Iceland Swimming Pool Rules: Shower Etiquette and Local Customs Explained

The most important Iceland swimming pool rule is simple: you must shower thoroughly, without your swimsuit, before you get in the water. It applies at every public pool and at lagoons such as the Blue Lagoon and Sky Lagoon. Everyone shares the same warm water, so hygiene depends on everyone washing first. Here are the rules, the unwritten customs and a step-by-step guide so you walk in like a local.

What are the rules at Icelandic swimming pools?

Icelandic pools have clear, enforced rules. These are the main ones, from the City of Reykjavík's official rules for its pools:

• Shower without swimwear before entering the pool, and wash thoroughly.
• Wear clean swimwear in the pool. Swimming naked is not allowed.
• No phones or cameras in changing rooms or pool areas. This is strictly enforced.
• No alcohol, tobacco, vapes or nicotine pouches anywhere in the building, and no entry if you are drunk.
• No glass in pool areas or changing rooms.
• Follow staff instructions. Staff can remove anyone who breaks the rules, without warning for serious cases.

Do you really have to shower naked in Iceland?

Yes. Showering without your swimsuit, with soap, is required, not optional. Staff can send you back if you skip it, and at the Blue Lagoon attendants check the showers. Illustrated signs on the shower walls show which parts of the body to wash with special care.

Locker rooms and showers are separated by gender, and nudity there is completely normal. Locals do not stare or judge. If you are shy, some pools have a few showers with curtains, and many have private changing rooms you can ask for. Larger lagoons such as the Blue Lagoon and Sky Lagoon have divided shower cubicles.

Why it matters: washing first keeps the shared water clean for everyone, which is why locals take the shower rule so seriously and staff can ask you to go back.

How do you use an Icelandic pool, step by step?

1. Take your shoes off before you enter the changing room. Leave them on the racks at the entrance.
2. Undress at your locker and lock your valuables away.
3. Carry your swimsuit and towel to the shower area.
4. Leave your towel on the racks or shelves by the showers.
5. Shower naked with soap, washing thoroughly as the signs show.
6. Put your swimsuit on and go out to the pool.
7. After swimming, shower again and dry off in the shower area before you walk back to the lockers, so the changing-room floor stays dry.

What is the etiquette in the hot tubs?

The hot tubs, called heitur pottur, are the social heart of an Icelandic pool. People come to relax and talk, so keep it calm. Quiet conversation is normal, and locals often chat about the weather, the news or politics. Loud groups, shouting and splashing belong in the children's pool.

• Tubs are labelled with their temperature, usually from warm to very hot. Start with a cooler one.
• Many pools have a cold tub too. Locals switch between hot and cold.
• Do not bring drinks or food into the tubs.
• Make room when someone arrives; tubs are shared.

What are the rules in the lanes, saunas and steam rooms?

In the lap pool, watch the lane for a moment before you join, and pick one that matches your pace. Some lanes are fast lanes or reserved for training. Floats and toys belong in the shallow pool.

In Reykjavík's saunas you sit on a towel and must not use scented oils, and children under 16 need an adult with them. Steam rooms are usually towel-free, so they are the easy option if you did not bring a towel.

What are the rules for children?

At Reykjavík's pools, children under 10 must be accompanied by a swimmer aged 15 or older. One adult can supervise at most two children, unless they are the child's parent or guardian. From 1 June of the year a child turns 10, they may swim on their own.

Children who are 6 or older use the changing room for their own gender, with private changing rooms if needed. Non-swimmers must wear approved arm bands or a swim vest; inflatable rings count as toys.

How much does a swimming pool cost in Iceland?

Public pools are one of the cheapest things to do in Iceland. From 5 May 2026, Reykjavík city pools charge:

Pools in other towns charge similar or lower prices. Compare that with a lagoon, which costs from about ISK 7,500 to more than ISK 18,000. See Blue Lagoon vs Sky Lagoon if you want the spa experience as well.

Which pools should you try in Reykjavík?

The City of Reykjavík runs eight pools, and each neighbourhood has its favourite. Three are good places to start in Reykjavík:

• Laugardalslaug: the largest, with indoor and outdoor pools, several hot tubs and a water slide. Good for families.
• Vesturbæjarlaug: a neighbourhood favourite in the west of the city, with hot tubs, a steam room and outdoor changing areas.
• Sundhöll Reykjavíkur: a historic indoor pool hall in the centre, with a newer outdoor section and hot tubs.

Outside the capital, small country pools are just as good. Hofsós pool in Skagafjörður looks out across the fjord, and Krossneslaug sits on a beach at the far end of the Westfjords.

Why are swimming pools so important in Iceland?

Pools are where Icelanders meet, relax and talk, all year and in every kind of weather. There are more than 120 public pools across the country, heated by geothermal water. In December 2025 UNESCO added Iceland's swimming pool culture to its list of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity, Iceland's first entry of its own on the list.

Going to the local pool is one of the easiest ways to see everyday Icelandic life. Visit in the early morning or after work, when locals fill the hot tubs.

Do the same rules apply at lagoons and natural hot springs?

At lagoons, yes. The Blue Lagoon, Sky Lagoon and other spas follow the same shower rule, and staff check it. They also add their own rules, such as minimum ages: Sky Lagoon admits only those 12 and over.

Natural hot springs have no showers or staff, so the rules are about respect instead. Bathe only where bathing is allowed, use no soap in the water, take all your rubbish home and stay on the paths. At remote springs nudity is generally accepted, but ask anyone already there first. Read our guides to free hot springs in Iceland and the Reykjadalur hot river, or see every pool on our map in hot springs in Iceland.

Facts checked October 2026. Rules and prices are from the City of Reykjavík's pools; other towns and private lagoons set their own prices and may add rules. Check each pool's website for opening hours.