Silfra Fissure Snorkeling Tour Review: A Must-Do Iceland Adventure

Would you believe me if I told you Iceland is the only place in the world where you can drive between two tectonic plates? Silfra is in Thingvellir National Park, near Reykjavik, and has some of the clearest water. An earthquake in the late 1700s created the Silfra fissure, and it is now one of the best places to snorkel and dive in the world!

Snorkeling in the Silfra fissure was on our bucket lists for a few years, and when we decided to visit Iceland for a second time, we knew it had to be on our itinerary. We usually are not tour people, but let me tell you, it did not disappoint! Snorkeling between the tectonic plates was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and it exceeded our expectations.

If you plan a trip to Iceland, I highly recommend a Silfra fissure snorkeling tour. It was one of the best experiences we had in Iceland! This guide has everything you need to know about snorkeling in the Silfra fissure in Iceland.

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Silfra Fissure Snorkeling Overview

What is the Silfra fissure?

In the late 1700s, an earthquake in Iceland created multiple fissures, and only one filled with water melting from Langjokull glacier, Silfra. The Silfra fissure is between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates and has some of the clearest water in the world. Divers from all over the world travel to Silfra because it is one of the best places to dive.

Silfra has four sections: Silfra Big Crack, Silfra Lagoon, Silfra Hall, and Silfra Cathedral. The Silfra Big Crack is the main section where snorkelers explore, while divers can explore the deeper sections of Silfra Hall and Silfra Cathedral. Both snorkelers and divers end in the Silfra Lagoon, the shallow section before ending their tour.

When we were snorkeling in Silfra, we were in awe of how much we could see. Since we were at the top of the fissure, we did not expect to be able to see over 300 feet. I have never been in water that clear, and it was an amazing experience!

Where is Silfra?

Silfra is in Iceland’s first national park, Thingvellir National Park. Thingvellir National Park is incredibly popular because of its historical significance (home to their first parliament in 930 AD) and stunning landscapes. The national park offers many things to do, including waterfalls, churches, and hiking trails.

Silfra is on the southwestern corner of Thingvellir National Park near the largest lake in Iceland, Þingvallavatn. It is a short walk from the parking lot to an overlook where you can see into the clear waters. If you do not want to snorkel, I still recommend visiting because it is a beautiful place!

What should you wear for snorkeling in Silfra Fissure?

Silfra is VERY cold, about 35-39°F (2-4°C). But do not worry! The snorkeling tours provide a dry suit to help keep you warm and dry. Your face is exposed to the water, but you get used to it quickly (aka you go numb, haha). The only other place I felt the cold water was in my gloves because they are not completely sealed, but as I mentioned before, you get used to it.

When you sign up for your tour, the company will provide you with a list of things to wear. Once on-site, your guide provides you with a dry suit, gloves, flippers, and snorkeling gear. Below is what we wore under our dry suits for our snorkeling tour in Silfra:

Thermal leggings
Thermal long-sleeve top
Two pairs of wool socks (and yes, you need two pairs, trust me)

Is snorkeling in Silfra worth it?

In my honest opinion, ABSOLUTELY! The tours are on the more expensive side, but we had an amazing time, not only with the snorkeling but with our guides. We had the most amazing guide from <a rel="nofollow sponsored" href="https://www.viator.com/tours/Reykjavik/Diving-Silfra-Day-Tour/d905-39217P5?pid=P00051101&mcid=42383&medium=link" target="_blank">DIVE.IS</a> who made the entire process fun!

When we got onsite, the tour vans were set up with all our gear and guides. We checked in, received an overview of the gear, and received all the gear we needed. The guides were great at helping us into the gear because we had never been in dry suits before, and they were awkward to put on.

Once we were all geared up, we split into groups of about five, partnered with a guide, and discussed everything we needed to know before getting into the water. They took the time to explain the history of Silfra and how to snorkel to those who had not been before. Before we knew it, we were getting into the water to snorkel!

