Explore the famous Golden Circle with all its magical locations and get to know the unique Icelandic horse on this tour from Reykjavik.
Highlights
About Tour
This Golden Circle & Horse Riding tour will take you on a one day adventure in Iceland. On this tour you will be traveling along the most popular route in Iceland, the Golden Circle, and explore three of the top attractions in Iceland. The three attractions are Thingvellir National Park, Geysir geothermal area and Gullfoss waterfall. On the tour you will get to know more about each location and see why they are so popular. The tour also includes a horse riding experience on the unique Icelandic Horse. The horse riding experience will make you feel even more connected to Iceland and its nature.
While riding on horseback, you can explore the meadows, lava fields, scenic beauty of the volcanic mountains, farms, and small rivers. The farmlands give you a clue of how Icelandic agriculture has evolved in the last few decades. The trails of the Golden Circle are ideal for horse riding. A combined tour of the world-famous Golden Circle and getting to know the unique Icelandic horse can prove to be an excellent package.
The Golden Circle
The Golden Circle is a 300-kilometer area that covers the three most popular natural attractions in Iceland; Þingvellir National Park, Geysir Geothermal Area, and Gullfoss Waterfall.
Þingvellir National Park is located on the northern shores of Þingvallavatn, which is Iceland’s largest lake. It is the national pride of Iceland protected by the UNESCO World Heritage and Icelands first National Park. Here, you will come across the oldest existing parliament in the world.
Next, you will be visting Geysir Geothermal Area which is one of the most unique attractions in Iceland due to the presence of the highly active geothermal area with boiling mud pits and the active Strokkur that erupts water up in the air every five minutes.
Gullfoss Waterfall is yet another popular attraction of the Golden Circle. Gullfoss waterfall is one of the most powerful waterfalls in Iceland. It looks great on photos, but when you see it and get close to it you can feel the power and the sight is magnificent. This striking HvÃtá River rushes southward into a narrow canyon with a thunderous roar and grandeur. On clear days, you may also witness Langjökull glacier, which is Iceland’s second-largest glacier and can be seen at a distance.
The Horse Riding part of the tour will add that extra to your day and make it extra adventurous. Riding through the countryside of the Golden Circle is a very unique experience. The horse riding will take you through lava fields, small rivers and meadows and you will be enjoying a picturesque scenery of volcanic mountains and passing several farms. The horse riding trails are good for veryone so you do not need to have any experience to join this tour. Because of the great trails, we can also try the special gait of the Icelandic horse, tölt.
Itinerary
Your tour will start from the Reykjavik Terminal located at SkógarhlÃð 10. You need to arrive 15 minutes prior to the departure time. The bus that you would be traveling in normally has a capacity of 40-65 people and is quite spacious and comfortable. You will be accompanied by a local guide and there will also be an in-bus audio guide where you get to choose from 10 different languages. The in-bus audio guide will tell you about interesting locations that you will pass by as you drive around the Golden Circle.
It is also possible to get a pick up from your hotel, but you have to make sure that you choose that in the booking process.
You are advised to dress in warm, waterproof clothes as the Icelandic weather is very unpredictable. Apart from wearing a waterproof jacket, pants, hat, and gloves you should also put on good outdoor shoes.
You will first stop at Þingvellir National Park where you will get the opportunity to walk through the park and enjoy the unique geology features. From the viewing area, you can watch Almannagjá canyon between the two tectonic plates.
Then you will get to see Geysir Geothermal Area that includes scalding mud pools with steaming vents and geysers. Though Geysir is not active these days, its neighbor Strokkur keeps the tourists occupied. It erupts every 10 minutes with water spouts of about 100 ft into the air. Here, you will come across a newly opened Geysir Center from where you can buy some refreshments.
Next, in the queue is the mighty Gullfoss Waterfall that pours down the river and tumbles over a two-tiered fall. You can hear its intense roar from afar. You can also walk along the path down to the falls where you can feel its rumble beneath your feet.
Finally, you will halt at the horse farm, where you get to meet the majestic horses. The horse farm offers a variety of horses that are suitable for riders of all capabilities. There you will be provided with the horse riding safety gear and a horse riding guide. Out of a total duration of 11 hours, a slot of 1-hour is allotted for a horseback ride along the grasslands, hills, and lava fields on an Icelandic horse. Apart from getting acquainted with the Icelandic horse, you will also get to see the countryside around Hveragerði. After an hour’s ride, you will be brought back to Reykjavik by the staff of the horse riding farm, Eldhestar.
If you have the Golden Circle and horse riding on your Iceland bucket list, then this is without a doubt the tour for you.
Included
- Guided tour to the Golden Circle.
- 1 hour Horse Riding Tour.
- Knowledgeable and professional local guides.
- In bus audio guide with a chose of 10 languages; English, German, French, Italian, Dutch, Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Japanese and Finish.Â
- Admission to all sights.Â
- Free Wi-Fi and USB charger for each seat.Â
Highlights
What to bring
- Dress according to weather.
- Waterproof and warm jacket and pants.
- Good outdoor shoes.Â
- Camera
Good to know
- This tour is ideal for everyone – solo travelers, families, kids, groups and friends.
- The minimum age for this tour is 7 years.
- Lunch is not included in the tour. We will make stops at Gullfoss and Geysir where you can purchase food and drinks.Â
- The Golden Circle part of this tour is operated in a larger group.Â
- The bus holds approximately 45-60 people but it is very spacious and comfortable.Â
- You will have free WiFi and USB charging ports in the bus.
- A local guide will be with you on this tour.
- You will also have a horse riding guide on the horse riding part of the tour.Â
- The meeting point for this tour is at Reykjavik Terminal – SkógarhlÃð 10.
- Please show up at the terminal at least 15 minutes prior to the departure time.
- If you have booked a hotel pick up, please be at your chosen pickup location 30 minutes before the departure of the tour.Â
- It is enough to have the ticket in digital form.
- There is an in bus audio guide on this tour. Bring your own headphones, or purchase headphones on the bus for ISK 1,000.Â
- We will stop approximately 30 minutes at Geysir, Gullfoss and Þingvellir National Park.Â
- The horse riding part of the tour is not available for those who are pregnant.Â
- If you weight more than 110 kg, please contact us for the horse riding part of the tour.Â
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