During my husband, Justin’s and my two week long road trip around Iceland, we squeezed in seeing as many waterfalls, glaciers, and hot springs as possible, including Hvammsvik Hot Springs. This unique property harnesses the area’s geothermal waters into manmade pools, which are seamlessly integrated into the coastline of the stunning surrounding fjord. We paid to visit Hvammsvik Hot Springs with our own hard earned dollars, so if you’re considering doing the same, here’s my honest review of my experience.
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What is Hvammsvik Hot Springs?
Opened in 2022, Hvammsvik is one of the newer developed hot springs in Iceland.
While geothermal hot springs have existed on the property for thousands of years, the land wasn’t historically used for that purpose, having served as a Viking settlement, ammunition holding facility in World War II, and a farm.
In recent years, however, the owners of this private property decided to leverage the natural hot springs and the gorgeous landscape to create a geothermal resort that was a bit more rustic and natural than other alternatives around western Iceland, like the Sky Lagoon or Blue Lagoon.
The resort has eight man-made hot pools, constructed of rocks from the nearby area, of varying sizes and temperatures, ranging from 36–40°C (95–104°F).
They’re placed right along the coastline of the Hvalfjörður (the “Whale Fjord”), so the pools’ depth and temperature can vary based on the tide. Between all of the pools, there’s a small black sand beach that you can take an icy dip in the nearby waters of the North Atlantic if you’re feeling like a polar plunge!
In addition to hot springs, there’s a ton of nice amenities to enjoy while you’re at the property, like a steam room, swim-up bar, and onsite restaurant.
Where is Hvammsvik Hot Springs?
Hvammsvik Hot Springs is here, located about an hour north of Reykjavik.
If you have your own rental car, you follow Route 1 from Reykjavik for 30 kilometers and then turn right on Route 47, along the southern coastline of Hvalfjörður, for another 22 kilometers to its parking lot. The roads are paved and well-maintained, so any passenger vehicle should be able to drive here just fine.
If you’re road tripping around Iceland, Hvammsvik Hot Springs is a short detour along the way to several popular stops in the country, like the Glymur Waterfall hike (i.e., the second tallest waterfall in the country!) and the stunning Snæfellsnes Peninsula.
If you don’t have your own car, there are plenty of tour options that offer roundtrip transportation from Reykjavik, like this option and this private option.
Unfortunately, there aren’t any options for transportation from Reykjavik to the hot springs.
Cost of visiting Hvammsvik Hot Springs
The hot springs’ website lists admission as costing between 5,900 ISK – 14,100 ISK, based on demand, with three different tiers.
The tiers have different features:
- Natural ($51-76 USD), which includes access to a more rustic, indoor changing facility (with a public shower in the respective men and women’s rooms), the hot springs and steam room, and the onsite restaurant
- Classic ($68-93 USD), which includes the same benefits as the Natural Tier but has access to a more upscale changing facility, with private showers and changing rooms
- Comfort ($95 -120 USD), which includes the same benefits of a Classic Tier and also includes towel and wading shoes rental, and one complimentary drink.
For what it’s worth, Justin and I purchased a natural package, and it wound up costing about $85 USD per person, during a not particularly busy timeframe. So I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s slightly more expensive than what’s advertised on the website.
Overall Review of Our Experience at Hvammsvik Hot Springs
If you want the TLDR of Hvammsvik Hot Springs review, here goes.
We’ve been to a LOT of hot springs in Iceland. Hvammsvik is easily one of the most beautiful and is probably THE most stunning of the commercially developed ones, with gorgeous views of the surrounding green mountains and the moody waters of the North Atlantic.
Even though the resort has tried to maintain as much of the landscape’s raw natural beauty as possible, the property still feels well-designed and upscale, with comfortable changing facilities, a swim-up bar with a solid selection of drinks, and lots of different pools of varying temperatures.
I would absolutely recommend adding Hvammsvik Hot Springs to your Iceland bucket list!
Our experience wasn’t perfect, though.
