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Dates 2025
July - August: 31 - 4 Type: Multi - day tour with spare horses Operated by: Exploring Iceland Duration: 5 days / 4 nights/ 5 riding days Level of expertise: Experienced riders in good physical shape Area: West Iceland Accommodation: Double /twin or single rooms with private facilities at 3-4 star hotel. A single room supplement applies. Accommodation in Reykjavik not included but can be arranged. Meals: Breakfast and lunch Min: 2 riders Max: 4 riders. Guide: English speaking. Maximum Weight: 95 kg Please note: Dinner is not included on this tour and only the riding tour is guided. Guide is not staying at the hotel. For booking or more information we would love to hear from you! [email protected] |
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This tour with 5 exciting riding days along the beach and up the mountains takes you to some of the most exhilarating routes and views in Borgarfjörður West Iceland. Our daily rides of 4-5 hours (20-25 km) on excellent horses take us along the beach with views to the beautiful fjord Borgarfjörður on one side and to the high mountains of Hafnjarfjall and Skarðsheiði towards the other side. We will ride for two days along the beach and for three days in green valleys, on a riverbank and over the heathland.
Accommodation is provided at hotel Hamar close to Borgarnes with bar and outdoor jacuzzi to relax in after the ride. Please note: If non-riding golf enthusiastic family members or friends want to join you, please contact us for non-rider prices. Min. of two riders must be booked before you can add non-riding guests. |
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Day by day itinerary
Day 1: Beach Ride at Melafjörur
Meet & greet at your accommodation in Reykjavík (timings vary as it depends on the tide). Please be ready in your riding clothes. Our hosts take pride in finding suitable horses for each and every rider before we set out to the beach. We tölt and canter along the famous Melafjörur beach with breathtaking views to the lovely Borgarfjörður fjord on one side and to the high mountain ridge of Hafnarfjall (844 m) to the other side. Small skerries with an abundant birdlife enrich the beautiful beach site. We ride along the lagoon Narfastaðaós to Ölver, the private summerhouse of our host where we enjoy some coffee and cake while the horses enjoy their well-deserved rest. A short drive takes us to Borganes town, a small and beautiful town set amid lava and with amazing views. We take a short tour through the town before we check in at the cosy Hamar Hotel with excellent golf facilities. Enjoy a bath in the outside hot tub with mountain views! Dinner and evening individually.
Riding distance: 15-20 km.
Day 2: Continue on the beach and on to Skorradalur valley
Enjoy the breakfast buffet at the hotel before our guides will pick you up for your next ride! We return to the horses and ride along the soft beach and lava coastline to Þjófaklettur cliff and Hafnarskógur forest with views over the fjord. From here small country tracks take us to the beautiful Skorradalur valley with its large lake and scenic mountain landscape. Here we leave the horses for the night and drive back to hotel
Riding distance: approx. 25 km
Day 3: Riding along a mountain and river
We start our ride today where we left our horses in Skorradalur valley and ride around the mountain Hestur (a horse) and come back to our field. We stop for example at an equestrian center at Miðfossar, ride along one of the oldest power plant in Iceland and enjoy lunch at an old meeting place or crossroads. On our way back to hotel we stop at Hreppslaug, a local geothermal pool for a relaxing bath after our ride. Drive back to hotel
Riding distance: approx. 22 km
Day 4: Along Skorradalsvatn lake
We take the horses on a trailer and drive to abannoned farm Hagi where we start and end our ride. We ride along the lake to Fitjar on grassy trails and passing some old farm ruins. The Skorradalur lake fills up most of the valley but the lowlands in the west are wide moorlands. There is very little traditional farming practiced today but summerhouses are becoming increasingly common and forests are growing from year to year. The Hvanneyri parish is situated at Fitjar which is deep in the valley. We will have dinner all together at a nice restaurant in Borgarnes.
Riding distance: approx. 22 km.
Day 5: Mountain ride over remote Skarðheiði
Our last ride will take up up high into the moutains on remote moutain tracks. Skarðheiði plateau with its beautiful peaks Skessuhorn, Skarðshyrna og Heiðarhorn (1053 m) is about 5 million years old and has been formed by huge icefields in prehistorical times. From here we enjoy extraordinary views in all directions towards the ocean and the glaciers and volcanoes inland. The small secluded tracks take us right through the peaks of Skesshorn and Rauðahnjúkafjall. We descend via Snóksfjall mountain ridge back to Ölver summerhouse where we take the horses on trailer back to Skorradalur, say good bye to the horses and drive to Reykjavik. . Arrival in Reykjavík in the late afternoon. Drop off either at BSÍ bus station in Reykjavík to catch the flybus to Keflavík airport or at your accommodation in the capital area.
Riding distance: ca. 20 km
Exploring Iceland reserves the right to alter routes, itineraries or timetables should the necessity arise. The estimated duration of tours as indicated by km or timing can change according to road or weather conditions.
