6 Best Tours for Snorkeling in Silfra Iceland [2024]
INTERESTED IN SNORKELING IN SILFRA ICELAND?
You should be! It’s amazing. But you should know you cannot snorkel in Silfra, Iceland, without a guide!! But don’t worry, I’ve compiled the best tours here 🙂
Silfra is a fissure (long narrow crack in the earth’s crust) between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. It’s the only place in the world where you can swim, snorkel, or dive BETWEEN TWO TECTONIC PLATES (🤯) and it’s said to have the clearest water in the world!
I spent two weeks exploring Iceland and this is one of the most unique things you will ever have the opportunity to do, not just in Iceland but anywhere.
6 Best Snorkeling Tours in Silfra Iceland
Silfra is on the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) list of the best dive sites in the world. Snorkeling here is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that REQUIRES a tour guide. Below are the best tours for you to choose from.
1) Silfra: Snorkeling Between Tectonic Plates
⭐ RATING: 5/5 | ⏳ 3 hours | 💳 BOOK NOW
📍 Location: DIVE.IS Meeting Point – 806 Thingvellir, Iceland
🚌 Transfer: No, meet on location
💥 Highlights: 5700+ reviews, photos included, warm beverage & cookies
This small group tour is operated by DIVE.IS – the Sport Diving School of Iceland. After you check in your guide will give you your dry suit, warm undersuit, and equipment, and explain how to use it all. The briefing and gear-up take about 1 hour in total.
Then you will snorkel through Silfra Hall, Silfra Cathedral, and Silfra Lagoon for about 30-45 minutes. After, enjoy hot chocolate and cookies.
This was an amazing experience. The directions to get there are very clear. Everything was very organized. The group sizes were perfect, our tour guide Thomas was amazing and made sure all of us were comfortable and got us great pictures! A must-do if you are in the area!
Nicole S. (read more reviews here)
*DIVE.IS also offers this same tour with hotel pick-up and drop-off from Reykjavik included.
Also read: Glass Hotels in Iceland (and Other Unique Stays You Need to See)
2) Snorkeling Between Continents in Silfra with Photos Included
⭐ RATING: 5/5 | ⏳ 3 hours | 💳 BOOK NOW
📍 Location: Troll Expeditions Silfra – Vallarvegur, 801 Thingvellir, Iceland
🚌 Transfer: Must get to the meeting point on your own
💥 Highlights: 2600+ reviews, GoPro photos included
This snorkeling tour operated by Troll Expeditions offers a small group experience guided by a Certified PADI dive master.
This was a once in a lifetime event. The company did a great job of getting us checked in, changed, and into the water safely and expediously.
Karol D. (read more reviews here)
After a safety briefing, put on your snorkeling gear and thermal dry suit, then enter the cold water to snorkel between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates.
As you explore the crystal-clear glacial waters, your guide will capture pictures of your experience with a GoPro and send them to you afterward.
RENTING A CAR? When we were in Iceland we booked through Discover Cars.
3) Silfra Drysuit or Wetsuit Snorkeling with Free Photos
⭐ RATING: 5/5 | ⏳ 3 hours | 💳 BOOK NOW
📍 Location: Silfra Adventure Vikings. 7V4M+HG8, 806 Thingvellir, Iceland
🚌 Transfer: No, meet in Thingvellir National Park
💥 Highlights: 1100+ reviews, wetsuit or drysuit, underwater photos
This 3-hour tour operated by Silfra Adventure Vikings takes you to the underwater canyon between the two continental plates, offering incredibly clear freshwater visibility of at least 100 meters.
Meet your PADI divemaster-certified guide, review procedures and safety measures, and gear up. You’ll spend around 40 minutes in the water.
One of the best activities I have ever done! It was amazing. Anil looked after us so well, took class photos and was so informative.
Edel M. (read more reviews here)
You can choose between a wetsuit or a drysuit on this tour. A dry suit keeps you completely dry and is ideal for less experienced swimmers, while wetsuits keep you warm (but not dry) and are ideal for more experienced swimmers.
*Adventure Vikings also offers this same tour with pickup from Reykjavik.
4) Golden Circle & Snorkeling in Silfra From Reykjavík
⭐ RATING: 5/5 | ⏳ 10 hours | 💳 BOOK NOW
📍 Location: Various pickup/dropoff points in Reykjavik
🚌 Transfer: Yes
💥 Highlights: 450+ reviews, GoPro photos, iconic Golden Circle sites
This tour offers a great blend of adventure and sightseeing. In a single day, you’ll visit some of Iceland’s most iconic landmarks, including Thingvellir National Park, the Gullfoss waterfall, and the Geysir geothermal area.
The highlight of the tour though, is snorkeling in the Silfra fissure.
OMG…. sums up this trip. Definitely one of my Iceland highlights. The sheer thrill and excitement of Snorkeling in 2° water between the tectonic plates was absolutely unreal. Our Snorkeling guide, Lillian, was amazing…our driver spent his entire life here, his stories and information just had a magical feel to them. Loved every minute of this experience.
Ayesha T. (read more reviews here)
This tour is a great option for those looking to maximize their time and see as many of Iceland’s natural wonders as possible.
Don’t forget travel insurance on your Iceland adventure! I always go with Safety Wing! They even have an adventure sports add-on which is perfect for Iceland.
