The Best Hot Springs in Iceland – Natural Hot Springs You Can Visit For Free + Map

Visiting Iceland natural hot springs is like entering the outdoor (and free) spa treatment. Geothermal pools in Iceland are hidden in the mountains, surrounded by lava fields, small or big. You can many different types of hot pools dotted around the island. Find the best hot springs in Iceland, where you can relax and enjoy the nature around – for free, together with a handy hot springs Iceland map included.

If I was to choose three things, that I liked the most during our trip to the volcanic island, one of them would definitely be the geothermal pools and hot pots in Iceland. That feeling of dipping in the hot water somewhere in the middle of nowhere with a glass of wine in your hand – is unforgettable!

During our 7 days Iceland road trip itinerary, we managed to see quite a few of them, especially in southern Iceland. My favorite were, of course, natural hot springs in Iceland, which can be accessed for free (or with a small fee). You can find a map of hot springs in Iceland at the bottom of the post.

Apart from the pristine nature baths, in almost every, even small Icelandic town, you will find heated swimming pools with hot tubs (small containers with water temperatures ranging between 38-44 °C, where you can sit and relax). The entrance fee to the swimming pool in Iceland is usually very cheap and you can swim, chill out and warm yourself up if the Icelandic weather wasn’t nice to you recently. They typically have more changing facilities, than the wild Iceland hot springs and have showers (which is useful if you’re traveling Iceland on a budget and need one).

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THE BEST HOT SPRINGS IN ICELAND

Apart from the natural hot springs in Iceland, there are also some famous Iceland spa resorts. They include Blue Lagoon Spa Iceland, Secret Lagoon or the newly opened Sky Lagoon in the south, or Myvatn Nature Baths in north Iceland. There are also some hot springs near Reykjavik like Laugarvatn Fontana hot springs Iceland – a sleek lakefront spa.  They all look great but are more like geothermal spas, than natural hot springs. There is also an entrance fee to get in.

Below, I show you the best natural Iceland thermal pools in different parts of the country, together with a map of hot springs in Iceland at the bottom of the post.

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 Iceland natural hot springs, which are also free

# Seljavallalaug hot springs – the “Abandoned pool” in the Icelandic mountains

Hidden in the mountains between the Eyjafjallajökull Erupts Visitor Centre and Skogafoss, the Seljavallalaug hot springs, also called the “Abandoned pool” is one of my favorite free hot springs in Iceland.

To get to the pool, you need to walk for about 20 minutes walk from the car park until you reach the small building with the pool in front of it. The pool was built in 1923 (which makes it the oldest man-made swimming pool in Iceland!), but then it was left abandoned. Now, it is visited by happy tourists, who like to swim in its warm waters.

The water comes to the pool from the geothermal spring located above, through the rocks. However, because the water in Seljavellir is mixed with rainwater, it’s not very hot, but still pleasantly warm. The best place is the one, where the spring drops into the pool – it’s much warmer there. The building next to the pool is used as a changing room – there are no other facilities and no toilets around.

I was a bit surprised by the number of people visiting the “Abandoned pool”. It wasn’t crowded, but as for one of the Iceland hidden gems, I would have thought that there should be much fewer people. But I guess, if something ends up on the internet it’s not hidden anymore.

The pool was really nice, surrounded by mountains. Deep and long enough for swimming. We enjoyed our red wine looking at the sun shining on the hills around us. The only problem was a bit of algae floating around that made our swimming suits green after we came out of the water.

Seljavallalaug hot springs Iceland - the "Abandoned pool"
Seljavallalaug hot springs Iceland – the “Abandoned pool”
The view to the Seljavallalaug hot springs pool in Seljavellir, Iceland

Enjoying wine in Abandoned pool Seljavellir - best free hot springs in Iceland
Enjoying wine in “Abandoned pool” natural geothermal bath in Iceland

# Reykjadalur hot springs Iceland Thermal River – Hveragerði Hot River

In the geothermal area of Hveragerði, there is a special river, hidden in the mountains. Its temperature goes up to 40 degrees and you can enjoy it while admiring the amazing landscape around you. The Reykjadalur Hot Springs is a special place in southern Iceland, located in the Reykjadalur Steam Valley.

To get to the hot river in Iceland, you need to follow a 3,5 km (1h) Reykjadalur hot spring trail, which leads you through the steaming geothermal area with bubbling hot springs and mud pots. The walk through the hills is really nice with great views. And when you reach the river, you will see that your efforts were worth it. If you want to visit hot springs in Iceland in winter, this is the place to go. After a frosty walk, you can just jump into the hot water.

Around the most popular part of the river, you can find wooden platforms, that help with the muddy ground and also simple changing rooms (or rather walls). It’s probably better not to go too far up the stream, as the water gets hotter there, but it’s good to be high enough, so you can enjoy the heat.

