Silfra is one of the most unique places in the world, as a fissure which opened up in 1789 due to the tectonic plates which make up Þingvellir National Park.

This is the only place in the world you can snorkel between two continental plates – in this case, the North American and Eurasian plates. Due to the dozens, if not hundreds of years it takes for the water to reach Silfra, it is incredibly well-filtered with the resulting water being extremely clear and clean.

If you’d like to experience snorkeling here, we highly recommend signing up for a proper tour for a more complete and safe experience.

We have the top Silfra snorkeling tours all right here, so let’s jump right in!

Be sure to see our reviews of Northern Lights Tours, Whale Watching Tours and ATV Tours.

Best Silfra Snorkeling Tours

	Silfra Fissure Snorkeling Tour with Underwater Photos	Silfra Snorkeling with Underwater Photos From Reykjavik	Reykjavik Combo Snorkel in Silfra Fissure & Lava Caving
Departure:	Company parking lot at Silfra in Thingvellir National Park	Hotel pickup and drop-off included	Hotel pickup and drop-off included
Departure Time:	Variety available	9:00 AM	8:30 am
Duration:	3 hours	4 hours	9 hours
Includes:	Access to Silfra, live tour guide, hot chocolate, snorkeling gear, wetsuit, photos taken by the guide	Snorkeling tour, all snorkeling equipment including wetsuit or drysuit, roundtrip transportation from Reykjavik, guide, photos, hot chocolate	Small-group experience, pick-up from Reykjavík, caving and caving gear, snorkeling gear, certified PADI dive guide, expert caving guide, Silfra admission fee
	Tour Information & Booking	Tour Information & Booking	Tour Information & Booking

Quick Answer: The 5 Best Rated Silfra Snorkeling Tours For 2024

1. Silfra Fissure Snorkeling Tour with Underwater Photos
2. From Reykjavik: Silfra Snorkeling with Underwater Photos
3. Reykjavik Combo Snorkel in Silfra Fissure & Lava Caving
4. From Reykjavik: Silfra Fissure Snorkeling Half-Day Trip
5. Silfra: Leidarendi Lava Caving & Snorkeling Tour with Photos

Silfra Snorkeling Tour Reviews

1. Silfra Fissure Snorkeling Tour with Underwater Photos

The Silfra: Fissure Snorkeling Tour with Underwater Photos is one of the top-rated tours of its kind. Lasting approximately 3 hours long, it’s easy to fit into a busy schedule while still giving you time to explore this incredible place.

Even the most experienced snorkelers have never ben immersed in water as clear as this! Meet your guide at the Silfra parking lot, who will give you a safety briefing and provide instruction throughout the tour.

All snorkeling gear and a wetsuit will be provided as well, so there’s no need to rent or bring your own. Thanks to the high-quality wetsuit, you will stay warm no matter the time of year.

As you get into the water, you’ll immediately notice how clear it is! Most of the time, you just have to float as the suits are so buoyant and don’t have to do much actual swimming to see interesting sites underwater.

The rock formation of the fissure, “Troll’s Hair” algae, and the Dwarf Char are unique to this area and almost seems like you’re observing them from behind glass due to the clarity.

Your guide will offer to take photos of you while snorkeling in the fissure, which always turn out amazing! The rich blue waters turn out great in film, and make for a wonderful memento. They do an excellent job at providing an educational experience while keeping you warm, like offering hot chocolate.

Should you have any questions, feel free to ask your guide. They know this area very well, and will help you out with instruction if you’re a newbie to snorkeling.

More Information & Tour Booking

100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience

Other Experiences You May Enjoy:

2. Silfra Snorkeling with Underwater Photos From Reykjavik

Next up, we have a 4-hour tour that also packs in a lot of adventure and learning! The From Reykjavik: Silfra Snorkeling with Underwater Photos tour draws a lot of similarities to the previous tour.

However, you get a bit more time to swim around and explore if 3 hours doesn’t seem long enough to you. With hotel pickup available, you don’t have to deal with scheduling your own transportation to Silfra.

Just make sure that you’re ready to go with a sense of adventure and in your hotel lobby at the agreed-upon pickup time. Transportation also takes place in a climate-controlled vehicle that’s nice and comfortable throughout the entire journey.

Your wetsuit or drysuit (depending) and snorkeling equipment will all be provided for you, and your guide will make sure that it’s properly-fitted. This natural wonder is beautiful just to look at, with rich blues and the rainbow spectrum swirling over the top due to the incredible clarity and minerals.

