Transfer Option:

Day 1: Arrival. Take the bus from Keflavík to Reykjavík (BSÍ). You will be greeted by us at 17.30 - 18.00. We will will arrange further transportation to the farm Vellir in the neighborhood of Hveragerði. In Hveragerði the you will be lodged in guesthouses. The first evening we all have dinner together and we provide details about the next few days.

Day 2: Hveragerði - Kolviðarhóll From Hveragerði, in Ölfus municipality, we follow the old route to Hellisheiði. When we reach the moor we continue to the volcano Hengill along the lavafield Kristnitökuhraun. This lava came from the eruption of Hengill during the year 1000, the same year Iceland officially became Christian. The old folkstories say that the eruption was a revange of the old gods Thór, Óðinn and Freyr. We continue on the track between lava and hills "milli hrauns og hlíðar", down to Kolviðarhóll where people have stopped for a rest for hundreds of years. We spend the night at Vellir. 21 km, 4 hours.

Day 3: Kolviðarhóll - Thingvellir We continue north below the mountains Húsmúli and Hengill. We dismount and lead the horses through the narrow cleft to Marardalur (Valley of Horses). We ride through Dyrfjöll (Door mountains) and when we reach the mountain top we can overlook lake Thingvallavatn. The track continues along the lake past Hestvík to the farm Heiðarbær. After that we take sightseeing at the old Althing (Icelandic legislative assembly). From here it is not far to Skógarhólar where we spend the night. The big national horse competition was held at Skógarhólar until 1978. 38 km, 6-7 hours.

Day 4: Thingvellir - Geysir This day we ride across the National Park Thingvellir. From Gjábakki we got an exceptionell view over the park. We can see the lake Thingvallavatn, the largest lake in Iceland. This is also the area where the North American and the European crustal plates meet. We cross the moor Lyngdalsheiði, where we make a stop at the caves Laugarvatnshellir. We finish this day´s ride outside the village Laugarvatn, named after the lake nearby. The lake is heated up of underwater hotsprings. The bus takes us to our guesthouse in Haukadalur, near the hot springs of Geysir. From here we make a trip to Gullfoss, one of the most beautiful waterfalls in Europe. 35 km, 6-7 hours.

Day 5: Geysir - Helgaskáli From Geysir we continue up towards the highland of Iceland. From Brúarhlöð we have a magnificent view over the white river Hvítá and we can see how the river during hundreds of years has shaped the mountain and flows deeper and deeper into it. We spend the night in a hut called Helgaskáli beside the river Litla-Laxá. 35 km, 6-7 hours.

Day 6: Helgaskáli - Hólaskógur We ride through the highland and listen to the silence until we reach Háifoss, which is the second highest waterfall in Iceland, 122 metres high. Our goal is the hut Hólaskógur around which the nature is very special and varied. We hear the goast story about the old hut, which is located a few hundred metres away from the newer one, and can take a bath in the clean and cold river Fossá. 20 km, 4 hours.

Day 7: Hólaskógur - Fellsmúli The tour goes on along Icelands longest river Thjórsá. We pass the mountain Búrfell, which in the old days was the home of trolls, and Tröllkonuhlaup (the place where the trollwoman jumped over the river). After some kilometres along the river we get a magnificent view over Thjófafoss (the Waterfall of the Thiefs), around which many stories are told. We can see the volcano Hekla when we leave the horses at the farm Fellsmúli. We spend the night at Laugaland school. Here we have the possibilities to swim or just relax in the hot pots. 45 km, 8 hours.

