Most Reasonably Priced Purchase in Reykjavik: A 60-Minute Massage

Lyn Spa offers manicures, pedicures, facials and Swedish massages.

Overview

Spa: Lyn Spa

Location: Vatnsstígur 3 101 Reykjavik, Iceland

Visit: August 2026

Recommend: When I visited, Lyn Spa offered the 60-minute massage at rates considerably lower than rates available in my local area. I received a relaxing Swedish massage the same day we arrived in Iceland after a red-eye flight.

Background:

Portions of Iceland, and other parts of the world, experienced a total solar eclipse on 12 August 2026. I visited Iceland to experience the eclipse.

With prices in touristy areas of Iceland being higher than I am used to spending for meals, transit and lodging, Lyn Spa offered a very reasonably priced Swedish massage session that helped decrease jet lag. In comparison, the Blue Lagoon - a very popular hot spring near the international airport - offers a 30-minute massage for $174.00. Transport to the Blue Lagoon (from a Reykjavik hotel or the international airport the price is the same) is roughly $140 round trip. I chose to walk five minutes from my hotel to Lyn Spa and get a 60-minute massage for $87.00.

Woman wearing a maroon hat walking down a hill towards a shop with a store sign of Lyn Spa

Lyn Spa is on a street perpendicular to Laugavegur Street, a well-known pedestrian-friendly area in Reykjavik.

Facilities

I initially attempted to schedule a massage at highly rated spas in the heart of the city center, closer to the Harpa Concert Hall. When I asked the hotel receptionist for assistance in securing a session, she recommended Lyn Spa which was less than a five minute walk from the hotel. The hotel receptionist scheduled the “Klassískt nudd - Classic massage 60 mins” to start in ten minutes.

 
 
Woman sewed in a plush chair in front of a sign with the Lyn Spa logo and title.

The chair by the front door provides a place to relax in the facility before the session.

I arrived five minutes before my session. An employee greeted me at the front door, confirmed I had just made the appointment, then led me to a treatment room adjacent to the main room. With only five minutes before my session started, I noted the chair by the front door as a place to relax in the facility before the session.

In these reviews, I like to give an overview of the restrooms and other facilities. At Lyn Spa, I saw only the main room and the treatment room. I didn’t have time to visit the restroom before the session and forgot to make a pitstop after the session.

I entered the main room from the street. It has a large picture window which brings light onto the row of pedicure chairs placed along one wall of the main room. A few, unoccupied manicure tables form neatly arranged rows near the large window. In the center of the room, a counter-height table held the business cards and possibly a checkout station.

The treatment room had equipment for facials. A massage table with plush bedding filled the center of the room. A sliding door, similar to the barn door style with a flowing curtain separated the treatment room from the hallway and the main room. This sliding door provided privacy while allowing sounds from guests/staff in the main room to enter. Fortunately, no one was getting a pedicure or manicure when my massage started. At the end of my session, I could hear people talking in the main room.

Massage table with a plush blanket over it and a face rest at the top of the table

Massage table had plush blankets in August because the temperature was in the 50s F.

A small wooden chair was placed near the end of the massage table. Not seeing hooks on the wall, I placed my clothes and personal items on the chair.

I wasn’t familiar with the type of face rest on the massage table because it didn’t extend past the table. It lacked an opening to allow air to flow easily. To feel comfortable, I lay on my back and waited for the therapist to return.

Session

When the therapist entered, she spoke Icelandic. I only knew how to say hello and thank you (“takk”) in Icelandic so we had a communication barrier which she broke by using hand signals. She gestured for me to roll over, to lie face down (known as prone). I complied, then arranged the face rest to create more air flow.

As mentioned in previous posts, the therapist providing the service makes a huge difference. I don’t know the name of the therapist who provided my session (I am pretty sure someone said it). For my 60-minute session, the therapist started by standing at the head of the table and using familiar Swedish techniques on my back. I fell asleep at some point and woke up when I sensed she had gotten on the table to continue working on my back muscles. She used some techniques similar to those used in Thai massages.

When the session came to an end, the therapist used warm cloths to wipe oil from my arms, legs and back. I appreciated this step to close the session. I just wonder if I was never asked to roll over (i.e., I stayed prone for the entire session) because of our inability to speak a common language.

TIPS FOR Planning a VISIT to Lyn SpA

Happy cat on table beside a large vase filled with orange flowers. Pedicure chairs in the background.

Pedicure stations lining the back wall are visible from the front door.

1. Scheduling online helps secure your desired session before arriving in Iceland. The spa receptionist accepted my last minute appointment when the hotel receptionist called with a request for a session on my behalf.

2. Lyn Spa accepted credit cards for payment. In Iceland, tipping is not expected for those working in the service industry.

3. The massage facility is conveniently located just a few steps from Laugavegur Street, a major shopping/tourist thoroughfare in Reykjavik. Laugavegur Street intersects with Skólavörðustígur (aka Rainbow) Street. At this point, the colorfully painted stripes begin then lead up a gradual hill to Hallgrimskirkja, a landmark church with a tower for getting a birds-eye view of the city.

RESULTS: INFORMING SERVICES AT FIBRE

  • At fibre:  A Homespun Spa, we follow the no-tipping customs used by the service industry in Iceland. The rate listed on the website is the amount paid. To show appreciation for services at fibre, as in Iceland, you can choose to do any of the following:

    • Say “thank you”

    • Leave a positive review on Google, Yelp or Trip Advisor

    • Recommend fibre to others

  • At fibre:  A Homespun Spa, we usually address the posterior and the anterior parts of the body during a 60-minute session. When a client is unable to lay face down, we offer the option to receive the massage while side-lying by providing bolsters and pillows for support (specifically the Oak Works Side Lying System).

  • At fibre:  A Homespun Spa, we end our sessions by using a warm cloth to wipe the client’s feet. This is similar to the wiping of my arms, legs and back at Lyn Spa. We will continue with the warm cloths on the feet.

    Please use the code TAKK for 10% off any regular priced service at fibre: A Homespun Spa. Expires 30 September 2026.

Massage Therapy, Self CareJulia Donkin