Snorkeling Silfra, Geysir & Gullfoss: Golden Circle day

★★★★★★★★★★ 5.00 (1 reviews)

Free cancellation

1/34

Duration9h–10h

GroupUp to 19

LanguagesEN

PickupAt your hotel

Snorkel between tectonic plates, walk a UNESCO rift valley, watch a geyser erupt, and stand in the mist of a waterfall

This nine to ten-hour snorkeling and sightseeing tour of Iceland's Golden Circle starts at Þingvellir National Park, where you walk the visible rift between the Eurasian and North American plates, then snorkel the Silfra fissure with 100-meter underwater visibility before visiting Strokkur geyser and Gullfoss waterfall. Private transportation, park admission, an English-speaking guide and WiFi on board are included; lunch at a family-run dairy farm is separate. Minimum age is 12; travelers with spinal injuries, pregnancy, or cardiovascular concerns should not participate, and those over 60 need a medical certificate.

9h–10h

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Golden Circle and Snorkel Silfra

Visit Þingvellir National Park
Walk to Öxarárfoss waterfall
Snorkel in Silfra fissure
Enjoy lunch at Efsti-Dalur dairy farm
Watch Strokkur geyser erupt
See Gullfoss waterfall

The Experience

The day starts at Þingvellir National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site founded in 930 as home to Iceland's first parliament. What makes it geologically singular is that you can see the Mid-Atlantic Ridge above ground—the only place on Earth where the rift between the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates is visible. A walk through the park takes you to the Hákið viewing platform, where you stand on the edge of the American continent, and to Öxarárfoss, a waterfall carved into the rift valley itself.

From there you move to Silfra, a fissure that runs through Þingvellir where water from the Langjökull glacier emerges after traveling underground through lava rock. That lava acts as a natural filter, leaving the water so clear that visibility reaches about 100 meters—among the clearest on Earth. You snorkel directly between the two tectonic plates, swimming in water cold enough to require a wetsuit. The fissure is narrow and deep, and the experience is the centerpiece of the day.

After snorkeling, you visit Strokkur geyser, which erupts every five to ten minutes with jets of steaming water. Though the original Geysir (the word geyser itself comes from the Icelandic verb meaning to gush) is now dormant, Strokkur remains active and sits along the Golden Circle route. The final stop is Gullfoss, the Golden Waterfall, a two-stage cascade with enough force and mist that the site nearly disappeared in the early 20th century when hydropower plans threatened it. Your guide shares the history and legends surrounding both sites. Lunch at Efsti-Dalur, a family-run dairy farm operating since 1750, is available separately; they are known for homemade ice cream made from their own dairy.

What’s included

Private transportation in an air-conditioned vehicle with WiFi on board.
admission to Þingvellir National Park.
an English-speaking guide for the full day.
snorkeling access to Silfra fissure with all stops at Þingvellir, Strokkur and Gullfoss.

Good to know

Moderate physical levelNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditionsNot for back problems

Operated by Lilja Tours ehf.

Is this one for you?Book this if you want to combine snorkeling at Silfra with Golden Circle landmarks in a single nine to ten-hour day; choose a different tour if you prefer shorter outings or need to pick activities separately.