How to Spend an Afternoon at Iceland’s Beer Spa

Iceland

Dec 19

Bjórböðin Beer Spa Restaurant Building from outside

Have you ever dreamed of taking a bath in a tub filled with beer? The beer does wonders for your hair and skin, and it is super relaxing.

The Beer Spa is a must-do activity in North Iceland. How can you turn down bathing in a tub filled with beer?! This experience was so unique and relaxing. We cannot recommend it enough.

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After whale watching in Hjalteyri, we drove to the Beer Spa or Bjórböðin. The drive took us about 20 minutes. When we arrived, we did not have a reservation for the beer bath. Luckily, there was an opening for us, but we had to wait about an hour or so. It was not a problem because the Beer Spa has an outdoor area with two hot tubs. The views from the hot tubs are spectacular! Use of the hot tub and sauna is in the price of the beer bath. If you don’t want to do the beer bath, you can pay 2.000 ISK ($15) per person to use the hot tubs and sauna.

Before entering the hot tubs, you must shower first. The spa provides shampoo and beer shower gel. You are given a key for a locker and escorted to the shower/changing area. You can also rent towels and bathrobes from the reception, but you are given a bathrobe for after the beer bath free of charge.

We chatted with some other travelers in the hot tub, and before we knew it, it was our turn for the highly anticipated beer bath.

The receptionist then escorts you to your private beer tub room. There are seven beer tubs at the spa, and each one can accommodate up to two people at a time. The bathwater consists of water, beer, hops, and yeast. The price for the beer bath is 11,900 ISK ($91) for a single bath and 19,900 ISK ($153) for a couples bath.

Children can participate in the beer bath because the bathwater is not drinkable, and you do not get drunk from bathing in the water. Anyone over the age of 20 can enjoy the beer tap while relaxing in the beer bath.

The spa recommends that you not use swimwear while in the beer bath.

The water was warm (37 - 39°C), and the beer aroma filled the room. Once we settled into the tub, it was time to pour ourselves a giant glass of beer. Luckily, the beer tap was right at the foot of the bathtub, so it was very convenient. The beer that they use at the spa is Kaldi beer. It was a light beer that tasted great!

There is a call button that you can use if there is a problem. We had to use this once because the tap was only producing foam. Someone immediately came and fixed the problem, so we could go back to enjoying the bath.

Ali and Holly in Beer Bath Toasting with Beers

We thought it would be amusing to pour beer on top of our heads from our glasses. Why not? The tub comes with a tap with unlimited beer, and we were already in a bathtub filled with beer. Pouring beer on our heads was a great way to entertain ourselves!

Time in the beer bath flies. Before we knew it, the 25 minutes were up. After the time is up, a staff member will knock on your door to let you know it is time to go to the relaxation room.

Before you leave the beer bathroom, be sure to fill up your glass with more beer because you can take it with you to the restaurant.

The relaxation room is on the upper floor of the beer spa. It has rows of beds with comfortable blankets and pillows. A staff member will tuck you in and leave you alone for 25 minutes of rest. The relaxation session was ideal after the beer bath. Once again, someone will let you know when your time finishes in the relaxation room.

Now it is time to head to the changing rooms to get dressed and collect your belongings. The beer spa also recommends that you do not shower after the beer bath because the beer is beneficial for your hair and skin. We listened to their recommendations, and we can honestly say that our skin felt smooth after the beer bath. Be careful because the hops seem to get everywhere because they were in our hair.

A restaurant is in the same building as the beer spa. Since we were hungry, we decided to give it a try. We ordered the Lobster Naan Bread, and the Kaldi Burger. The food was tasty but expensive. Most things in Iceland are pricey, so we were prepared. Our server was friendly and let us sample the beer on draught.