After receiving instruction from your guide, you’ll immerse yourself into the beautifully clear waters.

It’s a bit surreal to know you’re floating between two continents, essentially. Your guide will lead your through the majestic scenery, pointing out unique formations and marine life. They’ll even take photos of you underwater if you’d like!

To stay warm, you do have a 6mm suit that does a great job at keeping your body heat in during the colder seasons. The guide will even prepare you some hot chocolate that’s always so nice to sip while breathing in the fresh air and admiring the incredible scenery surrounding you.

More Information & Tour Booking

100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience

3. Reykjavik Combo Snorkel in Silfra Fissure & Lava Caving

Perhaps you love the idea of the other tours, but are looking for something even more lengthy. If so, do we have just the perfect adventure for you!

The Reykjavik Combo Snorkel in Silfra Fissure & Lava Caving is the quintessential Icelandic excursion that will give you a deeper appreciation for this beautiful country.

Start off your tour by being picked up at your hotel or other accommodations in the morning. Today, you’ll be traveling with a certified PADI dive guide and an expert caving guide to ensure you have the best, safest experience possible.

Get ready for an exhausting, yet exhilarating time that you’re sure to want to repeat in the future. Start out with trekking through wondrous lava tube caves, where the caving expert will lead you through the best parts.

They offer a fascinating commentary on how the caves came to be formed, and interesting anecdotes. There are few places in the world where you can go venturing through lava tubes, and it’s a great way to precede your snorkeling time.

Next up, you’ll don either a wetsuit or drysuit and the rest of your snorkeling gear. Your certified PADI dive guide is there to help along the way. The crystal-clear, majestically-blue waters look beautiful from the outside but even more breathtaking when you see below the surface.

Your guide will point out particularly interesting sea creatures, rock formations, and much more as you float around.

You can also rent a waterproof digital camera or purchase a waterproof disposable camera at the operator offices, should you like to take some snapshots of your jaw-dropping experience.

More Information & Tour Booking

100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience

4. Silfra Fissure Snorkeling Half-Day Trip From Reykjavik

If you want to see and learn about some of the most beautiful natural sites Iceland has to offer, from some of the most knowledgeable people on the subject then you’re in the right place.

The From Reykjavik: Silfra Fissure Snorkeling Half-Day Trip is a fascinating excursion offering an aspect of Mother Nature that most of us do not have.

Step away from the hustle-and-bustle of the city and escape into this fairytale-like space rated as one of the world’s top 10 dive sites! Start off the day by being picked up by your guide at your hotel lobby or other accommodations.

Your certified PADI dive guide will begin telling you about what to expect for the day, and interesting facts about Silfra. When you arrive, you’ll have a nice amount of background knowledge that will make the already-impressive sites even more impactful, if you can believe it!

Before getting started, you’ll go through a briefing and equipment check to ensure everyone’s snorkeling gear is operating correctly.

If you have any questions, your guide is there to answer them and provide instruction when needed. Once you’re in the water, they’ll ensure you feel comfortable and point out any special critters and formations.

With a whopping 300 feet of underwater visibility, it’s like looking at these things through glass. Not to mention, it’s pretty cool to be able to say you’ve swam between two continental plates!

The wetsuits and drysuits do manage to keep you dry and warm quite well, however, your lips and chin will be exposed to the chilly water.

More Information & Tour Booking

100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience

5. Silfra Leidarendi Lava Caving & Snorkeling Tour with Photos

Are guide certainly wouldn’t be complete without the Silfra: Leidarendi Lava Caving & Snorkeling Tour with Photos! This is another extended tour, fitting in a ton of fun and education into 7 hours.

Limited to just 6 participants, this is your chance to see these gorgeous places up close and personal from incredibly knowledgeable professionals.

In the morning, you’ll be picked up at your hotel lobby, so there’s no need to fret with booking transportation on the side.

Your first stop of the day will be at the Leidarendi cave with a caving expert who knows exactly where to lead you through the massive, 900-meter-long lava tube!

While a bit of crawling may be required at times, this underworld spot and the wonders it holds are definitely worth getting a little dirty for.

Then, it’s off to Silfra to go snorkeling in this freshwater fissure sitting between two continental plates. No experience is needed, so even if this is your first time snorkeling, your guide will be there to make sure everyone is safe and comfortable.

