Icelandic Horse Riding Tour & Pickup Option from Reykjavik

GYG

Icelandic Horse Riding Tour & Pickup Option from Reykjavik

★ 4.8(1,905 reviews)

• Guide works in English
• Duration per the operator: 2 to 4.5 hours

from $151

See dates, price and what is included at the operator

What this ride is, and where it takes you

This is a horse riding tour out of Reykjavik that runs between two and four and a half hours, depending on the option you pick. The ride is led in English by a guide, and it takes you into the countryside around the capital, with the itinerary reaching as far as the village of Vík í Mýrdal on the south coast. That longer version is the one that covers real distance, so the four and a half hour figure belongs to the trip that goes furthest. The shorter end of the range suits someone who wants a proper ride without committing a full day. You start from Reykjavik, and the operator, Íshestar Riding Tours, runs the whole thing. The price starts at 151 USD. This is a ride for people who want to sit on an Icelandic horse and actually move, not just walk in a circle at a stable. The two hour option gets you on a horse and out into the landscape; the longer one pushes south toward Vík. If you have never ridden before, that is not a problem here, and if you have, the pace and the terrain give you something to work with.

Photographs from the operator Íshestar Riding Tours. They show the listing, not your day.

What the price covers

The 151 USD entry price puts you on the horse with an English-speaking guide for the duration you choose. That is the core of what you are paying for: the horse, the tack, the guide, and the ride itself. The operator does not add any compulsory extras on top of that figure. There are no gate fees or parking charges at any of the places this tour visits, so the price you see is the price that gets you through the day. The longer route that reaches Vík í Mýrdal may carry a higher price than the entry figure, since the range runs up to four and a half hours, but the catalogue only publishes the starting point. Free cancellation is offered, which gives you some room if your plans shift. The operator does not break down what else might be available to buy on the day, and nothing in the listing suggests you need to budget for anything beyond the ride itself. What you are not told about, you should not assume you need.

What the score actually means

The rating here is 4.8 out of 5, and it comes from 1,905 reviews. That is a large base, and it is the second highest number of reviews in the entire horse riding category in Reykjavik, which holds 13 listings. A score that high with that many votes is not a fluke of a handful of enthusiastic customers. It means the experience has been consistent for a lot of people. In a category where some tours have only a few hundred reviews or fewer, this one has been tested by nearly two thousand riders. The rank of 2 of 13 is by strength of evidence, not by score alone, and with this many ratings behind it, the evidence is about as solid as the category gets. The one listing with more reviews may have a similar score, but you are not looking at a tour that is untested or uneven. The 4.8 is credible because of the volume behind it.

When the ride makes sense

Reykjavik sits at a latitude where the seasons change the daylight hours dramatically. In the middle of winter, December and January, the high stays around 3 degrees and the sun is up for only a few hours, so a four and a half hour ride would push into dusk or darkness unless it starts very early. The two hour option is the realistic choice in those months. From June through August, the high reaches 13 to 15 degrees and the daylight stretches long into the evening, which opens up the longer route comfortably. May and September sit in between, with highs of 10 and 11 degrees, and those months give you a good balance of daylight and milder air. The ride itself is an outdoor activity, so the low temperatures in January and February, around minus 2, mean you need to dress for the cold regardless of when you go. The best months for the full distance are the summer ones, when the warmth and the light actually let you see the landscape you are riding through.

What happens when you get there

The tour starts from Reykjavik, and the operator handles the logistics of getting you to the horses. The ride itself moves through terrain that is open and exposed, so the weather plays a real part in how the day goes. If the wind picks up or the rain comes in, the guide adjusts the pace and the route. The places on the itinerary, including Vík í Mýrdal on the longer version, are not the kind of stops with buildings or facilities attached. You are there for the riding, not for a visitor centre. The operator runs the tour in English, so the briefing before you mount is one you will understand directly. The ride is not wheelchair accessible, which is worth knowing before you book if that matters to you. Beyond that, there is no particular arrival procedure to worry about. You show up, get matched with a horse, and go.

Who this ride suits

This tour suits a first-time rider who wants a proper introduction to Icelandic horses without a huge time commitment, and it equally suits someone with experience who wants to cover ground. The range of durations means you can match the ride to your confidence. If you are not sure you want to spend hours in the saddle, the two hour option is a low-risk way to find out. If you want the full experience, the longer route toward Vík gives you the distance. The 4.8 rating from nearly two thousand riders tells you that a broad mix of people have enjoyed it. If you are looking for something shorter and cheaper, the Red Lava Horse Riding Tour runs 2.5 hours from 143 USD, though it has more reviews behind it. If you want a full day out that combines riding with sightseeing, the Full-Day Horse Riding and Golden Circle Tour runs nine hours from 267 USD, but its rating of 4.1 from only 86 reviews suggests a less consistent experience. This tour sits in the middle: cheaper than the volcano tour and the Viking tour in Hafnarfjörður, and with a far broader base of reviews than any of its direct competitors.

GYG

Icelandic Horse Riding Tour & Pickup Option from Reykjavik

Dates, remaining places and the current version of what is included are at the operator. This page reflects the state of the catalogue, not the state of this morning.

from $151

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