The Silfra Fissure in Iceland’s Thingvellir National Park is one of the world’s great snorkelling destinations. With incredible clarity, you can swim between two continents.
What is the Silfra Fissure?
The Silfra Fissure is the gap between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. It is inside Thingvellir National Park – usually the last stop on the ever-popular Golden Circle Tours.
What makes the Silfra Fissure extraordinary is that visitors are allowed to go snorkelling in the gap between continental plates. This rift between tectonic plates is slowly inching apart over the decades, and has filled with water from the Langjökull glacier.
Silfra Fissure snorkelling tours
Guided snorkelling tours of the Silfra Fissure are available for those happy to self-drive to the departure point inside Thingvellir National Park. You can also book a tour that includes a transfer from Reykjavik.
How cold is the water at the Silfra Fissure?
Once you’re in the water at the Silfra Fissure – and its temperature is only a smidge above freezing point – you don’t care about how cold it is. Dry suits are required, however.
Why snorkel in Thingvellir National Park?
The visibility in this slowly expanding gap between continents is extraordinary. The ever- deeper blues unfold beneath and the chunky basalt rocks form a crystal-clear canyon either side.
There are no fish and no coral, but the clarity and location in the earth’s crack makes it a snorkel like no other.
How much does it cost to snorkel the Silfra Fissure?
With a transfer from Reykjavik included, the guided snorkelling tour of the Silfra Fissure costs from €187. Meet on location in Thingvellir National Park, and the price is from €128.
These prices are correct at the time of writing, but subject to change in the future.
More Iceland travel ideas
Other great Iceland travel experiences include Northern Lights tours, Reykjavik food walks and whale-watching cruises.
Other Iceland travel articles on Planet Whitley include:
- A review of the Into the Glacier tour.
- Inside Vidgelmir – Iceland’s giant lava cave.
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