The Golden Highlights of the South

We start the day by getting to know the horses in the paddock. After lunch, we follow the old route from Hveragerdi to Hellisheidi. When we reach the moor, we continue to the Hengill volcano along the Kristnitökuhraun lava field. This lava came from the eruption of Hengill in the year 1000, the same year Iceland officially became Christian. The old folktales say that the eruption was the revenge of the old gods Thór, Ódinn and Freyr. We continue on the track between lava and hills (“milli hrauns og hlidar”), down to Kolvidarhóll, where people have stopped to rest for hundreds of years. The night will be spent at the farm.

Riding time and distance: 21 km, 4 hrs.

We continue North below the Húsmúli and Hengill mountains. We dismount and lead the horses through the narrow cleft to Marardalur (Valley of Horses). We ride through Dyrfjöll (Door mountains) and alongside Sköflungur. When we reach the mountaintop, we have a view over Lake Thingvallavatn, the largest lake in Iceland. After arriving near Heiðarbær, we will end the day with the sightsseeing at the old Althing (Icelandic Parliament). From here, it is not far to Skógarhólar, where we spend the night in a mountain hut. Iceland’s national horse competition Landsmot was held at Skógarhólar until 1978.

Riding time and distance: 38 km, 6-7 hrs.

Today we ride across the Thingvellir National Park. From Gjábakki we have an exceptional view over the park, lake Thingvallavatn and the stunning volcanic landscape around it. This is the area where the North American and European continental plates meet. The plates are drifting apart about 2 cm per year on average, which has created a beautiful valley. We cross Lyngdalsheidi Moor, and stop at the Laugarvatnshellir lava caves before we finish the day’s ride outside the village of Laugarvatn, named after the nearby lake. The lake is heated by underwater hot springs. The bus takes us to Guesthouse Myrkholt and than on a sightseeing tour to the famous “golden waterfall” Gullfoss, and to the Geysir hot spring area in Haukadalur.

Riding time and distance: 35 km, 6-7 hrs.

From Myrkholt we continue up towards the Icelandic highlands, leaving the inhabited farmlands. On our way into the desert-like landscape we have a magnificent view over the glacial river Hvítá (“white river”), and we can see how the river, over hundreds of years, has shaped the mountain, flowing deeper and deeper into it. We spend the night in a mountain hut called Helgaskáli beside the Litla-Laxá River.

Riding time and distance: 35 km, 6-7 hrs.

We continue riding through the fascinating, wide landscape in the highlands where we can actually listen to the silence until we reach Háifoss, which is with its 122 meters the second highest waterfall in Iceland. Our destination is the Hólaskógar hut, which is located in a very special and varied environment.

Riding time and distance: 20 km, 4 hrs.

The tour continues along Iceland’s longest river Thjórsá. We pass the Mt. Búrfell, which, in the old days, was the home of trolls, and Tröllkonuhlaup (the place where a troll woman jumped over the river). After some kilometres along the river, we get a magnificent view over Thjófafoss (the Waterfall of the Thieves), about which many stories are told. We can see the Mt. Hekla volcano when we leave the horses at the Fellsmúli Farm. We spend the night at the old community center Brúarlundur.

Riding time and distance: 45 km, 8 hrs.

We go on along Eystri-Rangá River and enjoy riding on soft grass. The whole day we have the Hekla volcano in view, Iceland’s most active volcano which was once called the entrance to hell. We ride in a circle, leaving the horses at Fellsmúli. Around 15:30 the bus takes us first to Eldhestar for some refreshments and later to Reykjavik, where the tour ends.

Riding time and distance: 24 km, 4 hrs.