TOUR 5A - The Hot Springs Tour to Reykjadalur Valley
Vistas and Volcanoes
This tour offers spectacular views and a surprising variety of magnificent Icelandic nature. We first ride along the slopes of Reykjafjall mountain and continue on nice riding trails surrounding the small village Hveragerði. The path then takes us through a green forest to a colourful geothermal valley with hot springs, an area which expanded dramatically during an earthquake in 2008. On our way towards the green hills surrounding the volcano Hengill we have good opportunity to try the “tölt”, the special gait of the Icelandic horse. The horses then take us on a leisurely pace following narrow trails up into the valley Reykjadalur. We pass the beautiful waterfall Djúpagilsfoss and some hot springs before we reach Reykjadalur valley and will have the opportunity to take a relaxing bath in a warm stream. During the ride down the valley we enjoy fascinating panoramas over the surroundings, the village Hveragerði, picturesque farmland and all the way down to the coastline, where we might see the Westman Islands, weather permitting. We continue along the mountain slopes again back to the farm, where coffee and home-baked cake are waiting for us.
I went on the day tour to Reykjadalur and had an awesome time. At first they split the people up in 3 groups, those who had been riding horses for more than 8 years, more than 15 times and beginners. The whole group stuck together for the most part, but there were 2-3 different guides for each level. On the way back we split up in 2 groups and the more advanced group went a lot faster. It was a full day tour, but as a beginner I didn’t find it too long at all. When we got to the hot springs, we got a packed lunch and some time to relax in the hot springs. The guides were really nice and helped us out a lot. I would definitely recommend this tour!
Duration
5 – 6 hours incl. riding, breaks and bathing
Departure times
Daily at 09:00. Pick-up in Reykjavík at 08:00. The pick-up in Hafnarfjörður, Mosfellsbær and Kópavogur starts at 7:45.
Return to Reykjavík at around 17:15.
Availability
20th of May – 15th of September
Included
English speaking guide, riding and safety equipment and hotel pick-up.
Duration in total 5-6 hours with stops, bathing and about 30 minutes hiking (four short walks, about 10 minutes on a steep slope), lunch box (sandwich, cookies, water bottle – special sandwiches available on request) and coffee/tea/hot chocolate and home baked cake after the tour.
Riding distance ca. 17 km.
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. Bring your swimsuit and towel. See more detailed information here.
Notes
The weight limit for participants is 120 kg.
This tour is for everyone but participants should be in good physical condition and must be able to mount a horse with little assistance. We ride quite a lot of “tölt” during this tour (about trot speed).
If the weather does not allow us to go into the mountains, the tour will be changed. There are no changing rooms in the valley.
Price
see at the end of the page
GALLERY
