Sæberg Hot Tubs (Sæberg HI Hostel)

What to expect

Sæberg is a Hostelling International hostel at Reykir, on the east shore of Hrútafjörður, the long, narrow fjord that the Ring Road follows for a stretch in Northwest Iceland. It sits next to the old Reykjaskóli school, and the place name gives the clue: Reykir means “smokes”, after the steam from the hot ground here. The hostel uses that geothermal water to fill a hot tub on the shore.

This is not a spa and not a public pool. It is one outdoor tub belonging to a hostel, and it is there for the people sleeping in the dorms, rooms, cottages and campsite. The hostel describes it as a private geothermal hot tub facing the fjord. Sit in it on a calm evening and you look straight down Hrútafjörður, with the sea in front of you and low hills on both sides. In midsummer the sun barely sets. Toward the end of the season, in September, the nights are dark enough for northern lights if the sky is clear.

The hostel and HI Iceland mention birdlife along the shore, with oystercatchers and eider ducks, and say that seals and even whales are sometimes seen in the fjord. Do not plan around a sighting, but keep an eye on the water.

No source we found gives a water temperature for the tub, and the hostel does not publish one. Expect normal hot-tub heat, and test it with a hand first.

A word on condition. Most guests seem happy, but reviews are mixed on the tub itself. A guest in May 2025 found the tubs out of order, and an earlier reviewer was not impressed with how clean they looked. A guest in June 2026 mentioned a working hot tub. Older reviews talk about more than one tub, and some mention a pool, while the hostel’s current listings describe a single tub. If the soak is the main reason for your stop, ask when you book.

Getting there

Sæberg is about 1 km off Route 1, roughly halfway between Reykjavík and Akureyri, which makes it a common overnight stop on the long drive between the two.

• By car: Follow the Ring Road along the east shore of Hrútafjörður and turn off at Reykir and Reykjaskóli. The hostel is about 1 km from the main road. Parking is free.
• By bus: HI Iceland says two buses a day between Reykjavík and Akureyri stop at Reykjaskóli in summer, and one a day in winter. The stop is on the Ring Road, about 1 km from the hostel, so you walk the last stretch.
• From Hvammstangi: About 23 km (14 miles). Hvammstangi is the main village on the Vatnsnes peninsula and the nearest place with full services.

The hostel’s street address is listed as Reykjum 5, Reykjaskóli. Online maps sometimes use the postcode 500 Staður.

Winter driving on this part of Route 1 can be hard, with wind and ice on the open stretches, but the hostel is closed then anyway. In spring and autumn, check umferdin.is for road conditions and safetravel.is for alerts before you set off.

When to go

The hostel, and so the tub, is open only from April 1 to September 30. Outside those dates the hostel is closed, which counts as a normal seasonal closure rather than a shutdown.

• June and July bring the longest light. You can soak at midnight with the sky still bright over the fjord.
• April, May and September are quieter, colder and darker in the evenings. September gives you the best chance of northern lights from the tub, though clouds often get in the way.

Because this is one tub shared by everyone staying at the hostel, the evening after dinner is the busiest time. Early morning, before check-out at 11:00, is usually quieter.

Prices and booking

The tub is included for people staying at the hostel or using its campsite. HI Iceland describes it as open to all guests. There is no separate ticket.

Day visitors: The hostel does not publish a day-visitor price or policy. A third-party guide says day visitors may be able to use the tub for a fee, but we could not confirm that with the hostel. If you are only driving past, phone +354 894 5504 or email saeberg@hostel.is first rather than turning up and asking.

Staying the night: The hostel offers dorm beds, private and family rooms, cottages and campsites. There is a shared self-catering kitchen, a dining room, free Wi-Fi and a barbecue. Bed linen is included, laundry costs extra, and breakfast is not included. Hostelling International members get 10% off. Check-in runs from 15:00, with self check-in available, and check-out is by 11:00.

Hot tub etiquette

Icelandic bathing habits apply here as they do at any pool:

• Shower first, without your swimsuit. At a hostel tub this is a house rule rather than the legal requirement it is at public pools, but it is the custom everywhere in Iceland and it keeps a small tub clean.
• Wear a swimsuit. The tub is shared with other guests.
• Keep glass out of the tub area. Broken glass in a tub means it has to be drained.
• Share. If the tub is full and people are waiting, take your turn and let others in.

Children can use the tub with their parents. Keep them within reach, since hot water is tiring for small bodies.

Where to stay nearby

• Sæberg itself: dorms, rooms, cottages and camping on site, with the tub included. This is the only way to be sure of a soak.
• Hvammstangi: About 23 km (14 miles) away, with guesthouses, a shop and the Icelandic Seal Center, about 20 minutes by car from the hostel according to HI Iceland.
• Borgarfjörður to the south: Guide to Iceland puts Hraunfossar and Barnafoss at about 62 km, Húsafell at about 63 km and Deildartunguhver at about 68 km from the hostel. Húsafell has its own soaking option at Húsafell Canyon Baths, and Krauma sits beside Deildartunguhver.

Safety notes

• Check the temperature. No temperature is published. Test the water before you get in and keep soaks short if it feels very hot.
• Shoreline footing: The tub is on the shore. Paths and decks can be wet, slippery or icy in spring and autumn. Wear sandals between the building and the tub.
• Alcohol: Hot water and drinks make people dizzy. Go easy, and never soak alone after drinking.
• Wind and cold: Weather off the fjord changes fast. Have a towel and warm clothes ready for the walk back.

Nearby stops worth adding

The local history museum at Reykir is about 400 m from the hostel and holds a traditional shark-fishing boat, a reminder of how people on this coast made a living. Further afield, the Vatnsnes peninsula north of Hvammstangi is known for seal watching. North of Hrútafjörður, the Strandir coast has the shoreline tubs at Drangsnes, and east along the Ring Road in Skagafjörður you can soak at Grettislaug.