Private Silfra Snorkeling & Leidarendi Lava Tunnel - with underwater photos

by Adventure Vikings · Lava caves · Silfra snorkelling & diving · Volcanoes & lava · Reykjavík

4.60· 269 Google reviews of the operator
  • Beginners welcome
  • Eco-certified

from €1,526.82 per person

Next departure: Thu 22 Oct

Book Thu 22 Oct · €1,526.82Other dates
Private Silfra Snorkeling & Leidarendi Lava Tunnel - with underwater photos — Adventure Vikings
Private Silfra Snorkeling & Leidarendi Lava Tunnel - with underwater photos , photo 2
Private Silfra Snorkeling & Leidarendi Lava Tunnel - with underwater photos , photo 3
Private Silfra Snorkeling & Leidarendi Lava Tunnel - with underwater photos , photo 4
Private Silfra Snorkeling & Leidarendi Lava Tunnel - with underwater photos , photo 5
Private Silfra Snorkeling & Leidarendi Lava Tunnel - with underwater photos , photo 6
Private Silfra Snorkeling & Leidarendi Lava Tunnel - with underwater photos , photo 7
Private Silfra Snorkeling & Leidarendi Lava Tunnel - with underwater photos , photo 8
Private Silfra Snorkeling & Leidarendi Lava Tunnel - with underwater photos , photo 9
Private Silfra Snorkeling & Leidarendi Lava Tunnel - with underwater photos , photo 10
Private Silfra Snorkeling & Leidarendi Lava Tunnel - with underwater photos , photo 11
Private Silfra Snorkeling & Leidarendi Lava Tunnel - with underwater photos , photo 12
Private Silfra Snorkeling & Leidarendi Lava Tunnel - with underwater photos , photo 13
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  • Duration

    7 hours

  • Difficulty

    Easy

  • Season

    All year

  • Starts in

    Hafnarfjørdur

  • Pickup

    Hotel pickup included

  • Guide

    Guided in English

  • Departs

    09:00, 09:30

  • Minimum age

    12

  • Cancellation

    Free until 2 days before

About this experience

Combining snorkeling and caving gives you the ultra experience of Icelandic nature. You will explore the hidden world of the lava fields by foot by caving in the Blue Mountain area and visit the UNESCO World Heritage site, Þingvellir national park and snorkel the freshwater fissure Silfra, one of the best diving site in the world.

Silfra is a freshwater fissure about 60-63 meters where it is the deepest and you can almost see to end of it as the water is so clear. The water is so pristine it feels like flying. No diving experience is needed as you will snorkel at the surface of the canyon. We provide all the gear that you need and offer snorkeling in wetsuit and drysuit all dependant on your interest. We however recommend the wetsuit as you will feel more free and be able to dive as well, no diving licence is required.

The cave we will visit is called Leiðarendi. The 900 meter long lava tube offers unique rock formations, such as stalactites and shelves. Some light crawling may be required yet Leiðarendi cave has a rather easy access to the underworld wonders of the Icelandic lava fields.


Description from the operator, Adventure Vikings. Prices and availability in the booking panel are live.

Included

  • Pick up and drop-off in Reykjavík
  • English speaking guide
  • All necessary equipment for snorkeling 
  • All necessary equipment for caving
  • FREE underwater Silfra photos
  • Hot chocolate for snorkeling

Not included

  • Warm clothes and socks
  • Swimwear and towel for wetsuit
  • Baselayer/ thermals for drysuit
  • Food and drinks

Good to know

  • Warm clothes to wear prior and after the snorkeling
  • Swimwear and towel for wetsuit
  • Base layer / thermals for dry suit
  • Warm socks, woolen - extra pairs
  • Camera - you can rent a GoPro camera by us

Prerequisites: 

  • Be physically fit
  • 12 years - age limit
  • Be at minimum 150cm (4’9) tall
  • Maximum 200cm (6’7) tall
  • Be at minimum 50kg (99 lbs)
  • Maximum 120kg (264 lbs)
  • Know how to swim and be comfortable in water
  • Have read, signed, and followed directions on the Silfra Snorkeling Medical Statement
  • Sign our liability release form at the start of the tour
  • We do not recommend pregnant participants to snorkel in Silfra due to the cold temperature
  • Not wear glasses, so if you have a prescription mask, please bring it with you. If not, we advise you to get contact lenses before you join us for snorkeling.

