Snorkeling in Silfra | Free Underwater Photos

Snorkeling in Silfra is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. You’ll find yourself swimming between tectonic plates, floating in pure, filtered glacier water. Tick this ultimate tour with breathtaking underwater views in the world's clearest waters off your bucket list. You'll receive GoPro underwater photos after your tour for free.

Earth is divided with underground tectonic plates. Iceland is situated right in the middle of the two of them – North American and Eurasian Tectonic Plates. Silfra Fissure is one of the places in Iceland where you can see where the tectonic plates have slowly been separating – yet not on land, but under water. 

In this magical place, the water is considered to be one of the cleanest waters in the world, with a visibility of more than 100 meters. This incredibly clean water comes from the melted ice of Langjökull glacier.

Join us on an adventure in Silfra – the only place in the world where you can snorkel in the middle of two tectonic plates.

During the activity, you will be swimming between two tectonic plates. Your guide will eventually send you all the GoPro photos after the tour.

The tour is available all year round. Silfra gets very busy in the summer. That's why we recommend booking our earliest morning or late afternoon tours.

You will need a car to join this activity. Silfra Fissure is located in the Thingvellir National Park – around 50 minutes away from Reykjavik.

Once you get to the location, it is important to give your snorkeling guide a filled medical form (it is important to read the medical form before booking the tour). Your guide will then give you all the equipment – a thermal undersuit to keep you warm, a dry suit to keep you dry, fins to swim, and other necessary snorkeling equipment.

Once you get warm and ready, your guide will teach you how to snorkel, what to do if you get tired in the water, and other important information.

You can leave all your clothes and other items in our Tröll bags, which are kept securely at all times. You will then start walking towards Silfra with your dry suit on. The walk to Silfra is short, roughly 5 minutes long.

Once you get to the location, just jump into the crystal clear water, and enjoy one of the most beautiful places on earth! 

Please make sure you sign this Snorkeling Medical Statement before the tour – click here

Is snorkeling in Silfra difficult?

Snorkeling in Silfra is very easy – there is no need to have a lot of power. During the first part of the tour, a current from melting glacier water will be slowly pushing you, so you can just relax and enjoy the magical underwater life. It is however important not to be afraid of water, and have basic knowledge of swimming.

Will I feel cold while snorkeling in Silfra?

Most people do not feel cold during the snorkeling part as the dry suits keep you warm. It might however get a bit colder during winter time after you get out of the water – the air temperature in winter is usually colder than the water itself.

Does the water in Silfra freeze during winter?

No, because new melted glacier water enters Silfra each day, so the water never gets the time to freeze. Water in Silfra remains between 2°C and 4°C all year round.

Why is the water in Silfra so clean?

Once the ice from a glacier melts, the glacier water gets filtered through underground lava on its way down to Silfra. The pores from the lava eventually end up cleaning the water, which eventually allows us to explore the magical, mysterious life between the tectonic plates.

To be able to do this tour, you have to be able to comply the following requirements - Have read, signed, and followed directions on the Snorkeling Silfra Medical Statement Form (www.troll.is/medical). You can sign the form at the meeting location. - Be comfortable in water and be able to swim. - Communicate in English at the time of the tour. - Be physically fit. - Not be pregnant. - You must be ready to wear a tight and constricting dry suit to protect your body from the cold. - You must be a minimum of 150 cm and a maximum of 200 cm in height and weigh between 45 and 120 kilos along with being physically fit. - You must be a minimum of 12 years of age and a maximum of 69 years of age to participate in this tour. If you are over 60 years of age, you need a medical waiver, available on page 2 of the medical form. Participants under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent or adult guardian booked on the same tour. - If you are over 45 and partake/have partaken in pipe smoking or heavy alcohol intake, you need a medical waiver. - Please note that should you have any neurological, circulatory or respiratory problems or underlying diseases, battled any illnesses or have any physical problems you might have to turn in a physicians allowance to participate in this tour.