In a nutshell
- The tour booked from this site is listed from US$137, while a Reykjavík snorkel with photos is listed from US$215.[1][2]
- The tour booked from this site is limited to 6 participants, with a live tour guide in English.[1]
- The tour booked from this site runs 3 to 5.5 hours, and you can check availability to see starting times.[1]
- The glacial meltwater stays 2°C to 4°C all year round, and visibility in the fissure reaches over 100 meters.[3]
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund, and you can reserve now and pay later on the tour booked here.[1]
- Top choice Silfra Fissure Snorkel from US$137 Duration3 - 5.5 hours[1]Group sizeLimited to 6 participants[1]Meeting and pickupPickup options to check at booking[1]Rating4.71 from 2,142 reviews[1]CancellationFree cancellation up to 24 hours before[1] Check availability
- Silfra Snorkeling Day Tour from US$215 Duration4.5 hours[2]Group sizeLimited to 6 participants[2]Meeting and pickupPickup included, check availability[2]Rating4.83 from 628 reviews[2]CancellationFree cancellation up to 24 hours before[2] See this tour
- Golden Circle and Silfra from US$298 Duration10 hours[4]Group sizeGroup size not stated on the listingMeeting and pickupPickup included, check availability[4]Rating4.82 from 304 reviews[4]CancellationFree cancellation up to 24 hours before[4] See this tour
The water is filtered through porous underground lava for 30-100 years before reaching the spring that feeds into Silfra.
Worth the money for the water alone
Before reserving
- Check that every snorkeler meets the age and height rules
- Compare from-prices and read what each listing adds to the day
- Read the duration range before you plan anything around the tour
- Look at the cancellation terms and the pay later option
What a Silfra snorkeling price actually buys
Snorkeling at Silfra is sold as a guided place in a small group, and the figure on a listing is a from-price rather than a fixed ticket. The tour booked from this site is listed from US$137, and a Reykjavík departure with free photos is listed from US$215.[1][2] What you pay depends on the date you choose, the starting time, and whether pickup is part of your booking.
Every listing here is a guided snorkel in the same fissure in Þingvellir, with a live guide in English, so the water and the rock are constants.[1][2] What changes between quotes is the shape of the day: a short session that starts at the Silfra meeting point, a Reykjavík departure with transport built in, or a longer combination that adds the Golden Circle. The tour booked here runs 3 to 5.5 hours, and starting times vary by date.[1]
A ten-hour Golden Circle and Silfra combination from Reykjavík is listed from US$298.[4] The snorkel inside it is the same snorkel. Paying more in Iceland tends to buy more of the country around the fissure: more driving, more stops, more of your day committed, and sometimes a private group rather than a shared one.[6]
From short snorkels to full day combos
Prices spread with the length of the day. The tour booked from this site is listed from US$137 and runs 3 to 5.5 hours. A Golden Circle and Silfra combination from Reykjavík is listed from US$298 and runs 10 hours.[1][4] A Reykjavík snorkel with free photos and pickup is listed from US$215.[2] A still shorter option, a 2.5-hour snorkel from the Silfra meeting point, is listed from US$160.[7]
Paying more buys more Iceland around the snorkel rather than a different snorkel. A horse riding and snorkeling combination is listed from US$315, a Golden Circle day that includes a farm lunch is listed from US$397, and a private Golden Circle tour with snorkeling is listed from US$612.[6][8][9]
If you are weighing a silfra fissure snorkeling cost against a diving day, they are different products with different prerequisites. Diving between the tectonic plates is listed from US$283, and a freedive adventure from Thingvellir is listed from US$223.[10][11] To dive at Silfra, a diver needs either a drysuit diver certification or drysuit dive experience.[12]
Sunlight through a narrow rift and the green blue of filtered glacial water
What changes the price of a snorkel tour
Group size is the easiest difference to spot. The tour booked from this site is limited to 6 participants, and another Reykjavík snorkel listing uses the same cap.[1][2] A Golden Circle, Silfra and farm lunch day is limited to 12 participants.[9] A private Golden Circle departure is sold as a private group instead.[6]
Transport is the other variable. Some listings say pickup is included and ask you to check availability for details, some offer pickup options to check when you book, and one snorkel tour meets at the Silfra meeting point and continues on foot.[1][2][7]
Timings differ as well. One Silfra snorkel tour runs 2.5 hours, another runs 2.5 to 6 hours, and a dive trip runs 3 to 5 hours.[7][10][13] Read the duration beside the meeting point and the pickup note before you compare two from-prices, and check availability for the date you actually want.