They provide all snorkeling gear in wetsuit or drysuit, depending on your interest and the current climate.

Wetsuit snorkeling does provide a lot more freedom in where you go and how you move, so that is always recommended. However, they’re there to suit your needs and make sure everyone has a fantastic time

. It’s incredibly exhilarating to be in this ultra-clear, freshwater fissure full of beautiful creatures and be able to experience it with others.

Afterward, your guide will make sure everyone stays warm with a hot chocolate before heading to the vehicle. All in all, this is one of the top tours that everyone will be talking about years from now!

More Information & Tour Booking

100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience

Iceland Tour Guide

There are many reasons the Land of Fire and Ice has seen an explosion in tourism since 2019. Not only can you see the Northern Lights, active volcanoes, glaciers, and puffins, you can also relax in a geothermal spa and even bake bread inside a pot buried underground.

What you decide to do in this fascinating country is your choice, but you should take the time to do some research before you go. This guide is here to inform you where you can go, what you can do, and how you can get there, because we want you to have the best vacation of your life in Iceland.

Airports & Entry

Most visitors to Iceland arrive at Keflavik International Airport (KEF). Although Iceland only has a population of 359 thousand people, in 2018 this busy airport handled 9.8 million passengers. Despite the number of visitors, there is only one terminal. You will find the check-in times minimal, with an average 20-minute waiting time at the security check.

Inside the terminal, you will find everything clearly signposted in English. Charging points for cellphones and laptops are provided in the waiting area along with free Wi-Fi.

Strollers are provided for children, and there is a dedicated kids’ play area. The usual selection of food outlets and shops are found on the upper floor of the main building. Manned information stands are located throughout the airport.

It is 30 miles from the airport to Reykjavik, the capital city. The speed limit is 55 mph, but the drive usually takes 50 minutes due to traffic. Shuttle bus services link KEF to the city, which you can book in advance online or pay for at the airport.

Some hotels offer airport collection, and you should ask about that when you book your room. You can, of course, jump in a taxi at the airport, but it will be extremely expensive compared to the airport bus service. Car rental is available at the airport, but it is advisable to book in advance.

Planning Tips

With so many exciting things to do and see in Iceland, you’re guaranteed to have a great holiday. However, things do not always go to plan, so here are 5 tips to help you make the most of your visit.

Tip #1: If you want to see the Aurora Borealis, go between September and March

It’s easier to view the Northern Lights when the sky is at its darkest. In Iceland, the nights are especially long between September and March, but the sky doesn’t grow dark enough to view this magical phenomenon during the summer months. However, do not plan a visit around a full moon, because its light can dampen the impact of this natural light display. The best days to go are around the time of a new moon.

Tip #2: Check out the SolarHam website

If you are especially interested in the Aurora Borealis and want to earn your Geek Badge, check out the SolarHam website. This techy site provides a 3-day geomagnetic forecast, which is useful for aurora hunters to select the best time to view the Northern Lights. The same site provides a satellite map of where the natural light show is right now, so you can look up if you’re near.

Tip #3: Take your time to enjoy all the attractions of Iceland

There’s so much to see in Iceland, it would be a crime not to explore and experience as much as you are able in the time you have. While you are there, do not miss the opportunity to see so many unforgettable natural phenomena in one place.

A great way to see all the national parks is with a horseback riding tour! There is nowhere else on the planet where you can see active volcanoes, glaciers, and icebergs, all in one national park. A great way to explore is with an ATV tour of the park.

Tip #4: Book everything in advance, especially in winter

Tourism is on the rise in Iceland, and hotel rooms, tours, and attractions get fully-booked ahead of time.  Don’t miss out on seeing the Northern Lights from the best vantage point possible because all the tours were booked-up before you arrived. Many tours like the ones detailed above offer a 24-hour-in-advance free cancellation, so you take no financial risk booking. Ask about free cancellation when buying your ticket.

Tip #5: Impress your friends with quintessentially Icelandic souvenirs

The budget chain store Bonus stocks many unique Icelandic products, such as Omnom chocolate, Icelandic specialty teas, herbal sea salt blends, and licorice mixed with chocolate. At Bonus, you can pick up great, inexpensive gifts for your friends! Vinbuoin, the state-run liquor store, sells a fine selection of renowned Icelandic spirits, including Iceland’s signature tipple, Brennivin.

