In a nutshell
- The Combo Tour: Private Golden Circle With Silfra Snorkeling runs as a private group for 11 hours, with pickup included.[1]
- The private combo starts from US$612; small group Silfra snorkeling listings start from US$137.[1][2]
- The glacial meltwater in Silfra stays 2°C to 4°C year round and never freezes, with fresh water constantly filling the fissure.[3]
- Snorkelers must be at least 12 years old, at least 150 cm tall and comfortable in water. Swimming aids are not permitted.[4]
- Reserve now and pay later, with free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.[1]
| Private Golden Circle combo | Silfra Fissure Snorkeling | Snorkeling with Free Photos | |
|---|---|---|---|
| From | from US$612[1] | from US$137[2] | from US$215[5] |
| Group | Private group[1] | Limited to 6 participants[2] | Limited to 6 participants[5] |
| Duration | 11 hours[1] | 3 - 5.5 hours[2] | 4.5 hours[5] |
| Guide | English, Russian[1] | English[2] | English[5] |
| Pickup | Included, check availability[1] | Available, check availability[2] | Included, check availability[5] |
| Cancellation | Free up to 24 hours in advance[1] | Free up to 24 hours in advance[2] | Free up to 24 hours in advance[5] |
Silfra reaches depths of up to 200 feet (60 meters) in its deepest sections, though most snorkeling takes place near the surface.
Is the private Silfra tour worth it?
Before reserving
What a private Silfra tour changes
The most obvious change with a private silfra tour is who is in the water with you. The Combo Tour: Private Golden Circle With Silfra Snorkeling runs as a private group, so the guide and the pace belong to your own party rather than a mixed group.[1] The day is listed as 11 hours and starts with a pickup, with the starting time confirmed when you check availability.[1] The guide speaks English and Russian, and you skip the ticket line.[1] The private combo starts from US$612.[1]
Small group listings are the alternative. Reykjavík: Silfra Fissure Snorkeling between Two Continents is limited to 6 participants, starts from US$137, has pickup available and uses an English speaking guide.[2] From Reykjavik: Silfra Snorkeling with Free Photos is also limited to 6 participants and starts from US$215.[5] Both reach the same fissure on a shared timetable, which is what the private day is priced against.
It is worth being clear about what a private booking does not change. You snorkel the same crack between the plates as everyone else, entering from the same shore. What private silfra snorkeling buys is time: the stops and the water sit inside the same 11 hours, and the pace is set by your group.[1]
Inside the fissure: cold, clear and narrow
Silfra is a narrow crack between two tectonic plates, and the snorkel route follows it rather than crossing open water. The water is glacial meltwater filtered through porous underground lava for 30-100 years before it reaches the spring that feeds the fissure.[3] It stays 2°C to 4°C year round and never freezes, with fresh water constantly filling the fissure.[3] Visibility can reach over 100 meters.[3]
The fissure reaches depths of up to 200 feet (60 meters) in its deepest sections, though most snorkeling takes place near the surface.[6] You look down as the walls drop into blue, and the marine life is mostly bright green troll hair and different types of algae.[3] There is no reef and no shoal of fish to follow. The spectacle is the rock, the light and the odd fact that you are floating in the gap between two continents.
Because the route hugs the surface, the swim itself is gentle. You drift face down and steer with small kicks, following the line so nobody has to navigate. Cold water makes everything sharper: your breathing sounds loud, the rock slides past close enough to touch, and the far end of the fissure stays in view the whole way through.
Snorkelers drifting through the clear water of the Silfra fissure in Þingvellir.
The Golden Circle stops on the private route
The private combo lists its stops in order: your pickup location, then Thingvellir National Park, Öxarárfoss, Silfra, Geysir, Gullfoss Waterfall and Kerid Crater.[1] That sequence covers the classic Golden Circle ground with the snorkel folded into the middle of the day. You see the waterfall at Öxarárfoss, the steaming ground at Geysir, the big drop at Gullfoss and the crater at Kerid, with the cold water somewhere in between.
Þingvellir National Park sits 47 km northeast of Reykjavík on Route 36, and it was added to UNESCO's World Heritage List in 2004.[7][8] The park receives approximately 1.5 million visitors each year.[9] Walking the paths with a private guide means you can stop at the viewpoint over the lake and ask questions without a coach group waiting behind you.
