Beyond the Overlook
Iceland · Worth It?

Iceland Hot Springs Ranked

By Beyond the Overlook

Reykjadalur vs. Hvammsvík vs. Blue Lagoon after trying all three - and our favorite was not the famous one.

Firsthand guide · Last reviewed August 2026 · How we review our guides

Natural thermal river in Reykjadalur
Our favorite Iceland hot-spring experience was the least resort-like.
Our #1Reykjadalur Thermal River
Best formal spaHvammsvík
Most photogenicBlue Lagoon
Would we repeat Blue Lagoon?Probably not

1. Reykjadalur Thermal River - easily our favorite

You hike uphill through a geothermal valley and eventually reach a warm river with simple wooden changing screens beside it. It felt natural, active and far more authentic to us than entering a large spa complex.

Geothermal landscape on the Reykjadalur hike
The hike and landscape were part of the experience, not just the soak.

2. Hvammsvík - our pick for a formal spa

Hvammsvík still felt like a proper paid spa, with locker-room facilities and a series of geothermal pools at different temperatures, but the oceanfront setting made it much more interesting to us than Blue Lagoon.

Coastal landscape at Hvammsvík Hot Springs
Hvammsvík sits directly on the coast.
Geothermal pools at Hvammsvík
Multiple pools let you move among different temperatures.

3. Blue Lagoon - great photos, not our favorite experience

Blue Lagoon was expensive, crowded and highly commercialized. The nearby geothermal power infrastructure also made the setting feel less like a natural hot spring to us. The silica-mask process felt more assembly-line than luxurious. The part we liked best was how well the blue water photographed.

Blue Lagoon geothermal water in Iceland
Beautiful to photograph; much more commercial in person.

Our ranking: Reykjadalur for nature and adventure, Hvammsvík if you want a polished spa, and Blue Lagoon only if the iconic experience itself matters to you.

Reykjadalur guideMore Worth It?Iceland guide

Why Reykjadalur beat the paid spas for us

The hike is exactly why Reykjadalur won. Reaching a warm river after walking through an active geothermal landscape made the soak feel earned and connected to the place. It was not simply a pool with Icelandic scenery around it.

When we would choose Hvammsvík instead

If we wanted a polished spa day with changing facilities and multiple pools, we would choose Hvammsvík. The oceanfront setting gave it a much stronger sense of place than Blue Lagoon while still delivering the conveniences of a formal spa.

Is Blue Lagoon worth doing once?

Maybe, if the iconic photo and famous experience are important to you. We are glad we can compare it firsthand, but it was the one we would be least likely to repeat. It felt crowded and commercial compared with the other two, and the experience itself did not match how special it looks in photographs.

Our simple ranking

Choose Reykjadalur for adventure, Hvammsvík for a spa, and Blue Lagoon for the icon. For our own return trip, Reykjadalur would still be first.