Cancellation for this tour

Free cancellation until 2 days 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. 1Adventure Vikings 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 2 days before departure, the operator's policy after that.

Questions on the day: [email protected] · +354 497 1373. How cancellations work in Iceland →

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

Adventure Vikings is one of 204 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 Adventure Vikings

Read all 269 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.

  • John Sullivan

    ★★★★★ · 2 months ago

    We had a most excellent driving tour of the Golden Circle. This included lunch at Fridheimar Tomato Farm which was fabulous. The tour was educational and highly enjoyable. I highly recommend this tour. Our guide was Gretar and he was an excellent tour guide.

  • Susan Herts

    ★★★★★ · 7 months ago

    We had a lot of fun with Adventure Vikings. The pick up was smoothly handled and given the snowy conditions I was glad not to be driving. We weren’t too cold at all thanks to drysuits (even though we looked like Patrick from SpongeBob!) and the snorkelling was super cool and easy. Thanks Gretar! Susan and Harry 🙂

  • Cindy Weiss

    ★★★★★ · 3 months ago

    We just got back from the Silfra snorkeling tour. It was incredible! Our guide Arnie was phenomenal. Everything was organized, educational and supported. We were very excited and had an awesome experience.!! Other than the not great weather with rain and chill… The experience was awesome and the water didn’t even feel cold because we were so prepared! You should go!! Our water photos aren’t ready yet or I would add them!

  • dinesh kota

    ★★★★★ · 2 months ago

    Best experience ever. And adventure Vikings are amazing. I had a change in travel plan at the last moment, but the team accommodated me very nicely and with understanding. Special thanks to Bjarki for being so responsive on email. Also thanks to Kaya, who has been an amazing guide through out the adventure. She has good knowledge about the area and also the activity. She later shared some of her favourite places in Iceland for us to visit, which were amazing. Also, the GoPro pictures were amazing and she is fun. I would recommend booking your trip with them.

Reviews from Google · updated 21 Oct 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.

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.

Lava caves — questions people ask

Which lava cave near Reykjavík is the easiest to visit?

Raufarhólshellir, sold as The Lava Tunnel, thirty minutes east of the city. It has a lit walkway and a one-hour guided walk (/experience/32545/ meet on location, or /experience/222055/ with pickup), so no crawling and no head torches. It runs all year. Viðgelmir in West Iceland is longer and quieter, an hour and a half away, and Leiðarendi is a proper caving trip with helmets and scrambling.

What is the difference between a lava cave and an ice cave?

A lava cave is a tunnel left when a lava flow drained out thousands of years ago; it is rock, permanent and open all year. An ice cave is a meltwater tunnel in a glacier, usually only safe November to March, and rebuilt by nature every year. Lava caves show colours in the rock, ice stalactites in winter and total darkness. Ice caves show blue light. If you are here in summer and someone offers a natural ice cave, ask which one.

Is lava caving suitable for children and older people?

The Lava Tunnel, yes. The main walk is on a flat walkway with lights and handrails, and children of most ages manage it. Viðgelmir has a good path too. Leiðarendi and the caving combos (/experience/268/) involve crouching, uneven floors and some scrambling, so the operator sets a minimum age; check the tour page. Anyone with a bad back or knees should stick to the walkway caves.

What do I wear in a lava cave?

It is around zero to four degrees inside, whatever the weather outside, and floors drip. Wear a warm jacket, closed shoes with grip and long trousers. The operator provides a helmet with a head torch where needed. For caving trips, wear clothes you do not mind scraping on rock; gloves help. The Lava Tunnel is easier on clothing, but it is still a cold, wet cave, not a museum.

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.

All hotels in Reykjavík →

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Pairs well with

Add any of these to this tour and 3 % comes off both at checkout — about €50 on the cheapest pair. One basket, one payment, however many operators they come from.

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€1,526.82 per person

Book Thu 22 Oct · €1,526.82