2010 Itinerary We have made some changes on the itinerary, which we believe will make a good tour even better. We have added one more riding day to be spent in the Landmannalaugar area. We will stay 2 nights in the hut at Landmannahellir and ride to Landmannalaugar where we will have plenty of time to walk and bathe. The riding trail is one of the most scenic and colourful in the whole country !!!

Monday: Arrival in Iceland – Keflavík Airport – Reykjavík
Transfer from Keflavík Airport to a guesthouse in Reykjavík. We invite you to a Welcome Meeting including traditional Icelandic soup. Receive details of your tour and meet your fellow riders.

Tuesday: Reykjavík – Geysir – Gullfoss – Kálfhóll - Fossnes
We visit the well known sights of Iceland, Geysir hot spring area and Gullfoss waterfall on our way to Kálfhóll Farm, where we meet staff and horses. Our ride starts alongside the mighty glacial river Thjórsá, using a soft trail that will make it easy for horse and rider to enjoy the famous gate; tölt !! We will follow this trail almost all the way to Fossnes Farm where we will stay the first night, enjoy a dip into the hot tub and a good dinner. (38 km)

Wednesday: Fossnes – Hólaskógur
Now it’s time to ride into the mountains and valleys where black ashes of numerous eruptions of volcano Mt. Hekla remind us of the huge powers hidden down below. We stop at Gjáin valley with it’s rich vegetation, and Stöng, the site of a 12th century Viking farm. Overnight at Hólaskógur cabin, warm showers and a sauna on site. (35 km)

Thursday: Hólaskógur – Landmannahellir
We cross mighty River Thjórsá on a bridge and ride north of Mt. Hekla and Mt. Valafell, using good riding tracks through fields of ashes and lava from Mt. Hekla eruptions. The scenery is absolutely breathtaking and the trail takes us through an amazing landscape. Today's ride ends in the beautiful area of Landmannahellir where we spend 2 nights in a mountain cabin, again with hot showers. (40 km)

Friday: Landmannahellir - Landmannalaugar - Landmannahellir
Today we ride to the famous Landmannalaugar, with its natural hot pool, surrounded by colourful mountains and lava from 1480. We will put our horses in the stable there and have a good part of the day to relax in the hot pools or visit the numerous sights, before returning to Landmannahellir. This day will be without a doubt, one of the highlights of this tour.(40 km )

Saturday: Landmannahellir – Klettur Cabin
This is another exciting and a long riding day when we take another route north of Mt. Valafell with a view to the mighty glacier Vatnajökull. Part of today’s ride is on the famous Sprengisandur Trail. You can just imagine the thousands of horses and farmers using this trail through the centuries on their way to or from the parliament, then beeing held at Thingvellir. We cross River Thjórsá again and continue to the mountain cabin at Klettur where we stay overnight in beautiful surroundings. (55 km)

Sunday: Klettur – Fossnes
We start the day with riding to the swimming pool Reykjalaug, situated in the vaste fields of ashes from the vulcano Hekla. This is a nice pool heated with geothermal water coming up from the ground nearby and there are hot tubs on site. After returning to the cabin we have lunch, sattle up again and ride through valleys and across small rivers to Fossnes Farm. After having enjoyed refreshments it is time to say goodbye to staff and horses. A bus takes us back to Reykjavík for our last night of this tour. Approx. arrival in Reykjavík at 19:00. (32 km)

Monday: Departure from Iceland – Reykjavík – Keflavík Airport
Transfer by bus to Keflavík Airport in time for the return flight home.

Some of our departures start in Fossnes. Then the first riding day here will be the last etc.

 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.

Accommodation on this ride is in mountain cabins and a holiday farm in sleeping bags. Warm showers are available all the nights except one and the cabin at Hólaskógur also offers a sauna! We also include a visit to the swimming pool Reykjalaug, situated in the vaste fields of ashes from the vulcano Hekla. A true oasis in the wilderness. Two nights in Reykjavík are included as well, in a guesthouse in 2-4 bed rooms with shared facilities.

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.