Horse Riding Holiday Iceland

Join this horse riding holiday with Hekluhestar around Iceland. The participants of the riding tours travel off main traffic roads on horseback. They are led by two very experienced guides who know all the historical paths and trails of the highlands. All luggage, food, and necessary equipment are transported by a 4×4 vehicle between the stopovers. Accommodation is provided in well-kept mountain huts. According to the old tradition of Icelandic horse traveling in Iceland, it is usual to take some extra horses along so that one can change mounts if and when necessary which makes the ride even more fun.

Highlights

3 days of horse riding
All horse tack, helmets, and raingear
Services of French, English, and Icelandic speaking guides
Driving, hiking, and riding excursion
Breakfasts, lunches, and dinners
4 nights' accommodation

Styles

4 days with instruction in English

The organizer also speaks: French

Group size: 4-9 participants

Accommodation

You will be accommodated in a dormitory type cabins with sleeping bag accommodation. The accommodation can be with or without full board for 18 people in a separate house with self-catering located a short distance from the house of the family. It is built in 1990 in an old traditional Icelandic style with turf on the roof which makes the house fit perfectly into the natural surrounding.

The turf makes a unique isolation so sounds from the outside such as wind that is bare to be heard. Whatever your interest, whether it is an overnight stay, a riding vacation, a sightseeing excursion, or longer stay in conjunction with the activities on the farm, you are welcome.

Program

Day 1: The great circle day

Hekluhestar will pick up the guests at BSÍ bus station in Reykjavik at 10:00. From there, you go to the Thingvellir national park, where the fissure zone of the mid-atlantic ridge can be seen as well as being one of the most important historic places in Iceland. Next, you will see Gullfoss and Geysir while heading the direction to the Hekluhestar farm. When you arrive at the farm, you have a dinner. The horses will be close by the guesthouse so guests can visit the horses after dinner.

Day 2: The big horse riding day

You make picnic meals from the breakfast table and then you meet up with the horses in the morning. You will ride alongside the calm river Ranga with a view on the mountains around, including the volcano Hekla. You will have your picnic with the horses next to the old traditional sheep houses. You ride through farmland and the historical lava sheep-fold Landrettir. After reaching the destination of one of the neighbor farms, you drive back to the farm.

Day 3: From the cave to the mountain

You drive back to the neighbor farm where you left your horses and ride for around 2 hours reaching the farm Hellar where you take a look at the biggest handmade cave in Iceland. From there, you take the car to explore "the farms of Hekla". You take a hike up to the mountain Bjolfell where there is a beautiful scenery of the volcano Hekla and the farmland where you have been riding the last days. You stop at the little town Hella on the way back and there is a cozy local swimming pool that is perfect for relaxing in after an eventful day.

Day 4: Closing the riding circle

You ride your horses from the Hellar farm through the big meadows all the way back home to the farm. You stop on the way to have the traditional picnic with the horses. After riding for around 4 hours, you take a moment to cuddle with the horses and say the final goodbyes to them. You have your last dinner together and a relaxing evening discussing the events of the past days.

Day 5: From the farm to the beach

You have breakfast at the farm and then you drive to Vik, the most southern village in Iceland, which is famous for the black beaches with the beautiful basalt rocks in the ocean. You visit nice places in the area and have a picnic on the beach (if the weather allows). After enjoying the area around Vik, you drive to Reykjavik with a view on Eyjafjallajökull and Vestmanneyjar on the way. Hekluhestar will drive the guests to their hotel in Reykjavik where they can continue their adventures.

Location

Austvadsholt farm, in the heart of Hekluhestar, is located in a vast open area of 100 kilometers. It is in the east of Reykjavik in the vicinity of the volcano of Mount Hekla. At this working farm, the main activity is the breeding and training of the Icelandic horses. Most of the horses used by Hekluhestar in the riding tours are born, bred, and trained at Austvadsholt. Guests are encouraged to share in this close relationship with all the horses, which is one of the key ingredients in making the Hekluhestar riding tour so special.

The Icelandic horse itself is uniquely well-adapted to the varied and dramatic volcanic terrain. The horse has two additional gaits, the “tölt” and “pace”, compared to other horse breeds. These extra gaits allow the horses to make comfortable, fast yet sure-footed progress over long distances riding tours, in both the fertile valleys and the rugged hilltops.

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What's included

4 days of horse riding
Services of French, English, and Icelandic speaking guides
Driving excursion (Gullfoss and Geysir, and more)
Hiking excursion
Riding excursion
All horse tack, helmets, and raingear
Pick up and drop off in Reykjavik
Entrance in the local swimming pool and man-made cave
4 nights' accommodation
Breakfasts, lunches, and dinners

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