Rhyolite Mountains and Hot Springs
On this tour, we will take you along the powerful Thjorsá river and the lava fields of Hekla into the Southern Highlands of Iceland. We take you through ash and sand dunes, crossing rivers and into the highlands. We ride through multi-coloured landscapes with its yellow, reddish and greenish rhyolite mountains, the towering glaciers and extensive lava fields give the area a magical touch all the way to Landmannalaugar, a geothermal area located in the Highlands of Iceland.
This tour is designed for riders who seek an encounter with true wilderness, dramatic landscapes, and the remarkable endurance of the Icelandic horse. Each day presents a new terrain shaped by volcanic forces: soft ash trails, rugged lava fields, glacial rivers, and secluded valleys far from any road or crowd.
Landmannalaugar, accessible only in summer, is the centerpiece of the journey. The rhyolite mountains shimmer in vivid tones of red, yellow, green, and blue, forming one of the country’s most extraordinary natural wonders. There, our riders can bathe in geothermal hot springs surrounded by colourful peaks, an experience both restorative and unforgettable.
With the companionship of experienced guides and a free-running herd of horses, this tour weaves together adventure, geology, and the rich equestrian tradition of Iceland. It is a rare opportunity to travel through landscapes shaped by fire and ice, and to experience the highlands at their most magnificent.
Instead of riding into the Landmannalaugar area, where heavy traffic could make travel with a free-running herd of horses unsafe, thinking about the welfare of our horses and riders, we choose to explore the area riding around our resting place in Landmannahellir. We will ride a rare highland paths that lead to hidden waterfalls, green lake extraordinary views. Riding a single horse along these remote routes offers intimate experience of the highlands, quiet and immersive in their solitude. After the ride we will travel by bus into Landmannalaugar itself, where riders get to relax in the natural geothermal hot spring, or explore the colourful rhyolite mountains on foot.