Included:
Meet & greet at your accommodation in Reykjavík (timings vary as it depends on the tide). Please be ready in your riding clothes. Our hosts take pride in finding suitable horses for each and every rider before we set out to the beach. We tölt and canter along the famous Melafjörur beach with breathtaking views to the lovely Borgarfjörður fjord on one side and to the high mountain ridge of Hafnarfjall (844 m) to the other side. Small skerries with an abundant birdlife enrich the beautiful beach site. We ride along the lagoon Narfastaðaós to Ölver, the private summerhouse of our host where we enjoy some coffee and cake while the horses enjoy their well-deserved rest. A short drive takes us to Borganes town, a small and beautiful town set amid lava and with amazing views. We take a short tour through the town before we check in at the cosy Hamar Hotel with excellent golf facilities. Enjoy a bath in the outside hot tub with mountain views! Dinner and evening individually.
Riding distance: 15-20 km.
Day 2: Continue on the beach and on to Skorradalur valley
Enjoy the breakfast buffet at the hotel before our guides will pick you up for your next ride! We return to the horses and ride along the soft beach and lava coastline to Þjófaklettur cliff and Hafnarskógur forest with views over the fjord. From here small country tracks take us to the beautiful Skorradalur valley with its large lake and scenic mountain landscape. Here we leave the horses for the night and drive back to hotel
Riding distance: approx. 25 km
Day 3: Riding along a mountain and river
We start our ride today where we left our horses in Skorradalur valley and ride around the mountain Hestur (a horse) and come back to our field. We stop for example at an equestrian center at Miðfossar, ride along one of the oldest power plant in Iceland and enjoy lunch at an old meeting place or crossroads. On our way back to hotel we stop at Hreppslaug, a local geothermal pool for a relaxing bath after our ride. Drive back to hotel
Riding distance: approx. 22 km
Day 4: Along Skorradalsvatn lake
We take the horses on a trailer and drive to abannoned farm Hagi where we start and end our ride. We ride along the lake to Fitjar on grassy trails and passing some old farm ruins. The Skorradalur lake fills up most of the valley but the lowlands in the west are wide moorlands. There is very little traditional farming practiced today but summerhouses are becoming increasingly common and forests are growing from year to year. The Hvanneyri parish is situated at Fitjar which is deep in the valley. We will have dinner all together at a nice restaurant in Borgarnes.
Riding distance: approx. 22 km.
Day 5: Mountain ride over remote Skarðheiði
Our last ride will take up up high into the moutains on remote moutain tracks. Skarðheiði plateau with its beautiful peaks Skessuhorn, Skarðshyrna og Heiðarhorn (1053 m) is about 5 million years old and has been formed by huge icefields in prehistorical times. From here we enjoy extraordinary views in all directions towards the ocean and the glaciers and volcanoes inland. The small secluded tracks take us right through the peaks of Skesshorn and Rauðahnjúkafjall. We descend via Snóksfjall mountain ridge back to Ölver summerhouse where we take the horses on trailer back to Skorradalur, say good bye to the horses and drive to Reykjavik. . Arrival in Reykjavík in the late afternoon. Drop off either at BSÍ bus station in Reykjavík to catch the flybus to Keflavík airport or at your accommodation in the capital area.
Riding distance: ca. 20 km
Exploring Iceland reserves the right to alter routes, itineraries or timetables should the necessity arise. The estimated duration of tours as indicated by km or timing can change according to road or weather conditions.
Included:
- Transfer from Reykjavík to the starting point of the ride on 1st day
- Transfer back to Reykjavík on the last day
- All transfers during the ride
- 4x nights in double/twin or single rooms with private facilities at Hotel Hamar
- 4x lunches during the tour
- 5x riding days according to program
- One dinner at restaurant in Borgarnes
- Entrance fee to local swimmingpool
- English speaking guide.
Hotel Hamar
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This hotel offers relaxing outdoor hot tubs, an 18-hole golf course and activities such as whale watching and snowmobile safaris. Reykjavik and Snæfellsnes National Park are a 1-hour drive away. Hotel Hamar’s rooms feature minimalist modern design, heated floors and a private patio. All have private bathrooms with showers. The hotel restaurant serves traditional Icelandic food and international dishes made from fresh, locally produced ingredients. Guests can also enjoy views of the Borgarfjördur Fjord or have a drink on the patio. Icelandair Hamar is found 3 km north of Borgarnes, just off Iceland’s main road, Route 1, also known as the Ring Road. |
Steinunn GuðbjörnsdóttirTour Operator
Guide / Driver / photographer Steinunn or Steina bought her first horse at the age of 16 and has been smitten by the „horse bug“ ever since. By now she owns 14 horses and some of her younger horses come from her own breeding lines.. Steina decided to use the COVID time to go to the Icelandic guiding school so now she is a certificate driver/guide. She likes horses with a character, with good tölt and good temperament. Her horses are usually the easy ones. She has 3 grown up children and Lóa is her youngest and only one in the family who is riding with her. |
Margrét Lóa BjörnsdóttirHorse trainer Guide / Driver Instagram photographer
Lóa is Steinunn’s daughter. She started riding when she was 5 years old and has been riding ever since. She bought her own horse when she was only 11 years old, a 5 year old Palomino mare, Klassik, which is now her breeding mare. She is the competi- tion rider in the team but also loves to go on horseriding trips which she has been doing since the age of 10. |
Ari SigurðssonTour operator / guide / Driver
Ari started riding at a young age with his father. Horse riding is his favourite thing to do after work and he is the main guy to come to for a coffee in his riding club. He has 2 grown up children (no grand children yet) but they are not riding with him so one can say that Steina and Lóa are his “horse-family”. His favorite horses are those who are cooperative to run after the loose herd. |
