What to Expect on a Silfra Snorkeling Tour

The Silfra Fissure snorkeling tour is rated 4.87/5 by nearly 2,800 travellers — but if you have never worn a dry suit or snorkeled in glacial water, you probably have questions. This guide walks through exactly what happens from the moment you arrive at Þingvellir National Park to the hot chocolate at the end, so you know what to expect before you book the tour.

Getting There

Silfra Fissure is inside Þingvellir National Park, approximately 60 km (37 miles) northeast of Reykjavik. The drive takes 45–50 minutes via Route 36. The meeting point is the Tröll Snorkel Meeting Point at the P5 parking lot in Þingvellir.

There is no public transport to Þingvellir. Your options:

• Self-drive: Rent a car and drive to P5. Parking costs ISK 750 (~$5), payable at the machine in the lot.
• Hotel pickup: Available as an add-on when booking. A shuttle collects you from your Reykjavik hotel and returns you after the tour.

Arrive 15 minutes before your tour start time. Late arrivals may miss the safety briefing and cannot join the group once it enters the water.

The Dry Suit Fitting

This is the part most first-timers are curious (or nervous) about. Here is how it works:

1. Your guide checks you in and verifies the physical requirements: age 12–69, height 145–200 cm, weight 45–120 kg. Those aged 60–69 need a medical clearance letter from a doctor.
2. You change into thermals — wear wool or synthetic base layers (leggings + long-sleeve top). Avoid cotton. Warm socks are essential.
3. The guide fits your dry suit. It goes over your clothes and seals at the neck and wrists. You stay completely dry inside — the suit is watertight.
4. Neoprene hood, gloves, mask, snorkel, and fins are provided and fitted. Remove all jewellery beforehand (watches, rings, earrings — anything that could tear the suit seals).

The entire fitting and safety briefing takes about 30 minutes. Your guide explains the route, hand signals, and what to do if water enters the suit (rare, but covered in the briefing).

Honest note about comfort: The dry suit is bulky. Moving on land feels awkward. Once you are in the water, buoyancy takes over and it feels natural. The neck seal is snug — it has to be, to keep water out — but it loosens slightly after a few minutes.

The Water — 2°C to 4°C, Year-Round

The water at Silfra is glacial meltwater from Langjökull glacier, filtered through underground lava rock for 30–100 years before surfacing. It is cold — 2°C to 4°C (35–39°F) all year, with almost no variation between summer and winter.

What the cold actually feels like:

• Your body: Completely dry and reasonably warm inside the dry suit. Your core stays comfortable for the full 50-minute swim. Fingers and toes may feel cold toward the end despite gloves and thick socks — wiggling them helps.
• Your face: This is the only exposed skin. The cold water on your face is a shock for the first 30 seconds, then your body adjusts. The neoprene hood covers your head and ears.
• After the swim: You warm up quickly once out of the water. Hot chocolate and cookies are provided immediately — they taste better than any hot chocolate you have had in your life.

The Four Sections of Silfra

The snorkeling route is a one-way drift through four distinct sections. The current carries you gently — you do not need to swim hard. Total time in the water is approximately 45–50 minutes.

1. Big Crack

The entry point. A narrow channel between towering lava walls, roughly 1–2 metres wide. You float between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates — the walls on either side are literally two different continents. The water is shallow here and the visibility immediately reveals the bright green and gold algae carpeting the rock.

2. Silfra Hall

The fissure widens into a broader, shallower section. Sunlight pours in from above, lighting up the lava floor below. This is where many of the best photo opportunities occur — the combination of light, colour, and clarity is extraordinary.

3. Silfra Cathedral

The deepest section. The fissure floor drops away to approximately 63 metres (207 feet) below the surface. From above, you look down into a vast blue void — the water is so clear that the depth is dizzying. This is the most visually dramatic part of the swim and the moment most travellers describe as the highlight.

4. Silfra Lagoon

The exit pool. Wider, calmer, with a turquoise-blue colour created by the glacial minerals. Your guide signals the end of the swim here, and you climb out via a short ladder. Many groups linger in the lagoon for a few minutes to soak in the final view.

Fitness Level and Swimming Ability

You must be able to swim and feel comfortable in water. Beyond that, the physical demands are low:

• No diving required — you float on the surface the entire time
• The current does most of the work — gentle drift, minimal swimming effort
• The dry suit provides buoyancy — you float naturally without treading water
• Breathing through a snorkel is the main skill — if you have snorkeled before (even in a pool), you are ready

The tour is genuinely suitable for beginners. That said, if you are uncomfortable putting your face in cold water or have claustrophobia triggered by a snug-fitting suit, consider whether this is the right activity for you. Your guide will not force you into the water — you can opt out at any point.

Photo Tips

Free GoPro underwater photos are included in the tour — your guide shoots them throughout the swim and emails them to you within 24 hours. A few tips to get the best shots:

• Look up at the camera when your guide signals — face-down shots show the top of your hood
• Spread your arms wide in Silfra Hall for the classic “flying between continents” pose
• The Cathedral section produces the most dramatic shots — the blue void below you creates stunning contrast
• Bring nothing of your own into the water — personal cameras and phones risk damage and are hard to operate in neoprene gloves

What Is Included

Everything you need is provided:

• Certified PADI divemaster guide
• Full dry suit with thermal undersuit
• Neoprene hood and gloves
• Mask, snorkel, and fins
• Hot chocolate and cookies after the tour
• Free GoPro underwater photos (emailed within 24 hours)

Not included: Parking at Þingvellir (ISK 750 / ~$5) and optional hotel pickup from Reykjavik.

Is Silfra Snorkeling Worth It?

The 4.87/5 rating from 2,800 travellers is not inflated — Silfra delivers. The clarity of the water is something you cannot fully grasp from photos. Floating between two tectonic plates in a UNESCO World Heritage Site, looking down into 63 metres of crystal-clear glacial water, is genuinely one of the most unusual experiences available to a casual traveller anywhere in the world. Most visitors call it the highlight of their Iceland trip.

The Silfra Fissure snorkeling tour runs daily year-round — from $145 per person with free cancellation.

Ready to Book?

The top-rated Silfra snorkeling tour includes a PADI guide, dry suit, free GoPro photos, and hot drinks — from $145 per person with free cancellation.