PRICES & DATES top
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Iceland Round Ups: Prices & Dates 2024
High season is for departure from June 25 to August 18, 2023. All other departures are priced as low season.
10% EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT BOOK BY END OF DECEMBER 2022
Sheep Round Ups
- Reykjaréttir$1,573 5 – 8 September
- Melrakkaslétta $2,167 5 – 9 September
- Landmannaafréttur $3,127 13 – 19 September
Horse Round Ups
- Skrapatungurétt $2,287 12 – 16 September
- Víðidalstungurétt $2,186 2 – 6 October
Children – 25% Discount under 12 years old
Families – 5% Discount – Parents and children 12 – 18 years old travelling with parents, minimum family of 3
Note: Rates are subject to daily exchange rate fluctuations, please refer to our ‘Terms & Conditions’ for full details.
Included – All the riding with 3-4 ponies per person & full board shared accommodation.
Excluded – Flights, tips, airport transfers and alcohol (BYO policy).
Getting There
International flight to Klefavik.
Transfer
Short transfer to Reykjavik.
All our horse riding holidays hold a price guarantee. We believe in your piece of mind on price when you book one of our horse riding holidays and will refund the difference should you find the same horse riding holiday elsewhere at a lower price.
SUMMARY OF THE TRIP top
Iceland is a unique country in itself but if you add the Icelandic pony with its extraordinary gait and stamina on these Icelandic Riding Trails, you end up with a very special and a very different horse riding holiday.
This selection of trails has been crafted over many years by a collection of farmers we support directly year after year in Iceland. They offer their best home bred Icelandic horses for you to ride and guide you personally across the whole of Iceland in areas of pristine beauty, which only they know like the back of their hands.
Please have a read through each Iceland Trail Ride Summary below and a full day to day itinerary is available on request. Rides run throughout the whole year and are a selection of trails rides from one place to the next, along beaches, in the mountains, rounding up sheep, rounding up horses, celebrating the summer solstice, riding at night instead of the day, farm stay breaks and rides for those that have less riding experience than is required for trail rides – pretty much there is a ride for everyone, including families and children!
Icelandic horses, although small in height are extremely comfortable to ride and famous for the 5 gaits unique to this breed.
A bit about the special gait the ‘Tolt’
The tolt is the speciality of the Icelandic Horse. It is a smooth four-beat gait in which the horses hind legs should move well under the body and carry more of the weight on the hind part, allowing the front to rise and be free and loose. This flying pace is a two-beat gait, well known in the international racing world. When pacing the horse moves both legs on the same side together. In Iceland, pace horses are ridden in races and pace racing in Iceland is one of the oldest and most respected equestrian sports.
THE RIDING top
Iceland Round Ups: Horses – Pure Icelandic Ponies.
Iceland Round Ups: Level of Riding & Pace – Beginner to Advanced. A good level of fitness is required as you will be spending long hours in the saddle especially on the advanced trail rides
Tack – English.
Weight Restriction – 16 Stone / 102 kg / 224 lbs.
Iceland Round Ups: Group Size – Maximum 18.
ACCOMMODATION top
A mix of cosy, simple guesthouses & farmhouses. The food is lovely home cooked Icelandic food, consisting of soups & stews, fish & lamb, with healthy breakfasts & lunches.
Iceland Round Ups – Summary
- 4 Sheep Round Ups
Reykjaréttir
From Kálfhóll Farm we head off through fertile farmland and enter the beautiful trail along mighty glacier river Thjórsá. The ride continues towards the herd of sheep that are herded down from the highlands in tenth of thousands. When we meet the herd we will herd them for the rest of the way to Reykjaréttir (Reykja Coral) where all the sheep farmers come together to collect their sheep from the herd. We will get the opportunity to help one farmer to collect his sheep by catching them and check their mark. When everybody has got their sheep into the right (“dilkur”) place we will head back to Kálfhóll farm riding on our horses. On our way there is a local pub that serves the traditional “réttarsúpa” (coral soup) which is a traditional Icelandic soup with meat and vegetable. When we arrive to Kálfhóll in the late afternoon we get our dinner. At the same pub we stopped on our way there will be a dance in the evening so if you like to go that can be arranged for those who want. The next morning, we enjoy breakfast and later the bus will take you back to Reykjavík city
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 colours and types of weather. Anticipate being in golden sunshine one moment and to ride in rain and even sleet during the next.
