Golden Circle & Secret Lagoon Tours

The Secret Lagoon is the Golden Circle's home-grown geothermal bath: older, smaller and more rustic than the big-name spas, and sitting right on the route.

Iceland's oldest pool

The Secret Lagoon — Gamla Laugin, or ‘the old pool’ — lies in the village of Flúðir, on the southern arc of the loop. It is the oldest swimming pool in Iceland, built in 1891, and it keeps a plain, old-fashioned character: a natural-bottomed geothermal pool surrounded by steaming ground, with a small hot spring and a little geyser bubbling away nearby. It is warm year round, and steam rising off the water in cold air is part of the appeal.

How it differs from the Blue Lagoon

Where the Blue Lagoon is large, polished and resort-like, the Secret Lagoon is smaller, simpler and less expensive. There are no in-water bars or silica masks here — just warm water, a rustic setting and fewer crowds. For travellers who want the soak without the spa-resort scale, it is the more relaxed choice, and it has the practical advantage of sitting on the Golden Circle route rather than off on the Reykjanes peninsula.

How it fits the day

Because Flúðir is on the loop, a Secret Lagoon tour flows naturally: the main sights during the day, then a warm stop before the drive back to Reykjavík. Tours that include it usually run around ten hours and cover Þingvellir, Geysir and Strokkur, and Gullfoss, sometimes with the Keríð crater added.

What to bring

Bring a swimsuit and a towel; as at any Icelandic pool, a thorough shower before entering is expected. The pool is outdoors, so the walk from the changing rooms to the water is bracing in winter — which only makes the warm water more welcome. Lockers and basic facilities are on site.

Who it suits

The Secret Lagoon suits visitors who prefer a low-key, authentic bathing experience over a large spa, and who like the idea of a soak that is genuinely part of the route rather than a separate excursion. Families and travellers on a budget often prefer it for exactly those reasons.

Choosing a tour

Several small-group tours pair the loop with the Secret Lagoon — see the small-group tours page, or compare the polished alternative on the Blue Lagoon page. The full current list is on the tours list. Prices and opening hours shift with the season, so confirm the current details before you travel.

The water and the setting

The Secret Lagoon sits at a comfortable bathing warmth throughout the year, its heat drawn straight from the geothermal ground around it. A short boardwalk loops past steaming vents and a small spouter, Litli Geysir, that bubbles and erupts on its own modest schedule — a miniature echo of the big Geysir field up the road. Steam curling off the pool in cold air, with the countryside quiet around you, is the whole appeal.

Facilities and etiquette

There are changing rooms, lockers and a small cafe on site. As at every Icelandic pool, a thorough shower without a swimsuit before entering is expected — it is a firm local custom, not a suggestion. The natural bottom and rustic edges are part of the character; this is a country swimming pool with a long history, not a polished resort. Families and budget-minded travellers tend to prefer it for exactly that reason, and because it sits right on the loop rather than off on the peninsula.

Opening hours run later into the evening in the summer months and are shorter in winter, so an evening soak after the loop is easiest in the lighter half of the year — check the current times when you plan the day. Because it is smaller than the big spas, entry is capped at busy times, and arriving outside the mid-afternoon tour rush usually means more room in the water.

Golden Circle tours that include the Secret Lagoon

Booking goes through each tour’s own listing. Prices are per person unless noted and were last checked in July 2026 — confirm the live price when you book.