Laugardalslaug
The name Reykjavík means 'Smoky Bay' — a reference to the geothermal steam that early settlers saw rising from the ground here in Laugardalur valley. That same hot water still feeds Laugardalslaug today, piped into eight hot pots ranging from 38 to 44°C, a 50-metre outdoor pool kept at a steady 28°C, and a cold plunge sitting at 6°C.
This is the city's largest public pool, drawing close to two million visits a year — not tourists in the main, but Reykjavík residents doing what Icelanders have done in this valley for centuries: sitting in hot water and talking. In December 2025, that culture was recognised by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage.
💛 What travellers fall for
Regulars tend to work the hot pots in sequence — starting mid-range around 38°C, moving up to the 44°C tub, then a cold plunge before circling back. The outdoor 50-metre pool is the social anchor; the indoor lanes are for actual lap swimming. Weekday mornings before 8am are noticeably quieter.
The story behind Laugardalslaug
People have been bathing in Laugardalur since long before there was a city to speak of. A bathing pool was recorded south of Laugarnes in 1772, and the street Laugavegur — the old route into town — takes its name from the women who once walked it carrying laundry to wash in the hot springs. The first municipal stone pool was commissioned by Reykjavík's town council in 1907–1908.
The current complex was designed by City Architect Einar Sveinsson in his characteristic functionalist style and opened on June 1, 1968, at a cost of nearly 74 million krónur. Architect Jes Einar Þorsteinsson led a major expansion between 1981 and 1986, with a further enlargement completed in 2005 — each phase adding facilities while keeping the place recognisably a neighbourhood pool rather than a resort.
Good to know
Take Strætó bus 12 or 14 from Hlemmur — about 10 minutes. Entry is 1,430 ISK for adults; free with the Reykjavík City Card. No booking needed. Budget 90 minutes minimum. The mandatory pre-swim nude shower is standard practice, not a surprise.
The outdoor 50-metre pool is heated to 28–30°C year-round by geothermal water, so swimming in January while snow sits on the surrounding grass is entirely ordinary here. The hot pots make the coldest months — when air temperatures drop below 5°C — arguably the best time to visit.
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What travellers say about Laugardalslaug
The hot tubs, cold tubs and swimming pool are great. The place is clean, maintained to an exceptional standard. Top level of service at reception. Great place
This place is a gem! It’s huge with plenty of parking, heated outdoor pools, water slides, hot tub, heated wading pool, and Olympic size indoor pool. The entrance fee is nominal and the facility is excellent! The staffs are polite, friendly and very accommodating. Communal shower did not feel weird. We were fine with it. The pools have minimal or no chlorine, scrub head to toe before you get in is common sense. You have to visit this place if you happen to be in Reykjavik, especially with kids. They will have a blast!
It is not very famous among tourists but is used a lot by the locals. This place offers you the chance to swim in a olimpionic pool or you can relax in one of the various tubs. There is a internal swimming pool, a sauna and a fitness center. Everything is really well organised and cleaned. Changing room, shower etc etc .
We had a blast here! Learned the culture and rules quickly, and adapted. Water slide, hot and cold pools, a steam, and a brisk 47°F sunny day made for a quintessential Icelandic experience! Good to hang out with local people.
The visit to the swimming pool went exactly as previously described in the reviews. Right at the entrance at the reception, we were greeted with an “Icelandic look.” They might as well have sewn a “tourist” patch onto us so everyone would know we don’t belong there. Then you go to the changing rooms and from there move on to the showers. And that’s where it really begins. You enter the showers completely naked together with about 10 other people. In front of the showers, there’s a little guard booth where a self-appointed “foreskin inspector” sits. You’re required to wash everything in the shower, including your foreskin. The guard in the booth then makes you show it to him. If he finds anything there, you have to go back to the showers — but this time he showers you himself. If you manage to pass this toughest test, you only need to go through one more check at the end of the showers. There, a second guard lifts your upper lip to make sure you’re not hiding a nicotine pouch. Oh, and otherwise the pools are fine :)))
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