Geothermal baths · North Iceland

Forest Lagoon

Baths in the woods just through the tunnel from Akureyri, opened in 2022. Far quieter than the southern lagoons.

prices and departures checked 13 Sept 2026

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The short version

  • 3 tours in our catalogue stop at Forest Lagoon — 2 of them day tours from a single base, 1 as part of a longer package.
  • A seat on a day tour here typically costs €170, from €150 at the cheapest. Private tours are priced per vehicle and sit outside that figure.
  • 2 different operators run here, so a cancellation rarely means the day is lost.
  • Departures in our next 360 days fall in September, October, November, December, January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August.
  • Seasonal here: Midnight sun (May–July), Lupine in bloom (June–July).

The facts

Type
Geothermal baths
Region
North Iceland
Tours that stop here
32 day tours · 1 multi-day
Day tour, cheapest
€150
Day tour, typical
€170median of 2 per-person fares
Operators
2
From Reykjavík
250 km (155 mi)straight line — the road is longer
Coordinates
65.6701, -18.0421

Water temperature: 38–40°C. That is the figure Forest Lagoon publishes and holds, not a reading from today — these pools are heated to a target rather than left to the weather.

Daylight through the year

Iceland's daylight swings further than almost anywhere people holiday, and it decides what a tour can actually show you. Times are for the 15th of each month at this spot.

MonthSunriseSunsetDaylight
January11:0315:394 h 36 min
March07:3619:0811 h 32 min
June01:4600:3922 h 53 min
September06:2919:4613 h 16 min
December11:2914:453 h 16 min

What is seasonal here

None of these have fixed dates, so each one says what its real dates depend on.

Midnight sun

May–July

True midnight sun only above the Arctic Circle — Grímsey. The mainland gets civil twilight all night, which looks much the same.

Lupine in bloom

June–July

Introduced, controversial and impossible to miss when it flowers. Peaks a fortnight later in the north than the south.

What people do here

Getting here without a car

Every tour we sell that stops at Forest Lagoon leaves from Akureyri. Akureyri, where most of them start, is about 5 h 35 min from Reykjavík by road.

1 of the 2 collect you from your accommodation or a designated stop, so the tour is the transport — there is nothing else to arrange and no timetable to read.

A seat on a day tour here starts at €150 and typically runs €170, per person, private charters excluded because those are priced per vehicle and would flatter the figure. There is no scheduled bus we can sell you to Forest Lagoon, so a guided day is the practical way in without a car.

The days themselves run from about 4 h to 5 h door to door, so check the length as carefully as the price — the cheapest seat is often the longest coach day. 2 different operators run here, which matters more without a car than with one: if the weather cancels your day, there is usually another departure rather than a lost trip.

It is a long day either way. A tour takes the winter road decisions off you, which on this stretch is most of the argument; a car gives you the stops and the timing.

Cheapest way in without a car: a guided day tour from Akureyri, from €150 per person.

We have done the sums on this properly: why we tell people to skip the rental car in winter.

Tours that stop at Forest Lagoon

Taken from each operator's own itinerary, not from marketing copy — these are tours whose agenda names Forest Lagoon as a stop.

Who runs them

2 operators, all of whom we hold a contract with. We do not list every company in Iceland, on purpose.

BusTravel Iceland · Star Travel

Forest Lagoon: questions people ask

How many tours go to Forest Lagoon?

We list 3 — 2 day tours and 1 multi-day packages, from 2 operators. That is what we currently have contracts for, not everything that exists in Iceland.

How much does it cost to visit Forest Lagoon?

The place itself is usually free to enter; what you pay for is getting there. A day tour seat runs from €150, with a typical price of €170. Some sites charge separately for parking or admission — check the individual tour.

When can you visit Forest Lagoon?

Looking at the next 360 days of live availability, departures fall in September, October, November, December, January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August. That is a rolling window rather than the full year, so a month missing here is not necessarily a month with nothing running.

How much daylight is there at Forest Lagoon?

January: 4 h 36 min · March: 11 h 32 min · June: 22 h 53 min · September: 13 h 16 min · December: 3 h 16 min. Iceland stays on UTC all year, so there is no clock change to allow for.

Do you need a tour, or can you drive to Forest Lagoon yourself?

Both work. Driving gives you the stops you want and the time you want them; a tour removes the winter road decisions and lets everyone look out of the window. We sell the tours and say so — if self-driving suits you better, it suits you better.

Can you get to Forest Lagoon without a car?

Yes — 2 guided day tours in our catalogue stop here. 1 of the tours pick you up from your accommodation, so no onward transport is needed.

How far is Forest Lagoon from Reykjavík?

The tours that go here mostly start in Akureyri, about 5 h 35 min from Reykjavík on roads that stay open all year. That is driving time in normal conditions and not an estimate of your day — a tour that reaches Forest Lagoon and comes back is a good deal longer than twice that.

What is the cheapest way to get to Forest Lagoon?

A guided day tour from Akureyri, from €150 per person, with €170 the more typical fare. Private tours cost more because they are priced per vehicle rather than per seat.

Put it in a day

Forest Lagoon is rarely a whole day on its own. The planner knows how long each tour takes and how far apart the start points are, so it can build the rest of the day around it.

Plan a day around Forest Lagoon