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Icelandic horses grazing in a green meadow in the Hjaltadalur valley at Hólar

Sample journey · 7–9 days

Slow north Iceland: horses, farms and the Troll Peninsula

Akureyri, Skagafjörður, Hólar, Siglufjörður & Hrísey

Photo: Maria Gisladottir / Unsplash

Illustrative journey ideas — not bookable packages. No prices, dates or accommodation are implied.

Most journeys around Iceland cross the north in a day or two, pausing at Lake Mývatn and hurrying on round the island. This route does the opposite: it stays in one small corner of the north and gets to know it closely. Skagafjörður is horse country, its farms spread across a broad valley between the mountains, where the small, hardy Icelandic horse has been bred for centuries. Close by is Hólar, the seat of north Iceland's bishops for almost seven centuries, and beyond it Tröllaskagi, the 'Troll Peninsula', whose mountains drop straight into the sea.

The journey suits families, couples and anyone who would rather know Iceland through its everyday life than its viewpoints: riding with the people of the farm, a swim in a village pool, fish soup by the harbour and long, light evenings. Drives are short, usually an hour or an hour and a half, and almost every stop has at least two nights. Mývatn is deliberately left out: it's easy to add, but without it this corner stays quieter and more personal.

The route

The journey

  1. Akureyri
  2. Skagafjörður (horse farm)
  3. Hólar
  4. Hofsós
  5. Siglufjörður
  6. Hjalteyri
  7. Hrísey
  8. Akureyri
  1. Akureyri's houses along the shore, with mountains behind under a clear blue sky

    01Days 1–2 · Akureyri

    A small town at the head of a fjord

    The journey begins in Akureyri, which in summer sometimes has direct flights from Europe and is otherwise a short domestic flight from Reykjavík. The first night is in the town at the head of Eyjafjörður, no bigger than a small market town but with everything a gentle start needs: steps up to the church on the hill, a botanic garden where a surprising amount flowers this far north, and the town pool with hot tubs where local families gather in the evening. Humpback whales are often seen in the fjord in summer, so if you like, a three-hour trip on the water starts right here. The next morning it's about an hour and a half west, through the Öxnadalur valley, where the road climbs between steep slopes, to Skagafjörður.

  2. Green pastures in the Skagafjörður valley, with mountains beyond

    02Days 2–5 · Skagafjörður

    Three nights on a horse farm

    Three nights on a family farm in the broad Skagafjörður valley, where horses graze freely and dinner is often whatever is raised nearby. The first ride is short, about an hour, so that beginners and children can feel the tölt, the Icelandic horse's distinctive gait, smooth enough to ride with barely a bump. Experienced riders can go further the next day: half a day along the river or up to the foot of the hills. Between rides there's time simply to be on the farm: help with feeding, walk, swim in the village pool at Varmahlíð or at Hofsós, whose pool seems to pour into the fjord. In summer Skagafjörður also has horse round-ups and riding events; if the dates match, we'll tell you in advance. Farm houses are simple and homely, and the silence is broken only by horses snorting outside the window.

  3. The cathedral at Hólar with its tower in the green Hjaltadalur valley

    03Day 4 · Hólar & Glaumbær

    Bishops, turf and the science of horses

    One day from the farm is given to the valley's history. In the morning it's about forty minutes to Hólar, at the end of the quiet Hjaltadalur valley. From the early twelfth century to the late eighteenth this was the bishopric of north Iceland, with a school and one of the island's first printing presses. Today an eighteenth-century red sandstone cathedral stands in the valley, and nearby is a university known for its equine studies, which makes Hólar a natural part of horse country. On the way back, Glaumbær, a row of turf-roofed farm buildings where a museum shows how northern farmers lived through the long winters. Children are usually most taken with the low, warm rooms where people slept, ate and worked together. The evening is back on the farm.

  4. Boats in the still harbour at Siglufjörður, mountains reflected in the water in evening light

    04Days 5–7 · Siglufjörður

    A herring town beneath the mountains

    From Skagafjörður the road follows the fjord's eastern shore past Hofsós and climbs onto Tröllaskagi; Siglufjörður is about an hour and a half away. In the mid-twentieth century this little town at the end of a narrow fjord was Iceland's herring capital: thousands of workers poured in each summer, and herring was salted at the harbour day and night. The herring museum, in the old salting stations, tells that time vividly, and in summer there's sometimes a salting demonstration with songs. Two nights here mean no hurry: an easy walk on the slopes above town, where avalanche barriers were built, coffee by the harbour and evenings when the sun barely dips behind the mountains. If you like, fishing or kayaking in the fjord. Next day, through the tunnels to Ólafsfjörður and on down the shore of Eyjafjörður.

  5. A waterfall dropping from a green cliff into the sea on Hrísey

    05Days 7–9 · Hrísey & Hjalteyri

    An island where ptarmigan have right of way

    From Árskógssandur a small ferry takes about fifteen minutes to cross to Hrísey, in the middle of Eyjafjörður. The car stays on the shore: there are almost no cars on the island, just a few tractors, paths through the meadows and ptarmigan, which nest here undisturbed because there are no foxes. The night is in the little village by the harbour, and the evening is for a walk to the northern cliffs, where water falls straight into the sea. To children the island feels made for them: they can wander wherever they like. On the last day, heading back to Akureyri, it's worth stopping at Hjalteyri, a former herring factory on the fjord shore that now houses an arts space. The final night is in Akureyri again, so the flight home is unhurried.

Experience highlights

  1. 01

    The tölt on a farm track

    Riding Icelandic horses with the people of the farm, from a short first try to half a day for experienced riders.

  2. 02

    Hólar

    The old seat of the northern bishops at the end of a quiet valley, and its red sandstone cathedral.

  3. 03

    The herring years in Siglufjörður

    A museum in the old salting stations, and a town that once sent herring across half of Europe.

  4. 04

    A night on Hrísey

    A car-free island in the middle of the fjord, ptarmigan on the path and cliffs on a light summer night.

First, we listen. Then, we explore what's possible.

Make it your own

  • Slower still

    A fourth night on the farm would allow riding every day or simply resting, and Siglufjörður could have three nights and a longer walk over a mountain pass.

  • With younger children

    Instead of trail rides, being led around the farmyard, more time for pools and beaches, and two nights on Hrísey.

  • The season

    June and July have the lightest nights; in September sheep and horses are rounded up from the mountains, the fields turn russet and there are fewer travellers, though the weather is more changeable.

  • With Mývatn or Reykjavík

    Two nights at Lake Mývatn and on the Húsavík coast join easily to the east, and a couple of days in Reykjavík can be added at the start or end.

Practical considerations

  • The best time is roughly June to September. Summer nights are light, but northern weather often changes within a day, so warm layers and a waterproof jacket are needed even in July.
  • The journey is planned as a self-drive; distances are short and roads good, though the way across Tröllaskagi includes several long tunnels and winding coastal stretches.
  • Ride length and difficulty are matched to each person's experience and age; farms usually set their own age and weight guidance, which we check before you travel.
  • We check summer flights to Akureyri and the Hrísey ferry timetable before you travel, as both vary with the season.

General guidance only. Seasons, weather and wildlife are never guaranteed, and travel requirements are always worth checking before you go.

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