Hvassmsvik is often described as being off-the-beaten path or a hidden gem, but, based on our experience, I’d say the secret is DEFINITELY out! The pools weren’t as crowded as other popular hot springs near Reykjavik, like the Sky Lagoon or Blue Lagoon, but we DEFINITELY weren’t by ourselves either.
Additionally, Hvassmvik is more affordable than some of the commercial hot springs in Iceland, but it’s still on the pricier side, costing, at a minimum, $51 USD per person for the cheapest package. So, if you’re on a tight budget, this might not be the best choice for you.
Pros of Hvammsvik Hot Springs
- Eight gorgeous hot pools that are perfectly integrated into the surrounding fjord
- More reasonable price point than some other commercial hot springs around Reykjavik
- Access to a black sand beach to do a polar plunge between enjoying the geothermally heated pools
- Swim-up bar, onsite cafe, and a fire pit for maximum chill vibes
- Even if there are lots of visitors, there are definitely secluded corners you can tuck into, if you’re looking for a more relaxing or romantic vibe
- Conveniently located near Reykjavik
Cons of Hvammsvik Hot Springs
- Despite its hidden gem reputation, you should expect to share the resort with some other visitors.
- No spa services, like massages or facials
- May be on the pricier side for budget travelers
- Many of the pools are on the cooler side, around 37° C or 98.5° F (at least when we visited!)
- If being naked around other people is a big deal to you, you’ll have to spring for the classic or comfort tier admission package for access to private showers
What kind of traveler should visit Hvammsvik Hot Springs?
I think you’ll dig Hvammsvik if you:
- Want an Instagrammable hot spring (I really don’t know how it gets better than here!)
- Are a couple looking for a relaxed and romantic setting
- Are a traveler looking for a commercial hot spring that’s a bit more off-the-beaten path than Sky Lagoon or the Blue Lagoon
I’m not sure Hvammsvik Hot Springs might not be for you if you’re on a super tight budget or if you’re traveling with lots of kiddos. Children under the age of 10 aren’t allowed in Hvammsvik Hot Springs and, when we visited, there was definitely a more chill, adult vibe.
Tips for visiting Hvammsvik Hot Springs
Wear hiking sandals
The ground is paved with rounded, uneven stones that are surprisingly painful to walk on barefoot. I’d highly recommend wearing hiking sandals, like our beloved Tevas (here’s the pair that Justin uses and here’s the pair that I use), to wear as you’re walking between the pools and as you’re doing a polar plunge (if you’ve got that Viking spirit in you!).
Get there early
If you’re hoping to get photos or videos in the hot springs without other people in them, I’d suggest getting here as soon as they open at 10:30 AM. It’s generally frowned upon to take photos or videos when there’s other people around, but there’s thankfully usually WAY less people here earlier in the morning.
Justin and I hung around Hvammsvik until its closing time, in hopes that the pools would clear out a bit, but, if anything, they actually got MORE crowded as the day went on. So, if you prefer to avoid the crowds, be sure to visit in the AM!
Bring your own towel
There’s towels for rent at Hvammsvik, but, like everything else, they’re kind of pricey. If you’re planning on visiting any natural hot springs in Iceland, like Fosslaug Hot Springs, I’d suggest including a towel on your Iceland packing list and bringing it to Hvammsvik.
Check the weather forecast before your visit
As compared to some of the other commercial hot springs in Iceland, we found many of the pools at Hvammsvik Hot Springs to be a touch on the cold side—and they can actually be even colder if you happen to be visiting when there’s high tide or waves. Accordingly, if there’s super gnarly weather that’s going to be blowing the cold waters of the Atlantic Ocean into the pools, I’d consider trying to visit on another day.
Consider renting a paddleboard
If you visit during the summertime, stand-up paddleboard rentals are actually included in any of the admission packages—how cool is that?! You unfortunately can’t book a paddleboard ahead of time, but simply ask the staff when you check in and you likely can spend an hour or two cruising around Hvalfjörður.
There you have it—an honest review of Hvammsvik Hot Springs, as travelers who have visited all kinds of hot springs all over Iceland. Do you have any questions about visiting this property? Let us know in the comments below!
