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This is Iceland's must-do program for adventurous or serious mountain bikers. With four days of wilderness biking in the mountains and valleys of South Iceland, Þingvellir national park and on the volcanic Westman Islands, it's the real deal. Experience fun and challenging bike paths with lava under your wheels, splash through clear mountain rivers and discover steaming hot springs in the midst of untouched nature. One of the most demanding bike tours in Iceland with daily distances of 20-50 km (13-31 miles) but truly one of the most fun!

Itinerary

BIKE ON LAVA

At 08:00 pick up from your accommodation in Reykjavik and travel about 30 minutes by car to Hveragerði in South Iceland, where you will stay at Hotel Örk for the next 3 nights. We start the mountain bike adventure near Þingvellir, one of Iceland's most historic sites and where the continental plates of America and Europe meet. Þingvellir is the oldest parliament in the world founded by the Vikings in the year 930. We bike alongside Iceland's biggest lake and then we bike up to the mountain into the awesome Hengill volcanic area. There we find plenty of exciting and fun paths with lava under our wheels. We reach the village of Hveragerði around 18:00.

Biking distance: 50 km / Duration: 7-8 hrs including stops

SPLASH ADVANCED

We start at 09:00 and go high up to the mountains into a beautiful valley of grass that is called Innstidalur. There you witness gorgeous untouched nature and an eerie geothermal hot spring area. From there we bike fun trails and splash through rivers and streams and bike down to the village of Hveragerði. We return to the hotel between 16:00-17:00 which leaves you time to use the hotels geothermal outdoor pool, hot tubs and steam baths. You might want to explore Hveragerði, known as Iceland's garden town, where you find several shorter and longer walking trails should you need some more exercise. Other optional outdoor activities include golf and horseback riding.

Biking distance: 30 km / Duration: 5-6 hrs including stops

We leave the hotel at 08:00 and drive through the agricultural region of South Iceland and head towards the Westman Islands, famous for the volcano eruption in 1973 and also for the rich bird life and fishing. Vestmannaeyjar (English: The Westman Islands) is a small archipelago off the south coast of Iceland. The largest island, Heimaey, has a population of about 4,000. The other islands are uninhabited, though two have single hunting cabins. The archipelago came to international attention in 1973 when Icelanders battled to prevent lava from the volcano Eldfell blocking Heimaey's harbour and caused the island's 5000 inhabitants to be temporarily evacuated to the mainland. To reach the Westman Islands we take a 30-minute ferry ride. We bike around the island of Heimaey, explore the busy harbor, bike through an old street where the lava ran over the houses in 1973 and of course we will look for the puffins. We walk up to the crater of the Eldfell volcano, explore the flora of the new lava field and visit "Pompeii of the North", a volcanic excavation project. We will take the 17:30 ferry back to the mainland and reach the hotel in Hveragerði around 19:00.

Biking distance: 20 km / Duration: 4-5 hrs including stops

MOUNTAIN BATH

We start the day at 09:00 and enjoy a mountain bike tour that offers spectacular Icelandic nature. You see magnificent old volcanic craters and witness huge geothermal hot springs. You have the opportunity to take a bath in a warm geothermal river where you can relax and enjoy the wilderness and mountain environment. It´s all about having a fun experience while biking down through the valley of Reykjadalur, which is known for beautiful and rough nature, where you will feel the Adrenalin rushing down your veins. The small narrow trails make this tour one of the most fun and demanding bike paths in Iceland. We return to Reykjavik and reach the Icelandic capital around 17:00. (Accommodation not included)

Biking distance: 20 km / Duration: 5-6 hrs with stops

Notes