Red Lava Horse Riding Tour - Reykjavík

by Sólhestar · Horse riding · Volcanoes & lava · Reykjavík

4.80· 303 Google reviews of the operator
  • Beginners welcome
  • Fine on your own
  • Luxury

from €118.93 per person

Next departure: Thu 22 Oct

Book Thu 22 Oct · €118.93Other dates
Red Lava Horse Riding Tour - Reykjavík — Sólhestar
Red Lava Horse Riding Tour - Reykjavík, photo 2
Red Lava Horse Riding Tour - Reykjavík, photo 3
Red Lava Horse Riding Tour - Reykjavík, photo 4
Red Lava Horse Riding Tour - Reykjavík, photo 5
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  • Duration

    2 hours and 30 minutes

  • Difficulty

    Easy

  • Season

    All year

  • Starts in

    Reykjavík

  • Pickup

    Hotel pickup available at extra cost, or meet at the start point

  • Starts at

    Sólhestar Horse rental Reykjavik

    Surtlugata 19, Reykjavik

  • Guide

    Guided in English

  • Departs

    09:30, 13:30

  • Minimum age

    10

  • Cancellation

    Free until 24 hours before

Meeting point, in Sólhestar's words: Self-drive notes: The meeting time for your riding is 15 minutes before the set riding time (The Tour starts from our stable at the set starting time) Follow this Google Maps link: Solhestar horse rental Reykjavik

About this experience

Explore the Red Lava Hills

An Adventure for All Skill Levels.

Join our exciting Red Lava Riding Tour. Where we ride in small groups (up to 18 with 3-4 guides) to provide personal and friendly service. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced rider, we have the perfect route for you.

Tour Highlights:

  • Duration: 2.5 hours total, with 1.5 hours riding
  • Distance: 5-7 km, depending on rider experience
  • Skill Level: Suitable for both beginners and experienced riders

What to Expect:

  • Routes: Enjoy a smooth and scenic ride along the beautiful Red Lava Hills and the area around lake Elliðavatn or Rauðavatn
  • Breathtaking Landscapes: Ride through natural paths surrounded by stunning Icelandic scenery
  • Icelandic Horses: Get to know our friendly and sure-footed Icelandic horses

Additional Information:

  • Pick-Up Service: Convenient pick-up from Reykjavík is available
  • Weight limit is 110 kg 

Embark on this new adventure and explore the captivating landscapes of Iceland on horseback. Book your tour now and experience the beauty of Iceland in an unforgettable way. Private tour available upon request. 

Description from the operator, Sólhestar. Prices and availability in the booking panel are live.

Included

Winter jumpsuits 

Rain clothing 

Boots 

Coffee

Free parking at our location if you arrive on your own

Good to know

Dress according to weather

Camera

Gloves

If you ask for pickup, we will be at your pickup place 30 min before set riding time. 

If you have your car, please be at our location 15 min before set riding time.

Google Maps: Sólhestar Horse Riding Reykjavík


Cancellation for this tour

Free cancellation until 24 hours before departure; no refund after that. If the operator cancels for weather or safety, you get a full refund or a new date.

If the weather cancels this tour

Iceland's weather is real. What usually stops this one is wind on the ridge or a change in eruption activity — civil protection decides, not the operator. Here is exactly what happens to your booking.

  1. 1Sólhestar decides, and tells us. Operators cancel when it is unsafe or pointless, and we back that call every time — we do not ask them to run anyway.
  2. 2We contact you by email, and by phone if your tour is the same or next day. You choose: another date if there is one you can make, or a full refund. There is no fee and nothing to argue.
  3. 3The refund goes back to the card you paid with, through Stripe, usually visible within a few working days. If this tour was one of several in your booking, the others are untouched.

What you do not get is the day back. If this is the only free day in your plan, put a spare day next to it — the planner leaves days free with the rest-day option. And if you want out because the forecast looks bad, that is your own cancellation: free until 1 day before departure, the operator's policy after that.

Questions on the day: [email protected] · +354 497 1373. How cancellations work in Iceland →

Who this is not for

  • Children under 10 cannot join this one.

Read off the operator's own conditions. If none of it applies to you, this is a good one.

Why we list it

Sólhestar is one of 204 operators we work with — chosen for reliability, honest descriptions and how they treat guests when weather changes plans. We don't list everything; we list what we'd book ourselves. The six checks every operator passes →

What travellers say about Sólhestar

Read all 303 reviews on Google →

Operator rating 4.8/5 from Google — these are reviews of the company, not this specific tour. Shown as Google returns them, unedited.

