Landsmót Special

For Icelandic Horse Fanatics!

The Icelandic Horse Championship 2010 will take place at Vindheimamelar in Skagafjörður between June 27th and July 4th.
This event is absolutely the highlight of breeding and competition of the Icelandic horse in Iceland and the world. It is a meeting point for thousands of Icelandic horse lovers from all around the globe. This program offers you the perfect opportunity to see the brightest stars of the Icelandic horses in the arena and to experience riding some fantastic horses in their natural environment. For many people worldwide the Icelandic horse is a treasure from the Viking time that has been preserved in Iceland for more than 1100 years.
Skagafjörður area has been the cradle of horse breeding in Iceland for centuries. By visiting some historic places like Hólar and Kolkuós on horseback, you will get a strong connection to the history and the breed for you are indeed travelling on the paths of the settlers. You will also get the feeling for how the Icelandic Horse has been used through the centuries and how this strong "breeding blood" was collected in this area long ago.

Duration	9 days / 8 nights - 4 riding days, 3 days at Landsmót
Departures	Tour A: 27.06. - 05.07.2010 Tour B: 01.07. - 09.07.2010
Daily rides	ca. 15 - 20 km
Riding skills	Suitable for a little up to highly experienced riders
Accomodation	Hotel in Reykjavík, in Skagafjörður made up bed 2 - 4 pers. in a room. One night sleeping bag accommodation in a mountain hut
Number of participants	min: 4, max: 12

Itinerary Tour B starts with the visit to Landsmót and ends with the riding tour (Itinerary for Tour A you finde here)
Thursday, Day 1
After your flight to Iceland our agent will meet you at Keflavik airport around 05:00 PM and take you to the domestic airport in Reykjavík. You take the plane up North to Sauðárkrókur where our guides welcome you. We will take you to the guesthouse in Sauðárkrókur, where you will spend the next nights. In case you arrive earlier in Iceland, please let us know where we can meet you.
Friday, Day 2
After breakfast - a day at Landsmót
Saturday,Day 3
After breakfast - another day at Landsmót
Sunday, Day 4
We enjoy the last day at Landsmót
Monday, Day 5
After breakfast we drive about 15 min to a farm at Hegranes where we meet our horses who accompany us the following days. We saddle up and after a short introduction we carefully train and adapt our riding skill to ride with a hand horse. With the open Atlantic ocean on our left hand we follow an excellent riding trail that leads us across the valley floor to the farm Enni. From there we follow the trail of the settlers of Iceland from the 9th century over Hrísháls down to Hjaltidalur and then further on to Holar. After the first riding day a relaxing bathe in the natural heated hot tube at the swimming pool is highly appreciated before dinner at the restaurant. We enjoy staying at this charming place which is one of the most historical sites of Iceland. Today Hólar is University of agriculture and the best known research- and education centre of the country. More about Hólar you find here.
Tuesday, Day 6
After an informing visit to all different sections at Hólar, we mount our horses again and leave nowadays civilization. We ride into the silence of the mountains and head to the desolated valley Kolbeinsdalur through Víðinesdalur from where we enjoy a magnificent view. Today we spend the night in the cozy mountain cabin Fjall in Kolbeinsdalur.
Wednesday, Day 7
After a peaceful night at Fjall we head to our next destination Kolkuós. Kolkuós (or in earlier years Kolbeinsárós) was an important Viking harbor in the 9th and 10th century. Today archeologists work there and found already a farm under the ash from the Hekla volcano eruption 1104. There is no other place in Iceland which is so strongly connected to the Icelandic Horse as Kolkuós. In the year 930 the first horse mentioned by name ("Fluga") arrived here by ship. Many years later a man called Sigurmon lived at the farm Kolkuós. He was a very famous and successful horse breeder. From 1940 to 1950 he laid the foundations of the still famous "Kolkuós line" in the Icelandic horse breeding. From Kolkuós we follow the cost line up to Brimnes where we leave the horses. We drive to Varmahlíð and spend the night at the Hestasport Cottages.
Thursday, Day 8
We pack our luggage, since after our last riding day today we have to catch the flight back to Reykjavík. With a beautiful view over Skagafjörður with its prominent islands Drangey and Málmey, our trail leads us along the sea-shore of Brimnesskógar back to Hegranes, where we started our tour. After we have said good bye to our horses, we visit the swimming pool before enjoying a farewell dinner. Now it is time to say good bye and meet at the airport in Sauðárkókur. You spend the last night at a Hotel in Reykjavík.
Friday, Day 9
Transfer by the Flybus to the international airport Keflavík right in time for your flight home.

Price: 1.980 EUR per person

Included in the price:

Booking Request Landsmót Special