5) Hot and Cold Snorkeling and Spa Tour – Self-Drive
⭐ RATING: 5/5 | ⏳ 5 hours | 💳 BOOK NOW
📍 Location: DIVE.IS Meeting Point for Silfra tours 806 Thingvellir, Iceland
🚌 Transfer: No – self-driving
💥 Highlights: 170+ reviews, adventure + relaxation combo tour
This tour is MY cup of tea. It’s organized by DIVE.IS but you will drive yourself to the two destinations.
First, discover the best of Iceland with a guided snorkeling tour in Silfra. You’ll receive a drysuit, warm undersuit, and snorkeling gear before learning about Silfra and the surrounding Thingvellir National Park on a brief walk.
Then explore Silfra’s highlights during a 30-45 minute snorkeling session.
We went in the dead of winter but were comfortably warm with the suits, and the rift was beautiful! We had a good amount of time to enjoy the park before heading to the spa as well. I think that the spa was better than the more touristy ones- it was not crowded, had a good view, and also had a cafe that served lava bread (highly recommend).
Julianna R. (read more reviews here)
Post-snorkel, warm up with hot cocoa and cookies, and then head to Laugarvatn Fontana to unwind in the hot tubs, saunas, and steam baths.
6) Private Silfra Snorkeling
⭐ RATING: 5/5 | ⏳ 2.5 hours | 💳 BOOK NOW
📍 Location: Silfra meeting point – Vallarvegur, 806, Iceland
🚌 Transfer: No – meet on location
💥 Highlights: 70+ 5-star reviews, private (up to 6)
For those seeking a more personalized experience snorkeling in Silfra Iceland, this private snorkeling tour is a great option. You can have up to 6 people in your group, and the price is the same whether you have 1 person or 6 people.
You can snorkel in either a wetsuit for flexibility or a drysuit for warmth as you explore the crystal-clear waters of the Silfra Fissure.
We had an incredibly special experience with Dory as our guide while snorkeling the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. She was patient, knowledgeable, and fun! Would recommend her and this tour to anyone visiting Iceland!!
Tipadvisor Reviewer (read more reviews here)
Underwater photos, hot chocolate, snorkeling equipment, as well as National Park and Silfra fees, are covered in this private tour.
About the Silfra Fissure
The Silfra fissure is a long narrow fracture in the earth’s crust, between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. It was formed by a series of earthquakes in 1789 that created a rift between the two plates.
There are several fissures in the Thingvellir National Park area, but Silfra stands out because when it was formed it cut into an underground spring fed by glacial meltwater from the Langjökull glacier that now fills the fissure.
The meltwater is naturally filtered through porous lava rock for 30 to 100 years before emerging in Silfra, resulting in some of the purest water on Earth (ask your guide about drinking it!).
By the time it reaches the northern end of Thingvellir Lake, the water is so clear that it offers underwater visibility exceeding 100 meters.
The water in Silfra is cold year-round but it never freezes because of the constant supply of fresh glacial meltwater.
Silfra is a dynamic and ever-changing dive and snorkel site. The fissure gradually widens as the tectonic plates drift apart by 2cm each year, and occasional earthquakes can cause significant shifts in the underwater landscape, creating new tunnels, caverns, and rock formations.
This constant geological activity makes each dive in Silfra a unique experience.
Other Things To Do Near Silfra
Several of these tours require you to drive to the meeting point. So assuming you have a car, there are several other cool things to check out while you are in the southeast of Iceland.
If you want to balance cold water swimming with some heat therapy, there are several spas or hot springs in the area. I recommend this hot spring river for more of an adventure, Laugarvatn Fontana for more of a spa-like experience, or Hrunalaug hot spring for a historical natural soak.
You should also drive the Golden Circle and check out all the amazing stops including multiple waterfalls, the Geysir geothermal area, and the Kerid crater.
If you want to continue with the adventure theme, there are several places to go horseback riding in the area. If you want to stay on foot, definitely make your way south to Vik and check out the black sand beaches, basalt columns, and sea cliffs.
FAQ
A dry suit is a protective suit designed to keep the wearer completely dry for diving, snorkeling, and other cold-water activities.
The Silfra Fissure is located in Thingvellir National Park, a UNESCO site, in Iceland. It lies within the Þingvallavatn Lake, the largest natural lake in Iceland.
The water never freezes and remains about 35°F to 39°F (2°C – 4°C) year-round.
Snorkeling in Silfra is safe with the proper equipment and an experienced tour guide.
Visibility in Silfra can reach up to 100 meters (about 328 feet), thanks to the glacial water that has been filtered through porous underground lava rock for decades, resulting in some of the clearest water in the world.
The Silfra Fissure varies in depth. The deepest point is approximately 207 feet (63 meters) but the areas where most diving and snorkeling activities occur are much shallower, around 33 – 65 feet deep (10 to 20 meters).
Wrap-Up
So, if you are thinking about snorkeling in Silfra Iceland I hope this post convinced you that it is a must-do activity!
Swimming between two tectonic plates through the clearest water in the world is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The drysuits will keep you warm and the tour guides will keep you safe and informed.
These top snorkeling tours provide you with everything you need to have for an incredible Icelandic adventure. Enjoy!
