The Best Snorkeling Companies in Iceland: A 17,700-Review Study

Find the best snorkeling companies in Iceland in a Guide to Iceland study of more than 17,700 reviews and nearly three years of booking records. We compare the five main Silfra operators on ratings, reliability, and price, so you can pick the right snorkel for your trip. Read on for the full rankings, prices, and tips.

Snorkeling in Silfra is one of the most weather-proof tours in Iceland, and the companies that run it are closer in quality than almost any other activity we sell. We pooled reviews from Guide to Iceland, TripAdvisor, and GetYourGuide, adjusted every rating for review volume, and checked how often each tour actually gets called off.

Every company here can be compared and booked on our snorkeling tours in Iceland page. While these tours are available through Guide to Iceland, this had no influence on the study's findings. All rankings are based solely on traveler reviews and booking data, and no company can pay for a higher position.

This study is part of our series ranking Iceland's tour operators by activity, alongside our study of the best whale watching companies and our glacier hiking operator study.

Key Findings

• DIVE.IS is the highest-rated snorkeling company in Iceland. It scores 4.92 out of 5 after adjusting for review volume, ahead of Troll Expeditions (4.87), Freedive Iceland (4.86), Adventure Vikings (4.83), and Arctic Adventures (4.76).

• Every company sits within about a sixth of a star. With ratings this close, the guide, the suit, the group size, and the price matter more than the company name.

• Silfra snorkeling rarely gets called off. About 1.1% of departures between January 2024 and October 2026 were called off by the weather or the operator, against about one in ten for whale watching.

• Troll Expeditions is the most reliable. It called off 0.6% of its departures, the lowest rate in the study.

• Arctic Adventures is the best value. It rates 4.76 across more than 4,300 reviews and has one of the cheapest standalone snorkels, at a median of 17,990 ISK.

• Pickup and combos drive the price, not the company. A snorkel that meets you at Silfra costs about 17,990 to 20,465 ISK, against around 27,000 to 28,000 ISK with Reykjavik pickup and about 35,500 to 36,000 ISK as a Golden Circle combo.

Best Snorkeling Companies in Iceland at a Glance

Here's how the five companies compare on rating, reliability, and what each one does best.

How Did We Rank Iceland's Snorkeling Companies?

We pooled the reviews for each company's snorkeling products only, never its other tours. That means Guide to Iceland reviews plus every TripAdvisor and GetYourGuide listing where the platform names the company as the operator of that Silfra tour. Then we adjusted every score for review volume.

That adjustment matters. A company with a perfect score from a handful of reviews hasn't earned the same confidence as one holding 4.7 across a thousand. The biggest operators also often carry a slightly lower average simply because they run more trips.

So each score is pulled toward the category average in proportion to how few reviews sit behind it. Thin pools move a lot, and large ones barely move.

The chart above shows the effect: Freedive Iceland's near-perfect raw score comes down the most because it rests on the fewest reviews, and Arctic Adventures moves up toward the pack. Nobody is punished for scale.

Which Snorkeling Company in Iceland Is Best?

DIVE.IS, one of Silfra's longest-running operators, is the highest-rated snorkeling company in Iceland, with a volume-adjusted rating of 4.92 out of 5. Troll Expeditions (4.87) and Freedive Iceland (4.86) follow, then Adventure Vikings (4.83) and Arctic Adventures (4.76).

The whole field sits within about a sixth of a star, so you'll be in good hands with any of them. Our tour satisfaction study found that, within an activity, paying more rarely buys a better time, and with ratings this close that holds for Silfra too.

That makes Arctic Adventures the best-value pick. It rates 4.76 across more than 4,300 reviews, calls off just 1.1% of tours, and has one of the lowest-priced standalone snorkels, at a median of 17,990 ISK. The rest of the choice is about format: wetsuit or drysuit, and meeting at Silfra or getting picked up in Reykjavik.

