Sky Lagoon vs Blue Lagoon – Which Iceland Spa is Best?

Sky Lagoon vs Blue Lagoon

I know most of you will probably want to visit the Blue Lagoon and I won’t stop you. You probably won’t have a horrible time. But I do suggest you consider the newer lagoon in town. When we were weighing our options between Iceland’s two iconic lagoons, it came down to a few key differences that had us comparing the Sky Lagoon vs Blue Lagoon with us ultimately choosing the Sky Lagoon for a few key reasons!

Where are the lagoons located?

The Blue Lagoon is located approximately 45 minutes from Reykjavik, making it easiest to visit when you are entering or leaving the country due to its proximity to Keflavik airport. There are many tours and transfers that you can book that will include transport to the Blue Lagoon and to Reykjavik or the airport.

The Sky Lagoon is much closer to Reykjavik, a short 15 minute drive. Since we arrived so early (6am) the Blue Lagoon wasn’t open and the timing did not work for us for our departing flight either, so the location and hours made it a no-brainer for us to choose the Sky Lagoon vs Blue Lagoon. We called a taxi using the Hreyfill app and it was super quick and easy!

Sky Lagoon vs Blue Lagoon – Are Children Allowed?

I love kids, practically everyone I love is currently pregnant but here in the United States, it’s far too often that children are left to run amuck in places where I’d rather relax. So with that being said, Sky Lagoon is pretty much adults only. Children under the age of 12 are not permitted at Sky Lagoon at all. Youths aged 12 – 14 must be accompanied by an adult guardian.

When you compare Sky Lagoon vs Blue Lagoon here, this is a big difference in my opinion because the minimum age at the Blue Lagoon is 2 years old.

Is the geothermal water the same at both lagoons?

No, the geothermal water at the Blue Lagoon contains silica, which is what gives it that famous milky blue color. While it’s instagrammable as all hell, the silica in the water can cause mineral build up and affect your hair (FYI). 

If I’m honest, this wasn’t a deal breaker for me, I’m okay to rock a ponytail or a bun, but I did enjoy soaking in the Sky Lagoon’s hot, clear waters in an infinity pool overlooking the North Atlantic Ocean.

Sky Lagoon vs Blue Lagoon: Dining Options

There are two choices when it comes to dining at the Sky Lagoon – Sky Café and Smakk Bar. Both serve snacks and light meals. At the Sky Cafe you can get soup, sandwiches and coffee. Smakk Bar features a variety of cheese and meat platters, accompanied by beer, wine and cocktails.

We booked the ‘sky lagoon for two’ package which included the Sky Platter (pictured below) which came with two cheeses, organic bilberry jam, reindeer, pork and goose wild game paté with red onion jam, gravlax with a home-made mustard and dill sauce AND Hjónabandssæla (happy marriage bliss) rhubarb pie. Plus, fresh baked bread. I was very unsure about some of these meats that I had never had – all I could picture was poor Rudolph in my paté. However, I am so happy we got to try so many local flavors, they all ended up being delightful!

The Blue Lagoon is a much larger facility in general, so it comes as no surprise that they have not one, but three restaurants on the premises. Moss is a Michelin-starred experience featuring set menus, Lava is a gourmet experience overlooking the robin’s egg blue waters of the lagoon, and a restaurant is also located inside the spa. Finally, there’s a cafe that serves refreshments and snacks. 

Having not been to the Blue Lagoon I cannot speak to the quality of their food, I am sure especially the Michelin-star restaurant is exquisite and inventive, but I am also not in the market for a $25 cauliflower soup, so I was very happy with the Sky Platter described above.

Sky Lagoon vs Blue Lagoon – Spa Options

I’ll go into cost further below here but overall I think when comparing the Sky Lagoon vs Blue Lagoon as a spa experience, the Sky Lagoon gives you much more bang for your buck! Both the comfort and premium packages at the Blue Lagoon give you silica mud masks to use, which I’ve heard are lovely, but the luxury retreat spa at the Blue Lagoon will set you back $498 USD.

So, is the Sky Lagoon in Iceland Worth it?  What is the Seven-Step Ritual?

If you can’t tell by now, I wholeheartedly loved our visit to the Sky Lagoon, and the seven-step ritual played a big part in that. To me, this is the biggest and best difference when comparing Sky Lagoon vs Blue Lagoon. Here’s what you can expect when you take part, and why it is absolutely worth it!

Step #1

Spoiler alert – you’ve already done Step #1, to relax and enjoy the lagoon!

Step #2

Once you’ve enjoyed a proper adult beverage and soaked to your content, mosey on over to the left of the lagoon, past the bar. You’ll see a small plunge pool. This is Step #2, and it is not for the faint of heart – but put on your best brave Viking face and do it! The cold plunge will reduce inflammation and swelling (how great if you’ve just flown in?). It’s also fabulous for mental health and mood, as it releases feel-good endorphins.

Step #3

This a reward after that freezing dip, a sauna. But not just any sauna – this one features the largest single-pane window in all of Iceland, and it looks out onto the ocean. We stayed as long as we could. It was so beautiful and relaxing, but we’re not frequent sauna goers so eventually we had to wave the white flag.

Step #4

Next is a quick walk through a cold mist. Again, you can stay as long as you like. It was interesting because it was also raining outside so this felt like standing in the cold rain just without the warm pool we had earlier.

