Wetsuit Snorkeling in Silfra Iceland-Self Drive
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Availability
All year
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DURATION
2 - 3 Hours
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Difficulty
Moderate
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Pickup
No
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Minimum Age
14 Years
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Price
ISK 20.990
Tour Highlights:
- Þingvellir National Park
- North American and Eurasian tectonic plates
- Small group guarantee (6 person max per guide)
- Once in a lifetime experience
- Wetsuit Snorkeling in Silfra, Iceland
Included:
- Certified instructors/Dive masters
- All necessary snorkeling equipment
- Free photos from the tour
- Hot chocolate after the snorkeling
- Silfra admission fee
The Wetsuit Snorkeling in Silfra tour is perfect for those who want to take their snorkeling experience to the next level! Snorkeling in a wetsuit gives you the ability to freedive in the crystal clear water of the Silfra fissure. As the wetsuit does not offer the same protection from the cold glacial water of Silfra, we recommend this tour for the more adventurous travelers. During the tour, your guide will take pictures which you can download free of charge after your tour.
For those who would like the comfort of a drysuit for their Silfra tour, we recommend the Drysuit Snorkeling in Silfra tour.
The Silfra Fissure & Þingvellir National Park
Sitting on top of the Mid Atlantic Ridge, Iceland lies between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. The plates are slowly drifting apart, at a rate of about 2 cm a year. At Þingvellir National Park, this drift is clearly visible. Þingvellir is a UNESCO heritage site, noted both because of it’s historical significance but also for its geological importance. Þingvellir is where the Alþing general assembly was first established around 930 AD.
The Silfra fissure is located in the heart of Þingvellir, exactly at the point where the two tectonic plates meet. The clarity of the water in Silfra is what attracts thousands of visitors every year. Its water is 1000-year-old melted glacier water. This beautifully clear water comes from the second largest glacier in Iceland, Langjökull. It takes the water about 30 years to seep from the glacier through underground lava. This natural filtering system is what makes the water so incredibly clear. The visibility in Silfra is around 100-150 meters on most days. You should also make sure to taste some of the fissure’s water while you are snorkeling, it’s clean and delicious!
The experience wetsuit snorkeling in Silfra between the two tectonic plates in the Silfra fissure is a once in a lifetime experience. You do not need to be an experienced snorkeler to enjoy the Silfra snorkeling tour, but you do need to meet some minimum requirements.
We also have a pickup version of this tour Wetsuit Snorkeling in Silfra Iceland With Pickup
Please read the FAQ section for this tour carefully before booking your tour.
Frequently Asked Questions
To be able to participate in this tour, all guests must meet the following requirements:
- Be at least 150 cm (4’11”) tall
- Be at least 45 kg (99 lbs)
- Be able to swim and be comfortable in the water
- Be physically fit
- Not be pregnant
- Be ready to wear sometimes tights and constricting dry suit
Participants must have read, signed and followed directions on the Snorkeling Silfra Medical Statement. Please bring a signed copy to your snorkeling tour.
No, pickup and dropoff are not included in the tour price but you can add transfer services to your tour at booking at additional cost. The price for the transfers is 5,000 ISK per person, per tour.
Please note that pickup in Reykjavík starts 75 minutes before the tour starting time.
For example: For the 12:00 tour, pickup in Reykjavík starts at 10:45.
Please note that pickup can take up to 30 minutes. It is very important that you are ready at your selected location at the right time and wait for your pickup.
Please note that there is no pickup available for the 15:00 tour.
If there is no transfer option available on the tour you have selected, the transfer is either not available or fully booked.
As we have limited availability on our vehicle, the transfer can become fully booked even if there is still availability for the snorkeling tour itself. This is because guests who have a rental car usually meet us on location at Silfra.
Please note that we do not offer transport for the 15:00 tour.
The meeting point for this tour by the P5 parking lot at Þingvellir National Park. Please click “How to get there” in the menu above to view a map of the area.
After parking your car, be sure to pay the 750 ISK into the parking meter at the parking lot. You can pay by cash or card. You need to display the parking ticket in the window of your car. This fee is not included in the tour price.
From the parking lot, you’ll walk about 400 meters back the same way you came. There you will find the meeting point.
Please be on location at least 15 minutes before the start of your tour. For example, if your tour starts at 13:00 you need to be on location by 12:45 at the lastest.
Yes, all our guides are either certified divemasters or dive instructors. They are highly qualified professionals and under their guidance, you will feel safe and secure. They will provide you with all the gear and information you need.
Before entering Silfra, your guide will show you how to use the equipment to ensure a pleasant snorkeling trip.
You should wear thermal underlayers long underwear) and warm socks underneath the dry suit.
If you wear glasses, you should bring contact lenses.
You can not wear glasses under the snorkeling mask, but you can wear contact lenses.
If you have a snorkeling mask with prescription lenses, you are welcome to bring it along for your tour as long as it is not a full face mask.
No, as this is a wetsuit snorkeling tour you will not stay dry in the water. The suits do a pretty good job of keeping you relatively warm but the water temperature is around 2°C year round.
This tour is also available with a drysuit option, which we would recommend if you are hesitant to enter cold water and stay in the water for 30-40 minutes.
The snorkeling itself takes about 30-40 minutes. When we get to the exit point which is in the Lagoon, you get the opportunity to swim around a bit longer if you’d like to.
You do have to be able to swim to participate in the snorkeling.
Yes, our guides take photos of every snorkeling tour. They then upload them to a Google web album where you can pick the photos you like and then download them FREE of charge.
The height and weight limits for this tour are as follows:
Height Limit: 150- 200cm (4‘11″ – 6‘5″)
Weight Limit: 45- 120kg (99 – 265 lbs)
These limits are due to the standard sizes of dry suites used on the snorkeling tour. All guest must wear a dry suit when snorkeling in Silfra. Unfortunately, we can not accommodate guests who fall outside of these limits.
Yes, we offer private tours. Please note that we can never guarantee that you will be alone in Silfra, but on a private tour you will have your own guide which creates a more private experience. A private tour is a great option for families, groups of friends and even couples who are looking for a special experience.
If you’d like to book a private tour, please email us at info@iat.is for availability and pricing.
Reservations can be canceled 48 hours prior to departure without penalty. Cancellations received less than 48 hours prior to departure are non-refundable.
Cancellations must be submitted in writing to info@iat.is.
Please be mindful of possible time zone differences. Iceland is in the GMT time zone and cancellations must be submitted at least 48 hours before departure in Icelandic local time (GMT).
If you do need to cancel your tour, we recommend that you contact us as soon as possible.
If you have booked a tour without a pickup, please follow these instructions carefully to find our meeting point. Please allow up to 60 minutes for the drive from Reykjavík to Þingvellir and note that you need to be on location at least 15 minutes before the start of the tour:
Directions to Silfra:
From Reykjavík, take road #1 north out of Reykjavík. After passing the township of Mosfellsbær, take the right exit at the roundabout where you can turn onto road #36. Continue driving on road #36 for about 33 km, until you can take a right-hand turn onto road number 361. Continue driving this road for about 3 km, until you can take a right-hand turn onto a side road that will take you to the P5 parking lot for Silfra.
From the P5 parking lot you’ll walk about 400 meters back the way you came, there you will find the meeting point for Silfra.
Please remember to pay the parking fee at the P5 parking lot and display the parking ticket in the window of your car. This fee is not included in the tour price.
