Golden Circle Private Tour with Silfra Snorkeling from Reykjavik
by VAREN Iceland · Silfra snorkelling & diving · Reykjavík
- Beginners welcome
- Luxury
from €1,253.44 per vehicle
Next departure: Sun 25 Oct
1 / 31
Duration
10 hours
Difficulty
Easy
Season
All year
Starts in
Reykjavík
Pickup
Hotel pickup included
Guide
Guided in English
Departs
08:00, 09:00
Minimum age
12
Cancellation
Free until 24 hours before
About this experience
Iceland's Golden Circle is one of the great road trips of the world: tectonic rifts, erupting geysers, thundering waterfalls and a volcanic crater that looks like it belongs in a painting. This day adds something from a completely different list: snorkeling in Silfra, a crystal-clear fissure between two continents.
This is a fully private tour. Your group of up to 8 guests gets a dedicated driver-guide and a vehicle that belongs entirely to you for the day. No fixed pace, no waiting for other passengers, no compromises. If you want to stay longer at Gullfoss because the light is perfect, you stay. If you want to watch Strokkur erupt one more time, you watch. The day is yours.
The day starts at Þingvellir, where you zip into a dry suit and float through Silfra. Glacier water filtered through lava for decades gives visibility of up to 100 metres, and certified snorkeling guides lead the way. Afterwards, you walk between the North American and Eurasian plates in the rift valley above.
On the way to Haukadalur, we stop to say hello to Icelandic horses. In the geothermal fields, you'll smell the sulfur in the steam and hear Strokkur building tension seconds before it explodes skyward. At Gullfoss, the deep roar of glacial water fills your chest, and at Kerið, red volcanic slopes wrap around a still blue lake.
Throughout the day your driver-guide is right there, sharing stories, small legends and practical tips, with deep knowledge of Iceland's history, culture and landscape at every stop. They answer questions, give context and make sure your group gets the most out of every moment, so you don't just see the Golden Circle, you feel why people fall in love with this place.
Full details of each stop are in the itinerary. Pick-up and drop-off anywhere in the Capital Area, including the cruise terminals, is included. Silfra snorkeling tickets are not included and can be added when you book. The order of stops may be adjusted on the day due to weather or road conditions.
Choose a Private Sedan for 1-3 guests or a Private Van for up to 8 guests. One price per vehicle, not per person.
Description from the operator, VAREN Iceland. Prices and availability in the booking panel are live.
Where you go
- Pick-up in the Capital Area
- Silfra Fissure – Float Between Two Continents
- Thingvellir National Park – A Walk Between Continents
- Öxarárfoss Waterfall – The Hidden Gem Of The Rift
- Icelandic Horses – A Friendly Hello Along The Way
- Haukadalur Geothermal Area – Smell The Fire Beneath The Ice
- Strokkur Geyser – The Thrill Of The Eruption
- The Great Geysir – The Sleeping Giant That Named All Geysers
- Gullfoss Waterfall – Feel The Mist And The Might
- Kerið Volcanic Crater – Breathtaking Colors
- Drop-off in the Capital Area
Included
- Private Golden Circle tour with Silfra snorkeling, just for your group
- Friendly English-speaking local driver-guide
- Private Sedan or Private Van for the whole day
- Pick-up and drop-off at your accommodation or cruise terminal
- Time for Silfra snorkeling while your driver-guide waits
- Help with your luggage and gear
- Bottled water
- USB charging on board
- Kerið Crater entrance fee
- All parking fees and local taxes
Not included
- Gratuities
- Silfra snorkeling tickets, unless added when you book
- Meals and snacks
Good to know
- Warm, waterproof clothes and comfortable shoes. For Silfra, a thermal base layer, warm socks and a change of clothes.
- You will receive your booking confirmation right after you book.
- Please count everyone in your group, including children and infants, as everyone needs their own seat.
- We pick up and drop off at any accommodation in the Capital Area and at the cruise terminals in Reykjavík and Hafnarfjörður. Staying somewhere else? Send us a message before you book and we will gladly help.
- Arriving by cruise ship? We plan the start time and the route around your ship's schedule, so you are back at the port well before all-aboard time.
- Snorkeling tickets are not included in the tour price, and you can add them when you book. The price is per person and includes a certified snorkeling guide, a dry suit and all equipment.
- You must be at least 12 years old, 150 to 200 cm tall and weigh 45 to 120 kg.
- You need to be able to swim and feel comfortable in the water.
- Everyone fills in a medical statement before snorkeling. Some answers need a doctor's signature, and guests aged 60 and over always need one.
- Snorkeling is not possible during pregnancy.
- Glasses cannot be worn under the mask, so please bring contact lenses if you need them.
- The snorkeling guides speak English. Guests who do not speak English need an English-speaking companion.
- This tour involves easy walks on uneven natural paths, so it is not suitable for guests with serious mobility limitations. The tour is not wheelchair accessible.
- This tour is for guests aged 12 and over, the minimum age for Silfra.
Cancellation for this tour
Free cancellation until 24 hours before departure; no refund after that. If the operator cancels for weather or safety, you get a full refund or a new date.
If the weather cancels this tour
Iceland's weather is real. What usually stops this one is rarely: Silfra is spring-fed and sheltered, but access can close in a storm. Here is exactly what happens to your booking.
- 1VAREN Iceland decides, and tells us. Operators cancel when it is unsafe or pointless, and we back that call every time — we do not ask them to run anyway.