Day 8: Fellsmúli - Fellsmúli We go on along Eystri-Rangá and enjoy the riding on soft grass. The whole day we have the volcano Hekla in view, the volcano which once was called the way from earth down to hell. We ride in a circle and leave the horses at Laugarland and around 15.30 we go by bus back to Reykjavík where we spend the evening together. 24 km, 4 hours.   -  dinner not included today

Day 9: Departure - take the airport bus to Keflavík Airport on your own.
subject to change

As its name suggests, Iceland is cold, but not as cold as might be expected because of the passing warm waters of the Gulf Stream, which regulate the climate. The summer temperatures in Reykjavík range from 41°F (5°C) at night to as high as 77°F (25°C) during the day. The average January temperature is 31°F (-0.5°C). The south is the wettest part of the country, but snow is rare. Coastal areas tend to experience winter gales and are generally windy. During the summer months there is almost continuous daylight; early spring and late autumn feature long twilights. From mid-November until the end of January, in the darkness of winter, the opposite is true, with the country only experiencing a few hours of daylight each day. The Northern Lights are often visible in autumn and early winter.

Despite its extreme north Atlantic situation, Reykjavik's climate is not as cold as might be expected, its average mid-winter temperatures being no lower than those in New York City. This is because the Icelandic coastal weather is tempered by the warm waters of the Gulf Stream. The city's coastal location does, however, also mean it is prone to wind, and gales are common in winter. Reykjavik is also a very wet city, having on average 213 rainy days out of the year, with spring having slightly more sunny days.

We provide the following:
·         Safety helmets
·         Rainwear
·         During the wintertime we also provide winter overalls
·         Rubber boots

You should bring:
·         A waist bag is useful when riding. (A backpack is not good because it bumps around when you are riding and it may hurt you if you fall off).
·         Please note, sleeping bags are not provided. Please bring your own with a pillow. 
·         Please bring your Travel Insurance Card information.
·         Normal street-clothes are not necessary except for your stay in Reykjavik the last night. 

It is not yet legally mandatory that riders need to wear riding helmets. Never-the-less we strongly recommend clients wear one. Clients will be experiencing a new breed of horses in new terrain, involving gravel, stones and rocks. Therefore it is in the clients best interest to take precautions. If they feel they do not want to wear a helmet after the first few days it is up to them. However, some insurance companies in Europe refuse to pay in case of an accident if the client has not been wearing a riding helmet. We provide helmets here in Iceland which clients are welcome to use but if you want to bring your own it is fine with us. If you bring your own it has to be sterilized before bringing it into Iceland.

Regarding the sterilization: What can be washed in a washing machine at medium temperature or dry cleaned is fine (even riding trousers). But what can not be washed or dry-cleaned or is a full leather garment needs to be sterilized.
You should be ready for all kinds of weather as it can change very quickly. We provide you with good rain-clothes, a riding helmet and at winter time a thermo overall, gloves and rubber boots. 
Luggage that is not needed on the tour can be left at the office and recovered at the end of the tour.

Caution: Used boots, riding wear, saddlebags etc. must be disinfected before arrival to Iceland. That is because infectious diseases can easily be brought into the country, which pose a great danger for the horses. Riding wear is normally washed and shoes and cleaned with iodine or some other fluid disinfectant. All used leather articles are prohibited.

A very special experience seldom to be experienced anywhere else but in Iceland - except maybe on some of our horse drives. On this ride you will be riding with a free running herd of horses. You may switch horses from time to time.
You should be at least an intermediate rider with enough stamina to not only ride 5-9  hours each day, but to do so in often questionable weather. If you are this type of rider, and an adventurous soul in general, you will be rewarded with plenty of opportunity to trot and gallop on good horses over fascinating land.