The Reykjadalur Steam Valley is part of the volcano Hengill and spreads out across 5000 year old lava field. This is where its geothermal activity comes from. Hveragerði is also worth a stop, at least for the best Icelandic food, which is geothermally cooked.

Hveragerði hot river - best free natural hot springs in Iceland

Hveragerði hot river - best free hot springs in Iceland, all natural hot springs in Iceland

Hot spring area - Hveragerði hot river - best free hot springs in Iceland

How to get to the Hot River in Iceland

Hveragerði lies 45 km from Reykjavik, on the Ring Road and the Golden Circle Route.   To get to the hot river hike you need to drive to the end of town. There you will see the car park. From the car park, the hiking trail leads through the hills and hot pots of steam and mud. You will see the location of the famous hot spring river in Iceland, once you walk for around 30 minutes. The place suitable for bathing is where the wooden platforms and changing facilities are.

The explanation of how to get to the beginning of the hot river hike in Hveragerði is shown below.

Iceland off the beaten path with hidden gems map - Hveragerði hot river trail map to parking

Iceland off the beaten path with hidden gems map - Map to hot river trail in Hveragerði - Reykjadalur

# Hoffel hot tubs, less known hot springs in Iceland

Those small pools are located close to Hofn and the Hoffellsjökull (Hoffells glacier), which is a part of the Vatnajökull glacier.

The Hoffel hot pools consist of five tubs filled with hot water, surrounded by stunning mountains. The water containers and the pipes leading to each of the pools were built by the landowner. The hot tubs are not entirely natural hot springs, but the water to them comes from geothermal springs nearby. Around the hot tubs, there is a small car park.

Unfortunately, when we were there, the weather was quite bad with a lot of clouds and drizzling rain, so we haven’t seen many views. Staying in the pool was nice anyway. There is an outdoor (hot!) shower and changing rooms with a toilet (no plug though if you are thinking about charging something or drying your hair).

At the entrance to the pools, there is a box where you can pay 500 IKR to keep the facilities in the good condition.

Hoffel hot tubs - best free hot springs in Iceland
Enjoying wine (again ;)) in Hoffel hot tubs

# Landbrotalaug hot spring in Snaefellsness in Iceland

Landbrotalaug in Snaefellsness is a tiny natural hot pot located in a stunning place. The mountain backdrop and the small hot spring, fitting only 2 or 3 people, make a perfect place for a romantic paradise in Iceland.

To get to the spring you need to turn from road 54 into the small dirt road that has a sign for Stóra Hraun. Once you get to the parking lot, past the abandoned farmhouse, you can see it.

The hot spring is natural and free for everyone to enjoy. Therefore, keep in mind that there might be already some people in it when you arrive. There are no showers or toilets or changing facilities. It’s a wild place, so if you go there, leave it as you’ve found it.

# Landmannalaugar hot springs

This is one of the best wild hot springs in Iceland. However, it’s quite hard to get to. It’s located in the middle of the colourful Landmannalaugar in the Fjallabak Nature Reserve in the Icelandic Highlands and is only accessible in the summer (unless with a jeep). The area is known for its geothermal activity and the painted mountains. Even if you don’t go there for a hot spring, it is still worth a visit!
 
The Landmannalaugar hot spring lies in between the river Jokulgilskvisl and Namskvisl. The best way to enjoy the pool is to hike in the Landmannalaugar mountains and then take a hot dip. Water in the hot springs is hot all year round, with temperatures starting from 35 degrees. The springs are free to enter, but the facilities cost a small amount of money.
 
 

#Djúpavogskörin Natural Geothermal Pool

It’s a small tub that fits maybe 4-5 people and it’s filled with water from hot springs. The hot springs are located near Djúpivogur, just by the Ring Road 1 road.

#Geothermal Goldfish Pond

I haven’t visited this hot spring yet, but I’ve heard about it and it sounds like a lot of fun. You bathe in hot water with goldfish swimming around. Yes, you’ve heard it. The Pond is free to access, but there are no changing facilities. It’s located in the north of Iceland and you can find it on the map here. The temperature is on the colder side, so better to visit in the summer.

# Guðlaug Baths

It seems to be a new place because I couldn’t find it anywhere else, and we somehow ended up there. There are two hot pools – top and the bottom one, the top one being hotter. They’re overlooking the sea. It is paid access, but not much. The pools are very small, so if they do get more popular it might get too crowded. When we were there, there were only a few other people.

# Hauganes Hot Pot

This Iceland hot pot is not entirely wild, as it’s man-made and managed, but it’s not a spa either. Several hot tubs with one looking like a Viking ship, great location and very cheap entrance. What else do you need? Located in northern Iceland, near Hauganes.

