Hot Springs & Lava Fields

Introduction
West Iceland
This lovely four day ride takes you to some of the most beautiful riding tracks in Borgarfjörður, in Western Iceland. This area boasts everything that Iceland has to offer: Glaciers, volcanoes, hot springs, historic Saga sites and geothermal pools.

During the ride you will visit the huge Lava Tunnel Viðgelmir and the cozy geothermal Krauma SPA. An optional tour is also offered directly from the hotel grounds into the blue ice of the huge Langjökull glacier. 

Our guide and their team takes some spare hand-horses along and you can try riding with a hand-horse – but there is no requirement and we might also have the spare horses running along.  

Accomodation


Accommodations
This is a stationary ride so all nights will be spent at the same accommodation.

Description
You will stay at 4* hotel in Húsafell. This hotel is a Member of the National Geographic Unique Lodges of the World. It offers 48 beautiful Nordic style decorated rooms in an idyllic setting, between vast lava fields and a lovely birch forest.
Each room features private facilities with hair dryer, free Wi-Fi access, a TV and a coffee & tea maker.



There is also a golf course and a geothermal pool available near the hotel (extra fee applies).

Entrance fee is payable at the pool reception. Please note the pools are public. It is possible to rent swimming costumes and towels for a small fee.
The pool is open daily in summer from 2 pm on weekdays and 10 am on weekends.

Note that your guide will not be staying at the hotel during the tour.   

Room Occupancy
Triple rooms might be available on request (please inquire).
The single supplement fee is mandatory for single travelers.



Meals
During the ride half board is provided with breakfast and lunch.
Dinner is not included on this tour. 

The hotel has an excellent restaurant with exquisite local Icelandic gourmet cuisine.
Breakfast is served in the hotel restaurant dining room from 7:00 to 10:00 am in summer (June - September).

Lunch is usually eaten on the trail and features a variety of dishes including: sandwiches, hot dogs, lobster soup, lamb BBQ... 
We also provide coffee and cakes at the end of the day, usually home baked or assorted Icelandic cheese etc. 


Dietary Restrictions
It is possible to cater to special diets with advance notice.

This trip includes and can accommodate special dietary requests.

Riding


We usually ride with some spare horses as we ride at least 2 horses every day. We mostly ride at a tölt but also walk, trot and canter.

We operate our horse riding tours in Iceland in cooperation with local partners that are horse people through and through.
They breed their own horses and train them themselves. They operate their tours in their home region where they know each and every mountain, creek and canyon.

Riding Gear
Our tack is very similar to the one used by English style riding. But don´t worry if you come from a Western Riding background, we will assist you and you will get used to the tack in no time. We use safety stirrups on all our saddles and will ask you to wear a helmet at all times. You can bring your own helmet (please disinfect your riding gear) or you can borrow one locally.
Our bridles are very practical, they have clip on reins that you can release so that your horse can have some grass while you enjoy your break! We also provide you with a saddle bag, big enough for your picnic, gloves and a small camera.

Riding with the Herd
One of the things that makes riding tours in Iceland completely different from tours in other countries is the fact that we take lots of spare horses along when we travel. The sight of 40 – 80 horses running free over the mountain trails with the wind in their mane is a view you will not forget – we promise! On each tour you can expect to ride different horses every day. That means that we need at least three to four horses per person. The horses we are not riding run along freely in a herd.
Our partners and their staff will take care of the herd and if you want to, you can help them with the herding. But please note that you should always follow the instructions by the staff. We will go over the safety procedures on the first day of the trip. Riding with the herd is a once- in- a -lifetime experience for every rider!

Riding Experience
You do not need any prior knowledge of Icelandic Horses or the special gait tölt. We will explain our way of riding and will take time and patience to teach you how to ride the tölt. However, you might get more out of a multi-day trip if you know already a little bit about tölting. This is why we offer a pre-tour for our multi-day tours in cooperation with our partners (inquire for more information). We especially recommend this pre-tour for riders that are used to Western Riding. But as already mentioned above, this pre-tour is just a service to make sure you enjoy the tour even more but it is not a requirement. We will take good care of you either way!

Horse Welfare
Horse Welfare is not just a slogan for us. All of our Team Members own horses and ride on a regular basis. Some of us even breed horses. We love horses - in fact they are everything to us! That is why we carefully pick and choose our partners. We visit them on a regular basis – even without prior notice - to make sure that their horses are kept in good conditions all year round. That is also the reason why you will not find many departures in a row for our tours.
We want to make sure that both horses and the human team behind each tour gets a good rest in between departures so that they can deliver 100% service once you arrive.
During a typical year our horses are kept outside 24/7 during summer on usually rather large fields with access to good grazing and fresh water. If they are close to the stable or a paddock we will keep them there for a few hours during the day when we want to ride them in order to have them nearby and dry. Also in some cases to prevent them from eating 24 hours! Obesity can be a problem in Icelandic Horses. During autumn (usually from Mid September to December) we take their shoes off (all horses in Iceland are ridden with shoes) and they are turned onto big autumn fields where they live nearly „half-wild“ in large herds. During this time they are completely „on vacation“, they are not ridden but we visit them regularly to make sure that every horse is doing well. End of December/beginning of January we take the young and competition horses into the stable for training. Then they are kept in stalls but the Icelandic Law for Horse Welfare states clear regulations regarding stall sizes, daily playtime outside, paddock fencing, food... Older fully trained horses, breeding mares, untrained youngster and horses that are not ridden during wintertime like many of our horses that we use for the tours usually stay outside on winter fields in large herds where they are fed with hay and where sufficient water and wind protection is provided, either natural or man made. From May/June all horses again are on summer fields where they stay outside 24/7 feeding on grass. A few exemptions from these rules are made regarding stallions due to their nature.