- 2We contact you by email, and by phone if your tour is the same or next day. You choose: another date if there is one you can make, or a full refund. There is no fee and nothing to argue.
- 3The refund goes back to the card you paid with, through Stripe, usually visible within a few working days. If this tour was one of several in your booking, the others are untouched.
What you do not get is the day back. If this is the only free day in your plan, put a spare day next to it — the planner leaves days free with the rest-day option. And if you want out because the forecast looks bad, that is your own cancellation: free until 1 day before departure, the operator's policy after that.
Questions on the day: [email protected] · +354 497 1373. How cancellations work in Iceland →
Sold out on your date?
Seats come back — a cancellation, or the operator adding a vehicle. Tell us the date and we will check once a day and email you if one opens. One email, then we delete the address; nothing else is ever sent to it.
Who this is not for
- Not for families with children under 12 — the operator will not take them, even with a parent.
- Priced per vehicle, so it is poor value for one or two people and good value for four or more sharing.
Read off the operator's own conditions. If none of it applies to you, this is a good one.
Why we list it
VAREN Iceland is one of 207 operators we work with — chosen for reliability, honest descriptions and how they treat guests when weather changes plans. We don't list everything; we list what we'd book ourselves. The six checks every operator passes →
What travellers say about VAREN Iceland
Read all 126 reviews on Google →Operator rating 4.5/5 from Google — these are reviews of the company, not this specific tour. Shown as Google returns them, unedited.
★★★★★ · a year ago
Lovely hour-long cruise round the Utrecht canal. Friendly guide with lots of information about the history and people of Utrecht. Prices were very reasonable, and longer trips available if you wanted.
★★ · a year ago
We Bootes a place to see the grachten in Utecht. Unfortunately there were no explanations or informations about the area or buildings at all. So Next time I would Book another ship
★★★★★ · 7 years ago
Five stars service - super nice and helpful staff We booked the boat for a bachelorette party. We had a few logistical challenges prior and on the day itself - and Varen in Utrecht staff were so helpful and kind to help us to find solutions. On th day itself, Max - our captain- went out of his way (quite literally, by picking up the bride by boat at a location that would be easily accessible by car). Moreover, as the bride wasn't able to get to the spot until 40 minutes later, Max at his own initiative even extended our time because the next reservation wasn't until half an hour later after our initial time was supposed to end. How incredibly kind is that? A million thanks to the lovely people of this company - would recommend them in a heartbeat.
★★★★★ · 7 years ago
Visitors of Utrecht often forget that its canals are just as attractive as those in Amsterdam and the best way to see them is by boat. Good angles for photography as well.
Reviews from Google · updated 23 Oct 2026
Read before you book
- Best Silfra Snorkelling Tour (2026): 5 Picks ComparedWhich Silfra snorkelling tour to book at Þingvellir: drysuit or wetsuit, pickup or self-drive, with real adult prices and who each one suits.
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Reviews from our travellers
Only people who booked this tour through us can write here. We publish every review in full — good or bad.
Reviews arrive the day after each trip — none yet for this one. After your tour we send one email asking how it was, and what you write goes here, unedited.
Silfra snorkelling & diving — questions people ask
How cold is the water at Silfra?
Two to four degrees Celsius, all year. It is glacial meltwater filtered through lava for decades, which is why visibility runs to a hundred metres. You wear a dry suit over a thermal undersuit, so your body stays dry and warm. Your face, lips and hands are the parts that feel it, and after thirty to forty minutes in the water most people are ready to get out. Hot chocolate afterwards is standard.
Do I need to be a strong swimmer to snorkel Silfra?
No, but you must be comfortable in water. The dry suit floats you, so you drift along the fissure with a gentle current doing most of the work. You do need to be able to swim, and operators set minimum age, height and weight limits and ask about medical conditions on a form. Check the tour page for the current limits before booking. Glasses cannot be worn under the mask; contact lenses are fine.
Is Silfra snorkelling worth it in winter?
Yes. The water is the same temperature in January as in July, and the visibility is the same. What changes is the air: getting into and out of the suit at minus five with wind is unpleasant, and daylight limits the departure times. Fewer people snorkel in winter, so the fissure is quieter. If you are here between November and February and want it, book the earliest slot for the best light.
Can I dive Silfra without a dry suit certification?
Not on a standard dive tour. Operators require a dry suit certification or a logged number of dry-suit dives within the last two years, plus an open-water certificate. If you have neither, the two-day PADI dry suit course with a Silfra dive (/experience/19038/) gets you certified and in the fissure. Snorkelling (/experience/208/) has no certification requirement and shows you the same rock walls from the surface. Most people are happy with snorkelling.
Hotels
Where to stay for this tour
From the cheapest to the top end of what is near Reykjavík, from our hotel partners. Rooms are booked on our hotels site.
from 16.181 kr.Lowest price
Guesthouse · Reykjavík
Old Town Reykjavík
under 1 km away · a night for two, indicative
from 40.115 kr.Mid-range
Hotel · Reykjavík
Black Pearl Reykjavik
under 1 km away · a night for two, indicative
from 60.840 kr.Top end
Hotel · Reykjavik
Hótel Holt
under 1 km away · a night for two, indicative
One checkout, any number of operators
Rankings are not for sale
206 operators vetted, and not all of them accepted
If it falls short, we fix it
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