THINGVELLIR NATIONAL PARK

Thingvellir National Park is an absolute gem that should be on every traveler’s bucket list! This spectacular nature reserve is located in the southwest region of Iceland and has so much to offer.

One of the main highlights of the park is its mesmerizing geological features that are unlike anything else you’ll see on this planet. Thingvellir National Park (THING-VET-leer) is settled along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Here the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates are visible above ground. It’s truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience to witness these plate boundaries in action.

But that’s not the only exhilarating feature that you can enjoy in this national park. Its historical significance is undeniable. The history dates back to the establishment of Iceland’s national parliament, Alþingi in 930 AD.

Apart from its historical and geological wonders, Thingvellir National Park boasts of great natural beauty. Its varied terrain offers hiking trails, scenic drives, and various water activities such as scuba diving, fishing, and birdwatching.

Being a UNESCO World Heritage site, the park is protected to preserve its natural and historical importance. Overall, Thingvellir National Park is a treasure trove of unparalleled natural beauty, geological and historical phenomena, and is a must-visit on your Iceland itinerary!

The Main Attractions of Thingvellir

Almannagja– a 7km long rift that marks the eastern boundary of the North-American tectonic plate.
Logberg– In early Icelandic history, it was here that the Alþingi assembly met and created the laws that shaped Iceland.
Oxarafoss– A 13 m high waterfall that was believed to have been diverted to its current location during ancient times.
Stekkjargja– A section of Almannagja that was used as a hanging site for convicted thieves.
Flosagja– A deep fissure with cold, crystal clear groundwater that originates from the Langjokull glacier 45 km away.
Thingbudir– The overgrown rectangular foundation of the old assembly meeting grounds.

Our Experience

On day 2 of our Ring Road Tour, we left Reykjavik and drove about 45 minutes to Thingvellir National Park where we booked an excursion to go snorkeling between the tectonic plates. Our excursion wasn’t until noon, so we had some time to explore the park before we met up with our tour guide.

Our first stop in the park was Oxarafoss. We parked in P3 (Parking Lot 3) and took the short hike to the falls. Old sagas say that early settlers changed the course of the river to improve the water supply at Thingvellir.

The falls have a small boardwalk area where you can snap photos from. If you’re feeling a little adventurous, you can hop across some of the rocks in the pool to get a closer look at the falls.

We decided to walk 1/2 mile from Oxarafoss to the Visitor’s Center. We made stops along the river before ew got to Law Rock. In 930 AD, local chieftans began to gather at an annual meeting called Alþingi (“all-thing”). These meetings took place here, at Law Rock. It is because of these annual meetings that Thingvellir can be considered as Iceland’s first capital.

Next, we passed through Almannagja (Everyman’s Gorge). This path traces the boundaries of the continents- on one side is North America and on the other is Europe.

The walk from Law Rock to the Visitor’s Center was much steeper than I anticipated. If you struggle with mobility or if you’re traveling with littles, you may want to skip the Viewing Platform and Visitor’s Center all together.

The viewing platform overlooks the great fissure where you can see the two tectonic plates moving apart. It’s kinda cool for a nerd like myself.

Here, we turned around and walked the 1/2 mile back to our parking lot.

The highlight of our visit to Thingvellir was snorkeling between the tectonic plates– well, for me anyway. Ashley didn’t love it. It was definitely a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and a definite must if you’re into pushing your boundaries, snorkeling, and nerd stuff.

After our snorkel excursion, we drove to Geysir, Gullfoss, Seljalandsfoss, and much more! It was a super thrilling, incredibly busy day!

Visiting Thingvellir National Park

The natural site is always open and free, although you did need to pay to park.

Free one-hour guided tours in English depart from the Thingvellir church each day at 10:00 and 15:00.

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While we were in the area, we also visited The Blue Lagoon, The Penis Museum, Gullfoss, and much more!

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When we first started mapping out our Icelandic Ring Road Trip, snorkeling Silfra was high on my list of things I wanted to do. I’ve had a few friends who have done it said it was absolutely incredible…I just hoped I could work up the nerve to actually do it!

Located in Thingvellir National Park, Silfra is a unique snorkeling destination that promises a mesmerizing experience. The fissure between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates offers a crystal-clear underwater view that is nothing short of breathtaking.

As you get ready for your snorkeling adventure, a wetsuit that is suitable for the chilly Icelandic waters is provided by your tour company. Soon you will find yourself in the icy-cold waters, gliding through the frigid clearest waters you will ever see. The water is so transparent that you can see up to 100 meters ahead with endless shades of blue and green.

As you journey through the Silfra fissure, it is as if you are swimming in a living, breathing geology book. You will come across vibrant colors and textures etched into the rocks, giving you a profound sense of the power of nature. If you’re lucky, you may even catch a glimpse of freshwater fish that inhabit the area.

Snorkeling Silfra is an unforgettable experience due to the combination of geology, clear waters, and fish sightings. This Iceland gem is ideal for anyone seeking adventure and a newfound appreciation for the natural world.

