Horse Riding & Snorkeling

by Arctic Adventures · Silfra snorkelling & diving · Horse riding · Reykjavík

4.60(5,129) · operator on Google
Horse Riding & Snorkeling — Arctic Adventures

Would this be cheaper direct? No — we sell at Arctic Adventures's own price and take our commission from them, not from you. What you get here is one checkout across operators, one confirmation, and one place to change or cancel it. If you ever find it cheaper on their own site, tell us and we will match it or explain why we cannot.

More photos of Horse Riding & Snorkeling

Horse Riding & Snorkeling, photo 6Horse Riding & Snorkeling, photo 7

7 photos from Arctic Adventures. Tap any one for the full-size original.

  • Duration

    5 hours

  • Difficulty

    Moderate

  • Season

    All year

  • Starts in

    Mosfellsbær

  • Meeting

    Meet on location

  • Languages

    EN, DE, IS, FR, DA, ZH, ES

  • Departs

    10:00

  • Minimum age

    12

  • Cancellation

    Free until 24h before

About this experience

This is the perfect combo adventure to meet pure-bred Icelandic Horses, and marvel at the underwater world of the Silfra Fissure.

First, meet us at the Laxnes Horse Farm to go for a trek on the hardy, sure-footed Icelandic horse. Whether you are a beginner or expert, old or young, these friendly horses, with their alert and willing nature are indeed a pleasure to ride in their natural surroundings.

Next, meet us in Thingvellir National Park. The Silfra fissure is one of Iceland’s otherworldly scenes that is world famous for its heavenly shades of blue. You will snorkel between two tectonic plates through crystal clear glacial waters. 

Meet-on-Location guests must be at the Silfra car park in Thingvellir National Park at least 15 minutes prior to their scheduled tour departure time. Guests can park their car at ''Thingvellir P5'' - click here for driving directions. To meet your guide: walk 400m back along the road until you reach a smaller car park with all the snorkel and dive vans, and look for your guide.

Please be ready in the Silfra car park to meet your guide 15 MINUTES before your tour is due to begin. GPS: 64°15’23.508″N 21°6’58.676″W

Description from the operator, Arctic Adventures. Prices and availability in the booking panel are live.

Where you go

  1. Horseback Riding at Laxnes Horse Farm
  2. Snorkeling at the Silfra Fissure

Included

- English Speaking Tour Guide

- Guided Horseback Riding Tour

- Certified PADI Diveguide / Divemaster

- All Necessary Snorkeling Gear

- All Required Safety Equipment

- Silfra Admission Fee

- Guided Snorkeling Tour

- Hot Chocolate & Cookies 

Good to know

 Warm and waterproof outdoor clothing, gloves, warm undergarment clothing (fleece/wool sweater and pants), warm socks and a change of clothing. 

  • Guests must read and sign the medical statement form in our Snorkeling Handbook. If you have a listed medical condition, approval from a doctor is required
  • Participants need to be comfortable in the water and able to swim
  • It is crucial that guests can both understand and communicate in English to participate in the tour
  • This tour is not suitable for pregnant people due to the small risk of cold water entering the suit
  • Dry suit sizes: Our gear is limited to standard sizes available on the market, and it’s crucial that guests fall within the specified size parameters. This ensures the safety equipment fits properly, keeping you warm and protected in the glacial waters. For your safety and comfort, please confirm that you meet the required sizing guidelines:
    • Weight: 99-265 lbs (45-120 kg)
    • Height: 4'11" - 6'7" (150-200 cm)
  • Snorkeling masks cannot accommodate glasses. If you do not have a prescription mask of your own, please arrange to use contact lenses

Participants are responsible for reviewing our Snorkeling Handbook before the tour. The handbook contains important medical and safety information. If guests do not meet the requirements for safe participation, we are unable to accomodate them on the tour.

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.

  1. 1Arctic Adventures 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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 →

Why this one and not the cheaper one?

The nearest cheaper Silfra Snorkel tour from Freedive Iceland is €100 — €135 less. Here is every difference we can actually measure.

