Relax near Reykjavik: Your Guide to Sky Lagoon, Iceland

Blue Lagoon in Iceland is famous worldwide for its warm milky waters, but now it has a fierce competitor. It’s called Sky Lagoon, it’s located on the outskirts of Reykjavik and honestly.. I think it’s better.

In this post, I’ll list everything you need to know before going to Sky Lagoon, my experience there as well as let the photos speak for themselves on why you should visit this geothermal spa during your trip to Iceland.

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Discover the beautiful Sky Lagoon, just south of Reykjavik

If you were to compare it to Blue Lagoon, Sky Lagoon is the younger kid on the block, having opened in 2021. While it lies super close to Reykjavik, the capital city of Iceland, the spa is actually located in another town, called Kopavogur, 2nd largest in terms of population.

Sky Lagoon’s strategic position in Karsnes Harbour makes for some nice views: when the weather allows it, you can see as far as Snæfellsjökull and Keilir Mountain over the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. And whoever designed the spa, made sure to capitalize on this by installing an amazing infinity pool.

Despite being man-made, Sky Lagoon integrates perfectly into the Icelandic landscape with its dark grey rocks and turf walls. The area where the 7-step ritual takes place is made to look like a traditional turf house and the pool features a waterfall on one of its sides.

Unlike the Blue Lagoon, the water is clear and you don’t have to worry if it touches your hair (long hair should still be tied up for hygienic purposes), but the bottom of the pool gives it a greenish-bluish tint. Its temperature ranges from 38°C to 40°C.

Even though we visited Sky during a pretty rainy and windy day, we were quite comfortable in the warm water. The pool is mostly protected from the wind by the rock walls and the stairs going out are located inside grottoes, so you won’t really feel the cold as you exit the water.

The only area where you’ll feel the wind quite well is near the infinity edge for obvious reasons.

The water inside the infinity pool is fairly constant in both temperature and depth: I’m 1.60 cm (approx. 5.3 feet) tall and in most spots, it reached me mid-chest while standing.

Also, there are rocks and seats inside the water, so be careful when you move around (I bumped into one by mistake, not fun).

Ticket options at Sky Lagoon

There are two main types of passes available at Sky Lagoon:

• Sér (previously called Sky): This is their premium package and it includes access to the private changing and showering facilities as well as the 7-step ritual. It’s what I got and recommend if you like having your own space to change and shower.
• Samam (previously called Pure): This package includes access to the public changing facilities and the 7-step ritual.

You can book either one as a combo with transfers from and to Reykjavík or if there are two of you, you can go for the Sky Lagoon for two packages that include 2 passes of your choice, a drink per person, and the Sky Platter from Smakk Bar. You can check out all options on their website.

They also used to offer a cheaper pass, called Pure Light, which didn’t include the ritual, but this has been discontinued as of August 19th, 2024.

❗ PRO TIP: If you don’t find any passes left on Sky Lagoon’s website for when you plan to visit, it’s worth checking out both GetYourGuide and Viator as they could have some available. This is how we managed to get tickets for Blue Lagoon even though there were none left on the official website.

They also have different tours that include Sky Lagoon, which can be good options for those short on time:

• Golden Circle, Kerid Crater and Sky Lagoon Tour
• Day Trip to Golden Circle and Sky Lagoon
• South Coast & Sky Lagoon Admission Day Tour

Changing and shower facilities at Sky Lagoon

There are 2 different types of changing rooms at Sky Lagoon (public and private) and as I already mentioned, you get to use one or the other depending on your pass.

Here you’ll shower (the Icelandic spa etiquette dictates that you need to do this naked) and then slip into your bathing suit. If you forgot to pack one, you can rent or buy one there.

While slippers aren’t necessary, I’d recommend bringing a pair of indoor flip-flops: personally, I don’t like how wet floors feel or entering a public restroom barefoot. Towels are free of charge and you’ll find them readily available.

The Samam pass gives you access to the shared changing rooms which are separated by gender (they also seem to have gender-neutral changing rooms, but you’ll need to ask for them at the check-in).

The area is fitted with lockers, benches, mirrors, and hairdryers, but changing your clothes here does mean you’ll be doing it in front of other visitors.

The showers however are semi-private: while the cabins are not enclosed floor to ceiling, the doors are tall enough to give you a bit of privacy. They’re also from a solid, opaque material (I’m only mentioning this because at Blue Lagoon they’re made of matte glass).

And if you’re not really comfortable changing in the open area, you could technically take your bathing suit with you inside and put it on after you finish showering.

The Ser pass gives you access to the private changing rooms. This consists of an open, mixed-gender area where you can find lockers, mirrors, towels, hairdryers, toilets, and private, lockable cubicles each fitted with its own shower.

Using the lockers

No matter what type of pass you have, the lockers work and look the same. You lock and unlock them by touching your wristband to the illuminated circle: green means it’s open and red that it’s occupied. When you want to lock the door make sure you keep it closed as you touch it with the wristband.

And if you forget the number of your locker don’t worry: there are machines inside the changing rooms where you can scan your wristband and it will tell you what locker you used.

Skjól, the Sky Lagoon 7-step ritual

Skjol is a ritual that Sky Lagoon offers to its visitors only once per visit. They call it a 7-step ritual, but in reality, it’s more like a 4-step one as it begins and ends with the lagoon itself.

When you enter the facility, in addition to your wristband, which acts as both a card and a key for your locker, you’ll also receive a second one that’s pretty much a simple rubber band.

When you decide to go through the ritual, you head towards the turf house (left side as you face the ocean) and hand this band to the attendant waiting by the door (this is how they ensure you’re not doing it more than once).

