Tour 5B – Below the Mountains

On this day tour we discover the beautiful landscape opening up between the volcanic mountains and the Atlantic ocean in southern Iceland. We begin the tour on nice riding trails along our meadows which are ideal for trying the special gait of the Icelandic horse, “tölt”. We follow the river Gljúfurá to an old cemetery close to the mighty glacial river Ölusá, where we enjoy the panoramic view of the river delta and the famous volcanoes Hekla and Eyjafjallajökull, weather permitting. A grassy path takes us further down to the soft, black lava sand on the river banks and through shallow water to the green island Lambey. On our way we have good chances of seeing various kinds of birds living in the wetlands of the nearby bird sanctuary. We stop for a lunch break out in nature before continuing through farmland towards Mount Ingólfsfjall, a table mountain named after the first settler of Iceland, Ingólfur Arnarson. An old Viking path takes us along the mountain Reykjafjall, where both sheep and horses graze in the summer. On the way back to our farm Vellir we have a nice view over the surrounding area and the village of Hveragerði. Awaiting us back at our farm are coffee and home-baked cake.

During the winter season, the tour is slightly changed. We ride all the way down to the river banks and then return to our hotel where a light lunch is served before continuing our ride towards the mountains.

Availability

All year round

Duration

5 – 6 hours riding with breaks

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 around 17:15.

Included

English speaking guide, riding and safety equipment, raingear and warm overalls if the weather calls for it, hotel pick-up.

5-6 hours riding with stops (ca. 20 km), lunchbox (sandwich, cookies and water bottle or soup of the day during the winter season) and coffee/tea/hot chocolate and home baked cake after the tour.

BOOT

What to bring

Sturdy shoes, good sneakers or hiking boots that are not very broad are fine.

Comfortable pants (riding pants are not necessary).

Gloves and a thin hat under the helmet (“buff” is well suited). You can buy a “buff” at Eldhestar.

Warm clothes in layers (long underwear, woollen socks, scarf, gloves, woollen sweater or fleece, wind- and waterproof jacket). Eldhestar provides good rain gear.

If you would like to bring small items such as a camera you should bring a small waist bag, backpacks cannot be taken on horseback.

For summer days, we recommend sun lotion, sunglasses and a fly net. You can buy a fly net at Eldhestar.

On rainy days and during the winter season, we recommend bringing extra clothing such as socks, gloves and hat in case you get wet during the ride.

You might experience temperatures close to 0°C as well as”T-shirt weather”, please be prepared! You find more information about climate in Iceland here.

Notes

The weight limit for participants is 110 kg(242lbs).

The age limit for this tour is 10 years.

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). The tour is subject to weather conditions and might be changed.