Booking choice: The DIVE.IS meet-on-location snorkel, from $159 per person. Check dates Compare the options below
"Self-drive" or "meet on location" tours are the same small-group drysuit snorkels the operators sell with a Reykjavik pickup, minus the minibus. You drive to Thingvellir National Park, leave the car at P5, walk to the operators' vans and meet your guide there.
It saves money and fits neatly into a Golden Circle day, but the logistics are yours: the parking fee, finding the vans, and arriving on time for a slot that will not wait.
The quick answer
Drive about 45 km from Reykjavik (45 to 60 minutes) via Route 1 and Route 36, turn onto road 361 inside Thingvellir and park at P5. Pay the ISK 1,000 daily parking fee at the machine or on Checkit.is, then walk about 400 m (5 minutes) back along the road to the small car park with the dive vans. Arrive 15 to 20 minutes early.
How do you drive from Reykjavik to Silfra?
Take Route 1 out of Reykjavik, then Route 36 to Thingvellir National Park: about 45 km, or 45 to 60 minutes in normal conditions.
Inside the park, turn onto road 361; the Silfra car parks are a few minutes along it. Allow extra time in winter, when the roads can be icy and daylight is short. Adventure Vikings asks drivers to stick to the main roads and not take shortcuts to Silfra, especially in winter. Save the meeting point on an offline map, because signal can drop in the park.
Where do you park for Silfra snorkeling?
At P5, the national park car park nearest Silfra, which costs ISK 1,000 per day for a car with five seats or fewer.
Vehicles with 6 to 9 seats pay ISK 1,200. Pay at the machines at the Visitor Centre, P2 or P5, or online on Checkit.is; one payment covers every car park in the park that day. No meet-on-location tour includes the parking fee, so budget for it on top of the ticket.
Parking sorted? DIVE.IS meets you at the fissure with a heated changing van and the Silfra fee included.
Check dates for the DIVE.IS meet-on-location snorkelWhere exactly is the Silfra meeting point?
In a small car park beside the fissure where the operators park their vans, about 400 m (5 minutes' walk) back along road 361 from P5.
You cannot leave your own car there. DIVE.IS describes the route like this: after entering the park, turn onto road 361, take the third right where you see the Silfra car park and the company vans, then drive a little further to P5, park and walk back. Your voucher names the operator, so look for their van. Guests report that parking can be hard to find at busy times.
What time should you arrive?
15 to 20 minutes before your slot: Adventure Vikings asks you to be ready 15 minutes early, and Diving Island says arriving after the start time means missing the tour.
Build in time to find a space at P5, pay and walk back. Arrive already wearing your thermal base layers, so you only need to step into the undersuit and drysuit. Have the medical form done online before the day.
Which time slot is best?
The earliest morning slot, or a late afternoon one in summer: Silfra gets very busy, and queues form at the entry steps.
Troll Expeditions recommends its earliest morning or late afternoon tours for this reason. Guests report waits to get into the water around midday in summer, and one guest who went at 9 am found it less crowded than later slots. In winter the water is the same 2 to 4 °C, but the air is colder and changing outdoors is harder.
Want the quiet slot? Troll runs early and late tours with a group of six and free GoPro photos.
Explore the Troll self-drive snorkelHow long does a self-drive Silfra snorkel take?
Plan on 2.5 to 3 hours at Silfra, plus the drive, so about half a day from Reykjavik.
Check-in, the safety briefing and suiting up take a while; the time in the water is about 30 to 45 minutes; then you change and warm up with hot chocolate. The activity ends back at the meeting point, so you are free to explore the park straight afterwards.
Can you combine Silfra with the Golden Circle?
Yes, easily: Silfra is inside Thingvellir, the first stop of the Golden Circle, and Geysir and Gullfoss are about an hour's drive east.
Book a morning snorkel, walk Almannagjá and see Öxarárfoss waterfall near P2, then drive on to Geysir and Gullfoss in the afternoon. Eat a proper breakfast first: staying warm in the water burns energy, and guests who skipped food report feeling unwell afterwards.
Doing the Golden Circle by car? Put Silfra first and the rest of the day falls into place.
Check dates for the DIVE.IS meet-on-location snorkelIs self-drive better than a tour with pickup?
If you have a car, yes: it saves about $50 to $60 per person and gives you the rest of the day free.
Adventure Vikings charges $139 for its meet-on-location snorkel and $189 for the same snorkel with Reykjavik pickup; DIVE.IS charges $159 and $219. There is no public bus to Silfra, so without a car, the pickup is the only practical way. Full numbers are in Silfra snorkeling prices and fees.
No rental car? The same Adventure Vikings drysuit snorkel, with photos, runs with a minibus from Reykjavik.
Explore the Silfra snorkel with Reykjavik pickupFrequently asked questions
Is there a bus to Silfra?
No. There is no public bus to the site, so you either drive yourself or book a tour with Reykjavik pickup.
Is parking included in a self-drive Silfra tour?
No. The Thingvellir parking fee (ISK 1,000 per car with five seats or fewer) is paid separately, at the machines or on Checkit.is.
Where do I leave my valuables?
Guests recommend leaving valuables locked in the car or with someone not snorkeling; operators store your clothes and bag while you are in the water.
What if the weather is bad on my day?
Operators run in most weather and may cancel for storms or unsafe roads. Every tour here cancels free up to 24 hours before on Viator, and in winter it is worth checking umferdin.is and vedur.is before you drive.
Ready to book
Choose your snorkel
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before on every option. Prices are from-prices in USD and move with the season.
Silfra Snorkeling: Meet on Location
- Guided snorkel through Silfra with a PADI instructor, groups of up to 6
- Drysuit, warm undersuit, hood, gloves, mask, snorkel and fins
- Silfra entrance fee (ISK 1,500) and a heated changing van
Small-Group Silfra Snorkel, Self-Drive
- Guided snorkel through Silfra with a PADI divemaster, max 6 guests
- Drysuit, thermal undersuit, hood, gloves, mask, snorkel and fins
- Free GoPro photos, underwater and on land
Silfra Drysuit Snorkel with Underwater Photos
- Guided snorkel with a PADI divemaster or instructor, groups of up to 6
- Drysuit and all snorkelling equipment
- Underwater photos taken by your guide