The water you are paying to float in
The glacial meltwater in Silfra stays 2°C to 4°C all year round and never freezes, as fresh water is constantly filling the fissure.[3] Visibility reaches over 100 meters.[3] The fissure descends to 200 feet (60 meters) in its deepest sections, though most snorkeling happens near the surface.[14]
The water around you is old. It filters through porous underground lava for 30 to 100 years before reaching the spring that feeds the fissure.[3] Once you are in, you are floating in filtered glacial meltwater with very little suspended in it. Marine life in Silfra is mostly bright green troll hair and different types of algae.[3]
Dress for cold water rather than warm air. The temperature holds steady whatever month you visit, and your face and hands meet it directly. A hood, gloves and a warm underlayer are the things people are glad about at the exit, so pack them even if the day in Reykjavík feels mild. Expect a briefing on the surface, a few minutes to get used to breathing through a mask, and a drift that passes far faster than you would like.
from US$137
The tour booked from this site, Reykjavík: Silfra Fissure Snorkeling between Two Continents, runs with a live guide in English and a small group.
Where Silfra sits and how you reach it
Silfra lies inside Þingvellir National Park, 47 km northeast of Reykjavík on Route 36.[15] The park joined UNESCO's World Heritage List in 2004 and receives approximately 1.5 million visitors each year.[16][17] Several snorkeling listings build the drive from the city into the day, with a bus or coach stage and drop-off afterwards.[10]
The fissure sits in a rift where the North American and Eurasian plates break apart and the land between subsides. Away from the plate boundaries, movement is fairly constant at about two centimetres a year, and in the rift zones themselves tensional stress accumulates and is released in bursts.[18]
Beside the park, Þingvallavatn covers 84 square kilometres and reaches a greatest depth of 114 metres.[19] From the parking area it is a short walk to the entry point, and from there the route follows the current between two rock walls, so the swimming itself stays gentle.
Booking, paying and cancelling without stress
The tour booked from this site can be reserved now and paid later, and it can be cancelled free of charge up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.[1] The same terms appear on the Reykjavík snorkel with free photos and on the Golden Circle and Silfra combination.[2][4] Keeping the booking flexible is the sensible move in a country where wind and road conditions can rearrange a day.
Published durations are ranges rather than fixed slots. The tour booked here runs 3 to 5.5 hours, a dive trip runs 3 to 5 hours, and another snorkel tour runs 2.5 to 6 hours.[1][10][13] Starting times vary as well, so check availability for the day you want before you build the rest of your itinerary around it.
Ratings help you sort the field. The tour booked from this site is rated 4.71 from 2,142 reviews, with 4.8 for the guide, 4.5 for transportation and 4.4 for value for money.[1] A Reykjavík snorkel with free photos is rated 4.83 from 628 reviews, and a Golden Circle and Silfra day is rated 4.82 from 304 reviews.[2][4]
Rules, limits and what to expect on the day
To snorkel at Silfra you must be at least 12 years old and at least 150 cm tall, you must be able to swim and be comfortable in water, and life jackets and swimming aids are not permitted.[5] If that last part gives you pause, spend some time in a pool before you travel.
Diving rather than snorkeling needs either a drysuit diver certification or drysuit dive experience.[12] If you are weighing a silfra fissure snorkeling tour price against a diving day, expect the dive listing to carry prerequisites that a snorkel booking does not.
On the day, plan for time getting into your gear, a short walk to the water, and a guided swim between the plates with your group. Book the slot that fits your travel day, keep the hours after it loose, and leave room for the drive back to Reykjavík and a very large meal. Once you are in the fissure, there is nothing to do but look.
From-prices on Silfra snorkeling and diving listings
From-prices as listed on GetYourGuide: US$137[1], US$215[2], US$283[10], US$298[4].
Snorkeling from-prices by listing
From-prices in US dollars from GetYourGuide listings[1][2][4].
When to book a Silfra snorkel
How to book this snorkel
Pick your listing
From-prices run from US$137 for the small group snorkel to US$298 for the Golden Circle combination.[1][4]
Check the date and start time
Durations run 3 to 5.5 hours, so check availability to see the starting times for your date.[1]
Decide on pickup
Pickup options are listed separately, so check availability to see what is offered where you are staying.[1]
Meet the requirements
Snorkelers must be at least 12 years old and at least 150 cm tall, and comfortable in water.[5]
Book and pay later
Reserve now and pay later, with free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.[1]
Book the Silfra snorkel and see today's from-price
from US$138Reserve now & pay later