Travel Insurance
Individual travel insurance is not included in the tour prices. We urge our guests to purchase relevant travel insurance before visiting Iceland. Guests from Europe should bring their  European Health Insurance Card (EHIC).

Itinerary


Sample Itinerary - subject to changes

We reserve the right to alter routes, itineraries or timetables should the necessity arise. The estimated duration of tours as indicated by km can change according to road or weather conditions.

Day 1 (Thursday):  Welcome to West Iceland!               
Pick up from your accommodation in Reykjavík at 10 am. Please wear your riding clothes for departure. You will be transfered into the charming Nature Reserve of Húsafell. Here, you meet your horses for a first ride from Húsafell through the idyllic birch tree forest Hraunásskógur to the famous Hraunfossar waterfalls. This waterfall runs down in numerous little falls from the rugged brims of the Hallmundarhraun lavafield, covering a distance of almost 1000 m. We leave the horses at a farm near the waterfalls and drive to our accommodation for the night.
Enjoy a relaxing bath in the geothermal pool or hot tub and a delicious meal (dinner is not included)!
Riding: approx 15 km
Meals included: Lunch
Overnight at Hotel in Húsafell  
 
Day 2 (Friday): Tunga Ride & Lava Cave Tour
After enjoying a good breakfast from the sumptuous buffet you will meet again with your guide in the hotel lobby and return to the horses. You will ride via the farm Fljótstunga along the banks of a wild salmon river into the beautiful landscape around Tunga. Right after today´s ride we take you to the huge lava cave Viðgelmir, one of the largest of its kind in Iceland. A guide will take you „down under“ to the wonders of lava stalagmites and other peculiar lava formations in the huge dome underneath the Hallmundarlava field. (Helmets and torches provided. Please dress warmly and wear sturdy shoes, duration approx. 1,5 hours). After the tour you return to your lovely hotel.
Riding: approx 20 km 
Meals included: Breakfast & Lunch
Overnight at Hotel in Húsafell  
 
Day 3 (Saturday): Hallmundahraun lava fields & Giljaböð canyon bath            
After breakfast return to the horses to go for a breathtaking ride through the huge lava field of Hallmundarhraun. You ride on remote tracks through different types of lava, birch forest and wide open spaces of secluded fields covered in moss and lichens. Enjoy spectacular views of mountains and the glacier Langjökull in the background. We leave the horses at Kalmannstunga for a well deserved rest.
After the ride, enjoy a relaxing bath in the stunning Giljaböð Canyon baths. Constructed from locally sourced, natural materials (like flagstone from the canyon floor), the baths are hot-spring fed pools designed to blend into the environment seamlessly using the age-old methods that created Snorralaug, a heritage site pool dating back to the 10th century. The on-site bathhouse is made from salvaged timbers from the area. Even the hooks in the changing room are repurposed horseshoes from a nearby family farm.
Riding: approx 23 km
Meals included: Breakfast & Lunch
Overnight at Hotel in Húsafell  
 
Day 4 (Sunday): Húsafell Nature Reserve Ride & Krauma
After breakfast and check out at the hotel we return to the horses. Today we ride from Kalmanstunga through the Húsafell Nature Reserve back to the hotel grounds.
On our way to Reykjavik we stop at modern Krauma SPA with steam rooms, hot tubs and a relaxing room with a crackling open fire. We will provide you with a towel, bathrobe and a glass of wine!
Riding: Approx 15 km
Meals included: Breakfast & Lunch

Please note: An optional tour into an ice tunnel at Langjökull glacier can be booked from the hotel grounds on the last day. Please let us know if you would like to book this option (extra fee applies).


Non-riders
Non-riders are welcome to join. There are great facilities for hikers and golf loving people! Please, inquire for rates.

Rates and Dates for Hot Springs & Lava Fields

Dates Note: Custom departures possible on request for groups of 2+ pax

Other Info
Meeting:
Airport: Keflavik Airport
Transfer:

Climate:
                                                Reykjavík area

• 2 pairs of good quality riding trousers. We do not recommend to ride in Jeans even if you are used to do so at home.
• 2-3 pullovers  – ideally woolen but fleece is ok as well. It is best to have one or two thinner ones and one pullover that you can wear in layers (onion layer method).
• Plenty of woolen socks and gloves. Please note that riding gloves must be new. 
• Good high quality thermal underwear (we recommend none-itching Merino wool)
• A good and windproof – ideally waterproof  jacket. We do provide you with heavy duty raingear (jackets and trousers) for days with heavy rain but you might want to bring your own lighter jacket for days with wind and drizzle.
• A thin balaclava or buff to wear underneath the helmet
• Mosquito net for the head. 
• Bathing suits