2008 Natural attractions and WildernessHere are some photos from this ride Riding through many different kinds of terrain and landscapes this tour of 9 days offers a glimpse of some of Iceland's most impressive sights. Riding to and through the grounds around Thingvellir one can imagine being a Viking in the year 1000 who has ridden for days and is ready to attend to business and politics. From soft grassy fields, over hard lava, and past waterfalls of immense dimensions. This is one of the most varied tours you can imagine! First Night Day 1 Riders will arrive at Keflavik International Airport and then take the Flybus shuttle to the BSI bus terminal in Reykjavik. Luggage can be left here, you can get some breakfast, and it will be very convenient to explore a bit of Iceland’s capital city. Around 5:30 PM, the outfitter will pick up riders at the BSI bus terminal, and take them to their farm in Hveragerdi, about an hour outside of the capital, where they can check into the comfortable country hotel. The tour group meets over dinner and are given details of the tour ahead. Day 2 After breakfast, you’ll follow the ancient route to the moor on Hellislheidi over to the Hengil volcano along the Kristnitokulhraun lava field. This lava came from the eruption of Hengill in the year I000, the same year Iceland officially became Christian. You’ll ride on the track between lava and hills (“milli hrauns og hlidar”), and rest at Kolvidarholl, a wayside where people have stopped to rest for hundreds of years. This evening you’ll sleep in a hiking club’s mountain hut, after a 4 hour, 21 km ride. Day 3 The ride continues north below the Husmuli and Hengill Mountains. Soon everyone will dismount and lead the horses through the narrow cleft to Mararflulur (Valley of Horses). Riding through Dyrfjoll (Door mountains), you will soon reach the mountaintop, with a great view over Lake Thingvallavatn. Here, you will be able to see the old Althing where Iceland’s parliament met for hundreds of years. From here, it is not far to the pretty hut at Skogarholar where the night is spent. 38 km in 6-7 hours. Day 4 Today’s ride is a grand one across Thingvellir National Park. There is an exceptional view over the park, and Lake Thingvallavatn, the largest lake in Iceland. This is where the North American and European continental plates meet, and then part ways. Crossing the moor Lyngdalsheiði and then making a stop at the caves Laugarvatnshellir. This days ride ends outside the village Laugarvatn, named after the lake nearby. The lake is warmed here by underwater hotsprings. Then it’s a short bus ride to the guesthouse in Haukadalur, near the hot springs of Geysir. Another short bus trip and the group visits Gullfoss, one of the most beautiful waterfalls in Europe. 35 km, 6-7 hours. Day 5 From Geysir you’ll ride up towards the highlands, to a magnificent view over the Hvita River, white with stone dust from the glaciers. The river is busy carving out the mountains, as it has moved deeper and deeper into it over hundreds of years. The night is spent at Helgaskali beside the Litla-Lax-a River. Day 6 Off into the highland, including a stop at Haifoss, the second highest waterfall in Iceland, 122 meters, ending up at Holaskogur hut in a very pretty area. There will be ghost stories about the old hut, which is located a few hundred meters away from the newer one, and the brave can take a bath in the clean, cold Fossa River. 20 km in 4 hours. Day 7 You’ll ride along Iceland’s longest river, the Thjórsá, passing Mt. Búrfell, which, in the old days, was the home of trolls. Also on the river is a magnificent view over Thjofafoss (the “Waterfall of the Thieves”), about which many stories are told. Iceland’s most active volcano, Mt. Hekla, watches over you as you leave the horses at Fellsmuli Farm and then go on to Laugaland School, with its hot pool! 45 km in 8 hrs. Day 8 You’ll start the last day by riding along the Eystri-Ranga River, with its grassy banks and soft trails. All day long you’ll have a view of Mt. Hekla, which was once believed to be the way from earth down to hell. You’ll bid farewell to the horses at Laugaland, and late in the afternoon, everyone will be taken back to Reykjavik where the night will be spent in a guesthouse or hotel. Often riders all go out to one of Reykjavik’s many good restaurants for a last dinner together, (but it’s not included in the price!). Day 9 After breakfast the tour officially ends. Travelers returning home will have a few hours to shop, visit museums, or tack shops before the bus returns to Keflavik airport for flights back home. Those lucky enough to be exploring more of Iceland can get underway. Download a PDF of the itinerary of theTour of the Golden South Departure dates for any tours are flexible, but American riders on this tour must leave the US no later than the evening before the ride, while Europeans can arrive in Iceland on the morning that the tour starts. Dates:
Price* Price includes round trip airfare, including fuel surcharge, from Boston, New York, Minneapolis, or Orlando (ask about prices from Toronto, Halifax and Europe) all airport transfers, hotel accommodations for your first and last night with private bath and breakfast for pre- and post-ride nights, sleeping bag accommodations during the ride in mountain huts and guest houses with shared facilities, all meals during the ride, as well as safety helmets and rain gear. *Not included in the price are US departure taxes (about $92 in November 2007) breakfast and lunch on your arrival day, dinner on your last riding day back in Reykjavik, lunch on the day of departure and the cost of any additional travel. Additional fuel charges added after March 1 '08 wiill also be extra. Accommodations during the Golden Highlights of the South riding tour are traditionally Icelandic. On your first night you are lodged in the Eldhestar Hotel in comfort. On the tour you’ll need a sleeping bag and you’ll stay in farm guesthouses, mountain huts and cabins, which are all warm and clean. Typically there are several beds per room, and in huts there may be one big sleeping room. Most will have shared bathroom facilities. What they lack in creature comforts they make up for in impressive scenery. Your last night in Reykjavik is also upgraded. Dates don't work? Because we work with several different outfitters, we can often suggest similar tours; if the one you've chosen occurs at a time that doesn't quite fit your travel schedule. Give us a call to discuss alternatives! We can arrange your travel dates to give you any extra time you might want, either before or after a riding tour, so that you can explore Iceland. We can even extend your trip to mainland Europe easily and inexpensively.At Horses North, we've traveled all over Iceland, and can advise and book everything you will need, to see more of this spectacular island. From rental cars and restaurants to guesthouses and hotels, we can help you find good maps, good roads and good sunsets. Visit our sister site
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