Iceland and its horses are our passion and we go to Iceland to ride with our outfitters and guides as often as possible. Visitors like to know what to expect in this faraway land so we explore as far and wide as we can while we are there, checking out hotels and restaurants when we get off the horse, and finding the best hot springs. It's a very tough job! Picking a TourPicking an outfitter for a riding vacation in a faraway land isn't easy. A little advice and help in making arrangements can go a long way to to keeping the adventure where you want it. The adventure will come when you're on an Icelandic horse riding across the magnificent countryside that Iceland has preserved. Because we very much like Iceland, it's horses and people, we relish the idea of introducing people to the Icelandic Horse. People are always amazed at what this little gaited horse will do! We've ridden with many outfitters in the last few years, learning their strengths and routes their guides and horses. We've gotten to know what sort of traveler will get on best with each of our outfitters. In our short history, the people whom we've sent riding in Iceland have come back from their trips with praise for our suggestions and support and usually with high praise for Iceland and its horses. Horses North offers a wide variety of horse riding tours, and we are happy to help you pick the level of adventure travel that suits your style. Rides range from day rides for a few hours, near Rekjavik, where you'll be picked up and delivered back to your hotel after a short ride on some very gentle and smooth gaited horses. At the other end of the scale there are tours where you'll cover up to 30 miles on some days, and you'll really appreciate the gaited qualities of the Icelandic horse. You may not have hot water all the time, but you will get into some amazingly rugged and beautiful, areas that would be hard to reach any way but on a horse. And the Icelandic horse makes it all easy! Day Rides From an hour to a day, there a number of nice opportunities for those with just a bit of time for horses. Whether just beyond Reykjavik proper, or out in the country, a short ride offers a nice taste of the tolt. You can also take a day-long ride, or use an 8 hour riding clinic to sharpen your riding skills. Day rides are generally priced without airfare, as most people just add them on to other Iceland activities. If we are booking other elements o travel services for you we'll help you find the day tours that work out best for your location? and interests. Most our activer clients want to to try at least a short ride on the amazing creatures. A great way to sample traditional Icelandic life and enjoy Icelandic horses! You ride out from a farm house or nic country hotel everyday, and come back to the same comfy bed each night. Exciting days. Pretty relaxing at day's end and a chance for other activities-hiking, fishing, bird watching- as well. Our most popular touring option! Iceland's wild back country is not far off Highway 1, and these rides will get you there quickly. Running from 4 to 8 days, these tours are like those taken by Icelandic farmers, conditioning their horses for the fall round ups. A days ride starts after a good breakfast, proceeds at a pretty good clip, with stops to graze both horse and rider (lunch) and then ends with a home cooked dinner in a mountain hut, community center or farm guesthouse. Sleeping bag accommodations may be a bit primitive, but the food is hearty, the songs are plentiful, and the surroundings are lovely. In the old days, Icelanders would travel north to south on tracks through the highlands. Long days of riding, over vast open landscapes makes these rides suitable for experienced riders in good condition, but they are a marvelous way to ride the traditional way. Riding with the Herd: Something Special A lot of riders feel that the most interesting aspect of touring in Iceland is the tradition of riding with a herd of loose horses for remounts. When farmers go riding in the summer to train the horses, and to get them ready for the work of the roundups in the fall, they always drive a good sized herd of remounts along. On a long day of riding that might cover 30 miles or so they would each ride three or four horses. Not all of the modern day tours that are available do this, but if it's something you want to try we can steer you to those tours that do ride with a loose herd. It is an experience that will stick in your memory! Custom rides:Few things are more fun for a group of friends than riding together in Iceland. It's quite easy to custom make a ride for groups, large or small, and it's not necessarily more expensive than the using a scheduled tour. We work with outfitters and farmers who take you on a tour that you and your pals will long remember! Prices Almost all of the Horses North cross-country tours are fully-inclusive tours. Our per-person prices for these tours include round trip airfare on Icelandair from New York City, (JFK) Boston or Baltimore (BWI) and Minneapolis departure is about $75 more. Also included are all transfers, all tack and equipment, all meals and lodging while on the tour. NOT included in the price are airport departure taxes of about $90. Most tours don't include a meal or two on the first and last day of your tour - but we'll give you all the details for each particular tour. Any optional and additional travel, lodging and activity (which we will be happy to discuss and arrange) is of course not included. For the details of exactly is and is not included in the tour price please see the complete itinerary for the particular tour in question. |
