Day 1

You will be met by your hosts at the BSI bus station or at your hotel/ guesthouse in Reykjavik between 17:30- 18:00 and will transfer to the farm Vellir in Hveragerði. Get to know your fellow guests and hosts over dinner and finish the day with a briefing on the upcoming trail.

Day 2- Ölfusá River Delta

Your guide meets you after breakfast for a short introduction before you get to know the horses. The program starts with a practical riding demonstration, followed by a few rounds in the riding hall or paddock. You’ll then ride out between the volcanic mountains and the Atlantic ocean in southern Iceland. The tour begins on wide riding trails alongside green meadows, which are ideal for trying the special gait of the Icelandic horse, tölt. The trail continues along the river Gljúfurá to an old cemetery close to the mighty glacial river Ölusá, where you’ll stop for a lunch break and enjoy the panoramic view of the river delta and the famous volcanos Hekla and Eyjafjallajökull, weather permitting. Follow a grassy path further down to the soft, black lava sand on the river banks and through shallow water to the green islands in the river delta. You’ll ride on soft ground on the islands, across sand and water, spotting various kinds of birds living in the wetlands of the nearby bird sanctuary Ölfusforir and ending the ride on trails along meadows before relaxing with coffee and home-baked cake at the hotel. Afterwards, you can relax in the comfortably warm hot tubs at Hotel Eldhestar.

Day 3

Today offers spectacular views as you ride along the slopes of Reykjafjall mountain and continue on riding trails surrounding the small village Hveragerði. The path then takes you through green forests to a colourful geothermal valley with hot springs. On the way towards the green hills surrounding the volcano Hengill, you’ll have an opportunity to try the “tölt”, the special gait of the Icelandic horse. The horses then take you at a leisurely pace up into the valley Reykjadalur. You’ll pass the beautiful waterfall Djúpagilsfoss and some hot springs before reaching the Reykjadalur valley where you can experience a relaxing dip in a geothermal stream. During the ride down into the valley, enjoy panoramic views over the surroundings, the village Hveragerði, picturesque farmland, all the way down to the coastline, where you might see the Westman Islands. Continue along the mountain slopes again back to the farm, where coffee and home-baked cake are waiting for you. Today's ride includes about 30 minutes of hiking (four short walks).

Day 4 - Ingólfstrail

After breakfast you’ll start the day riding through a small river, a lava field and along meadows. On the way you’ll enjoy the fascinating scenery of volcanic mountains towering over green hills and pastures, riding between large fields with grazing horses on excellent paths that are ideal for a brisk tölt. After lunch, head towards the table mountain Ingólfsfjall where the landscape changes dramatically at the foot of the mountain, and you can take a break between huge rocks, soft pillows of green moss and even some grazing sheep. On the way back to the farm, you’ll ride along the mountain Reykjafjall, where both sheep and horses graze in the summer, with views over the surrounding area and the village of Hveragerði.

Day 5 - The Beach Ride

After breakfast and check-out we take the horses in the trailer to the small fishing town Thorlákshöfn, where we start the tour with a ride on the long, black beach. We follow the scenic beach along the surf of the North Atlantic for a few kilometres, riding on soft black lava sand until we reach the beautiful area where the mighty glacial river Ölfusá meets the sea in a large delta. We then continue through shallow water at the edge of the river delta and ride on grassy river banks and along wetlands and meadows towards the farmland in the Ölfús area, where our farm Vellir is located. On our way we have plenty of opportunities to try the smooth gait of the Icelandic horse “tölt” on nice trails in beautiful scenery which seems to be far from civilization and enjoy spectacular views of mountains and the volcanos Hekla and Eyjafjallajökull, weather permitting. We also have good chances to see the sea- and wetland birds of various kinds living in the Flói Bird Reserve between the ocean shore and the river. After riding the bus takes you back to Reykjavik at about 16:15.