Relaxing
Hot and Cold Snorkeling tour
The Perfect Golden Circle Self-Drive combo
If you are interested in taking on the natural elements in Iceland, this tour is for you! You will snorkel in the cold, unbelievably clear water in one of the world’s most fantastic snorkel sites, Silfra, then warm up with the steam from a hot spring in the relaxing Laugarvatn Fontana spa.
We can proudly state that DIVE.IS will offer you the best service level at Silfra. Let us tell you why:
- We have an extra person at Silfra assisting you before and after the snorkelling experience. We call this person Surface Support and they make sure your tour runs smoothly. They also provide extra safety for you and the guides.
- We built our own changing room so that our guests have the opportunity to dress up inside a heated changing van.
- After snorkeling in the cold water, we warm you up with hot cocoa and cookies.
- Our guides are all experienced PADI divemasters and instructors that have been through professional training before running any of our tours
Your adventure begins with the snorkeling tour of Silfra. Silfra, the famous fissure between the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates, provides an underwater experience unlike anywhere else on earth. Floating in the crystal clear glacial water will give you the sensation of flying as you pass through an expansive canyon created by the slow separation of the tectonic plates.
This is the Cold part of this experience but don't worry, Silfra is always a comfortable 2-3°C. You will also be provided with a dry suit and an undergarment to keep you dry and warm, only your face and hands will experience the cold.
After your 30-40 minute snorkeling session in Silfra, you can explore the Thingvellir area as you wish before moving on to Laugarvatn Fontana to warm up.
Laugarvatn village has been a place to bathe since viking times as a geothermal hot spring is situated right by Lake Laugarvatn warming up the water. Laugarvatn Fontana took the idea one step further and built their steam rooms on top of the bubbling hot spring making the experience truly Icelandic. Guests can also relax in the natural pools and hot tubs in between dips in the cold lake.
Silfra and Laugarvatn Fontana are both on the Golden Circle, making this tour the perfect Golden Circle activity and spa self-drive combo in Iceland!
Once you are hot you can continue on the Golden circle, you are only a stone's throw away from the famous hot spring Geysir and Gullfoss waterfall.
This is a combo self-drive tour (pick up is not an option). Meeting point for Silfra Snorkeling is at Thingvellir national park. The drive from Reykjavik is about 1 hour.
Please visit Laugarvatn Fontana for their location. The drive from Silfra is about 30 minutes. The time on your voucher is an approximate time. You do not have to go at that time, your voucher is valid all day. Laugarvatn Fontana also has an excellent lunch and dinner buffet plus the one and only Geothermal Bakery where you can experience the very Icealandic pot-baked bread we call Rúgbrauð.
If someone in your party doesn't snorkel but wants to visit the spa with you, you can book them in from this page.
Our Souvenirs can be purchased in your booking process by selecting them under "Extras". If the Souvenir you are looking for is not listed below, please contact us or leave a comment in your booking and we will bring it on tour with us.
Tour Details
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All year round, daily. Don't see a tour time that works for you, contact us at dive@dive.is and we will find the best time for you
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Approx. 2.5 hours at Silfra, 30 minutes drive to Fontana. Relax as long as you want in the Fontana Spa.
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Maximum 6 snorkelers per snorkel guide
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Minimum 3 snorkelers. We will refund you in full if the minimum is not met
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Please bring:
- Long underwear
- Thick socks
- Suitable clothes for the weather of the day
- Contact lenses if you wear glasses
- Bathing suit and towel
Included:
- Guided snorkeling trip
- All necessary snorkeling equipment
- Hot chocolate and cookies after the snorkeling trip
- Entrance fee into Silfra
- Entrance fee at Laugarvatn Fontana Geothermal Baths
For your safety, all participants must:
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have read, signed, and followed directions on the online Snorkeling Silfra Medical Statement (link provided in confirmation email) PDF
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have our Snorkeling 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 snorkeling 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 12 years of age on the year and at least 45 kg / 99 lbs
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be comfortable in water and be able to swim
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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
You can use your government gift card with us, you simply enter the gift card code on the check out page
Your bookable extras
Meeting point at Silfra
Address
Meet us at our meeting point at Silfra!
Thingvellir National Park
801 Selfoss
Laugarvatn Fontana
Hverabraut 1
840 Laugarvatn
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Are photos always taken on the Silfra Snorkeling Tours?
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In general the answer is yes. However, it can happen in rare occasions that your Silfra snorkeling guide is not able to take photos because he/she might be busy assisting other snorkelers in the water. Another uncommon reason could be that the camera has a problem. In this unlikely case you will be refunded for the tour photos should you already have purchased them online in advance.
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Are the dry suits very tight / uncomfortable?
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We use top quality equipment for our Snorkeling and Scuba Diving tours.
