Vesturbæjarlaug

What to expect

Vesturbæjarlaug is the local pool of Vesturbær, the old western district of Reykjavík between the harbour, the university and Seltjarnarnes. It opened in 1961. The neighbourhood raised money for it through the 1950s, and that collection also paid for the painted ceiling and walls at the entrance and a large aquarium in the lobby. The city describes it as a long-standing meeting place for the people who live around it, and that is the right way to think about it.

This is not a spa. It is where west Reykjavík comes to swim laps before work, sit in the hot tub after it and talk about the news. On a cold evening the big whirlpool fills with regulars, students from the nearby university and the odd visitor who has worked out that this is a better way to spend ISK 1,500 than most things in the city. The pool is busy, friendly and plain, which is part of the appeal.

It is a little smaller and older than Laugardalslaug in the east of the city, and it feels more like a neighbourhood pool for it. The building was designed by Bárður Ísleifsson and Jes Einar Þorsteinsson.

The pools

Reykjavík publishes the figures for each pool and tub:

• Main pool: 25 by 12.5 m, five lanes, 0.9 to 3.8 m deep, 81 to 86°F27 to 30°C. It is outdoors.
• Children’s pool: 90°F32°C, with a children’s slide.
• Wading pool: 33 square metres at 99°F37°C, a warm splash area for small children.
• Large whirlpool: 59 square metres at 102°F39°C. This is the social heart of the pool.
• Hot tub and small whirlpool: both 101.5°F38.6°C.
• Hottest tub: 110.5°F43.6°C. Short stays only.
• Cold tub: 46 to 54°F8 to 12°C.
• Steam room: 28 square metres, shared.
• Saunas: two saunas and a large infrared sauna, added with a new shower and rest area in 2025.

A double hot tub with massage jets was added in 2014. The pool has private changing rooms, outdoor changing rooms and baby-changing facilities, and sells swimwear at the desk.

Getting there

The pool is on Hofsvallagata, 107 Reykjavík, in the Melar part of Vesturbær.

• On foot: About 1.5 km (1 mile) west of Austurvöllur square in the old centre, roughly 20 minutes’ walk through residential streets.
• By car: Head west from the centre on Hringbraut, then turn north onto Hofsvallagata. There is parking beside the pool, but it fills at busy times, so expect to use nearby streets.
• By bus: Several Strætó routes run through Vesturbær. Check the Strætó trip planner for the nearest stop and current lines.
• From Seltjarnarnes: Seltjarnarneslaug is about 1.5 km (1 mile) further west if you want to try both.

Everything is on one level from the entrance to the pool deck.

When to go

The pool is open all year. A winter evening in the whirlpool with steam rising into the dark is a very Reykjavík way to spend an hour.

• Quietest: late mornings and early afternoons on weekdays.
• Busiest: early mornings (lap swimmers), after school and weekend afternoons.
• School and club use: from late August through June, parts of the pool can be set aside for school swimming and training. Ask at the desk if you want a lane.
• Maintenance closure: the city closes each pool for about a week in summer for repairs. In 2026 Vesturbæjarlaug was shut from 23 to 30 June, so check the city site if you are visiting in late June.

Holiday hours in 2026: 11:00 to 17:00 on most public holidays, 13:00 to 17:00 on Good Friday and Easter Sunday. Over Christmas: 06:30 to 18:00 on 23 December, 08:00 to 13:00 on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve, closed on Christmas Day, 11:00 to 17:00 on Boxing Day and 13:00 to 17:00 on 1 January 2027.

Prices and booking

There is nothing to book. Pay at the front desk. Reykjavík’s price list in force from 5 May 2026:

• Adult single entry: ISK 1,500
• Children aged 10 to 17: ISK 400
• Children under 10 with an adult: free
• 10-visit adult card: ISK 7,000 (valid four years)
• Adult annual card: ISK 34,000
• Towel rental ISK 860, swimsuit rental ISK 1,270, or ISK 2,770 for swim, towel and swimsuit

The Reykjavík pool card. Multi-visit and annual tickets are loaded onto Reykjavíkurkortið, the city’s access card, which costs ISK 1,000 to issue at any city pool. It only pays off if you are in town for a while.

The Reykjavík City Card. Visit Reykjavík’s card (ISK 6,100 for 24 hours, ISK 8,500 for 48 hours, ISK 10,500 for 72 hours) includes Vesturbæjarlaug and the other city pools, plus buses and many museums.

Bathing culture

Icelandic pools run on firm rules, and the staff at Vesturbæjarlaug enforce them.

• Shower naked before you swim. Shoes off at the changing room door, then undress fully and wash with soap before putting on your swimsuit. Icelandic regulation makes this a legal requirement at pools, not just a custom.
• Swimsuits in the water. Changing rooms are separate for men and women, with private cubicles for anyone who prefers them.
• Children under 10 need a swimmer aged 15 or older with them.
• Dry off before you walk back to the lockers.
• Hot tub manners: talk if you like, but keep it low, and do not swim laps in the tubs.

Where to stay nearby

Vesturbær is a residential district, so most visitors stay in central Reykjavík, about 20 minutes away on foot, where there is the full range of hotels and guesthouses. Hotels around the University of Iceland and Hringbraut are closer. For campers, the main Reykjavík Campsite is in Laugardalur in the east of the city, beside Laugardalslaug.

Safety notes

• Deep water: the main pool reaches 3.8 m (12.5 ft) at the deep end. Weak swimmers and children should stay in the shallow end or the children’s pool.
• Hot tub heat: the 110°F43.6°C tub is very hot. Keep soaks short and get out if you feel dizzy.
• Cold tub: brief plunges only. Skip it if you have a heart condition.
• Icy decks: wet tiles can freeze at the edges in winter. Walk, do not run.

Nearby stops worth adding

The Kvika footbath on the Seltjarnarnes shore near Grótta lighthouse is a free stone basin of warm geothermal water a short drive west, best on a clear winter evening. Back in the centre, Sundhöll Reykjavíkur is the city’s oldest indoor pool, and Laugardalslaug is the biggest.

See also: Seltjarnarneslaug, Kvika Footbath, Sundhöll Reykjavíkur and Laugardalslaug.