You will catch a public bus to Varmahlíð where you’ll be met by your guides and taken to the Hestasport cottages. Here you’ll settle into your rooms and have a light lunch before you head to the stables and meet the much-anticipated mob of Icelandic horses for your FIRST ride on Icelandic terrain! {insert squeals of delight!}

For your first ride, your guides will take you to the amazing natural paradise of the river delta of Héraðsvötn. The terrain offers the best possibilities to fully experience the gaits of the Icelandic horse, especially the famous tölt.

After an exhilarating ride, you’ll enjoy dinner before taking a relaxing bath in the natural hot tub under a dusky night sky (it doesn’t get dark until 10pm). I think it will be this moment that you’ll pinch yourself just to make sure that all of this isn’t a DREAM.

(Riding time: two to three hours)

Today is the beginning of your EPIC Icelandic adventure. After a long sleep and a good, hearty, stomach-sticking breakfast you’ll be driven to the stables, saddle the horses and, together with your herd of free-running horses, start your seven day riding adventure. The accompanying herd of Icelandic horses allows your group to change mounts during the day, so the horses can have a well-deserved rest and run free with their friends.

Today you’ll ride along a low-traffic road towards the south, deeper into the valley. You will end the ride at the farm Breið, where your horses stay overnight. You’ll then drive back to the cottages. A hot shower, flushing toilets and WiFi will be available.

(Approximately 25 kilometres = six to seven hours in the saddle.)

From Breið, you’ll head further south. Soon the last farms are left in your wake and all signs of civilisation disappear as the Icelandic wilderness takes over. Ahead looms the gleaming glacier Hofsjökull.

You will be following the West Glacial River until you reach a remote mountain hut, Skiptabakkaskáli, in the late afternoon. The lush meadows on the verge of a canyon are a welcome treat for the horses. Running cold water is the extent of the luxuries in this charming cabin but ‘central heating’ is guaranteed since you’ll all be sleeping together in one room furnished with bunk beds! No hot showers, and a long-drop toilet.

*If you prefer your own space and privacy, a tent is also available.

(Approximately 25 kilometres = six to seven hours in the saddle.)

On your final day of riding, you’ll head north through the valley until you reach the remains of the turf farm Ábær and a tiny church. This place holds many stories about the lives of past generations. After a short stop, you’ll ride towards the breathtakingly dramatic Merkigil Gorge. On horseback, you will descend into the gorge and take a moment to observe the unique beauty of the pristine surroundings.

From here you will ride on to your final destination, the farm Kelduland. Here you’ll say a VERY SAD farewell to the trusty Icelandic horses that carried you safely across the raw and rugged beauty of Iceland. You then drive back to cottages you stayed in on day one, where you’ll enjoy a farewell dinner and a last soak in the hot tub, while reminiscing about the lifelong memories you’ve made in the Icelandic wilderness. You’ll then return to a hot shower and flushing toilet.

(Approximately 25 kilometres = six to seven hours)

After breakfast, you’ll say goodbye to your wonderful guides and hosts, who will undoubtedly become lifelong friends. Your group will be driven to the city of Akureyri, where you’ll take a domestic flight back to Reykjavík (included in the ride price).

We recommend guests arrive in Reykjavík, the capital of Iceland, one to two days prior to the start of the ride so that you have time to recover from the jetlag and have a look around this gorgeous city before heading off into the wilderness.

On day one, guests will take a public bus (the cost of which is included in the ride price) from Reykjavík to Varmahlíð, where they will be met by their guides and driven to the cottages for a light lunch before heading to the riding stable, which is located a kilometre outside of Varmahlíð. This will be your first glimpse into the world of Iceland: the landscapes, the people and the culture.

On day eight you will be dropped off at Akureyri Airport, where you’ll take a regional flight back to Reykjavík (included in the ride price). If you wish to begin your journey home today, we ask that you don’t book flights until after 6pm this evening.

On this Wilderness Expedition you’ll be riding no less than 25 to 30 kilometres per day (approximately seven to eight hours in the saddle per day) and therefore you need to be an accomplished rider who can handle a horse in open terrain at a fast canter. Please don’t take these guidelines lightly, as your riding ability will have a flow-on effect on your enjoyment of your riding experience in Iceland. This particular itinerary is not about the off-the-horse comforts, that’s for sure; it’s for the die-hard riders who are all about the adventure and the horses. Because of the speed and daily distances covered, you’ll be riding between two to three horses a day. The accompanying herd of around 30 to 40 horses will allow you to change horses up to three times throughout the day.