Transfer Option:

Day 1: Arrival Tour members arrive at Keflavik Airport, Iceland. You take the bus from Keflavik to Reykjavik (BSÍ). Our 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: Hveragerði - Skálakot - Ásólfsskálaheiði We go bus to the farm Skálakot, where the horses are witing. After a good lunch we have a short riding lesson to get to know the horses. Then we set off on our first day, and ride towards the highlands. Up in the higlands Ásólfsskálaheiði we can have a look at the canyon Holtsárgljúfur. We continue further in to the highlands and have a great view over the glacier Eyjafjallajökull. We leave the horses on Ásólfsskálaheiði and return to Skálakot to have dinner and spend the night. 15 km, 3.5 hours

Day 3: Ásólfsskálaheiði - Dalshverfi After having breakfast we go back to the horses. We ride along old riding trails, to the west. We still have a view over the glacier, and in the south we can see the Atlantic ocean and the Westman Islands. In the end of the day we reach the farm Dal, a well-known historic place from the old Njál Saga. We let the horses spend the night here, but we return to Skálakot again for spending the night. 20 km, 7-8 hours

Day 4: The Westman Islands Today we spend the whole day at the Westman Islands. In the morning we go by bus to the little airport Bakki in Landeyjar, and go for a 7 minute flight out to the islands. During the day we go for a sightseeing trip with bus, and we also go for a boat trip that takes us all around the islands. Then we take a walk in the village on the largest of the islands, Heimaey, and also visit the local museum. In the evening we go back to Skálakot where a nice dinner is waiting, and we also spend this night in Skálakot. 8-10 hours

Day 5: Dalshverfi - Hvolsvöllur The horses are waiting for us in Dal, where we left them on day 3. Today the ride goes to the old bridge over the river Markarfljót. During the day we visit some of the famous places from the Njál Saga: Gunnarshólmi, Stóra-Dímon and Hlíðarendi, where one of the main characters of the Njál saga, Gunnar, used to live. We continue our ride along the mountains surrounding Hlíðarendi, and eventually reach todays goal Hvolsvellir where we also spend the night. In the evening we visit an interesting museum that tells us about the Njál Saga. 30 km, 7-8 hours

Day 6: Hvolsvellir - Landeyjar Today we ride over the endless grass fields in the area Landeyjar. The trail is very beautiful and we can tölt fast on the soft grass. We stop at Bergþórshvóll where the wise Njál himself lived. The whole day we will have a magnificent view over the Atlantic ocean and the Westman Islands ahead of us, and behind us are the mountains around Fljótshlíð and the glacier Eyjafjallajökull. We go by bus to Skálakot in the afternoon to spend the night, but on our way there we stop to take a bath in a hot pool. 30 km, 7 hours

Day 7: Landeyjar - Skálakot This last day will bring us back to our starting point. We follow the old riding trail to Skálakot, and arrive there approximately 15:00. We are picked up and driven by bus back to Reykjavík where we spend the night together. Sleeping-bag accommodation at a guesthouse in Reykjavík. 30 km, 6 hours

Day 9: Departure Tour members take the bus to Keflavik Airport on their 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.

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. Daily rides are between 4-7 hours (20 - 45 km). | Walk | Trot | Canter |
Level:		(3 to 3 out of 5)    Intermediate
Riders:		Min 8 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.