Melrakkaslétta
We are proud to present a round up tour in the very Northeast of Iceland. This part of Iceland is inhabited by only few people, most of them living in little fishing villages along the coast and on farms. There is a lot of diversity in this tour starting with beautiful mountain views from the wide Öxarfjörður Fjord. The Peninsula of Melrakkaslétta, which stretches almost to the Arctic Circle, is a paradise for birdwatchers and people with geological interest. Here we are right on top of the Mid Atlantic Ridge where the NorthAmerican and Eurasian plates drift apart.
On this special tour we join the farmers in north Iceland as they round up thousands of sheep from the mountains. We gather the sheep from Núpasveitafréttur and Melrakkaslétta peninsula and drive them into Katastaða communal sheepfold so the farmers can sort out their flock and take them to their farms. Local farmers have been rounding up sheep in this area for centuries. Learn from them how to manage the flock, drive sheep downhill sides, across rivers and out of sheltered valleys to their resting place for the night, only to head off again the next day to round up more.
Being amongst the farming community and lending a helping hand in this age-old tradition of the autumn round-up is as close as you can get to the heart and soul of this nation. As participants you are joining an annual tradition and not a customized riding tour. Therefore, an open mind, good physical health and the ability to work as a team is essential. Expect to be treated as one of the crowd, be prepared to pull your weight each day and enjoy the camaraderie of all those participating.
Hosts for this tour are Halldór and Elín with their family from Bjarnastaðir Farm, known to many Icelanders for their excellent breeding of horses. Halldór is a respected member of his community and among other things he is a “mountain king” when the time calls for gathering up the sheep in autumn.
Landmannaafréttur
Rounding up sheep with the farmers in Landmannalaugar, Jökulgil and near Volcano Hekla.
On this special tour we join the farmers in South Iceland as they round up thousands of sheep from the mountains. We gather the sheep into the Landmannaafréttur communal sheepfold close to the famous Landmannalaugar geothermal area. The yellow, reddish and greenish hue of the rhyolite mountains give this area a magical touch.
Here, under the stately gaze of Mt. Hekla, we drive the sheep across the black sands, which is the ash spewed by this volcano over centuries. Local farmers have been herding sheep in this area for centuries. Learn from them how to manage the flock, drive sheep downhill sides, across rivers and out of sheltered valleys to their resting place for the night, only to head off again the next day to round up more.
Being amongst the farming community and lending a helping hand in this age-old tradition of the autumn round-up is as close as you can get to the heart and soul of this nation.
As participants you are joining an annual tradition and not a customized riding tour. Therefore, an open mind, good physical health and the ability to work as a team is essential. Expect to be treated as one of the crowd, be prepared to pull your weight each day and enjoy the camaraderie of all those participating.
Rangárvallaafréttur
On this special tour we join the farmers in South Iceland as they round up thousands of sheep from the mountains. We gather the sheep into the Rangárvallaafréttur communal sheepfold close to the famous Landmannalaugar geothermal area. The yellow, reddish and greenish hue of the rhyolite mountains give this area a magical touch.
Here, under the stately gaze of Mt. Hekla, we drive the sheep across the black sands, which is the ash spewed by this same volcano over centuries. Local farmers have been rounding up sheep in this area for centuries. Learn from them how to manage the flock, drive sheep downhill sides, across rivers and out of sheltered valleys to their resting place for the night, only to head off again the next day to round up more.
Being amongst the farming community and lending a helping hand in this age-old tradition of the autumn round-up is as close as you can get to the heart and soul of this nation.
- Horse Round Ups
Skrapatungurétt
Imagine hundreds of free and spirited horses cantering down from their highland summer pastures to be reclaimed by their owners. Mares and their foals, young horses and geldings traverse the rough terrain, not yet quite willing to surrender their freedom before the onset of winter. The ancient tradition of rounding up horses is only kept alive in the North of Iceland.
