The Sky Lagoon Experience
The View from the Sky Lagoon
The Sky Lagoon spa experience is steeped in ancient Icelandic tradition. You can feel the geological history of the island in the grotto-like steam room and sauna and sheer cliffs of lava that surround the lagoon. The crowning glory of this brand-new complex (it was completed in 2021), is the infinity-edge, naturally heated lagoon that juts out over the Atlantic Ocean. The infinity edge makes way for the sea view, taking in the rugged coastline and Mount Keilir looming in the distance. From the constantly warm water, you can watch storms brew on the steely horizon or perhaps even catch the Northern Lights dancing ethereal green above the sea if you visit in the winter months. In summer, the days stretch long into the night and the sky barely turns darker than an inky blue at midnight. During the months of the “midnight sun”, you can watch the sunset late at night from the Sky Lagoon as the opening hours stretch to 11pm.
From simple admissions packages to transfers from central Reykjavik, there are a number of ways to visit the Sky Lagoon. The sea view tends to attract the crowds, so booking in advance is a good idea to avoid disappointment, especially in peak season when entry to the lagoon can sell out. The Sky Lagoon is fast becoming one of Iceland’s most popular attractions and it’s easy to see why as you slip into the glass-like water and immerse yourself in the view.
The Seven-Step Ritual
Your Sky Lagoon booking includes the use of a towel, access to the changing rooms and showers and access to the lagoon and its facilities such as a steam room, sauna, cold pool and cool mist room. Experience every aspect of the Sky Lagoon with the seven-step ritual. The ritual is an immersive experience: First, you bathe in the hot-tub-like water of the Sky Lagoon itself, gazing out at the sea from the infinity edge. Once you’ve heated up tense muscles and fully relaxed, it’s time for a shock to the system with a plunge into the cold-water pool – a nod to the medieval pools of Icelandic folklore.
Then it’s back to the warmth again but in the sauna this time. A wall of glass in here shows off the sea view and you can listen to the waves as your pores open and you breathe in the hot air. From the sauna, cool off in the cold mist cavern where a cooling mist clings to your skin. Then it’s time to apply a full body scrub to leave your skin soft and healthy.
The Sky Body Scrub is a sea salt scrub with a refreshing fragrance designed to exfoliate and rejuvenate the skin. A session in the steam room is next, to hydrate the skin and let the scrub work its magic. Finally, shower off the scrub in one of the outdoor showers before immersing yourself in the Sky Lagoon once again. You should immerge from the seven-step ritual feeling relaxed, rejuvenated and with baby-soft skin. The ritual is included in the Pure Pass package and the Sky Pass Package.
As the Sky Lagoon is such a relaxing experience, a spa session here makes an excellent addition to a day tour. For example, once you’ve explored the waterfalls, ravines and geothermal parks along the Golden Circle, you can end the day with a soak in the Sky Lagoon upon returning to Reykjavik. Or, perhaps embrace the volcanic wonders of Iceland and add a session at the Sky Lagoon to your trip – it’s hewn from black lava rock after all, so it fits in perfectly with the calderas and geothermal fields of mud pools you can visit during the day. There are a number of day tours that include admission to the Sky Lagoon as the final stop before returning to your Reykjavik hotel.
Eating and Drinking at the Sky Lagoon
Tucked in the side of the cave at the end of the lagoon, you’ll find the swim-up bar. Well, it’s more like a float-up bar as swimming isn’t really possible at the Sky Lagoon. The deepest point is 120cm (4’9), so apart from a few short rounds of breaststroke, it’s all about soaking and floating. Drift up to the bar to enjoy a cold beer or local drink as you soak. There are non-alcoholic drinks available too.
If you want to refuel before or after a session at the Sky Lagoon, there are two dining options. The first is the Sky Café; a casual spot for lunch of sandwiches, bagels and warming soups packed with local Icelandic ingredients. Then there’s the Smakk Bar, which embraces Iceland’s natural larder and displays artisan cheeses, cured meats and fish on slate boards. These charcuterie boards are seasonal and pair perfectly with the extensive selection of wine. The Smakk Bar is a little extra slice of indulgence to top off your visit.
