In a nutshell
- The meltwater in the fissure stays 2°C to 4°C all year round and never freezes, and underwater visibility is over 100 metres.[1]
- In the water you float in the gap where the North American and Eurasian plates break apart, inside a national park listed by UNESCO in 2004.[2][3]
- Snorkellers must be at least 12 years old and at least 150 cm tall, able to swim and comfortable in water, and life jackets and swimming aids are not permitted.[4]
- Silfra snorkelling listings here run from US$137 to US$215, and the tour booked from this site is from US$137.[5][6]
- Reykjavík: Silfra Fissure Snorkeling between Two Continents is limited to 6 participants, with pickup available and a live guide in English.[5]
- Top choice Silfra Fissure Snorkeling from US$137 Rating4.71 from 2,142 reviews[5]Duration3 - 5.5 hours[5]PickupPickup available[5]CancellationCancel up to 24 hours ahead[5] Check availability
- Silfra Snorkeling + Photos from US$215 Rating4.83 from 628 reviews[6]Duration4.5 hours[6]PickupPickup included[6]CancellationCancel up to 24 hours ahead[6] See this tour
- Golden Circle & Silfra from US$298 Rating4.82 from 304 reviews[7]Duration10 hours[7]PickupPickup included[7]CancellationCancel up to 24 hours ahead[7] See this tour
The water is therefore extremely pure by the time it reaches the north end of Thingvellir lake and it allows for underwater visibility of over 100 meters in Silfra.
Which Silfra snorkelling tour to book
Before reserving
Why snorkellers cross the world for Silfra
Silfra is a fissure in the ground at Þingvellir in south west Iceland, where the North American and Eurasian plates break apart and the land between them subsides. Away from the plate boundaries that movement is fairly constant at about two centimetres a year, but in the rift zones themselves tensional stress accumulates and is then released in bursts.[2] You swim through the gap those plates have opened, with rock on both sides.
The water in it is glacial meltwater, filtered through porous underground lava for 30 to 100 years before it reaches the spring that feeds into Silfra.[1] By the time it fills the fissure it allows for underwater visibility of over 100 metres.[1] It is also cold in a way that does not change with the calendar: the meltwater remains 2°C to 4°C year round and, as fresh water constantly fills the fissure, it never freezes.[1]
Silfra reaches depths of up to 200 feet (60 metres) in its deepest sections, though most snorkelling takes place near the surface.[9] Underwater the marine life is mostly bright green troll hair and different types of algae, which fuzzes over the lava in soft green patches wherever the light reaches.[1]
How to compare Silfra snorkelling tours
Silfra fissure snorkeling tour reviews are the fastest reality check on any listing. On GetYourGuide the score is broken into guide, transportation and value for money, and the tour booked from this site carries Guide 4.8, Transportation 4.5 and Value for money 4.4 across 2,142 reviews.[5] Open that breakdown rather than stopping at the headline number.
Price is only half of it. From Reykjavík: Silfra Snorkeling with free photos is from US$209 and listed at 6 hours[10], while Silfra: Snorkel Between Continents is from US$160 and listed at 2.5 hours.[8] Two listings a few dollars apart can shape a whole day differently, so read the duration line before anything else.
