Silfra Diving Between Continents Tour From Thingvellir National Park

4 hours

Reykjavik, Iceland

About this activity

Book your required dive time, and meet your dive instructor at Silfra parking lot (parking fee at own expense) in Thingvellir National Park. Listen to a thorough briefing about park regulations, diving procedures and signals; and get acquainted with your diving gear, drysuit, and dive route. Diving in Silfra is challenging, and you will need to carry heavy equipment for about 1,312 feet (400 meters) at depths limited to 59 feet (18 meters). During the summer months, you will have the option of making two 30-minute dives; while in winter, if water temperatures are below freezing, you will perform a single dive of approximately 45 minutes. Don your equipment and head to the Silfra entrance, descending a ladder to a submerged metal platform. Stand in the waist-deep water to acclimatize, and perform the required weight and safety checks. If you wish, taste the clean and clear water — it’s perfectly safe to drink. Next, descend into the water and follow your guide through the spectacular underwater world. Marvel at the electric blue shades and clarity of the water — visibility can extend beyond 328 feet (100 meters) — and swim through the Silfra Deep Crack, where the two continental plates lie a short distance apart. Glide through the narrow gap and as it widens, enter Silfra Hall, a space that leads into Silfra Cathedral — the deepest point at 72-feet (22 meters). Take in the pristine beauty of this cavernous chamber with its plunging lava walls, and continue into Silfra Lagoon: a brilliant-blue lake of seemingly endless visibility. Ascend to the surface here and remove your fins and other heavy equipment to walk back to the parking lot. Then, change into your everyday clothes and recharge with warming hot chocolate and cookies. Your 4-hour diving experience then concludes here.

Highlights

Snorkel between two tectonic plates
Free underwater photos

Full description

Experience the weightless of gliding through clear glacier water on this 4-hour diving tour from Thingvellir National Park. The slow current provides a perfect pace to explore this beautiful area with your certified dive instructor. The fresh water visibility found here is unrivaled--sometimes it is only limited by the density of the water itself. Depth varies, but dives are limited to 18 meters by park regulations. Rated a challenging dive, this small-group tour is limited to a maximum of 3 participants. Choose from one of three departure times when you book.

Included / Excluded

Small group experience
Guided dive tour in Silfra with a certified PADi® Divemaster
All specialized dive equipment, including a dry suit, mask, fins, thermal under-suit, tanks, weights, regulator and second stage, all specially designed for the cold water
Hot chocolate and cookies

Pick up service from Reykjavik
Food and drinks
Please note that the National park charges a small parking fee (Private Car - 500 ISK)

Meeting point

Silfra meeting point, Vallarvegur, Iceland The meeting point is Silfra car park in Thingvellir National Park. 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. Please meet your guide 15 MINUTES before your tour is due to begin.

Important information

Know before you book

Duration: 4h
Mobile tickets accepted
Instant confirmation

Know before you go

Minimum age: 18 years old

Cancellation policy

Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the activity starts

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.

Reviews

4.7(1,807 reviews)

Jasmine Schnall

Jun 2026

5.0

I had the absolute BEST TIME going on the Katla Ice Cave tour!! One of my best experiences. The ice cave and all the views around it were STUNNING. I was amazed by what I was seeing. 110% recommend booking this tour!! Also, shout out to our tour guide Arny! Thank you!

Jasmine Schnall

Jun 2026

5.0

Abigail Hauer (Abby)

Jun 2026

5.0

We just completed the 7-day tour and it was incredible! For the 6-day portion of the tour, Maggie was the BEST tour guide! She shared interesting facts about Iceland, sprinkled in with great humor. She kept the tour group running on time and gave clear instructions about appropriate attire for each attraction (for example, when to wear waterproof clothes). She also made sure we had the appropriate amount of time for each attraction; of course there was a stop or two that we wish we had more time to explore, but that is the nature of doing a country-wide tour. Overall, Maggie was the MVP and we will miss her dearly! The hotels were nice, and the dinner and breakfast selections were quite broad; they always included at least one vegetarian option. Some hotels even had hot tubs which were an added bonus. The Wilderness Center was by far our favorite hotel! There was an instance of miscommunication from Arctic Adventures (not at all Maggie’s fault), namely clarity on how to book the lagoon visit for an extra fee. It was easily resolved with a brief phone call but we wish there was clearer communication from Arctic before the tour began. The 7th day included some folks from the 6-day tour and some folks doing just a tour for that day. We had a different guide, Bruno, who was also great. The 7th day does feel a bit disconnected from the previous 6, but we would still recommend doing it because the Snæfellsnes Peninsula is a beautiful way to end a country-wide tour of Iceland. Overall, we highly recommend this tour. We found the price to be worth the experience, especially with a guide like Maggie!

Frequently asked questions

FAQs

Additional information

Not wheelchair accessible

Please note that the National park charges a small parking fee
Winter departures: If the temperature falls below -0°C there is a possibility that the dive instructor will change the tour into just one dive due to safety reasons
This is a challenging dive that requires participants to carry heavy equiptment a distance of 400m

Since you are wearing a snorkeling/dive mask to see underwater, there can be nothing in the way of the seal to keep them from filling up with water. You cannot wear glasses underneath the mask. You will have to go without them, wear contact lenses, or bring your own goggles with prescription

Please note that PADI open water license or compatible is required to be able to participate in this tour. As all dives are performed in a dry suit it is require to have a dry-suit certification or at least 10 logged drysuit dives to be able to join this tour. Divers must supply their size of suit upon booking. It is recommended that your most recent dive was within the last 2 years before diving Silfra, as this dive is rated as challenging
It is recommended to wear warm undergarments (fleece/wool), warm woolen socks
It is recommended to bring a change of clothing. The change of clothing is a precaution since no dry suit can be 100% guaranteed to be dry unless it is made especially for you
A maximum of 3 people per booking
Not recommended for travelers with back problems
Not recommended for pregnant travelers
No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
Travelers should have a strong physical fitness level
This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 3 travelers