We will start our trip by visiting the National Park Þingvellir, located about an hour drive from Reykjavik, to dive Davíðsgjá, often described as Silfra’s darker wilder sibling. This spectacular lava ravine has long been known by the local dive community but rarely visited by others than locals, reason being the close proximity to the worldrenowned Silfra. However, this mystical dive site, located on the edge of the Arctic char’s protected spawning grounds, is the perfect alternative to Silfra, just off the beaten path. After our one extended dive, we will make our way up north where we will spend two nights in our lovely hotel in Akureyri.

On our second day we will dive the majestic Strýtan. The big one is a 55m towering hydrothermal chimney that reaches up to 15 meters below the surface. Close by we find Arnarnesstrýtur, a bit smaller chimney but all the same a favourite dive site by many locals, as it is probably one of the world’s best places to observe wolf fish in their natural habitat. The place is literally crowded with them and you might even get to meet our wolf fish friend, Stefanie. We will take the morning early with a boat dive to have the whole day ahead of us to explore these two dives sites. Strýtan has been a protected nature reserve since 2OO1 and is subject to extensive research and observation by scientists from all over the world, therefore these sites are for experienced divers only, as a complete buoyancy control is required.

On our second day up north we will start with a scenic drive from your Akureyri hotel to the first dive site, Nesgjá. On our way we will make a stop at Goðafoss, the waterfall of the Gods and another stop at Tjörnes peninsula coastal viewpoint, if we are lucky we might even see the famous Icelandic puffin. The dive site Nesgjá is the result of tectonic movement and the divergence of the Eurasian and North American continental plates. Similar to Silfra and Davíðsgjá, but also quite different in many ways, Nesgjá is modestly shallow but amazingly beautiful and has often been called 'Silfra of the north'.
After the dive we will continue on to Litlaá, a 17°C geothermal river, for a one of a kind snorkelling experience. You will be mesmerized by the dancing volcanic sands and multicoloured sediments leaping from the bottom. Heated water erupts from below the bottom causing beautiful bubbling sand pools and ripples in the riverbed while you drift along the surface above.
Before we head to our hotel in Mývatn, we continue our drive on the famous Diamond Circle which includes a few unforgettable stops. The first stop will be at the 45m high and 100m wide Dettifoss, the most powerful waterfall in Europe, with 500 cubic metres of water per second plunging over the edge. Next stop will be at Námafjall geothermal area where we will walk around the smoking fumaroles and boiling mud pots, surrounded by sulfur crystals of many different colors. The sulfur gives the area an overwhelming smell of egg. We will end our long adventure day at the Mývatn Nature Baths where you can relax in an alkaline bathing lagoon and enjoy the amazing scenery. We will spend our night at Icelandair hotel Mývatn.

Today we will have two options, the first one is to go back to Strýtan for one more dive before we head east to adorable village Seyðisfjörður. The other option is to go straight east and potentially dive the El Grillo ship wreck.

Seyðisfjörður is a little fishing village on the east coast of Iceland. This quaint and picturesque hamlet still has a lot of the old fishing village flair and many old houses. On February 10th 1944, German bombers sunk the British oil tanker and supply ship “El Grillo“ (Spanish for “The Cricket“) in the fjord, a stone‘s throw away from the village. The huge vessel sustained heavy damage and the captain got the orders to deliberately sink it to reduce the threat to other ships in the area and the surrounding town. All aboard survived and it came to rest at the bottom of the fjord.
The wreck is about 150m long with gross tonnage exceeding 7000. It lies at a depth of about 45m and the shallowest point is at about 25m, making it quite a deep dive suitable only for experienced divers. It is well worth the visit as it has lots of life on it (sponges, nudibranchs, crabs and anemones, wolf fish) as well a fairly intact super structure and lots of interesting artifacts.
Due to the high altitude of the mountain pass separating Seyðisfjörður from “civilization” we will stay here the following night as well. The afternoon can be used for either a leisurely stroll through the village or some sight-seeing around the nearby western valley or Skálanes bird sanctuary and observation point. In order to dive El Grillo divers need to be certified as PADI Advanced Open Water Diver or carry a comparable certification from another organization.

