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Glacier Walk & Horseback Riding Tour

Sólheimajökull Glacier Hike & Horse Riding On a Black Sand Beach

Product-ID: AA-GE-VHA

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Horse Adventure on Black Sand Beach in Iceland

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About Tour

On this active yet easy tour, trek a glacier and ride a pure-bred Icelandic horse all in one day!

Highlights

Sólheimajökull glacier
Víkurfjara Black Sand Beach
Reynisdrangar Basalt Sea Stacks
Icelandic horses

Included

Glacier hike
Certified glacier guide
Horseback ride with guide
All the necessary safety gear

What to bring

Warm outdoor clothing
Waterproof jacket and pants
Sturdy hiking shoes
Gloves
Sunglasses (optional)
Camera (optional)

Tour Snapshot

Availability All Year

Duration 6 hours

Departs From Solheimajokull

Difficulty Easy Suitable for most people in fair condition.

Minimum age 10 years

Meet on Location Yes

Pick Up No

From

215

Per

Adult

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Meet us at our base camp by Sólheimajökull Glacier and get your first glimpses of the white giant in the distance. Your guide will help you prepare and give a safety briefing before getting out on the ice. We’ll provide all the necessary glacier-walk gear; that includes crampons, helmets, harness, and ice axes (these are used for additional support if needed).

Get off to a fantastic start and hear the ice softly crush beneath your feet as you step on to the glacier. Your expert glacier guide will lead you up to see all the amazing glacial features. Marvel at crevasses carved into the ancient aquamarine ice. Just when you think you’ve seen it all, come across bluish-white ice sculptures and jagged, narrow ridges.

Sólheimajökull is an icy outrunner of Mýrdalsjökull, the fourth-largest glacier in Iceland. The frozen titan reveals vivid colors of white, blue, and black. Your guide will share fascinating insights into the nature of the glacier and surrounding landscapes.

Black Beach Horse Riding

For a change of scenery, meet us at the stables in Vik, the southernmost village of Iceland. Once there, we’ll prepare for the long-awaited horse riding adventure in Iceland! Your guide will match you with a horse that suits your character and experience. After a safety briefing, enjoy an easygoing ride along the exotic Víkurfjara Black Sand Beach.

Víkurfjara possesses a dramatic yet graceful beauty. A ride on the beach reveals black volcanic sands, lava formations, and arresting cliffs. Ignore the green vegetation on rocks and it’s easy to imagine yourself riding on the surface of a distant planet.

As you ride along the beach, hear the sound of the ocean waves crash into the shore. For more scenic treats, witness the famous Reynisdrangar Basalt Sea Stacks in the distance. According to the local lore, these volcanic formations are trolls caught out at sunrise and turned to stone.

The pace is relaxing for beginners, but more experienced riders will have the chance to try the famous ambling gait known as the tölt.

About the Icelandic Horse

There’s nothing quite like exploring Iceland's exotic nature from a saddle. And nothing’s better than sitting atop a small and tough Icelandic Horse. These lovely creatures are even-tempered and friendly, so fear not, your ride will be smooth.

The most striking feature of the Icelandic Horse is its unique fifth gait, called the tölt. The tölt is a running walk that allows riders to move softly across rough terrain. Some say the tölt is so smooth you can drink a pint while on horseback without spilling a drop.

Interestingly, Icelandic horses haven't changed since Viking times. No horses have been imported to the island since the tenth century ⁠— so every horse you’ll encounter is purebred.

Meet on Location

The meeting point for the Glacier Hike is at the Sólheimajökull parking lot (by the yellow school bus).

Meeting time:

Guests should arrive by 10:15 since the tour starts at 10:30 year round.

The meeting point for the Horse Riding part is at Vík (by the Vík Horse Adventure stables, Smiðjuvegur 6).

