
5-TÄGIGE TAUCHTOUR HIGHLIGHTS OF ICELAND
Tauche die Top Five
Iceland's highlights above and below the surface
The 5-Day Highlights of Iceland Dive Tour delivers precisely what its name promises. In five carefully planned days, we will explore Iceland’s varied and spectacular landscape and dive into Iceland’s unique and renowned underwater worlds.
On land we will visit the Golden Circle area near Reykjavík. Here we will witness the powerful geothermal and hydrothermal activity in the Geysir area and at the Gullfoss waterfall. The Golden Circle is Iceland’s most popular tourist excursion, and truly worth seeing, but we will also take you off the beaten path on our tour. With weather permitting, we will drive through the impressive Nesjavellir area on the way to Thingvellir. After the dives, you will have the opportunity to hike up Kerið, an old volcanic crater, and visit the boiling mud pots in the town of Hveragerði (´Hot Spring Garden´).
In the north we will explore the craters, lava fields, hot springs and otherworldly landscapes of the lake Mývatn area. From here we will also drive through moon-like terrain to get to Dettifoss, an impressive waterfall that holds the rank of Europe’s most powerful waterfall. You will also have a half day free in Akureyri during which time you can stroll through the town, go horseback riding, hiking, or relax in a café.
The sites that we will dive are the “best of the best” diving locations that Iceland has to offer. In the south we will dive Silfra, the famous dive between the continents with the greatest underwater visibility on the planet. The other dive sites are located in the north of Iceland. The first are the hydrothermal vents Strýtan and little Strýtan in Eyjafjörður. These are the only underwater geothermal chimneys known to man shallow enough to be dived by recreational divers, and the chimneys attract abundant marine life. In Eyjafjörður we will also dive “The French Gardens” and “The Wall,” which are amazing geological structures with thriving marine life. Next is Nesgjá, a freshwater site also referred to as the “Silfra of the North.” Last but not least is Litlaá, which is a geothermally heated river that we will snorkel. The river contains dancing volcanic sands and multi-colored sediments leaping from the riverbed.
This tour is conducted with a minimum of four participants and maximum of six participants. Because of the challenging nature of the dives in the north, each diver must have experience diving in a dry suit and be certified at the level of PADI Advanced Open Water or the equivalent from another diving organization.
Tour Details
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April - September
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5 days
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Minimum 4 divers
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Maximum 6 divers
Please bring:
- Your PADI Advanced Dive Certification or equivalent.
- Proof of dry suit experience. A drysuit certification or proof of minimum 10 dry suit dives within the last year signed by an instructor.
- Warm clothes
- Long underwear
- Thick socks
- Dive equipment (All dive equipment can also be rented from us)
Included:
- All transportation on land and water
- 4 nights accomodation, breakfast and dinner included
- 6 guided dives
- 1 guided snorkel
- Air tanks and weights
Excluded:
- All other activities and everything not stated in the itinerary
- Diving equipment (other than cylinders and weights)
Departures:
For available departures, please send us an email to dive@dive.is
Safety requirements
Participants must:-
have at minimum an Advanced SCUBA dive certification (PADI Advanced Open Water or the equivalent)
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have dry suit diving certification and a logged dry suit dive within two years of the tour date OR have at least 10 logged dry suit dives within two years of the tour date and be able to provide written proof from a diving instructor of these dry suit dives PDF
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have read, signed, and followed directions on the Medical Statement PDF
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have our Diving Medical form signed off by a doctor if they are age 60 or older PDF
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sign our liability release form at the start of the tour PDF
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be at minimum 150cm / maximum 200cm
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be at minimum 45kg / maximum 120kg
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fit within our dry suit size chart PDF
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be at least 17 years of age (signature of legal guardian required for under 18 year old participants)
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be physically fit
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be ready to wear a sometimes tight & constricting dry suit
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be able to communicate in English
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not be pregnant
See our multi day schedule
Reykjavík - Davíðsgjá - Akureyri
We will start our trip by visiting the National Park Þingvellir, located about an hour drive from Reykjavik, to dive Davíðsgjá, often described as Silfra’s darker wilder sibling. This spectacular lava ravine has long been known by the local dive community but rarely visited by others than locals, reason being the close proximity to the worldrenowned Silfra. However, this mystical dive site, located on the edge of the Arctic char’s protected spawning grounds, is the perfect alternative to Silfra, just off the beaten path. After our one extended dive, we will make our way up north where we will spend two nights in our lovely hotel in Akureyri.
