Horse Round up
Laufskálarétt - Skagafjörður
North Iceland
Date 2022
22-25 September 2022
22-25 September 2022
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Laufskálarétt in Hjaltadalur is the most popular horse corral in the land; every year it hosts a total of three thousand guests. The Laufskálarétt weekend begins on Friday night with lots of fun in the riding hall at Svaðastöðum. On Saturday, the horses are herded out of Kolbeinsdalur valley and corralled, and then at night there is a popular dance party. Imagine hundreds of horses coming down the hill from their highland summer pastures in full gallop to be sorted and reclaimed by their owners. Imagine Northern Lights dancing over the night sky in the remote highland – far away from any light pollution. The ancient tradition of rounding up the livestock is kept alive in Iceland and truly an experience of a lifetime. We also ride to the neighboring farms for a chat over horses, some of them might even join us on our way home and we can go for some serious speed tölt competition with the locals! Enjoy the famous hospitality of the Skagafjörður people and ride, eat, sing and party with us! During this time of the year we have very good chances to get a superb display of the Northern Lights although of course we cannot guarantee them. |
Type: Multi days riding tour with daily rides from the farm including to Horse Round Up Duration: 4 days / 3 nights/3 riding days Level of expertise required: Experienced riders in good physical shape only Area: Skagafjörður, North Iceland Accommodation: 3 nights in made up beds in twin rooms with shared facilities Meals: Full board during the ride. Guide: English speaking. Group: International Price: ISK 230.000 per person Please contact us for booking: info@exploringiceland.is |
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Day by day itinerary
Thursday: Meet in Skagafjörður Meet & Greet at your accommodation at 8:30 AM in Skagafjörður at the farm of our hosts. Check in and afterwards we head out to the stables and take our first ride to Sauðárkrókur with a herd of spare horses. Return to the farm for dinner and look out for the northern lights in the evening! Accommodation for next 3 nights at a lovely farm guesthouse : made up beds in double rooms with shared facilities. Friday: Riding in Skagafjörður After breakfast we drive back to the horses and continue towards the mountains. This area is famous for its horse breeding and farm names will sound familar to many! We ride with perfect views to the endless mountain range and over the Skagafjörður fjord. Saturday: Horse Round Up! Today we need to get up early. We ride into Kolbeinsdalur valley with Ingólfur and his family who keep many of their horses in this stunning valley surrounded my mountains. There will be a lot of riders and a lot of fun! At noon the young horses, foals and mares are driven into Laufskálarétt corral for sorting. Sorting wild young horses involves some daring moves by the local farmers. Enjoy the spectacular performance by the young Icelanders as they find and sort their horses in between the excited herd! The people of Skagafjörður love sing and there will be for sure a lot of singing in Laufskálarétt corral. In the evening the hot tub and a nice goodbye dinner will be served Sunday - Breakfast After breakfast we say good bye to the lovely family and their great horses. Good to know: The transfer from Reykjavík to the farm in Skagafjörður and back is not included. You can go by public bus service Strætó or by rental car. We recommend to book a rental car to be able to do some extra sightseeing along the way. We are happy to book the rental car for you. We recommend to go to the farm a day early (Wednesday) since the tour starts early morning on Thursday. The extra night before the tour (Wednesday-Thursday) is free of charge. You can buy breakfast and dinner at their guesthouse. Please make sure you also read our Useful Information about Riding Tours Notice: 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. Please note that the Northern Lights are a natural phenomenon and sightings can not be guaranteed. Short time Forecast |
Included:
Good to know: When you participate in the Round Ups you are experiencing the real Thing! You will be one of the group to herd and sort the animals. Of course that means long hours outside in sometimes cold weather. Iceland in autumn has many colors and types of weather. Anticipate to be in golden sunshine one moment and to ride in rain and even sleet during the next. We therefore recommend to dress well during these tours, to bring long woolen underwear and lots of woolen socks and gloves. It is also good to bring some quick energy supplies like chocolate. A warm rider is a happy rider! Individual travel insurance is not included in the tour price.
We encourage clients to obtain relevant travel insurance before visiting Iceland.
- Horse riding for 3 days according to program.
- 3 nights in double rooms with shared facilities.
- Full board during the tour starting with lunch on the first day and ending with breakfast on last day.
- English speaking guide
Good to know: When you participate in the Round Ups you are experiencing the real Thing! You will be one of the group to herd and sort the animals. Of course that means long hours outside in sometimes cold weather. Iceland in autumn has many colors and types of weather. Anticipate to be in golden sunshine one moment and to ride in rain and even sleet during the next. We therefore recommend to dress well during these tours, to bring long woolen underwear and lots of woolen socks and gloves. It is also good to bring some quick energy supplies like chocolate. A warm rider is a happy rider! Individual travel insurance is not included in the tour price.
We encourage clients to obtain relevant travel insurance before visiting Iceland.