Nearly every guided snorkel in Iceland happens in the same place, the Silfra fissure in Thingvellir National Park, 45 minutes to an hour from Reykjavik. Silfra is a crack between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates, filled with glacial meltwater filtered through lava for 30 to 100 years.

The water stays at 36 to 39°F (2 to 4°C) all year, and you can see up to 330 feet (100 meters). Because everyone swims the same fissure, the fissure doesn't separate the companies. The guide, the suit, the group, and the price do.

Are Snorkeling Tours in Iceland Ever Canceled?

Rarely. Across our booking records between January 2024 and October 2026, about 1.1% of Silfra snorkeling departures were called off by the weather or the operator.

For comparison, about one in ten whale watching tours is called off, according to our whale watching study. Our study of Iceland's best tour companies found some northern lights and helicopter operators calling off as many as one tour in five.

The reason is geology. Silfra is a sheltered, spring-fed crack in the ground, not an exposed harbor. The wind and rain that ground boat tours barely touch it, and the water temperature doesn't change with the seasons.

That's why these tours run right through the Icelandic winter, and why the windiest months of the year barely register in our cancellation records. It's the same reason snorkeling makes our list of the best winter activities in Iceland.

If you want one activity on your itinerary that will almost certainly go ahead whatever the forecast, this is it.

Troll Expeditions had the lowest called-off rate of the group at 0.6%. Freedive Iceland is the exception at 7.3%, and almost all of that is operator-side rather than weather.

As a specialist running small groups, it occasionally cancels a quiet departure, mostly on its freediving tour. If your dates are fixed, book its wetsuit snorkel rather than the freedive, or leave a spare day.

The one "cancellation" worth planning for has nothing to do with weather. Every company uses a medical questionnaire, and most, including DIVE.IS, Troll Expeditions, and Freedive Iceland, ask travelers aged 60 or over for a doctor's signature.

People with certain health conditions may need one too, so read the requirements when you book rather than on the morning of the tour. Most companies also set a minimum age of 12 (14 for Adventure Vikings' wetsuit snorkel) and height and weight limits, and you need to be able to swim.

Which Snorkeling Company Is Best for You?

Every company in this study runs well-rated tours in the same fissure, so the right pick depends on the suit you want, how you get there, and what's included. Each profile below starts with who the company suits best, followed by its key numbers from our data.

DIVE.IS: the highest rated, and the choice for divers

Best for: first-time snorkelers who want the highest-rated guides, and certified divers

• Rating: 4.92 out of 5 from 6,432 reviews

• Called off: 1.1% of tours

• Suit: drysuit

• Getting there: meet at Silfra, Reykjavik pickup, or a private tour

• Extras: hot chocolate and cookies after the snorkel

DIVE.IS is one of the longest-running companies at the fissure. It has the highest rating in this study and by far the largest review base, including a perfect 5.0 across thousands of TripAdvisor reviews of its main Silfra tour.

Several of its tours are listed on our site under Reykjavík Excursions. These include the Silfra snorkel from the Thingvellir meeting point, the snorkel with Reykjavik pickup, the private tour, and a snorkel with entry to the Fontana spa in Laugarvatn.

If you're a certified drysuit diver, its Silfra dive is the natural next step, and divers in the reviews rate the dive above the snorkel almost every time. You can compare it with every other diving tour in Iceland.

Arctic Adventures: the best value, with the most combos

Best for: travelers on a budget, and anyone who wants to combine snorkeling with another tour

• Rating: 4.76 out of 5 from 4,343 reviews

• Called off: 1.1% of tours

• Suit: drysuit

• Getting there: meet at Silfra, Reykjavik pickup, or a combo tour

• Extras: free underwater photos, hot cocoa, and cookies

• Price: a median of 17,990 ISK for the standalone snorkel in 2026

Arctic Adventures has one of the cheapest standalone tours in the category, its Silfra snorkel with free photos and hot cocoa, at a median of 17,990 ISK in 2026. As one of Iceland's largest activity companies, it also bundles snorkeling with the Golden Circle and with lava caving in Raufarholshellir, and offers Reykjavik pickup.

