Varmahlid Tours
The Viking Horse Riding Experience in North Iceland
5

The Viking Horse Riding Experience in North Iceland

By Hestasport - Riding Tours
Recommended by 100% of travellers
100% of reviewers gave this product a bubble rating of 4 or higher.
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Ages 6-70, max of 8 per group
Duration: 1h 30m
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
Live guide: English
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Written guide
Print or digital reading material such as a guide, map, brochure, etc.
: English
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  • English speaking guide
  • Riding Helmet
  • Thermal Overalls or Rain Gear as required
  • Free coffee of tea before and after the tour


Start:
  • Hestasport Reception - Cottages and Riding Tours, Vegamót, 560 Varmahlíð, Iceland
    Meeting is 30 minutes before departure. In Varmahlíð, you turn off Ringroad no.1 onto road no. 752. When you are on road no. 752, our office is the first building on the left (150 m from the junction). It’s a white and blue painted building. The GPS coordinates are: N 65°32,744′ W 19°26,338′.
End:This activity ends back at the meeting point.

    • Not wheelchair accessible
    If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 47073P4

    • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
    • Not recommended for travellers with back problems
    • Not recommended for pregnant travellers
    • No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
    • Most travellers can participate
    • Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
    • Please specify your experience level in "Special Requirements" field: Beginner/ Occasional Rider/ Intermediate/ Experienced
    • Weight Limit 100kg/220lbs
    • This experience requires good weather. If it’s cancelled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
    • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 8 travellers

    • For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.

