Snorkeling Silfra with bright green alage.
This iconic day trip takes you to the beautiful Thingvellir National Park, a UNESCO world heritage site. At the site you can float between the tectonic plates of planet earth in wonderfully fresh, crystal clear water.
Before the snorkeling begins, your guide will talk about the water’s incredible journey from the Langjokull glacier to the Great Lake Thingvellir. A journey that takes over a decade to complete. This magnificent water begins its life as frozen snow, turning to ice water and travelling 60 km underground through volcanic lava rock. The rock cleans and filters the water – making it some of the freshest, purest and clearest water in the world. Because of its purity, you can drink it and is something you should definitely try on the snorkel.
The Big crack
Throughout the Snorkelling tour, you will float over four sections starting at the Big Crack, the narrowest part, where the continents almost meet together so closely you can touch them together using both hands.
The Hall
Next is the Hall, where the rift becomes much wider and the visibility increases to well over 100m.
The Cathedral
Moving onto the Cathedral, a beautiful deep blue area with sheer rock walls and two enormous boulders wedged at the bottom.
The Lagoon
And finally the Lagoon, a shallow silt covered pond where the tour ends. Afterwards you will walk back to the car park, de-kit and make time for a hot drink and something sweet and delicious to eat.
Refreshing temperature all year round
Silfra water temperature hovers between 2-3 degrees c. So to keep you warm whilst snorkelling and provide fantastic thermal protection, we give you a drysuit, hood and gloves. You’ll also get some fins, a mask and snorkel, that let’s you move around, see and breath as you float on top of the water.
New to snorkeling?
If you have never snorkelled before, don’t worry, its easy and fun! There’s a gentle glacial current that takes you along without any effort. Time in the water is around 30 minutes, which let’s you enjoy the experience without getting too cold.
Kindly read this Handbook for diving and snorkeling in Silfra before your tour.
The Silfra Snorkeling day trip is available all year round with the classic Silfra Diving Day Trip and the 3-Day Tectonic Dive Expedition.
Distance to Dive Site: 44km from Reykjavik
Trip duration: 3 hours
Place of Departure: Thingvellir national park
Operator: Our snorkel tours are conducted with our partners Arctic Adventures
Price: From 13 900 ISK per person
Price includes:
Note: This departure does not offer pick up service.
Click here to get to our pick up departure
Difficulty Level: Moderate
(A basic introduction and orientation to dry suit snorkeling will be given by one of Magmadive expert staff)
Bring with you
Participant requirements
What is the best time to snorkel Silfra
Silfra is available to dive and snorkel all year round. Typically, the summertime is always the best time to take advantage of dazzling light displays and more pleasant outside changing conditions. Wintertime can present a tougher experience on the body, but with even better underwater visibility, and a the chance to experience a true white winter wonderland! Whatever time you decide to visit Iceland, choose sensible clothing and adequate thermal protection.
Is there any aquatic life at Silfra?
Each spring, bright green algae finds life on volcanic lava rock, dancing in the gentle current, close to the silent groundwater springs entering Silfra. This elegant plant then blooms in the summer months before beginning its inevitable decline towards the winter.
Throughout the year, small Arctic char live amongst the darkness, between the cracks and under the crevices at Silfra. They can often be seen hiding but are quickly scared away.
On rare occasions, magnificent giant Trout from lake Thingvallavatn swim upstream into Silfra in search for food. Over the many years, both species have evolved to survive together in extremely cold water (2-3℃), and play an equally important part for preserving the natural balance in the circle of life within Silfra.
How do I get to Silfra with my own transport?
Getting to Silfra by car takes about 45 minutes drive from Reykjavik. The road will take you north east through Mosfellsbaer before heading along the Thingvallavegur mountain pass and finally into the Thingvellir National Park.
Meet on Location:
The meeting point is Silfra car park in Thingvellir National Park. Click here for driving directions to where you can park your car (parking “Thingvellir P5”).
To meet your guide: Walk 400m back along the road until you reach a smaller car park with all the snorkel and dive vans, and look for your guide/Scuba Iceland vans.
Please be ready in the Silfra car park to meet your guide 15 MINUTES before your tour is due to begin.
For GPS: 64°15’23.508″N 21°6’58.676″W
Opening Hours
09:00 AM – 09:00 PM
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