Tour 14 – Snæfellsnes
Magic and Mystery, Black Lava and White Sand
The Snæfellsnes peninsula in West Iceland is often referred to as “Iceland in a nutshell“ because of the diversity in landscape and wide range of colours. We experience the wide range of Iceland’s colors on our ride through green valleys, across black lava fields, along the blue sea and on the golden sandy beach. We begin outside the village Borgarnes, cross a river on our way to the old farm Grímsstaðir and proceed into the fascinating wilderness with lava fields and craters. After hiking up the nicely shaped crater Eldborg á Mýrum we reach one of the longest beaches in Iceland, Löngufjörur, where the riding has to be adjusted to the tides. The view is panoramic, with the ocean on one side, mountains on the other and the magical Snæfellsjökull Glacier, well known from Jule Verne’s novel “Journey to the Center of the Earth”, before us. We will ride some time on the beach on four days and take a herd of free running horses with us part of the tour.
This tour has a free running herd of horses
Experience the diversity of the Icelandic horse in its natural environment, far from civilization, and how Icelanders travelled in the old days with a herd of free-running horses. Every rider gets the chance to try 2 or 3 different horses each day, which develops riding skills.
We really enjoyed both of our tours. The horses are beautiful and are delightful. The tour operators were professional, friendly, and very knowledgeable. We truly enjoyed the magnificent sights of Iceland on horseback. Thank you for having us, it made a very memorable experience
Duration
7 days and 6 nights – 6 days on horseback.
Availability & Price
see overview at the end of the page
Riding distance
Around 190 km. 20 – 40 km (4 – 7 hours) per day.
Included
English speaking guide, riding and safety equipment and transfer from/to Reykjavik.
Accomodation in Guesthouse Eldhestar (2-4 beds per shared room with shared facilities) and in sleeping-bag accommodation (cottages and simple mountain huts with bunk beds shared rooms).
Full board (traditional Icelandic home cooking). Dinner on the last day is not included.
What to bring
Good shoes, comfortable pants (riding pants not necessary), gloves and a buff is recommended and if you want to bring a camera, please bring a small waist bag as backpacks cannot be taken on horseback. See more detailed information here.
Notes
The second tour goes in the opposite direction.
When riding on the beach we might have to ride very early in the morning or late evening because of the tide.
DAY BY DAY
Day 1: Arrival
The tour starts in the evening. Tour members who arrive the same day to Iceland should take the Flybus from the airport to BSÍ main bus station in Reykjavík (not included). We will greet you at the bus station or at your hotel/guesthouse in Reykjavik between 17:30- 18:00 and drive you to our farm Vellir near Hveragerði. There you will be lodged at Guesthouse Eldhestar next to the stable. We will get to know each other during the dinner at our Hotel Eldhestar. The day will end with a detailed description of the tour (might be next morning).
Day 2: Hveragerdi – Borgarnes – Grímsstaðir
A bus takes us over the highlands from Hveragerdi to the town Borgarnes, in the west part of Iceland. The horses are waiting for us at the stable area just outside Borgarnes and we start riding towards the area of Snæfellsnes peninsula. On the way into the mountains we cross the Langá River, one of Iceland’s best salmon rivers. The riding ends at the old farm Grímsstaðir, where we leave the hores for the night. We go by bus to the farm Snorrastaðir close to the picturesque crater Elborg á Mýrum. We can take a walk up the crater and end the day with a relaxing bath in a hot tub.
Riding time and distance: 20 km, 4 hrs.
Day 3: Grímsstaðir – Snorrastaðir
We meet the horses at Grímsstaðir and follow an ancient path along the Grimsstadamúli Mountains. We continue with the herd west, riding on narrow trails through a lava field near the opening of the Hitárdalur Valley. The Hitará River is crossed near the palagonite mountain Grettisbæli, and the route continues along the mountain Fagraskógarfjall, with a nice view over the Mýrar District and the coastline at Löngufjörur beach. We end the ride at the farm Snorrastaðir and stay there overnight again.
Riding time and distance: 36 km, 5-6 hrs.
Day 4: Snorrastaðir – Skógarnes
Today‘s tour takes us most of the time along the vast, sandy beaches of the famous Löngufjörur, therefore the timing depends on the tides. We might have start riding early in the morning or in the afternoon to depart on low tide. We spend an unforgettable time with the herd on the golden beach, wade across the mouth of the Haffjardará River near the farm Stóra-Hraun and take a break on a small island in the delta. The route then leads inland, and the herd is left at day’s end at the farm Skógarnes. The bus takes us to Snorrastaðir, where we spend the night.
Riding time and distance: 22-25 km, 5 hrs.
Day 5: Skógarnes – Skógarnes
We leave the herd at Skógarnes and explore the scenic surroundings with some hand horses, enjoying another brisk ride on the beach with fantastic views of the ocean, the mountains and the majestic Snæfellsnes glacier, weather permitting. The horses stay at the farm Skógarnes again and we drive back to Snorrastaðir.
Riding time and distance: 20 km, 4 hrs.
Day 6: Skógarnes – Langaholt
We take all the horses with us and ride from Skógarnes on the sandy beaches of Löngufjörur all the way to the farm Stakkhamar. From there, the route proceeds near the sea towards the Stadará River, along the seashore or up on the shore banks. The last leg of the day’s journey takes us along the main road of the Snæfellsnes Peninsula. We leave the horses at the farm Langaholt and spend the night at Snorrastaðir again.
Riding time and distance: 40-42 km, 7 hrs.
Day 7: Langaholt – Búðir – Langaholt
On the last day we choose our best horses and continue along the southern seashore of Snæfellsnes. We cross the Búdarós river delta at tide on our way towards Búðir, a place known for extraordinary natural beauty. We leave the horses in a paddock and spend some time in beautiful surroundings close to Snæfellsnes glacier, take a walk out to the rocks by the sea and have our lunch break. The ride back to Langaholt takes us along the sandy beach.
In the afternoon we take the bus back to Reykjavik, where the tour ends. From there it is up to the participants to travel Iceland further on their own or catch a bus to the airport.
Please note that dinner in Reykjavik is not included.
Riding time and distance: 20-23 km, 4 hrs.
GALLERY
