Iceland is known for its sprawling glaciers, epic mountainscapes, and steaming hot springs. One of the most underrated hot springs in the country is Fosslaug, tucked away in the rolling hills of Icelandic farmlands, near the country’s northern coast along the Ring Road. This small natural hot spring sits along the rushing Huseyjarkvisl River, right near the brink of the beautiful Reykjafoss waterfall.
So if you want to visit Fosslaug for yourself, here’s everything you need to know about visiting this cozy hot spring in northern Iceland.
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What is Fosslaug?
Iceland has all kinds of hot springs, ranging from commercial ones, like Sky Lagoon or Hauganes Hot Tubs, or largely untouched, natural ones, like Fosslaug.
Fosslaug is a fairly small pool that’s lined with river rocks, which can comfortably fit about 6-8 people. The water is the perfect depth to fully submerge your body when you’re sitting, with a temperature that’s similar to a heated swimming pool, around 35-40° C (95-100° F). As is true with most natural hot springs, the water is on the murkier side.
This pool sits right along the Huseyjarkvisl River, shortly before the river crashes 20 meters (65 feet) down a cliffside, forming the spectacular Reykjafoss waterfall, before it eventually flows out to the Atlantic Ocean. Accordingly, visiting Fosslaug is kind of a two-for-one—even if you’re mainly visiting the hot spring, you’ll still get to also spot a beautiful waterfall along the way.
Where is Fossluag?
The Fosslaug hot spring is located here, right off the Ring Road, in the town of Varmahlíð in northern Iceland.
Here’s how far away Fosslaug is from some popular stops:
- Akureyri: 1 hour and 20 minutes
- Husavik: 2 hours and 15 minutes
- Reykjavik: 3 hours and 40 minutes
Does Fosslaug cost?
Fosslaug used to be free, but, like most of the popular stops in Iceland, there’s now a fee to park in the lot.
There’s an honesty box in the parking lot, where you can pay $10 USD, 10 Euros, or 1500 ISK per vehicle, in cash. There are also QR codes that are taped to some of the nearby buildings, if you don’t have cash. When my husband, Justin, and I parked here, as soon as we got out of the car, a woman from a nearby building instantly emerged with a credit card reader to take our payment.
1500 ISK is pretty steep as compared to some of the other parking fees around Iceland, which usually range from 800-1000 ISK. Still, unlike some of Iceland’s tourist attractions, there are some facilities here, like bathrooms, and it’s definitely a LOT cheaper than going to one of the commercialized hot springs, like the Blue Lagoon.
Facilities at Fosslaug
To reach the Fosslaug hot spring, you need to walk along a short hiking path through farmland. There are no facilities whatsoever near the hot spring itself.
However, there is a building in the parking lot with bathrooms with running water if nature calls or you need to change into your swimsuit before you head to the hot spring. I’d strongly recommend changing here, as compared to near the hot spring, as the area around Fosslaug is basically just bare dirt (or, when we visited, mud!).
Hiking to Fosslaug
Here are some stats about the hike to the Fosslaug hot pot.
- Length: 1160 meters (0.75 miles), roundtrip
- Elevation gain: 4 meters (13 feet)
- Difficulty: Easy
The “hike” to Fosslaug is really more of a walk along a mostly flat pathway that’s straightforward and easy to follow.
From the parking lot, you’ll start along a gravel pathway that snakes south through the green farmlands. About a quarter of the way into the trail, you’ll pass a swinging gate that’s used to keep livestock in—be sure to close it once you’ve entered!
After about 400 meters or so, the trail splits in two—I’d suggest taking the trail on the right, which follows along the river and provides the best views of the waterfall. Along this trail, you’ll reach a viewpoint, which hangs over the river a bit, to provide stellar views of the Reykjafoss waterfall. Eventually, the two parts of the trail meet back up before you’ll take a wooden bridge over a manmade water channel.
