate the Blue Lagoon like a boss.
The first thing we cannot stress enough is to get your tickets in advance, way in advance. Like just go buy them now. We had a large group (10!) and there was NOTHING available in the only block of time we had for the lagoon. But then the Iceland Gods smiled on us and randomly spots in the exact time slot we needed opened up. We promise we did not call them, talk to a tour guide, nothing. It was meant to be! But there’s no reason to stress out like we did. Just get the tickets as soon as you know you’re going. You will thank us later.
The rest of the tips below come from things we read before we went and things we experienced once we were there. Hope you enjoy! And if you have more tips of your own, just comment below!
Blue lagoon tips:
How the heck do I get to the Blue Lagoon? They have busses you can take from the airport, you could drive, or arrange transportation of some kind. Because we had ten people, we arranged a transfer. It was nice because they stayed with our luggage. There is a luggage check basically in the parking lot, but the line was LONG and that can’t be fun, so the private transfer was worth it from that perspective alone. Our driver also helped us get in quicker by essentially helping us skip the line. It was pretty awesome.
Help, I can’t find my towel! We read that towels often get taken (they all look exactly the same). So to prevent that, one of our group members brought towel clips to clip everything together. Super great idea! Totally did not work. Our suggestion would be to bring your own, or just go into it expecting your towel to disappear. Not a huge deal they are everywhere, just kind of annoying.
Pro Tip: We did not do this, but would recommend getting the package that includes a robe. This is helpful because, hello it’s Iceland, and it’s not exactly warm going from inside to outside, but it also gives you another way to change. Wrap up in that bad boy and just do a deck change in the locker room. There are not many places to change and the lines can be long. Go the robe route, trust us. Plus there are a lot less of them around, so maybe it won’t get stolen like the towels?
Umm, I have to shower before entering? We read that there was a huge room you had to shower in naked before going into the lagoon. Umm, no. Not the case. This isn’t prison, it’s the Blue Lagoon, in Iceland. They have individual stalls for you to use. They don’t lock, but you can clearly see that someone is occupying the space, so it is not a big deal at all. Which reminds me, Bring a pair of flip-flops because they make you take your outside shoes off immediately and even though the locker room is nice, just eww, bring cheap flip flops.
And you definitely need to shower before you go in for so many reasons, but the main one is to use their conditioner on your hair. We were not about trying to get our hair wet in Lagoon water due to the horror stories we’ve heard about it turning hair to straw. So don’t be shy, get your hair wet, then lather the crap out of it with conditioner. Side bonus, it smells AMAZING. And if you wanted to stop at the Lagoon on your way to the airport, or during a layover, there are hair dryers there as well.
I’m about to go into the Lagoon, what if want to buy a drink? They give you a wristband that is color coded to which package you bought. It’s very much like the Power Rangers wristbands, it’s morphin time! What is neat though is all of your purchases and the locker system is run through the band. So you don’t have to worry about money, you just swipe your wrist. They charge you on the way out. And actually the swim up bar was not as outrageously priced as we figured it would be.
OMG I cannot get this locker to close! So the lockers. They are a disaster to figure out. Everything we read about them being more complicated than putting together Ikea furniture was completely and totally true. Here are some instructions to hopefully help you out. Pro Tip: Find one that is open – you may have to pull on the doors of some before an available one presents itself. Once it does, swipe your wristband and make sure the number of the locker where your belongings are shows on the screen. If the number is correct, continue. The screen will begin to countdown, before it finishes, scan your band again and it will lock. If you don’t scan your band quick enough, the door pops open. This literally happened to us at least three times. They have a very vague picture graphic on the wall to help, but it’s about as clear as the silica mud at the bottom of the lagoon. We even asked someone and that didn’t help either. In fact they kind of looked at us like “what? it’s so easy, everyone can do it.” No, it really isn’t.
How long should you spend at the lagoon? We say spend the entire time you’re allowed. There are so many places to go explore and it feels so nice to just sit and relax with an adult beverage after flying all night. Pro Tip: go early, it’s way less crowded!
But how will I take all my selfies? My phone isn’t waterproof…First of all, it’s 2017 and phones really should be waterproof, but many are not. If you don’t have a GoPro, invest in some kind of waterproof case. The old faithful phone in a baggie trick does not work at all. It is way to steamy.
Was the water full of gross things? We had read a lot of stories where people found weird or gross things floating around. None of us encountered anything. With that said, another group near us found some glasses on the bottom. Do yourself and every other lagoon lover a favor and don’t bring anything in that could fall off or be dropped. First of all, you’re not finding it again, and chances are the person who does find it, is going to do so by stepping on it. Ouch!
Brrr it’s cold in here? No it’s not cold. There are rumors that the Blue Lagoon is cold. We are not sure how this started, but it’s not. Now, we will say there are pockets of water that are different temperatures, so walk around and figure out what you prefer! But cold is one of the last words we would use to describe the water.
Ahh yes, the Mrs. Doubtfire moment. You’ve probably seen pictures of people with silly masks on their face floating around the internet. Well, join the crowd because they are great. We did the silica first and then the algae mask. Our preference was the algae mask for sure. In fact, some people in the group wanted to buy it. Hahahah, it cost just about a small fortune, so our skin still sucks. But even the guys enjoyed them!
Man, I’m hungry! Well, we hate to be the ones to tell you this, but the food at the lagoon is really expensive. All of Iceland is, but this place takes the cake. Pack some snacks of your own so you can push off the hanger until you find more reasonably priced food.
Uh oh, I don’t speak Icelandic, what should I do? Relax! Literally everyone speaks English and they are SO NICE! There were no issues with the language at all. Good thing too, because Icelandic is actually impossible.
Sad face, it’s time to go. Fear not! The grounds as you walk out are actually amazing. It feels like you’re on the moon. We know, we’ve totally been to the moon…or not, but it’s on our list! Take some pictures and just breathe in that super fresh Icelandic air!
The Blue Lagoon gets a bad rap sometimes for being “touristy” but you know what? We had an awesome time! It’s roomy, picturesque, fun and relaxing. Yes, there are cheaper hot springs in Iceland and we recommend checking them out as well, but the Blue Lagoon far exceeded our expectations and even with the price and we would all go back for sure!
About the Author:
After studying abroad in London during college, Lisa was bitten hard by the travel bug and hasn’t stopped globetrotting since. Currently she lives in Tampa, Florida.
