The Kjolur Wilderness Trail

The Kjölur route is an ancient riding trail, intimately associated with many dramatic events in Icelandic history.

You will visit the popular attractions of Gullfoss and Geysir as well as uninhabited tracts of land, glaciers, wilderness and hot springs. The ride goes north between glaciers and a night is spent close to a sliding glacier.

At Hveravellir, hot springs await you, like an oasis in the desert. You will continue to wend your way across many of Northern Iceland’s rivers until reaching the green & beautiful valleys of Blöndudalur, your final destination.

Day 1: Arrival
The tour starts in the evening. Tour members who arrive the same day to Iceland should take the flight bus from the airport to the ending busstation BSÍ in Reykjavík. We will greet you at the bus station or at your hotel/guesthouse in Reykjavik between 17:30- 18:00 and drive you to our farm Vellir near Hveragerði. There you will be lodged at our new guesthouse. We will get to know each other during the dinner at our Hotel Eldhestar. The day will end with a detailed description of the tour.

Day 2: Hveragerdi – Reykholt - Geysir
We go by car to a place near the farm Reykholt in the beautiful area Biskupstúngur. We ride on soft paths until we reach a river, which we cross. We end our tour at the farm Kjarnholt, just south of the hot springs at Geysir. 20 km, 4 hrs

Day 3: Kjarnholt  - Fremstaver
We start the riding from Kjarnholt, and our first stop will be at Gullfoss. From Gullfoss we ride into the wilderness, in a black desert of stones and sand. We follow the river Hvítá west until we come to the Mt. Bláfell, 1160 m above sea level, which gives us a beautiful view over Kjölur. We see the glaciers Eyjafjallajökull and Hofsjökull and the volcano Hekla and, on the right, Mt. Hlödufell and the Langjökull Glacier. We spend the night south of Bláfell in the mountain hut Fremstaver. 35 km, 7 hrs

Day 4: Fremstaver - Árbúdir
We continue east along Bláfell. We cross the Hvítá Rver over a bridge, pass the waterfall Ábóta, and there Kjölur starts. Kjölur is the oldest road between South and North Iceland. It is mostly even and is about 700 m above sea level. We have a view over the Langjökull and Hofsjökull glaciers and the Kerlingafjöll mountains - Kjölur's flagship. We follow the Svartá River to Árbúdir, where we spend the night. 40 km, 8 hrs

Day 5: Árbúdir - Hveravellir
The tour starts toward Hvítárnes, a grass-rich area changing its character in the summer when the green flower Fifa turns white and fluffy. We come to the lava field Kjalhraun, which many people think gave Kjölur its name. It looks like the keel of a ship. West of Kjalhraun we ride through a narrow cleft to the valley Thjófadalur (the Valley of Thieves). The valley is circular and hidden behind the mountains. It is one of the few places along Kjölur rich with grass. From the valley, we ride over a little mountain comb called Thröskuldur, and from there, we follow a smooth path to Hveravellir, where we can bathe in the hot springs. 40 km, 8 hrs

Day 6: Hveravellir - Áfangi
Today we have enough time to explore the beautiful nature surrounding Hveravellir before we saddle the horses. Hveravellir is one of the biggest geothermal areas in Iceland. There was an outlaw hideout here in the old days, and south of the area we pass the ruin of the hut of the outlaw Fjalla-Eyvindur. We continue north over the river Seydisá and along the mountains Sandkúlufell, Hanskafell and Saudafell, and spend the night in a mountain hut called Áfangi.
28 km, 5-6 hrs

Day 7: Áfangi – Vatnsdalur
We continue north over the Eyvindarstadaheidi Moor. We are now not very far from civilization in North Iceland. We ride with the mountains behind us and the glaciers all around us. On our right we have the big lake Blöndulón, which was created from the power plant by the Blanda River. We continue on soft riding paths and mountain roads and end up in the green valley Vatnsdalur. From there we return by bus to Reykjavik, where the group can spend the evening together. Bed & Breakfast accommodation in a guesthouse.

Day 8: Departure
After breakfast, the tour members can take the Flybus on their own to Keflavik airport or continue travelling in Iceland.

*Please note that dinner on the last evening is not included.

Please note: every second tour goes in the opposite direction

2012 prices:

7 nights, full board, £1580pp

2012 dates:

17th June and 14th July - starting from the South

25th June, 23rd July and 16th August - starting from the North

Please note: There is a 20% discount for children aged 14 years and under.

Not Included: Flights and Travel Insurance

Accommodation: 7 nights, 6 days riding, full board sleeping bag accommodation

Meeting Point: Reykjavik

Transfer: Included from Reykjavik bus station

Hours in the Saddle: 4-8

Max Weight: 95kg

Group Size: Variable

Suitable for Non-Riders: No

Call us on +44 (0)1225 424413 or email contact@redlandsequestrian.com to check the ride availability and dates, once we have confirmed availability you can download and fill in a booking form:

• UK Rides Booking Form
• Worldwide Rides Booking Form

Each rider in the party must also complete a riding ability questionnaire before we can complete the final confirmation of your holiday booking.