Diving Silfra Tour with Pick Up
Dive Between Two Continents in the Clearest Water on Earth
5 hours•Languages: English•Pickup available
The Diving Silfra Day Tour takes you into one of the most remarkable dive sites on the planet. Silfra is a natural fissure created by the slow separation of the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. Here, you descend into glacial meltwater renowned for its extreme clarity, offering visibility that can exceed 100 meters.
The water you dive in has travelled for decades through porous volcanic lava, acting as a natural filtration system and creating an underwater environment unlike anything else on Earth. The result is a surreal, light-filled landscape found nowhere else in the world.
Operated by DIVE.IS, the Silfra snorkeling tour has been recognized as the top tour in Iceland and ranked 10th worldwide in Tripadvisor’s 2024 Best of the Best Travelers’ Choice Awards.
Getting to the Silfra dive site
Your Silfra diving adventure begins with a pick-up from your accommodation in Reykjavík, followed by a scenic one-hour drive to Þingvellir National Park. Along the way, your guide will share insights into the area’s geological significance and cultural history.
If you prefer to travel independently, you are welcome to meet the group directly at the Silfra meeting point inside Þingvellir National Park.
What to expect on your dive
This tour includes a single guided dive lasting approximately 30–40 minutes, with a maximum depth of 18 meters. Upon arrival at the meeting point, your guide will provide a thorough site briefing and assist you with equipment setup.
All diving gear is high-quality SCUBA equipment from trusted brands such as BARE, Aqualung, and APEX regulators, ensuring comfort and safety throughout the experience.
Certification requirements
Participants must hold a dry suit diving certification, or alternatively have completed at least 10 logged dry suit dives within the past two years. These dives must be documented and signed by a certified diving instructor.
If you do not meet these requirements, you may complete a PADI Dry Suit Diver course (or equivalent) before your trip, or enroll in the Dry Suit Diver Course & Diving Silfra 2-Day Package in Iceland. Snorkeling in Silfra is also available as an alternative.
Diving into crystal-clear glacial water
Once fully prepared, you will enter Silfra’s pristine waters — so pure they are drinkable during the dive. Filtered naturally through Iceland’s volcanic basalt, this is among the cleanest freshwater environments in the world.
Discover Silfra’s four iconic sections
During your dive, you will explore all four main areas of Silfra:
- Big Crack – the narrowest part of the fissure and the iconic spot for the “between the continents” photo
- Silfra Hall – where the fissure opens up and aquatic birdlife can sometimes be seen above
- Silfra Cathedral – the deepest section, known for dramatic light beams and rising bubble effects
- Silfra Lagoon – a wide, tranquil area with seemingly endless visibility
After the dive
Following the dive, you’ll walk approximately 250 meters back to the exit point with your gear. Hot chocolate and cookies await to help you warm up, and your guide will gladly assist with equipment if needed.
Friends or family members who are not certified divers are welcome to join the Snorkelling Silfra Day Tour to experience the site from the surface.
Group size and buddy options
For safety and quality, each guide leads a maximum of three divers. If multiple couples are diving together, this may result in one pair being separated between guides. To avoid this, we recommend booking the Diving Silfra Buddy Tour — a semi-private option designed for dive pairs.
Location and nearby attractions
Silfra is located within Þingvellir National Park, part of Iceland’s famous Golden Circle route. Nearby highlights include Gullfoss waterfall, the Geysir geothermal area, and Kerið volcanic crater.
Extras, photos, and additional dives
Optional extras and souvenirs can be added during the booking process. If a specific item is not listed, simply contact us or leave a note during booking and we will arrange it for your tour.
Professional photos can be purchased directly from your guide on site for 3,000 ISK. You can also add the Silfra Tectonic Specialty Course under “Extras.”
For those looking to extend their day, we also offer a Silfra & Davíðsgjá diving combination. Davíðsgjá fissure is located just a 10-minute drive from Silfra, also within Þingvellir National Park.
TourID: DSTPU
Activity provider: Dive.is by Icelandia
Need to know
Participants are not allowed on tour without signing the Diving Silfra Medical Statement and, if necessary, a physician’s approval which can be found on the second page of the Medical Statement document. Please read the Diving Silfra Medical Statement prior to booking to make sure that you are eligible for the tour. Each participant must sign our liability release form at the start of the tour.
Participants must fit within our dry suit size chart PDF.
Requirements
Participants must:
- Be a certified diver at the level of PADI Open Water Diver or equivalent.
- Have dry suit diving certification OR have at least 10 logged dry suit dives within two years of the Silfra tour date and be able to provide written proof from a diving instructor of these dry suit dives PDF
- Have our Diving Medical form signed off by a doctor if they are age 60 or older
- Be at least 17 years old
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- Flexible Cancellation
- No Booking Fees
Tour itinerary
What’s included and what to bring on this tour
It’s important to always be prepared for your next adventure in Iceland. See our list of what’s included, and what you should bring or add to your trip
Included
- Guided diving trip
- All necessary diving equipment
- Hot chocolate and cookies
- Silfra entrance fee of 1.500 ISK per person
- Pick up at your accommodation in Reykjavik
Not included
- Clothing to be worn under the dry suit and undergarment is not provided. Please bring:
- Long thermal underwear
- Warm wool socks
- Hat, gloves and scarf
Tour highlights
Are you wondering about something?
If you're planning a trip to Iceland, it's important to be prepared with the right information. Here are some frequently asked questions (FAQs) to help you plan your trip
You can dive throughout the year in Iceland. The summer months are the most popular, but if you want to dive with fewer people around you might prefer to visit in the spring or autumn.
That said, any month you choose will offer you a very special experience.
The cost of dives will depend on where you dive, which tour options you choose, and any other experiences you add to your visit. For example, if you need transport from Reykjavík or want to enjoy multiple dives in a day, you can expect to pay more.
Explore the individual tour pages to see up to date prices.
Iceland has incredible opportunities for scuba diving. In fact, many people say it’s up there with some of the best diving in the world.
Silfra is the most popular dive site in Iceland. You’ll see some of the world’s clearest waters, swim between two continents, and witness some of the breathtaking rock formations beneath the surface.
Explore our tours to see more of the best diving tours in Iceland.
Yes, you can dive in Silfra in winter. Tours are available all year round. The water itself maintains a stable temperature throughout the year of around 2 – 4°C (35.6 – 39.2°F). That said, the air outside is much colder in the winter, so make sure you bring some warm clothes!
It is possible to dive in Silfra without a tour. But you’ll need to buy a permit from the Þingvellir National Park authority and prove that you have the required experience.
Unless you are highly experienced, we do recommend that you take a tour, however. It’s the safest way to enjoy your dive.
Similar tours
Snorkelling Silfra Tour with Pick up from Reykjavík
Experience snorkeling in Silfra, with return transfers from Reykjavík. Float between continents in the clearest glacial waters on Earth with 100m visibility.
Diving Silfra Tour - Self-drive
Dive between the North American and Eurasian continental plates in this once-in-a-lifetime experience. The Silfra fissure in Þingvellir National Park fills with glacial water that has been seeping through underground lava rocks for decades producing the most transparent water on earth. The fissure allows for over 100 metres of visibility. This tour is a fantastic way not just to see Iceland but to get in the water and experience it.