Of course, because the Sky Lagoon is so close to the centre of Reykjavik (just a fifteen-minute drive away), you can save your stomach for a post-soak dinner in one of the many cosy restaurants in the heart of the city.
All You Need to Know About the Sky Lagoon.
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The Sky Lagoon is a geothermal spa inspired by the nature and culture of Iceland, located just minutes from downtown Reykjavík. This luxurious spot is a favourite among locals, a healing experience where you immerse yourself in the warm water of the oceanside lagoon. Buy your entrance fee in advance and leave the driving to us with this transfer package!
Volcanic Wonders & the Sky Lagoon
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The Sky Lagoon is found at Kársnes Harbour, Kópavogur on the outskirts of Reykjavík, just a fifteen-minute drive (8.7km) from the centre. If you’re staying in the capital, the Sky Lagoon is the most conveniently located geothermal bathing experience. It’s on the coast and has a view out over the North Atlantic Ocean.
The Sky Lagoon hours are generally between 12 pm (noon) and 10pm in winter (a little earlier on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays) and between 10am and 11pm during the long summer day. The best time of day to visit is early in the morning, just after opening, or a couple of hours before closing time. If you want to see the Northern Lights as you bathe, you’ll want to visit in the winter months, between October and March. Summer offers the chance to watch the sunset late at night over the ocean and even witness the midnight sun from the Sky Lagoon.
Typically, people tend to spend around one and a half to two hours at the Sky Lagoon if they are simply visiting to enjoy the lagoon, saunas and the seven-step ritual. Those that choose to dine at the restaurant should allow a further hour. You should allow time to change and shower before and after your visit to the lagoon too.
Is the Sky Lagoon warm?
Naturally heated by geothermal activity, the Sky Lagoon is a consistently warm temperature, even in winter. The thermometer tends to hover between 38 and 40°C (100 and 104°F), making it the same temperature as a hot tub or warm bath.
While outdoor shoes are not allowed beyond the changing rooms of the Sky Lagoon, you can wear flip-flops to make the very short journey to the lagoon water. Unlike Iceland’s other geothermal baths, you enter the Sky Lagoon straight from the changing rooms and the walkway is slightly heated, so most visitors are happy to go barefoot.
Given that Iceland’s geothermally-heated water tends to smell of sulphur, you might expect the Sky Lagoon to smell like eggs. However, the Sky Lagoon doesn’t have a particular smell. You might catch the fresh salty tang of sea air whipping off the Atlantic, or inhale the herbal fragrance of the spa products on offer, but you won’t find the sulphuric smell of eggs here.
Towels are offered free of charge at the Sky Lagoon, so there is no need to bring your own. There are also hairdryers available to use in the changing rooms should you wish to avoid leaving with wet hair. Bathrobes and slippers are not provided, but since you walk straight from the changing rooms into the lagoon, neither are necessary.
You can take cameras and phones into the Sky Lagoon. The water is shallow enough to stand up in, so you can hold your phone out of the water if you want to snap some impressive photos of the infinity edge meeting the wild sea beyond. After snapping a few photos, the best way to enjoy your time here is to lock your phone away in your locker in order to fully relax and unwind.
It has long been a Nordic tradition to plunge into a cold pool of water after an intensely hot sauna or steam room session. One part of the Sky Lagoon’s seven-step ritual involves detoxifying and waking up the blood vessels in a cold pool inspired by mediaeval bathing traditions. The cold plunge pool is around 10°C – a real shock to the system after the warm lagoon.
Apart from the bath-warm outdoor lagoon itself, visitors have access to saunas and steam rooms, a cold plunge pool and a cold mist shower. There’s a swim-up bar offering alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks within the lagoon and two onsite restaurants should you wish to dine. The Sky Café offers casual dining options like sandwiches and soups, and the Smakk Bar shows off Iceland’s local produce on slate charcuterie boards. There are also private and public changing facilities, showers, hairdryers and lockers for your valuables.
As the Sky Lagoon remains warm no matter the weather, you can visit come rain or shine. When it is snowing, there is something magical about being submerged in bath-warm water as a blizzard swirls around you. In the rainy weather, you can watch the dramatic grey clouds gather out at sea while keeping toasty warm in the lagoon, sauna and steam room.