Iceland Horses Adventure Retreat

“This truly is the land of soul-enriching, breath-taking, and life-affirming natural sights!”

This eight-day, seven-night retreat is an adventure-packed journey through Iceland’s awe-inspiring landscapes. You’ll gallop through the untamed countryside on the back of our majestic Icelandic horses, taking in breathtaking vistas at every turn.

Experience the thrill of exploring Iceland’s natural wonders as you hike to stunning waterfalls and soak in geothermal hot springs. Discover the charm of quaint villages and connect with the warm and welcoming local community and artisans.

Join Colleen Cannon, a true master of her craft, and our superhero guide Oli (along with other knowledgeable Icelandic guides) on this unforgettable journey. Oli’s herd of magnificent Icelandic horses will carry you through the rugged terrain and leave you in awe of their grace and beauty.

Don’t miss your opportunity to discover the wonders of Iceland in the company of kindred spirits.

This beautiful country, which is known as the Land of Fire and Ice, is brimming with contrasts: glaciers meet volcanoes, rugged mountains meet cascading waterfalls, and light meets dark. The people from this isolated and secluded Northern Island radiate the warmest, most vibrant energy that screams live life fully. From the lively Reykjavik city center that runs on geothermal power to the rural fishing villages, the unique Icelandic culture blends old and new. And despite the country‘s name, Icelandic summers are surprisingly mild and green, with nonstop daylight thanks to a phenomenon known as the midnight sun. Join us as we play all day and night, exploring Iceland’s dramatic landscapes!

What to Expect:

Get ready for a once-in-a-lifetime adventure! Each morning, we’ll wake up to breathtaking views from our guesthouse, where we’ll begin our day with a gentle Qi-Gong, yoga, and centered riding practice, followed by a delicious and nutritious Icelandic breakfast.

On the first day of our retreat, we’ll hike to the top of Glymur waterfall, Iceland’s second-tallest waterfall. For the next six days, we’ll embark on thrilling horseback rides through mountains, rivers, and streams alongside a herd of 30 Icelandic horses. With their smooth four-beat gait known as the tölt, we’ll enjoy an almost bounce-free ride, making for a comfortable and exhilarating experience.

Our adventure will take us from the Snaefellsness Peninsula to Breiðabólsstaður farm, covering over 6 + hours of riding through the Icelandic countryside each day. We’ll even get to change horses along the way! We’ll also make stops at various attractions, including swimming pools and hot springs, where we can soak in geothermal waters and take in the stunning surroundings.

We will spend our first two days riding along the beach, enjoying the stunning coastal views and the thrill of galloping through the surf and even crossing a river where the horses will swim. 

Please note that advanced riding experience is required to participate in this adventure. Get ready for a week of invigorating experiences, unforgettable sights, and an immersion in Icelandic culture that you won’t soon forget!

Highlights:

• 7 nights lodging at  Breiðabólsstaður farm with healthy, organic food and 6 days of guided horseback rides
• Private showing at Kirsuberjatréð Vesturgötu 4 www.kirs.is. Arndís Jóhannsdóttir, is the owner of this magnificent hidden jewel in Reykjavik. This is a co-op of 11 female artists which handmade amazing local arts and crafts
• Daily relaxation practices including yoga for centered riding, meditation, and Qigong, designed to relax and empower
• Hiking Glymur, the second highest waterfall in Iceland
• Krauma Hot Spring and Spa which is next to our farm
• Visit the highest-flow hot spring Europe: Deildartunguhver
• Tour of Reykholt where we will visit Borgarfjörður, which is a museum, rich in the culture and history of the sagas, music, geology, and the life story of Snorri Sturluson that lived in the valley near our farm
• An evening of sound meditation
• Amazing organic, locally sourced meals and cooking class with Birta, our culinary expert for the week at Breiðabólsstaður farm. All food will be made with local Icelandic ingredients and medicinal herbs. Birta prepares delicious food at every meal with sack lunches for our horse rides. She will even teach us how to bake the BEST BREAD ON EARTH!
• Transportation during the week. Pick up and Drop off in Reykjavik 
• Lifelong friendships and unforgettable experiences
• Professional instruction and guidance

Included in the Price:

• 7 nights, 8 days at our newly built guesthouse: Breiðabólsstaður farm
• Healthy, nourishing, and delicious food at every meal with sack lunches for our horse rides (One lunch on your own which is a lunch for our first hike day)
• 6 days of guided horseback riding with the 30+ horse herd, starting with 2 full days of epic riding on the beach. Dreamy!
• Reykjavik: Private showing at Kirsuberjatréð Vesturgötu (The Cherry Tree), which is an Icelandic Design store run by 11 female artists. The house is full of local art and handicrafts which is designed and created locally by the artists. We will meet Arndís Jóhannsdóttir who is the owner of this magnificent hidden jewel in Reykjavik. 
• Beautiful hikes through stunning landscapes that feature cascading waterfalls, Glymur (the 2nd tallest waterfall)
• After every ride, we will stop at local swimming pools and geothermal hot springs to unwind and heal. Not only is the Icelandic water refreshing, but it also has healing properties. We go regularly to Krauma Hot Spring and Spa which is next door to our guesthouse.
• Organized cooking lesson with Birta at Breiðabólsstaður farm using local Icelandic ingredients including medicinal herbs and the special sourdough rye bread
• Evenings of sound meditation
• Daily relaxation practices, including riding-centered yoga riding, meditation, and Qigong, designed to calm and empower you
• Transportation during the week: pick up in Reykjavik on July 7th  at 9 am at the City Center, and drop off back in Reykjavik on July 14 th. 
• Lifelong friendships and memorable experiences

