An Icelandic Saga

Guests will be picked up from the airport and transferred to the hotel, where a full briefing will take place, alongside a welcome dinner to allow everyone to get to know each other and ask any questions. It’s important to know that riders’ physical fitness and experience will be fully tested on this adventure.

The first day on bikes will be a ‘training day’ to get used to the terrain, test fitness and ensure riders are comfortable on the bikes before setting off into the highlands. Everyone will be accompanied by professional off-road riders who’ll provide advice and guidance. At the end of the day, the Stracta Hotel is a home away from home, where warm and welcoming rooms await, with saunas and hot tubs to relax in and take in the views.

The journey into the highlands will kick off on tarmac roads, but very quickly turn into the varied terrain you’ll be getting to know over the next 8 days. This day takes us up and over Hekla, one of Iceland’s most active volcanos, giving you a perfect bird’s-eye view of the landscape below. Ending the day at the luxurious Hotel Geysir, guests are able to view Geysir Strokkur from the hotel restaurant.

Time to leave the tarmac for a ride over gravel roads and lava fields. Physical fitness and riding experience is important here too as riders will experience some of the most beautiful mountain passes in northern Europe while travelling between two of Iceland’s largest glaciers. After a good days’ hard riding, which includes approximately 200km on winding roads through hills and valleys – stopping for coffee and then lunch – we arrive at the beautiful Camp North, situated within the valley, closing the day with a BBQ under the evening sun.

This is where we go off piste and where we’ll all get a real chance to explore the centre of Iceland, riding across dirt, sand, gravel, rocky terrain, lava fields and seeing areas that look out of this world. We’ll also be travelling through challenging rivers and streams, so be sure to pack plenty of socks! The day ends at a hotel by Lake Mývatn, with a beautiful view over the lake to help you relax.

This is the mid-way point and we’ll be taking things a little easier with a ride on light gravel to see Dettifoss Falls; the second most powerful waterfall in Europe after the Rhine Falls. Guests will then ride to Husavik for lunch, before being given the chance to go on a private whale watching tour on a high-speed boat. After a relaxing afternoon, dinner will be by the harbour in a traditional fish restaurant.

This is a day when we’ll really be on our own and physical fitness and riding skills will be tested once more riding up through some of the remotest roads in Iceland. The challenge begins as the route takes us from North to South along the highland pass, through twists and turns, via rivers and gravel tracks. The majority of this day is off-road, where riders will experience lush green areas and flat baron landscapes – all within a day – ending at the Highland Centre for a well-deserved rest and sauna.

This maybe a shorter day, but it’s one where riders can let loose on packed sandy and muddy terrain. We pass Landmannalaugar, known for its natural geothermal hot springs and head along F235 to our lunch stop by Langisjόr Lake, within Vatnajökull National Park. The day will consist of small river crossings in this natural playground for Africa Twins.

This is a big and challenging day, and one which will test even the most experienced riders. Skirting the edge of the Mýrdalsjökull Glacier, the route will take riders on a journey through fast-flowing rivers, on narrow mountain roads and rocky terrain with breath-taking views at every turn. The day ends at the relaxing Hotel Katla, a charming countryside hotel with an outside hot tub for weary travellers to relax.

The final part of the journey begins on tarmac, stopping at two iconic Icelandic waterfalls, including Seljalandfoss, where you can walk behind the thundering falls. Then we head for Reykjavik, stopping at a local restaurant by the sea, before making a slight detour to complete a final (and fun) off-road loop. Finally – and for the famous photo finish – we stop at the iconic Blue Lagoon, where guests will say bye to their Africa Twins and relax in the natural waters to help ease those aches and pains. After a short coach journey, we all arrive at a stunning hotel in Reykjavik to refresh and relax, before the final celebrations.

In the morning, after a hearty buffet breakfast with the memories and images of an incredible experience still fresh in your mind, you’ll be transferred by coach to the airport.