Iceland - Round Up
Moving sheep and horses into the highlands for grazing during the summer is more than an annual event, it is an Icelandic tradition and way of life. In September, the farmers ride into the mountains and collect their animals before the winter sets in.
The round up is an unforgettable sight. You will see thousands of sheep and/or hundreds of horses herded down the mountain slopes into the round-up pens. You are invited to be part of this very traditional Icelandic event and to join the farmers on their trusted Icelandic horses, the one means of transport capable of meeting the rigours of the round up.
Each Round Up week is different, please see the detailed itinerary for each ride. Some of the Sheep Round Ups can be more challenging in terms of the riding and guest participation.
Two Horse Round Ups are normally scheduled. These take place in the north of Iceland. Each one has 4 nights and 4 riding days. You should be an experienced rider. You stay in farmhouse accommodation with two to four person rooms with shared ablutions. The group size can be up to 20.
The September Horse Round up takes place in Skrapatungurétt in the Vatnsdalur area. You ride through the beautiful valleys and mountains to Laxárdalur valley, where you meet the farmers as they drive the herd down to the corral at Skrapatungurétt.
The October Horse Round up takes place in Víðidalstungurétt in the varied terrain around Kolugljúfur gorge. From the highland moors and green valleys, where tales of trolls abound, you join the farmers as they drive the herd down to the corral at Víðidalstungurétt.
There are a number of different sheep round ups scheduled.
Autumn Adventure – Pearls of the Northwest (4 nights/4 riding days) This tour in the northwest of Iceland includes a day with the farmers as they bring the flocks down from the mountains. Beautiful mountain views from the Húnaflói Fjord towards Hofsjökull and Langjökull glaciers dominate this ride. You should be an intermediate plus rider to join this Round Up tour. You stay in farmhouse accommodation with two to four person rooms with shared ablutions and a hot tub. The usual maximum group size is 16.
Sheep Round Up – Melrakkaslétta (4 nights/4 riding days) In the remote northeast of Iceland, an area where most people live in small fishing villages along the coast or farms in the highlands, you join the farmers as they gather the sheep from the Núpasveitafréttur and Melrakkaslétta peninsula and drive them into Katastaða corral to be sorted. You learn from the farmers how to manage the flock in the highlands, driving them down hills sides, across rivers and out of sheltered valleys to bring them safely home. You should be an intermediate plus rider to join this Round Up tour, with good general fitness and the ability to work as a team. You stay in sleeping bag accommodation (bring your own) in dormitories with shared ablutions and a hot tub. The usual maximum group size is 8.
Sheep Round Up – Reykjaréttir (3 nights/3 riding days) The first day is spent riding through the fertile farmland and trails along the glacier river Thjórsá. Later you meet the farmers as they return from the mountains with the flock and then help with the sorting of the sheep at Reykjaréttir (Reykja Coral). This tour is a great introduction to riding in Iceland. You should be an intermediate rider to join this Round Up tour. You stay in farmhouse accommodation with two to four person rooms with shared ablutions and a hot tub. The usual maximum group size is 18.
Sheep Round Up – Rangárvallaafréttur (6 nights/6 riding days) In sight of Mt Hekla in southern Iceland, you help the farmers rounding up the sheep and bringing them to Rangárvallaafréttur corral to be sorted. This is not a customised tour and you should expect to be treated as one of the crowd, required to fulfil your duty every day. You should be an intermediate plus rider to join this Round Up tour, with good general fitness and the ability to work as a team. We recommend you have ridden in Iceland before. You stay in mountain cabin sleeping bag accommodation (bring your own) with shared ablutions. The usual maximum group size is 12.
Sheep Round Up – Landmannaafréttur (6 nights/6 riding days) You join the farmers of Landmannalaugar in southern Iceland and help as they round up thousands of sheep and drive them to Landmannaafréttur corral. This is not a customised tour and you should expect to be treated as one of the crowd, required to fulfil your duty every day. You should be an intermediate plus rider to join this Round Up tour, with good general fitness and the ability to work as a team. We recommend you have ridden in Iceland before. You stay in mountain cabin sleeping bag accommodation (bring your own) with shared ablutions. The usual maximum group size is 12.
