Discover winter in Iceland! In addition to horse riding, bathing in the hot springs is a must, which is great fun in the snow-covered landscape and under often bright blue skies or the Northern Lights! Enjoy the thrill of tölting on snow-covered lava fields with views of impressive volcanoes, spot the Northern Lights and marvel at Gullfoss waterfall, the Strokkur geyser and Thingvellir National Park, three of the most famous highlights in southern Iceland. You will bathe in a natural warm river at the Hengill volcano, among other places. Whale watching is also a special experience. The icelandic horses in their winter coats will warm the hearts of riders. In Iceland, winter is  a unique adventure! But don't worry: unlike in Lapland, the temperature in Iceland in winter is around 0 degrees, usually accompanied by a thin layer of snow, ideal for riding without risking frostbite.

Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival at Keflavik Airport and transfer by Flybus to the central bus terminal BSÍ, where you will be picked up between 5.30 and 6 p.m. Dinner and overnight stay at the riding farm.

Day 2: You start the first day with two half-day rides. In the morning, you will follow an old route towards Mount Ingólfsfjall, named after the first Norwegian Viking to settle in Iceland. Back at the farm, you will enjoy a light lunch. Then you will saddle up again and follow the Glúfurá river to the old cemetery and on to the banks of the Ölfusá river. From there, you will have a great view of the river and, if the weather is good, as far as the Hekla volcano. After a visit to the swimming pool in Hveragerði, dinner will be served in the hotel restaurant. If the forecast for the Northern Lights is good and the sky is clear, keep an eye out for the green to purple lights in the evening.

Day 3: After breakfast, you will ride across lava fields and enjoy the great riding trails at the riding centre and further along the Reykjafjall mountain. On the way back, you will ride past a steaming hot spring that spread rapidly after the 2008 Sudurland earthquake. You will enjoy a light lunch at the farm. After lunch, you will be driven to Reykjavik for whale watching. You will head out to sea by boat to track down these giants of the ocean. Dinner will be served back at the hotel. After returning, you can round off this eventful day with a pleasant soak in the hotel's hot tub. In the evening, there may be an opportunity to see the Northern Lights. At the very least, you will watch a spectacular film about this phenomenon.

Day 4: After breakfast, you will saddle up. Today's tour takes you across wide meadows and lava fields. You will pass various farms, which will give you a good impression of how agriculture has changed in recent decades. Lunch will be served in the hotel restaurant. In the afternoon, you will hike to the colourful valley of Reykjadalur, which is full of hot springs. In the middle of the winter landscape, you can take a relaxing bath in a warm river. The area is characterised by volcanism: smoking and bubbling pools and red rocks dominate the landscape. The banks of the warm rivers are green even in winter. Dinner and overnight stay at the guesthouse.

Day 5: Today is all about horse riding: in the morning, you will go on a short ride (approx. 1.5 hours) along the most beautiful tölt trails in the area around the farm. In the afternoon, the horses will be saddled again for a ride along the Ölfúsá towards the south coast. You will once again enjoy the brisk tölt on soft riding trails that lead through horse pastures and along the Gljúfurá river to an old cemetery on the banks of the Ölfúsá glacier river. In good weather conditions, you can see across the wide river delta to the famous volcanoes Hekla and Eyjafjallajökull. The trail continues across meadows and the soft black lava sand of the riverbank.

Day 6: For the last shorter ride in the morning, you can choose your favourite horse. The destination is the swimming pool in Hveragerði, where riders can warm up in the hot tub and steam sauna. The last part of the programme will take us on a sightseeing tour to the famous Gulfoss waterfall, the Geysir hot spring and on to Thingvellir National Park, before the bus takes you back to your hotel/guesthouse in Reykjavík. You will arrive in Reykjavík at around 6 p.m.

The last dinner and overnight stay in Reykjavík are not included in the price! Subject to change at any time! The order of the individual programme items may vary.

Winter riding course
Would you like to ride well-trained Icelandic horses and improve your riding skills? Our riding week in Iceland offers the opportunity to combine lessons and trail rides in beautiful countryside. A new, large indoor riding arena provides ideal training conditions, and in the afternoon you will go on trail rides along the Ölfusá river and across lava fields at the Hengill volcano. The riding centre is located at the foot of the mountains in a charming volcanic area with many hot springs. On the last day, after riding, you will visit the major sights in the south (Thingvellir, Gulfoss, Strokkur).

Programme:
Day 1: Arrival and transfer to the riding stable, dinner together.

Days 2–5: After breakfast, you will meet the horses and go to the riding hall for lessons. Lunch will be served in the hotel restaurant, and in the afternoon you will explore the surrounding area on a 2–3-hour horse ride. In the evening, you can relax in the hotel's hot tub, learn more about Icelandic horses while watching a film, or visit the horse theatre in Fákasel.

Day 6: In the morning, you will saddle up once again for either a riding lesson or a trail ride. After lunch, you will take the bus to the major sights. The programme ends in Reykjavik at around 6 p.m.

Accomodation
You will spend the night in the cozy guest house at Riding centre in 2- to 4-bed rooms with shared bathrooms and kitchen. Meals are served in the Reiterhotel next door. Single room occupancy and hotel accommodation are available for an additional charge.

Saddle & Tack: Icelandic saddles and English bridle.

Experience: Winter joys of Iceland: You should be confident in trails and be able to ride independently. You ride mostly in walk, trot and tölt, cantering is only occasionly. You will be shown how to tölt on site. 1.5 to 5 hours at saddle per day. During the day rides, hand horses are brought along for changing, not a free-running herd.
Riding course: Possible for every riding level, from beginners to experienced riders.

Horses: Icelandic horses