Arctic Adventures · €235Freedive Iceland · €100
How long it runs5 hours3 hours
Changing your mindFree until 24 h beforeNot stated
How hard it isModerateVery easy

The €135 buys you 2 more hours out and free cancellation up to 24 h before. Whether that is worth it is your call — but that is what the difference is.

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.

Read off the operator's own conditions. If none of it applies to you, this is a good one.

Why we list it

Arctic Adventures is one of 154 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 Arctic Adventures

Read all 5,129 reviews on Google →

Operator rating 4.6/5 from Google — these are reviews of the company, not this specific tour. Shown as Google returns them, unedited.

  • Kai Gilchrist

    ★★★★★ · 2 months ago

    This was a phenomenal trip with AMAZING sights. Our tour guide was informative, friendly, and easy to listen to. You will learn a lot and see nature at its greatest. We absolutely loved this tour and would recommend it to anyone. The car ride is comfortable and there is wifi as well! Shout out to our tour guide, Magnus (I hope I’m spelling his name correctly), who told us some hilarious stories.

  • Tatjana Kultaniemi

    ★★★★★ · a month ago

    I spent six days on a bus tour around Iceland with a professional guide. It was an excellent opportunity to gain a comprehensive overview of Iceland's breathtaking nature while also learning about the country's history and the everyday lives of its people. Iceland's landscape and animals are truly unique, featuring magnificent waterfalls, geysers, whales, seals, puffins, volcanoes, glaciers, and mountains. Every day brought new and unforgettable experiences. Of course, none of this would have been possible without our guide, Viko. He not only drove the bus safely but also shared fascinating stories about Icelandic history, culture, and way of life. He was willing to tailor the itinerary to our group's interests and wishes, making the experience even more enjoyable. I am very grateful for his professionalism, knowledge, and enthusiasm in interpreting Iceland's natural and cultural heritage. He played a key role in making this tour such a memorable experience.

  • Chloe Lamm

    ★★★★★ · 2 months ago

    I did the Iceland South Coast Full Day Small-Group Tour from Reykjavik. Such an amazing tour and one of the highlights of my trip to Iceland! Our guide, Erik, was incredibly knowledgeable and shared so much interesting information about Iceland throughout the day. We visited some of the country’s most beautiful sights, including stunning waterfalls, Vik, black sand beaches, and other breathtaking stops along the South Coast. The pickup process was simple and organized, making the day completely stress-free. The scenery was incredible from start to finish, and Erik helped make the experience even better with his knowledge, friendliness, and enthusiasm. If you’re visiting Iceland, the South Coast is a must-do, and I highly recommend taking this tour with Erik as your guide!

  • maya sterett

    ★★★★★ · 3 months ago

    A Fantastic Trip: Review of 3-Day Golden Circle, Ice Cave and Glacier Lagoon Absolutely incredible experience with Arctic Adventures and the guide Hjalti Bjornsson. The pick up from the bus stop was easy and the instructions were super clear. Be aware that they are extremely punctual at every stop. Do not be late by even a minute. We saw so many sites and the weather was perfect for most of the days. Our guide even took us on some stops that were not in the itinerary, but ones he thought were interesting and on the way, like the power plants and some other glaciers. The bus ride was very smooth with plenty of room and the seats were comfortable. The itinerary was well thought out with a great mix of light walking about 3 - 6 miles per day depending on how much you wanted to walk to each site. Some sites like the glacier Skaftafellsjokull (optional) were further away (4 ish miles), while others were much closer (1000ft). The hotel was situated in a beautiful location with sheep everywhere and interesting rock formations. The hotel was very comfortable with hot water and plenty of space to spread out. Our guide was extremely friendly and knowledgable. I would highly recommend this trip for anyone between the ages 10 - 70. However, this might not be the best experience for those with mobility issues as there is walking to some of the best sites.

Reviews from Google · updated 13 Sept 2026

Read before you book

Reviews from our travellers

Only people who booked this tour through us can write here. We publish every review in full — good or bad.

No reviews yet from our travellers on 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.

  • One checkout, any number of operators

  • Rankings are not for sale

  • 153 operators vetted, and not all of them accepted

  • If it falls short, we fix it

Pairs well with

Everything here goes into the same basket and the same single payment, however many operators it comes from.

from

€235 per person

Check dates & book