The rugged and partly forested mountain ridge Thórsmörk ( forest of Thor) is located between the Tindfjallajökull and Eyjafjallajökull glaciers in the south of Iceland. With its fascinating nature, the area is very popular with hikers and horse riders alike. You will pass waterfalls and to ride through wild gorges with bizarre rock formations. You to ride on three days with a free-roaming herd of riding horses, on the first day to lead the guides bring hand horses for changing. This gives you the opportunity to try out many different horses and get an impression of riding with a herd, as is usual on the longer riding tours. It is now possible to book the ride for an extra day. On your additional riding day, you can then go to the beach! A short but extremely varied and exciting Riding tour!

Itinerary

Thorsmörk Ride (5 days):

Day 1: Pick up in Rejkjavik and transfer to your accommodation. After dinner together, you will be familiarized with the details of the next few days.

Day 2: Hveragerði - Torfastaðir
Introduction to the Icelandic riding style and a short test ride with the first horses before loading them into large trailers. Drive to the starting point, farm Torfastaðir. The first stage of the day leads along the river Markarfljót, past the huge Dimon crevice, which already played a role in the Njáls saga. The destination is the farm Stóra Mörk, where the horses stay at pasture and the rider reach the hut for the night after a short walk. Riding time approx. 4 hours.

Day 3: Stóra Mörk - Thórsmörk
Today to ride you will set off from the farm Stóra-Mörk in the direction of Thórsmörk in the company of the free-roaming horses, which are brought in the morning in vans. You follow the river Markarfjót (known from the legend of Njáll) along the slopes of the famous glacier and volcano Eyjafjallajökull. The soft paths are covered in ash from the volcanic eruption in 2010, which significantly changed the landscape here. On the ride into the valley you cross several rivers and to ride along the raging glacial river Krossá before you reach the beautiful nature reserve Thórsmörk, named after the ancient Norse god Thór. The idyllic valley is framed on three sides by glaciers, Eyjafjallajökull, Tindafjallajökull and Mýrdalsjökull. You spend the night in Thórsmörk in the simple mountain hut Básar. In the evening you can enjoy the unique landscape of the wide valley with birch forests and gorges, caves and waterfalls formed by volcanoes and glaciers. Approx. 25 km, 5 hours.

Day 4: Thórsmörk - Stóra-Mörk
The day begins with a visit to the Elf Church, a unique volcanic formation, followed by a ride into the mighty Stakkholtsgjá gorge, which is an unforgettable experience. After following the previous day's trail for a while, to ride you will ride across the Hamragarðaheiði heathland and then back to the trail through the Markarfljót river valley to the farm Stóra Mörk, where you will spend the night again. Before dinner, you will be taken by car to a nearby waterfall where you can see this natural spectacle up close. Stage approx. 25 km, 5 hrs.

Day 5: Stóra - Mörk - Torfastaðir
On the last stage of the day to ride you first ride along good bridle paths in the area around the Markarfljót river with views of the mountains. Then you follow an old road through a beautiful area in the hills of Fljótshlíð, where an idyllic green landscape awaits you, dotted with purple lupins. During a lunch break, the herd is picked up by vans. On the way back to the farm Torfastaðir to ride you will pass the farm Hlíðarendi, where, according to the legend of Njál, one of the most famous Vikings in Iceland, Gunnar á Hlíðarendi, lived and died. Around 15:00 you will return to Riding centre and after a short coffee stop you will head to Reykjavík, where the group can spend the evening together. (Dinner not included). Approx. 25 km, 4 hours riding distance.

Thorsmörk & Strand (6 days):

You stay on Torfastaðir on day 5 and to ride continue from there to the south coast on day 6. Here you follow the fine black lava beach for a few kilometers to the delta of the mighty glacial river Ölfusá. You to ride through the shallow water and over the green banks and further along the good tölt trails through idyllic horse pastures to Riding centre near Vellir. In good weather, you will have a beautiful view of the mountains around the Hekla volcano along the way. Numerous birds also live in the delta and on the beach. After a short coffee break at Riding centre, you will return to Reykjavik, where you will arrive at approx. 17:30.

Subject to change at any time!

Accomodation
Accommodation is in guesthouses with 2- to 4-bed rooms and shared bathrooms. One night is spent in a simple mountain hut with a dormitory, without warm water and without electricity.

Saddle & Tack: Icelandic trekking saddles and snaffle.

Experience: You should have been riding regularly for at least 2 years to ride and also have some trail experience. Galloping is also part of the beach ride. 2 days with a free-ranging herd.

Horses: Icelandic horses