Silfra diving starts with your qualifications
Silfra diving is a scuba activity in Þingvellir National Park, with participation requirements that go beyond choosing a convenient departure. Divers need an Autonomous Diver or Open Water qualification and the required drysuit experience. Make those documents the starting point of your plans. A guided booking supplies organisation and equipment, while your certification and health screening remain part of preparing for the dive.
The park requires a drysuit certificate or an accepted alternative: 10 documented drysuit dives within the last 2 years, confirmed in writing by a recognised instructor. The water is 2 to 4 °C and scuba divers must wear a drysuit. These conditions distinguish the activity from snorkeling at Silfra, which stays at the surface and has different participation requirements. A snorkeling reservation is not a substitute for a dive booking.
Silfra scuba diving
Both dives include equipment and a professional guide. Choose the small-group option for its certified divemaster.
Hand-picked tours, booked through GetYourGuide. Prices are indicative starting prices in euros (as of October 2026). Tap a tour for live availability and the current price in your currency.
Silfra dive in a small group
- All necessary diving gear
- Certified Divemaster
Transport is available if selected. Allow time to walk from P5 to the meeting point.
Check availability →
Guided Silfra scuba dive
- Scuba diving equipment
- Silfra entry fee
A PADI instructor leads the dive; pickup is available if selected.
Check availability →Scuba outings at Silfra
Two dive packages provide cold-water equipment and qualified supervision, with Reykjavík transport available through the relevant option.
Equipment, supervision and changing facilities
The instructor-led package includes a live guide or PADI instructor, scuba equipment, a drysuit and warm undersuit, and the Silfra entry fee. A heated van is available for changing, followed by hot chocolate and cookies. Hotel pickup and drop-off apply when the transport option is selected. This combination suits a qualified diver who wants both the equipment package and a specified place to change after the water activity.
The small-group package includes a certified Divemaster and the necessary diving equipment: undersuit, drysuit, buoyancy compensator, cold-water regulator, weight harness, tanks, neoprene hood and gloves, mask and fins. Its inclusions also name the Þingvellir National Park admission fee. Round-trip transport is available when selected. Compare the actual transfer option with your accommodation plans, rather than assuming that every departure includes a ride from Reykjavík.
Both packages serve divers, but their arrangements for meeting and changing deserve attention. Select according to the equipment, included facilities and journey you need. Keep the activity appointment clear in your day plan, including time for the briefing and equipment preparation. A supplied equipment list still leaves the qualification check and participation form as separate parts of getting ready for cold-water diving.
Permission, depth and health screening
The maximum permitted diving depth is 18 m. Enter with a buddy and stay out of caves and covered underwater passages. Permission is required for access. The park's arrangements include independent divers with permission, so the existence of guided products should not be read as a universal commercial-guide requirement. For these organised outings, follow the booked team's instructions and the park restrictions together.
Commercial operators screen participants' health and may require medical clearance. Age, a certification card or a history of warm-water diving does not establish medical suitability for this setting. Review the actual health form and supply the requested evidence of drysuit training or recent dives. Give this preparation time before travelling, especially when a dive is the fixed appointment around which the rest of your route is organised.
Meeting at Silfra or taking the transfer
For the instructor-led outing, the meeting point is at Silfra in the national park, with arrival 15 minutes before the start unless you have booked pickup. For the small-group outing, meet the designated tour vehicle at the fissure. Its instructions describe a walk of about 400 m from P5 and ask you to arrive 15 minutes early. Use the instructions belonging to your reservation to identify the right team.
P5 lies near Silfra. Þingvellir's published daily parking charge for a car with up to 5 seats is 1,000 ISK and covers P1, P2 and P5 on the payment day. Parking a vehicle is separate from a personal activity fee included in a package. Plan that distinction alongside your journey to the Golden Circle, especially if you drive rather than select transport.
Put diving ahead of optional sightseeing when drawing up the day's schedule. The route guide helps connect the main stops, while Golden Circle tours offer an alternative day format for companions who prefer sightseeing. Allow flexibility for winter roads and local restrictions; a reserved water activity does not establish the road conditions for your journey to it.
Silfra diving questions
What drysuit experience is accepted?
A drysuit certificate or 10 documented drysuit dives during the last 2 years, confirmed in writing by a recognised instructor, accompanies the required Open Water or Autonomous Diver qualification.
How deep can divers go?
The park sets a maximum depth of 18 m. Caves and covered underwater passages are prohibited, and a buddy is required.
Is hotel pickup part of both packages?
Transport is conditional on the selected option. Both packages offer a way to meet locally when arranging your own journey.
Can a beginner join as a scuba diver?
These outings require the stated diver qualification and drysuit credentials. Read the snorkeling page for a different water activity and its own participation conditions.