And if you like to sort through other folks’ debris for the hidden treasures, a special weekend market is held at Kolaportio in downtown Reykjavik where Icelanders come to sell off their unwanted goods when moving to a new house. You could find anything!

Restaurants & Eating Out

Because of Iceland’s geographical position and climate, vegetables and grains are rare in traditional foods, and many famous dishes focus on preserved seafood or meat. Also, food was scarce in yesteryears, so every part of an animal or fish was eaten. You’ll find many traditional meals involve fish or meat that is salted, smoked, dried, or fermented. Watch out for such culinary delights as baked sheep’s head and fermented shark.

Seafood restaurants are common throughout Iceland, and all serve “fish of the day”, which is usually salmon, monkfish, haddock, or cod. However, if you wish, you can seek out some of the more exotic options. Humar is a kind of lobster caught off the south coast of Iceland, renowned for its tender and tasty flesh.

It is served fried, baked or grilled, though it can also be found as a pizza topping! Plokkfishkur is a fish stew, made to the chef’s specific recipe but usually combining white fish with onions, potatoes, milk, and flour. Harofiskur is a snack you can buy in any grocery store. It is dried stockfish, eaten with butter or straight out of a bag.

Because it is difficult to grow wheat in Iceland, there are many traditional varieties of rye bread, like flatkaka, baked in thin disks on hot stones. One variety of rye bread you should try is rugbrauo, a sweet-tasting, dark bread.

The reason rugbrauo is so interesting for visitors to Iceland is that a common baking technique is to bury a dough-filled pot near one of the many hot springs, such as Fontana Hot Springs, and use geothermal heat to bake the bread. Rugbrauo baked that way is also called hyerabrauo (hot-spring bread).

Icelanders don’t only eat fish and rye bread. Sheep are the most common livestock in Iceland, so lamb is often on the menu. Sheep wander freely around the countryside, eating seaweed, grass, and berries, which tends to make lamb tender with a mild flavor.

Smoked lamb is called hangikjöt and is often served boiled during the winter holidays. Also watch out for varieties of meat you won’t see in most other countries, like puffin, horse, and whale. Despite international concern over puffins and whales, they are still commonly consumed in Iceland.

A meal on vacation isn’t complete without dessert. Popular local sweets include rugbrauosis (rye bread ice cream), pönnukökur (Icelandic pancakes), and snuour (cinnamon bread covered in caramel or chocolate). A dairy product unique to Iceland is skyr.

It is a kind of sour milk cheese eaten like yogurt and often sweetened and flavored with fruit or vanilla.

Nightlife & Entertainment

With long, cold nights throughout the winter, it’s no surprise Icelanders love their nightlife, and much of it is centered where most of the people live—Reykjavik. Because the capital is so small, most of the clubs and bars are within walking distance of one another. In fact, many are along one street, Laugavegur, the commercial artery of downtown.

Most social venues are informal and entrance fees rare. When Icelanders go out for the night, they tend to begin late, and many clubs and bars don’t get busy until after midnight. This is in part because alcohol in bars is expensive, so locals drink at home before setting out.

Many clubs and bars stay open as late as 5 am. Cocktail bars are a recent addition to Iceland’s nightlife, but with the booming tourist trade, they are rapidly expanding.

And don’t worry too much about safety at night. In 2019, the Institute for Economics and Peace in Sydney ranked Iceland the most peaceful nation on Earth for the 12^th year running. Crime rates in Reykjavik are probably lower than anywhere you have ever lived.

Getting Around

Iceland is a small country covering an area slightly smaller than Kentucky. If you wanted to drive from Reykjavik on the west coast to Faskruosfjorour on the east coast, the 425 miles route would take only 8½ hours.

However, because of its small population outside of the capital, you cannot rely on public transport to go sightseeing around the country or reach the best place to view the northern lights. This leaves you with two options: hiring a car or booking a coach tour, like the 3-day Golden Circle tour detailed above.

Within the capital and its immediate area, you do have more options: bus, taxi, bicycle, or walk. The public bus service is inexpensive and efficient, and you can ask for help to find the right bus from your hotel reception. Given that Reykjavik is so small a city, taxis are affordable.

If you want a little exercise, bicycle rentals are available in many hotels, and the city is crisscrossed by dedicated bicycle paths. If you decide to walk, make sure you wrap up well. The weather can deteriorate rapidly in Iceland.