The dry suits only do a certain amount of dives / time before they get sold and replaced by new ones.
This ensures that our guests will always dive/snorkel in top notch dry suits frequently tested, serviced or replaced.
However, it is of high importance to provide us with your correct size (height and weight), so we can make sure to bring the best fit for you. If we receive an incorrect size, the guest will receive and incorrect dry suit fit. We assure you that your size information as well as all other personal information stays confidential with us.
We also want to point out that if you are sensitive to having something tight around your neck and/or wrists you might feel uncomfortable in a dry suit. It goes with the territory to have a well sealing neoprene neck seal and rubber wrist seals in order to stay dry.
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Are there any Souvenirs available?
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Yes, we offer a variety of Souvenirs of Silfra and DIVE.IS including photo packages, t-shirts, jumpers, hoddies, hats , logbooks, postcards and stickers. Please have a look at our Souvenir page for more detailed information. If you want to buy souvenirs at Silfra, just ask the guide for information.
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Are there toilet and changing facilities available at Silfra?
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Yes, there are toilet facilities at Silfra. However we kindly ask you to not use them for changing, as there are only 2 toilets at Silfra and it can cause long queues to form. We do have a changing room vehicle, and often several other cars at Silfra for participants to change clothes in. Due to this layout, we highly recommend that participants arrive at Silfra already wearing their thermal base layer.
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Can I buy food at Silfra?
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Unfortunately, there is no food sold directly at Silfra. There is however a restaurant at the Thingvellir Information Centre which is located just 3,5km away from Silfra.
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Can I pay on site?
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All bookings need to be paid for in advance, due to high demand on our tours. If however a booking is made on site, the payment can be taken there either by credit/debit card or cash. Payment for souvenirs can be made on site by both card and cash transactions.
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Do I need to be able to swim in order to take part in Snorkeling?
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Even though the dry suits are very buoyant and keep you afloat, it is a requirement that all participants must be able to swim and feel comfortable in water to join the tour. This is for your own safety and comfort. You do however not need to be a very strong swimmer, merely able to swim and be comfortable in the water.
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Do I need to pay for parking at Silfra?
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The Þingvellir National Park charges a parking fee (750,- ISK for a passenger car ), which allows you to park in any of the five car parks in the park for the duration of the day. Please note that the parking lot for divers and snorkelers at Silfra is called P5 and is about a 5 minute walk to the Silfra meeting point.
You can pay for parking online at www.myparking.is before or during the day of visit, and enter the license plate of your car into the system. Cameras check all license plates entering and leaving the parking lots. If you can’t pay online , you can pay at the Visitor centre. Pay machines will also be installed at the parking lots in near future. The pay machines accept all major credit/debit cards.
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Do you sell gift certificates for your Silfra tours or dive courses?
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Yes, if you want to give someone a nice present, it will be our pleasure to prepare a nice gift certificate for you.
The certificate can be made for all of our tours, courses or any other products you find on our website.
Please do not hesitate to contact us with your ideas.
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How far is it to Silfra from Reykjavik?
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It is about 60 km from Reykjavik to Silfra and it takes a little less than one hour to drive the distance by car, given the weather conditions are good. If you choose to drive to Silfra yourself and don‘t know the way, we recommend you to study the map before you hit the road. Silfra is located in Þingvellir National Park, which is a bit different from other national parks. At a point, when you turn into road 36, you will feel like you are driving into the middle of nowhere. Please do not turn around, just keep going straight until you see our company cars which are parked at the Silfra Meeting Point, you then drive a little further to parking lot P5 to park. If at anytime you feel lost please do not hesitate to call our office for help.
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How long is the Snorkeling Silfra tour?
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The tour time is between 2 and 2.5hrs from start to finish at Silfra, not including pick up and drop of times. The speed of the tour is dependent on the participants in the group and the number of people at Silfra, so if you are planning a second activity afterwards, please work on a maximum time frame of three hours. Please note that this is the duration of the tour on site at Silfra. If you have chosen to use our transport options, your tour time will be between five and six hours from pick up to drop off.
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Is there anything to see around Silfra?
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Silfra is located in Thingvellir National Park, one of the main sites of the Golden Circle. It is a stunningly beautiful area as well as being one of Iceland's most important historical sites. There are many walking trails around the park and close by Silfra, and many of the areas have information signs telling you about the historical & geological aspects of the area around Silfra and Thingvellir.
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What type of dive certification(s) do I need in order to participate in one of your scuba dive tours?
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To join any of our scuba dive tours you need to:
- be at the level of PADI Open Water Diver or above. Equivalent dive certifications from other dive organizations are sufficient.
- have a dry suit dive certification OR 10 logged dry suit dives within the last two years of the dive tour date and be able to provide written proof from a diving instructor of these dry suit dives.
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