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Ask an adventurous motorcyclist for his or her “bucket list” of riding destinations, and Iceland is almost guaranteed to be included. There’s a good reason for this: Iceland is one of the wildest and most beautiful, historic, colorful places on earth. Frozen glaciers, towering volcanoes, steaming geysers, and soothing natural hot springs abound on this Arctic island. This is nature at its most primitive: raw and untouched, forged in ice and fire.
From the geographical point of view we see a multifaceted country with countless beautiful islands, crystal clear water, rugged mountains and canyons and a never ending coastline. And as motorcyclists we see roads made for riding, sceneries made to enjoy, friendly people, great food and countless places worth to stop and contemplate.
Read on for more information on our first R.A.W. tour offering of Iceland. Only a couple of moto tour companies offer Iceland on their itinerarys and they stick to the paved “ring road” around the island, but your R.A.W. adventure will take you across the island on adventurous tracks that pass by geysers, volcanos, and glaciers and allow you to test your skills at river crossing and some of the challenging terrains of Iceland’s interior.
Iceland is only available to ride in summer months, so please join us this August for an adventure you’ll never forget.
Join us on an unforgettable 11-day motorcycle adventure into the wild heart of Iceland, as no other tour company can offer. You will visit Viking ruins at the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Þingvellir (pronounced “Thingvellir”), skirt the cliff edges of fjords, traverse the remote Highlands of Iceland, get up close and personal with some of Iceland’s most notorious volcanoes and stunning blue glaciers, and set out on a whale watching excursion on a traditional oak boat. Prepare for the ride of a lifetime on our Iceland Adventure!
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Highlights include:
- Þingvellir National Park – No other single location embodies Iceland’s geological and human history like Þingvellir. Sitting directly astride the Continental Rift, this is the only place on earth where the growth and splitting of tectonic plates is visible above water. And as the site of the world’s first Parliament, Iceland’s General Assembly convened there from 930-1798. Þingvellir is a truly amazing site that holds a special place in Icelanders’ hearts.
- Hveravellir – Situated between two massive glaciers, Langjökull and Hofsjökull, Hveravellir is an oasis in the middle of the remote and desolate Highlands of Iceland. The rustic huts and steamy hot springs are a most welcome sight after a day in the saddle!
- Gullfoss, Godafoss, and Dettifoss – Some of the most well-known waterfalls in Europe.
- Hekla – Iceland´s most notorious volcano, known as the “Gateway to Hell”.
- Húsavik – Our rest day takes place in the fishing village of Húsavik, where we will offer a whale watching tour in a traditional oak boat. With any luck we´ll see Minske, Humpback, and even Blue whales before heading back to shore for lunch and some well-deserved R&R.
- Arctic Circle (almost) – While the Arctic Circle doesn´t actually cross the Icelandic mainland (the only part of Iceland technically inside the Arctic Circle is the tiny island of Grimsey), we will get you as close as we can (within .3 degrees)!
- Geysir – The original geyser, for which all others are named.
- Vatnajökull – The largest glacier in Europe.
- The West Fjords – Wind along the edges of deep fjords on narrow dirt roads. Don´t worry, we´ll have plenty of stops for photo-ops!
Eyjafjallajökull – Under this glacier lies the volcano whose eruption in 2010 wreaked havoc for air travelers worldwide as its ash plume covered much of Europe.
At a Glance Your Iceland Adventure – Founder’s Expedition
Pick up bikes. Kick-off briefing. Kick-off dinner
First stop: Þingvellir (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
• Route 550 north (dirt) to Route 52 west (dirt), stopping at hot springs if desired, then Route 50 (paved) to Ring Road (Route 1) into Borgarnes
• Second stop (if time allows): Viking Settlement Center Museum
• The short day allows riders to get comfortable on their bikes and stages us for the next day in the West Fjords
Ring Road north to Route 60 north (paved), cross bridge over fjord, then right on Route 61 north (paved) to Hólmavik for lunch and gas
• From Hólmavik, south on Route 68 (some easy unpaved sections) skirting along cliff edges as we track back to the Ring Road, then take that north to Blöndúos
Ring Road south to pick up F35 south (wide, graded unpaved, one or two water crossings)
• First stop: Hveravellir for lunch
• Second stop: Gullfoss waterfall
• Third stop: Geysir
• Continue south on 35 (paved) to Selfoss
Ring Road east to Route 26 north (paved)
• Route 26 becomes F26 (unpaved, possibly some difficult sections, multiple water crossings, possible snow/ice/mud) through the heart of the Highlands
• Stop at Godafoss waterfall, gas up
• North on Route 85 (paved) to Húsavik
• Congratulations, you’ve made it through the longest and most difficult day of the trip!
Whale watching available.
Route 85 north to Route 870 to Arctic Circle stop (some easy unpaved sections)
• Loop back to Route 85 (paved), then F862 south (unpaved) through Jökulsárglúfur National Park and past Dettifoss waterfall
• Ring Road east and south to Eglisstaðir, passing Asbyrgi Canyon for photo ops
Ring Road south (paved with some easy unpaved sections), follow the winding coastline to Höfn
Ring Road west, traveling between glaciers and the sea
• Stop at Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon
• Continue to Kirkjubaerklaustur
• Boat tour among the glaciers
Ring Road back to Reykjavik
• Return bikes
• Final group dinner
Tour leaders to arrange airport transfer for all guests.
Only 37% of Iceland´s roads are paved; the rest vary from wide graded gravel to single-lane mountain trails that are rated for 4x4s only. While we plan to stay off the most difficult roads, you can still expect multiple water crossings, some of which may be a couple of feet deep and up to 20 meters across, fist-sized rocks, and sandy sections. The difficulty of the river crossings will depend largely upon how much snow falls over the winter; the rivers are fed entirely by glacier and snowmelt. For the most part, however, the roads will be paved or graded dirt/ gravel, with the focus being on enjoying the breathtaking landscape around us.
- Includes Includes BMW F700GS
- Additional charge of $650 for BMW F800GS
- Additional charge of $1,200 for a BMW R1200GS
- Own motorcycle: deduct $1,500 from the rider price.
- All breakfasts
- 9 dinners (à la carte)
- Park fees
- Tour leader on the motorcycle.
- Tour information package & map.
- Single room supplement – $1,500
Deposit per person: $800