    If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 47073P4

    From
    ₹8,813.32
    per adult
    Select date and travellers

    Similar experiences

    Itinerary
    • Vegamót, 560 Varmahlíð, Iceland
      Meeting is 30 minutes before departure. In Varmahlíð, you turn off Ringroad no.1 onto road no. 752. When you are on road no. 752, our office is the first building on the left (150 m from the junction). It’s a white and blue painted building. The GPS coordinates are: N 65°32,744′ W 19°26,338′.
    • 1
      1,5 hour Riding tour Please check in 20 min. before departure at the reception
    About the operator
    Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator:
    • Hestasport - Riding Tours
      194
      Varmahlid, Iceland
      Joined in April 2014
    • Adventure81756
      0 contributions
      4.0 of 5 bubbles
      Scenic experience
      This was a fun activity as a family on our trip to Iceland. They provided all the gear necessary & even fly nets, which was a lifesaver. The scenery is beautiful as you’re riding - through a meadow, a stream, and several places where you can have the horse do its unique Icelandic trot. The guides were very friendly and knowledgeable.
      Written 24 July 2024
    • 246kristiinah
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      First ride in Iceland, but definitely not the last!
      Loved the River Delta ride! My first ride in Iceland, but definitely not the last. Julia, the instructor, as well as the staff at the reception, made sure I was comfortable and safe at all times and matched me with a great horse for the ride. Thank you!!🤩
      Written 10 July 2024
    • leolP8239PF
      0 contributions
      4.0 of 5 bubbles
      Beginner friendly
      Nice and welcoming ride tour for three complete beginners. The guide was very chatty and friendly. We got to try the famous tölt which was a lot of fun!
      Written 7 July 2024
    • 856octavianf
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      The most loved place in Iceland by us!
      The most loved place in Iceland by us! This was probably our 7th time, and anytime we go, we stop here as well. Staff, cabins and the hut-tub are amazing, not to mentioned there is a water park down the road as you enter the town from Hestasport. The town by the fjord and the roads around the fjords are also a great attraction.
      Written 1 May 2024
    • misstoto
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Top experience in Iceland, great for families
      We went on the 1 hour tour as a family with our 6yo and 9yo in October and it was my younger one's top experience in Iceland! We are inexperienced riders and the entire family enjoyed it. It is unlike any other trail rides we've done before in the US where the horses are nose to tail. There is wide open space and sometimes the horses do veer off but are still in the group- very fun. The horses are gentle and lovable and you can feel their own personalities. And the views are spectacular. We even experienced the tolt and it was both exciting and felt safe. The guides were wonderful, calm, and patient. In case this is helpful to some to make the decision: it was a full 1 hour on horseback, not counting the initial helmet fitting and getting matched to a horse. We crossed a river, stopped briefly at a beautiful waterfall, and walked on along a ridge- it was definitely an adventure for all of us, esp. for my 6yo. I'm already plotting to come back!
      Written 8 October 2023
    • atomoovka
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      fantastic experience!
      Our experience with Hestasport was amazing ! This is a small, family owned company and we felt taken care of. Instructors chose horses based on our skills and provided a customized experience. We went on a ride along the river, climbing a small hill and ended up by a beautiful waterfall. We booked a 1.5h group tour for a family of 3 and because there were no other bookings at that time, we ended up having a private tour. A fantastic experience!
      Written 3 September 2023
    • teresad231
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Fun ride!
      Fantastic experience- our guide was great, horses had great temperaments, well managed facility. Loved the small group of three riders with one guide.
      Written 7 August 2023
    • Jennifer B
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Short but satisfying
      We had a lovely 30-minute ride on well-behaved Icelandic horses. The time flew by and we wished we had booked an hour instead! The guides were friendly and patient and helped us have a lovely time. It was especially nice for our young teens who didn't have any horse experience before.
      Written 22 June 2023
    • 392yw
      0 contributions
      1.0 of 5 bubbles
      Unsafe ride and no interest in taking any accountability
      I want to share my review so riders in the future can make an informed decision about whether they want to use this company or not. Overall I would strongly recommend inexperienced riders to think twice before riding with this company. It was very unsafe. The horse I rode was lacking energy the entire ride and suddenly towards the end when we were almost back to the staple the horse went wild and started dashing towards some grassy area without warning. I was thrown off the horse and whiplashed. Luckily I had a helmet on so I avoided serious concussions but my neck took several days to heal from the whiplash and was in great pain the whole time. We originally were going to do water rafting with another company booked via Hestasport after the horseback riding and due to my injury had to cancel. Hestasport took no responsibilities in helping us cancel the reservation or issuing a refund despite it’s their horse that went wild and injured me. They didn’t apologize and mentioned it’s our responsibility to call the rafting company. When we called the rafting company Vikings Rafting they were very understanding and mentioned they would issue us a refund. However, later on we learned from them Hestasport had the money the whole time and we had to reach out to Hestasport again. After multiple back and forth we finally got the refund for the water rafting and no apology or compensation for the unsafe horseback ride. I wish we never rode horses with them and went water rafting instead.
      Written 28 February 2023
    • AndrewR2614
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Amazing and brilliant experience
      The instructor was amazing and my daughter says it is the best horse riding experience ever. It was an amazing day
      Written 10 January 2023
    • Ralph B
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Beautiful place
      Everything was clean, well prepared and in good condition. The common hot pond is really warm and the northern lights beautiful. The owners are easy going and very friendly.
      Written 20 October 2022
    • AnitaM450
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Horses!
      Our 8 yr old and our group of adults did the 3 hr ride. It was fabulous. Not a nose-to-tail ride. The 3 and 6 yr olds did the 45 min horse experience. They got to brush the horses and then were led on a walk around the property. They loved it and the staff was great!
      Written 17 September 2022
    • adavid0ff
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Absolutely beautiful memorable ride!
      We had a fabulous ride with Sarah on a day our cruise ship docked in Skagafjordur. The company is so well-organized and responsive, and arranged to pick us up from the port together with two other passengers. We had a 1.5 hour beautiful ride on amazing horses, past a waterfall and across a river. Truly memorable. Thank you for such a wonderful day!
      Written 21 August 2022
    • 907verenaf
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Simply perfekt!
      We spend 9 wonderful riding days at Hestasport. We were a group of 10 friends and Gracina and Katja organised a private riding trip only for us. It was amazing, specially the mountains-trip and of course, the Highlight, riding the flying pace! I was several times in Iceland for riding trips, but this was definitly the best! For sure I will come again! Thank you Gracina, Katja, Magnus and of course Hjalti, our icelandic Guide, for this great holidays😘
      Written 21 July 2022
    • Mark C
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Very good guides
      With little to none riding experience, we were 3 times lucky today. - the weather was beautiful and sunny - Maud and Sara were fantastic guides - Very beautiful area. The tour was easy and done is a nicely safe way. The typical Icelandic horses were very well trained and easy to handle. Great organisation!
      Written 18 July 2022
    See all 194 reviews
    These reviews are the subjective opinions of Tripadvisor members and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

    Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

    Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

    Popular mentions

    5.0
    5.0 of 5 bubbles18 reviews
    Excellent
    18
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    These reviews have been automatically translated from their original language.
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    TheWakeyHarveys
    Leeds, UK338 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    We arrived early to check in for the horse riding which wasn’t a problem. We we’re offered a hot drink and asked if would like to watch a film about Icelandic horses while we waited for the other riders to arrive. We signed the usual disclaimer and were given a map to the stables where our horses were waiting. We were greeted by Sarah (from Belgium but impeccable English) who asked us all what experience we had around horses and riding. We all were fitted with riding hats (properly) and Sarah gave us a demonstration of the basic riding commands and the ‘rules’ for when we were out riding. Namely to make sure we didn’t let our horse overtake hers. (Or we would have to buy her a drink.) Then we all met our horses who were tacked up in a closed pen.
    Once mounted up and stirrups checked we set off. There were 5 riders altogether on our ride and two instructors. Sarah at the front and Lisa at the back. Only two of us had any real riding experience but we all tried out the tolt. We could ask to stop at anytime and Sarah watched to make sure we we all seated safely.
    We wound our way across country crossing a stream and along the river to a waterfall where Sarah took lots of pictures of us so we have a lasting memory of our ride.
    It was a fantastic ride the scenery was stunning and the horses very well schooled and so responsive. Riding in Iceland is like no other riding I have experienced. Even though we were of mixed ability everyone in our party enjoyed it. I would love to come back to this particular stables and enjoy more time riding. As an experienced rider I found the whole experience magical and my husband who has zero experience felt safe too. Sarah was a perfect instructor with an easy confident manner that instilled confidence in even the most nervous rider. Once back at the stables we were able to feed our horses treats and have more photos taken with them. I cannot recommend this experience highly enough and we would definitely come and ride here again
    Written 17 September 2022
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
    Thank you so much for such a detailed review!!! :) :)
    Written 19 September 2022
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

