Is it worth it?

Riding an Icelandic horse is worth an hour or two

Short answer

Worth it

Worth it, including for beginners: the horses are small, calm and have a smooth gait of their own, the tölt. A short ride near Reykjavík is enough for most people.

The short version

  • Worth it. Worth it, including for beginners: the horses are small, calm and have a smooth gait of their own, the tölt. A short ride near Reykjavík is enough for most people.
  • We hold 51 day tours here from 19 operators, median €171 a person, cheapest €85.
  • Cheaper alternative: Stop by a roadside field and look — Icelandic horses are everywhere. Do not feed them without asking.

Worth it if

  • You have never ridden and want an easy first go.
  • You are travelling with children old enough to ride.
  • You want something local rather than mechanical.

Not worth it if

  • You are over the weight limit most stables set.
  • You were hoping for a fast gallop on a first ride.

What you are actually paying for

Ride length and pickup. A one to two-hour ride is the base; hotel pickup adds to it.

Across our own contracted catalogue, horse riding day tours run to a median of €171 a person, with the cheapest we hold at €85, from 19 operators. Private and per-vehicle products are excluded, because mixing them into a per-person figure makes it meaningless.

The cheaper thing to do instead

Stop by a roadside field and look — Icelandic horses are everywhere. Do not feed them without asking.

If you decide it is worth it

What we actually hold, with live prices and departures. Nothing here is a placeholder listing — if it is on this page, it can be booked.

Íshestar Riding Tours

Lava Tour - Horseback Riding through the Lava Fields

from €115 per person4.80· 739 Google reviews of the operator

33% below the €171 typical

from age 7 · pickup at extra cost

2 h · from Reykjavík

  • Gear included
  • Family friendly
  • Free cancellation 24 h

On this riding tour, you get to experience the Icelandic Horse in its natural surrounding in the beautiful nature of Iceland, just outside of Reykjavík.

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Íshestar Riding Tours

Horses and Waffles

from €124 per person4.80· 739 Google reviews of the operator

28% below the €171 typical

Complete beginners

1 h · from Reykjavík

  • Gear included
  • Family friendly
  • Free cancellation 24 h

This tour through the Icelandic winter wonderland is ideal for beginners as well as more advanced riders. We connect strongly to nature and the elements as we calmly ride, for appr. 50 minutes, through beautiful lava fields, surrounded by mountains

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Keep reading

Questions people ask

Is horse riding in Iceland worth it?

Worth it, including for beginners: the horses are small, calm and have a smooth gait of their own, the tölt. A short ride near Reykjavík is enough for most people.

Do I need riding experience?

No. Most short rides are for beginners, and the stable matches you to a calm horse.

Why take our word for it

  • One checkout, any number of operators

  • Rankings are not for sale

  • 206 operators vetted, and not all of them accepted

  • If it falls short, we fix it

Other things people ask about

All 42 verdicts →

Last updated · prices and departures checked 24 Oct 2026

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