Steaming under an open sky. Gathering around the table. Exploring Iceland through its waters, warmth, and connection — six nights, an intentionally small group.
A free 30-minute call with Alisa — no pressure, every question welcome.
Most people visit Iceland and see waterfalls, glaciers, and hot springs. We’re going to experience Iceland through its bathing culture.
For seven days, we’ll follow a rhythm that has shaped life here for generations: heat, cold, water, conversation, nourishment, and time outdoors. We’ll visit geothermal lagoons, historic pools, hidden bathing places, mobile saunas, and gathering spaces where locals have been connecting through water for centuries. Not as spectators. As participants.
Because something shifts when you spend a week moving at the pace of nature instead of the pace of your inbox. The noise begins to quiet. Conversations deepen. Your senses wake up. You notice the smell of the sea, the warmth of mineral-rich water on your skin, the feeling of standing in cold air beneath a vast Icelandic sky.
By the end of the week, you’ll have seen remarkable places. But what stays with most people isn’t the places themselves. It’s the feeling of being fully present inside them, and the realization that maybe life doesn’t have to feel quite so rushed when you return home.
“The most magical, cozy, and rejuvenating experience— I felt like I was transported to a Christmas village in the middle of Iceland.”— Nordic Nights guest · ★★★★★
Lower into water warm enough to undo you. Step out into air sharp enough to wake every nerve. Sit in the quiet that lands right after — the one that feels like your body exhaling for the first time in months. Then do it again, the way it’s meant to be done.
A private lake in southern Iceland. A real sauna host leading the rounds. No lines, no lockers, no rush — just the oldest reset there is, done properly.
Not included: airfare, passport/visa, travel insurance, and the arrival-day transfer from Keflavík to Sky Lagoon. Booking & payments handled through the Howl at the Moon store; payment plans available.
Alisa runs an actual bathing-culture business — this is her craft, not a vendor she booked.
One quiet home for our group, not a hotel-and-bus circuit.
Nearly every meal by a private chef, all transfers, an intimate group. Other trips exclude meals and pack the bus full. This isn’t that.
Our week lands in the dark half of the lunar cycle: a waning crescent thinning to a new moon the day we fly home. That means almost no moonlight to wash out the sky, right in the heart of northern-lights season.
We can’t promise the sky will perform, but the timing is about as good as it gets.
Moon phase over the expedition, November 2–8, 2026. New moon falls November 9, the day we fly home.
On a secluded peninsula on Lake Gíslholtsvatn in southern Iceland sits a private waterfront home that blends old-world Scandinavian charm with modern Nordic design. It’s designed for community: rather than packing and unpacking each night, you settle into one beautiful property on a private lake for the whole expedition. A library with a wood-burning stove, a south-facing dining room over the lake, a fireside living room, a full kitchen, quiet bedrooms made for slow mornings, a sauna with a lake view and picture windows, and a lakeside geothermal soaking pool steps from the door.
Double occupancy · payment plans available
Single occupancy · payment plans available
Single occupancy · payment plans available
A-frame ensuite · payment plans available
Reserve through the Howl at the Moon store. Traveling as a couple? The private lake-view guest house works for two — just ask. Payment plans spread the cost across the months before the trip (for example, the $6,600 room is about $1,100/month over six), and custom payment plans are available.
The expedition lasts seven days. What stays with you lasts far beyond that.
You’ll bring home a way of moving through the day that feels less rushed and more rooted. What it feels like to wake up rested, eat slowly, pay attention, and be fully present in your own life.
The rituals of bathing, heat, cold, rest, and connection, don’t belong to Iceland. They’re simple practices you can return to long after the trip is over. Practices, not souvenirs.
You’ll experience an Iceland most visitors never encounter. Not just its landscapes, but the traditions, gathering places, and bathing culture that shape everyday life.
There’s something about sharing adventures, meals, and meaningful experiences that brings people together. Don’t be surprised if the people you meet remain part of your life long after the journey ends.
★★★★★ Howl at the Moon Sauna Co. holds 65 five-star reviews and climbing
From Alisa’s own sauna guests and co-host Anna’s past retreats — the same hands behind Iceland, including Chef Abbey.
The most magical, cozy, and rejuvenating experience… I felt like I was transported to a Christmas village in the middle of Iceland.
— Nordic Nights guest · Howl at the MoonThis trip changed my life!… nourished my body, soul, and spirit.
— JG · Wandering Roots retreatIt’s like a magical portal!… sauna gives you what you need.
— Visiting sauna practitioner · Howl at the MoonA weekend of relaxing, good conversation and connection.
— Howl at the Moon sauna guestThe food Abbey made blew me away… I left with my cup overflowing.
— HM · Wandering Roots retreatThe attention to detail made the entire experience unforgettable and invigorating!
— Howl at the Moon sauna guest
Heat isn’t the only thing that brings people together. Each evening, after a day spent exploring, soaking, and moving through the Icelandic landscape, we gather around the table to share stories, laughter, and good food made by our private chef from fresh, seasonal ingredients.
The meals are nourishing, but they’re about more than what’s on the plate. These dinners become part of the rhythm of the week, another place to connect, reflect, and savor where you are before tomorrow’s adventure begins.