From the Vatnsdalur area we ride through beautiful valleys and mountains to Laxárdalur valley. Here we team up with the Icelanders and help round up the horses and drive them down from the mountains to Skrapatungurétt communal corral.
When this task is complete the locals celebrate with a special round-up dance or “réttardansleikur”. We are of course more than welcome to join in the fun. The round-up continues the next day when the horses get sorted at the corral and we help in returning some of them to their home meadows.
Víðidalstungurétt
Join the farmers in this great autumn adventure. Ride along when they drive the herd, sort the horses and celebrate the successful return of horses and men. The varied terrain includes the highland moors, green valleys just turning into their autumn colours of burning red and yellow, deep blue lakes and rivers and Kolugljúfur gorge where a troll woman resided in the old days.
From Hvammur Farm in the North we follow good riding tracks until we meet the Icelanders who have been gathering horses already for some days. We join them and help driving the herd down to the Víðidalstungurétt corral. When this task has been fulfilled the locals celebrate the successful roundups with a ball “réttardansleikur” and we are welcome to join in the fun. The next day the horses get sorted. Experience the excitement of horses and men when the horses and foals are selected from the herd and returned to their rightful owners.
SAMPLE ITINERARY top
Melrakkaslétta – An example of an Icelandic sheep round-up.
All the other trail ride day to day itineraries are available on request.
Day 1
Meeting place is at Flugfélagið Ernir in Reykjavík airport at 08:00. Morning flight from Reykjavik Airport to Húsavík. Bus transfer to Bjarnastaðir Farm, where we meet up with the guides and horses and have a late lunch. On the way we will stop at Dettifoss, Europe’s largest waterfall and Ásbyrgi National Park. Ásbyrgi is one of the wonders of nature, a wide, horseshoe-shaped canyon with sheer cliff faces up to 100 m high. According to legend, Sleipnir, the Norse god Odin’s eight-legged horse, put one of his hooves down as the god rode by. After a short introduction to the horses we set out on a 2 -3 hours ride through Kerlingaskógur´s low bushy area and enjoy great views over the Fjord Öxarfjörður and the famous Lake Skjálftavatn which suddenly appeared over night after a strong earthquake 28 years ago, when the land had been lowered by 4 meters overnight. Overnight at Bjarnastaðir. (Approx. 30km)
Day 2
We start early and each rider will join a local farmer and his dog to be his (her) mentor and guide during the tour. This area is rich with vegetation, green valleys and small lakes and we continue until late afternoon, leave horses and sheep at a remote old hut and return back to the farm for a hearty dinner and a good night’s sleep. (Approx. 35 km)
Day 3
The Peninsula of Melrakkaslétta, which stretches almost to the Arctic Circle, is a paradise for birdwatchers and people with geological interest. Here we are right on top of the Mid Atlantic Ridge where the North-American and Eurasian plates drift apart. The vegetation is ideal for the sheep and the local farmers are very proud of their stock. We meet up with our horses and continue driving the sheep down to Katastaðarétt communal fold, where they are kept for the night together with the horses. Overnight at Bjarnastaðir. (Approx. 30 km)
Day 4
This is the final and well celebrated day of the round-up. In the morning the sorting of the sheep starts and lasts until each sheep has been returned to its owners. Participate in sorting the sheep, “pass the flask around” and join in the singing and celebrating after a successful ride into the mountains. Once the sorting is finished we join the farmers from Daðastaðir Farm and Presthólar Farm and help them drive the sheep home. Overnight and a farewell dinner at Bjarnastaðir. (Approx. 35 km)
Day 5
We say goodbye to horses and staff and drive to Húsavík airport to catch the flight to Reykjavik in the morning.
DESTINATION MAP top
Zara’s Planet Horse Riding Holidays Guarantee:
All our horse riding holidays hold a price guarantee. We believe in your piece of mind on price when you book one of our horse riding holidays and will refund the difference should you find the same horse riding holiday elsewhere at a lower price.
If you are having trouble finding exactly the right horse riding holiday for you from our horse riding holidays collection, please contact us directly using the form below and tell us in your own words what you would like to do and we will use our extensive knowledge to make sure we find that perfect horse riding holiday.
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