Transfer Option:

Day 1: Arrival
Arrive at Keflavik Airport, Iceland and take the bus to Reykjavik (BSÍ). Representatives will greet you at 17.30 - 18.00 and arrange further transportation to the farm Vellir near Hveragerdi. In Hveragerdi the tour members will be lodged in guesthouses. The first evening we will dine together, and we will provide details about the next few days.

Day 2: Hveragerdi - Fellsmúli - Hólaskógur
From Hveragerdi, in the Ölfus municipality, we drive to the farm Fellsmúli near the Mt. Hekla volcano. The riding tour starts there, and we follow the soft paths through a birch forest,to the old farm Skarfanes. On our way to Tröllkonuhlaup we pass the waterfall Thjófafoss. From there, we ride over the sand to the hut Hólaskógur where we spend the night. 50-60 km, 9 hrs.

Day 3: Hólaskógur - Hrauneyjarfoss
We continue north-east of the Thjórsá River, Iceland longest river. The landscape changes steadily into wilderness. We spend the night at Hrauneyjar, near a hydroelectric plant. 35 km, 7 hrs.

Day 4: Hrauneyjarfoss - Versalir
Today we ride from Hrauneyjarfoss Falls to Versalir, a resting place at the beginning of Sprengisandur, known from the song "Á Sprengisandur" (Ridum, ridum...). On this route, we see many mountains and the glaciers Vatnajökull and Hofsjökull. 50-60 km, 9 hrs.

Day 5: Versalir - Nýi Dalur
This day is also long, about 60 km. The landscape is similar to that of Day 4, but we come near the glaciers and ride between them. East of us we can see Mt. Arnarfell, a green mountain in the middle of Iceland. We now enter Sprengisandur. We pass the dwellings of some of the most famous Icelandic outlaws, for example, that of Fjalla-Eyvindur. We spend the night in a big mountain hut in Nýi-Dalur. 60 km, 10 hrs.

Day 6: Nýi-Dalur - Laugafell
On our way from Nýi Dalur, we ride on big sand dunes. We have spectacular views as the landscape of North Iceland begins to open before us, and we leave the three biggest glaciers in Iceland behind. We spend the night in the Laugafell mountain hut where we can bathe in a hot pot. 45 km 9 hrs.

Day 7: Laugafell -Halldórsstadir in Eyjafjördur
We ride from Laugafell in the direction of Eyjafjördur Fjörd, where the green natural surroundings, lush with bushes and some woods, start to dominate the landscape more . We start to glimpse a most beautiful view over Eyjafjördur and Akureyri. The tour ends at the Halldórsstadir Farm in Eyjafjördur. From there we will be driven to Akureyri Airport and fly back to Reykjavik. Our planned arrival there is around 16:30 p.m. Overnight  35 km, 6 hrs.

Day 8: Departure
Tour members take the bus to Keflavik Airport on their own.

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.

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:		Daily rides are between 4-10 hours (35 - 60 km). | Walk | Trot | Canter |
Level:		(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.

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.