02E - The Elfin Tour

by Eldhestar · Horse riding · Reykjavík

4.50· 1,180 Google reviews of the operator

Beginners welcome
Fine on your own
Self-guided

from €140 per person

Next departure: Thu 22 Oct

Book Thu 22 Oct · €140 Other dates

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11 photos from Eldhestar. Tap any one for the full-size original.

Duration
5 hours
Difficulty
Easy
Season
All year
Starts in
Hveragerdi
Pickup
Hotel pickup included
Starts at
Eldhestar
Vellir, Ölfus
Departs
09:00
Minimum age
7
Cancellation
Free until 24 hours before

Meeting point, in Eldhestar's words: Please be at our stable at 9:00 in the morning for the tour.

About this experience

Elfs are important creatures in Iceland. They get to decide where roads can go, and houses can be built. On this tour we see some places populated by these special creatures, the “hidden people”, but as they are hidden, we will not actually meet them. So, depending on where the horses felt their presence last time, you will ride on one of two paths.

We will either pass the small cleft Alfakví and the old sheep’s house that cannot be removed without serious consequences. Some elves are musical; Skjólklettur is the place of the elves’ church, where singing has been heard. On our way to the elfin hill, Einbui, populated by friendly and sometimes singing elves, we also experience excellent riding trails for trying the special, smooth gait of the Icelandic horse, “tölt”.

Or ride through hummocks meadows and lava fields where they believe to live. If your horse reacts when passing by, then an elf might be close by. When crossing the small warm river Varmá, look out for Nykur, the Icelandic version of a water spirit.

After returning to our hotel, a light lunch will be served.

Please note: The tour is suitable for all levels of riding experience from beginners to advanced. During booking process, we ask our clients to inform us about their riding experience, which helps us to choose the right horse for everyone. Beginners and experienced riders ride together. We always try to tölt as much as possible, but do not gallop for safety reasons.

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

Included

Pick up and drop off, riding for 1 1/2 - 2 hours, lunch at our hotel. We provide helmets and rain gear/winter overalls.

Good to know

Please wear clothes according to weather and solid shoes. We reccommend hiking boots.

This tour is offered all year round. 1.5 – 2 hours riding and a light lunch at Hotel Eldhestar. Pick-up in Reykjavik every day at 08:00. Return to Reykjavík ca. 13:00. Note that pick up from hotels in Hafnarfjörður, Kópavogur and Mosfellsbær is at 7:30 and pick up from Hveragerði and Selfoss is at 8:45. Please double check your booking a day or two before arrival for the pick up location, as the bus stops may change without notice. Please let us know if there are any dietary needs like if there are allergies or vegetarians.

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 a forecast the operator judges unsafe. Here is exactly what happens to your booking.

1Eldhestar 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 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 7 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

Eldhestar 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 Eldhestar

Read all 1,180 reviews on Google →

Operator rating 4.5/5 from Google — these are reviews of the company, not this specific tour. Shown as Google returns them, unedited.

Aleksandr
★★★★★ · 4 months ago
This review is for the horse tour, not the hotel. Signed up for route 2A as a completely novice rider (0 horsing experience). Had Lena as our guide and she was excellent. The horses were very well behaved and only went fast when you asked them to, and sometimes I had to ask more than once (my horse liked to ignore me). Views were incredible and it was the best introduction to horse riding I could have asked for. Definitely one of the highlights of my trip to Iceland.
R Florio
★★★★★ · 3 months ago
Stayed at the guesthouse and beds were very comfortable. Shared bathrooms-clean and multiple. Nice common room and got to also use and enjoy the hotel hottubs. The restaurant was very good and can accommodate any diet restrictions.
Sarah Hildebrand
★★★★★ · 3 months ago
Highly recommended for horse riding tours, our horses were very well behaved, the day rides to the hot river and river estuary had amazing variety and views. Our lead guide Nadine was exceptional, full of fun and very informed on the local area and culture and especially good on identifying the many birds we saw. Our second guide Ami was also very helpful and cheerful and helped riders to understand how to ask the horses to go into the tolt gait. We were very comfortable in the hotel and enjoyed the evening meals which were of a high standard. The staff in the hotel were great as well.
Patricia García
★★★★★ · 3 months ago
Just finished the tour 9AH and had the time of my life riding beautiful and kind-hearted horses. Everything about these tours is so well thought and planned, from the pick-ups to the horses, organisation and guides. The horses are just amazing and incredibly safe through the difficult terrain. Our guides Anna, Caroline and Signe were all incredible, super knowledgeable and helpful, and Anna's leadership and problem solving skills made us feel comfortable and safe at every moment, we couldn't have asked for better guides. We've made really good friends along the way, enjoyed very nice meals and a hot tub after the long rides. The hotel rooms were comfortable and spacious, with beautiful views of the paddock and ponies. This place is like heaven on earth and everyone is so lovely that it makes you just want to move in there and ride Icelandic ponies every day. My only bit of feedback would be that the restaurant staff could do with handling allergies/intolerances much better. I hope to be back another time, it was super worth it!!

Reviews from Google · updated 21 Oct 2026

Read before you book

Horse riding near Reykjavík: which stable to bookÍshestar, Sólhestar and Eldhestar all ride within an hour of Reykjavík for €85 to €140. Take Íshestar for convenience, Eldhestar's one-hour ride for families.
Best Horse Riding Tour in Iceland (2026): 4 PicksThe horse riding tours we would book ourselves: an easy lava-field ride near Reykjavík, the hot-spring valley, and longer rides for confident riders.
Horse riding in Iceland: the tölt and who it suitsIcelandic horses have a gait no other breed in Europe has. Here's what a riding tour really is, which combo to book, and who should stay on the fence.

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 Selfoss, from our hotel partners. Rooms are booked on our hotels site.

All hotels in Golden Circle →

One checkout, any number of operators
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If it falls short, we fix it

from

€140 per person

Eldhestar'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.

Departs09:00

Selfoss: light 08:32–17:45, 9 h 13 min of daylight.

✓ Free cancellation until 24 hours before
✓ Instant confirmation by email
✓ If Eldhestar 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: Eldhestar'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 €8 on the cheapest pair. One basket, one payment, however many operators they come from.