Its reviewers mention organization more than anyone else's. At 4.76 across more than 4,300 reviews, the second-largest review base after DIVE.IS, it sits within a sixth of a star of the top.

Given what our tour satisfaction study found about price and satisfaction, it's the one to book if you want the snorkel without paying for extras.

Freedive Iceland: wetsuit snorkeling and going deeper

Best for: confident swimmers who want to dive below the surface

• Rating: 4.86 out of 5 from 271 reviews

• Called off: 7.3% of tours, mostly on the freediving tour

• Suit: 7 mm (0.28 in) wetsuit

• Getting there: meet at Silfra

• Extras: hot drinks after the tour

Freedive Iceland is built for confident swimmers. Its wetsuit snorkeling tour lets you duck below the surface instead of floating on top, and its guided freedive takes that further.

It sits a hair behind Troll Expeditions in third place, and its reviews mention the guide more often than any other company's. It's the pick if you've snorkeled before and want to see Silfra from below as well as above.

Troll Expeditions: the most reliable, with photos included

Best for: travelers with fixed dates, and anyone who wants photos included

• Rating: 4.87 out of 5 from 4,006 reviews

• Called off: 0.6% of tours, the lowest in the study

• Suit: drysuit

• Getting there: meet at Silfra or Reykjavik pickup

• Extras: free GoPro photos, hot drinks, and cookies

• Group size: up to 6 people per guide on its pickup tour

Troll Expeditions called off the fewest departures of any snorkeling company in our data. It also ranks among the top companies in our glacier hiking operator study. Its Silfra tour includes free underwater photos and snacks, and photos come up in its reviews more than for almost anyone else.

Its Golden Circle and snorkel combo adds the rest of the Golden Circle route if you'd rather not plan the day yourself. If you're driving, our list of the best detours on the Golden Circle helps you fill it.

Adventure Vikings: drysuit or wetsuit, your choice

Best for: groups who want different suits, and self-drivers

• Rating: 4.83 out of 5 from 2,662 reviews

• Called off: 1.0% of tours

• Suit: drysuit or 6 mm (0.24 in) wetsuit

• Getting there: Reykjavik pickup or meet at Silfra

• Extras: free underwater photos and hot chocolate

Adventure Vikings is an independent company that offers both drysuit and wetsuit tours, so everyone in your group can pick the suit they want. It also sells self-drive versions of both, meeting at Silfra, in a drysuit or a wetsuit, with free photos.

How Much Does Snorkeling in Silfra Cost?

A guided snorkel that meets you at Silfra costs between about 17,990 and 20,465 ISK per person in 2026, with Arctic Adventures at the low end.

Adding pickup from Reykjavik, like most of our day tours from Reykjavik, takes it to around 27,000 to 28,000 ISK. Pairing it with the Golden Circle costs about 35,500 to 36,000 ISK for the full day.

The gap between companies on the same format is small. What moves the price is whether you rent a car and drive yourself to Thingvellir, which is easy with our guide to driving the Golden Circle, and whether you add the Golden Circle tour.

That's why we rate Arctic Adventures as the best value: the extra you pay elsewhere mostly buys pickup or a longer day, not a better snorkel.

Drysuit or Wetsuit: Which Should You Book?

Most Silfra snorkels are done in a drysuit. It keeps your body warm and dry, so only your face and hands feel the cold, and it floats, which suits nervous or weaker swimmers.

The trade-off is that you can't dive down. A wetsuit lets you duck under for the view above and below the surface, at the cost of feeling more of the cold.

If your group is split, Adventure Vikings offers both suits.

Whichever you pick, Silfra is a geology experience, not a marine-life one. There's very little wildlife, just the odd small Arctic char, rock, bright green algae, and water so clear it barely looks real.

