Wild hot springs you hike to

There is a particular joy in a hot spring you have to reach on foot. The walk warms you up, the crowds thin out, and the soak at the end feels truly earned. These are Iceland's finest wild baths, each one a small adventure with a warm reward.

Reykjadalur hot river

The most accessible of the wild soaks, an hour from Reykjavík. A scenic walk up a steaming valley above Hveragerði leads to a warm river you simply lie down in, choosing your temperature by moving up or down the stream. Allow around three hours return, and bring layers, the valley can be breezy.

Laugarvellir, eastern highlands

A warm waterfall and natural pool in the highlands above the eastern valleys, bathing under falling warm water in deep quiet. Best reached on a guided 4x4 and walk day in summer and early autumn, when the highland tracks are open. One of the most memorable soaks in the country.

Landmannalaugar, the highlands

The jewel of the central highlands, where rhyolite mountains glow in bands of colour and a natural warm stream waits at the end of the famous Laugavegur trail. A summer only destination reached by highland bus or super jeep, the soak after a day among those peaks is unforgettable.

Seljavallalaug, south coast

A historic pool built into a mountainside, reached by a gentle 15 to 20 minute walk through a green valley off the south coast. Rustic and atmospheric, come for the setting and the sense of stepping back in time.

Stay safe in the wild

• Check the weather before you set out, conditions change fast, especially in the highlands.
• Wear proper shoes and bring layers, water and a bag for wet kit.
• Test the water by hand first; natural springs vary and some patches run very hot.
• Tread lightly, stay on paths and take everything home to protect these fragile places.
• For highland springs, go guided unless you are experienced; rivers and tracks need local knowledge.

The walk is part of the bath, by the time you reach the water, you have already begun to slow down.