Booking choice: The Golden Circle, Kerid and Secret Lagoon tour, from $133 per person. Check dates Tour details
No marble, no swim-up bar. The Secret Lagoon is a grass-edged pool in a geothermal field outside Flúðir, with a gravel bottom, an old pool house and springs boiling a few steps away. The water stays at 38-40°C in every season, so you can sit in it with snow on the hills.
We think it's worth it, for the right trip. This guide gives the official facts from the lagoon itself (secretlagoon.is) and Visit South Iceland, the listings for the tours that stop there, and what guests wrote after their soak.
The quick answer
Yes, if you want a natural, simple hot spring pool with history rather than a designed spa. It is the oldest swimming pool in Iceland (1891), fed 100% by hot springs, at 38-40°C all year, and adult entry is ISK 4,500 at the lagoon. The GetYourGuide ticket starts from $33, and the most booked tour here includes the lagoon from $133, with 1.5 hours in the water.
Is the Secret Lagoon worth visiting?
For most Golden Circle trips, yes. It is a real hot spring pool with a small geyser beside it, entry is ISK 4,500 for adults, and it fits neatly into a day with Geysir and Gullfoss.
Why it earns a place in the plan:
- The setting. A natural pool in a live geothermal area, with Litli Geysir spouting every few minutes and steam drifting off the springs around you.
- The price. ISK 4,500 for adults, ISK 3,300 for seniors (67+) and ISK 260 for children 14 and under, per the lagoon's price list. The GetYourGuide ticket starts from $33.
- No clock. Individual guests have no time limit and can stay until closing. The average stay is 1.5 to 2 hours.
- The route. It sits in Flúðir, off the classic Golden Circle loop, and many Golden Circle tours stop there.
Diana, on the entry ticket (September 2026): "It is a very authentic lagoon, priced very well [...]. We very much enjoyed the lagoon, hot tub and cold plunge."
Want a designed spa with saunas and a restaurant instead? Read our lagoon comparison first. Plenty of people do both.
The most booked way there: Kerid, Geysir, Gullfoss and Thingvellir, with 1.5 hours in the lagoon included.
Check dates for the Golden Circle, Kerid and Secret Lagoon tourIs the Secret Lagoon natural or man-made?
Both. The water is natural: hot springs supply 100% of it, and it flows continuously and is fully replaced in 24 hours. The pool itself was made in 1891 at Hverahólmi, a geothermal area near Flúðir.
Three springs feed the pool, per the lagoon: Vaðmálahver, Básahver and Litli Geysir. The water runs through all the time, so the lagoon needs no chemicals, which is also why the shower rule is strict. The ticket listing puts the inflow at 10 liters per second.
What is built: the pool edge, the walkway around the springs and a new facility with changing rooms and showers next to the pool. The lagoon says it kept the place natural and simple on purpose.
The lagoon describes the water as warm, clean and rich in sulfur. You may notice the mineral smell. It's the hot springs at work.
How warm is the Secret Lagoon?
38-40°C all year round, per the lagoon. The hot springs around it are 100°C, and those are not for bathing.
Water temperature, from the lagoon's own pages:
- Main pool: 38-40°C in every season.
- Hot paddling pool: a small hot pool for soaking.
- Cold plunge pool: for "a refreshing cold plunge for a burst of energy", as the lagoon puts it.
- The springs: 100°C. The path lets you watch them safely; stay on it.
At that heat, pace yourself. The terms recommend regular breaks from bathing and water before, during and after. In winter, the contrast is the point: warm shoulders under the water, cold air on your face, steam everywhere.
Two full hours in the 38-40°C water at the end of a Golden Circle day, with the lagoon ticket included.
Explore the Golden Circle and Secret Lagoon day trip Tour detailsHow deep is the Secret Lagoon?
The lagoon does not publish a depth. Its FAQ describes the bottom as a deep layer of gravel stone.
Expect a gravel and pebble floor that shifts a little under your feet. Children 8 and under must wear inflatable armbands, per the terms, and diving and jumping are not allowed.
Can you swim in the Secret Lagoon?
Yes. It was built as a swimming pool, and Iceland's first swimming lessons were held there in 1909. Today most guests soak and float, and diving, jumping and running are not allowed.
A few house rules to know before you get in:
- Shower first, without a swimsuit. It's mandatory.
- Swimwear only. Clothes not made for swimming are not allowed.
- No diving, jumping or running, per the terms.
- Children: 16 and under must be with an adult, up to 3 per adult; armbands for 8 and under.
- The springs are off-limits. They are 100°C.
- Opening hours only. The pool is on private property, and the lagoon reports any entry outside opening hours to the police.
What to pack for all this is in our what-to-bring guide.
Your own pace: the entry ticket has no time limit, so swim, float and plunge until closing.
Check dates for the Secret Lagoon entry ticketWhat is the history of the Secret Lagoon?