Founder of Howl at the Moon Sauna Co. Left corporate burnout in 2021 and built a business on bathing culture and rest. She hosts the water. She has personally scouted this trip in advance, so she knows exactly what you’re walking into — no guesswork.
25+ hosted retreats around the world. She handles the travel so the week runs like water — and she’s been to Iceland before.
Every meal made from scratch, with allergies and dietary needs handled with ease — soulful, place-rooted food that deepens the whole week.
Between Alisa and Anna, this isn’t a first-timer’s guess — it’s a team that has done the trip and the bathing both.
All-inclusive once you land — lodging, nearly every meal, bathing, transfers. Flexible payment plans available; airfare and insurance separate.
Your spot, protected — a free consult before you commit · payment plans · and we help you set up cancel-for-any-reason travel insurance.
★★★★★ 65 five-star reviews for Howl at the Moon Sauna Co.
A no-pressure 30-minute consult with Alisa before you commit a cent.
Payment plans spread the cost across the months before the trip.
Deposits are non-refundable, so we help you set up cancel-for-any-reason travel insurance and provide claim documentation.
A glimpse of the world you’ll step into.
The Blue Lagoon is one stop on a trip, a spa treatment you receive once. This expedition is an immersion into Iceland’s bathing culture. We experience a variety of thermal waters, saunas, cold plunges, and gathering places while exploring how bathing is woven into everyday life in Iceland — hosted by a sauna and bathing industry professional, in a group small enough to feel like your own.
It’s different for everyone, but many people describe feeling calmer, more present, sleeping better, thinking more clearly, and reconnecting with parts of themselves that get lost in the rush of daily life.
Possibly, and we are well set up for it. Early November is right in northern-lights season, and our private lake sits far from any city glow, which is ideal for viewing. This year the timing is even better: our week falls in the dark half of the lunar cycle, with a new moon the day we fly home, so there is almost no moonlight to wash out the sky. That said, the lights are a natural phenomenon and need clear skies, so no honest host can promise them. What we can promise is the right place at the right time of year.
Cold but manageable, usually 30-40°F, often wet, and gloriously changeable - rain, fog, sun, and snow can all show up in a day. The lowlands by our lake are more likely mossy and volcanic than snow-covered, while the highland day often has snow-dusted peaks. The daylight is short and low, which is part of the magic: long golden light by day and cozy, candlelit evenings. We send a full packing list so you are ready for all of it (layers are the whole game).
Perfect - most guests come solo, and it is the best way to make new friends. Every guest (and host) shows up a little nervous about being accepted exactly as they are. You will be in great company; we have perfected the art of making besties out of strangers.
There is Wi-Fi in the common areas and your room, so you are reachable if you truly need to be - but the whole point is that there is nothing to get back to for seven days. Our guilt-free rhythm makes it easy to actually let go.
We specialize in a guilt-free culture. Our choose-your-own-adventure approach asks nothing of you - opt out of anything that does not serve you in the moment. Do everything or do nothing; we are here for you either way.
Chef Abbey handles any allergy or dietary need - and the pickiest of eaters - with ease. She loves curating a from-scratch menu authentic to the area, and yes, she has you covered.
Yes — flexible payment plans are standard. Our monthly plans split the balance evenly across the months remaining before the trip, to keep things simple and transparent. Custom payment plans are available by reaching out directly.
Included: 6 nights in the private lakefront home, nearly all meals by Chef Abbey, all bathing experiences and rituals, all excursions and guides, airport transfers (KEF) and in-country transport, and expert help booking flights and insurance. Not included: airfare, passport/visa, travel insurance, and the arrival-day transfer from Keflavik to Sky Lagoon. From $6,600 per person.
A full suggested packing list is sent once you reserve - and you can preview ours now: the Iceland itinerary & packing list (PDF). (Permission granted to buy a new swimsuit, by the way.)
We are committed to making every guest feel comfortable and safe. There is a place on the registration form to share any injuries or concerns, or you can reach out to Alisa directly to build a plan for your needs.
Wellness looks different for everyone, so we never impose strict rules. You are always welcome to bring your own, and sometimes there are complimentary drinks. Whatever your preference, it is never an issue. Participation in bathing experiences is safest when alcohol consumption is moderate and mindful.
Yes, though it can be limited depending on your carrier and the location. Wi-Fi is available in the common areas and in each room.
Booking and payment are handled through the Howl at the Moon store, at howlatthemoonsaunaco.com/store/p/iceland. The expedition is co-hosted with Wandering Roots, but reservations go through Howl directly. Flexible and custom payment plans are available.
All payments are non-refundable and non-transferable, so we strongly encourage comprehensive travel insurance (including cancel-for-any-reason coverage); we will provide documentation to support a claim if needed. A few terms: you must be 18+, your passport must be valid at least six months beyond the trip, and a liability waiver is required before participation.
Yes, and yes - bathing is for every body and every week of the month. Women have enjoyed sauna for generations through every stage of life, including during menstruation. As always, listen to your body and do what feels comfortable for you.
Not sure yet? Book a free, no-pressure consult with Alisa — or grab the full itinerary and sit with it.
Or get “The Iceland Bathing Expedition — full itinerary & what to pack”
Get the itinerary & packing list (PDF)Goes to a dedicated Iceland interest list — not the sauna-rental emails.