What is not included in the price:

• First lunch on July 7th, when we hike Glymur
• Entry in to the Pools and Hot Springs after every ride, and entry into Krauma Hot Spring 
• Entry into the Sky Lagoon on July 6th
• lodging on July 6th, the night before the retreat starts
• Tips for guides and drivers
• Airfare
• Transportation to and from Reykjavik. There is the Flybus available

What are the accommodations?

7 nights at Breiðabólsstaður farm.

Breiðabólsstaður farm will be our home near Snaefellsnes for our horseback riding adventures. Family owned and operated, this is a great place for us to experience the local culture! We are staying on this farm with Oli and Beta. We will overtake the whole place and we get to be immersed in Icelandic home culture. The best part is that Beta is an amazing chef and will lead us in a cooking class prepared with fresh medicinal herbs and veggies from her garden.

What airport do I fly in to?

Reykjavik, Iceland (KEF), KEF stands for Keflavik which is about 30 minutes south of Reykjavik

July 7th: 9:00 am: Pick up at the City Center in Reykjavik
July 14th: We will end the tour in Reykjavik with a final soak. Please have your flight leave after 4 PM on July 14th. We can hire a car to take people to the airport from our soaking destination. You will arrive back to the airport at 1 PM

Travel Options:

 You will fly into Kelflavik International Airport KEF. Please arrange to arrive on the 8th in the morning, we will walk around that day and go to the Sky Lagoon at 5pm (price not included).  

The retreat will formally begin on JULY 7th at 9:00 am, we will leave at 9 am for our hike to Glymur on the way to our guesthouse.

There is a shuttle service that runs to and from the airport to most hotels and guesthouses at a cost of ~$39 one way. You can book online here: www.re.is/flybus. If you don’t see your hotel you will need to contact your hotel and ask them if they can assist you in finding the nearest drop location.
The retreat will conclude after breakfast on the 16th.

We return to Reykjavik on July 14th and you will have two options:

• stay an extra night in Reykjavik and fly out on the 14th
• We will book a taxi from Reykjavik to the airport and all flights should depart at 4:00 or after

In Keflavik you need 3 hours before your flight departs.

Important to note that we pick up and drop off in Reykjavik,  we will help arrange transportation! 

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE RETREAT: Q&A!

Payment Policy

A deposit is required to hold your reservation at a retreat. Deposits are $500 for domestic and $1,000 for international retreats. Additional deposits may be required to reserve a single room. All deposits are non-refundable.

We cannot hold your reservation until we have received your deposit. If you would like to reserve an available spot in a retreat 90 or fewer days prior to the retreat date, we require payment in full for the retreat to hold the spot. This is in accordance with our payment policy below.

Payment in full for all retreats is due 90 days prior to the retreat date. If you do not provide payment in full by 90 days prior to the retreat you risk losing your reservation.

A 4% payment processing fee will be added to all payments made using PayPal, Stripe or Venmo. 

You are welcome to send in a check or pay by Zelle to avoid this fee.

Cancellation Policy

If you must cancel a reservation, a full refund, less your deposit which is non-refundable, will be provided for any cancellation we receive in writing at least 91 days prior to the commencement date of the retreat. We are sorry but we cannot refund any payments for cancellations made 90 or fewer days prior to the commencement of the retreat.

We reserve the right to cancel retreats with inadequate participant interest. Women’s Quest IS NOT responsible for any personal expenses, such as airline tickets due to changes in schedules or tour cancellations.

Covid-19 Policy

Cancellations by Women’s Quest: Women’s Quest reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to cancel or reschedule any retreat due to concerns over Covid-19. As a small company Women’s Quest is unfortunately not able to provide refunds of payments for retreats cancelled by Women’s Quest due to the Covid pandemic. This is primarily due to our financial commitments with the various retreat venues. As a result, in the event Women’s Quest cancels or reschedules a retreat due to Covid-19 Women’s Quest will apply all payments to the rescheduled or following year’s retreat, or to any other Women’s Quest retreat of your choosing through the end of the next year after the year in which the retreat was cancelled by Women’s Quest.  Because of the unforeseen and unprecedented circumstances of the outbreak, this policy supersedes earlier policies.

Cancellations by You: If you need or desire to cancel your reservation due to Covid-19, or failure to comply with the requirements of a negative test and being symptom free, this cancellation is subject to the Cancellation Policy above.  This is why we urge everyone to purchase travel insurance when signing up. 

