23 Sep Everything to Know: Thingvellir National Park in Iceland

One of the most popular drives in Iceland is around the Golden Circle, and visiting Thingvellir National Park is often the first item on the itinerary. The park is just 45 minutes from the city of Reykjavik and an hour and 15 minutes from Keflavik International Airport. Its convenient location thus offers the perfect opportunity for a day trip or the beginning of a road trip around Iceland. Explore the park by walking through the rift between tectonic plates. Additionally, book a snorkeling or diving excursion, which offers the unique opportunity to swim between continents in some of the clearest water on earth. 

Would you rather book a tour than plan out the logistics yourself? Then check out the best Golden Circle tours in Iceland as well as the best two-day south coast tours in Iceland (many of which include stops at Thingvellir National Park).

Contents:

1) Location of Thingvellir National Park

2) Opening Hours and Entrance Fee 

3) The Best Time to Visit

4) Quick Facts

5) Background

6) Silfra Fissure: Snorkeling and Scuba Diving

7) Öxarárfoss: Waterfall

8) Almannagjá: Rift Between Tectonic Plates

1) Location of Thingvellir National Park

• Region: Golden Circle
• Location
• Parking fee = 500 ISK (~$4) 

Thingvellir National Park is located within the Golden Circle in Iceland. For reference, it is approximately a 40 minute drive northeast of the city of Reykjavík. Additional Golden Circle attractions worth visiting include Gullfoss Waterfall as well as the Flúðir Tarn. 

If you are driving from Reykjavík, drive north on Route 1. Then take the first exit on the roundabout to 36, also known as Þingvallavegur. You will stay on this road until reaching the national park. Where you turn off the road for a parking lot depends on what attraction you plan to visit; see the below section for more information. 

Parking

As stated above, there is a small parking fee of 500 ISK (~$4) for the park. Pay the fee once, and it covers parking in all lots at Thingvellir National Park in Iceland for the day. Purchase the ticket at one of the kiosks in the lots or online.

The park contains a couple of different parking lots. For example, park at Öxarárfoss Parking to check out the waterfall and walk between the rift caused by the tectonic plates. Otherwise, park at Þingvellir Parking P5 to walk to the Silfra fissure or a meeting point for an excursion. 

Lodging

For nearby lodging, consider Skyggnir Bed and Breakfast within the Golden Circle. Bonus – breakfast is included! For additional options, take a look at the best hotels within the Golden Circle as well as the most romantic hotels in Iceland. 

A trail winding through Thingvellir National Park

2) Opening Hours and Entrance Fee 

• Opening hours: all day, every day
• Entrance fee: none! 

Opening Hours

First, the park itself is open 24/7. You are thus welcome to visit at any time. However, a few of the attractions within the park, such as the visitor center, have restricted visiting hours. You can find more information on their site.

Entrance Fee

Second, there is no entrance fee for the park. However, if you drive into Thingvellir and park in one of the lots, you will need to pay the 500 ISK (~$4) parking fee as mentioned above. Therefore, while there is no entrance fee, there is a small parking fee. 

3) The Best Time to Visit Thingvellir National Park

• Any time!

Let me start off by saying there is truly no bad time to visit Thingvellir National Park in Iceland. You will have an enjoyable experience and see beautiful landscapes in the spring, summer, autumn, and winter.

However, Iceland will look much more like a winter wonderland in winter. I visited in mid-August and thus had a bit warmer temperatures. Nevertheless, traveling back to Iceland during the winter is on my list as it looks quite magical during that time of year. 

Walking along the Almannagjá trail through the rift

4) Quick Facts

1. Thingvellir National Park is located between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. 

2. You can snorkel as well as walk between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates within the park.

3. The tectonic plates move further apart from each other by less than an inch on average each year.

4. The Icelandic parliament utilized the land within the park as their meeting grounds many years ago. 

5) Background 

• Sits on the rift of two tectonic plates
• The tectonic plates move apart slightly each year
• Name translates to “assembly place” 

Thingvellir National Park sits on the rift between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. Furthermore, the plates move apart a tiny bit each year, which results in the widening of the park. The plates move apart an average of two centimeters or 0.8 inches per year. The movement is not consistent but rather occurs whenever there are earthquakes. Thingvellir can experience an earthquake every day, but they are so minor they cannot be felt by visitors. 

Naming of Thingvellir National Park

Thingvellir National Park received its name from the fact the Icelandic parliament used to meet on its grounds. “Þing” in Old Icelandic translates to assembly while “völlur” translates to “field”. “Thingvellir” (or Þingvellir) thus translates to “assembly place”. 

Size of Thingvellir National Park

Thingvellir National Park is approximately 92 square miles (~240 square kilometers) large. It is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is also located within an active volcano area. 

Looking to hike a volcano in Iceland? Then head to Fagradalsfjall Volcano on the Reykjanes Peninsula.

Stream leading past Öxarárfoss

6) Silfra Fissure: Snorkeling and Scuba Diving 

• Price: around $150 per person for snorkeling
• Scuba diving tour: Silfra Diving Tour with Dive
• Snorkeling tour options: Silfra Snorkeling Tour with Dive

Background of the Silfra Fissure

The Silfra fissure formed as the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates drifted apart over the years. As they continue to drift apart, the fissure becomes wider and wider. The water in Silfra flows down from Langjökull glacier. That being said, the water ranges in temperature from the mid to high 30 degrees Fahrenheit or just above zero to five degrees Celsius throughout the year.