Meeting time:

October 24 - November 15: arrive at 15:45 or earlier (16:00 tour)
January 15 - February 7: arrive at 15:45 (16:00 tour)
February 8 - October 23: arrive at 16:45 (17:00 tour)

Please note

The meeting point for the Glacier Hike is at the Sólheimajökull parking lot (by the yellow school bus). The meeting time:

October - March at 10 am
April - September at 11 am

The meeting point for the Horse Riding part is at Vík (by the Vík Horse Adventure stables, Smiðjuvegur 6). The meeting time:

1st April - 23rd October at 4:45 pm
24th October - 20th November at 3:45 pm
21st November - 11th January at 2:15 pm
12th January - 31st March at 3:45 pm

Please be careful with SatNavs! The location of our stable on Google Maps is in the correct place (Vík Horse Adventure, 63.416699, -18.996465), but some SatNavs try to lead you down a steep gravel bank from the nearby roundabout where you will get stuck.

Access is through the Orkan petrol station, opposite Hotel Kría - turn into the petrol station and then turn right and you will find Vik Horse Adventure.

Please arrive 15 minutes prior to the departure time that you have chosen. This allows time for you to get prepared for the tour, and we will be ready to leave on time.

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.

FAQ

What is best to wear on our Iceland glacier trips?

Iceland is known for unforeseeable weather. It is likely that you can see all 4 seasons in one day.

Dressing for that kind of weather can always be demanding, so we suggest dressing in layers. 3 or 4 upper layers are highly recommended, for example, a light t-shirt (preferably wool) next to the skin, then a fleece or heavy wool garment topped off with a waterproof windbreaker.

Jeans are not recommended for our trips as they are not suitable for the weather conditions, they become very heavy, cold and uncomfortable to wear when they get wet.

Lightweight hiking pants, track pants or long cotton pants are convenient and wear wind/waterproof pants over them. There is high UV and sunlight reflecting off on the glacier so we highly recommend using sunglasses and sunscreen even if it is cloudy.

You will need sturdy hiking boots that fit crampons for the glacier hiking tours. If you do not own a pair then we rent out suitable hiking boots as well as a waterproof raincoat and trousers.

Is a backpack necessary on a glacier trip in Iceland?

It is good to bring your own backpack on our full-day or half-day tours. It’s the best carry-on for a small lunch, extra clothes, and other necessary items.

Is a camera allowed on a glacier trip?

The scenery on the tour is full of stunning, breathtaking views that you’ll almost definitely want to capture forever, so you should definitely bring your camera along. Your tour guide will also be happy to take your photo.

Are you allowed to join a glacier hike if you are pregnant?

This is surely a personal choice, we do not deny pregnant women on our glacier trips but we highly recommend you to take a closer look at our trip description and difficulty ratings, they will hopefully give you a better idea. We also recommend you to contact your physician, as pregnant women’s health can be quite different. If you have any further questions or concerns then feel free to contact us.

Is lunch provided on the glacier tours?

Lunch is not provided on any of our trips, therefore we recommend you bring your own lunch, snacks, and a bottle of water (you can refill it on the trip). It is especially important to make sure you bring lunch on our longer trips.

What are crampons?

Crampons enable you to walk on the glacier ice without slipping. They are metal spikes that we attach to the soles of your hiking shoes.

Does Adventures.com have a guide on all of their tours?

Yes, we have specially trained and certified glacier guides on every glacier tour that we offer. And for our 3rd party tours we only partner with operators that meet our quality and safety standards.

Do you provide equipment when taking part in your glacier tours?

Yes, we provide you with all the necessary glacier gear for our glacier hiking tours. Ice axes, crampons, harnesses, and helmets are provided. This will help you to complete the tour safely. The minimum shoe size to attach crampons is EU 35.

Why do we have glaciers in Iceland?

Iceland is known to have a lot of snow and when the snow stays long enough in one place than it turns to ice. Over long periods of time, the ice layers up becoming huge blocks called glaciers. It forms to create ginormous glaciers that sweep across huge masses of land. Iceland is home of the largest glacier in Europe that is called Vatnajökull. The Glacier Guides can tell you more about and everything you need to know about the Glaciers.

What happens if it is raining?

Rain is common in Iceland but we never let the rain be in our way to go forward with our tours.
That’s why we highly recommend appropriate clothing so you can stay warm and dry.
Nature is out of our control and therefore we need to adapt to the weather. Your safety is our priority so if your safety is compromised by going on the tour then we will cancel it and you will get full reimbursement.