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Discover the incredible wild beauty of East
Iceland in an area not known by many people.
Even among Icelanders this part of the
interior is a well-kept secret. An endless
variation of landscape, from fertile valleys
and deep canyons to some of Iceland’s
highest mountains, will warm the heart of
every nature lover.
The ride ascends from sea level to the
great highland plateau where vegetation and
landscape bear an arctic character.
Hrafnkelsdalur Valley is where the Hrafnkels
Saga unfolded in the Middle Ages. We hear
about these historic events and view
Faxafoss Waterfall, named after Faxi, a
horse with a mane of a special colour. The
gigantic Hafrahvammagljúfur Canyon is an
unforgettable sight. The ride leads towards
Snæfell – the second highest mountain in
Iceland – where a 4wheel-drive vehicle takes
us to Vatnajökull, the largest glacier in
Europe. We enjoy watching large herds of
reindeer roam free before we follow Jökulsá
River that runs down Norðurdalur Valley in a
number of beautiful waterfalls until we
reach green meadows again.
True to the character of this ride
accommodation is in rustic mountain cabins
with limited facilities. In these remote
surroundings a natural hot pool is waiting
for us and the last night of the ride is
spent at a comfortable holiday farm. Two
nights at a guesthouse with shared
facilities in Reykjavík are included, one
night before and one after the tour.
Day 1 Sunday:
Arrival in Iceland - Keflavík Airport -
Reykjavík
Transfer from Keflavík Airport to a
guesthouse in Reykjavík. We will invite you
to a Welcome Meeting including traditional
Icelandic soup. Receive details of your tour
and meet your fellow riders.
Day 2 Monday:
Reykjavík – Egilsstaðir – Skriðuklaustur –
Fjallaskarð Mountain Cabin
Flight to Egilsstaðir town in the morning
and a drive to Skriðuklaustur Farm where we
meet horses and staff. After a short
introduction to the Icelandic horse and its
special gait we start our ride. We ascend
from a valley at nearly sea level to the
great highland plateau, where vegetation and
landscape have already an artic character.
Enjoy magnificent views on this ride. We
stay overnight at the mountain cabin
Fjallaskarð, at the foot of the mountain
Eyvindarfjöll. (45 km)
Day 3 Tuesday:
Fjallaskarð – Aðalból Farm
We ride from Fjallaskarð mountain cabin to
Aðalból Farm. Here we leave the herd behind
and ride our horses through the beautiful
Hrafnkelsdalur valley, location of the
famous Hrafnkelssaga during the Viking Age.
Imagine life at the adventurous Saga times
while our guides will tell you about
historic events and make the Saga come
alive. Among other sites we visit the
waterfall Faxafoss named after one of the
most famous horses in Icelandic literature.
(35 km)
Day 4 Wednesday:
Aðalból – Hafrahvammagljúfur – Sauðá
Mountain Cabin
A highlight of today is the ride to the
gigantic canyon Hafrahvammagljúfur. This
huge, narrow, steep canyon is an
unforgettable sight. Enjoy far-reaching
views over Iceland's rugged interior, when
we ride across the fertile landscape of
Vestur-Öræfi. Overnight stay at Sauðá
Mountain Cabin, situated 5 km north of
Vatnajökull glacier, in the main summer
pastures of reindeer in Iceland. (45 km)
Day 5 Thursday:
Sauðá – Snæfell – Vatnajökull Glacier –
Snæfell Mountain Cabin
Our ride continues towards the magnificent
Mt. Snæfell, one of the highest mountains
Iceland. In the afternoon we change to
4Wheel-drive transportation and drive
towards Europe’s biggest glacier,
Vatnajökull. View endless stretches of ice
and snow and explore the glacier, a truly
thrilling experience. Overnight stay at the
foot of Mt. Snæfell in a spacious mountain
cabin.
(30 km)
Day 6 Friday:
Snæfell – Eyjabakkar – Laugarfell Mountain
Cabin
A good chance to see more reindeer herds and
countless numbers of pink-footed geese on
our way round Mt. Snæfell and into the
beautiful pastures of Eyjabakkar, with
Eyjabakkajökull glacier towering over us.
Relax in a natural hot pool after your ride,
close to Laugarfell Mountain Cabin where we
spend the night. (45 km)
Day 7 Saturday:
Laugarfell – Skriðuklaustur –
Útnyrðingsstaðir Farm
View beautiful waterfalls in the glacier fed
river Jökulsá in Fljótsdalur as we descend
to Norðurdalur valley. The riding tour ends
at Skriðuklaustur Farm where we say good bye
to the horses. Overnight at Útnyrðingsstaðir
Farm. (45 km)
Day 8 Sunday:
Útnyrðingsstaðir - Egilsstaðir – Reykjavík
Flight back to Reykjavík in the morning with
arrival at approx. 11:00 at Reykjavík
Domestic Airport. Overnight stay at a
guesthouse in Reykjavík.
Day 9 Monday:
Departure from Iceland - Reykjavík -
Keflavík Airport
Transfer to Keflavík Airport in time for the
return flight home. |