Past the bridge, the trail curves to the right for a bit, with a footpath leading to the Fosslaug hot pot along the riverside or, continuing on a few meters to a second viewpoint, with even better views of the waterfall. Not only is the Reykjafoss beautiful, but the overlooks along the trail are some of the most up close and personal views of a waterfall that you can see anywhere in Iceland!
In total, it takes about 15 minutes to walk from the parking lot to Fosslaug.
Tips for Fosslaug
Be prepared for the water to be on the cooler side
As noted above, Fosslaug isn’t always the warmest hot spring, with temperatures around 35-40° C (95-100° F), which is closer to what a heated swimming pool would feel like as compared to a standard hot tub. In full transparency, when we visited, Justin decided to not get in Fosslaug, because the water was a bit too cool for his liking.
However, it’s worth noting that we visited during a particularly rainy period, so it’s possible there was more river water in the hot spring than there usually is, making the water temperature a bit cooler. I’ve read LOTS of reviews of others’ experiences here—some people complain that the water temperature is too cold, while others comment that it’s piping hot.
I just would recommend coming in with the expectation that the water temperature might be on the cooler side—perhaps you’ll be pleasantly surprised with toasty warm water!
You can cold plunge in the river
If you’re lucky enough to be visiting when the Fosslaug hot pot is nice and warm, you can always alternate between relaxing in the toasty hot spring and jumping into the frosty river water, if you want to cool down—it’ll do the trick QUICK!
Obviously, be sure to be mindful of the current here and err on the side of caution if you’re not sure whether it’s safe to get in the river.
Pack smart
You don’t need a ton of gear to enjoy soaking in Fosslaug, but there is a couple of things that will make your visit better:
- Swimsuit. While soaking in hot springs whilst nude is accepted in lots of places around the world, that’s usually not the case in Iceland. So this one is kind of mandatory!
- Travel towel
- Hiking sandals (like this option for men or this option for women), especially if you’re interested in cold plunging in the river, which has uneven rocks along its floor
- Warm clothing. The hike back to your car after soaking in the hot spring isn’t too far, but it can definitely feel chilly when you’re wet, especially with Iceland’s famously gusty winds.
Visit in the early morning or late at night
We visited Fosslaug midday and there were almost always about eight or so people, rotating in and out of the hot spring, while I soaked.
Fosslaug is beautiful whether you enjoy it by yourself or with seven new friends, but, if you’d prefer to enjoy the springs in peace and solitude, I’d suggest either coming in the early morning (i.e., before 8 AM) or in the evening (i.e., after 8 PM) to have a better chance of getting them to yourselves.
Check out the bonus hot spring
We found a social trail from Fosslaug to another walled off pool along the riverside, about 275 meters upstream, that also felt swimming pool temperature-esque.
When we visited, the pool was way too shallow to comfortably sit in, but, if you’re waiting for there to be more room in Fosslaug or just want to enjoy a bit of solitude, this could be a nice place to stick your feet in and soak for a bit.
Leave no trace
As mentioned above, there are no facilities near Fosslaug, including trash cans. Please be sure to pack out whatever you pack in!
When to visit Fosslaug
One of the best parts about hot springs in Iceland is that they can be enjoyed throughout the year!
Summertime is definitely the most popular time to visit, with long seemingly endless daylight and more pleasant weather. However, it’s also the busiest period of time here—so it’s not unusual in the warmer months to have a line of soakers, waiting to get in the small pool.
The cooler months can also be a great time to enjoy hot springs, with lower crowds (and, accordingly, lower prices on hotels and rental cars!) and the possibility of seeing the Northern Lights. Just remember that Fosslaug isn’t exactly known for being consistently piping hot, so this might not be the best hot spring to visit on a particularly cold day.
I hope you enjoy your time at Fosslaug—it’s definitely worth stopping for a soak and to enjoy the views of the stunning Reykjafoss waterfall. Do you have any questions about visiting this hot spring in Iceland? Let us know in the comments below!
