Both tours include:

• • An English-speaking, PADI-certified divemaster guide
  • Full snorkeling gear: drysuit, thermal undersuit, neoprene hood, neoprene gloves, fins, and mask
  • Thingvellir National Park (Silfra) admission fee
  • Free underwater photos taken by your guide
  • Hot chocolate and cookies after your swim

Cave & Silfra Combo also includes:

• • An expert caving guide
  • All necessary caving gear and safety equipment
  • Guided exploration of Iceland’s longest lava cave at Raufarhólshellir

Add-ons (pricing shown at checkout)

• • Pickup from select Reykjavik locations

Not included:

• • Transportation to the meeting point, unless you’ve added Reykjavik pickup
  • Thingvellir National Park parking fee (500 ISK), payable on-site
  • A towel
  • Personal camera equipment
  • Raufarhólshellir lava cave admission fee, on the combo tour
  • Anything not mentioned under the “Included” section
  • Insurance — recommended, available to add at checkout
  • Guide gratuities (optional)

Participants need to be comfortable in the water and be able to swim. You cannot participate if you are pregnant, due to the small risk of cold water entering the suit. To join the tour, you must read and sign the medical statement form before booking. If you have any medical conditions, medical approval from a doctor is required.

A slow, beautiful glacial current flows through the fissure, guiding you effortlessly during the first half of your snorkel. In the second half, you may need to swim against this gentle current—while not difficult, it does require basic swimming ability.

Dry suit sizes: While the guides would like everyone to join the tour, the gear sizes reflect what’s available on the market, and it’s important that guests fall within the size parameters. This ensures the safety equipment can do its job and keep guests warm in the glacial water.

• • Weight limit: 99-265 lbs (45-120 kg)
  • Height limit: 4’11” – 6’7″ (150-200 cm)

On the Lava Cave & Silfra Snorkeling Combo, the same swimming and sizing requirements apply for the Silfra portion, plus a couple of hours of walking through the lava cave beforehand—easy underfoot, with no climbing or scrambling involved.

Note that filling out and signing a medical statement form about your general health is required. If your health condition makes the adventure unsafe for you, the guides reserve the right to deny participation for your safety.

Please consider the following and make sure you’re comfortable with all of it:

• • Participants wear a tight and constricting full-body dry suit, which is heavy and may make walking difficult.
  • Due to the geographical layout of Silfra, participants must walk approximately 150 meters (490 ft) in full gear to the entry point and later 350 meters (1,150 ft) from the exit stairs back to the starting area.
  • The dry suit has tight seals on the neck and wrists to prevent water from entering, which is essential for staying dry in glacial water. However, these seals can feel restrictive and may be uncomfortable for those who are claustrophobic.
  • The snorkeling experience lasts about 30-45 minutes, with water temperatures around 2°C (35.6°F), so it is recommended to eat and drink before the tour.
  • Participants wear a neoprene hood and semi-dry neoprene gloves. While this is a snorkeling tour, it is important to note that your face, hair, and hands will get wet.
  • There is a slight current in Silfra, and participants must be comfortable swimming against it during the final part of the tour.
  • A snorkel is used for breathing throughout the activity, with one end in the water and the other in the air.
  • Iceland’s outdoor temperatures can be extremely cold, especially in winter. You will spend up to three hours outside, so dress warmly with thermals, a winter coat, hat, and gloves.
    There are no locker rooms at Silfra, so avoid bringing valuables or unnecessary items on the tour.

Note that filling out and signing a medical statement form about your general health is required. If your health condition makes the adventure unsafe for you, the guides reserve the right to deny participation for your safety.

Here’s a list of the equipment you need to bring:

• • Thin thermals
  • Warm socks
  • Warm undergarments
  • Spare clothes for layering and change of clothes
  • Waterproof rain jacket
  • Towel
  • Camera — optional (but recommended)

All snorkeling equipment, including an undersuit, dry suit, hood, gloves, mask, snorkel, and fins will be provided by your guide.

Got everything you need? Grab your gear through Active Junky and earn cash back on top outdoor brands — plus a $10 bonus on your first $25+ purchase. Shop now at Active Junky!

No. No snorkeling, diving, or caving experience is necessary for either tour—your guide leads the way and handles all the gear. You just need to be comfortable in the water and able to swim.

Your guide provides everything you need to get in the water: a drysuit, thermal undersuit, neoprene hood, neoprene gloves, mask, and fins. On the Lava Cave & Silfra Snorkeling Combo, you’ll also get all the necessary caving gear and safety equipment for the cave portion.

On your end, bring warm base layers (wool or fleece) to wear underneath the suit, thick socks, a change of clothes, and a towel for afterward. If you wear glasses, bring contact lenses instead — glasses don’t fit under the mask.

The water in Silfra sits at 2-4°C (35-37°F) year-round, so it’s cold in every season, not just winter. The drysuit and thermal undersuit keep your body warm and dry; only your face, hands, and part of your hair get wet.

Group sizes and pricing

• • For this snorkeling adventure in Iceland, the usual client-to-guide ratio is 6:1.
  • It takes a minimum of 2 people for this tour to operate. The maximum group size is set at 12 participants.

Snorkeling in Iceland can be arranged for larger groups. Contact us to make arrangements.

Min. age requirements

• • If you are older than 18, you’re good to go.
  • Minors from 12 to 18 may be permitted to join the snorkeling adventure in Iceland on a case-by-case basis, but must be in the presence of a parent or legal guardian.

If your group has adventurers under the age of 18, contact us prior to booking to make arrangements.

The Silfra car park in Thingvellir National Park is about a 45-minute drive from Reykjavik. You can get there by rental car, shuttle, or public transport.

For the Silfra Snorkeling Tour, departures run twice a day: 10:00 am and 1:30 pm if you meet on location (Silfra), or 8:30 am and 12:00 pm if you add Reykjavik pickup at an additional cost.

For the Lava Cave & Silfra Snorkeling Combo, the tour starts at 9:30 am on location (Raufarhólshellir), or 8:00 am with Reykjavik pickup.

Whichever tour, plan to arrive 15 minutes before your tour starts; your guide meets groups at a smaller car park about 400 meters back along the road, where you’ll see the snorkeling vans. Thingvellir National Park charges a parking fee of 500 ISK, payable on-site and not included in the tour price.

We highly recommend that you cover all your bases with insurance. To make your booking and traveling experience as carefree as possible, you’ll be offered to simply insure your trip with Redpoint at checkout.

Redpoint—the official 57hours insurance partner—tailors protection packages for adventure travel, offering a comprehensive travel program, even in remote locations! Trip cancellation, natural disasters, pandemic coverage, medical evacuation, primary medical expenses—regardless of the travel interruption that may happen, Redpoint will have you covered.