Diving in Strýtan
On our second day we will dive the majestic Strýtan. The big one is a 55m towering hydrothermal chimney that reaches up to 15 meters below the surface. Close by we find Arnarnesstrýtur, a bit smaller chimney but all the same a favourite dive site by many locals, as it is probably one of the world’s best places to observe wolf fish in their natural habitat. The place is literally crowded with them and you might even get to meet our wolf fish friend, Stefanie. We will take the morning early with a boat dive to have the whole day ahead of us to explore these two dives sites. Strýtan has been a protected nature reserve since 2OO1 and is subject to extensive research and observation by scientists from all over the world, therefore these sites are for experienced divers only, as a complete buoyancy control is required.
Akureyri - The Diamond Circle - Mývatn
On our second day up north we will start with a scenic drive from your Akureyri hotel to the first dive site, Nesgjá. On our way we will make a stop at Goðafoss, the waterfall of the Gods and another stop at Tjörnes peninsula coastal viewpoint, if we are lucky we might even see the famous Icelandic puffin. The dive site Nesgjá is the result of tectonic movement and the divergence of the Eurasian and North American continental plates. Similar to Silfra and Davíðsgjá, but also quite different in many ways, Nesgjá is modestly shallow but amazingly beautiful and has often been called 'Silfra of the north'.
After the dive we will continue on to Litlaá, a 17°C geothermal river, for a one of a kind snorkelling experience. You will be mesmerized by the dancing volcanic sands and multicoloured sediments leaping from the bottom. Heated water erupts from below the bottom causing beautiful bubbling sand pools and ripples in the riverbed while you drift along the surface above.
Before we head to our hotel in Mývatn, we continue our drive on the famous Diamond Circle which includes a few unforgettable stops. The first stop will be at the 45m high and 100m wide Dettifoss, the most powerful waterfall in Europe, with 500 cubic metres of water per second plunging over the edge. Next stop will be at Námafjall geothermal area where we will walk around the smoking fumaroles and boiling mud pots, surrounded by sulfur crystals of many different colors. The sulfur gives the area an overwhelming smell of egg. We will end our long adventure day at the Mývatn Nature Baths where you can relax in an alkaline bathing lagoon and enjoy the amazing scenery. We will spend our night at Icelandair hotel Mývatn.
Mývatn - Akureyri - Reykjavík
Today we are back to diving in Eyjafjörður fjord. This time we are doing one dive and aiming for either The French gardens or The Wall, both of which are amazing geological structures with an abundance of marine life; red fish, lump suckers, wolf fish. Also, they are known for their colorful display of anemones and rocks covered with algae in shades of pink and purple you did not know existed. After the dive we head back to Reykjavík city where we will spend the night at Icelandair hotel Marina, located at the old harbour area in Reykjavík
Silfra - Golden Circle
On our final day of the tour, we will head out early morning from our hotel to dive Iceland’s ultimate dive site, Silfra! The site is located in Þingvellir National Park, an area of immense interest to geologists and cultural historians alike. The rift valley of Þingvellir was created by the slow separation of the Eurasian and North American continental plates, and it was here that the original settlers of Iceland held their annual legislative assembly. The Silfra fissure is the exact location where the continental plates divide; at one point in the dive, you can touch the walls of each continent. As the water that fills Silfra is glacial water that has been filtered through basaltic lava rock for a distance of 50 km, Silfra’s underwater visibility is unparalleled by any other dive site on the planet. After the dive, we will head to drive the famous Golden Circle which includes stops at Geysir geothermal area and Gullfoss, the most photographed waterfall in all of Iceland. These magnificent sites should not be missed by any visitor to Iceland.
Frequently asked questions about our Highlights of Iceland Diving Expedition
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Can I still join your Multiple Day Dive Tours or Dive Expeditions if I haven´t dived in a long while?
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Depending on your previous dive experience and level of dive training, if you haven't dived for a period of six months or more and are feeling a little rusty, we would suggest you do a refresher dive course prior to departure. While Iceland is known for it´s crystal clear and calm fresh water dive sites, some of our dive sites are deep, others have strong currents or sometimes low visibility. Those are the reasons we usually do require that our divers have a minimum of 4-10 logged dry suit dives and a total of 30-40 logged dives, depending on the dive tour.
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My partner doesn't dive. Can she join me on a multi-day dive tour in Iceland?
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Of course! Given Iceland's extreme – and extremely beautiful – nature, we go to great lengths to provide our guest with as many opportunities as possible to sightsee along the way. All our multi-day dive tours include a considerable amount of scenic stops, photo-ops, and travel between dive sites through stunning landscapes.
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What are your health requirements for joining your Multi-Day Dive Tours?
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As with any dive tour – or indeed any dive – anyone who´s reasonably fit and healthy is usually good to go diving. In case you´re not sure we suggest to consult a (dive) doctor for a check-up before booking a dive tour. At any rate, you will be asked to sign a medical statement and liability release whereby you take responsibility for your own fitness to dive.
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View all FAQs
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