Group size is the other line worth reading. The tour booked from this site is limited to 6 participants[5], and Reykjavik: Silfra Snorkel Tour & Fly Over Iceland VR Ticket is limited to 6 as well.[11] The diving tours go smaller, with the Thingvellir diving listing limited to 3 participants.[12]
Clear glacial water over dark lava rock in the Silfra fissure
Pickup from Reykjavík or meet at Silfra
Some listings collect you in the city, others expect you at the water. On the tour booked from this site, pickup is available and you check availability for pickup options as you book.[5] From Reykjavik: Silfra Snorkeling with Free Photos has pickup included, with details on the booking page.[6]
Self-drive listings skip the city entirely and start at the fissure. Silfra: Snorkel Between Continents runs from the Silfra meeting point on foot[8], and the listing with underwater photos follows the same shape.[13] If you are driving yourself, Þingvellir National Park is 47 km northeast of Reykjavík on Route 36.[14]
Combination days use pickup to string the sights together. From Reykjavík: Golden Circle Tour and Silfra Snorkeling has pickup included and a route that goes from the pickup location by bus or coach to Silfra, then on to Þingvellir National Park, Gullfoss Waterfall and Geysir.[7] That day is listed at 10 hours.[7]
Duration, group size and how the day runs
Listed durations run from a short half day to a full one. Reykjavík: Silfra Fissure Snorkeling between Two Continents is 3 - 5.5 hours, depending on the starting time you pick.[5] From Reykjavik: Silfra Snorkeling with Free Photos is 4.5 hours[6], and Silfra: Half-Day Snorkeling Day Trip with Underwater Photos is 3 hours.[15]
Diving takes longer and asks more of you. Silfra: Diving Between Tectonic Plates is listed at 3 - 5 hours[16], and Thingvellir: Silfra Fissure Diving with Optional Pickup at 4 - 6 hours.[12] Add the Golden Circle and the day stretches: From Reykjavík: Golden Circle Tour and Silfra Snorkeling is 10 hours.[7]
Group sizes are capped. Reykjavik: Golden Circle, Silfra Snorkeling, and Farm Lunch is limited to 12 participants[17], the tour booked from this site and another snorkelling listing are limited to 6[5][6], and the diving tours are limited to 3.[12][16] Combo Tour: Private Golden Circle With Silfra Snorkeling is a private group.[18]
from US$137
Reykjavík: Silfra Fissure Snorkeling between Two Continents is limited to 6 participants, with pickup available and a live guide in English.[5]
What the water feels like and who can join
The cold is the thing everyone asks about. The glacial meltwater in Silfra remains 2°C to 4°C year round and never freezes.[1] In the water you are covered from head to toe, and the chill shows up on exposed skin, hands and face rather than across your whole body. Most snorkelling happens near the surface, over the shallower shelves of the fissure.[9]
Requirements are firm and they are checked at the site. To snorkel at Silfra you must be at least 12 years old, at least 150 cm tall and able to swim and be comfortable in water, and life jackets and swimming aids are not permitted.[4] If anyone in your group is close to those limits, measure before you book rather than on the day.
Diving is a separate door. To dive Silfra you need either a drysuit diver certification or drysuit dive experience.[19] If you have that, there is a freedive option at Thingvellir listed at 3 hours[20] and a dive with optional pickup listed at 4 - 6 hours.[12]
Getting to Þingvellir and picking a date
Þingvellir National Park is 47 km northeast of Reykjavík on Route 36, close enough for a half day out of the city and a natural first stop on a longer loop.[14] It receives approximately 1.5 million visitors each year.[21] Arriving early or late in the day is the simplest way to find space in the car park and quiet on the paths.
The park was added to UNESCO's World Heritage List in 2004.[3] Beside the fissure, Þingvallavatn covers 84 square kilometres and reaches a greatest depth of 114 metres.[22] Silfra is one small, celebrated corner of that much larger lake system.
Season changes the surface more than the swim. The water holds at 2°C to 4°C whatever the month.[1] Winter brings snow on the lava, low light and thinner crowds; summer brings long daylight and more people. Both work, but the packing list does not look the same.
The tour booked from this site
Reykjavík: Silfra Fissure Snorkeling between Two Continents is from US$137 and rated 4.71 from 2,142 reviews, with a live tour guide in English.[5] It is limited to 6 participants, pickup is available when you check availability, and the day runs 3 - 5.5 hours.[5]
The terms are easy to live with. You can reserve now and pay later, and cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.[5] That flexibility helps when the forecast moves your plans around.
Wider options exist if you want more than the fissure. From Reykjavík: Golden Circle Tour and Silfra Snorkeling is 10 hours from US$298[7], and From Reykjavik: Silfra Snorkeling with Free Photos is 4.5 hours from US$215.[6] If the swim is the whole point, the shorter listing leaves the rest of your day open.
How the tour booked from this site scores
All scores come from the GetYourGuide listing for Reykjavík: Silfra Fissure Snorkeling between Two Continents.[5]
Compare Silfra from-prices in US dollars
Adult from-prices in US dollars from these GetYourGuide listings; no separate child price is listed.[5][6][7][23]
When to book your Silfra swim
Choosing a Silfra tour
Set your dates
Silfra runs year round, so pick the days that fit your flights first and build the swim around them.
Decide on pickup
If you are staying in Reykjavík without a car, filter for listings with pickup; the tour booked from this site has pickup available.[5]
Read the duration
Half days and full days are both on offer, from 2.5 hours up to 10 hours across the listings here.[7][8]
Check group size
Small groups are capped at 6 participants on several listings and at 3 on the diving tours.[5][12]
Book with flexibility
Reserve now and pay later, and cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund on the tour booked here.[5]
Hold a place in the fissure between two continents
from US$138Reserve now & pay later
