In a nutshell
- The tour booked from this site starts from US$137 per person, with groups limited to 6 participants.[1]
- The meltwater in the fissure remains 2°C to 4°C year round and never freezes, because fresh water constantly fills it.[2]
- Reykjavík: Silfra Fissure Snorkeling between Two Continents takes 3 to 5.5 hours; check availability to see starting times.[1]
- You must be at least 12 years old, at least 150 cm tall and able to swim; life jackets and swimming aids are not permitted.[3]
- Reserve now and pay later, and cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund on the listing booked from this site.[1]
- Top choice Between two continents from US$137 Duration3 to 5.5 hours[1]Rating4.71 from 2,142 reviews[1]PickupPickup available, check availability[1]CancellationCancel up to 24 hours in advance[1] Check availability
- Snorkel with free photos from US$215 Duration4.5 hours[4]Rating4.83 from 628 reviews[4]PickupPickup included, check availability[4]CancellationCancel up to 24 hours in advance[4] See this tour
- Golden Circle and Silfra from US$298 Duration10 hours[5]Rating4.82 from 304 reviews[5]PickupPickup included, check availability[5]CancellationCancel up to 24 hours in advance[5] 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.
Is a winter Silfra snorkel worth it?
Before reserving
What Silfra fissure snorkeling in winter feels like
Winter at Thingvellir is quiet and bright. Snow settles on the lava fields, the black rock of the rift looks polished against it, and the water in the crack keeps its pale, glassy blue. You float along a fissure with rock walls on either side, close enough to reach out and touch, and the light above the surface shifts as you drift. Above the water the air can be bitterly cold. Below it, the water stays between 2°C and 4°C all year round, and it never freezes.[2] Underwater visibility is over 100 meters, so there is a great deal of clear water to look through.[2]
The tour booked from this site is a small group trip limited to 6 participants, with a live guide who speaks English, and it takes 3 to 5.5 hours depending on the start time you choose.[1] You can reserve now and pay later, and cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.[1] Pickup is available, and you check availability for pickup options when you book.[1] Prices start from US$137 per person, and the listing is rated 4.71 from 2,142 reviews.[1]
The water stays the same all year round
Silfra is fed by glacial meltwater that has been filtered through porous underground lava for 30-100 years before it reaches the spring.[2] Fresh water constantly fills the fissure, so the water never freezes and remains 2°C to 4°C year round.[2] By the time it arrives it is extremely pure, and it allows for underwater visibility of over 100 meters.[2] It stays cold, clear and almost free of sediment as it moves on towards Þingvallavatn.
This is the strange comfort of a winter visit: the water you step into is the same water, at the same temperature, that people snorkel in during summer. Silfra snorkeling in winter is really about everything above the surface, the snow on the surrounding lava, the low light, the cold on your face when you lift your head, and the quiet of a national park in the low season. Plan for the cold on land and the day becomes straightforward.
Clear glacial water fills the fissure all year, whatever the weather above it.
Between two continents at Thingvellir
At Þingvellir the North American and Eurasian plates break apart and the land between them subsides. Away from the plate boundaries the activity is fairly constant at about two centimetres a year, but in the rift zones tensional stress accumulates during a long period and is then released in bursts.[6] Silfra is one of the cracks that opens in that landscape, and snorkeling here means drifting through a gap between two continents. Þingvellir National Park was added to UNESCO's World Heritage List in 2004.[7]
Silfra reaches depths of up to 200 feet (60 meters) in its deepest sections, though most snorkeling takes place near the surface.[8] The marine life in the fissure consists mostly of bright green troll hair and different types of algae.[2] Close by, Þingvallavatn covers an area of 84 square kilometres and has a greatest depth of 114 metres.[9] Thingvellir National Park receives approximately 1.5 million visitors each year.[10] If you have time either side of your slot, the paths along the rift and the lake shore are worth an hour on foot.
What you need before you book
The requirements are strict and worth checking before you pay. To snorkel at Silfra, participants must be at least 12 years old, at least 150 cm tall, and able to swim and be comfortable in water; life jackets and swimming aids are not permitted.[3] To scuba dive the fissure instead, a diver is required to have either a drysuit diver certification or drysuit dive experience.[11] Check your group against those limits early, particularly if you are travelling with children or with someone who is not a confident swimmer.
