Travel Dispatch: Seeking an Alternative Iceland
Five hot springs that aren’t the Blue Lagoon.
Travel Dispatch
August 13, 2025

Summer is peak tourist season in Iceland, when average temperatures reach the not-so-scorching mid-50s. Avoid the crowds by seeking alternative experiences, like bypassing the popular Golden Circle route to visit the lesser-traveled North, or hot-spring-hopping beyond the often-packed Blue Lagoon.

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Hilary Swift for The New York Times

Spend a weekend in Reykjavik →

Three cream-colored sheep with thick coats graze a green field. In the background, a rocky hill rises up.

Sigga Ella for The New York Times

Knit your way around Iceland →

A geothermal pool has steps and a rail leading into it. There is also a stone platform carved out a rocky outcrop. In the background is an expanse of calm water and distant peaks.

Sky Lagoon by Pursuit

Soak in 5 hot springs that aren’t the Blue Lagoon →

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Drive the overlooked North →

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