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Horseback riding tours
Rides in Iceland
Intro to Iceland
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Around the Glaciers
Highland Tours
Iceland
This tour starts at the farm Skálakot, which is situated beneath the Eyjafjall Mountain Range. From Skálakot we ride first to the Fljótshlíd area, made famous in The Saga of Burning Njal where we have a good view over the area Thorsmörk and the glaciers Myrdalsjökull and Eyjafjallajökull. From Fljótshlíd we ride further north, passing north of the glaciers where we reach Maelifellssandur, a black "tölt-friendly" lava sand. At Maelifellssandur you have the mountains on your left and the glaciers on your right. We will ride on the green meadows that go from the mountains towards the sea. We continue up to the mountain, and on our way we pass steep waterfalls on the mountain's edges. On our way around the glaciers, we reach the beach east of the small village Vík, where we pass the southernmost tip of Iceland, Dyrholey. We then reach Skogar before completing the circle back at Skalakot Farm.
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Meeting:
Reykjavik
Airport:
Keflavik Airport
Transfer:
Reykjavik BSI central bus station on Day 1 between 17.30 - 18.00hrs.
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Rates and Dates for 2009
Rates include:
Sleeping bag accommodations, all meals (except dinner last night), 7 riding days
Transfer Option:
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2009
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Transfer from Reykjavik BSI is included
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From the airport, you take the official airport shuttle bus called FlyBus to the Reykjavik BSI central bus station for meeting between 17:30-18:00 hrs. The FlyBus transfer is not included, for details please see www.flybus.is .
Tour Dates
Check here for details and availability
| A |
2009
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06/26
- 07/04
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9d / 8n
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8 /
16
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Available
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Reserve
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| A |
2009
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08/05
- 08/13
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9d / 8n
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8 /
16
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Available
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Reserve
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Rates do not include:
Airport transfer into town - take the Flybus !
Dinner last evening.
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
Meeting:
Reykjavik
Airport:
Keflavik Airport
Transfer:
Reykjavik BSI central bus station on Day 1 between 17.30 - 18.00hrs. From the airport, you take the official airport shuttle bus called FlyBus to the Reykjavik BSI central bus station for meeting between 17:30-18:00 hrs. The FlyBus transfer is not included, for details please see www.flybus.is .
Passport and Visa Requirements: 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 Netherland. more
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.
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 leather articles are washed and cleaned with iodine or some other fluid disinfectant.
| … this list is only a guideline for you |
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| Hidden Trails Travel Documents and Trip Voucher (contains important local tour contact info.) |
| Flight tickets |
| Passport |
| Visa (check with your consulate) |
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| RIDING GEAR |
| Riding pants (If you don't have riding pants, any seamless tight garment will do) |
| Riding boots (short) + Minichaps |
| Riding helmet - provided |
| Riding gloves |
| Hat (with chin strap) for sun protection |
| Rainwear- provided |
| During the wintertime we also provide winter overalls |
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| PERSONAL CLOTHING |
| Warm clothes (long underwear, woolen socks, scarf, gloves etc) |
| Some comfortable clothes for using in the evening, after the riding (Normal street-clothes are not necessary except for your stay in Reykjavik the last night. |
| Jeans |
| Shorts |
| Underwear and socks |
| Pyjamas |
| Bag for dirty clothes |
| Trekking boots/ comfortable shoes |
| Swimwear and towel. |
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| ADDITIONAL THINGS TO BRING |
| Sleeping bag and a small pillow |
| Personal Toiletries |
| Insect protection |
| Personal medications |
| Band aids and second skin plasters for chaffing |
| Sore cream (for an emergency) |
| Fly net/gnat to wear over or under the helmet to protect you from the harmless but annoying Icelandic flies. |
| Torch/ Flashlight |
| Adapter for electric appliances |
| Camera and extra film or batteries |
| A small waist bag (not a backpack!) for using when riding. (Backpack is not good because it bumps around when you are riding and it may hurt you if you are falling off) |
| Personal Travel Insurance information |
| Sun glasses with strap |
| Sun protection lotion and lip balm |
*Important Notice: The following ratings have been submitted by guests and do not necessarily represent the views of Hidden Trails, its partners or employees.
Every care is taken to ensure accuracy but Hidden Trails is not liable for any errors or omissions.
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During the tour, your overnights will be in mountain huts with sleeping bag accomodation. There are matrasses, but no pillows or blankets.
The last night in Reykjavík will be in a double room in a hótel.
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Tack:
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Icelandic
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Horses:
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Icelandic Horses
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Pace:
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Moderate with long tolts.
Daily rides are between 4-7 hours (20 - 45 km).
| Walk | Trot | Canter |
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Level:
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(3 out of 5)
Intermediate
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Riders:
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Min 8 |
Max 16
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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.
| Passport Required? |
| British |
Yes |
| Australian |
Yes |
| Canadian |
Yes |
| USA |
Yes |
| Other EU |
Yes/1 |
| Visa Required? |
| British |
No |
| Australian |
No |
| Canadian |
No |
| USA |
No |
| Other EU |
No |
| Return Ticket Required? |
| British |
No |
| Australian |
Yes |
| Canadian |
Yes |
| USA |
Yes |
| Other EU |
No |
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