One item that gets added to many Iceland bucket lists is snorkeling at Silfra. Like so many other travelers, I added a snorkeling day tour at Silfra to my Iceland itinerary. Sure, it’s an expensive activity, but when else would I have the chance to snorkel between two tectonic plates?
This article will outline everything you need to know about taking a snorkeling tour at the Silfra fissure.
About the Silfra Fissure
Silfra is located in Þingvellir (or Thingvellir) National Park. The Silfra fissure was created in 1789 when an earthquake opened up several fissures along the Mid Atlantic Ridge. Once the Silfra fissure was opened, it filled with water from the Langjokull Glacier. So now when you go snorkeling (or even scuba diving!) in the Silfra fissure, you’re actually between the North American and Euroasian tectonic plates that continue to slowly pull apart.
Dry Suit Versus a Wet Suit
If you’re looking at a snorkeling day tour at Silfra, odds are good it will use a dry suit. A dry suit goes on over your clothes and keeps you dry. So while you will be cold, you stay a lot warmer. Although even in a dry suit, your face, hands, and feet do get wet and will go completely numb. So the positive is you stay warmer, but you have limited mobility.
A few companies offer a wet suit option. This is a more traditional wet suit where you’ll put it on over a bathing suit and then go snorkeling. You don’t have the added warmth of your clothes or the dry suit, so it can get very cold. Not only is your face, hands, and feet wet, but so is the rest of your body.
So why even consider using a wet suit? A wet suit is going to give you more freedom of movement. The trade off is that you’re going to be a lot colder.
I opted for the wet suit when I booked my tour. I was able to move and swim around more than people in a dry suit, but wow was it cold! In the beginning, it’s cold, but it’s tolerable. The experience is so cool that you aren’t as focused on the temperature. However, by the end, I was downright freezing and couldn’t wait to get out and into dry, warm clothes.
The Silfra Snorkeling Tour Experience
Group Size
If you have your own rental car in Iceland, you can choose a company that allows you to meet them at Silfra. This will save you some money (which is always great when you’re in Iceland). However, I didn’t travel with a rental car, so I chose a company that offered pick up directly from my hotel. Since the groups are small, it doesn’t take too long to pick up everyone. My group was only three people!
An Overview of Your Day
Once you arrive at Silfra, your guide will give you some background information about Silfra and go over your route for the day. Here’s the thing: just about every company is doing the exact same route. It’s unlikely that your group is going to be super special. But you should still pay attention because it’s important information.
After the overview, it’s time to get changed. If you’re just changing into a dry suit, this takes no time at all. If you’re changing in a wet suit, you’ll be given a little more time to wiggle your way into it. You’ll also be given gloves, a cap for your head, and some fins. Put on your mask and it’s time to snorkel.
Snorkeling at Silfra
When you enter the Silfra fissure to start your snorkeling tour, the first thing you notice is how clear the water is. You can see straight down and see all of the rocks surrounding you.
The second thing you notice is “wow it’s cold!”. The water in the Silfra fissure is about 36 degrees Fahrenheit (2 degrees Celsius), so even in a dry suit, it will be cold. In a wet suit, it will be really cold. After about five minutes, my face—which was the most exposed—went completely numb.
The swim isn’t very long, only about 45 minutes or so. You’ll move at a slow pace so everyone can actually appreciate what they are seeing. It really is that cool! It’s unlike anything I’ve ever experienced.
Now, one thing I noted when journaling about this after was the amount of groups. When I did this, there were numerous tour vans in the parking lot. However, when I was actually snorkeling, we only had our group of four (three tourists and our guide) in the water.
When we got out, there were two or three groups all trying to go in at once. I think part of it is just luck with timing. But the fewer people you’re snorkeling with, the more enjoyable it’s going to be. With our small group of four people, it felt calm, peaceful, and a properly unique experience. I don’t think it would have had the same feel if multiple tour groups enter at once.
Photos of Your Snorkeling Tour at Silfra
My tour took photos and included them at no additional charge. They are the photos that are making up this blog post (as my phone was not a waterproof camera). However, if you want your own photos, bring a GoPro. One guy on my tour brought his GoPro, took a bunch of pictures, and sent his photos to the rest of us when he was done. I did get lucky there, but if you want photos, you’ll want to either find a tour company that will provide them or make sure to bring a waterproof camera.
The few pictures of my own that I took were from when we got out of the water. Before we left, we asked our guide if we could go back to the entrance and take a few photos. He said that was no problem.
Is the Weather a Concern?
Technically, no. I mean, you wouldn’t want to do this is a storm, but you could do it if it was raining. I had a sunny day when I did this tour and it made it all the better. We could see the sun’s rays in the Silfra fissure. Plus, it was so nice just standing in the bright sunshine after when we were all trying to warm back up. Later in the day, it rained, and I noted how happy I was to have been able to snorkel in the sunshine.
How Long Is the Snorkeling Tour at Silfra?
You only need to budget a half day for this tour. I was picked up from Reykjavik in the morning, snorkeled at Silfra, and was dropped back off in Reykjavik in time for lunch.
Final Thoughts
This tour was amazing and I’m glad I did it. Yes, it was cold, but I’ve never done snorkeling anywhere else that was like it. It’s an expensive activity, but one that I think should get added to most itineraries.
Continue Your Adventure
South Coast of Iceland: Silfra is amazing, but it’s just the start of your Iceland adventure. Visit the South Coast of Iceland for glaciers, waterfalls, and beaches.
Golden Circle: For more waterfalls and a national park, travel around Iceland’s Golden Circle.
Iceland: For those with limited time, check out this Five Day Iceland Itinerary that covers some of the best of the country.
Iceland Travel Guide: Check out my Iceland Travel Guide for all you need to know about planning your trip to Iceland.