Tour info
- 6 nights / 6 riding days
- 2026: 24-30 August
- € 3,590 euro
- Bus transfer from Reykjavík to the farm.
- Riding level: Intermediate-advanced riders (family friendly, open for experienced kids 11+)
HORSEBACK RIDING IN A HIDDEN PARADISE
We present a truly wonderful riding adventure into the fascinating Þórsmörk Nature Reserve. Once one of our most beloved tours, we are proud to offer it again. The Þórsmörk area is a hiker’s paradise, and exploring it on horseback is a pure joy.
On our way to Þórsmörk, we are reminded of the dramatic volcanic eruptions of 2010 that disrupted international air traffic worldwide. We ride past one of the lava streams that poured down from the mighty, glacier-capped volcano with the famously unpronounceable name, Eyjafjallajökull.
Each day we spend 4–7 hours (20–35 km) in the saddle, surrounded by stunning landscapes of rugged mountains, glacial rivers, and birch woodlands. In the evenings we stay in cosy mountain cabins. After long days of riding, you can unwind in a sauna, enjoy warm showers, or soak in an outdoor hot tub with views of the highlands. Can you imagine the sheer magic of relaxing in natural hot water under the Icelandic sky? Life hardly gets any better.
To complete this unforgettable journey, we extend the tour with two riding days along Iceland’s dramatic South Coast. Here we follow stretches of black sand beaches, where the thundering waves of the North Atlantic meet wide open plains. The powerful contrast between the ocean, volcanic sands, and distant glaciers creates a truly unique riding experience.
ACCOMMODATION
Sleeping bed accommodation in the huts, make up beds in the guesthouses. Accommodation before and after the ride to be arranged individually.
WHAT IS INCLUDED
Bus transfer from Reykjavík to the farm. During the ride full board is provided. Our menu consists of a large breakfast and traditional Icelandic meals (fish or lamb). Vegetarian meals are available on request
when booking. All riders make their own packed lunch from the breakfast table.
Alcoholic beverages are not included in the tour price and are hard to get in the highlands. They can be bought at a reasonable price in the Duty Free Store at Keflavik Airport upon arrival.
Rain wear, water bottle, saddle bag, riding helmet.
ATTENTION
Individual travel insurance is not included in the tour price. We encourage clients to obtain relevant travel insurance before visiting Iceland.
Flight to and from Iceland is not included
Bring bags rather than hard cover suitcases
Pack light because transport space is limited.
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Itinerary
Pick up around 11 am at BSI bus station. Please be ready at the earliest pick up time and be ready in your riding clothes. We travel by a private coach in the morning to the farm Skálakot, where we will meet horses and staff. We will take the horses out for a ride in the afternoon and ride up the mountains for spectacular views towards Westman islands and Eyjafjallajökull.
While our horses will be herded the first bit of the way, we start the morning with a visit at Seljalandsfoss and Gljufrabui waterfall. We will join the horses a bit later at the farm Stóra-Mörk and saddle up! We start the ride down to the river Markarfljót and continue our ride past glacier lagoons and lava streams into the stunning nature park of Þórsmörk, crossing the glacial river Krossá on our way. This will be our home for two 2 nights, in a cozy cabin in Húsadalur valley, where a sauna and a natural pool are also available.
We will spend the day riding inside the park, visiting numerous waterfalls and canyons. This is truly a wonderful area with the low bushes and glittering mountain creeks all over. Þórsmörk has an especially warm climate (by Icelandic standards), better than in the rest of the southern part of the country. In the protected valley, there is green vegetation of moss, fern, birch wood and other small shrubs. (App. 25-30 km)
This day’s ride takes us back across the river Krossá (river condition permitting) and alongside River Markarfljót. Then we have to cross all the “small” glacial rivers from Mýrdalsjökull that go into Markarfljót. Then we will be crossing the almost 100 year old bridge across one of the biggest glacial rivers in the south,, Markarfljót – where all the water we have been crossing today + much more, is forming one huge river. Now we are getting close to the most fertile farmland in Iceland, called Landeyjar, but still we will be riding on the former riverbed from the Markarfljót, without fully entering farmland, until we reach our field for the night, an oasis close to the desert.
Today we will be riding again the riverbed from Markarfljót, the same paths as the first Iceland’s settlers rode, where every stone is filled with the Icelandic sagas. One of our stops today we will be at a mythical place called Drumbabót , where we have a magnificent view of Þórsmörk and the desert we have been riding, there are fossils of former huge trees that were destroyed by an eruption in Katla in the days of the first settlement in Iceland. Now we start to get closer to the fertile farmlands and end in our field for the night.
Today will be the “easy ride home” – we will be crossing the only none-glacial river of the tour – Hólsá – which is where three big rivers meet: Ytri-Rangá, Þverá and Eystri-Rangá, before they reach the Atlantic ocean. It’s deep and wide and we need to be careful crossing. At the end of the day will follow the banks of Hólsá to Þykkvibær and end at Týri’s and Kristín’s place After that we return to Minnivellir for a farewell barbecue.
– We reserve the right to alter the itinerary if necessary –
