DAY 1:

Arrival

• Guests arrive at Keflavík Airport, Iceland and take the Flybus from Keflavík to Reykjavik (BSÍ Bus terminal).

• You will be greeted by our representatives between 5:30pm and 6:00pm, who will transport you to the farm Vellir in the neighborhood of Hveragerði.

• There you will be lodged at Hotel Eldhestar for the entire tour.

• We will get to know each other during dinner at the hotel. The day ends with a detailed description of the tour. (d)

DAY 2:

Vellir – Thorlákshöfn

• After breakfast, you will be given a detailed riding instruction and get to know the horses. We warm-up in the paddock and then head to the mighty Ölfusá River. The tour takes us through Ölfusforir to the wide delta of Ölfusá river, where we should see birds of various kinds.

• Far to the east, we see the Eyjafjallajökull volcano as well as the volcano Hekla (weather permitting). We gradually make our way along the western banks of Ölfusá, riding very nice trails.

• We ride through shallow water before we finally reach the south coast and turn west on the beach, riding on soft black lava sand.

• Day ends near the town of Thorlákshöfn and a drive back to Vellir.

• Riding time and distance: 15 miles, 5-6 hrs (b, l, d)

DAY 3:

Kolviðarhóll – Jórukleif

• We start the day at Kolviðarhóll and ride North along the slopes of Húsmúli and Hengill mountains. We reach Engidalur valley and continue along a narrow path.

• We dismount and lead the horses through a narrow cleft to the beautiful, hidden Marardalur (Valley of Horses).

• We continue through Dyrfjöll (Door-Mountains), and when we reach the mountaintop we enjoy a view over Lake Thingvallavatn. The lake is by the cleft where the American and Eurasian continental plates are drifting apart and the Icelanders had their democratic meetings called Althing for hundreds of years.

• The track continues  down to Jórukleif, where the tour ends. We finish the day with refreshments and sightseeing at the famous Thingvellir national park before returning to our farm.

• Riding time and distance: Around 19 miles, 6-7 hrs. (b, l, d)

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DAY 4:

Skógarhólar- Kringlumýri

• Today we ride through Thingvellir National Park, following scenic trails through woods and lava formations. We pass the abandoned farms Hrauntún and Skógarkot before we reach the shore of Lake Thingvallavatn, the largest natural lake in Iceland.

• The path continues through a fascinating landscape with large cracks created by movements of the continental plates.

• From Gjábakki farm we have an exceptional view over the large valley between the American and Eurasian continental plates, lake Thingvallavatn, and the volcanic mountains surrounding the lake. This area is a large valley shaped by glacier ice and many volcanic eruptions.

• We continue along an old path to the mountain hut Kringlumýri, where we end the tour.

• Riding time and distance: Around 16 miles, 5-6 hrs. (b, l, d)

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DAY 5:

Reykjadalur- Vellir

• We first ride along the slopes of Reykjafjall mountain and continue on nice riding trails surrounding the small village Hveragerði.

• The path then takes us through a green forest to a colourful geothermal valley with hot springs, an area which expanded dramatically during an earthquake in 2008.

• On our way towards the green hills surrounding the volcano Hengill, we have good opportunity to try the “tölt”, the special gait of the Icelandic horse. The horses then take us on a leisurely pace following narrow trails up into the valley Reykjadalur.

• We pass the beautiful waterfall Djúpagilsfoss and some hot springs before we reach Reykjadalur valley and will have the opportunity to take a relaxing bath in a warm stream.

• During the ride down the valley we enjoy fascinating panoramas over the surroundings, the village Hveragerði, picturesque farmland and all the way down to the coastline, where we might see the Westman Islands, weather permitting.

• We continue along the mountain slopes again back to our farm Vellir where the tour ends.

• After some refreshments, our bus will bring you to your hotel in Reykjavik, arrival around 5.30pm. (b, l)

• Riding time and distance: 16 miles, 5 – 6 hrs. 
  Overnight in Reykjavik- Hotel Skuggi or similar.

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DAY 6:

LAST DAY

• After breakfast, check out of the hotel.

• Grab your Fly Bus (BSÍ Bus terminal) back to Keflavík Airport for your journey back home. (b)