Expect about an hour of getting into the suit and 30 to 40 minutes in the water. Wear thermal underwear and thick wool socks under the suit (our guide on what to wear in Iceland covers the rest), and warm up afterward in one of Reykjavik's swimming pools.

If you'd rather stay close to Thingvellir, see the best hotels on the Golden Circle. Read our full guide to diving and snorkeling in Iceland before you go.

Methodology and Limitations

We ranked five companies that run guided snorkeling tours in Silfra and sell them on Guide to Iceland: DIVE.IS, Troll Expeditions, Freedive Iceland, Adventure Vikings, and Arctic Adventures. Each was rated on its snorkeling products only.

Ratings combine Guide to Iceland reviews with every TripAdvisor and GetYourGuide listing that names the company as the operator of its Silfra snorkeling tour. That's more than 17,700 reviews in total, shown as one combined score per company.

We then adjusted each score for review volume using a Bayesian average, a weighted average that pulls small review pools toward the category mean.

Reliability comes from Guide to Iceland booking records for departures between January 2024 and October 2026. It counts only tours called off by the weather or the operator, as a share of departures. Prices are 2026 medians per person.

Tours sold under Reykjavík Excursions that DIVE.IS runs are credited to DIVE.IS. Companies with too few reviews to rate fairly were left out of the ranking.

What the Numbers Can't Show

• Review counts are lifetime totals. A company with older listings has a longer review history behind its score.

• Ratings measure satisfaction, not safety. They show how happy reviewers were with their tour, not how one company's safety record compares with another's.

• The called-off rate covers Guide to Iceland bookings only. It doesn't include tours booked directly with a company or through other sites.

• Small companies move more. A company that runs fewer departures sees its called-off rate shift more from a handful of cancellations.

• Prices change. The figures are 2026 medians from our bookings, not the price on any given day, so check the current price before you book.

• Rules vary by company. Age, height, weight, and medical requirements are set by each operator and can change.

Guide to Iceland is a marketplace that works with these companies, and no partner is ranked up or down for that relationship. Always book licensed operators, follow your guide's safety briefing, and read our guide to travel safety in Iceland before you go.

Conclusion: Which Snorkeling Company Should You Book?

There's no wrong pick on this list. Every company rates between 4.76 and 4.92 out of 5, and they all swim the same fissure. The suit, the group, and the price shape your day more than the name on the booking.

Book DIVE.IS for the highest-rated tour or a Silfra dive, and Arctic Adventures for the best value. Choose Troll Expeditions if your dates are fixed, Freedive Iceland if you want to dive below the surface in a wetsuit, and Adventure Vikings for a choice of drysuit or wetsuit.

• First time in Silfra: DIVE.IS or Arctic Adventures, in a drysuit that keeps you warm and afloat.

• Certified divers: DIVE.IS, for its Silfra dive.

• Families and mixed groups: Adventure Vikings, so everyone can choose a suit. Children need to be at least 12 at most companies, and our study on how good Iceland is for kids covers what else suits younger travelers.

• Fixed dates: Troll Expeditions, with the lowest called-off rate in the study.

• On a budget: Arctic Adventures, or any meet-at-Silfra tour if you have a car.

The weather is unlikely to stop you, so the medical form is the one thing to sort out before you travel. Send it early if you're 60 or over or have a health condition, in case you need a doctor's signature.

Summer is the busiest season, so book ahead if you are traveling between June and August. If you'd rather have a quieter day, look at small group tours, and if you want to see more of the national park, browse our Thingvellir tours.

Keep Reading: More Guide to Iceland Studies

• The Best Whale Watching Companies in Iceland

• The Best Glacier Hiking Tour Operators in Iceland

• The Best Tours in Iceland by Satisfaction Rate

• The Best Tour Companies in Iceland

• The Best and Worst Months to Visit Iceland

• How Many Days Do You Need in Iceland?

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Guide to Iceland's marketplace is built from Iceland's own tour operators, and we publish what the reviews say about them, whether it flatters us or not. We support our partners in maintaining the highest safety and quality standards in the industry.