Day 8: Our last full day in Iceland was going to be another fun day because we saved our visit to the Blue Lagoon until the end of the trip. Since it is located so close to the airport, we thought it would make sense to go to the Blue Lagoon and then spend our last night in Iceland in Keflavik so we could get to the airport easily in the morning. It seems to be pretty common for travelers to visit the Blue Lagoon first thing after arriving in Iceland. I can see the appeal of soaking in the warm water after a travel day, but I’m glad we planned it at the end for us. It was something special to look forward to.
Planning Ahead
To visit the Blue Lagoon, you need to have a reservation, which are booked in 1 hour increments. Meaning, if you booked a reservation for 9-10 am, you needed to arrive within that window. Not that you can only swim for one hour – you can stay all day after that if you like! Knowing we would be driving directly from Borgarnes, we booked the 10 – 11 am time slot, and we decided on the Premium Package. Kids under 14 are free, but they still need a reservation. Also, FYI, kids under 2 are not allowed. This was a factor when we chose our travel dates; A just turned 2 the weekend before we left! The extras included in the Premium package (as opposed to the Comfort package) were a bath robe, slippers (which were ours to keep), a second mud mask in the lagoon, and a lunch reservation at their Lava Restaurant with a free glass of sparkling wine. The price difference was about $20 each, so we thought it was well worth the splurge.
Our visit to the Blue Lagoon was the main reason we bought the waterproof phone case for my phone when we were buying our gear for this trip. How could we visit such a unique place and not take a million pictures? I made sure to pick out a case that could attach to a lanyard because I wanted to keep both hands available for holding kids if needed. The case worked like a charm! No issues taking pictures, the lanyard was much appreciated, and my phone survived! We used the case earlier in the trip during rainy weather, so it was money well spent and very reasonably priced.
Arriving at the Blue Lagoon
Our drive from Borgarnes down to the Blue Lagoon was gorgeous. The weather was sunny and we got to see Reykjavik as we passed by. As we got closer to the lagoon, the terrain became more like the lava fields we had seen earlier in the trip, and when we were a couple minutes away, we could see the standing water along the road had that signature milky blue color of the lagoon.
The craggy lava fields hid the view of the lagoon from the parking lot, but the semi-crowded lot reassured us that we were in the right place. The walk up to the lagoon entrance was a path cut through the lava field and was scenic in itself. Arriving a few minutes into our time slot, there was a very short line to check in. Once we were confirmed, all four of us received bracelets. Scott and I wore the kids’ bracelets to keep them safe. These bracelets would be used for locking/unlocking our lockers and making any purchases in the lagoon.
Getting Ready for the Lagoon
Our next stop was the locker rooms to get changed and showered before entering the lagoon. A and I went to the women’s while Scott and J went to the men’s. Showering before entering the lagoon is required, and putting conditioner in your hair to protect it from the silica in the water is highly recommended. I had not planned ahead for the logistics of showering, changing, and getting situated, so it took me awhile to get A and I organized and ready for the lagoon. Finally we were changed into our swimsuits, with conditioner in our hair, had all our belongings crammed into a locker, and exited for the lagoon entrance. Note, the lockers actually are a decent size; I just had a lot of stuff because the kids don’t get their own lockers, and I had our backpack with diapers and our standard just-in-case kid gear in addition to our clothes and heavy boots.
Swimming in the Blue Lagoon
We met Scott and J downstairs from the locker rooms at the entrance to the lagoon, hung up our towels and robes onto some hooks, and got the mandatory (but provided for free) orange floaties on the kids’ arms. Finally we walked outside to the lagoon area. What a gorgeous sight! The lagoon stretched out in front of us, and we could see the steam rising from the blue water. The chilly air was not a problem as soon as we stepped into the warm lagoon.
The kids were delighted the second they got into the water. Both of them love swimming, though A really prefers to be held while in the water. Not a problem – we weren’t planning to take any risks with the kids swimming around. The steamy water felt sooo soothing as we waded around the lagoon, trying to explore the different nooks. One free drink was included in our packages, so we indulged in a glass of prosecco (me) and a beer (Scott), and bought the kids a Skyr smoothie (their drinks were not included). When the water got too hot for the kids, there were built in benches along the sides of the lagoon in some places, so they were able to sit out whenever they wanted. We enjoyed our drinks at one of these places and just relaxed. This was one of my favorite moments of the trip.
After we finished our drinks, we made our way to the other side of the lagoon for our first face masks. These were just for the adults, and we offered to share a little with the kids, but they were not interested at all. Our package came with two masks, so we got a second one a little later. This one has lava rock in it and it was much darker than the first one. The masks seemed to kinda bother A, so we didn’t wear the second one for too long. As we hung out with our face masks, we wore the kids on our shoulders frequently as another way to keep them from overheating. I think our kids were the youngest we saw the whole day, so we were extra careful to keep them safe and comfortable. There is a large clock on the building by the lagoon entrance, and we made sure to keep track of the time so that we could make our lunch reservation.
Giving ourselves about a half hour to rinse, dry off, and redress, we made our way out of the lagoon back into the locker rooms. We had spent over an hour in the lagoon by this time and were feeling ready to get out anyway. If it was just adults, I might have wanted to stay longer to soak and relax, but relaxing for long periods of time just isn’t possible with two toddlers to keep entertained. Once again, getting changed and situated in the locker room was a struggle for me. It was just so hard to juggle A while getting cleaned off and dressed and possibly maintain any sort of modesty. Honestly, modesty was just a luxury by this point, but I didn’t want to make anyone else in the locker room uncomfortable. By the time we left, Scott and J were again waiting for us.
Lunch at Lava Restaurant
To get to the restaurant, we had to go back through the lobby and return our bracelets and pay our refreshments tab. We made it right on time for our reservation and were seated with a nice view of the lagoon through the windows. Several people were eating in their robes, looking like they were just taking a lunch break from the lagoon. We commented that if it had just been Scott and I, then that is absolutely what we would have done. What a perfect way to spend a day. The restaurant was beautiful, definitely the nicest place we ate over the whole trip. Despite it being upscale, they still had a kids menu and coloring activities. Iceland is SO amazing with kids! Scott and I indulged in a little more sparkling wine while we waited for our meals. We had some fantastic food during the trip, but this meal might have been the best. We each had different fish dishes, and the kids shared fries and chicken. We shared some bites with each other and then I literally ate my entire plate. It was just too good! The service was also great. I cannot imagine a better final restaurant meal in Iceland.
Actually, I cannot imagine a better way to spend our last full day in Iceland. Our entire experience was wonderful. The lagoon itself was stunning and magical, we all had fun playing in the water, and then we all enjoyed a delicious meal. After lunch, we took some more pictures and started the drive to Keflavik.
Last night in Iceland
We capped off the day with a little bit of souvenir shopping in Keflavik and checked into our last AirBnb. This was just a basic condo a few minutes from the airport. Perfect for cleaning out the rental car and packing up our belongings for the flights home, and since we needed to get to the airport first thing in the morning, this is how we spent the evening. Knowing that we were about to leave Iceland was such a bummer, but we were incredibly happy that we had the chance to experience this wonderful country and take this amazing vacation with our family. These are memories that we will always cherish, and I don’t know how we are going to top it.
9 Days in Iceland with Two Toddlers
Western Iceland & Into the Glacier Tour
Iceland Snaefellsnes Peninsula
Viewing the Northern Lights in Iceland
