Fascinating North Iceland

Fascinating North Iceland

This is one of our most classic tours. The tour begins with a pickup in Akureyri and transfer to our farm guesthouse, where guests are introduced to the group and the itinerary over dinner. Riders explore Iceland’s diverse landscapes on horseback, starting near the historic Goðafoss waterfall. The journey winds through forests, alongside rivers, and past waterfalls such as Ullarfoss and Barnafoss, with scenic lunch stops along the way. Trails lead across sandy paths on lava fields covered in low birch and bushes. Riders explore black-sand beaches near historic sites like Náttfaravíkur, travel through ancient lava fields, and cross the salmon-rich river Laxá. The route continues through lush valleys, around lakes, and along forested paths with sweeping views. Highlights include old trails, panoramic views of Lake Mývatn, and visits to abandoned farms and quiet valleys steeped in history. Each night, guests stay in comfortable countryside guesthouses, enjoying warm meals and rest after immersive days of riding and exploration. This tour is with a free-running herd.

 

 

Day 1 – Arrival

In the late afternoon (mostly between 4 pm and 6 pm), we will pick you up from Akureyri and bring you to our farm Grýtubakki. There, you will be lodged at our little guesthouses with a shared bathroom. We will get to know each other during dinner and we will end the day with a detailed description of the tour.

Day 2

After breakfast, we take the bus to Goðafoss. Here you can enjoy this breathtaking waterfall, which has played a significant role during Christianization in Iceland. Our horses are waiting a little bit further on at farmhouse Fremstafell for us. We start to ride north, through the forest Fellskógur, alongside the river Skjálfandafljót and by the waterfalls Ullarfoss and Barnafoss. We will have our lunch break at the bank of the river before crossing it and following the river further north to Sandur. We will be riding on sandy paths on the edge of Aðaldalshraun, which is a lava field covered with low birch and bushes. Dinner and overnight at Sandur guesthouse in made – up beds.

 

 

Day 3

Today we make a morning ride without the free-running herd. We ride alongside the sandy beach by the bay of Skjálfandafljót. We are close to Náttfaravíkur, where Náttfari settled - a slave from Garðar Svavarsson, which is said to be the second settler of Iceland. After lunch we will ride with the herd again and head towards Heiðarbót. We ride alongside a small lake called Miklavatn and follow the little river Mýrarkvísl. After the ride we will go swimming in a local swimming pool. Dinner and overnight at Sandur guesthouse in made-up beds.

Day 4

After an extensive breakfast, we pick up our horses. After about three hours of riding, we will cross the river, which has often been called the queen of salmon rivers in Iceland. Even though the river is not really deep you might get wet – depending on the size of your horse😊After crossing the river Laxá, we have arrived in the valley of smoke - Reykjadalur. We are still making our way further south, riding alongside Vatnshlíð on a forested riding path. The view down into the valley Reykjadalur all the way to lake Vestmannsvatn is unique. After about five to six hours of riding, we bid our horses farewell. They will stay on a big field of farm Akrar, which is in the valley Reykjadalur. We drive to Vestmannsvatn, where we will spend the next 3 nights in made – up beds.

 

 

 

Day 5

From Vestmannsvatn, we drive back to our horses and saddle them. The drive takes around 10 minutes. From Akrar, we ride further south towards the Mývatn area. At Másvatn, we will have our lunch break before heading south - west on an old “highway” called Akureyrarleiðin. Akureyrarleiðin is an old path that many Icelanders went in former times when going from the eastern part of the country to the western part or vice versa. A diverse landscape with soft riding tracks awaits us. We will have the chance to enjoy the panoramic view surrounding the lake Mývatn on our horses. Our destination is Stöng, where we will leave the horses on a big field with loads of grass for them. Dinner and overnight at Vestmannsvatn in made-up beds.

Day 6

After breakfast in Vestmannsvatn, we head to our horses at Stöng in Mývatnssveit. We continue our ride towards south direction Engidalur, where we will have our lunch break. From Engidalur we ride on soft paths into the next valley further west. Here we are very close to the entrance of Ódaðahraun, the enourmous lava field, believed to be the home of outlaws, elves and trolls in the old days. In the late afternoon we will arrive in Bárðardalur, where we will leave our horses for the night. Dinner and overnight in Vestmannsvatn in made-up beds. 

 

 

Day 7

Today marks our final day in the saddle. After breakfast, we drive to our horses, saddle them and start our ride back to farmhouse Fremstafell. We ride through the Bardardalur valley, following the river Skjálfandafljót, which flows through the valley over the Bárðardalshraun lava field that came all over the way from Trölladyngja in Ódaðahraun north of Vatnajökull more than 7,000 years ago. We will pause for a well-earned lunch break by the riverside. Once we arrive, it is time to bid our horses farewell and drive back to Grýtubakki for dinner and overnight in made – up beds.

Day 8 - Departure

After breakfast, we will drive you back to Akureyri.