The Silfra fissure

Snorkeling between two continents

Snorkeling in Silfra is an astoundingly beautiful experience. We offer daily snorkeling tours of the famous Silfra fissure and if you prefer to drive yourself, you can meet us directly at the site!

Located about an hour from Reykjavík in Thingvellir National Park, Silfra is a deep fissure created by the diverging movement of the tectonic plates. This fissure is constantly being filled with fresh glacial spring water that has been filtered underground through lava rock for 30-100 years. The filtered glacial water creates one of the clearest bodies of water on earth, providing underwater visibility of up to 120 meters.

On the snorkeling tour of Silfra, you’ll be dressed in a high-quality dry suit by our expert guides so that you can get into the near-freezing water without getting wet. You should be sure to wear long thermal underwear and a couple pairs of thick wool socks to help keep you warm. Your guide will lead you on an approximately 30 minute snorkel through the Silfra fissure. The bouyant dry suit will keep you afloat and a gentle current leads you through the canyon. All you need to do is keep your eyes open and let yourself be immersed in this amazing scenery.

During the snorkeling tour you will see the four main sections of Silfra. The first section is known as Big Crack, an impressively deep caynon that narrows at depth so that the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates are nearly touching. The next section, Silfra Hall, is significantly wider, which allows more light so that the full spectrum of Silfra’s colors reveals itself. The awe-inspiring Silfra Cathedral follows. Nature had its best architect at work in Silfra Cathedral, the deepest and, some would argue, most sublime part of Silfra.

As Silfra is located just off the main road in Thingvellir National Park, it is very accessible from Reykjavík as well as from towns on the south coast, such as Hveragerði and Selfoss. Thingvellir National Park is one of the highlights on the celebrated Golden Circle route. As the tour lasts in total about 2.5 hours, you have ample time to use the rest of the day for walking through Thingvellir Park and visiting the other sites on the Golden Circle, such as Geysir and Gullfoss, or to join a caving tour in Thingvellir.

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.

Elizabeth R 12.11.2017

Amazing experience!

My sister, Susan, and I did the snorkeling tour and have nothing but wonderful things to say! The water clarity is truly mind-blowing! And it tastes amazing, too! Totally worth every penny! Also, the staff at Dive.is is amazing...

DIVE.IS is rated No. 1 of all 279 Outdoor Activities

Tour Details

All year round, daily
Approx. 2.5 - 3 hours at the site
Maximum 6 snorkelers per snorkel guide
From ISK 15.990

Please bring:

Long underwear
Thick socks
Suitable clothes for the weather of the day
Contact lenses if you wear glasses

Included:

Guided snorkelling trip
All necessary snorkelling equipment
Hot choclate and cookies after the snorkelling trip
Entrance fee into Silfra

Excluded:

Pick up service costs an additional 5.000,- ISK. If you would like transportation, please book the Snorkeling Silfra Day Tour with pick up in Reykjavík
Digital photo package of the Snorkeling Tour, available at additional cost of 2.990,- ISK

Meeting times at Silfra:

Please see the booking calendar for available meeting times at Silfra for the snorkeling tour.

Pick up service:

If you would like transportation between Reykjavík and Silfra in our comfortable vans, please book the Snorkeling Silfra Day Tour with pick up in Reykjavík.

Safety requirements

Participants must:

have read, signed, and followed directions on the online Snorkeling Silfra Medical Statement (link provided in confirmation email) PDF
have our Snorkeling Medical form signed off by a doctor if they are age 60 or older PDF
sign our liability release form at the start of the snorkeling tour PDF
be at minimum 150cm / maximum 200cm
be at minimum 45kg / maximum 120kg
be at least 12 years of age on the year
be comfortable in water and be able to swim
be physically fit
be ready to wear a sometimes tight & constricting dry suit
able to communicate in English
not be pregnant