★★★★★
The Akureyri lagoon ticket
The free shuttle from the cruise terminal worked, and nobody put a time limit on our stay. Spotless, too.
Robert Paul · United Kingdom · August 2026
Forest Lagoon Tickets from Akureyri: Entry, Towel and a Drink
At the lagoon, across the fjordTowel, locker and a drink
This is a ticket, not a tour. It gets you into the geothermal pools in the birch forest across the fjord from Akureyri, with a towel, a locker and your first drink. It is valid all day on your date, and nobody times your stay. You get there on the free lagoon shuttle or in five minutes by car.
What the ticket gets you
Entry, towel, locker and a drink
The drink is the first one charged to your wristband.
No clock on your stay
The ticket is valid for the whole day you book.
Two warm pools, three bars
Both pools are held at 37 °C, with swim-up bars in the larger one.
A sauna and a cold plunge
A dry sauna at about 80 °C, and a cold pool at 11 °C.
A free shuttle from town
The lagoon runs its own bus from the centre and, in summer, the cruise pier.
4.7 from 684 ratings
Clean, calm and good value are the words that come back.
What $80 buys at the lagoon
You get entry to Forest Lagoon, a towel, a locker and one drink at the swim-up bar. Shower products are provided. At the door the same bundle is the Calm ticket at 10,150 ISK, and plain entry is 7,490 ISK. If you would rent a towel anyway, at 1,400 ISK, the bundle is the easier buy.
Your free drink is the first one charged to your wristband. Bottled wine does not count. Anything after that goes on the band and you pay as you leave.
Two pools, a sauna and a cold plunge
The larger pool is 530 m² and holds three swim-up bars. The smaller pool is 330 m² and quieter. Both are kept at 37 °C. You enter the larger one from indoors, so you are never standing outside wet on a cold day.
The dry sauna runs at about 80 °C, with a view over Eyjafjörður and the mountains. The cold pool beside it is 11 °C. Go from one to the other and back, and you will see why people stay for hours. The Forest Bistro sells food, and it is not in the ticket.
The hot water was found while the road tunnel under the mountain was being bored. The lagoon sits in Vaðlaskógur, a birch and pine wood on the far shore.
Getting there: across the fjord, and the free shuttle
The lagoon is 3.6 km from the town centre, about five minutes by car. The lagoon runs its own free shuttle. From 7 September to 31 May there is one evening run: it leaves Centrum Kitchen & Bar on Skipagata at 18:45 and comes back at 22:00. In summer there is a town run at 17:30, plus an hourly run from Tangabryggja pier from 10:00 to 17:00.
Robert Paul from the United Kingdom took the shuttle from the cruise terminal and found it easy. At busy times it can queue, and Jim C. waited an hour. Leave slack on a cruise day, or take a taxi one way. The lagoon is open 10:00 to midnight, from 09:00 in June to August, and you are out of the water by 23:30.
Children: tickets on site, out by 20:00 under 12
This ticket is for adults. Children’s tickets are bought at the door: ages 6 to 15 pay 3,790 ISK, and under-6s go free. Children must be with an adult. Under-12s must leave the water by 20:00, so plan a family visit for the afternoon.
If you have younger children, the town pool has slides and a children’s pool. Our things-to-do page sets the lagoon beside the pool and the museums.
How a visit tends to run
- Pick your slot and your bus. Check the shuttle time for your date, or plan the five-minute drive.
- Show your ticket at the desk. You get a wristband, a towel and a locker.
- Shower before you bathe. Shampoo, conditioner and body wash are provided.
- Start in the big pool. Walk in from indoors and order your free drink at a swim-up bar.
- Sauna, then the cold pool. Go hot and cold as many times as you like.
- Leave when you are ready. Nobody times you; the water closes at 23:30.
Who this suits: anyone with a free afternoon or evening
Book this if
You want a slow afternoon after a long drive, an evening soak in the dark, or something easy on a cruise call. It suits couples and friends. It is the cheapest thing here, and it needs no guide, no group and no fixed time.
Book something else if
You would rather bathe inside a day out: the small-group lake day ($215) and the eight-hour lake day ($197) stop at the baths by Lake Mývatn, with the entry extra. If you would rather move than soak, the canyon zipline in town is $95, and the Akureyri food tour page covers the tasting walks.
What the ticket covers, and what it does not
In the ticket
- Entry to Forest Lagoon
- Shower products: shampoo, conditioner, body wash and moisturiser
- A locker
- Towel
- One drink at the swim-up bar
Not in the ticket
- Swimwear rental
- Bathrobes
Bring your own swimwear. Food at the bistro and any drink after the first go on your wristband.
At the lagoon in Vaðlaskógur, across the fjord
There is no meeting point and no guide. You go to the lagoon itself, in Vaðlaskógur on the east shore of the fjord, and show your ticket at the desk. By car it is a five-minute drive across the fjord.
By shuttle you board in town or at the pier and are dropped at the door. The town stop and the pier are marked on our Akureyri map, and the visitor guide covers the rest of getting around.
Know before you go
- Bring swimwear. Rental is extra, and bathing suits are required: no nudity.
- No smoking or vaping. Both are banned throughout.
- Only bathers go in. The building is for guests who bathe or use the sauna.
- Children leave early. Under-12s must be out of the water by 20:00.
- Allow for the shuttle queue. It is free and not frequent; leave slack on a cruise day.
- Cancel a day ahead and pay nothing. The full price comes back up to 24 hours before your date.
What bathers say on the way out
★★★★★
The Akureyri lagoon ticket
Good value for Iceland, very clean, with great views. We preferred it to the lagoon at the lake.
Katja · Germany · September 2026
★★★★★
The Akureyri lagoon ticket
Not crowded even in August, and in a lovely spot. Easy to switch off completely.
Miriam · Germany · September 2026
Questions about the lagoon ticket
Is this the lagoon by Lake Mývatn?
No. This lagoon is across the fjord from Akureyri, five minutes by car. The baths by Lake Mývatn are about an hour east, and our things-to-do page compares the two.
How long can I stay?
As long as you like on your date. The water closes at 23:30, and the lagoon opens at 10:00, or 09:00 in summer.
Is there a free shuttle?
Yes. It runs once each evening from Skipagata out of season, and more often in summer, including from the cruise pier.
Can I bring children?
Yes, with a ticket bought at the door. Under-12s must leave the water by 20:00.
What else fits the same day?
The classic whale ship from the town pier fits a morning. You can be in the water by mid-afternoon.
What if I need to cancel?
You get the full price back if you cancel at least 24 hours before your date. Inside that window nothing is refunded.
Other ways to spend a day here
Ready for an afternoon in the water?
Check your date, see what your party pays, and hold your tickets with free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.
Check availability