I Joined a Women’s Multi-Sport Adventure in Iceland. Here’s What It Was Like

Adapted from Brianna Hoffman’s trip journal for Green Edventures’ August 2026 Iceland Women’s Multi-Sport Adventure & Solar Eclipse.

I first traveled with Green Edventures on my own to Tanzania. For my next trip with them, I joined the women’s multi-sport adventure in Iceland during the August 2026 solar eclipse. We had nine days, starting in Reykjavík and heading out to the Snæfellsnes Peninsula and along the South Coast.

I watched an iceberg flip over, got surprised by a seal a few feet from my kayak, and walked on a glacier in crampons. I made it through all of that in one piece. Then, on my way out of Sky Lagoon on the last day, I kicked a lava rock and flew home with throbbing toes.

But first, Reykjavík.

What did the first day in Reykjavík feel like?

Hallgrímskirkja and the statue of Leifur Eiríksson were right across from our hotel, so I started there. I went inside the church, took pictures of the organ pipes, and got a look at the city from the tower. By the end of the day I’d walked eight miles, which was a good thing considering how many places sold pastries. Even the convenience stores had them. I also learned that rye bread ice cream somehow tastes like chocolate chip and that a hand-spun, hand-dyed, handmade sweater might require a small loan.

My last stop was Hús máls og menningar, where The Bookstore Band played in front of shelves full of books. People kept throwing out requests, and the band seemed to be able to play whatever anyone asked for.

What was it like riding Icelandic horses on Snæfellsnes?

On Snæfellsnes, we stopped at the black church at Búðir and walked through the lava field. I stood still for a minute and listened. After a day in the city, the quiet took me by surprise.

We saw Kirkjufell and its waterfall, then went out looking for whales. The whales didn’t show, but we saw plenty of white-beaked dolphins. We even had a lookout dog on the boat, although he appeared to sleep through most of his shift.

After dinner there was still daylight for a waterfall, a climb up Saxhóll crater, and a stop at Djúpalónssandur, where the black pebbles shine when they’re wet. We tried lifting the stones once used to test fishermen’s strength. I got the two lighter ones off the ground. The other two stayed right where they were.

Our home for the next two nights is a family-owned horse farm, where horses and sheep graze outside the cabin windows. The farm dog, Von, kept turning up at the door with a ball in her mouth. Her name means “hope,” which seemed appropriate for a dog who never gave up on getting another game of fetch. We watched the sky turn pink around 10:15 and ate some local snacks before bed.

The next morning I rode Fallegur to the beach. He was handsome, sure-footed, and very committed to snacking. Every time he spotted grass, he dropped his head, and the short reins made me feel like I might follow him right over it. I got to try the tölt, too, the smooth four-beat gait Icelandic horses are known for. It was considerably easier to sit through than one of Fallegur’s surprise snack stops.

What happens when clouds cover a solar eclipse?

On August 12 we set up a camera and brought out a few gadgets to measure changes during the eclipse. We had our own little eclipse party overlooking the horse farm. We even sang and danced on the deck in the drizzle to see if we could persuade the clouds to move.

They didn’t. Then the pasture went dark, and I could feel the temperature change. The sky stayed covered, but the change in the light and the temperature made it unforgettable. I’ll remember our little party on the deck every time I think of that eclipse.

What did we see on Iceland’s South Coast?

The next day we walked the misty cliffs between Arnarstapi and Hellnar for one last adventure on the Snæfellsnes Peninsula, the headed south toward the Golden Circle.  This was a big day that included soaking in Hvammsvik Hot Springs by the ocean, and a guided walk through the rift at Þingvellir. In Selfoss I found Thai food, hand-mixed ice cream, and an elevator at our hotel. After a full day on my feet, I was probably more excited about that elevator than I should admit.

We watched Strokkur erupt, felt the spray at Gullfoss, and ate lunch among the tomato vines at Friðheimar. There was tomato soup with fresh bread, plus tomato beer, tomato ice cream, and tomato sorbet. At Kvernufoss we could walk behind the waterfall. At Dyrhólaey we got lucky and found puffins still on the cliffs.

At Jökulsárlón, we walked past piles of rock and gravel a glacier had left behind. Out on the water I saw an iceberg roll. You spend all that time looking at the part above the surface, and then it turns over and you realize how much of it you’ve been missing. At Diamond Beach, pieces of ice lay scattered across the black sand. Later, on a separate lagoon called Fjallsárlón, we zipped up survival suits and went out in a Zodiac. Our guide even obliged when we asked for donuts. The boat kind.

How active were the glacier hike and the kayak outing?

At Sólheimajökull, it took us about an hour to get to the ice that day. We came over a hill, saw the glacier below us, and took a steep trail down to put on our crampons, helmets, and harnesses. On the ice we saw crevasses and shafts where meltwater disappears into the glacier. Later, at Skógafoss, I left my rain jacket in the vehicle. I rounded the bend and walked straight into a wall of spray. By then I figured I might as well get a good look. I came back soaked and didn’t care.

Near Stokkseyri, we went kayaking. I kept running aground in the narrow channels whenever I tried to take pictures. Out in the bay I finally managed to film without hitting anything, just in time for a seal to pop up a few feet away.

One last soak before flying home

We had langoustine soup for lunch and a soak at the local pool in Hveragerði. I liked the town pools best, but Sky Lagoon was a good last stop before the airport. My favorite part was the cool mist. The crowberry drink came in second. And if you’re wondering how to get through nine days in Iceland without hurting yourself, I can only tell you what worked for me until the very last minute. Pick up your feet around the lava rocks.

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Can I join this Iceland trip solo or try these activities as a beginner?

Yes. Green Edventures’ Iceland Women’s Multi-Sport Adventure is a nine-day small-group trip for women. You can book on your own and travel with the group. Local guides teach the skills you need for horseback riding, kayaking, and glacier walking, so you can be new to those activities. Expect moderately active days. In Brianna’s group, that meant things like walking uphill and down to reach the glacier, paddling against wind and current, and ending some days with a soak or ice cream.

The eclipse was part of the August 2026 departure. See the tour page for upcoming itineraries and dates. Iceland Women’s Multi-Sport Adventure