It is Gamla Laugin, "the old pool": made in 1891, home to Iceland's first swimming lessons from 1909 to 1947, then abandoned, and reopened as the Secret Lagoon on 7 June 2014.
The story, as the lagoon tells it:
- Before the pool. Bathing in warm water at Hverahólmi was an old tradition, and people also washed clothes in the hot springs.
- 1891. The pool is made, the oldest swimming pool in Iceland.
- Until 1894. The site was also the meeting place of the local community's council.
- 1909 to 1947. The first swimming lessons in Iceland were held here, every year.
- 1947 onward. The pool fell out of use for many years.
- 2005. The idea of giving it a second life was born; the work took several years.
- 7 June 2014. It reopened as the Secret Lagoon.
Next door stands Garður, the house tied to the whole history of the place. Today it is a guesthouse with 4 double rooms.
What is there to see at the Secret Lagoon besides the pool?
Litli Geysir, a little geyser that spouts every few minutes, and a walking path around the boiling hot springs. There are three pools: the main old pool, a hot paddling pool and a cold plunge pool.
Walk the path before or after your soak. The lagoon built it around the pool so you can watch the boiling, gushing springs up close and safely. Small spots of very hot water come out of the ground all around. Litli Geysir, in the lagoon's words, spouts every few minutes, "showing off for the guests".
Then the cold plunge, if you're brave, and back into the warm water. Gillian, on the day trip (April 2026): "Lovely relaxing and natural surroundings."
Inside, the café sells drinks and snacks. Around Flúðir, Visit South Iceland describes a village where geothermal heat runs the greenhouses and Iceland's biggest mushroom farm.
Kerid crater, the Strokkur geyser, Gullfoss and Thingvellir, plus 1.5 hours at the old pool, ticket included.
Explore the Golden Circle, Kerid and Secret Lagoon tour Tour detailsWho does the Secret Lagoon suit?
Travelers who like nature, history and a relaxed soak, families, and anyone doing the Golden Circle. For saunas and spa treatments, see how the other lagoons compare.
Our take, by type of trip:
- You have a car: the entry ticket, from $33, about 1 hour 20 minutes from Reykjavik per the ticket listing.
- No car, want the classic day: the Kerid tour, the most booked here (4.8 from 6,610 reviews).
- Hotel pickup and a top-rated guide: the guided tour, the highest rated of the bus tours (4.9 from 232 reviews).
- Longest soak on a bus tour: the day trip, with 2 hours at the lagoon.
- Northern lights too: the aurora combo. The lagoon closes in the evening, so the lights come on the separate night tour.
Jet, on the entry ticket (September 2026): "Everything was very nice, clean, friendly, and with nice hot water. We found it very relaxing."
| Fact | Secret Lagoon |
|---|---|
| Also known as | Gamla Laugin, "the old pool" |
| Made | 1891, at Hverahólmi near Flúðir |
| Reopened | 7 June 2014 |
| Water | 100% from hot springs, fully replaced in 24 hours, no chemicals |
| Temperature | 38-40°C all year; springs 100°C |
| Pools | Main old pool, hot paddling pool, cold plunge pool |
| Depth | Not published; gravel bottom |
| Opening hours | 10:00 to 19:00 (1 October to 31 May); 10:00 to 20:00 (1 June to 30 September) |
| Adult entry at the lagoon | ISK 4,500 |
| Time limit | None for individual guests; average stay 1.5 to 2 hours |
| On GetYourGuide | Ticket from $33; tours with entry from $133 |
Every tour here cancels free up to 24 hours before. Getting there is covered in the Reykjavik guide.
Frequently asked questions
Does the Secret Lagoon smell of sulfur?
The lagoon describes its water as rich in sulfur, so you may notice a mineral smell from the hot springs. The sulfur does not damage hair, per the lagoon, but it can change the color of silver jewelry.
Is 1.5 hours enough at the Secret Lagoon?
For most people, yes. The lagoon says the average stay is 1.5 to 2 hours. The Kerid tour gives you 1.5 hours, the day trip and the aurora combo 2 hours, and the entry ticket has no time limit.
Is the Secret Lagoon good for kids?
Yes, with an adult: children 16 and under must be accompanied, up to 3 per adult, and children 8 and under need inflatable armbands. Children 14 and under pay ISK 260 at the lagoon.
Is the Secret Lagoon open all year?
Yes. It opens daily from 10:00 to 19:00 from 1 October to 31 May (to 18:00 on 24 and 31 December) and from 10:00 to 20:00 from 1 June to 30 September.
Ready to book
Choose your soak
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before on every option. Prices are from-prices in USD and move with the season.
Golden Circle, Kerid and Secret Lagoon Tour
- Full-day Golden Circle by bus
- Secret Lagoon entry
- Kerid crater entry
Golden Circle and Secret Lagoon Guided Tour
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Driver-guide
- Secret Lagoon entry
Golden Circle and Secret Lagoon Day Trip
Two full hours at the lagoon, with an audio guide app
