Horse riding highlights in Iceland

More holidays » Featured Holiday

Far and Ride Horse Riding Adventures Whether you are a beginner looking to try something new, an experienced rider looking for exhilaration, or maybe just looking for time to relax and enjoy some breathtaking scenery Far and Ride have a variety of horse riding holidays to suit you. 7 days, from . Far and Ride »

Iceland may not spring to the front of your mind when you think about where you should take a riding holiday, but when you think about the things that make other locations stand out as ideal, big scenic spaces, interesting terrain, remoteness, varied views and native breeds of horse, Iceland ticks all the boxes. Glaciers and huge waterfalls on the sides of grey boulder strewn cliffs, grassy valleys and lots of empty space will satisfy the most view hungry and Iceland has its own native bred horses who are used to the cold and slippery conditions, they also have a reputation for being friendly and easy to handle (don’t call them ponies though, people tended to get a bit upset?) and they have their own special gait which suits conditions.

You don’t have to venture too far from civilisation either, you can begin just outside of Reykjavik and lose yourself pretty quickly.

Your main concern may be the weather, but it’s all about picking a good time of year, the photos of people swimming in steaming pools in the sunshine you see in the Iceland tourism adverts should give you confidence that it’s not all snow and ice (though apparently you can ride in the winter if you want.).

If you’re an experienced rider you’ll want to head to the highlands for the most dramatic mountain and glacial scenery and possibly even arrange a trip involving droving wild horses, but if you’re a beginner the flats and the thermal (implying hot springs) area around Thingvellir National Park have lots to look at, including geysers and waterfalls, but the going is easier. One of the highlights of riding in Iceland has to be plonking into a hot spring or (hot tub) at the end of a days ride.

Quite a few companies offer to make all the arrangements for you.

4 / 5 Review by member halleyarcher

‘Top Tips for Credit Crunch Travel’

Credit crunch news of doom and gloom makes a holiday seem even more essential! We all need a light at the end of the tunnel! These credit crunch travel tips will help you get the best bang for your credit crunch travel buck (or quid.)... Read more »

‘Credit Crunch Travel: Best Exchange Rate Destinations’

Converting to Euros is a big credit crunch no-no, but unfortunate currencies like the South African Rand, the Argentinean Peso and the Icelandic Króna will give you a lot of bang for your credit crunch buck (or quid.).... Read more »

‘Credit Crunch Travel – Holidays out of the Eurozone’

Credit crunch news of gloom makes a holiday even more essential!But suddenly prices have skyrocketed with the euro so where can you find a cheap deal in Europe? WR's credit crunch travel tips will help you get the best bang for your credit crunch buck.... Read more »

‘Great Holiday Ideas for the Summer’

Great summer holiday ideas from world reviewer... Read more »

Have you been here? Why not add your own review or report an error.

If you liked that, you might like these...

• 

  Snowy River Riding Country

  If you’re a rider and you haven’t been thrilled and charmed by the story of the colt from old Regret who goes to run with the brumbies in Banjo...

• 

  Chamonix

  Both crowned and dwarfed by Mont Blanc, the highest mountain in the Alps and its gigantic collection of attendant glaciers which tumble into the Mer...

• 

  Sea Kayaking Patagonia's Coast

  If your taste for adventure runs to large scale scenes of dramatic tide water glaciers, coastlines littered with icebergs and the occasional whale and...

• 

  Rafting the Grand Canyon

  Running the Colorado River through Grand Canyon is a sublime experience. The enormity of the canyon is such that often one cannot even see the rim....

• 

  Cycling on the Lofoten Islands

  Go north in June for 24 hour riding, hiking and fresh air you can taste on Norway's pretty Lofoten Islands, a string of small, bowler hat shaped,...