Secret Lagoon time slot enforcement and optimal time at each Golden Circle attraction

Posted by Phaser on 04/21/26 04:54 PM

Hi, my wife and I will be in Reykjavik in early July. We have 2 questions:

We will have a rental car and plan to do the Golden Circle on Monday 7/6. We would like to visit Secret Lagoon at the end (after Thingvellir National Park, Geysir, and Gullfoss). Since it's peak season, I assume we will have to make a reservation ahead of time. The problem is that we don't know exactly when we will get there. If we book a slot at 4 PM, what's their definition: can we enter at 3:30 or 4:30? How strictly do they enforce it?
What's the best estimate of how much time to spend at the 3 previous location, if we have to plan it precisely in order to get to Secret Lagoon right on time? I am guessing 45 minutes at Geysir and 1 hr at Gullfoss as both attractions are pretty "defined". Thingvellir National Park is the X factor as I have read some people spend 1 hr and some spend 3 or 4 hrs. So what's the optimal amount of time at Thingvellier? ChatGPT suggested a 90 minute itinerary and a 3-hr itinerary. If you have been there, what's your take?

Posted by Mardee

Duluth, MN🌲

11935 posts

Hi, Phaser, you might want to read the FAQs on the Secret Lagoon website. Here is one that addresses your issue. A lot is really going to depend on how busy they are. I would imagine they would be pretty busy in July, so that might affect what happens.

What happens if I arrive before or after my reserved timeslot?

Please read our terms and conditions, which apply to all online bookings. We understand there could be many reasons for last minute changes. We will try our best to accommodate you, however, we cannot guarantee you admission outside of your reservation. We therefore urge our guests to arrive on time.

Another option might be checking out Laugarás Lagoon, which is fairly new. That's where my daughter and I are going in July. It might be less crowded and it would certainly be closer to you. https://laugaraslagoon.is/

EDIT: Also, you might want to check out this thread, which is a comparison between all the lagoons in Iceland that mikliz97 started, who is the definitive expert here on the forum about Iceland. 😊 https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/iceland/iceland-lagoon-comparisons

So what's the optimal amount of time at Thingvellier?

When I was there in 2018, I absolutely loved that place, and we were there for several hours. But a lot depends on you. It's a big place, and there's a lot to see, but you can leave whenever you want.

Posted by Phaser OP

04/21/26 09:00 PM

56 posts

I did read the terms and conditions on Secret Lagoon website, and it didn't answer my question. It said "to arrive on time", and "they will try to accommodate if you arrive early or late". So how do they define "early or late"? What I don't want happen is to get there 15 minutes after the reservation time and be told "you lost your spot".

We are probably going to do both Secret Lagoon and Laugaras Lagoon on 2 different days. I have the same question on how they define the time slot at Laugaras Lagoon.

I guess I will email both places to get a clarification.

Posted by mikliz97

Snohomish, WA

04/22/26 02:09 PM

3919 posts

I would email to be sure. Blue Lagoon does state that they will allow you in within an hour of your reservation, but I do not know about Secret Lagoon. It is too bad they don't mention this on their website, but I would guess it depends on how busy they are.

Since you have an idea of how long you want at the other sites, you may consider soaking after those and then doing Thingvellir after that so you can spend as much time as you please.

I would allow a bit more time at Gullfoss if you plan to check out their gift shop. It is extensive and we always spend time in there as well as at the falls themselves.

As or Thingvellir, we have run the gamut on that, from short visits to 2-3 hours. So it just depends on you, and possibly the weather. On our visit last month it was quite short as it was so icy that we didn't want to walk very far.