There are places you visit to see all the sights and learn about somewhere new, and there are places you go to relax and soak it all in. Iceland is built for both, and how you spend your time may depend on how much you love a hot bath.

Now the types of hot springs vary, you can soak in a sleek lagoon with saunas and an excellent restaurant, or settle into a stone pool overlooking a canyon. Either way, sitting in warm water while the cold Icelandic air hits your face is a pretty wonderful way to experience the country.

I’ve been fortunate enough to visit all seven of the hot springs and geothermal spas below. Each offers something different, and this guide will help you choose which ones fit your trip—whether you want one memorable soak or a different spa every day.

1. Blue Lagoon

There isn’t a more recognizable place in Iceland. In fact, photos of the Blue Lagoon are pasted all over Keflavík airport in case you hadn’t heard of the famous spa.

Photos of beautiful Icelanders with white silica masks on their faces in milky-looking turquoise water sell the place better than any brochure ever could.

The Blue Lagoon is an experience. The water is surrounded by black lava fields, and a thick mist rises from the warm water. Even when it is busy, you can find spots for yourself.

However, the Blue Lagoon is one of the most expensive spas on the list, and it can be really crowded in the summer and early fall. I once visited in March, and it was pretty slow.

If you want to be left alone with your thoughts and have some space to move around, this may not be your favorite. But if you have always dreamed of going, just go. It is totally worth it once.

You will find silica masks, swim-up bars, and tons of beautifully heated water.

2. Krauma

In western Iceland, near Europe’s most powerful hot spring, Krauma is a soothing, minimalist retreat. The heat comes directly from Deildartunguhver, a roaring natural spring that produces water hot enough to cook with.

While Krauma is not the largest or most impressive spa, it might be the most relaxing. Quiet and modern, Krauma has five hot baths, one cold one, and a sauna. There is also a relaxation room with a fireplace if you just want to take a nap.

Krauma is a good choice for relaxing at the end of a day of hiking, or a great way to start your day.

Plus, the food at the restaurant is excellent and moderately priced.

3. Laugarás Lagoon

Laugarás Lagoon has impeccably designed pools and mountain views. It’s stylish without being showy—an intimate retreat surrounded by some of Iceland’s most fertile landscapes.

Two levels of pools give you lots of space to spread out and enjoy the beautiful view of the countryside. Each level features its own swim-up bar where you can get a drink, and there is a waterfall and saunas to enjoy while you are there.

One of the best things about Laugarás Lagoon is the Ylja restaurant. The slow-cooked cod is a specialty that I can’t recommend enough. Eat before or after your spa visit, and your day will feel totally complete.

Laugarás is very similar in feel and style to Forest Lagoon in northern Iceland, so it is a great alternative if you don’t want to go too far from Reykjavík.

4. Húsafell Canyon Baths (Giljaböð)

For travelers who crave something a little closer to nature, Giljaböð Baths, also called the Húsafell Canyon Baths, may be the most unforgettable stop. You reach the baths on a guided trip that includes a short bus ride, followed by a walk down into the canyon.

Stone-built pools capture the natural hot spring water and overlook a moss-covered canyon where a river meanders nearby.

This is Iceland at its best—hot pools blending seamlessly into the valley. You won’t find luxury amenities or much besides small changing rooms and a bathroom. What you will find is the sense of soaking in a place that hasn’t changed in centuries.

If you want to stay nearby, Hotel Húsafell is a beautiful hotel near the tour’s departure point.

5. Hvammsvík

Just outside Reykjavík, Hvammsvík Hot Springs sit beside a fjord, where tidal waters and geothermal heat mingle in a series of pools. In the pools closest to the ocean, the depth and temperature change with the tide.

It feels wonderfully elemental: you get a front-row seat to the ocean and the mountains, and you get to do it in a spa. Next to the Canyon Baths, you can’t get much closer to nature.

There are eight separate pools of differing temperatures built on the slope that runs to the fjord. Some are very hot, and others mix with the ocean during high tide, making a colder pool. In addition, there is a steam room, a swim-up bar, and a nice café.

If you want a more natural approach to geothermal baths, you will love Hvammsvík.

Spend more time in beautiful Hvammsvík by renting one of the nearby Artist Lodges for a spectacular stay. There are eight lodges, as well as four larger historic houses on the property.

6. Sky Lagoon

If you just have a day or two in Reykjavík, you will want to visit Sky Lagoon. You don’t need to go far—the spa is in nearby Kópavogur, on a rugged shoreline overlooking the ocean.

Sky Lagoon embraces modern Icelandic minimalism and seems like a more grown-up version of the Blue Lagoon.

Its signature seven-step ritual—a cycle of hot, cold, steam, and exfoliation—leaves you feeling relaxed, even more than spas that just offer heated water.

Along the shoreline is the infinity edge, allowing people to look out onto the North Atlantic while staying warm in the lagoon and sometimes getting a more than a little ocean spray in your face!

7. Forest Lagoon

You will have to head to northern Iceland to visit Forest Lagoon, or perhaps get off one of the cruise ships that stop in Akureyri. Perched on a forested hillside near the town, this spa feels like you are in the middle of the forest, with the smell of the trees around you.

The spa has two different hot-water pools and a cold plunge pool for the most intrepid of spa-goers. Plus swim-up bars and a sauna.

There’s a sense of seclusion here in this spa sculpted into the landscape rather than built upon it. Guests drift between hot pools, surrounded by the hush of trees and the view of the fjord below.

Another Option: Iceland’s Local Swimming Pools

You don’t need a luxury lagoon to enjoy Iceland’s bathing culture. Local swimming pools offer another way to soak, and they’re worth considering alongside the spas in this guide.

This is where Icelanders relax, chat, and warm up from the chilly weather. For visitors, it’s a chance to enjoy an everyday part of life in Iceland.

Options to look into include:

• Sundhöll Reykjavíkur
• Laugardalslaug in Reykjavík
• Selfoss Swimming Pool

Check each pool’s current facilities, admission prices, and opening hours before visiting.

Which Iceland Hot Spring Should You Choose?

Each lagoon and bath will give you a different experience. You might want the iconic blue water of the Blue Lagoon, the fjord views at Hvammsvík, or a quiet soak down in the Canyon Baths. Choose one that fits your route and leave yourself time to enjoy it.

Spend time soaking in Iceland’s geothermal baths, and you’ll understand that warmth isn’t just a temperature. It’s a feeling, time to relax with friends, and a ritual you might bring back home with you.

For help fitting a soak into your vacation, read my guide to planning a trip to Iceland.