Visiting the Blue Lagoon, what to expect, the good, the bad and all.

I have been to the Blue Lagoon like 20 times so I am biased. The Blue Lagoon is amazing. Especially after a long flight, it is so relaxing to just soak in the warm water and let the body enjoy itself.

There are two types of entrance packages to the Blue Lagoon: Comfort entrance and Premium entrance.

Comfort entrance includes entrance to Blue Lagoon, towel, silica face mask, and one beverage of choice.

Premium entrance includes entrance to Blue Lagoon, towel, silica face mask, one beverage of choice, bathrobe, a second face mask, and sparkling wine at Lava Restaurant.

The main difference between the two is that for Premium entrance, you will get an extra bathrobe (rental), slippers, a second face mask (mineral or algae) and if you are dining at the Lava restaurant, a complimentary sparkling wine. To pay €20 more for these, worth it or not, you can decide for yourself. Personally, I always go for the Comfort entrance as the bathrobe and slippers are hardly used. Just from the changing room to the lagoon and that is like 100m. For the second face mask, you can always pay extra at the mask booth if you want to use it.

From the car park of Blue Lagoon, you find the storage facility by the car park. This storage facility is for big luggage that cannot fit in lockers. There is a small storage fee. From here, you will follow a path through volcanic lava rocks to the reception building of Blue Lagoon.

You will find three queues for the entrance. Comfort entrance, Premium entrance, and Groups. According to the ticket that you have purchased, you will then join the queue accordingly.

At your turn, simply present your ticket (both electronic ticket and paper ticket are accepted) in exchange for a wristband.

This wristband serves several functions.

1. It is the pass for your entrance and exit to Blue Lagoon
2. It is the key to your locker unit
3. It contains the complimentary items (beverage and mask(s)) that comes with your entrance ticket
4. It keeps a tab of all the additional purchases that you make in Blue Lagoon

In a way, you use your wristband for almost everything within Blue Lagoon. I will explain each of them in detail.

After collecting your wristband, you will scan it on the turnstile to enter Blue Lagoon.

From here, you will follow the signs to the changing room where the lockers are. You can use any locker that is open. Change into your swimsuit. Put your things into the lock, close it, scan your wrist band at the nearest scanner and hold it there until it beeps. The locker number that you have chosen will appear on the screen. This means that your locker is locked and synced with your wristband. To unlock, scan your wristband to the nearest scanner to your locker. You can lock and unlock as many times as you like. There are instructions on the locker door as well.

It is recommended that you leave all your jewelry and watches in the locker and the water might cause some damage to them.

After having fun with the locker, you will need to shower before going into the lagoon. It is compulsory to shower and wash with soap. It is also recommended that you leave some conditioner in your hair for protection as the water in Blue Lagoon does not exactly agree with hair. Alternatively, just be sure to keep your hair out of the water. Just so you know, the one time that I keep my hair in the water at Blue Lagoon without conditioner, my hair turns into the likes of seaweed and I needed to wash it with a lot of conditioners for three days before it becomes manageable again.

After you are done with the shower, you can now head to the lagoon. There are hooks for you to hang your towel/bathrobes but since everyone looks the same, there is actually no way to tell one from the other.

Unless you have a way of identifying which towel/bathrobe belongs to you, you can always ask for a new one from the cafe beside. It is very common that someone else takes your towel/bathrobe slipper by mistake. There have been times when I do not even find my towel/bathrobe/slipper at all.

There are two ways to go into the lagoon. One is by the main entry that is outdoors. You go out through the main doors and down the slopes into the lagoon. This way is very beautiful and good for pictures but it can also be very cold especially during the winter or when it is very windy.

The second way into the lagoon is by the left side. You enter the water from inside the building and there is a doorway in the water that leads outside to the main lagoon. This is the less exciting way of entering the lagoon but certainly more comfortable.

Once in the lagoon, with the main building at your back, the in-water bar is at the top right (one o’clock position). The in-water mask is on the left (nine o’clock position). The in-water massage is at the top left (eleven o’clock position) and the waterfall, sauna, and steam room are at the bottom left (seven o’clock position).

You are free to explore every corner of the lagoon except for the in-water massage area unless you have a booking. The water temperature varies in different areas of the lagoon. Some areas are much warmer than others. You can, of course, choose which temperature you prefer. The central area of the lagoon is the deepest, almost 1.5m. If you cannot swim and are not tall enough, you can always ask the service staff for a pool noodle. Arm floats are also available for children.

The water in Blue Lagoon is salty as the geothermal water mixed with a small amount of seawater underground before surfacing. This actually adds extra minerals to the water, making it even better for the skin. Furthermore, the water is not really blue in color. It is actually cloudy water containing silica and algae and due to the refraction of sunlight, the water looks blue to the eye.

Let’s get to the facilities. The in-water bar serves all kinds of beverages. They have juice, slurries, smoothies, wine, beer, and more. You can choose anything for the complimentary beverage that comes with the entrance. You simply need to scan your wristband to collect it at the bar. If you want more then you will have to pay for it and the tab it kept in your wristband.

At the in-water mask bar, you can collect the silica face mask and apply it to your face, neck, and shoulders. Leave it to dry for about 15-20 minutes, take as many pictures as you need, then rinse off in the lagoon water. If you would like to try a second face mask, there is algae mask, mineral mask, and lava scrub. Algae mask is good for wrinkles, anti-aging and whitening.

The mineral mask is good for moisturizing. A lava scrub mask is good for cleansing and strengthening the skin. If you have gotten the premium entrance, the second mask is complimentary. Otherwise, the lava scrub mask and the mineral mask will cost 900 isk each and the algae mask will cost 1200 isk. You will also simply need to scan your wrist band to collect the complimentary mask(s) and/or keep tabs on the extra masks which you have purchased.

The in-water massage is an add-on service that you can purchase when booking. Suspended in the soothing warmth of a secluded expanse of the Blue Lagoon, your deep and relaxing massage conducted with Blue Lagoon mineral massage oil is a wonder unto itself. A 30-minute massage costs 17400 isk while a 60-minute massage costs 30400 isk. There might be promotions from time to time. You can check here for more information.

If you would prefer a free massage instead, you can try the waterfall. Standing under the waterfall and allowing the water to fall onto your shoulders and back is surprisingly therapeutic.

Besides the waterfall, you will find the sauna cave and on the other side the steam room. It is necessary to shower before re-entering the lagoon after using the sauna and steam room.

It is recommended that you should spend about 45-60 minutes in the lagoon and rest for 10-15 minutes in a cool area before going back into the lagoon. There is an out-of-water lounge area in the main building, above the cafe, where there are lounge chairs that you can use to rest.

You can also purchase hot beverages and light meals from the cafe and all the payments are kept as tabs in your wristband.

After you have enjoyed all the facilities and are totally relaxed, you can head to the changing room. There is almost everything that you will need in the changing room. From body lotion to hairdryer, even cotton buds and plastic bags.

After removing all your belongings from the locker, you should leave the locker open. There are trolleys are wet towels and bathrobes. At the exit, you will need to make payment for all your additional purchases before you can scan your wristband, at the exit turnstile. The turnstile will also collect your wristband.

There is a cafe beside the exit on the left and Lava Restaurant is at the end of the building if you would like to check out one of the best restaurants in Iceland.

Otherwise, you can head right towards the Blue Lagoon shop where you can purchase Blue Lagoon products. The exit is through the shop.

This will bring to a close your amazing and memorable experience at the Blue Lagoon.

You can purchase your ticket to Blue Lagoon here. Options with a transfer are also available.