Golden Circle Tour: Explore Geological Wonders and Snorkel in Silfra Fissure
4.5
68 Ratings
Reykjavik
Embark on a thrilling adventure as you snorkel in the crystal-clear waters of Silfra Fissure and explore the geological wonders of the Golden Circle in Iceland's Thingvellir National Park.
Duration: 9 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Reykjavik City Hall - Pickup from selected stops in Reykjavik.
  • Golden Circle Route - We start with the Golden Circle portion of the tour. The first stop being Strokkur. The famous geyser and its surrounding areas are a focal point of the route with people coming to see the geyser erupt, as it is one of a very few natural geysers to erupt frequently and reliably (every 6-10 minutes).

You will also visit Gullfoss (Golden) waterfall. A magnificent double drop waterfall, fed by water from the Langjökull glacier. Witness the breathtaking beauty with your own eyes as the water cascades through Gullfoss canyon.

  • Thingvellir National Park - We make our way to Þingvellir National park, where the diving site Silfra is located. On UNESCO’s world heritage list for its unique geological features you will be sure to be awed by the beauty of the place. The only place where the Atlantic oceanic rift is visible above water, the location of the world’s oldest parliament and home to stunning natural wonders.
  • Silfra Fissure Arctic Adventures - Here is where you will float through the aquatic world of Silfra, the meeting point of two continents. With the cool glacier filtered water the rift offers exceptional visibility that extends to such distances it feels that you are suspended in the air above the deep crack of Silfra. There are four main sections that you will pass through; Silfra Deep Crack, Silfra Hall, Silfra Cathedral and Silfra Lagoon. Experiencing these first hand is the only true way to witness the breathtaking beauty.
  • Reykjavik City Hall - After your magical experience, you will be dropped off at your selected drop off spot in the Reykjavík capitol area.
What's Included
  • Intimate small group experience
  • Complete snorkeling kit with a dry suit
  • Snorkel the famous Silfra fissure
  • Expert supervision by a PADI certified Diveguide/Diving master
  • Convenient Reykjavik hotel pick-up and drop-off
  • Warm up with hot chocolate and cookies post-snorkeling
  • Explore the iconic Golden Circle on a guided tour
  • Stay connected with complimentary on-board Wi-Fi
What's Not Included
  • Food and drinks (except what is mentioned in inclusions)
Additional Information

Embark on a day tour from Reykjavik that includes snorkeling at the Silfra Fissure located in the UNESCO-recognized Thingvellir National Park. After departing from the capital, your journey takes you to the national park where you get to snorkel in the crystalline waters of the Silfra Fissure, a natural crevice formed between the North American and European geological plates. Following this, travel via minibus to explore the geothermally active Haukadalur valley, pausing to observe the renowned Geysir hot spring and majestic Gulfoss Waterfall, both notable attractions on the Golden Circle route.

  • This is a small group adventure tour offering a more personalized experience.
  • It is recommended that you bring warm clothing with you, such as woolen socks, a warm coat or thermal underwear to wear under your dry suit. An under suit will be provided for you to wear, but extra layers are recommended.
  • As this is a full day tour it is highly recommended that you bring packed lunch with you. Stops where you can purchase lunch will also be made.
  • It is advisable to bring a change of clothing with you in the event that your clothing gets wet during the snorkeling
  • Requirements: Weight limit: 45-120kg. Height limit: 150cm – 200cm.
  • All participants need to be able to swim in order to participate in the snorkeling part of this adventure tour
  • Please note that pregnant women can unfortunately not participate in the snorkeling part of this combo tour due to the small risk of cold water entering the suit.
  • It is required to read the snorkeling handbook prior to joining the tour. The handbook will be available upon booking.
  • The operator reserves the right to alter the itinerary if needed with your safety and overall enjoyment of the tour in mind.
  • This is a small group adventure ensuring a more personalized experience.
  • Please fill in the medical statement form in our Snorkeling Handbook before booking the tour. If you have any medical issues you will need to get medical approval from a doctor. https://adventures.is/media/230104/arctic-adventures-snorkeling-silfra-guide.pdf
  • Minimum age is 12 years old. Participants under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or adult guardian booked on the same tour.
