Hvammsvík Hot Springs

What to expect

Hvammsvík is a farm estate on the south shore of Hvalfjörður, the long fjord north of Reykjavík that most drivers skip since the tunnel opened in 1998. Skúli Mogensen, the businessman best known for the former airline WOW air, opened the hot springs on his family property in 2022. The site is run as a small nature resort with pools, a bistro and rental houses.

The pools line a black-sand beach right at the water’s edge. Hot water comes from a geothermal well and mixes with seawater, so the temperature and depth of the lower pools change with the tide. At low tide you sit in shallow, warm water with the beach in front of you. At high tide the sea pushes in, the water rises and cools, and the Tidal Pool can vanish under the surface for a while.

The buildings are painted black and sit low against the hillside. The mood is quieter and more outdoors than the big lagoons near Reykjavík, with sheep fields behind you and the fjord ahead. Expect wind. You walk between pools in the open air.

The pools

The operator lists eight pools, plus a sauna and steam room:

• Lounge Pool: 100-102°F38-39°C, with the in-water bar.
• Upper Rock Pool: 97-102°F36-39°C.
• Lower Rock Pool: around 100°F38°C, but it shifts with the sea.
• Tidal Pool: about 95°F35°C, the coolest, and sometimes underwater at high tide.
• Upper Beach Pool: 100-104°F38-40°C, with an elf stone in the middle.
• Lower Beach Pool: 99-104°F37-40°C.
• Old Hot Spring: 102-108°F39-42°C, the oldest and hottest pool on the property.
• Ocean Plunge Pool: a cold seawater plunge next to the sauna.

The Finnish sauna runs at 158-194°F70-90°C and looks over the fjord. The steam room is 115-118°F46-48°C. You can also walk into the sea itself for a cold dip, but only if you can swim. The deepest pool areas are about 1 m (3.3 ft), though the parts open to the sea can get deeper without warning.

Getting there

Hvammsvík is about 56 km (35 miles) from Reykjavík, about 45 minutes by car, and 98 km (61 miles) from Keflavík Airport.

• From Reykjavík: Drive north on Route 1 through Mosfellsbær and past Kjalarnes. Just before the Hvalfjörður tunnel, turn right onto Route 47 (Hvalfjarðarvegur). If you find yourself in the tunnel, you have gone too far. Follow Route 47 about 20 km along the fjord until the Hvammsvík sign on your left.
• The last stretch: A short gravel road runs down from Route 47 to the buildings. Drive slowly. The gate opens during hot spring hours.
• From Þingvellir: About 38 km (24 miles). Route 48 (Kjósarskarðsvegur) links Þingvellir and Hvalfjörður.
• Without a car: The site sells a daily transfer from the BSÍ bus terminal in Reykjavík, leaving at 10:00, from ISK 14,999. Taxis and day tours also run here.

There is accessible parking by the entrance.

Prices and booking

All ticket types give unlimited time in the pools, the sauna and the steam room, plus shampoo, conditioner and body wash, a bar wristband and access to Stormur Bistro. Prices below are per person for October 2026 and vary by date.

• Natural, ISK 5,900-9,900: basic changing rooms with open showers, a locked box for valuables and hangers for clothes.
• Classic, ISK 7,900-11,900: a private locker and a private shower booth.
• Comfort, ISK 11,100-15,100: everything in Classic, plus a towel, wading shoes and one drink.

Towels, swimwear and swim shoes can be rented. A 10-visit pass and gift cards are also sold. The site is cashless and takes major cards except American Express.

Booking: Tickets cover a half-hour arrival window. The operator strongly recommends booking ahead, and walk-ins are allowed only when there is space. You can stay as long as you want, but if you leave you need a new ticket to come back. Cancellations are refunded up to 36 hours before arrival. Changes are free until 24 hours before, then cost 25% of the ticket.

Age: The minimum age is 10, and under-18s must be with an adult. Alcohol is served only to people aged 20 and over.

Hours: Daily from 10:30 to 20:30, with last entry at 19:00. Stormur Bistro opens 11:30 to 19:30.

Rules and etiquette

• Shower first, without a swimsuit. As at every Icelandic pool, wash fully before you put on your swimsuit and walk out. Natural changing rooms have open showers only.
• Swimsuits at all times, in the pools and in the steam room.
• Phones: Allowed outside, but never in the changing rooms. Camera glasses are banned everywhere on site.
• Changing rooms are split into men’s and women’s.

When to go

The springs are open all year. In summer the light lasts into the night and the fjord is calm more often. Winter brings short days, snow on the hills and a chance of northern lights on clear evenings before closing. Storms can close Route 47 or Route 1, and the operator will contact you to move your booking if that happens.

Check a tide table before you choose a slot. Low tide gives you the full set of warm pools. High tide is more dramatic, with seawater flowing in, but the lower pools are cooler.

Where to stay nearby

Hvammsvík rents houses on the estate, including several restored older farmhouses and newer Artist Lodges, with a shared Barn House that has a lounge, games room and gym. Most visitors make it a day trip from Reykjavík, 45 minutes away. Akranes, on the north side of the fjord via the tunnel, has hotels and its own seaside bath, Guðlaug. Þingvellir National Park, about 38 km (24 miles) away, has campsites in summer.

Safety notes

• The sea: Pools open to the ocean can become deeper than expected at high tide. Non-swimmers should stay in the upper pools and never enter the sea.
• Footing: Rocks and pool edges are sharp in places and slippery in others. Rent swim shoes if you are unsure.
• Heat and drinks: The Old Hot Spring reaches 108°F42°C. Drink water, especially if you are also using the bar.
• Winter driving: Route 47 is quiet and exposed to wind. Check umferdin.is before you leave Reykjavík.

Nearby stops worth adding

Glymur, Iceland’s second-tallest waterfall at 198 m, is at the head of the fjord in Botnsdalur, further along Route 47. The loop hike is about 7 km with river crossings and takes about three hours. Near Miðsandur, on the north shore, the War and Peace Museum covers the fjord’s role as a Second World War convoy base.