It’s -5 degrees centigrade outside and the landscape is covered with snow and ice. The sky is clear, the sun is setting and the moon has risen. We get changed and ready for our time at the Blue Lagoon Spa in Iceland.

As we make cold the dash from the changing area to the lagoon, the chilled air grasps my skin, face and hair. Getting into the water, was like getting into a nice warm bath, but with amazing views and a crisp feeling on my face.

The sun lit hues of pink, orange and blue and we watched as the sun dipped below the horizon. The sky turned from light to darker blue and the moon smiled at us from in front of the lagoon.

Sounds dreamy? Here are the typical costs for the Blue Lagoon in 2018:

• Entrance “comfort”: 49€ per person. This includes entrance, a drink, mud mask and a towel. 
• Entrance “premium”: 69€ per person. This includes everything in the the comfort package, plus a second mask of choice, slippers, use of bathrobe, a table reservation at Lava Restaurant and sparkling wine if dining.
• Retreat Spa: from 205€ (as this is a budget post, I won’t comment that, but more info can be found here).
• Alcoholic drink at the in water bar: 9-13€ 

Would you like to know how to keep your spending in the Blue Lagoon to a minimum? Then read on! 

If you’re visiting Iceland in winter, I’m not going to lie, it is baltic. The wind chill makes it around 10-15 degrees cooler than it actually is. I’m from the north east of the UK and am used to wind, rain and cold weather, but Iceland was the same, just more extreme.

In winter, you’re going to have to make a brisk walk from the changing area to the lagoon. Unless you pay over 205€, where you’ll be able to access the blue lagoon from the inside and then walk through a secret access into the outdoor area.

Obviously, you’ll bring swim wear and you’ll have a towel that is provided by the Blue Lagoon as part of the comfort package. 

– Dressing Gown –

If it is winter, then a dressing gown could be advisable or really huge towel for getting in and out of the lagoon.

If you want one from the Blue Lagoon, it’ll cost you an additional 20€ to upgrade to the premium package or rent an additional towel for a few euro.

– Flip Flips –

Why not cosy slippers? Imagine, your slippers get wet (yes this happens around pools), it’s -5 outside with a wind chill making it feel like -15 and you put those wet, cold slippers back on to go to the changing area…

COLD. SOGGY. SLIPPERS.

Yummy.

So flip flops are always a good option here…

– Food & Drink –

As part of the comfort package, you’ll get 1 drink at the in water bar. The rest of your drinks and food will be paid for when you leave. 

The bill will be charged to a bracelet you’ll wear. If you lose track of your orders that cost 9-13€ per drink, then this can be a pricey bill when you leave.

The alternative is, bring your own drinks and snacks and keep them in the locker. Sure, it isn’t as picturesque to have to eat your sarnie or drink your juice in the changing room, but if you’re on a budget, who cares?

We used to do this stuff all the time when I was a child and I still had an ace time! (But not in Iceland, as we couldn’t afford it).

 – Avoid the Crowds –

Ok, this isn’t going to make a difference to the cost, but it will enhance your experience. And money can’t buy good experiences!

We went after 15:00 in winter. By this time the bus tours were leaving to drive back to Reykjavik and the Blue Lagoon was a little quieter. Sure, there were still people, but a LOT less than before.

– Make a Day of it –

And I don’t mean spend the entire day in the Blue Lagoon. When travelling from Reykjavik, it could cost you around 35€ per person for a 45 minute bus transfer to the Blue Lagoon. 

If you have a hire care, bonus! If you don’t have a hire car, try to make friends with some like minded travellers and car share! 

I spent a half day at the Blue Lagoon (late afternoon / early evening) and I spent until 15:00 exploring the south west coast of Iceland. Even if you decided to hire a car 1 day only, this means you get 2 tours in 1 (Blue Lagoon & the south west coast)! So it could be worth it.

– Accomodation –

Iceland’s Blue Lagoon offers some pretty lovely accomodation, but this comes at a price. If you are interested in staying close to the lagoon, it could be worth checking other accommodation in the area, including Airbnb.

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Of course, there are always some free natural hot springs you can visit. A couple of them are listed here.

Have you got any tips on keeping costs down if you visit the blue lagoon?

Sarah 🙂