The tour booked from this site keeps groups small, limited to 6 participants, and the live guide speaks English.[1] It runs 3 to 5.5 hours, so check availability to see starting times and pick one that suits the short winter daylight.[1] Booking is flexible: reserve now and pay later, and cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.[1] Prices start from US$137 per person on this listing.[1] Other Silfra tours start from US$145 with underwater photos[12] and from US$298 for a Golden Circle combination.[5]
from US$137
Reykjavík: Silfra Fissure Snorkeling between Two Continents, rated 4.71 from 2,142 reviews and limited to 6 participants.[1]
What to wear for a winter snorkel
Warmth on the day comes mostly from the layers you wear under the suit: a thermal base layer, then fleece or wool, then a hat you can pull off before the hood goes on. Cotton is a poor choice here; it holds water and chills you when it is damp. Pack dry clothes for afterwards, thick socks, gloves and a warm jacket, and leave them somewhere you can reach quickly. A thin buff helps around the neck, and a waterproof pouch keeps a phone usable in spray.
Most of the cold you notice is before you get in and after you get out. Keep your outer jacket on until the last moment, and have something warm to pull on as soon as you climb out of the water. In the water, the temperature is between 2°C and 4°C whatever the date on the calendar.[2] Relax your shoulders, breathe slowly and evenly, and follow your guide along the canyon. Floating is easier than most people expect, and cold hands usually settle once you are moving. Tell your guide if you feel the chill anywhere; it is normal and easy to work around.
Getting to Silfra and meeting your guide
Thingvellir National Park is 47 km northeast of Reykjavík on Route 36.[13] If you drive yourself, follow that road into the park and look for the signs to Silfra, where the meeting point sits close to the shore of Þingvallavatn. Winter roads in Iceland can be icy and the light fades early, so allow more time than you think you need and check conditions before you set out. Pickup is available for the tour booked from this site, and you check availability for pickup options when you book.[1]
Thingvellir National Park receives approximately 1.5 million visitors each year.[10] Winter daylight is short and the car parks fill in the middle of the day, so an early or late slot gives you more space and softer light. Once you are at the meeting point the routine is simple: check in, get kitted out, walk the short distance to the entry, and step down into the water when your guide says so. The tour booked from this site is limited to 6 participants, and entry is one at a time.[1]
Making the most of your winter trip
Book a slot rather than turning up on the day. The tour booked from this site runs 3 to 5.5 hours, can be reserved now with payment later, and can be cancelled up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.[1] Groups are limited to 6 participants and the guide speaks English.[1] Bring a water bottle and a snack for afterwards, keep your phone warm in an inside pocket, and leave the rest of the day loose so you do not have to rush away from the park.
What you remember afterwards is specific: blue light through clear water, black rock on both sides, and the pleasing oddity of swimming in a crack between two continents while snow sits on the ground above you. The water you float in has been filtered through porous underground lava for 30-100 years before it reaches the spring.[2] A Silfra winter tour is not about endurance. It is one short, strange float in water that has travelled a very long way to reach this crack.
From prices for Silfra snorkeling tours
From prices per person on GetYourGuide: the tour booked from this site[1], Underwater Photos[12], Drygloves for Warm Hands[14], Free Photos[4], Golden Circle[5].
What a winter snorkel costs
From prices per person in US dollars for GetYourGuide listings.[1][4][5]
When to book your winter slot
How your snorkel day runs
Book your slot
Reserve a time, check the requirements, and pay later if you prefer; cancellation is free up to 24 hours before you go.[1]
Check the rules
Snorkelers must be at least 12 years old, at least 150 cm tall and comfortable in water; life jackets and swimming aids are not allowed.[3]
Meet at Thingvellir
Drive Route 36 from Reykjavík or take a pickup; the park is 47 km from the city and the meeting point is by the water.[13]
Step into the water
Air temperature will not change what you find below: the water remains 2°C to 4°C year round.[2]
Float the fissure
Drift between the plates with visibility of over 100 meters, past troll hair and algae on the rock.[2]
Snorkel between two continents on a winter trip
from US$138Reserve now & pay later
