Reykjavik Silfra Snorkel Tour & Fly Over Iceland VR: A Chilled-Out Review

Alright, so you’re pondering this Reykjavik Silfra snorkel thing and maybe that Fly Over Iceland VR gizmo, too, right? Basically, I did both, and I figured I’d drop my two cents. It’s almost like experiencing two totally different sides of Iceland in, basically, a single day – a seriously bracing underwater chill, followed by a kinda warm, fuzzy, simulated flight over some stunning landscapes. Honestly, that’s the best way to explain it. Anyhow, this ain’t gonna be your typical brochure description; that’s almost a guarantee, you see. This is just, well, me rambling on about how it went down, like your chatting to a mate. Ready? Well, here we go.

What’s Silfra Snorkeling All About? A Quick Lay of the Land

Right, so, what’s the Silfra deal anyway? Clearly, it’s not just your usual snorkel spot. It’s almost a fissure. I mean, basically a crack in the earth. This, in fact, is situated in Thingvellir National Park, where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates, quite literally, are kinda slowly drifting away from each other. So, what happens is that you are floating right smack dab between two continents. Now, the crazy bit? Apparently the water has been filtered for like, decades, by volcanic rock. That is that the water is spectacularly clear. Visibility’s a mind-bogglingly crystal-clear hundred meters or so. Too, it’s kinda cold though. Seriously cold. Like, 2°C to 4°C (35°F to 39°F) all year round. Which is probably why you are encased in this somewhat astronaut-looking dry suit. It does, more or less, keep you bone dry. It is what makes it all possible, but, anyway, more on that whole getup later.

Gearing Up and Getting Ready: The Dry Suit Drama (Well, Sort Of)

Alright, the dry suit. Now, that bit is, I have to say, fairly amusing, right? So what happens is, you are stuffed into this neoprene thing, and honestly you waddle around like some chubby penguin. Then comes this dry suit – it is that the whole thing’s supposed to be watertight. Anyway it comes complete with, too, these rather snug neck and wrist seals. Expect help, just a little, because getting into this thing, obviously, is no solo mission. This is where, first, your guides come in, who, thankfully, tend to be pretty darn patient and have likely witnessed all manner of struggles. Make sure you’ve got thermal layers on underneath because that water’s cold! Even with the suit. One particularly quirky moment is the inflation of the suit, apparently that’s what traps a layer of air for extra insulation. Like your basically inflating a waterbed around your whole self. Kinda odd but, also, absolutely crucial.

Into the Void: The Silfra Snorkeling Experience Itself

Once you slip, pretty much, into that crystalline water, that’s when, at last, the oddness disappears and the magic happens, in a way. What’s special is you are almost floating in this blue void. The visibility is absolutely nuts. Really and truly nuts! Seriously, that clear water, coupled with the rock formations, tends to make it look like you are flying. Which, actually, is not what I was expecting at all. You don’t see heaps of crazy fish, for instance. In fact, almost no fish. Yet it’s the water itself and, of course, the geological bizarrity of it all that steals the spotlight. That said, now, there’s a peculiar serenity to just gliding through this rift, with just a gentle current nudging you along. Is that all there is? Probably. Keep in mind, the water gets in, yet a bit, and it’s cold! Face-numbingly cold! Obviously this makes for a, well, fairly invigorating experience. Yet, after maybe thirty to forty minutes, I’d have to admit, that you are happy to get out.

