Conditions referenceSeason, water and visibilityBest Year-round · Mild current · 2–4°C
- Current
- Mild
- Water temperature
- 2–4°C
- Visibility
- 80–100m: Operators report over 100m of underwater visibility.
- Experience
- The rule is two-part and enforced by both the park and the operators.
01 · Marine life
What you may see
Sightings are never guaranteed. The bars show typical likelihood by month.
| Month | Likelihood |
|---|---|
| January | commonly seen |
| February | commonly seen |
| March | commonly seen |
| April | commonly seen |
| May | commonly seen |
| June | commonly seen |
| July | commonly seen |
| August | commonly seen |
| September | commonly seen |
| October | commonly seen |
| November | commonly seen |
| December | commonly seen |
Present year-round throughout the fissure; no seasonal peak.
| Month | Likelihood |
|---|---|
| January | rare |
| February | rare |
| March | rare |
| April | rare |
| May | rare |
| June | rare |
| July | rare |
| August | occasional |
| September | occasional |
| October | rare |
| November | rare |
| December | rare |
Not a reason to book.
02 · Dive sites
Dive sites worth knowing
A starting point, not a ranking. Conditions decide what works on the day.
Silfra Big Crack
The entry section and the narrowest part of Silfra, where the fissure walls close in to roughly arm's span.
3–18m · Mild current
Silfra Cathedral
The signature section: a fissure roughly 100m long that can often be seen from one end to the other.
5–18m · Mild current
Silfra Hall
Second section on the route.
5–18m · Mild current
See all 4 dive sites
03 · LogisticsGetting there and costsEasy. Fly to KEF. Typical trip $.
Route overview
Easy
Day trips from a coastal base, about 1.5h from the airport.
Airport options
KEF
Keflavík International Airport
Iceland's main international airport; about 50km from Reykjavík, and roughly 90 minutes' drive from Þingvellir. Most divers base in Reykjavík and take an operator day tour with pickup.
RKV
Reykjavík Airport
Domestic airport in central Reykjavík; relevant only for internal flights, not international arrivals.
Typical trip cost
$
under $2,000
Per person, excluding international flights.
- Silfra is a day tour, not a trip.
- A guided single dive from DIVE.
- IS starts around ISK 35,999 (roughly $260) and includes the instructor, all drysuit and dive equipment, and the Silfra entrance fee.
- Two-dive tours cost more.
- The Silfra fee itself is ISK 1,500 per diver or snorkeller and is normally bundled into the tour price.
- Divers without a drysuit certification can instead book a 2-day PADI Dry Suit specialty course locally, at additional cost.
Permit or park fee
What you pay
Silfra fee of ISK 1,500 per diver or snorkeller, normally included in the tour price. Þingvellir National Park charges no entrance fee, but parking is ISK 1,000 (up to 5 seats) or ISK 1,200 (6–9 seats), valid all day across the main lots.
How it works
Diving and snorkelling in Silfra are only permitted through licensed operators: solo diving is prohibited and you must always be with a buddy. Þingvellir National Park sells diving permits at its service desk. Park rules cap dives at 18m; deeper is prohibited. Divers must carry a drysuit; snorkellers may use a suitably thick wetsuit.