Covid Waiver and Release
This waiver, release and acknowledgement of responsibilities is unfortunately necessary during this unique time of the Covid 19 pandemic. By signing up for and or attending any Women’s Quest retreat you agree to be bound by the terms of this document. We understand these times are challenging, however, these provisions are necessary to protect all attendees and staff members of Women’s Quest.

Testing For and Symptoms of Covid 19.  Irrespective of vaccination status you are required to provide a negative test for Covid 19 taken within 3 days of the commencement of the retreat. This test can be either a PCR test or a home antigen test. Also, irrespective of your vaccination status, you agree you will not attend the retreat if you have any symptoms of Covid 19 immediately prior to the beginning of the trip. These symptoms include fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, or diarrhea (these, along with symptoms outline in the following link and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control shall be collectively referred to as the “Symptoms”.) More information on symptoms of Covid 19 can be found here: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/symptoms.html

Symptoms During the Retreat. In the event you develop any Symptoms during the retreat you must immediately leave the retreat and follow protocols outlined by the Centers for Disease Control and all local regulations. We understand this may result in you incurring significant expenses associated with separate accommodation and travel, however, you understand these expenses are not the responsibility of Women’s Quest and must be incurred by you. You agree to be fully honest with Women’s Quest staff in regard to any Symptoms you may develop and agree to comply with a request by Women’s Quest staff to depart as determined by Women’s Quest staff in their sole discretion. As provided below, this is why we strongly urge everyone to get travel insurance covering these and other expenses prior to departure.

Procedures During the Retreat. During the retreat Women’s Quest may, but need not, endeavor to practice social distancing and wearing of masks when traveling in close proximity. You agree to comply with all requests of Women’s Quest staff during the retreat related to these procedures. Any such procedures implemented by Women’s Quest are not a guaranty you will not be exposed to Covid 19 and you understand you are responsible for taking any precautions you deem necessary and providing your own personal protective equipment during the retreat. You also agree to comply with any reasonable requests by other attendees to respect their social distancing and other protective measures (“Participant Requests”.) Notwithstanding the foregoing, you are responsible to comply with all laws and regulations of the locality visited relating to protections against Covid 19.

Waiver of Coronavirus Related Illness; Indemnification. You understand that irrespective of protective measures that Women’s Quest or you may or may not take, you may be exposed to Covid 19 by another retreat attendee, a Women’s Quest staff member and or an individual to whom you may be exposed during, or traveling to or from the retreat. You agree to waive and release Women’s Quest, its officers, directors, staff, employees, contractors, and partners from any claims, liabilities or damages you may incur in the event you contract Covid 19 at any time during travel to, attending or after attending the retreat. You further agree to indemnify and hold harmless Women’s Quest, its officers, directors, staff, employees, contractors, and partners from any loss, liability or damages it or they may incur as a result of your failure to receive a negative test for Covid 19 prior to the retreat as provided above, attending the retreat with any Symptoms, not respecting Participant Requests, and not immediately departing the retreat if you develop any Symptoms.

Cancellation. In the unfortunate event you need to cancel your trip, cannot attend due to contracting Covid 19 or developing Symptoms prior to the retreat, or must leave the retreat due to contracting Covid 19 or developing Symptoms, Women’s Quest cannot provide any refund of any amounts you paid.

Travel Insurance. As provided in this document you could incur significant personal expense in the event you contract Covid 19 or develop any Symptoms during the retreat. As such, you are strongly urged to obtain travel insurance that provides adequate protections against these risks.

Additional Waiver. This waiver is incorporated into and made a part of other waivers you agreed to in connection with signing up for the retreat. In the event of a conflict between these terms and the terms of any other waiver, this waiver shall govern.

Purchasing Travel Insurance

We highly, highly recommend you get travel insurance to cover your expenses and losses, in the event you cannot make the Women’s Quest retreat for any reason or if  you test positive or come down with Symptoms prior to the retreat, develop Symptoms during the retreat, or cannot return home due to Covid related issues.  We recommend getting insurance that covers the cost of your trip, medical care while at the retreat, and coverage to pay for the necessary quarantine period if you test positive or come down with Covid.  Please remember, if you have to cancel your trip in the unfortunate event you come down with Covid, test positive, or suffer Symptoms prior to or during the retreat and need to leave, Women’s Quest cannot provide a refund since we have to pay your trip expenses well ahead of time.

If you are concerned about travel and the changing environment in which we are living irrespective of your Covid status, we recommend getting travel insurance that allows you to cancel for any reason. This coverage is more expensive, however, may provide you with the coverage and flexibility you desire.

Irrespective of the travel insurance you get, please make sure you talk to a travel insurance agent prior to buying any insurance and make sure you have the coverage you desire and that the policy will cover trip cancellation, medical expenses and trip interruption due to Covid. 

You can do your own investigation by checking out Squaremouth, a travel insurance comparison company that helps travelers search, compare and buy travel insurance online https://www.squaremouth.com/22393

Are you ready to join Women’s Quest on our Icelandic horseback riding retreat? Sign up today!