Silfra – dive between the continents
Silfra is a fissure in Þingvellir National Park, in the rift valley between the Eurasian and North American plates, and one of the best-known dive sites in the world. It is filled with glacial meltwater that has filtered through lava rock, and visibility often passes 100 metres.
Most people come for the clarity of the water and to dive in the gap between two continents. The water is 2–4°C all year, so every dive here is made in a dry suit, and you need a dry suit certification or at least 10 logged dry suit dives confirmed by an instructor to join.
The dive
You descend into the fissure between walls of lava rock and follow the crack, with the North American plate on one side and the Eurasian plate on the other. The divide is constantly shifting, and the clarity of the water is the first thing everyone notices: the walls, the bottom and your buddy are visible far ahead, and the dive feels more like floating than swimming.
The water stays at a refreshing 2–4°C (36–39°F) all year, so every dive at Silfra is made in a dry suit. Once you are in, the cold is simply part of the adventure. There is time to take in the fissure, play with the light and get the photographs you came for.
What you will see
The main attraction is the water. With visibility often beyond 100 metres you see the fissure as a whole: the lava walls of the rift on both sides, the crack continuing ahead of you and the light coming down from the surface. The dive passes some of Silfra’s best-known sections, including the narrow passages, Silfra Hall and Silfra Cathedral.
And then there is the geology. The walls on either side are the edges of the Eurasian and North American plates, and the rift between them is still moving.
Who is it for
Silfra suits any certified diver with dry suit experience; with water at 2–4°C all year, a dry suit certification or at least 10 logged dry suit dives confirmed by an instructor is a requirement, not a recommendation.
Not dry suit certified yet? Have a look at our diving courses. The dry suit course can be combined with Silfra, so you earn the certification and dive between the continents on the same trip.
Good to know
- Location: Þingvellir National Park, southwest Iceland
- Type: freshwater fissure dive between the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates
- Water: glacial meltwater filtered through lava rock, 2–4°C (36–39°F) all year, always dived in a dry suit
- Visibility: often more than 100 metres
- Requirements: Open Water certification and a dry suit certification or at least 10 logged dry suit dives confirmed by an instructor
Tours and pricing
Silfra is on two of our day tours: Silfra – One Dive, and Davíðsgjá & Silfra, which adds a dive in Davíðsgjá, another fissure in Þingvellir National Park. If you still need your dry suit certification, the dry suit course and Silfra combo covers both. Compare it with our other dive sites in Iceland.
- Silfra – one dive: 40,000 ISK per person
- Davíðsgjá & Silfra: 85,000 ISK per person
- Dry suit course and Silfra combo: 105,000 ISK per person
Discounts: save 10,000 ISK per person when you bring your own dry suit, and another 10,000 ISK per person when you drive to the dive site yourself.
Included: all necessary dive equipment, hotel pickup and drop-off, and transportation to and from the dive site. A minimum of two divers is required per departure, and solo divers can join an existing departure. Discounts and private tours are listed under prices and discounts. See all our dive tours in Iceland.
Silfra is also part of our adventure dive tours: the Reykjanes Dive Explorer, the Tear of Odin Highland Tour, Diving Across Iceland and the optional extra day of Journey to the Center of the Earth.
Book a dive at Silfra
If you are interested or have any questions, feel free to reach out to us at icedive@icedive.is. We’d love to dive with you!