HIGHLANDS OF ICELAND

Late morning pick up in Reykjavik.

We drive up to the former farm Minnivellir (1.5 hours) where we settle in.

After a short briefing, we catch our horses from the field next to the house, get acquainted with the gear and ready for the first ride. This ride takes us through lush fields – fertilised by ash from the eruptions of the Hekla volcano – to the farm Hellar at Skarðsfjall mountain range. Here we take a break and visit the biggest man-made cave in Iceland. We end our visit with homemade snacks from the farmer and his family that has lived there for centuries before we head back to Minnivellir.

We take a different route this time and ride alongside the shores of the mighty river Þjórsá.

3 Hours Riding

Accommodation: Minnivellir (3 double bed rooms, sleeping loft)

Today we get ready after breakfast for our first day of riding with the herd.

Today we ride towards the majestic Hekla volcano. The landscape changes from lush fields to ash and sand dunes with sharp lava rocks: Both testimonies of the power of Hekla's eruptions. We reach the Rangá river and have our lunch break at a historical sheep round-ups.

After lunch we cross Rangá river and ride closer to Hekla until we reach Rjúpnavellir, where we leave our horses and drive back to Minnivellir for the night.

Accommodation: Minnivellir (3 double bedrooms, sleeping loft)

Optional: Visit to the breeding stable and private hot pool and sauna in Sumarliðabaer

After a nice breakfast and a short drive we start our ride into the highlands. This is where we start riding on black sand volcanic deserts.

With a view of the Hekla volcano, we climb up into the mountains, through black sand and past small lakes until we reach the remote valley Landmannahellir.

Accommodation: Landmannahellir mountain huts (bunk bed , sleeping bag accommodation). We have booked three huts for increased privacy and space for this tour.

We start the day with a ride by bus to Landmannalaugar.

We will pass through an obsidian field, experiencing landscapes changing colour from greenish black lava fields to the blue-yellow-reds of the rhyolite mountain ranges in Landmannalaugar. Our herd is running riderless along the same route and will meet us there.

In Landmannalaugar we mount our horses to ride one of the most amazing and undiscovered trails of the area: Jökugil Canyon.

We return by bus to our hut in Landmannahellir for a warm dinner and a cozy evening.

Accommodation: Landmannahellir mountain hut (bunk bed sleeping bag accommodation). Cell reception in Landmannalaugar, none at Landmannahellir.

We leave the scenic Landmannahellir area and ride north of Mt. Hekla volcano, down from the highlands.

A desert of black ash and light pumice is a witness to numerous eruptions of this volcano, the most active one in Iceland and known as the Gateway to Hell. Rjúpnavellir cottages are our first step back into “civilization”. We leave the horses there and drive back to Minnivellir for a cozy evening.

Accommodation: Minnivellir(3 double bedrooms, sleeping loft)

Our last riding day leads us west of Mt. Hekla volcano and around the big lava field ‘Merkurhraun’, that is about 6000-8000 years old.

We ride alongside the mighty river Þjórsá and past the beautiful waterfall Þjófafoss that shows another, rather positive side of Mt. Hekla’s eruptions: fertile farmland.

We ride through lush green fields and cross the rivers Ytri-Rangá and Eystri-Rangá.

Accommodation: Minnivellir(3 double bedrooms, sleeping loft)

Pick up and drive to Reykjavik after breakfast.