Witchcraft and Icelandic Magic
by Icarus Rising ehf · Silfra snorkelling & diving · Reykjavík
- Beginners welcome
from €2,202.24 per vehicle
Next departure: Sat 24 Oct
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Duration
12 hours
Difficulty
Easy
Season
All year
Starts in
Reykjavík
Pickup
Hotel pickup available at extra cost, or meet at the start point
Guide
Guided in English
Departs
08:45
Cancellation
Cancelling costs 10% of the price within 730 days of departure.
About this experience
Join us on a captivating day tour into the mystical world of Icelandic witchcraft, where ancient traditions of Pagan magic, sorcery, and seiðr (Norse shamanism) come alive. Travel through the rugged landscape of the Westfjords, crossing the land of the Sagas, where folklore and history intertwine.
Your journey begins with an exploration of Iceland's rich literary and cultural roots, tracing the origins of the Sagas that have shaped the nation's identity. You’ll uncover the ancient traditions of witches, sorcerers, seers, and völva (female shamans) who once practiced their craft, often invoking the power of the gods through runic magic and the magical staves known as galdrastafir.
As you continue westward, you'll visit the Museum of Sorcery and Witchcraft, a unique and immersive experience where you can learn about Iceland's dark magical past. Step inside the Sorcerer's Cottages at Strandir, where the chilling story of the last witch burning in Iceland in the late 19th century still echoes through the remote landscape.
Delve deeper into the secrets of Icelandic witchcraft as you explore old manuscripts of magic, including the legendary Galdrabók, a book of spells and runic knowledge. Discover how these ancient texts were used for healing, divination, and even curses, offering an intriguing glimpse into a time when magic was a powerful, often feared force.
This immersive tour offers an unparalleled opportunity to connect with Iceland’s mystical past, learning about the practices and beliefs that have shaped the island’s magical history for centuries. Don’t miss this rare chance to step into the world of Icelandic witchcraft, where myth and reality blend together in an unforgettable experience. Iceland's once-forbidden occult symbols, now popular in tattoos, video games, and business logos, are explored in a new edition of the Galdrabók, featuring Kári Pálsson’s English translation alongside the original Icelandic text and the unpublished Jarðskinna manuscript, with a complimentary copy offered per booking.
You will experience:
Hiking the Mystical Grábrók Volcano
The Witchcraft Museum at Strandir in the Westfjords
the Sorcerer's Cottages
Old Icelandic Books
Free copy of the Galdrabók, a magical Icelandic grimoire.
Description from the operator, Icarus Rising ehf. Prices and availability in the booking panel are live.
Where you go
- Hike on the mystical Grábrók Volcano
- The Witchcraft Museum at Standir
- The Sorcerer’s Cottage
- Old Icelandic Books
Included
- Private Experience (maximum of 6 people)
- Cultural Driver Guide and Photographer
- Full visit of the Witchcraft Museum at Strandir
- Photoshoot in the Sorcerer's Cottage
- Hike on the mystical Grábrók Volcano
- Old Icelandic Books and study of the Galdrabók: Forbidden Icelandic Folk Magic
- Your own physical copy of the Galdrabók by Kári Pálsson
- 20 Shot Photo Package included (1-4 people) or 30 Shot Photo Package included (5-6 people) (delivered via downloadable drive approximately 14 days after your tour)
Not included
- Snacks.
- Bring a water bottle as you will have many opportunities to fill it.
- Hair and makeup
Good to know
- Warm layers, waterproof jacket and pants, hats and gloves and comfortable footwear suitable for uneven terrain and walking short distances.
- Drinks and snacks.
- Guests should bring their snacks with them if desired.
- The length of each day and the order in which you visit these attractions can vary depending on weather and road conditions.
- Photo packages may sometimes take more or less than 14 days to edit. This is just our average turnaround time.
- IPJ Editor selects and edits the photo package based on what we feel are the best shots from the day. If additional photos are available outside of the package count they may be available for 1,000 ISK per but not guaranteed.
- Be aware that if there is a request to have specific photos from the day, advance notice via email is required before the editing process begins.
Cancellation for this tour
Cancelling costs 10% of the price within 730 days of departure. 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.
- 1Icarus Rising ehf 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 the cutoff shown above, 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 a good fit if you want a relaxed day: 12 hours is a long time on the road, most of it spent getting there and back.
- 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
Icarus Rising ehf 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 →
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.
- Silfra: snorkelling or diving?Snorkelling vs diving in the Silfra fissure at Þingvellir — certification, the 2°C water, the drysuit, and what you actually see in each.
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 41.790 kr.Mid-range
Hotel · Reykjavík
Radisson Blu 1919 Hotel
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
203 operators vetted, and not all of them accepted
If it falls short, we fix it
Pairs well with
Add any of these to this tour and 3 % comes off both at checkout. One basket, one payment, however many operators they come from.
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Your Transfer ehf
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pickup included
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- Wi-fi on board
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