Concept V2 · “The Reset” — compare: V1 The Forced Stop · V3 The Bathing One · overview
Iceland Bathing Expedition · Nov 2–8, 2026

Remember what rested actually feels like?

Six nights in Iceland where your only job is to let your whole system come down. Come home as someone who rests on purpose.

8 of 10 spots left
The tired sleep doesn’t fix

You sleep eight hours and still wake up braced. Somewhere along the way, “rested” quietly dropped off the menu — and you stopped noticing it was gone.

It’s not more sleep you’re missing. It’s the deeper setting underneath it — the one that lets your shoulders actually drop, your jaw unclench, your mind stop running the list. The kind of rest a weekend can’t reach because the week is always right there waiting.

This is six nights built for exactly that reset. Heat, cold water, cold air, long quiet, nothing to manage — until your body remembers a calm it had forgotten was available.

The arrival

The first exhale you didn’t have to force.

You lower into the warm water and feel something let go that’s been clenched for months. No phone buzzing in another room. No tomorrow to brace for. Just steam off a dark lake and the slow, strange relief of a body finally standing down.

Six nights at a private lakefront home in southern Iceland — hot water, cold air the way locals actually bathe it, every meal handled, and a small group of ten guests here for the same reason you are.

A woman in a steaming geothermal lagoon, reaching forward
Into the warm water — the first exhale.
What’s handled (so you don’t have to)

Nothing to plan. That’s the point.

Not included: airfare, passport/visa, travel insurance, and the arrival-day transfer from Keflavík to Sky Lagoon. Booking & payments handled by Wandering Roots; 6-payment plan available.

The private lakefront home on Lake Gislholtsvatn
Our home for the week, on Lake G\x{ed}slholtsvatn.
Your home base

One private lakefront home — yours for the week.

On a secluded peninsula on Lake G\x{ed}slholtsvatn in southern Iceland: a private waterfront home that blends old-world Scandinavian charm with modern Nordic design. A library with a wood-burning stove, a south-facing dining room over the lake, a fireside living room, a full kitchen, and quiet bedrooms made for slow mornings — with a lakeside geothermal soaking pool steps from the door.

$6,600

Shared room, shared bath

Double occupancy · 6 payments of $1,099

$7,200

Private room, shared bath

Single occupancy · 6 payments of $1,199

$7,800

Private room, ensuite

Single occupancy · 6 payments of $1,299

$8,400

Private guest house + lake view

A-frame ensuite · 6 payments of $1,399

Reserve your room through Wandering Roots. A 6-payment plan is available across the year.

The Monday after

What you’ll carry home.

The trip is seven days. The reset is the part that comes back with you.

A nervous system that actually reset

You’ll remember what rested feels like — the deep kind, the kind you’d quietly given up on.

Someone who rests on purpose

You come home knowing the off-switch is real — and that you’re allowed to reach for it without earning it first.

A ritual you can keep

Heat, cold, pause. A small, repeatable way to find the calm again on an ordinary Tuesday — not a one-time splurge.

A pack that lasts

Nine other people who went down into the same quiet. Friendships that outlast the week.

What people say

You don’t have to take our word for it.

★★★★★  Howl at the Moon Sauna Co. holds 62 five-star reviews

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 Moon

This trip changed my life!… nourished my body, soul, and spirit.

— JG · Wandering Roots retreat

It’s like a magical portal!… sauna gives you what you need.

— Visiting sauna practitioner · Howl at the Moon

A weekend of relaxing, good conversation and connection.

— Howl at the Moon sauna guest

The food Abbey made blew me away… I left with my cup overflowing.

— HM · Wandering Roots retreat

The attention to detail made the entire experience unforgettable and invigorating!

— Howl at the Moon sauna guest
Art direction: a slow, lamplit dinner at the lodge — candlelight, the lake going dark in the window, no rush. Warmth and ease, not a menu shot.
The table

Dinner is the other soak.

Every meal is cooked from scratch by a private chef, in the house, for the ten of you. You come in from the cold, hair still damp, and there’s something warm and unhurried waiting. No reservations, no deciding, no check.

The water resets your body. The long, lamplit table resets the rest of you — the unrushed dinners where the week finally slows all the way down.

An honest filter

Who this is — and isn’t — for.

This is for you if…

  • You’re rested-on-paper but never actually rested
  • You want deep restoration, not a packed itinerary
  • You’re ready to let go for a week — and let that be enough
  • You’d rather a quiet lodge of ten than a hotel of strangers
  • You can travel solo and come home with a pack

It’s probably not for you if…

  • You want a see-everything Iceland tour
  • You’re not willing to mostly unplug for a week
  • You’re looking for the cheapest trip on the board
  • Slowing all the way down sounds more stressful than restful
Your hosts

Led by people who actually live this.

Alisa in the doorway of the mobile sauna
Alisa

Alisa — the Sauna Wolf

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.

Anna VanAgtmael
Anna

Anna — Wandering Roots

25+ hosted retreats around the world. She handles the travel so the week runs like water — and she’s been to Iceland before.

Chef Abbey Hunter
Chef Abbey

Chef Abbey Hunter

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.

8 of 10 spots left for Nov 2–8
$6,600–8,400 per person

All-inclusive once you land — lodging, every meal, bathing, transfers. Flexible payment plan available; airfare and insurance separate.

★★★★★  62 five-star reviews for Howl at the Moon Sauna Co.

Inside the week

Picture yourself here.

Real moments from the expedition — every photo here is from the trip itself.

Good to know

Questions, answered honestly.

How is this different from the Blue Lagoon or a spa day?

A spa is a treatment you receive once. This is bathing culture you live inside for a week - a private lake, real heat-and-cold rounds and the modern Gusa ritual, hosted by a working sauna host, in a group small enough to feel like yours.

What does a nervous-system reset actually feel like?

Less like a spa glow, more like remembering a setting you forgot you had - slower, clearer, less braced. We are careful not to make medical promises; this is about how you feel and who you come home as.

I am coming solo and do not know anyone - is that okay?

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.

Can I really unplug for a week - what if work needs me?

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.

What if I do not want to do one of the activities?

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.

What if I have food allergies or dietary restrictions?

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.

Is there a payment plan?

Yes. We offer a 6-payment plan split evenly across set dates: at registration, then April, June, August, September and October - designed to make the experience accessible while keeping things simple and transparent.

What is included - and what is not?

Included: 6 nights in the private lakefront home, 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.

What should I bring?

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.)

What if I have an injury or disability?

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.

Can I drink alcohol on the trip?

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.

Is there Wi-Fi and cell service?

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.

How do I book - and why am I redirected to Wandering Roots?

Totally normal - this expedition is co-hosted by Howl at the Moon Sauna Co. and Wandering Roots. All bookings and payments are processed securely through Wandering Roots, and invoices come directly from them.

What is the cancellation policy, and any terms I should know?

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.

Is the sauna okay for women - what about during my period?

Yes, and yes - bathing is for every body and every week of the month. Sit a round out whenever you like; it is completely normal.

Come home as someone who rests on purpose.

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”

Goes to a dedicated Iceland interest list — not the sauna-rental emails.