Iceland is one of our absolute favorite countries when it comes to adventure riding! Or what can be more adventurous than lava fields, glaciers, waterfalls, volcanoes, hot springs, geysers, river crossings and never ending dirt roads that disperses into the horizons? As always on our tours, an amazing riding experience is the top priority, but if you are in Iceland, there are of course some highlights you have to visit along the way. During this tour we ride from Reykjavik, north via the most exciting places Iceland has to offer such as Geisyr, the waterfall Gullfoss and Unesco world heritage Þingvellir. During a long day, we then cross the Icelandic Highlands to mystical-filled Myvatn, Husavik & one of Iceland’s largest volcanoes Askja. We then cross Iceland’s remote highlands once again via even more exciting roads to finish the journey through the fairy-tale landscape Landmannalaugar.
We have put together a tour with as many highlights as humanly possible on an 8 days tour. The tours are arrange in the late summer, the only time of year when you can be sure that the snow melted on all the passes and the weather is at its best. We manly ride on gravel roads of mixed quality, but of course there will also be some asphalt. For two of the days, there are easier as well as more advanced routes as alternatives for those who wish. We always have our support vehicle with us at all time providing us with lunch, coffee, spare parts and tools if necessary. This is an intensive week of riding, and it is our strongest recommendation that you have done at least Rider Training Offroad Basic before your tour.
Photo on this page: Ann Cathrin Erga, John Brown & David Johansson
The riding in Iceland is an endless mix of gravel roads, but we also ride some asphalt to transport us between the nice gravel roads. You don’t have to be a master on gravel to go to Iceland, but you have to feel comfortable on smaller gravel roads. Your physics should be relatively good as we sometimes ride long days. We simply have to get to the next hotel no matter what time it is. At tougher challenges such as sand or river crossings, we stop, talk about riding technique, and get through together and help each other out. Iceland is an adventure and you have to be prepared that it can sometimes be hard, but we also dare promise that you will have an absolutely amazing riding experience!
We have two long riding days during the tour as we cross the central parts of Iceland on gravel. This is an intensive week of riding, and it is our strongest recommendation that you have done at least Rider Training Offroad Basic before your tour.
During the tour, we pass a number of rivers we have to cross, most of them relatively easy but also a few bigger ones. The crossings vary from year to year and from day to day. When we come to the bigger river crossings, we stop and help each other and get through as a team. Some of the gravel roads we ride on are rocky, and the stones can be tough on both riders and the motorcycles, so it is important to adjust the speed to the roads and slow down when looking at the fantastic view. Sand we really only ride during the Advanced routes you can choose two of the days.
Throughout the tour, we stay comfortably in a good hotels and of course with toilet & shower on the room. Part of twin room is included in the price. Single rooms can be booked for a supplement (see cost for this in the booking).
Breakfast is included every day and next to the hotels there are always good restaurants. Coffee and lunch we usually have with us in our support vehicle so we can stay whenever and wherever we want for lunch. The same applies to our coffee/”fika” breaks, every time we stop there is always the opportunity to get something energy-rich.
Hydration is important when you work hard and it is our strongest recommendation that you use a hydration system and make sure to always fill it up before we leave in the morning.
”First time I visited Iceland was in 2003, only a few months after I crossed Africa from north to South on a motorcycle. The reason that I booked the tour was simply that I got really restless after I got home, and I needed a new adventure. Maybe Iceland dosen´t sounds like an adventure after Africa, but in fact I realized that after only a week on Iceland I had been riding on more different terrain than during my six months in Africa. The riding is unbeatable, like riding in a fairy-tale that consists of everything you could wish for when it comes to challenges!
After my first trip to Iceland in 2003 is has been many more, 2006, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2022 & 2023. In total I have spent almost one year on this fantastic island, and there are always more to be fascinated over. Since 2016 you have the possibility to join us for motorcycle tours on Iceland, and I promise that it will be an experience of a life time!”
– David Johansson, CEO Ride Nordic AB & certified BMW Motorrad Tourguide.
In our support vehicle, we have tools, spare parts, spare wheels, tires, water, coffee and lunch, which we set out in a nice place during the breaks. First aid equipment is available both in our support vehicle and on the tour guide motorcycles. The support vehicle also has a satellite phone and defibrillator (AED). All our tour guides are trained in first aid and CPR.
Click on each day for more information and photos!
Our tour starts and finish in Reykjavik. All of Day 1 is arrival day, so whether you arrive early or late is up to you. In the evening, togehter with the dinner, you will receive all the information you need about the coming week.
We gather in the morning and start with a presentation of ourselves and the motorcycles. After some set-up of the bikes, the day offers an approx. 150km ride where the first part goes on asphalt/larger dirt roads to Þingvellir, where the Eurasian and North American continental plates meet. The Icelandic parliament, Alltinget, was also created here in Tingvalla in year 930. After lunch we continue towards the waterfall Gullfoss and Geysir where we stay for the night. The tour got its name since we pass some of Iceland’s more famous tourist attractions. After this day, we are more adventurers than tourists!
