Take separate vacations together! For horseback riders traveling with non-riders, this “either/or” tour joins the historical and cultural expertise of author Nancy Marie Brown with the top-flight riding instruction and horsemanship of Hestaland’s Guðmar Petursson. Bring your family to Iceland and follow your passion on Saga/Trail!

Saga/Trail guests can choose to ride with Guðmar and the Hestaland team both morning and afternoon, or to ride in the morning and go hiking and sightseeing with Nancy in the afternoon, or to not ride at all. All guests are invited on one half-day sightseeing trip, to include a dip at the luxurious hotspring and spa, Krauma.

While the riders enjoy personalized lessons and relaxing (or exciting!) trail rides with Guðmar, the hikers join Nancy to explore the scenes and sagas that have inspired her many books about Iceland’s history and culture. Visit museums and saga sites. Discuss the medieval Icelandic Sagas and learn how Norse mythology has shaped popular culture. Explore volcanoes, hotsprings, waterfalls, glaciers, bird cliffs, and black beaches. Learn about the Viking woman who discovered America. Meet the Icelandic horse and learn why “a good horse has no color.” Tour guests receive a reading packet of excerpts and an autographed copy of one of Nancy’s books.

Limited to 12 guests. Book early to reserve your spot!

Price — $3,750 (airfare and travel insurance not included)

Includes:

• Ground Transportation
• Accommodation based on double occupancy
• Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner (wine and beer is included)
• Expert Guides
• Horse rental
• Tack (saddle, bridle, helmet, saddlebag)

About Our Guides:

Nancy Marie Brown has studied the Icelandic Sagas and Norse mythology since 1978. She is the author of three nonfiction books on Iceland’s history: Ivory Vikings, Song of the Vikings, and The Far Traveler; a young adult novel set in Viking Age Iceland, The Saga of Gudrid the Far-Traveler; and a memoir about buying horses in Iceland, A Good Horse Has No Color. She is also an editor of The Icelandic Horse Quarterly. Visit her online at nancymariebrown.com.

Guðmar Pétursson started riding at age 5. Soon after, he was winning competitions. Guðmar holds many Icelandic championship titles and has been very successful in competition in the U.S. as well. In 2001, he graduated with honors from Holar University, Iceland’s premier equine college, from which he holds the highest degree possible below Master Trainer. A certified FT Competition Trainer and a B-level Instructor, Guðmar travels all across the U.S., Canada, and Europe, where his clinics are in great demand.

Testimonials from Hikers:

“Not too rugged, and you can opt out of the most strenuous walks and still have plenty to occupy you. It’s not the typical tourist trip: the leader is an expert in sagas and Vikings, so there’s a lot of history. You stay at a farm (horses! bunnies!), and mornings are for wandering around, reading, etc., and usually in the afternoon there’s one historical/cultural visit and one natural wonder. Nancy Marie Brown is a wealth of information not only on the history but also on current Iceland.”—Tracy, 2018

“Nancy, thank you so much for guiding the best trip I’ve ever been on. I miss the wide expanse, the green fields, and those mountains. And of course, the horses. I understand your love for this country and its history. It is a special place.”—Sandy, 2017

“This was such an amazing place! ‘Going to Iceland’ has become the idea that soothes when life gets rough. I did not anticipate that the trip would resonate so much. I loved Nancy’s books, but the trip was something amazing that turned out to be unexpectedly remarkable. It is surprising to me that it has made such a huge difference in my life.”—Elisabeth, 2017

SAGA/TRAIL DAILY SCHEDULE

Arrival Day
9:30 MEET at pick-up point in Reykjavík
10-11 871+/-2 Settlement Museum or shopping at Ástund Tack Store
1 PM LUNCH at Hestaland
2 PM Riders: clinic begins
Hikers: walk in Eldborg Lava Field
7 PM DINNER at Hestaland

Days 2-4
8-10 BREAKFAST at Hestaland
9-noon Riders: lessons and trail rides
Hikers: reading/writing time or short nature walks on the farm
noon LUNCH at Hestaland
1-7 PM Riders: lessons and trail rides
Hikers: excursions to museums, saga sites, farms, and natural wonders in West Iceland (such as Thingvellir, Borgarnes, Reykholt, Surtshellir, Eiriksstaðir, Grábrók, Hvitá, and others)
7 PM DINNER at Hestaland

Day 5
8-9 BREAKFAST at Hestaland; riders pack a lunch; hikers can pack or buy
9-7 Riders: All day trail ride
Hikers: All day tour of Snaefellsnes Peninsula
7 PM DINNER at Hestaland

Day 6
8-10 BREAKFAST at Hestaland
9-noon Riders: lessons and trail rides
Hikers: reading/writing time or short nature walks on the farm
noon LUNCH at Hestaland
1 PM All: Excursion to Hraunfossar Waterfall, Háafell Goat Farm, & Krauma spa
7 PM DINNER

Departure Day
8-10 BREAKFAST at Hestaland
10 AM Leave Hestaland
noon LUNCH in Reykjavík (on your own)
1 PM drop offs in Reykjavík