The Sky Lagoon 7-Step Skjól Ritual, Step by Step

The 7-step Skjól ritual is the thing people actually fly to Sky Lagoon for. “Skjól” means shelter, and the ritual is a fixed sequence of seven stations — warm water, cold water, sauna, mist, scrub, steam and a crowberry finish — that you move through at your own pace inside the turf-house wing of the lagoon. It is included in every admission pass, Saman and Sér alike; there is no separate “ritual upgrade” to buy. Most visitors take an unhurried 45 to 60 minutes to complete the full circuit.

Sky Lagoon itself sits on the Kársnes seafront in Kópavogur, about 10–15 minutes from central Reykjavík, with a 75-metre infinity edge looking out over Skerjafjörður. It opened in 2021, and the ritual was designed around the same idea as the lagoon — an Icelandic bathing tradition staged at the literal edge of the sea.

The seven steps, in order

1 · Laug — the warm lagoon. You start in the geothermal lagoon itself, bath-warm water with the infinity edge dissolving into the ocean. Tip: don’t rush this — let your muscles loosen and your body warm right through before the cold.

2 · Kuldi — the cold plunge. A short, sharp dip into cold water. It’s brief and bracing, and the warm-then-cold contrast is the whole point. Exhale slowly and you’ll last longer than you think.

3 · Ylur — the sauna. A warm sauna with a wide window facing the sea — the warmth comes with a view, which makes it easy to linger. This is where the heat really sinks in after the plunge.

4 · Súld — the cold mist. Step under a cool drizzle that resets you between the heat steps. A gentler cooldown than the plunge, and a nice palate-cleanser before the scrub.

5 · Mýkt — the Sky Body Scrub. You work in Sky Lagoon’s own salt-and-mineral body scrub to exfoliate and soften the skin. This is the famous Sky Body Scrub — it’s part of the ritual, not an add-on. If you have allergies, glance at the ingredients first.

6 · Gufa — the steam room. Steam opens up everything the scrub started, so the minerals settle in. Stay until you feel the scrub fully absorb, then rinse.

7 · Saft — shower and crowberry elixir. You shower off, then taste krækiber — the wild Icelandic crowberry — as a small drink to close the circuit. Most people drift straight back into the lagoon afterward, skin tingling.

Do you have to do every step — and in order?

No. The seven steps are a recommended flow, not a rulebook. The warm-cold-warm rhythm works best in sequence — that contrast bathing is the tradition the ritual is built on — but nobody is timing you. You can repeat the lagoon and sauna as often as you like, linger longer at a step you enjoy, or skip the cold plunge if it isn’t for you. Going in order simply gives you the experience as it was designed.

How long it takes, and whether it’s worth it

Done unhurried, the full ritual runs about 45 to 60 minutes, though plenty of people stretch a visit to two or three hours by cycling back through the lagoon. Reviewers consistently single the ritual out as the highlight — the scrub-and-steam combination and the cold plunge come up again and again as the moments that made the trip. Because it’s bundled into the price rather than sold separately, the ritual is effectively free value on top of lagoon access: there’s no reason not to do it.

It’s included in every pass

Both the Saman pass (shared changing, from about $116 — check live pricing) and the Sér pass (private changing room, from about $145) include the same lagoon access, the same full 7-step ritual, a towel, and the Sky Body Scrub. The only difference between the passes is the changing experience, not the ritual. A bar drink is not included, and the minimum age is 12. Whichever pass you pick, the seven steps are identical.

Before you go, see what to bring to Sky Lagoon and the full breakdown of Sky Lagoon cost. Ready to soak? Check availability and pick your time.