Riding on ice - Lake Myvatn

by Safarihestar slf · Horse riding · North Iceland

4.90· 168 Google reviews of the operator

Fine on your own
Eco-certified

from €139.48 per person

Next departure: Mon 1 Feb

Book Mon 1 Feb · €139.48 Other dates

Riding on ice - Lake Myvatn — Safarihestar slf

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6 photos from Safarihestar slf. Tap any one for the full-size original.

Duration
1 hour and 30 minutes
Difficulty
Moderate
Season
All year
Starts in
Mývatn
Pickup
Meet at the start point
Starts at
Safarihestar
Álftagerði 3, Mývatn
Guide
Guided in Icelandic, English
Departs
10:00, 11:00, 12:00, 13:00 …
Minimum age
6
Cancellation
Cancelling costs 20% of the price within 5 days of departure, rising to 50% within 2 days.

About this experience

In the winter time, from February throughout March, our riding tours are on the ice-covered Lake Myvatn if the conditions permit. The tours depart from Álftagerði farm on the south side of Lake Myvatn. We ride on the lake, providing a unique view of the area. Our horses have snowshoes which gives them the stability they need for walking on ice.

The tour lasts approximately one hour (time in the saddle) but customers can expect to spend 15 extra minutes before and after the tour

There will be some occasions where we cannot ride on the ice, usually due to too much snow in the trail. In that case we ride on land in the vicinity of the farm where we are able to ride, given the conditions of the ground. From the time when the ice on the lake starts receding and it is no longer safe for us to ride on, our rides will be solely on land. This usually happens towards the end of March/very beginning of April.

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

Included

Helmets are provided for each rider.

Good to know

Please dress according to the weather - warm clothes, winter gloves, winter outfits. Sunglasses are very helpful when riding on ice and snow.

Please be advised to dress according to the weather. Sunglasses might come in handy when riding on ice.

We like our customers to arrive 10-15 minutes before the scheduled starting time in order to get everyone ready in time.

Large cameras/lenses or bags should not be taken on the tour and if taken, any damage is your responsibility.

Please be advised that 110 kg (242 lbs) is the maximum weight for our strongest horses. If you weigh more than 100 kg (220 lbs), please notify us in advance so we can make necessary arrangements (safarihestar@safarihestar.is).

Please understand that horses are live animals and can be startled by loud noises such as screaming.

For any other concerns or questions you may have, please contact us directly and we will be happy to help.

Cancellation for this tour

Cancelling costs 20% of the price within 5 days of departure, rising to 50% within 2 days. 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 a forecast the operator judges unsafe. Here is exactly what happens to your booking.

1Safarihestar slf 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.
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.
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 the cutoff shown above, the operator's policy after that.

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

Why this one and not the cheaper one?

The nearest cheaper Date the Icelandic Horse from Hestasport is €88 — €51 less. Here is every difference we can actually measure.

	Safarihestar slf · €139	Hestasport · €88
How long it runs	1.5 hours	45 minutes
How hard it is	Moderate	Very easy

The €51 buys you 0.8 more hours out. Whether that is worth it is your call — but that is what the difference is.

Who this is not for

Children under 6 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

Safarihestar slf 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 Safarihestar slf

Read all 168 reviews on Google →

Operator rating 4.9/5 from Google — these are reviews of the company, not this specific tour. Shown as Google returns them, unedited.

Amina Kranson
★★★★★ · 4 months ago
OMG. Best horse tour ever!! I had so much fun with my partner and Josie on our tour. It was beyond what I imagined, so much fun and adventure. We got to go off the dirt paths and into the rocks and hills of Iceland. It was awesome getting to tölt! I love horses, and the only thing I love more is birds. So it was incredible that our guide knew so much about the birds during our tour, too! I loved learning about the ecology and geology of Lake Myvatin. Couldn't have asked for a better tour or tour guide. Such a personalized experience! I'd say it was money well spent, worth it for the once in a lifetime experience.
Simona Oberhauserova
★★★★★ · 2 months ago
Our best riding tour in Iceland We loved our 1-hour tour around Lake Mývatn and the pseudocraters with Josie! It’s a wonderful family-run farm, and they gave us great safety instructions before we set off. You can really tell how much they care about their horses. Horses rides maximum two hours a day for two weeks, and then get a full week off in the pastures to rest. Plus vacation all winter as well. It was beautiful, friendly, and very ethical. Highly recommended! ⭐️
Cassie Ellsworth
★★★★★ · 4 months ago
This tour was a great experience! My partner and I did the two hour tour with Josie. She did an excellent job of pairing us with horses that fit our experience. The ride was so beyond what I expected it to be. We walked and tolted through the countryside, saw many birds, and learned about the lava formations. I would book again in a heartbeat!
Lisa Fehrenkötter
★★★★★ · 11 months ago
Fantastic experience! We booked a private tour as we are experienced riders and absolutely loved it. After a kind welcome we were able to experience the beautiful landscape on horseback while learning so much interesting information about the area. They matched the horses very well for our personality. Would absolutely recommend for experienced riders in small groups to book the ride!!

Reviews from Google · updated 21 Oct 2026

Read before you book

Lake Mývatn in winter: what runs and what doesn'tMývatn works in winter: day tours from Akureyri run, snowmobiles, snowshoes and an ice cave run from the lake. Daylight is short and storms close roads.
Icelandic farm visits: sheep, horses and lambsThe real farm visits are small and short: a family farm with sheep and horses at Mývatn, a dairy with its own ice cream, a horse stable. Lambs are born in May.
Skagafjörður: horses and rafting on the Ring RoadSkagafjörður is the best place to break the Reykjavík–Akureyri drive: a 30- or 90-minute ride from Varmahlíð all year, and family rafting in summer.

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 Mývatn · Reykjahlíð, from our hotel partners. Rooms are booked on our hotels site.

All hotels in North Iceland →

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from

€139.48 per person

Safarihestar slf's own price. 3% off the whole trip when you book two or more tours together, in one checkout.

Your date

The next departure we can see — change it if this tour is for another day.

Pick a date to check departures.

Departs10:0011:0012:0013:0016:00

Mývatn · Reykjahlíð: light 10:04–16:38, 6 h 34 min of daylight.

· Cancelling costs 20% of the price within 5 days of departure, rising to 50% within 2 days.
✓ Instant confirmation by email
✓ If Safarihestar slf cancels for weather or safety: a full refund, or another date
✓ Card — Apple Pay or Google Pay where your device offers it — through Stripe; the charge is made in Icelandic krónur
✓ Price promise: Safarihestar slf's own price, or we refund the difference
✓ One checkout, even with tours from several operators
✓ Vetted operator — the six checks every operator passes

Pairs well with

Add any of these to this tour and 3 % comes off both at checkout — about €7 on the cheapest pair. One basket, one payment, however many operators they come from.