Fly Over Iceland: Strapping In For Virtual Adventure

Right after all the shivering it was nice, in contrast, to do something that was fairly warm and didn’t require any heavy neoprene suits, very unlike my situation earlier. Now, this Fly Over Iceland thing? Actually, that’s housed in this sizable building right in Reykjavik. Frankly, it is pretty hard to miss. Think of it, maybe, like a simulator ride, with some pretty clever VR stuff chucked in, as a matter of fact. You strap into seats that hang suspended, in some respects, facing this massive wraparound screen. Now what happens, usually, is that the film then takes you on a tour of Iceland’s incredible scenery – glaciers, volcanoes, coastlines… you name it. You see these cool visuals. Even better, just a little, is that the seats move. Also, it blows air and mists water at you, to simulate the feeling of, perhaps, soaring through the landscapes. Anyway, what are the visuals like? Pretty awesome. Is that the main take away? I think so. Are you actually tricked into thinking you are flying? Certainly not all the time, I think. Still, it’s a bit fun. So, you are going to enjoy it if you tend to like that kind of thing.

Silfra and Fly Over Iceland: A Contrasting Combo That Works?

In some ways, it sounds weird, pairing a snorkel in frigid waters with a VR flight. Yet, the odd mix kinda does it for me, naturally. What’s cool is you have both of these, each experience highlights different facets of Iceland’s character. Is the snorkel intense? Yup, quite. But seeing that underwater clarity and, that, geological drama is special. Does Fly Over Iceland work as a relaxation technique? To a certain extent, yes. What I liked particularly was this feeling of seeing the scope of the whole landscape. By the end of the day, certainly, I felt like I’d actually grabbed a more multilayered feel for Iceland than sticking, basically, to one kind of tour would’ve given me, and so.

Some Handy Hints if You Are Thinking of Doing This

Book ahead, usually. Clearly, especially during peak season, places get booked quickly. So, usually, lock it in advance.
Layers are totally your friend. Specifically for Silfra, pile on the thermal underwear. Even though the dry suit does an okay job, extra layers can actually make a difference.
Trust those guides, literally. If you’re nervous about the dry suit thing, ask lots of questions. The tour people have witnessed it all and are really good at calming nerves, more or less.
Consider the timing, actually. What this boils down to is whether you do the snorkel or the VR thing first. So, to be honest, I kinda liked doing the snorkel first. I think that ends up being more engaging. What I liked was getting it over with! By doing the snorkeling at the start of my day, I had no apprehension during the build-up and got to relax more in the VR experience afterward. But you do you.
Have a camera at the ready. You’ll want to grab footage of what’s around when doing the Fly Over Iceland tour. So, that’s why I suggest planning your camera. Even if, pretty much, it’s just your smartphone. But bear in mind there’s not a heap of space to be fiddling with cameras while snorkeling in Silfra! What some do is to get their guide to take a few shots with a GoPro, in fact. That can really work.

Is It Worth It?

Are you the kind of person, essentially, who loves to explore, in any capacity, the natural world, then the Silfra snorkel trip will float your boat? Do you fancy seeing some out-of-this-world water clarity? Well, it is highly unlikely that you will find any visibility this high somewhere else. Do you usually get your kicks from super-challenging physical escapades? You may want to find a tougher challenge. This one is much easier than mountain-climbing. However, the Silfra Snorkeling is really very interesting if, frankly, unusual aquatic scenery and geological marvels, as a matter of fact, excite you.

Likewise, should you attend the VR experience, this is a nice way, usually, to see more of the Icelandic landscape. Fly Over Iceland could certainly offer some entertainment. Fly over Iceland will usually offer, more or less, a fairly exciting way of discovering regions that you might not reach in real life. Anyway, I do suggest trying Fly Over Iceland for folks who like a theme-park-esque attraction but dislike overly energetic pursuits or folks traveling with limited mobility. Therefore, the two experiences are worth doing depending on what floats your boat.

Basically, for sheer fun and Icelandic scenery, the mixed experience of both is worth considering for anyone visiting Iceland who has time.

Key Points:

Silfra Snorkeling: Clear water between tectonic plates.
Dry Suit: Essential for the cold water, book the gear in advance
Fly Over Iceland: A good simulator, although virtual, is great for seeing Icelandic scenery.
Timing: Maybe doing Silfra before the Fly Over is the way to go
Value: Are they worth doing, most times, it depends what you want out of an experience in Iceland

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