Horse riding near Reykjavík: which stable to book

Short answer: if you want one horse ride from Reykjavík and no logistics, book Íshestar’s Lava Tour at €115. If you have children aged seven to nine and one hour of patience, take Eldhestar’s €85 ride. If you want a half day with lunch and a pickup, take Eldhestar’s Elfin Tour at €140. All of them put you on an Icelandic horse and none of them promise you a gallop.

Íshestar: the easy one

The stables are in Hafnarfjörður, a 20-minute drive from the centre. The Lava Tour is €115 for about two hours. The riding is 1.5 to 2 hours and the full outing is about four hours if you use their transfer. Groups are split by ability, which is useful if one of you has ridden and the other has not. Minimum age is 7. Helmets, boots and rainwear are included, and there is complimentary coffee and hot chocolate when you get back.

If you want it just for your own group, the private ride is €225 for an hour. It is a big premium for a short time. Only worth it for a nervous rider or a party that wants to go at its own pace.

Sólhestar: the one with the bigger group

Red Lava Horse Riding is €118 for 2.5 hours in total, with about 1.5 hours in the saddle over 5 to 7 km. They ride in groups of up to 18 with three or four guides, so it is more of a trail ride than a personal one. Minimum age is 10, which rules out younger children. Pickup from Reykjavík is available if you ask when you book, and there is free parking if you drive. The route goes round the red lava hills by Lake Elliðavatn or Rauðavatn, and it stays close to town.

Eldhestar: two very different rides

Eldhestar is further out, near Hveragerði, so these are for people who are heading east anyway or happy with a bus pickup.

• Countryside Charm is €85 for one hour on the farm’s meadows and tracks. It is the cheapest ride in this guide. Minimum age 7. It runs at 11:00, 13:30 and 14:45. Pickup from Reykjavík is only offered for groups of eight or more, so most people need their own car.
• The Elfin Tour is €140 for about five hours. Pickup in Reykjavík is at 08:00 and you are back around 13:00. You ride 1.5 to 2 hours on paths tied to the local elf stories, then have a light lunch at the hotel. It suits people without a car who want a proper morning.

Eldhestar asks about your riding experience when you book and matches the horse to you. Beginners and experienced riders go out together, and they tölt as much as they can. They do not gallop, for safety.

Things that apply to all of them

The weight limit is 110 kg (about 240 lb) at every stable we list. Helmets and wet-weather gear are provided, so you do not need to pack riding clothes. Do not bring used riding boots or leather gloves from home. Iceland bans used riding gear unless it has been washed or disinfected first, and the stables say so.

You can ride all year. Winter rides are shorter in daylight and colder, but the overalls are warm. Do not book a ride for the last hour before a flight. Cancellation is free until 24 hours before, except on the private ride, where the terms are different.

Our honest take

Book Íshestar’s Lava Tour for most people. It is close, it has a clear price, and it takes a mix of beginners and experienced riders. Book Eldhestar’s one-hour ride if you have children of seven or eight and a car, since it is cheaper and short enough for them. Book the Elfin Tour if you have no car and want a half day that ends with soup, not a shuttle bus.

The downside is that all of these are close to Reykjavík, so the scenery is lava fields and meadows, not mountains. If you want black sand or a river ride, you are looking at the south coast and a longer drive. Our horse riding guide covers those, and the best horse riding tours lists the rest.