Steps #5 and #6

Step #5 is a body scrub, pretty self-explanatory. Immediately after, in Step #6, you’ll hit up the steam room. Again I’m not a steam room expert, but I’ve never been in one where the steam was so thick, I couldn’t see Mike sitting next to me! But the best part was when the salt scrub started to melt off your skin, leaving it the silkiest it has ever felt.

Step #7

And finally, Step #7 gives you a nice hot shower to wash off any remaining salt scrub. My skin has never felt so good, and it lasted for days and days after. From here, you can go back into the lagoon. For us, it was getting dark and the lights lit up the dark water which was being lightly pelted with rain. It was dreamy, and we treated ourselves to another drink and a final soak as the lagoon began to empty out for the evening.

Sky Lagoon vs Blue Lagoon: Comparing Cost

Sky Lagoon offers the following packages:

• Pure Lite Pass – includes lagoon admission, public changing facilities & towel (Starts at ISK 7,990 / $56 USD)
• Pure Pass – lagoon admission, one journey through the 7-step ritual, public changing facilities & towel (Starts at ISK 9,990 / $70)
• Sky Pass – lagoon admission, one journey through the 7-step ritual, private changing facilities & towel (Starts at ISK 13,900 / $98)
• Sky Lagoon for Two (Date Night) – two pure or two sky passes, plus one drink per person and the Sky Platter at Smakk Bar (The Pure Pass for Two starts at 23,990 ISK / $187 & the Sky Pass Package for Two starts at 29,990 ISK / $234).

The Blue Lagoon offers three packages:

Comfort – includes entrance to the Blue Lagoon, silica mud mask, use of towel, and 1st drink of your choice (starts at $65 USD)

Premium – includes entrance to the Blue Lagoon, silica mud mask, use of towel, 1st drink of your choice, two additional masks of your choice, use of bathrobe, and 1 glass of sparkling wine if dining at Lava restaurant (starts at $83 USD)

Luxury – includes five hours at the Retreat Spa, a private changing suite, and unlimited access to both the Retreat Lagoon and the Blue Lagoon (starts at $498 USD)

Sky Lagoon vs Blue Lagoon – FAQs

So, what’s it like getting there?

We were staying Reykjavik for a few days before we picked up our campervan, so we decided to take a cab to the Sky Lagoon. It had been a rainy, grey day and we were a little worried but honestly nothing could have spoiled this experience for us. After a short, easy drive we arrived at the Sky Lagoon. After checking in with the front desk who gave us the lay of the land, we retreated into our respective changing rooms to get changed.

Do you really have to shower naked before going in?

Although I’ve been going to gyms and health clubs for 2+ decades, they can still be a little intimidating but by the end of this trip I felt far more comfortable being naked in front of strangers – so trust me that any discomfort will fade! In Iceland, they require everyone to shower naked before entering the hot springs, or in this case, the lagoon.

I ended up doing sort of an awkward shuffle with my bathing suit on over to the shower stalls (so honestly, lots of privacy compared to other hot springs in Iceland), taking it off, and then went back to my locker to grab my phone (which is a whole other topic) and put my bathing suit back on, and then go back through the shower area and out to the lagoon.

If you can, embrace the culture (no one is looking, believe me, they’re worried about their own bodies), confidently take that pre-soak shower, change into your suit, and head on out. Both the women’s and men’s locker rooms meet up at the entrance to the lagoon, so you can meet your partner there (if applicable).

They also have little cubby holes where you can store your flip-flops and towels while you’re in the lagoon. FYI – If the shower stalls are still not private enough for you, you can spring for the Sky Pass which gives you access to private changing and shower facilities.

What is Sky Lagoon like?

I spent a few initial minutes taking some videos and photos (holding my brand new iPhone, eek! but I’ll be damned if I wasn’t going to get some documentation of the lagoon’s craggy, moody aesthetic). I loved the dark stone, built to match much of Iceland’s natural landscape.

The waterfall, the infinity edge of the pool, and the entrance to the spa all fit together perfectly. It was raining and the clouds above were threatening, but it only added to the ambiance and luxurious vibes. Plus – have you ever been in a heated pool or hot tub while it’s raining? It’s great!

Does the Sky Lagoon have a bar?

Yes Sky Lagoon has a bar! Once our initial exploration was complete, we went over to the swim-up bar to get our first drink (which was included in the date night package we purchased). They have a nice variety of Icelandic beers, champagne, and even an Aperol spritz on draft (which we both ended up choosing).

Anything that you didn’t initially purchase with your entrance package can be added to your tab via the wristband they give you. Alcoholic drinks range from ISK 1,490 – ISK 2,390 ($10 -$17). They also have non-alcoholic drinks like soda, lemonade, and Collab (a caffeine/collagen bevy, definitely worth a try!)

Verdict: Sky Lagoon vs Blue Lagoon – Who is the winner?

Despite the cold plunge trauma that I put him through, this was the most relaxed we had both felt in a really long time. It wasn’t easy to make a choice when comparing Sky Lagoon vs Blue Lagoon. If you go to Iceland, you will NOT regret a visit to the Sky Lagoon for all of the reasons above.

Read more about Iceland!
Driving Iceland’s Golden Circle