  • Pregnant women can unfortunately not participate in the snorkeling part
Location
Reykjavik City Hall
Tjarnargata
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.5
(68 Ratings)
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70kylea
Aug 2, 2023
Silfra is a must do! - We've been waiting for a long time to snorkel at Silfra and it did not disappoint! Arctic Adventures was extremely professional and well prepared. Have never seen better visibility anywhere. Hot chocolate and cookies at the end was a perfect touch. Our guide Federica was outstanding and it could not have been a better experience!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
175marmard
Jul 22, 2023
Snorkeling was great. - The Silfra snorkeling between the tectonic plates was a once in a lifetime experience. I was worried about freezing my face, but after a minute or two, your face gets numb and you dont mind the cold as much. I did not realize that your head and hands would get wet too, and water did leak into my suit because apparently you are not supposed to move your head or hands too much, but I did not mind it. Could have stayed longer. You only need one layer underneath. The outer layer before the dry suit is provided. A change of clothes is needed, as you may get wet. In the summer, you do not need hiking boots. It is a short walk on pavement to the entry point. The guides were extremely professional and helpful. The Golden circle afterward was relaxing. The best stop was the waterfall and petting some Icelandic horses. The Golden Circle was very touristy and packed with people. Overall a great tout and experience.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
H2712kv_
Apr 14, 2023
Love it ! - We were picked up on time and our driver had clear introduction along the trip to the Thingvellir National Park. Our snorkel guide Kris was a professional and considerate person that he help my mom swim to the exit point without effort. Enjoy your adventure with Arctic Adventures !
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Nancyd98
Apr 9, 2023
Incredible Experience, Great Service! - We thoroughly enjoyed our full day tour with Arctic Adventures, which include a morning of snorkeling at the Silfra fissure and an afternoon Golden Circle tour. Our snorkel guide Mattia was a professional and inspired confidence during a snorkel trip that seemed intimidating (but was absolutely thrilling)! This was the best way to see a LOT of Iceland in one day.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
125rior
Mar 16, 2023
Incredible experience - Ivo our driver had great energetic vibes and made the tour memorable. Alex our snorkel guide was great too - her energy made me feel very calm and she was great at checking on everyone during the snorkel if we were okay. Vasco the other guide was also very friendly and helpful gearing up. The snorkel experience was amazing. So dreamy floating over the fissure experiencing the clear water and beautiful colours. The gearing up process was admittedly a bit chaotic and cold - but the drysuit was great at keeping the water out. Only the hands and face got wet for me - there were a couple of others who had very limited leakage. It is freezing gearing up though so be prepared - getting undressed though was fine. And the hot choc and biscuits after were a nice treat. Definitely recommend this tour - and they take some free photos too which is a great memory to keep :)
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Emilylw4767wg
Nov 12, 2022
Amazing experience - This was the best experience in Iceland! We were picked up on time and taken to the snorkelling. We had a great tour guide who was funny and informative. Our instructor for the snorkelling was called Rod. He was encouraging and took lots of photos for us that were available for us to download on the same day. It was such an amazing experience - I was originally really scared of how cold it was going to be but it was fine. The dry suit worked so well and we just had thin thermals on underneath which didn’t get wet at all. After we had another really great guide for the golden circle and we got to see everything in really good time. If you’re debating to do the snorkelling do it! You won’t regret it!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lianki
Jun 5, 2022
Snorkeling in Silfra - Snorkeling in Sifla was incredible! Our teacher Pete was incredible! Thank you so much for this curse!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ian_v
May 4, 2022
Silfra snorkeling +golden circle - Vitor are just a Booking agent who buy the trips off of Artic Adventures...Shop around for price first
Review provided by Viator
704terryt
Apr 13, 2024
Once in a lifetime experience- snorkel between tectonic plates - Snorkel part of the tour, the guides were patient and helpful as we were getting into the dry suits. The water was so clear although cold to the exposed areas. Golden Circle part, enjoyed the stops. Each one had their own uniqueness.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Brian_g