This is a travelling day during which we will drive from Seyðisfjörður all the way to Vík. But this day is more accurately described as another sight-seeing day. The South Coast of Iceland is characterized by stunning scenery consisting of rugged mountains, sandy plains, fields of mossy green lava, strange rock and cliff formations interspersed with countless waterfalls of all shapes and sizes. We will of course also pass the majestic Vatnajökull Glacier (Europe´s largest glacier, by far!) with its numerous glacial tongues creeping down the valleys providing a blue-white background to the otherwise black and green landscape of sands and low-growing vegetation, creating a unique play of light and colour. Besides admiring this landscape through the car windows we will have the opportunity to make several carefully selected stops along the way in order to make the most of the experience. Among the highlights we will visit are; the famous Jökulsárlón glacial lagoon where floating icebergs can be observed from a few meters´ distance; the black sand beaches and basalt columnar jointings at Vik. At the end of the day we will arrive at our hotel in the beautiful surroundings of moss-covered mountains, black sand beaches and the majestic Mýrdalsjökull Glacier.

Today will be particularly special. We will travel into the highlands of Iceland to dive a challenging but extremely rewarding site known only as the Tear of Odin.
No other operators and only a handful of guides are aware of this site, let along know its location. After the dive we will head back to our hotel where we will relax before our final day.

Today we will drive from Vík to lake Kleifarvatn where we will do a Geothermal dive. Kleifarvatn is located in southern peninsula region better known as Reykjanes. Kleifarvatn is located about 30 km outside of Reykjavík and sits directly atop the mid-Atlantic ridge, the point at which the North American and Eurasian continental plates diverge. Kleifarvatn Lake is nestled within an impressive volcanic landscape, full of steep and amazingly colored hills and weird lava formations. Standing at the lake’s shore it is hard to believe that there is a populated city just 30 minutes away. This is the territory of trolls and elves.
Seltún is a stunning Geothermal area that is a part of a even bigger are called Krýsuvík. Seltún offers variable hot springs, bubbling mud and variable colors of red. You can explore this unique spot on a safe wooden walkway. After a long geothermal day we will drive to our hotel in Reykjavík. This is a perfect opportunity to add a Northern Lights tour at Aurora Basecamp!

Today we will head to the other end of Reykjanes peninsula to do an Ocean dive in Garður. Garður means garden in Icelandic, and it does indeed contain a bountiful garden of over 42 species of marine algae. The algae are a vital part of the Icelandic marine diet and an ancient food sours known to have been eaten as far back as over 1000 years ago by the original settlers of Iceland. Not only do the algae provide basic and essential nutrients, they are also colourful and diverse in design. In addition to this lovely garden, you will also dive around extensive kelp forests. These forests are great habitats for many species of fish. We often see wolf fish, scorpion fish, all kinds of flatfish, monkfish, and more.
After the dive we will continue traveling the peninsula for a sightseeing tour. This tour includes stops at thr Bridge between the continents, Gunnuhver hot spring and Brimklettar cliffs. This day is a perfect opportunity to book a Blue Lagoon tour as we can drop you off there on our way back to Reykjavík in the afternoon.

There s no better way to wrap up the Ultimate Icelandic Dive Tour then by diving the most popular site in the country, Silfra! The site is located in the Thingvellir National Park and in 2004 was declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO, for its cultural and historical significance as well as its natural and geological uniqueness. The dive begins by plunging into the world’s clearest water.
Underground springs in this area will help make this dive a breeze, we will move through the site aided by the gentle flow of glacial spring water. We’ll endeavor to make this an extended dive so that we pass through the most famous sections of Silfra all in one epic fell swoop.
After the dive we will head to see the famous Golden Circle. The first stop is Geysir. The second stop is the most photographed waterfall in all of Iceland, Gullfoss! This magnificent natural monument shouldn‘t be missed by any visitor to Iceland. Tumbling down a deep gorge, it has a number of great places to take pictures and enjoy the spray form this ´Golden Waterfall´. From Gullfoss we will drive back to the city.