Day 1 - Arrival
Riding: No riding.
The tour starts in the evening. Riders who arrive the same day to Iceland should take the Flybus from the airport to the bus station BSÍ in Reykjavík. Your hosts will meet you at the bus station or at your hotel/ guesthouse in Reykjavik between 17:30- 18:00 and drive you to the farm Vellir near Hveragerði.
You will spend your first night at Guesthouse Eldhestar and enjoy dinner with your fellow riders at Hotel Eldhestar which is next door to the guesthouse.
Day 2 - Hveragerdi – Myrkholt
Riding: 4 hours
You will start the day with a detailed ride introduction and have a short ride to get to know the horses.
After an early lunch, you will go by car to a place near the farm Reykholt in the beautiful area Biskupstungur where you will ride on soft paths until you reach a river crossing. You end your ride at the farm Myrkholt, close to the hot springs at Geysir.
Riding distance: 20 km
Day 3 - Myrkholt – Fremstaver
Riding: 5 - 6 hours
After breakfast you start riding from Myrkholt towards the first stop at Gullfoss. From Gullfoss, the route goes into the wilderness, in a black desert of stones and sand. Then follow the river Hvítá to the West until you reach Mt. Bláfell, 1160 m above sea level, which offers a beautiful view over the southern part of the Kjölur route. Weather permitting, you can see three glaciers, the famous Eyjafjallajökull, Hofsjökull and Iceland’s second largest glacier Langjökull, as well as the volcano Hekla and Mt. Hlödufell.
You will spend the night south of Bláfell in the mountain hut Fremstaver.
Riding distance: 27 km
Day 4 - Fremstaver – Árbúdir
Riding: 6 - 7 hours
Today you continue east along Mt. Bláfell. The route crosses the Hvítá River on a bridge and passes the waterfall Ábóta, where the ancient Kjölur highland route starts. Kjölur is the oldest road between South and North Iceland, it is mostly even and on average about 700 m above sea level.
On the way, enjoy panoramic views over the Langjökull and Hofsjökull glaciers and the picturesque Kerlingafjöll mountains – Kjölur’s flagship. The ride follows the Svartá River to the mountain hut Árbúdir, where you spend the night.
Riding distance: 30 km
Day 5 - Árbúdir – Hveravellir
Riding: 8 hours
This day starts with the ride toward Hvítárnes, a grass-rich area changing its character in the summer when the green flower Fífa turns white and fluffy. Ride to the lava field Kjalhraun, which many people think gave Kjölur its name. It looks like the keel of a ship. West of Kjalhraun, ride through a narrow cleft to the valley Thjófadalur (the Valley of Thieves). The valley is circular and hidden behind the mountains. It is one of the few places along Kjölur rich with grass.
From the valley, the route takes you over a little mountain comb called Thröskuldur, and from there, follow a smooth path to Hveravellir, where you can enjoy a relaxing bath in the hot springs.
Riding distance: 45 km
Day 6 - Hveravellir – Áfangi
Riding: 6 - 7 hours
Today you have enough time to explore the beautiful nature surrounding Hveravellir before preparing the horses for your ride. Hveravellir is one of the biggest geothermal areas in Iceland. There was an outlaw hideout here in the old days, and south of the area, you pass the ruin of the hut of the outlaw Fjalla-Eyvindur. Continue north over the river Seydisá and along the mountains Sandkúlufell, Hanskafell and Saudafell, and spend the night in a mountain hut called Áfangi.
Riding distance: 32 km
Day 7 - Áfangi – Vatnsdalur
Riding: 5 - 6 hours
For your final day the ride continues north over the Eyvindarstadaheidi Moor - you are now not very far from civilization in North Iceland. You ride with the mountains behind you and the glaciers all around. On the right, is the big lake Blöndulón, which was created when building the hydroelectric power plant by the Blanda River. Continue on soft riding paths and mountain roads and end the tour in the green valley Vatnsdalur. From there you return by bus to Reykjavik, where the tour ends.
Riding distance: 28 km
PLEASE NOTE: The first tour of the season starts in the South, every second tour goes in the opposite direction (every second tour starts in Vatnsdalur).
Note: All programmes and itineraries are weather dependent; in the face of adverse, or unexpected, weather conditions reasonable attempts will be made to provide equivalent riding. All programmes are accurate at the time of writing. However, the team may adapt or modify details, whilst aiming to provide a similar experience.