The 7 steps are as follows:

1. Lagoon
2. Cold Plunge: You step into a small, round basin with what feels like ice-cold water.
3. Sauna: The view from the sauna was amazing as the wall towards the ocean consisted of a single piece of glass.
4. Mist: Enter a shower-like area outside the sauna with cold mist (it felt simply refreshing).
5. Body Scrub: You’ll receive a bowl with scrub to exfoliate your body. Heads up if you have any allergies as it contains almond and sesame seed oil among other ingredients.
6. Steam: Enter a room filled with steam, that you barely tell people apart. This was the hardest to tolerate for me.
7. Shower & Lagoon: Shower to remove the remains of the scrub and re-enter the lagoon.

We actually missed the cold plunge initially as it’s located outside the turf house, so we entered it at the end. And in my case, by entering I mean I went in only up to my knees before bailing out.

The water was so cold that it felt like thousands of needles and knives poking into my skin.

The guys however dipped themselves in up to their necks several times as the staff seemed to be ok with people trying the plunge whenever they wanted (unlike the activities inside the house that you could only do once and in a specific order).

In retrospect the ritual was nice, but my favorite part was enjoying the lagoon itself.

How to get to Sky Lagoon?

We stayed in a nice and fairly spacious 2-bedroom apartment a few blocks away from Sky Lagoon so we literally walked there.

But, if your accommodation is close to Reykjavik’s city center, you’ll either need to drive (assuming you have a rental) or take a public bus to Hamraborg. From there you can continue on bus 35 to either Hafnarbraut or Vesturvör stop. You’re then left with around 15 minutes of walking.

Another option is to buy a Sky Lagoon entry package with transfers included either from their website or from here.

You can also book separately a private transfer from/to Reykjavik. This option is more advantageous if you’re in a group of close to 8 people though.

If you want to go to Sky Lagoon on the day of your arrival or departure, there are transfers to and from the Keflavik airport available for booking too.

As for taxis, they’re fairly expensive as most things are in Iceland and the fares tend to differ depending on the time of the day (it costs more after 4 PM).

Expect to pay around 3000 – 5000 ISK (approx. 22 – 36 USD or 20 – 33 EUR) per ride from the city center depending on the time of day. Check the Hreyfill website to find out how to book one.

Also, there’s no Uber in Iceland, but they have something that kind of works in the same way called Hopp. A Hopp ride can be a bit cheaper than a regular taxi, but there aren’t a lot of cars available so it can prove difficult to find a car to pick you up.

You should weigh all these options and decide which one works best for you, but I would recommend using the public buses, a taxi, or a transfer to get to Sky Lagoon instead of driving since this way you can grab a drink at the spa’s bar if you feel like it.

Otherwise, the parking lot is free and fairly big and it’s a 15-minute drive from Reykjavík’s city center.

How crowded does Sky Lagoon get?

We visited Sky Lagoon on a Saturday afternoon and we naively thought it was ok to simply show up without a prior booking. We almost didn’t get in as there were only 3 spots left for the more expensive Sky Pass (Sér), but there were 4 of us.

So there’s a limit to how many people can enter the spa and my recommendation is to book your spot ahead of time online, especially if you’re visiting during the weekend when locals also come to relax there.

It ended on a positive note for my tiny group as the staff allowed all 4 of us to enter after a bit of consulting. I consider ourselves lucky, especially since we were feeling pretty miserable after a rainy and cold visit to Reykjavik.

Now you might wonder how it is to visit Sky Lagoon while it’s at maximum capacity. And honestly, it was fine.

While it was obvious there were quite a few people around, it didn’t feel stuffed. Between the steam from the water and the rock coves it was intimate enough.

Sky Lagoon at night

Sky Lagoon has different opening hours depending on the season (you can check them all here): we went in late August when it was open until 11 and stayed until closing time PM. However, we actually got out of the pool before 10:30 PM, as the area closes half an hour earlier.

I have to say, Sky Lagoon looks even prettier at night, not to mention a bit mysterious because of its selective illuminations. So I really recommend staying late (if you’re visiting when it actually gets dark outside of course).

Sky Lagoon pool bar

There’s a nice pool tucked under rocks where you can buy both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks to enjoy in the lagoon, as well as sunglasses, beanies, phone cases, or caps.

As you can imagine, the prices are quite high. During my visit, a glass of sparkling wine was 1790 ISK (approx. 13 USD/12.8 EUR), while a cocktail was 2490 ISK (18 USD/16.5 EUR).

Gull beer on draught was 1590 IDK (approx. 12 USD/10.5 EUR) and mocktails were 1490 ISK (approx. 10.8 USD/9.8 EUR). A small soda was 490 ISK (approx. 3.6 USD/3.3 EUR).

One thing to bear in mind is that there’s a limit of 3 alcoholic beverages per person: the wristband will notify them if you’re trying to buy a fourth.

Another useful thing to know is that there are toilets on one side of the bar, so you don’t really have to go back to the changing rooms if you don’t want to.

Other useful information

Stay hydrated!

During your visit, it’s really important to stay hydrated. And you don’t even need to buy water as there are water fountains available inside the changing rooms.

I made the mistake of not drinking water while at Blue Lagoon and I got sick by the end of my visit: felt like I was going to faint and was lucky to find the water fountain and hydrate myself just in time. So don’t be like me!

Are kids allowed at Sky Lagoon?

Children younger than 12 years old are not permitted entry to Sky Lagoon. Additionally, kids between the ages of 12 and 14 must be accompanied and supervised by a guardian (18+).

Is Sky Lagoon wheelchair-accessible?

I noticed that there was a wheelchair lift for the main pool, but you should contact the Sky Lagoon staff on their website for more details or inquiries.