Jan 5, 2023
Awesome.... but.... - This is a tough one for me to evaluate and score. Parts were awesome and not so awesome. First - with regard to the size restrictions for snorkeling - especially in the winter - TAKE THEM SERIOUSLY My girlfriend and I went to Iceland for Christmas and booked this tour. One of the primary reasons we picked it was that it hit the Golden Circle AND Silfra. Dollar for the money it was a pretty good deal. Pickup: The bus was running a bit late., but did show up at the pickup point. Not sure if there was issue with the bus or a prior pickup. It was not a minibus but closer to a full-sized charter bus. There are no on-board restrooms which is fine as you are on less than 2 hours. Silfra: There are no changing facilities at Silfra and you change in the parking lot, basically stripping down to long underwear and a pair of socks to get in a fleece-like jumpsuit. Temps were approximately 13F wind chill well under. Recommend wearing a hat and mittens/gloves until the last minute. Your clothes go into an operator provided dry bag for your coat, snow pants/outer pants. Recommend that a FULL replacement of your under layers be packed in a personal dry bag inside the big one provided by the operator in the case that your dry suit leaks. Recommend that you bring a separate personally owned dry bag for your boots as they should go in last with your gloves/mittens and you do not want snow from the boots to drip down on your coat. Personally owned dry bags can be purchased on Amazon. After putting on the fleece jumpsuit (has no footies so you will still be in your own shoes). You begin putting on a dry suit. At this point boots come off. The dry suit has thing rubber sleeving at the wrists and kneck. You will want to make sure it is snug to the point of being a little uncomfortable. This is what prevents the water from entering the suit. My girlfriend is very petite and the wrists and neck were not tight enough. Rubber bands were used on the wrists and a "choker" was used at the neck. She experienced leaking at both the wrists and neck. (More on that later) Prep and walking to the platform where you enter the fissure are probably as long if not longer than the 30 minutes you spend in the fissure. The staff that got you prepped were super nice. Once in the fissure, you do a quick safety procedure and you're off. There is a point at which you can decide to go back. The water is crystal clear and it is almost like you are flying over a canyon. The suit keeps you floating and the current keeps you moving. There are no fish in the fissure (they do not go there probably because the temperature is a steady 33-34F). There are some fairly shallow parts but it was really cool to do. The operators take photos of your group as you move through the fissure. Your head and hands do get wet. I was worried that my head would get overly cold buy it wasn't. a big deal At the end there is another platform that you exit. It was cold enough the suits froze up on the walk back to the parking lot. They had to thaw us out to get us out of the suit. As I mentioned, my girlfriend's suit leaked (slow leak not like it rushed in but all clothing inside was wet). After removing the dry suit and fleece jumper she immediately put her coat on over her wet clothing - not the wisest choice as the inside of her coat ended up wet. This is why I recommend that you bring a full replacement of clothing for what you wear inside the fleece jumper. I on the other hand, remained dry as could be inside the dry suit. At the.end you get a link to the pictures to download them at your leisure. Geyser: The area has a building with several shops and dining options across the street from the geyser. My girlfriend bought new clothing here to replace the wet. The geyser is across the street and goes off every five minutes. There are number of steaming pools around. Pictures are above. Silfoss: Is a big waterfall in a canyon. There is both a lower observation and an upper. I really liked it. The upper also has shops and restaurants in a single building similar to geyser. The last part is that our tour bus had some issue with the heat. We basically stayed bundled up and were fine. A couple of the other folks were getting pretty feisty over it. Luckily by then we had replaced all of my girlfriend's clothing. Conclusion: The sites were all awesome and hitting the Golden Circle and Silfra in a single day was perfect for our schedule. I wish we had a little better understanding of the dressing process at Silfra and wish that we did a better job getting my girlfriend into completely dry clothes. Our guide as Silfra (Valerio) was AWESOME! The bus situation was what it was but we didn't let it ruin our day.
Review provided by Viator
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