  • Zuzana Urvalkova

    ★★★★★ · 2 months ago

    Amazing experience! We highly recommend it! The horses are incredibly friendly and gentle. We are complete beginners with very little riding experience, yet we had no problem joining the 1.5-hour ride through the beautiful Icelandic countryside. Along the way, we crossed several shallow rivers on horseback, which made the ride even more memorable. Our group was relatively small, and we were looked after by two guides. We are from the Czech Republic, so we were especially happy to learn that one of our guides was Viki. She was absolutely fantastic! Viki was kind, welcoming, and shared lots of interesting facts about Icelandic horses as well as Iceland itself. The guides also take photos of you during the ride, so you’ll have wonderful memories to take home. We were lucky with the weather, but if it rains, they provide both rain ponchos and warm waterproof trousers, so you’re well prepared. The scenery is absolutely stunning, and the horses are amazing. We did the ride with our children, and everything went perfectly. By arrangement, we even had the chance to try the special Icelandic gait, the tölt. It was an unforgettable experience, and we highly recommend it. As a bonus, there are natural hot springs nearby, so after the ride you can relax and warm up for free in a beautiful hot river.

  • Luksss

    ★★★★★ · 2 months ago

    A very pleasant experience suited for all levels of experience. The hosts explained everything clearly and were very kindnand welcoming. The horses were gorgeous and very accustomed to being ridden. In the end we got some complimentary coffee and hot chocolate.

  • Eric Whiteman

    ★★★★★ · 3 months ago

    Awesome experience! We had a large group of 20 and we were all accommodated and looked after. We were provided rain gear which was especially helpful. Would highly recommend!

  • Eleanor T

    ★★★★ · a year ago

    Lovely horses, scenery and guides.. however maybe slightly disappointing for experienced riders such as myself. I realised beginners are welcome for the tour, and our group was only 5 so rather small, but I had hoped for a tölt/gallop as we mainly walked and trotted nice stretches, but maybe that is too advanced for a short tour. I should have asked as I read another review where a customer was taken for a gallop after the ride ended, but that was my mistake. The 90-minute ride was so beautiful, staff lovely, and a lower price than elsewhere but next time I would go somewhere that caters more for riders wanting to learn faster paces.

Reviews from Google · updated 21 Oct 2026

Read before you book

Reviews from our travellers

Only people who booked this tour through us can write here. We publish every review in full — good or bad.

Reviews arrive the day after each trip — none yet for this one. After your tour we send one email asking how it was, and what you write goes here, unedited.

Horse riding — questions people ask

Can complete beginners ride Icelandic horses?

Yes, and most people on the tours are beginners. Icelandic horses are small, calm and used to novices, and the one- to two-hour rides on the farm tours (/experience/164615/, /experience/170834/) move at a walk with a taste of tölt, the smooth fifth gait the breed is known for. You get a helmet and a short briefing. If you have ridden before, tell the guide; they will match you to a livelier horse.

Why can't I call it a pony?

Because Icelanders will correct you, politely. The Icelandic horse stands around 13 to 14 hands, pony height elsewhere, but it has been bred as a horse for a thousand years with no outside blood since the settlement. It has five gaits, including tölt and the flying pace. Once a horse leaves Iceland it cannot come back, to protect the herd from disease. Call it a horse; the guides will like you more.

Can I bring my own riding gear to Iceland?

Only if it has been disinfected. Iceland has strict rules to protect its horses from foreign disease: used riding clothing, gloves and boots must be disinfected before entering the country, and used leather tack, saddles and bridles are not allowed at all. The stables provide helmets and rain overalls, so most people bring nothing. Wear long trousers and closed shoes with a small heel if you have them.

Is there a weight limit for horse riding in Iceland?

Yes. Icelandic horses are small, and most stables set a rider weight limit somewhere around 100 to 110 kilograms, sometimes lower for longer rides. The tour page states the exact limit, and stables do enforce it on the day. If you are close to the limit, email us before booking and we will check with the operator. Minimum ages also apply, usually six to eight for a farm ride.

Hotels

Where to stay for this tour

From the cheapest to the top end of what is near Reykjavík, from our hotel partners. Rooms are booked on our hotels site.

All hotels in Reykjavík →

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Pairs well with

Add any of these to this tour and 3 % comes off both at checkout — about €6 on the cheapest pair. One basket, one payment, however many operators they come from.

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€118.93 per person

Book Thu 22 Oct · €118.93