A long day of nearly 400km as we cross Iceland from south to north for the first time. The first half offers easy-to-ride dirt roads through a vast landscape. At the first coffee break, we take the opportunity to visit the Hveravellir thermal area. We ride on and pass, among other things, the Blue Lake. The landscape changes and becomes greener before we reach the sea on the north side of the island. The last 200km of the day are on tarmac along road no. 1, Iceland’s ring road, with fantastic views of the Arctic Ocean. The day ends at lake Myvatn.
On this day you have a couple of choices:
Time to head south again. Today’s route, which is about 300 km, starts with some nice asphalt to the beautiful waterfall Godafoss before we turn south on the road through Sprengisandur. We pass another very impressive waterfall, Aldeyjarfoss, before it is time for some 100 km free ride across the remote Icelandic highlands. We start with a bit of space so that you and your riding buddy really get the feeling that you are alone in this the remote landscape. Our tour guides and support vehicle are of course always close by if you need assistance. After a few more exciting water crossings, where we once again help each other, and some fast gravel bits we arrive at the goal for the day.
Another exciting day awaits. Where we start by riding to the majestic vulkano Hekla. We then make cross Landmannalaugar which offers plenty of river crossings. When we see the sea on the south coast, we arrive at the hotel of the night.
We continue in the same spirit with wonderful gravel riding and, if possible, even better views. Black, green, white and hopefully blue, are the colours of the day. The 250km route passes impressive lava fields and several exciting river crossings along the Myrdalsjökul glacier before the last 100km of asphalt back to Reykjavik.
The adventure is over for this time… Whether you depart early or late is up to you. For those of you who leave later in the day, there is a lot to see in Reykjavik. But you are probably most interested in resting and thinking back on a magical week with a smile on your face. We hope to see you soon on another adventure with Ride Nordic!
Flights, transfer, dinners, riding gear.
Here you will find answers to the most common questions about our Iceland trips. You will also find some facts and statistics that we have collected since our first trips. If you have more questions, don’t hesitate to contact us!
It is our strongest recommendation that you complete at least Basic driver training before the trip. During the training, you will learn the basic techniques you need to be able to safely complete the trip in Iceland.
During the trip, you also receive constant feedback from our tour leaders/instructors. At all tougher passages we stop, go through the correct driving technique, and get through as a team. We also always post a cornerman at every turn and messy passage, so there’s always someone nearby to help. We also have the option of dividing into two or three groups for different experiences. On two of the days, you have the opportunity to choose the length/difficulty level of the tours.
Statistics driving habits Iceland participants:
The driving in Iceland is so good that it can hardly be explained in words. If you choose the Advanced options we offer, this is a tough ride! Thanks to us dividing ourselves into several groups, we have the opportunity to adapt to all different experiences and our tour leaders do not hesitate to come up with something extra if you as a participant are looking for exciting challenges! Tougher challenges than what we offer during our Advanced tours should not be attempted with a full-grown adventure motorcycle. We have never yet had a participant who did not find the challenges sufficient, even for die-hard cross and enduro riders.
Statistics driving habits Iceland participants:
Most of our participants go alone, so you won’t feel alone! After a week, you’ll have a whole bunch of new friends and some you’ll definitely keep in touch with!
Statistics:
The majority of our participants are usually from Scandinavia, but we have participants from the Baltics, UK, USA, Netherlands, Dubai, Kuwait, India, Thailand, Canada, Guatemala, Uruguay – to name a few 🙂
The majority of our tour leaders/instructors are from Scandinavia and speak Swedish or Norwegian as well as English.
During the week, you have the opportunity to store the packing and the bags you do not need during the driving days. We then lock this into our own transport vehicles at the hotel where we are staying the first and last night.
At the welcome meeting, you will receive a waterproof packing roll from us (which you can of course keep after the trip) where you can store what you want to take with you during the week. We then take this on the roof rack of our support vehicle and transport between the hotels. The motorcycle has a small handlebar bag and a top bag where you have room for the most important things during the day such as an extra sweater, a small camera, rain gloves, etc.
If you want more space for packing during the day, we recommend that you ride with a smaller motorcycle backpack that can also be equipped with a fluid system.
All of day 1 and day 8 are set aside for arrival and departure so you are free to arrive/leave as early or as late as you wish. Information about the easiest way to get from the airport to our hotel can be found in the welcome information we send out before the trip.
| Incl. BMW R1300 GS | 79 500 SEK(Approximately EUR) |
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The price includes accommodation in twin room for 7 nights, 7 breakfasts, 6 lunches, coffee/snacks all riding days, tour guides and all guided tours, rental of a BMW R1300GS for 6 days, spare motorcycle if needed, fuel for motorcycle, comprehensive insurance for motorcycle, support vehicle incl. driver, waterproof 50 litre pack roll transported by support vehicle, T-shirt.