Thermal baths on the Golden Circle
Hot springs and spring-fed baths on the Golden Circle: Laugarvatn Fontana, with steam rooms built over a geyser on the shore of Laugarvatn, the Secret Lagoon at Flúðir and Hrunalaug just outside it, and the warm river in Reykjadalur above Hveragerði. The springs supply the water, 37 to 40 °C in the pools near Flúðir, and in Reykjadalur the river gets warmer the further upstream you sit. At Laugarvatn Fontana and the Secret Lagoon you shower without a swimsuit before going in.
- Baths4
- Water38 to 40°
- Hot rooms50°
Baths on the Golden Circle compared
Entry, swimwear rules, age limits and ticket type, side by side.
| Bath | Entry | Swimwear and rules | Age | Tickets |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HrunalaugFlúðir |
| Bring your own bathing suit and towel; towels can be rented for 1,000 ISK. | none stated | Timed slots, book ahead |
| Laugarvatn FontanaLaugarvatn |
| Clean swimwear only. Shower without swimwear before entering any pool, steam bath or sauna. | none stated | Timed slots, book ahead |
| Reykjadalur hot spring riverHveragerði |
| No changing rooms, only small wooden screens; Visit South Iceland recommends wearing swimwear under your clothes. Hveragerði says swimwear is a must. | none stated | |
| Secret LagoonFlúðir |
| Swimwear made for swimming only. Showering without a swimsuit before entering is mandatory. | none stated | Timed slots, book ahead |
Every bath on the Golden Circle
Open all year unless the hours say otherwise.
Hrunalaug
Hot spring, Flúðir · The stones in and around the pool are very slippery: no running or climbing. Snow and ice on the path from the car park in winter. No glass, no drones, no dogs near the pool. The pool has dried up in a very dry spell. Not accessible for wheelchair users.
Hrunalaug is three small pools fed by a warm spring on the farm Ás outside Flúðir, owned by the same family since the 1890s: the oldest was built around 1890 for laundry and bathing, the second in 1935 for washing sheep against scab.
Laugarvatn Fontana
Thermal bath, Laugarvatn
Steam rooms built directly over a natural geyser on the shore of Laugarvatn, where locals first put bathhouses in 1929.
ISK 7,490about €55As of Sep 2026Reykjadalur hot spring river
Hot spring, Hveragerði · Stay on the marked path: some of the hot pools beside it are boiling. Ice makes the path slippery in the colder months. The trail is closed at times for mud, thaw and erosion.
Hot springs in the Hengill volcanic area warm a river in the valley above Hveragerði, so the water gets warmer the further upstream you sit.
ISK 1,000about €7.5As of Oct 2026Secret Lagoon
Thermal bath, Flúðir
Gamla Laugin, which the operator calls Iceland’s oldest swimming pool, was built in 1891 beside the hot springs at Flúðir, with Litli Geysir erupting a few steps away every few minutes.
Nothing here for that filter.
Questions about the Golden Circle
Do you need a car for the Golden Circle hot springs?
For most of them, yes. Strætó route 73 from Selfoss stops at Laugarvatn with few departures and none on Saturdays, route 72 from Selfoss stops in Flúðir a few kilometres from Hrunalaug, and the Secret Lagoon is reached by car or on a Golden Circle tour, with very limited buses via Selfoss. Reykjadalur is the exception: Strætó routes 51 and 52 from Reykjavík stop in Hveragerði, and the trail starts at the Árhólmar car park at the top of Ölfusdalur above the town.
Is there anywhere to change at Reykjadalur and Hrunalaug?
At Hrunalaug, yes; at Reykjadalur, no. Hrunalaug has a changing building set into the hill behind the pools, opened in 2026. Reykjadalur has only small wooden screens, so come with swimwear under your clothes for the marked trail of about 3 km each way.
How hot is the water at the Golden Circle hot springs?
Between 37 and 40 °C in the pools near Flúðir: the Secret Lagoon runs at 38 to 40 °C and Hrunalaug at 37 to 38 °C. In the Reykjadalur river the water gets warmer the further upstream you sit. Some of the hot pools beside the Reykjadalur path are boiling, so stay on the marked trail.
Can children bathe at Laugarvatn Fontana, the Secret Lagoon and Hrunalaug?
Yes, with an adult, though the ages differ. At Laugarvatn Fontana under-10s need a swimming-capable adult aged 16 or over, and under-16s use the sauna and steam bath only with an adult. The Secret Lagoon wants an adult with every child aged 16 and under, at most three per adult, and children 8 and under wear armbands. At Hrunalaug children under 11 must be with an adult.