For the Round Ups you need to be a strong, confident rider able to adapt to different riding styles. General fitness is as important as riding experience due to the long hours in the saddle and the fast pace of the ride.
The Reykjaréttir Sheep Round Up is suitable for less experience riders.
For the Landmannaafréttur and Rangárvallaafréttur Sheep Round Ups we recommend you have ridden in Iceland before and know a little about what to expect. There will be times when you are riding for a long time on the mountains, perhaps in all weathers at this time of year.
On the trail you change horses once or twice a day and as you ride, the herd of fifty or more loose horses travels with you. During the actual Round Up you will not ride with the spare horses but you may be required to lead a spare horse.
Riders are expected to care for their horse (grooming and tacking up) but help is always on hand should you need it.
The riding style is English. Hard hats are mandatory.
Farmhouse accommodation is in two to four person rooms, with shared facilities. Some of the sheep round ups have sleeping bag accommodation, which may be at the farm or in basic mountain cabins, shared between the whole group.
If you do not see availability for your preferred dates, please do contact us since there might have been a cancellation.
Set arrival and departures.
| Holiday | Experience LevelExp Lvl | Arrive - DepartArr - Dep | Price | Itinerary | Availability | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sheep Round Up - Reykjaréttir | 5 Sep 2024 - 8 Sep 2024 | 3 nights 3 ngts | £1,263.91 |
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| Sheep Round Up - Melrakkaslétta | 5 Sep 2024 - 9 Sep 2024 | 4 nights 4 ngts | £1,742.45 |
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| Autumn Adventure - Pearls of the Northwest | 5 Sep 2024 - 9 Sep 2024 | 4 nights 4 ngts | £1,473.10 |
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| Horse Round Up - Skrapatungurétt | 12 Sep 2024 - 16 Sep 2024 | 4 nights 4 ngts | £1,835.71 |
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| Sheep Round Up - Landmannaafréttur | 13 Sep 2024 - 19 Sep 2024 | 6 nights 6 ngts | £2,512.12 |
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| Sheep Round Up - Rangárvallaafréttur | 15 Sep 2024 - 21 Sep 2024 | 6 nights 6 ngts | £2,352.61 |
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| Horse Round Up - Víðidalstungurétt | 2 Oct 2024 - 6 Oct 2024 | 4 nights 4 ngts | £1,754.65 |
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Book |
INCLUDES Shared farmhouse accommodation (Melrakkaslétta, Rangárvallaafrétt & Landmannaafréttur have sleeping bag accommodation); meals on the ride; riding; transfers on the ride; heavy duty waterproof jacket and trousers.
SINGLE SUPPLEMENT Single rooms are not available on these rides and you should be prepared to share.
PAYABLE LOCALLY Drinks; tips; airport transfers.
NEAREST AIRPORT Keflavik.
TRANSFERS Included from Reykjavik city at set times.
The meeting point is Reykjavik BSI central bus station at 10:00 and you arrive back to Reykjavik city on the last day at about 11:00.
You will need to make your own accommodation arrangements in Reykjavik for the night before the ride.
There is a regular Flybus service (http://www.re.is/flybus) between Keflavik airport and Reykjavik BSI central bus station. Depending on the time of your return flight, you may also need accommodation at the end of the ride. Please check with us if you are unsure of the timings.
It may be possible to arrange collection and drop off for some hotels in Reykjavik, except those in the very centre. You will find a map of the bus stop locations and further information at www.busstop.is.
The meeting point is at Reykjavik BSI central bus station at 06:00 and you arrive back to Reykjavik city on the last day at about 18:00.
You will need to make your own accommodation arrangements in Reykjavik for the night before the ride.
There is a regular Flybus service (http://www.re.is/flybus) between Keflavik airport and Reykjavik BSI central bus station. To allow sufficient time to transfer by Flybus, we recommend your return flight departs Keflavik after 22:00 on the last day.
Depending on the time of your return flight, you may also need accommodation at the end of the ride. Please check with us if you are unsure of the timings.