Tips for a Silfra Fissure Snorkeling Tour

Do not skimp on your socks. We were so happy we had two pairs of wool socks to help keep our feet warm when snorkeling.
Research which tour company you want to use. There are so many companies that offer snorkeling tours in Silfra, and we chose DIVE.IS because it had amazing reviews and someone we knew recommended them. I had an amazing experience with them, so I also highly recommend them.
Get the earliest tour. Since many companies offer snorkeling tours in Silfra, the line into the water is long. We booked the earliest tour and were in the water first, which was amazing! Our guide says later tours sometimes have to wait a long time because things get backed up.
Buy the add-on to get access to the photos your guide takes. Each guide had an underwater camera and took pictures of us and the fissure. Although you could bring your own GoPro, it was nice not worrying about taking photos so we could focus on the experience. We paid a small fee to access them, and we received the link later that day.

Silfra Fissure Snorkeling Tour Review

I already mentioned this, but we had an INCREDIBLE time snorkeling in Silfra. We went with DIVE.IS, and I could not recommend them enough. I will go over everything we did on the tour and our experience with it all.

As I mentioned above, I highly recommend booking the earliest tour. We were the first ones in the water and did not have to wait in line for other groups to go before us. Our guide said it is the best way to not be in a long line to snorkel since things can get backed up.

Checking into our snorkeling tour

We booked the 8 AM tour and arrived 15 minutes early as our guide requested. Upon arrival, we found our tour guide’s van, checked in, and signed waivers. This parking lot has vans from every tour company, and I highly recommend triple-checking that you are at the right van.

Once we checked in, we stood by the vans and waited for everyone else to arrive. We then started to get more general information about gear and what to expect. They quickly began handing out our dry suits and helping us into them. Any shoes and clothes we were not planning to wear were stored in an extra van onsite.

I had never worn a dry suit before, and it was a bit awkward to put on, but the guides helped us into our suits and then handed us our gloves, flippers, and snorkeling masks. Once everyone was all set, they broke us into small groups of five and partnered us with guides.

Our guide took us over to a picnic table and told us some history about the national park and Silfra. He then went into more detail about what to expect once we were into the water, and before we knew it we were heading over to the deck to go in. The entire getting-ready process took about 45-60 minutes.

Snorkeling in the Silfra Fissure

Our guide wanted to be the first ones in the water so we did not have to wait, and he made it happen! Each group waits a few minutes before going in once a group begins their tour, but since we were first, we did not have any wait time. It was amazing!

When we were on the deck at the entrance to Silfra, our guide helped us put on gloves, flippers, and snorkeling masks and gave us one last rundown on what to expect once we were in the water. He took each of our photos before heading into the water before us.

The first thing I noticed once I was in the water was how cold my face was since it was the only exposed skin. We were reminded it would be freezing, but I guess, my mind did not fully prepare for it. But my face got used to it pretty quickly as we began snorkeling.

Once everyone was in the water, our guide reiterated some things to do if we needed a break, and we practiced flipping onto our backs. Once we were all set, we started snorkeling through the Silfra fissure.

I was immediately in awe of the stunning waters and how deep we could see. I felt like I could see forever into the fissure! The blues and greens in the water took my breath away.

We slowly made our way along the fissure, taking time to experience everything Silfra offers. I barely took my face out of the water because I did not want to miss anything, and, honestly, it was hard to put my face back into the cold water, haha.

Silfra has one point where you can touch the two tectonic plates, and we each took a turn going in between them and having our photo taken. Once our group was done, we continued slowly snorkeling through the fissure. Every part of it was stunning, and I could not get enough.

We were snorkeling for about 45 minutes before we turned into the Silfra Lagoon. The lagoon is a much shallower part of Silfra where we got to explore before our tour ended. Our guide said a few new fissures were created over the years, so we explored those while in the lagoon. Although they were not as deep as the Silfra Big Crack, they were still stunning!

Once we finished exploring, we made our way out of the water. We removed our gloves, flippers, and snorkeling masks before heading toward the van. Our guide helped us out of our dry suits and gave us some delicious hot chocolate and cookies. They were in no rush to usher us out, and we took our time getting to know our group while we warmed up.

Final Thoughts about Snorkeling in Silfra

If you could not tell from the many times I said it, we loved our tour! Snorkeling in the only place in the world where you can swim between tectonic plates was amazing, obviously, but we could not have imagined how beautiful the water would be. I cannot recommend the Silfra fissure snorkeling tour enough when you visit Iceland. It is a bucket list adventure!

If you want to visit the Silfra fissure, this guide is the perfect place to start planning. It has everything you need to know about snorkeling in the Silfra fissure!