{"id":35335,"date":"2025-10-15T16:21:14","date_gmt":"2025-10-15T16:21:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/agooka.com\/news\/usa\/after-visiting-2-of-icelands-famous-lagoons-theres-only-one-id-return-to-on-future-trips\/"},"modified":"2025-10-15T16:21:14","modified_gmt":"2025-10-15T16:21:14","slug":"after-visiting-2-of-icelands-famous-lagoons-theres-only-one-id-return-to-on-future-trips","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/agooka.com\/news\/usa\/after-visiting-2-of-icelands-famous-lagoons-theres-only-one-id-return-to-on-future-trips\/","title":{"rendered":"After visiting 2 of Iceland&#8217;s famous lagoons, there&#8217;s only one I&#8217;d return to on future trips"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.insider.com\/6839b1b96ffb6822ec61c8c1?format=jpeg\" alt=\"The back of a woman with her hands in the air in the hot springs at Sky Lagoon.\"\/><figcaption>I visited two lagoons during trips to Iceland.<\/p>\n<p>Jamie Davis Smith<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<ul>\n<li>During trips to Iceland, I visited both the Blue Lagoon and the Sky Lagoon.<\/li>\n<li>The Blue Lagoon was otherworldly, but the popular tourist attraction was very busy.<\/li>\n<li>The Sky Lagoon is only a 15-minute drive from downtown Reykjav\u00edk, but it felt very peaceful.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>In the past year, I&#039;ve visited Iceland three times.<\/p>\n<p>There&#039;s so much I love about the country, but one of the highlights of each of my trips has been soaking in the lagoons that Iceland is known for.<\/p>\n<p>I&#039;ve been to two different lagoons, but there&#039;s only one I want to visit again and again.<\/p>\n<p>The Blue Lagoon is one of Iceland&#039;s most popular destinations.<\/p>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.insider.com\/67cb284369253ccddf989b6e?format=jpeg\" alt=\"A woman posing with an orange drink at the Blue Lagoon in Iceland.\"\/><figcaption>\n<p>Jamie Davis Smith<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>During my first trip to Iceland, I visited the Blue Lagoon, one of the country&#039;s most famous tourist attractions. With its milky-blue waters set in a black lava field, it&#039;s easy to see why it draws so many visitors \u2014 the landscape truly feels otherworldly.<\/p>\n<p>Plus, it&#039;s close to Iceland&#039;s international airport, making it a convenient stop for travelers who need to kill time after landing or before departure.<\/p>\n<p>The cost of admission varies depending on the time of day and package booked, but it starts at about $124. My ticket came with a silica mud mask that I wore in the water.<\/p>\n<p>I was also interested in enhancing my experience by visiting the on-site spa, which includes a multistep wellness ritual. But full-day admission starts at more than $1,300 per couple, which was too pricey for my budget.<\/p>\n<p>The Blue Lagoon is beautiful, but I probably won&#039;t be going back.<\/p>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.insider.com\/67cb287eb8b41a9673fa0238?format=jpeg\" alt=\"A woman in Iceland&#039;s Blue Lagoon taking a selfie with a white silica face mask on her face.\"\/><figcaption>\n<p>Jamie Davis Smith<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Though the lagoon is undeniably pretty, it&#039;s big and often crowded. In fact, I was left with the impression that the Blue Lagoon may be a victim of its own success.<\/p>\n<p>I still had a nice experience and can see why it&#039;s so popular. But after going to other lagoons and hot springs in Iceland, it isn&#039;t my first choice for a return visit.<\/p>\n<p>I also visited the Sky Lagoon, which has an upscale feel.<\/p>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.insider.com\/67cb2a61585f1dff88b1803c?format=jpeg\" alt=\"The back of a woman floating in a lagoon, facing a large rock face.\"\/><figcaption>\n<p>Jamie Davis Smith<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The Sky Lagoon is only a 15-minute drive from downtown Reykjav\u00edk, so it was more convenient to access during my trip.<\/p>\n<p>Unlike at the Blue Lagoon, I immediately felt a sense of calm when I walked in. It has a serene atmosphere that I thought felt closer to a traditional spa, incorporating elements of Iceland&#039;s unique natural environment throughout.<\/p>\n<p>Basalt lava rocks and moss-covered hills surround the warm waters, and even the swim-up bar is camouflaged by natural elements.<\/p>\n<p>This spot has the feel of an infinity pool with stunning views of the Atlantic Ocean, and the beautiful, wild Icelandic landscape I flew across an ocean to experience.<\/p>\n<p>My admission to the Sky Lagoon felt like a great value.<\/p>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.insider.com\/67cb2a89585f1dff88b18045?format=jpeg\" alt=\"jamie davis smith at sky lagoon\"\/><figcaption>\n<p>Jamie Davis Smith<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>I would&#039;ve been happy just sitting back, enjoying the view, and soaking up the peaceful atmosphere at the Sky Lagoon.<\/p>\n<p>But admission (which starts at about $133) also comes with access to the Skj\u00f3l ritual, which is a seven-step process that draws on Iceland&#039;s history of wellness practices. It includes a series of alternating hot and cold circuits, including a cool-mist rain shower and a sauna with stunning views.<\/p>\n<p>I don&#039;t usually enjoy saunas because the heat makes me feel lightheaded, but I pushed my limits and stayed to enjoy the view. I also really enjoyed the salt scrub.<\/p>\n<p>For me, the Sky Lagoon stands out as my favorite.<\/p>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.insider.com\/67cb2aca585f1dff88b1805e?format=jpeg\" alt=\"jamie in the hot springs at sky lagoon\"\/><figcaption>\n<p>Jamie Davis Smith<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>For me, the one downside to visiting the Sky Lagoon is that children under 12 aren&#039;t allowed in. That means I couldn&#039;t go when I visited Iceland with my children.<\/p>\n<p>But the nearly adult-only atmosphere is a definite plus for many people and adds to the upscale environment that helps the Sky Lagoon stand out.<\/p>\n<p>I hope to one day visit some of Iceland&#039;s other lagoons, but for now, the Sky Lagoon is my top pick.<\/p>\n<p><em>This story was originally published on July 6, 2025, and most recently updated on October 15, 2025.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Read the original article on Business Insider<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I visited two lagoons during trips to Iceland. Jamie Davis Smith During trips to Iceland, I visited both the Blue Lagoon and the Sky Lagoon. The Blue Lagoon was otherworldly, but the popular tourist attraction was very busy. The Sky Lagoon is only a 15-minute drive from downtown Reykjav\u00edk, but it felt very peaceful. In [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":35336,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-35335","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-usa"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/agooka.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35335","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/agooka.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/agooka.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/agooka.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/agooka.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=35335"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/agooka.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35335\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/agooka.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/35336"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/agooka.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=35335"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/agooka.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=35335"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/agooka.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=35335"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}