This family-friendly horse-riding tour is ideal for riders of all abilities and all ages, thanks to its adaptability. It takes place on the legendary South Coast of Iceland, on a beautiful black sand beach – filled with fascinating lava sculptures and unique wildlife. In addition to the horse ride, we'll also visit two of Iceland's most famous waterfalls – guaranteeing that you have an amazing adventure in the land of fire and ice!
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The adventure begins when we collect you from one of our Reykjavik pick-up points and head for the rustic village of Vik on the Ring Road. You’ll see many incredible sights of Iceland’s South Coast throughout the journey as we’ll pass volcanoes, lava fields, mountains and glaciers along the way.
Upon arrival at Vik, we’ll head straight to our traditional Icelandic stables. Here you’ll meet the charming Icelandic horses, and our guide will get you kitted out with any necessary safety equipment.
Our guides will make sure that you are matched with a horse that is right for your ability. You’ll have some time to connect with the horse and you will soon find out why it’s called a horse and never a pony! This unique breed of horses is famous for its character and on this tour, you’ll learn all about it.
Once you’re fully equipt and comfortable on the horse, we’ll head out to explore a black sand beach from the back of an Icelandic horse!
We’ll be riding on Víkurfjara beach, a volcanically crafted wonderland that combines jet-black sands, mesmerizing lava rock formations, and a winding series of symmetrical basalt columns. Look skywards and you’ll see a huge selection of seabirds soaring high above your head. As we ride along the beach, get ready for a sensual feast, including the stark contrast between the waves and the volcanic sands, the salty sea-breeze blowing against your face and the cries of the birds echoing against the cliffs.
We can’t think of any better way to explore this remarkable landscape, than from the back of a traditional Icelandic horse, who’re uniquely adapted to Icelandic conditions. They’re much smaller than normal European horses and have remained unchanged since the Viking era, thanks to very strict import and export regulations. Icelandic horses are most famous for their unique gait, which is known as the ‘tolt’ – a graceful style that means they always have three hooves on the ground when they move.
If you’re coming with younger riders, then don’t worry – we’ve got you covered. You can join our shorter family-friendly tour that takes an easier route across Víkurfjara Beach. All of our family-friendly horse-riding tours take place under the watchful eye of our expert guides, who will ensure that junior riders are safe throughout the tour. Please inform us during the booking process if you’re interested in the family-friendly iteration of the tour.
You'll have lunch in the charming village of Vik, which is perched on top of a hill overlooking the Atlantic Ocean and then we'll head back to Reykjavik. On the way, we'll stop off at two of Iceland's most famous and most beautiful waterfalls – the perfect end to an amazing tour.
Skogafoss is a massive 197 ft (60 m) waterfall with one of the widest cascades in the entire of Iceland. Your friendly guide will take you up to its summit – where you can snap some great photos of Skogafoss and the surrounding mountains.
Seljalandsfoss is just as beautiful as Skogafoss, replete with a steep cascade that can be walked behind – allowing you to see the raw power of nature from a totally different perspective.
We’ll end the day by dropping you back in Reykjavik – we hope you have enjoyed your horse-riding adventure in Iceland and can’t wait to see you again!
This is a combination of two separate tours. If one of the tours is cancelled, you will still be able to join the other part.
You can book almost all of our trips here on our website. You will find a booking window on each tour page and the best and safest way is to book and pay is directly through our website.
1. You can pay directly through our website. That is the easiest, safest and fastest way to reserve and pay for your adventure. If you choose this way then you will receive a voucher as a confirmation via email. Which you will need to bring with you on your trip.
2. You can pay via phone, our phone number is +354 562 7000. Please be noted, however you pay, you will always get a voucher. It is important to have your voucher ready for your tour so please remember to print it out or make sure that you can show it through your electronic device.
All payments are in Canadian Dollars (CAD) or American Dollars (USD) if you have selected. We do not accept other currencies.
Please be aware that prices in your currency might vary slightly depending on the conversion rate set by your card issuer.
Extreme Island is not responsible for currency changes between different currencies.
We do not require minimum participants on most of our tours but there is a minimum of 2 people for a few of our trips. If you are traveling solo and interested in a tour that requires more than 2 participants than we can take down your information and contact you if more people book the tour.
The minimum age requirement is decided by our operational managers and is dependent on each activity and its difficulty ratings and can, therefore, vary between tours We put great value towards safety for our customers and the minimum age policy falls under this. Therefore we can not accommodate a person that has not reached the age limit on the tour.
We ask you to try to understand that this is based on safety procedures and we can therefore unfortunately not make any exceptions on this rule.
If you’re visiting between mid-October and mid-April, it’s highly recommended to use lightweight crampons, also known as ice spikes. These small traction devices attach to your shoes and help prevent slips on icy paths, making sightseeing safer and more comfortable. You can purchase them during the booking process to ensure you’re prepared for winter conditions. They are yours to keep after the tour ends!