Our Experience Snorkeling Silfra

We woke up early and had a delicious breakfast at the Sand Hotel in Reykjavik and headed to Thingvellir National Park. Thingvellir is about an hour outside of the city, making it the perfect day trip from Reykjavik. We arrived at the park earlier enough to be able to do some hiking and visit a waterfall before we had to meet up with our tour company. We were each given a bag to store all of our personal belongings.

Our tour was about nearly 3 hours long. The first hour was spent suiting up, going over safety information, and demonstrating a few basic moves in the water before we were able to continue snorkeling between the plates.

After checking in with our company (we used Troll Expeditions), we stripped down to our base layer and were fitted for our dry suits. For our base layer, we were long underwear (link) and a t-shirt. It was plenty warm enough for being in the water. We were also given thick gloves, a snorkel, and flippers.

The crew took a lot of care into making sure everyone was wearing the proper size suit, flippers, and making sure everyone’s hood was secure. They even helped us put our dry suits and hoods on, which was helpful since they are so bulky and awkward.

Since the gloves were so large, it was pretty hard to manipulate my GoPro, so I ended up leaving it behind. Fortunately, our guide snapped lots of photos of us, so that worked out. He sent them to us that evening, which was a super quick turn around!

To keep our heads warm, we had to wear a hood, which was fastened with a choker. The choker was really uncomfortable, especially since I have claustrophobia. Honestly, everyone was uncomfortable with it on, but ultimately its job was to prevent water from getting into our suits, so it was essential.

We were handed our flippers and snorkels and we walked just down the road to the entry point. We had to wait a bit while other groups finished getting suited up and getting info from their guides.

Once it was our turn, we had to make sure our masks were tight enough by putting our faces in the water. Next, we had to demonstrate that we could get water out of our snorkel, if needed, and that we were able to roll over onto our sides under water. It’s all pretty basic stuff and requires very little skill, at all.

Alas, it was time for us to explore the fissure. What an awesome, unique experience! I mean, how many people can say that they snorkeled between tectonic plates? That they swam between Europe and North America? I thought it was a little cooler than Ashley did, but I’m also just a tad bit nerdier and into the science of things.

As a group, we explored the fissure. We had about an hour to float in the frigid water. Since there’s such a strong current in the fissure, you barely have to swim. Swimming in the water was very effortless.

One of the things I was worried about was being cold in the water. With the suit and gloves, the only part of our body that was exposed was our face. I watched several YouTube videos and read blog posts where people said their faces were freezing in the water, I didn’t notice the cold at all.

Ashley’s suit leaked a bit around the neck area, so by the time we neared the end of the snorkeling run, she was over it. We were given the option of exploring a little lagoon area, and instead she headed to the exit point and I swam around a bit alone.

By the time we were done, our lips were swollen from the cold water and we were ready to get out of our suits. We were especially ready to ditch the chokers! Our guide wouldn’t let us remove the choker, hood, or any part of the suit until we were back at the meeting point.

We stepped into a trailer with a heater to ditch our suits and get dressed. They had heaters in the trailer which was super nice! When we took our suits off, we realized just how wet Ashley was. Her shirt was drenched, no wonder she was uncomfortable! She was the only one in our group who had a leaky suit, the rest of us were perfectly dry- except for our hair.

We were offered cookies and cocoa or coffee to help warm us up. We bid kveðja (farewell) to our guide and headed to our next stop.

Snorkeling between the tectonic plates was a super cool experience. I’m really glad that we did it and that I didn’t chicken out. I had worked myself up so much leading up to our trip that was convinced that I would have a panic attack in the water. It was all for nothing, it was such an awesome experience. Snorkeling the plates was one of my favorite things we did in Iceland. Ashley, on the other hand, didn’t enjoy it nearly as much as I did. She hates being uncomfortable so she was miserable pretty much the entire time.

Would I do it again? Yes…if I had time to spare. We only had a week on our Ring Road Tour and our excursion took a big chunk of our day. Our itinerary was jam packed and we didn’t get to spend as much time at some of the other sites on our list for that day. For example, we barely spent any time at Gullfoss and we skipped the Kerid Crater all together. At the same time, it’s a once in a lifetime experience, so I’m perfectly content with having done it just the one time.

How to Get to Thingvellir National Park

The best way to get anywhere in Iceland is to rent a car. I honestly couldn’t picture doing Iceland without having a vehicle. That being said, there are plenty of tour companies that offer transportation from Reykjavik to Thingvellir.

There are plenty of rental car companies located in Reykjavik and Keflavik, near the airport. If you’re traveling to Iceland during the summer, make sure you book your rental car well in advance! Iceland is an extremely popular tourist destination at this time of the year.

Save a Pin & Start Planning Your Adventure

For future reference, save our post: Snorkeling Silfra: The Ultimate Icelandic Adventure. Pin one of the images below to Pinterest. Go ahead and follow 5 Suitcases on Pinterest while you’re at it!

While we were in the area, we also visited The Blue Lagoon, Pingvellir National Park, the Penis Museum, Gullfoss, and much more!