Þingvallavatn, the lake at the north end of the fissure, covers 84 square kilometres and has a greatest depth of 114 metres.[10] At Þingvellir the North American and Eurasian plates break apart and the land between subsides, while away from the plate boundaries the movement is fairly constant at about two centimetres a year, and in the rift zones tensional stress accumulates and is released in a burst.[11]
What to wear and how the cold feels
The water sits at 2°C to 4°C all year round, so cold is the thing every snorkeler notices first.[3] Arrive completely dry under your suit: a thermal base layer, wool or fleece rather than cotton, which holds damp against the skin. Bring a hat, gloves and a full change of clothes for afterwards, and leave your phone behind rather than in a pocket.
Your face is the only part that stays in contact with the water. It stings for a minute or two and then settles, and cheeks and lips go numb in a way that is more strange than painful. Fingers and toes are the parts to watch. You enter from the shore rather than from a boat, and you are floating within a few minutes of stepping down.
Afterwards, dry clothes and something warm to drink matter more than they sound. The walk back is short, but you are wet haired in Icelandic air, so a hat and a jumper earn their place in your bag. The cold is usually over before you have finished noticing it, and the photos are the part people talk about on the drive home.
from US$612
Private group, 11 hours, pickup included, skip the ticket line, and a guide who speaks English and Russian.[1]
Who can snorkel at Silfra
To snorkel at Silfra, participants must be at least 12 years old, at least 150 cm tall, and able to swim and comfortable in water; life jackets and swimming aids are not permitted.[4] That last rule surprises people. It means you float and move yourself in open water, so this is not the place for a first swimming lesson.
Diving works differently. To dive Silfra you are required to have either a drysuit diver certification or drysuit dive experience.[12] If you hold that, the deeper route takes you down the same crack. Snorkeling keeps you at the surface over the same rocks, looking down at the plates on either side of you.
Age and height limits are checked before you get in, and there is no way around them on the day. Families with younger children often split up, with one adult in the water and one on the viewing path above the fissure. The path is worth the walk anyway, because it shows you the crack, the lake and the platforms where snorkelers and divers line up.
Private tour or small group: how to choose
The private combo starts from US$612 and covers the Golden Circle stops and the Silfra snorkel in one booking.[1] Other snorkeling listings start from US$137, from US$215 and from US$298.[2][5][13] For a couple, the private day costs a good deal more per head than joining a small group. For a family or a group of friends who want the day to run on their own clock, the arithmetic and the mood both change.
Ratings are worth reading on the small group options. Reykjavík: Silfra Fissure Snorkeling between Two Continents is rated 4.71 from 2,142 reviews, with Guide 4.8, Transportation 4.5 and Value for money 4.4.[2] From Reykjavik: Silfra Snorkeling with Free Photos is rated 4.83 from 628 reviews, with Guide 4.9, Transportation 4.9 and Value for money 4.7.[5] The private Golden Circle combo has no reviews yet.[1]
Group size is the other variable. Several small group Silfra listings are limited to 6 participants, while the private combo runs as a private group.[1][2][5] Fitting a dry suit and a mask takes a few minutes, and that queue is shorter when there are fewer people standing in it.
Booking, pickup and cancellation
Pickup is included on the private combo, with the details and the starting time shown when you check availability.[1] Reserve now and pay later is available, so you can hold a date while flights and hotels are still moving.[1] Free cancellation runs up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.[1]
Þingvellir is 47 km northeast of Reykjavík on Route 36, and the private day includes pickup for that run.[1][7] The drive out follows the lake before you reach the visitor areas, and you see the fissure and its entry platforms from the path before you are standing on them.
Daylight and road conditions change a lot through the year, so keep the hours after your tour loose rather than booking a tight connection afterwards. If you are travelling in the darker months, the 11 hour private day is worth planning around rather than squeezing between other plans.[1] For many people the private day is the centrepiece of the trip, with a quiet evening to follow.
GetYourGuide ratings for Silfra tours
Ratings out of 5 from GetYourGuide listings: 4.71[2], 4.83[5], 4.82[13], 4.49[14].
Silfra tour prices in US dollars
US dollar from prices: US$612[1], US$137[2], US$215[5], US$298[13].
When to book a private Silfra day
How to book this day
Check the date
Look at availability for the private combo, where the starting time and pickup details are confirmed.[1]
Reserve your slot
Book now and pay later, and keep the option to cancel free up to 24 hours in advance.[1]
Pack warm layers
Wool or fleece, a hat and dry clothes. The water is 2°C to 4°C whatever the month.[3]
Meet your guide
The route starts at your pickup location, then Thingvellir National Park and Öxarárfoss.[1]
Float the fissure
Most of the snorkel stays near the surface, in water with visibility over 100 meters.[3][6]
Book the private Golden Circle and Silfra day
from US$612
