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Horse holiday in northern Iceland
The North of Iceland is known for great natural sights and varied landscape. Our tour leads from Saltvík Farm near Húsavík to the Lake Mývatn area, known for its countless numbers of breeding ducks, volcanic features and stunning landscapes. An optional whale watching tour concludes the circle of natural highlights on and off shore. Our hosts on this tour are Bjarni Páll and his wife Elsa. Bjarni Páll or his friend Sævar will be leading most of the tours and they both take special interest in geology so you can expect to see and hear a lot of interesting facts about the Icelandic nature! A visit to picturesque Goðafoss waterfall is just one of the highlights on your first day in the North. Ride along soft riding tracks ideal for tölt, the special gait of the Icelandic horse. From fertile farm land you turn towards the Gæsafjöll Mountains and spend a night in a mountain cabin at Theistareykir, a high temperature area with bubbling hot water and white clouds from steam vents rising to the sky. Through an area covered with cracks and fissures from earthquakes and volcanic activity the route leads towards Lake Mývatn. Past sheltered lakes and across mountains you reach the Lake Mývatn area where boiling mud pools and eerie lava formations remind you of the volcanic energy hidden beneath. Relax in hot geothermal water in Jarðböð, a new outdoor bathing facility. From the black sand deserts of Hólssandur to forested hill sides at Vatnshlíðarskógur, the next riding days surprise with ever changing scenery. Your last riding day over Hvammsheiði heath towards the shore offers a terrific view of Skjálfandi Bay before you reach Saltvík Farm again. Two outdoor hot tubs with a great view over to the ocean and the Kinnafjöll Mountain Range offer relaxation after this amazing tour in an ever changing landscape. Accommodation on this tour is in sleeping bags. One night in a remote mountain cabin is an adventure, while the other nights are spent at holiday farms or guesthouses with an outdoor hot tub near by. Two nights in Reykjavík are included, one in the beginning and one at the end of this tour at a guesthouse with shared facilities.
Day by day description of this riding holiday
Sunday: Arrival in Iceland - Keflavik Airport - Reykjavík
Transfer from Keflavik 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.
Monday: Reykjavík - Akureyri - Goðafoss - Hvammsheiði - Saltvík Holiday Farm
Domestic flight in the morning to Akureyri and transfer to Saltvík Farm. On the way we stop at majestic Goðafoss waterfall. At Saltvík, we start our ride after a short introduction to the Icelandic horse and its special gaits. We cross the mountain plateau Hvammsheiði towards the Reykjahverfi area with its white steaming hot springs. Surely you will enjoy a relaxing bath in a warm outdoor tub before dinner at Saltvík Farm and overnight stay. (20 km)
Tuesday: Heiðabær - Theistareykir Mountain Cabin
Through the Geldingadalur valley and over the plateau Reykjaheiði heath our trail leads us to the geothermal area of Theistareykir. At one point we will practically cross over from one continental plate to another as we ride over the midatlantic ridge! It is a fascinating area with deep earthquake fissures, multi-coloured mountains and geothermal energy. With all this volcanic activity going on here, it is easy to understand that Iceland is still under “natural construction”! (40 km)
Wednesday: Theistareykir – Grímsstaðir – Jarðböð – Hraunbrún Guesthouse
Enjoy today's ride from the Theistareykir area past the mountains Gæsafjöll and Hrafnabjörg. We follow good riding tracks through the mountains, past lakes and through bushy vegetation. At Grímsstaðir Farm we leave the horses behind and take a nice hot bath in Jarðböð, an outdoor pool with geothermal water. We continue to Hraunbrún Guesthouse where we stay over night. (40 km)
Thursday: Skjólbrekka – Laxárdalur – Saltvík Holiday Farm
We start the day with an exciting sightseeing tour around Lake Mývatn by bus. Visit Dimmuborgir, fantastic black lava formations with rich vegetation. Our next highlight is the geothermal area of Hverarönd with boiling mud pools and steam vents. We saddle up again and head out of the Mývatn area. Through a black sand desert we ride into colourful Laxárdalur valley with glittering salmon River Laxá in the middle. A true day of contrasts in the ever changing Icelandic nature. Overnight at Saltvík Farm for the last two nights. (30 km)
Friday: Breiðamýri – Saltvík Holiday Farm
Enjoy excellent riding paths in the lovely birch wood area of Vatnshlíðarskógur and the great views on the shores of Lake Vestmannsvatn. We cross Laxá River on our way to Hraunsréttir, a place used by the farmers for their annual sheep round-up every autumn Over Hvammsheiði Heath we ride back to Saltvík Farm where the warm outdoor tub is waiting. (40 km)
- Optional (available at an extra charge): Whale Watching. At Húsavík harbour a boat is waiting to go out on a whale watching cruise. There is no better way to end a great tour than by sailing into the evening sun with, hopefully, whales swimming alongside. (Price per person ISK 4.000)
Saturday: Saltvík - Akureyri - Reykjavík
In the morning return to Akureyri by bus and flight back to Reykjavík Domestic Airport with arrival at approx. 13:30. Last night in a guesthouse in Reykjavík.
Sunday: Departure from Iceland - Reykjavík - Keflavik Airport
Transfer by bus to Keflavik Airport in time for the flight back home.
Dates & Prices
Description of this trip will be online soon.
In the meantime, don't hesitate to mail us for further information
info@Xplore360.com
Practical information about your trip to Iceland
Description of this trip will be online soon.
In the meantime, don't hesitate to mail us for further information
info@Xplore360.com
Know before you go
Description of this trip will be online soon.
In the meantime, don't hesitate to mail us for further information
info@Xplore360.com