# Fosslaug

Another one in northern Iceland. This hot spring is well accessible but still feels like the middle of the wilderness. Free to access.

# Drangsnes Hot Pots

Three tubs with hot spring water by the edge of the sea. Changing rooms.

# Reykjafjardarlaug

Located on the west fjords, this hot spring in Iceland is a hot one. Easy to access, with great views and changing facilities.

#Laugardalslaug – Reykjavik swimming pool with hot tubs

Icelandic swimming pools are cool too! Even though you need to pay for entrance, it’s not much and you can spend as long as you want inside.

Laugardalslaug is one of the biggest Reykjavik outdoor pools with several hot tubs outside. The water in the pool is around 28°C and the hot tubs are from 5-8 °C  to 38, 40, 42 and 44 °C. The coldest ones are great for cooling yourself a bit – which is really needed after spending too much time in the hot water. There are also some smaller pools for kids, a steam room and an indoor swimming pool with other facilities. After paying the entrance fee you stay there the whole day.

It’s especially handy if you are staying at the Reykjavik campsite nearby (a very nice one and great if you travel Iceland on a budget). Then you can just walk to the pool anytime you want.

Any other hot pools in Iceland?

There are some other hot pools in Iceland, also worth trying, but we didn’t have time to visit all of them and we were really happy with the ones that we tried. We were hesitating if we should try Blue Lagoon. After all, we wanted to focus more on the natural hot springs in Iceland avoiding the crowded ones, so we didn’t. But I guess if you like more luxurious things and don’t mind paying a quite high entrance fee, or you don’t have enough time to try out the natural hot springs located further away – you can try it out.

# Secret Lagoon

Secret Lagoon, also known as Gamla Laugin, is the oldest swimming pool in Iceland. It was erected in 1891 at Hverahólmi, a geothermal area near Flúðir. Prices start from 2200 ISK. Book a ticket and check the reviews here. 

# Sky Lagoon

The newly opened Sky Lagoon is a geothermal spa, located in Reykjavik, in the south of Iceland.

# Myvatn Nature Baths

Myvatn Nature Baths are a good alternative for Blue Lagoon but are located in the north of Iceland. It’s normally less crowded than Blue Lagoon, and also cheaper. It also has milky blue water.

The most popular hot spring in Iceland, and a geothermal spa is Blue Lagoon Spa Iceland. It has a convenient location near the Keflavik airport, so many people go there before or after their flight. It’s also a must-stop for many tours in Iceland, including the Golden Circle tour. You can check tickets and read the reviews here. Iceland. 

# Laugarvatn Fontana

Laugarvatn Fontana is located on the tourist route – Golden Circle.

#Vök Baths

Vök Baths are not free, but they are also the only floating pools in Iceland. They are located on Lake Urriðavatn in East Iceland. Find opening hours and prices here.

# Geosea – Geothermal Sea Baths

Another geothermal pools in Iceland that are not free, but worth checking out. Geosea is a world-class spa with beautiful design and stunning sea views. Located in Husavik in North Iceland. Click here for opening hours.

# Laugarvatn Fontana

Nice hot pools on the shore of Laugarvatn Lake. Paid access, cool vibe. Check opening hours here.

HOT SPRINGS ICELAND MAP

Here you can find the Iceland hot springs on the map. Click here or on the map for the bigger, interactive version of the hot springs Iceland map.

TREAT HOT SPRINGS IN ICELAND WITH RESPECT

If you decide to visit some of the natural Iceland hot springs mentioned above (or any other ones), please treat those places with respect. It is still nature, so any human activity should follow the simple outdoors rule – leave no trace.

This means – take your rubbish with you, do not leave anything behind, do not pollute the water, do not contaminate the area or break anything. It also applies to the “bathroom breaks” – do not leave them on the ground, bury them or drive away and find a toilet.

Those rules are normal rules for wild camping or enjoying the outdoors. Because of tourists not respecting Icelandic nature, many of the best hot springs in Iceland, including the natural hot pools are getting unpleasant to visit, or even permanently closed. Please, respect nature.

Published: 2016, Updated: October 2021


Have you been to any of the free and natural hot springs in Iceland? Do you know some other ones worth trying? Share in the comments!


More Iceland read:

Ultimate South Iceland road trip itinerary

Iceland food – what to eat and what to avoid

How to travel Iceland on a budget

Car rental in Iceland

Must-see places in South Iceland

Iceland off the beaten path 

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7 thoughts on “The Best Hot Springs in Iceland – Natural Hot Springs You Can Visit For Free + Map

  1. We’re headed to Iceland tomorrow for a 10-day camping/road trip and are excited about hitting up some of the free hot pots and springs. We had a few of these flagged but didn’t even know about Laugardalslaug in Reykjavik. Thanks!

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