Silfra Fissure Snorkeling
Þingvellir National Park, Iceland 2024
In our never-ending quest to do epic shit, we proudly present to you: Silfra Fissure Snorkeling.
What is Silfra Fissure: Silfra is a fissure between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates in Thingvellir National Park that was formed in 1789. When you place yourself at Silfra, you are literally standing (or snorkeling) between two continents - this is the only place in the world where you can do this!
Why Snorkel Here: Silfra is known for it's crystal clear waters and excellent visibility (visibility can extend over 328 feet), making it one of the top snorkeling and diving locations in the world. It is also rated as one of the top ten activities in the world by TripAdvisor.
TOUR DEETS
There are a handful of companies to choose from when booking your Silfra Fissure adventure, and honestly, I don't think you can go wrong with any of them. They all provide the same thing: warm suit, snorkeling drysuit, snorkel fins, snorkel mask, guide, photos, hot chocolate, and a cookie or chocolate bar.
Our determining factor when we booked: we wanted the earliest time provided. Being the first tour is not necessarily important, they only allow one group in the safety zone at a time (small section of the fissure where you enter the water); however, it was essential to our itinerary (check out my Iceland: 8-Day Itinerary for more inspo!). FYI: if you book a later time, you will stand in line and wait for your groups' turn to enter the fissure.
DARCY WANDERS' ROUTE
We booked directly with Tröll Expeditions and took advantage of a 15% discount they were running for July snorkel tours (#winning). Our guide, Ana, was phenomenal - she made sure to take individual and group photos in multiple locations throughout the fissure, which made my little camera-happy heart skip for joy. We also had one of the best cups of hot chocolate ever (all that was missing were the peppermint schnapps 😉) and our first ever Hraun Chocolate Bar (we would go on to have multiples of these during our trip).
For more details, FAQs, or to book your tour visit Tröll Expeditions
GETTING THERE
Parking for the Silfra Fissure is located at Þingvellir P5 - use the navigation system of your choice with your destination set as Þingvellir P5. There is a parking fee (1000 ISK - 1200 ISK depending on passenger car size), but the fee authorizes parking for the day of payment in all the national parks' parking lots (P1-P5). I'm not sure if there is a payment kiosk in P5, we had cell phone service and paid via the website.
TO WANDER, OR NOT TO WANDER
If once-in-a-lifetime experiences rank highly on your bucket list, then snorkeling Silfra Fissure is a must-do. Get lost in the clarity of the underwater world that surrounds you as you snorkel your way through 2 different continents, making this an epic wander.
MAKE IT GREAT (TIPS, TRICKS, & GEAR)
Language: All tours are in English
Provided: warm suit, snorkeling drysuit, snorkel fins, snorkel mask, guide, photos, hot chocolate, and a chocolate bar
What to Bring: a towel (your hair will get wet), and a change of clothes (in case you get wet)
What to Wear: Warm layers for underneath the warm suit are recommended (such as thermal clothes and wool socks), contact lenses if you wear glasses, and remove all jewelry (earrings, necklaces, watches, bracelets, rings, etc.) before the tour
Minimum Age (for Troll Expeditions): 12 years old
Maximum Age (for Troll Expeditions): 69 years old (if you are 60-69 years old, they require you to bring a signed doctor's note with you that is attached to their medical form)
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