The Icelandic Horse
The origin of the horse in Iceland is exactly the same as the arrival of the first settlers from Scandinavia in the ninth century. Clearly, the horse was the catalyst that allowed the settlement of Iceland to go forward and prosper. Since no other breed of horse has ever been imported to Iceland, this special animal is a pure-bred "Viking Horse".
The horse was used for everything. They worked tilling the farmlands from dawn to dusk and provided transportation between the farms as they were settled. They went on scouting expeditions into this new territory in search of everything from water to grazing areas. Strong and sure footed, the Icelandic horse adjusted and adapted to this new land certainly as fast and most likely faster than the new settlers.
Viking battles were fought on horseback and the animal quickly adjusted to any situation that was presented to it. Is it any wonder that many of the slain Vikings warriors of the many battles in earlier times were often buried with their horses as a sign of honor and respect.
The Icelandic horse has many characteristics unique unto itself. Perhaps the most noticeable would be its intermediate size and the mane of shaggy hair. The five gaits of the horse are also one of the special features that sets it apart form all other horses. These gaits are the fetgangur, the walk or step, the brokk or trot, the tölt, which is a faster type of walk, the skeið or the pace and the stökk, or gallop.
On large farm areas, perimeter fences keep in most of the horses, but many are also simply allowed to run free. This most naturally accounts for the spirited nature of the animal. All of them seem to adapt to the personality of their owner. It is essential to establish a trust between the Icelandic horse and the rider. Doing so literally guarantees a friend for life. The passion and spirit of the Icelandic horse is never broken only brought under control. As a result, the Icelandic pure-bred horse remains one the world's most unique animals to this day.

Tack:		Icelandic
Horses:		Icelandic Horses
Pace:		Moderate with long tolts. 245 km total; 5-9 hrs (20 - 45 km) per day. | Walk | Trot | Canter |
Level:		(3 to 3 out of 5)    Intermediate
Riders:		Min 6 riders	Max 16 riders

A very special experience seldom to be experienced anywhere else but in Iceland - except maybe on some of our horse drives. On this ride you will be riding with a free running herd of horses. You may switch horses from time to time.
You should be at least an intermediate rider with enough stamina to not only ride 5-9  hours each day, but to do so in often questionable weather. If you are this type of rider, and an adventurous soul in general, you will be rewarded with plenty of opportunity to trot and gallop on good horses over fascinating land.

The Icelandic Horse
The origin of the horse in Iceland is exactly the same as the arrival of the first settlers from Scandinavia in the ninth century. Clearly, the horse was the catalyst that allowed the settlement of Iceland to go forward and prosper. Since no other breed of horse has ever been imported to Iceland, this special animal is a pure-bred "Viking Horse".
The horse was used for everything. They worked tilling the farmlands from dawn to dusk and provided transportation between the farms as they were settled. They went on scouting expeditions into this new territory in search of everything from water to grazing areas. Strong and sure footed, the Icelandic horse adjusted and adapted to this new land certainly as fast and most likely faster than the new settlers.
Viking battles were fought on horseback and the animal quickly adjusted to any situation that was presented to it. Is it any wonder that many of the slain Vikings warriors of the many battles in earlier times were often buried with their horses as a sign of honor and respect.
The Icelandic horse has many characteristics unique unto itself. Perhaps the most noticeable would be its intermediate size and the mane of shaggy hair. The five gaits of the horse are also one of the special features that sets it apart form all other horses. These gaits are the fetgangur, the walk or step, the brokk or trot, the tölt, which is a faster type of walk, the skeið or the pace and the stökk, or gallop.
On large farm areas, perimeter fences keep in most of the horses, but many are also simply allowed to run free. This most naturally accounts for the spirited nature of the animal. All of them seem to adapt to the personality of their owner. It is essential to establish a trust between the Icelandic horse and the rider. Doing so literally guarantees a friend for life. The passion and spirit of the Icelandic horse is never broken only brought under control. As a result, the Icelandic pure-bred horse remains one the world's most unique animals to this day.

Passports
Passport valid for at least three months beyond length of stay required by all except:
(a) 1. nationals of Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and Sweden who are only required to produce national identity cards issued by the competent authorities in their countries of origin.
Passport Note
Iceland is a signatory to the 1995 Schengen Agreement.

Visas
Not required by all nationals of referred to in the chart above for stays of up to 90 days.
2. EU nationals staying longer than 90 days will need to apply for a residence permit from the directorate of immigration in Iceland.
Note: Nationals not referred to in the chart above are advised to contact the embassy to check visa requirements (see Contact Addresses).
Visa Note
A stay in another Schengen-Zone country counts as the same as a stay in Iceland.