It may be possible to arrange drop off for some hotels in Reykjavik, except those in the very centre. You will find a map of the bus stop locations and further information at www.busstop.is.
The meeting point is Reykjavik BSI central bus station at 10:00 and you will arrive back to Reykjavik city on the last day at about 18:00.
You will need to make your own accommodation arrangements in Reykjavik for the night before the ride.
There is a regular Flybus service (http://www.re.is/flybus) between Keflavik airport and Reykjavik BSI central bus station. To allow sufficient time to transfer by Flybus, we recommend your return flight departs Keflavik after 22:00 on the last day.
Depending on the time of your return flight, you may also need accommodation at the end of the ride. Please check with us if you are unsure of the timings.
It may be possible to arrange drop off for some hotels in Reykjavik, except those in the very centre. You will find a map of the bus stop locations and further information at www.busstop.is.
The meeting place is at the domestic airport Flugfélagið Ernir in Reykjavík at 08:00 for your flight to Húsavík.
On the last day you will return on a morning flight back to Reykavjik airport.
You will need to make your own accommodation arrangements in Reykjavik for the night before the ride. There is a regular Flybus service (http://www.re.is/flybus) between Keflavik airport and Reykjavik BSI central bus station.
Depending on the time of your return flight, you may also need accommodation at the end of the ride. Please check with us if you are unsure of the timings.
The meeting point is Reykjavik BSI central bus station at 08:30 and you will arrive back to Reykjavik city on the last day at about 14:00.
You will need to make your own accommodation arrangements in Reykjavik for the night before the ride.
There is a regular Flybus service (http://www.re.is/flybus) between Keflavik airport and Reykjavik BSI central bus station. To allow sufficient time to transfer by Flybus, we recommend your return flight departs Keflavik after 18:00 on the last day.
Depending on the time of your return flight, you may also need accommodation at the end of the ride. Please check with us if you are unsure of the timings.
It is possible to arrange drop off on the last day for some hotels in Reykjavik, except those in the very centre. For these hotels you will be dropped off at the nearest designated bus stop. You will find a map of the bus stop locations and further information at www.busstop.is.
The meeting point is Reykjavik BSI central bus station at 08:30 for a transfer by bus to the north. You arrive back to Reykjavik city on the last day at about 14:00.
You will need to make your own accommodation arrangements in Reykjavik for the night before the ride.
There is a regular Flybus service (http://www.re.is/flybus) between Keflavik airport and Reykjavik BSI central bus station.
Depending on the time of your return flight, you may also need accommodation at the end of the ride. Please check with us if you are unsure of the timings.
It may be possible to arrange drop off on the last day for some hotels in Reykjavik, except those in the very centre. For these hotels you will be dropped off at the nearest designated bus stop. You will find a map of the bus stop locations and further information at www.busstop.is.
The meeting point is at Reykjavik BSI central bus station at 08:30 for a transfer by bus to the north. You arrive back to Reykjavik on the last day at about 13:00.
You will need to make your own accommodation arrangements in Reykjavik for the night before the ride.
There is a regular Flybus service (http://www.re.is/flybus) between Keflavik airport and Reykjavik BSI central bus station. To allow sufficient time to transfer by Flybus, we recommend your return flight departs Keflavik after 17:00 on the last day.
Depending on the time of your return flight, you may also need accommodation at the end of the ride. Please check with us if you are unsure of the timings.
It may be possible to arrange drop off on the last day for some hotels in Reykjavik, except those in the very centre. For these hotels you will be dropped off at the nearest designated bus stop. You will find a map of the bus stop locations and further information at www.busstop.is.
The Round Ups take place in the north and south of Iceland.
The climate in Iceland is milder than its name and latitude suggests. However, the weather can change very quickly, especially in the mountains in the autumn, going from warm and sunny to freezing cold in a few hours, and it is often very windy. Therefore, you must be prepared for all types of weather.
The horses were well looked after and it was good fun riding Icelandic Horses and being part of the horse-round up. Pre information was excellent and the trip was well organised.
Jane ,Derbyshire
Overall rating: 5/5