    Margaux
    24 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Apr 2024 • Couples
    Incredible experience. Our guide was very kind, we see that the horses are well treated. The tour was beautiful and pleasant, there were only 4 of us + the guide so it was a small group, we loved it. There are many brands for horseback riding in Iceland but I recommend this one without hesitation.
    Google
    Written 28 April 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

    JillAA18
    Vacaville, CA8 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Mar 2024
    Guides were great! It ended up being just my husband and I due to previous days weather but we ended up getting a great day! Love how the horses trot ot makes an easy ride- wish we could go faster but that just my personal wish :)
    Written 30 April 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

    Bobby
    8 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Nov 2021 • Couples
    Fantastic shorter tour. Loved every second. Went to the great waterfall, tried out the tolt - despite not being a great rider, our guide Julia was brilliant, spoke good English, making sure we felt safe and comfortable throughout. The horses were wonderful and a real highlight of our holiday.
    Written 19 December 2021
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
    Thank you so much for this sweet review!! It is so great to hear you enjoyed it so much! Hope to have you back in the future! :)
    Written 20 December 2021
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

    lisaPTosu91
    Columbus, Ohio, United States6 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    May 2024 • Family
    What a beautiful break from the car. The countryside is breathtaking. Our guide was informative and entertaining. She allowed us to try the different walking patterns of the horses which was appreciated since this was our first time on the Icelandic breed.
    Written 28 May 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

    frenchiwilson
    London, UK309 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Our favourite tour in Iceland so far (Viking Tour). Everything was perfect. We arrived at the reception and was greeted by the lovely staff who directed us to the stables. It was a short drive to the stables where we met our guide Julia. She was so kind and talked us through everything before showing us the horses. She spoke excellent English throughout the tour and was so lovely to chat too. She answered all our questions and really made us laugh. We were given snow suits as it was winter and riding hats. Our horses were so friendly and had fabulous personalities. We then embarked on our journey which lasted around an hour and a half. We were taken to a beautiful waterfall and got to try out different speeds on the horses. Julia checked in with us regularly to make sure we were okay and if we were too cold etc. Once the tour was finished, we got to spend some time with the horses and gave them some treats. They then offered us hot chocolate back at the office to warm up which was just perfect. Thank you for making our trip so magical!
    Written 16 March 2022
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
    Thank you very much for your opinion, we are glad to hear you enjoyed our tour :)
    Written 17 March 2022
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

    Anne
    Cape Town, South Africa119 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Mar 2023 • Couples
    Our outride with Frökk, Bokki and Felicia was just magical and such a special experience. The horses are living out in a herd and were very well cared for by the knowledgeable and kind staff. The ride was wonderful, our horses were well matched to us (me being an experienced rider and my partner a confident beginner). I had a smile on my face the whole time and loved experiencing the tölt, but also to chat to Felicia and Sara about all things horsey and Icelandic. Thank you so much for a wonderful time. PS the weather was frosty with a bit of wind, but the provided riding overalls kept us warm and cosy. I can only recommend this to any horse lover.
    Written 27 March 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
    Thank yo so much for your nice review Anne! We are very happy that you enjoyed your time here :-) It was nice discussing with you about horses and I am sure Felicia enjoyed the ride as much as you did. Hopefully we see you in the future again! Best regards, Sara from Hestasport
    Written 29 March 2023
    This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

    Timo K
    7 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Aug 2024 • Couples
    My wife was allowed to do a 90-minute tour. She was very excited. The two guides were German, which made communication easy. The weather was also on her side that day it was dry and the sun was shining ☀️.
    All in all, when we get back to Iceland we will come back to Hestasport. Kudos to the whole team.
    Automatically translated
    Written 25 August 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

    TomkinsL
    Chapel Hill, NC3 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Mar 2024
    The scenery at the location was breathtaking, and I had the privilege of enjoying a private tour since I was the sole participant. Despite the chilly weather, they provided me with an overall to layer over my clothes and a helmet. Their attention to my comfort ensured a fantastic experience. The waterfall we visited was stunning. I even got to experience the tölt, a unique gait that distinguishes the Icelandic horse from other breeds.
    Written 1 May 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

    Morgyn R
    3 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Sept 2024 • Solo
    The views were great! Guides were very professional and very knowledgeable about horses. I ended up being the only person on the tour. The other couple messed up dates and got stuck due to weather. This made it that much more enjoyable. The guides go at your own pace and experience level.

    You go past a wonderful waterfall!

    Highly recommend if you find yourself in the area!
    Written 17 September 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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    *Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.

    The Viking Horse Riding Experience in North Iceland provided by Hestasport - Riding Tours

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