Silfra freediving: day, night or private?
Freediving Silfra needs no certificate and costs from €183. Day, night and private tours compared with snorkelling, and who each one suits.
The short version
- Freedive Iceland's Silfra tours list no certificate requirement and start at €183 for three hours.
- The night tour is €200; the private tour is €996 and is priced for the group, not per person.
- Snorkelling from €121 is cheaper and warmer; freediving means more time under the surface.
- Scuba at Silfra needs a drysuit certificate, so freediving is the way under without one.
You can freedive Silfra without a certificate. Freedive Iceland’s day tour is €183 for three hours, the night tour is €200, and a private tour is €996. If you want to go below the surface and have no dive qualification, this is the route. If you only want to see the fissure, snorkelling costs less and is easier.
Silfra is the crack at Þingvellir between the North American and Eurasian plates, filled with glacial water that is very cold and very clear. We cover the geology and the scuba rules in Silfra: snorkelling or diving?. This guide is about the third option.
What freediving is here
Freediving means holding your breath and going down, in a wetsuit rather than a pressurised tank. The listings say no certificate is needed, that gear is included, and that you meet in the Þingvellir national park if you have no pickup. Expect to be taught the basics before you go in.
It is a different feeling from snorkelling. You spend time under the water, not on top of it, and you move on your own breath. It is also colder and more tiring. Be honest about your swimming before you book.
Day tour
Freedive Silfra day tour is €183, three hours, English, and rated easy in the listing. It is the standard choice. You meet on location, so you need your own way to Þingvellir.
Night tour
Silfra night freedive tour is €200, three hours, rated moderate, with meeting or pickup. We can’t promise what the night adds, because underwater darkness is not the same as seeing the sky. If the idea appeals, it is a small step up in price for something different. If you want maximum visibility, the day tour is the safer choice.
Private tour
Private Silfra Freedive tour is €996 for three hours. That is a group price, so a party of four is paying around a quarter of it each. It makes sense for a nervous first-timer who wants undivided attention, or for a group that wants no strangers in the water.
How it compares
Into the Blue snorkelling is €121 for three hours. You float on the surface in a drysuit and the current carries you. It is warmer, simpler, and works for almost everyone who can swim.
Deep Into the Blue scuba is €246 for four hours and requires a drysuit certificate. Freediving costs less than scuba and has no paperwork, but you cannot stay down as long.
Who should pick what
Choose freediving if you are a confident swimmer, you like cold water, and you want to be under the surface without the certification wall. Choose snorkelling if you want the easy version, or you are bringing a nervous partner or a child.
Our honest take
For most people, snorkel. It is €62 cheaper than the freedive day tour, much warmer, and you still see the same blue walls. Freediving is for the person who would be disappointed on the surface.
If that is you, book the day tour at €183 and skip the night tour unless you have a specific reason. The private tour only pays for itself with a group. And whatever you choose, expect your face to feel the cold in the first minutes. That part is the same for everyone.