Also, as it is glacial water, it is pure enough to drink. However, there is some algae floating around. You might eat a little bit if you take a sip of water. 

Looking for other places you can swim in Iceland?: Best Places to Swim in Iceland. Hint – the list includes my favorite place in Iceland: Stuðlagil Canyon.

General Information

When people think of Iceland, they do not necessarily think of swimming, even if it is in the format of snorkeling or scuba diving. Instead, they normally think of ice, snow, glaciers, etc. All of these have one thing in common: they are COLD. But do not worry, the fantastic invention of dry suits allows divers to enter chilly or downright cold water without their bodies going into shock. In fact, the suits can even get a little toasty at times. 

Why do so many people book snorkeling or scuba diving excursions at Thingvellir National Park? The water is breathtakingly clear. Throughout the fissure, divers can see up to around 100 meters or 328 feet through the water. While there are usually no fish in Silfra, there is still much to see: the striking blue waters, the growing algae, the depth of the fissure, etc. There are a couple of options to enter the water: (1) snorkeling (2) scuba diving. Please note, solo diving is not allowed in Silfra; you must go through a tour company. 

Snorkeling in the Silfra Fissure in Thingvellir National Park

Scuba Diving in Thingvellir National Park

For scuba diving, tour companies require (at least) an open water diving certificate and a drysuit specialty certification. The companies do not utilize wetsuits in Silfra due to the temperature of the water. Divers thus need to be familiar with diving in a drysuit, as it is a vastly different experience from diving in a wetsuit. The maximum depth allowed for diving is 18 meters or 60 feet. Tour companies might also have their own individual requirements, such as minimum age, so be sure to check their FAQs before booking. 

Do not worry, Iceland is also full of geothermal pools if you prefer warmer waters. Head to the Blue Lagoon on the Reykjanes Peninsula or Myvatn Nature Baths in the north.

Snorkeling in Thingvellir National Park

For snorkeling, no certifications are needed! We booked our tour with Dive and had a fantastic experience. They sent us an email after we purchased the excursion with all of the necessary information. They told us where to meet, when to meet, what to wear, etc. and also sent us a medical waiver to sign.

Our tour time was 11am, and it lasted about two hours total. Once we arrived, it took an hour to receive instructions, get dressed, and also walk to the water entry point. The only difficult part was putting on the dry suit. This was my first time with a dry suit, and it thus took a little while to put it all on. Moreover, the suit made me feel like an astronaut, as it was fairly large and bulky. 

Then we snorkeled in incredibly clear water between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. We entered the water one by one, and the guide slowly led us through the Silfra fissure. There was plenty of time to see everything and just appreciate the beauty surrounding us. While I was snorkeling, I only noticed the cold water around my face and my hands. After I exited the water, I realized my face / head, hands, and feet were wetter than I assumed. That being said, you will be enjoying your time snorkeling so much that you will not notice the cold water as much as you might expect.

For more information, check out my article: Silfra Snorkeling in Iceland: Everything to Know. We only booked two excursions during our time in Iceland, and this was one of them! The other was glacier kayaking in the Glacier Lagoon.

Silfra fissure in Thingvellir National Park 

7) Öxarárfoss: Waterfall 

• Height: 13 meters or 44 feet 
• 2.6 mile loop trail to Almannagjá

Öxarárfoss is approximately 13 meters or 44 feet tall and six meters or 20 feet wide. It is possible to get pretty close to the base of the falls by climbing on some rocks. If you are walking on the path from Öxarárfoss to Almannagjá, the whole loop is 2.6 miles with some small inclines and declines along the way. 

For those with an interest in history, it is said Öxarárfoss is human-made. Iceland used to hold assemblies in the area of Thingvellir National Park, and they redirected the river and thus the falls for better access to drinking water. 

For more information, check out my article: Öxarárfoss in Thingvellir National Park, Iceland. Are you also interested in visiting other waterfalls in Iceland? Then make sure you do not miss out on the best waterfalls in Iceland. Hint – Seljalandsfoss + Gljúfrabúi are included on the list.

View of Öxarárfoss waterfall

8) Almannagjá: Rift Between Tectonic Plates 

• Featured in Game of Thrones
• Site of Icelandic parliament

Lastly, be sure to walk on the pathway through Almannagjá while visiting Thingvellir National Park. Game of Thrones’ fans should recognize this site as the pathway leading to The Bloody Gate. Almannagjá is on the rift between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. Therefore, you will technically be between the continents while walking on the pathway, able to see their edges on either side of you. 

In earlier days, Thingvellir National Park was the site of the Icelandic parliament, the Alþing. The general assembly met here from around 930 to 1798. People would gather all around Almannagjá to hear the parliament speakers. It was the perfect spot because the crowd gathered in the valley while the speakers stood on a rock above. An Icelandic flag now marks what they believe to be the spot where the speakers would address the crowd. Many significant decisions were made here, including the decision to abolish paganism and adopt Christianity.

For more information, visit the Hakið Visitor Center and check out my article: Almannagjá Trail in Thingvellir National Park. Additionally, check out another Iceland location featured in Game of Thrones: Kirkjufellsfoss and Mt. Kirkjufell. 

Site of former Icelandic parliament at Thingvellir National Park

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