The Dream tour project keeps on bringing up new Dreams.
We now present the project Landvættir / Guardians of Iceland 2025 – 2028!

This new adventure will be ongoing for the next 4 years, visiting each quarter of Iceland every year for a close-up experience of each part, North, East, South, and West!

In 2025 we will put our focus on the north of Iceland. Riding great trails from the arctic edges at the seasides of the north to the higher grounds of the great northern highlands. We will follow historical trails along coastlines and rivers, valleys, and wilderness. We‘ll visit magnificent places and tell stories of the past. We are sure the Eagle of the North will watch over us on our journey.

Landvættir (“land spirits” or “land wights”) are spirits of the land in Old Nordic religion. They are closely associated with specific locations and it is believed that their wellbeing is required for the land they inhabit to be fruitful. In Old Norse sources, they are depicted as being potentially harmful and capable of driving away unwanted individuals. Good relationships between humans and landvættir were believed to be fostered through acts like leaving out food for them and showing respect in any possible way.

The Guardians of Iceland refer to the story from Landnámabók when King Harald of Norway told one of his warlocks to travel to Iceland in some altered shape and bring back useful information about the island in the north. The warlock set out in the shape of a whale and when he came near the land he saw all the mountains and hills full of guardian spirits, and each time he reached a new part he was driven away. In the east a huge dragon followed by snakes, toads, and lizards who blew atter and poison at him. In the north, it was a great eagle with wings so wide that they filled up the fjord he was entering. The eagle was followed by other birds huge and small all screaming out loud.  In the west, there came a large bull followed by other creatures stepping on the ground so rocks and mountains shook. And finally, in the south, it was a giant with an iron staff followed by trolls and elves blocking access to land. The warlock swam back to Norway and told King Harald to give up any plans to overtake this little island in the north!

Our 2025 plan is set up as 5 individual parts spanning a total of 39 days from the middle of July to early September. We‘ll start by exploring the northeast seaside and visit for example Rifstangi the most northern part of Iceland in part one. At the seaside, we are as close as possible to the Arctic Circle just outside the shores. We will ride through the highlands of the north-east on part 2 with Mount Herðubreið as a waypoint and ride through the Lake Mývatn area on our way. Part 3 is focused on our holy grounds of Flateyjardalur, the forgotten valley, filled with stories of the past. Part 4 takes us to the higher grounds where we‘ll ride the northern parts of the three big highland trails of Iceland; Sprengisandur, Kjölur, and Arnarvatnsheiði all in one tour! Part 5 is the same as we have done the last 2 years. We‘ll enjoy the magic of crossing Lake Hóp and enjoy great trails along the riverbanks of the big rivers of north-west Iceland.

All old riding friends have booking priority on the Dreamtour until the end of June 2024 and receive a 10% discount per booking.

The Dreamtour is for now only bookable by email (info@ridingiceland.is). Have you not been riding with us yet, but would you like to join one of the Dreamtour parts next year, feel free to send us an email already before the end of June ´24, and we‘ll place you on our waiting list.