This tour is unusual in that it is a short tour, BUT, the riders on this tour go along with a herd of loose horse that serve as remounts during the 5 days of riding. This the tradition in Iceland; the horses are always fresh and willing because they know they're not going to be ridden for the whole day. The experience of riding along with this herd of loose horses may be one of the greatest riding experiences many of us will know!
Do you want to experience Iceland without riding horses?
Guided coach Tours
Self guided Driving Touring
There are reasons why the Thorsmork tour is one of the most popular Horses North tours! The ride goes through one of the loveliest spots in a beautiful country, and along the sea shore and amongst some fabulous glaciers and rivers to get there. And you travel with the herd, taking 50 or 60 horses with you as remounts , and this is the only "short" tour to offer this Icelandic tradition. It all happens on a 5 day tour, leaving time for some other Iceland exploration. Thorsmork is worth a visit by any visit to Iceland, it's particularly fascinating to visit on horseback. - it's a large wooded valley, sacred, considered the "woods of Thor", dedicated to this god since ancient times. Whether you've ridden for years or are just learning your way around these horses, the broad valleys, steep canyons and raging rivers of Thorsmork is a marvelous place to enjoy Icelandic nature and the Icelandic horse
First Night
Overnight flight to Iceland
Americans fly out no later than the night before the tour begins in Iceland. Travelers from Mainland Europe can leave on the same day.
Day 1
Welcome to Iceland!
Riders will arrive at Keflavik International Airport and then take the Flybus shuttle to the BSI bus terminal in Reykjavik. Luggage can be left here, you can get some breakfast, and it will be very convenient to explore a bit of Iceland’s capital city. Around 5:30 PM, your outfitter will pick up riders at the bus terminal, and take them to their farm in Hveragerdi, about an hour outside of the capital. where they can check into the comfortable country hotel. The tour group meets over dinner and is given details of the tour ahead.
Day 2
Hveragerði - Skálakot
After breakfast, riders are taken south to Skálakot to meet the horses and begin riding. The first day’s ride goes to the delta of the Markarfljót river, where seals are often seen, and then the route turns inland, where the view of mountains and glaciers await. The night is spent in a community center.
Day 3
Skálakot - Thórsmörk
It’s a day for great sights starting with Paradise Cave, famous during outlaw times. Then there is a walk behind the waterfall at Seljalandsfoss which rises some 70 meters high. Then a ride up the valley along the river Markarfljot, known from Njals saga. The first glacier in sight is Eyjafjallajökull, which produces many little rivers, and culminates in the glacial torrent called Krossa. You’ve arrived at Thorsmork national park, wild and beautiful, and held dear by Icelanders. The next two nights are spent in a mountain hut here.
Day 4
Thórsmörk
The whole day is spent riding through this huge national park. Thorsmork offers unforgettable scenery, with its broad valleys, real forests, plenty of canyons, caves and waterfalls. The highlight is a ride into the deep green canyon Stakkholtsgja, which feels like the heart of Thorsmork. Where else can you ride in the shadow of three glaciers - Eyjafjallajökull, Tindafjallajökull and Mydalsjokull?
Day 5
Thórsmörk - Heimaland
The last day gets started with more riding through Thorsmork. Then it’s time to ride back through the fine broad valleys approaching Thorsmork and over the moors of Hamragardaheidi. Around 2 pm you’ll leave the horses and go back to Vellir and after a short stop are driven further to Reykjavík, where the group often goes out to dinner together (not included in the price, though!) You are booked into a nice tourist class hotel.
Day 6
Home again!
The tour officially ends this morning after breakfast. You can continue exploring Iceland or, if your trip is over you can can take the Flybus shuttle out to the airport later in the day. (You could take a bus that will give you a few hours visit to the Blue Lagoon on the trip to the airport.)
Accommodations during the Thorsmork riding tour are traditionally Icelandic. On your first night you are upgraded to the Eldhestar Hotel in a very comfortable room. On the tour you’ll need a sleeping bag and you’ll stay in farm guesthouses, mountain huts and cabins, which are all warm and clean. Typically there are several beds per room, and in huts there may be one big sleeping room. Most will have shared bathroom facilities. What they lack in creature comforts they make up for in impressive scenery. Your last night, in Reykjavik, is also upgraded.
Download a PDF of the itinerary of thie Thorsmork Riding Tour
There are 8 Thorsmork Tours during the summer of 2008. The first date listed is the day the tour departs in Iceland. While travel dates are flexible, riders must leave the US no later than the night before the tour starts in Iceland.