Accommodations

Over the past few years, Iceland has seen a huge expansion in tourism. With a 378% increase since 2010, hotel rooms fill up quickly. Through Christmas and summer, hotels are usually fully booked. Since 228 of Iceland’s 359 thousand citizens live within the capital and its immediate hinterland, settlements throughout the rest of Iceland are small and rooms for visitors limited. Most hotels are in the capital.

You will probably find it most convenient to stay in Reykjavik. You will find a broad range of hotels there, it is near the airport, and many of the attractions along with most of the nightlife are found there or nearby. Many organized tours to other parts of Iceland and major tourist attractions set out from Reykjavik, such as most of the Northern Lights tours detailed above.

Within the downtown and central area of Reykjavik you will find a choice of luxury hotels, like the Hotel Borg downtown and The Icelandair Hotel Marina, overlooking the harbor. If you head a little more out of the center, you’ll find more affordable hostels, such as The Capital Inn and Bus Hostel Reykjavik.

There are some popular hotels outside of the capital near to tourist attractions, such as Hotel Skaftafell in the Vatnajökull National Park, which offers spectacular views of Iceland’s largest mountain, or Skyrhusid Guesthouse near Lake Jökulsarion in the south. Wherever you decide to stay, the important thing is to book in advance. If you don’t, you will miss out on the best rooms.

Weather

Iceland is not the place to go if you want year-round sunshine and dry weather. In fact, on 22^nd December there are only 4 hours of daylight, because that is the shortest day. That’s great if you want to see the Aurora Borealis, since it can only be seen during dark nights, but not so good for other sightseeing. In contrast, the longest day boasts 21 hours of daylight, 21^st June.

The “warm” summer period covers June, July, and August, with an average daily high of 55⁰F and a low of 46⁰F. Yes, 55⁰F is their summer high! Summers are short and cloudy. The winter period covers November through March, two months longer than summer, and is cold, wet, windy, and overcast, with frequent snow. The average daily high drops to 35⁰F in January with a low of 27⁰F.

If your main interest is the Northern Lights, you should go anytime September through March, because the sky is dark enough to view those fantastic electromagnetic displays. If the Aurora Borealis does not interest you, you’ll get the warmest weather and longer days from the end of June to mid-August.

Attractions

The Northern Lights are not the only unique and fascinating attraction in Iceland. The Land of Fire and Ice is the best place in the world to see and experience the majesty and power of two extremes in Nature: glaciers and volcanoes.

12 miles from KEF is the world-famous Blue Lagoon geothermal spa. Here you can laze in pools of hot, milky blue water heated by a lava flow. Nearby stands the Svartsengi Geothermal Power Plant, which uses superheated water from the lava flow to generate electricity and also provide heat for a municipal water heating system.

There are geothermal spas like the Blu Lagoon throughout Iceland, so wherever you choose to stay, you can find one near you and experience the power of molten rock.

If you are there in the winter, be sure to see the migrating whales. To have the best chance of see them, that a whale watching tour. The boat captains know the best places to go to see them.

If ice and Arctic landscapes interest you, head 140 miles east from Reykjavik to Vatnajökull National Park, which is centered on Vatnajökull glacier and the surrounding beautiful landscape. This park covers 14% of Iceland and is filled with glacial rivers and active volcanoes. To fully see it, take a tour of the glaciers and be sure to see the ice caves.

Vatnajökull glacier empties into the glacial lake of Jökulsarion in the south, where you can see 100-feet-tall icebergs freshly broken away from the glacier. Jökulsarion served as a setting in several major Hollywood movies. On your drive back to Reykjavik, you can see two beautiful waterfalls around Skogar. The first, Skogafoss, is an impressive waterfall and a popular destination for Icelandic day-trippers.

18 miles west of Skogafoss is picturesque Seljalandsfoss waterfall. A path allows sightseers to pass behind the curtain of water as it falls into the crystal-clear plunge pool.

If it’s man-made cultural and historical attractions you seek, you’ll find plenty to do and see around Reykjavik. The capital’s earliest history stretches back to 874, but it only became a true city in 1785.

Around Reykjavik, you’ll find an interesting assortment of museums and tourist attractions, like the National Museum of Iceland and the Reykjavik Maritime Museum.

A famous landmark visitors flock to see is the Hallgrimskirkja Church, which is the largest church in Iceland. This unique structure was designed by a local architect to resemble the glaciers and mountains of Iceland.