Combination Day Tour in Iceland. Horse riding on the Icelandic horse through the lava fields of Hafnafjörður and snorkeling between the lava fields where America and Europe meet in Þingvellir National Park.
Trip difficulty: 2 out of 5 possible. Rated: Easy.
This is Iceland’s ultimate lava tour! On this popular tour you will ride the Icelandic horse, with its famous five gaits, through the lava fields on the outskirts of Hafnarfjörður town as well as visiting the UNESCO world heritage site of Þingvellir National Park. There you will snorkel in the crystal clear waters in the Silfra fissure between the continents of America and Europe.
We start with an adventurous ride from the Íshestar Riding Centre into the lava surrounding Mt. Helgafell volcano and ride through lava fields and across beautiful hillsides to the old Kaldársel sheep corral or to Lake Hvaleyrarvatn. As we ride through this magical scenery you will see different formations in the rough lava and you might even be able to spot a troll or two. All riding is on excellent riding paths with the beautiful Bláfjöll Mountains towering above on the horizon. After the horse riding we will have lunch at the horse center before moving on to the Þingvellir National Park and mesmerizing blue of the Silfra Fissure.
Snorkeling in the Silfra is our second adventure. The Silfra fissure is one of Iceland’s best-kept secrets, an otherworldly scene that is world famous for its heavenly shades of blue. The crystal clear water in the deep fissure gives you a feeling of being weightless as you float down with the lazy current with more then 80 meters of visibility under the water. The snorkeling is a relaxing but exotic trip in an environment most will only encounter in their dreams.
Bad eyesight? Since you are wearing snorkeling / dive goggles to see underwater there can be nothing in the way of the seal to keep them from filling up with water. That is, you cannot wear glasses underneath the goggles. You will have to go without them, wear eye lenses or bring your own goggles with prescription.
Disclaimer:
All adventure trips and outdoor activities such as snorkeling and horse riding are undertaken on the responsibility of its participants. Arctic Adventures & its partners (in this case Íshestar) do not assume any responsibility for accidents that are caused by its customers or can be traced to there own actions. Participants have to sign a waiver before undertaking all trips stating that they realize that all outdoor activities carry an inherit risk
You can rent a good quality waterproof camera from us for an additional 5.000 ISK. The guide will divert them over to a disc straight after the trip. We also sell disposable cameras at our shop / office down town Reykjavík for 3.000 ISK.
Guaranteed departures:
Everyday from the 15th of May to the 15th of September for minimum 2 persons.
Pick-up from Reykjavík, horse riding, snorkeling and lunch.
Warm and waterproof outdoor clothing, gloves, warm
undergarment clothing (fleece/wool sweater and pants), warm socks and
a change of clothing.
9 hours
14 years or 150 cm heigth for the snorkeling
2 persons
8 persons per guide.
Disclaimer:
All adventure trips and outdoor activities such as snorkeling and horse riding are undertaken on the responsibility of its participants. Arctic Adventures & its partners (in this case Íshestar) do not assume any responsibility for accidents that are caused by its customers or can be traced to there own actions. Participants have to sign a waiver before undertaking all trips stating that they realize that all outdoor activities carry an inherit risk
Do I need diving certifications to go snorkeling?
No, snorkeling is something that anyone with a taste for adventure can do, it is as easy as one, two, three .. : )
How cold is the water in the Silfra fissure?
The temperature in the Silfra is almost constant all year round at about
2°C but during extended sunshine and warm weather in the summertime the
water can sometimes can go up to 4°C.
Where is the Silfra located?
The Silfra is located in a lava field inside Þingvellir National Park
about 45 minutes from Reykjavík City.
Does Arctic Adventures provide snorkeling equipment on their trips?
Yes, we provide you with everything you need no go diving in the glacier
spring water in Silfra. This includes a specially made thermal suite, a
dry suit, a neoprene hoodie, neoprene gloves and neoprene shoes. All
you need to bring is a towel to dry of and some warm thermal layers to
wear underneath.
Will I get wet on the my snorkeling trip?
We have the best dry suits available in the business BUT for dry suits
to be 100% watertight they have to custom made to measure for each
individual. That is to say gaskets have to be custom made to fit the
wrist and neckline of each person to be 100% watertight. We do our very
best to fit you with the best fitting suit available but we can not
guarantee that you will be dry, however our thermal suits (we call them
Teddy bear suits) are designed to be warm even when wet. To be safe make
sure you bring a extra set of thermal layers to wear underneath and if
the one you wear on the trip should get wet.
What is the visibility under the waterline in Silfra?
In summer when there is some vegetation in the fissure the visibility is
normally somewhere between 65-85 meters, in the winter visibility can
be even better or 80-100 meters on clear days. This is absolutely world
class visibilty, no where on earth will you find such conditions in
fresh water.
How long am I in the water?
It takes anywhere from 45 minutes to one hour to go snorkeling in the Silfra.