Horse Riding in Iceland, Then a Few More Days in the Saddle in Norway

Horse riding in Iceland is one of those experiences people plan as a single afternoon and then talk about for the rest of the trip. The horses are small, sure-footed and full of character, and the landscape makes even a short ride feel like an expedition.

For a lot of riders, one afternoon is not enough. This guide covers how to fit riding into an Iceland itinerary, and how to carry on in the saddle in Norway once the Iceland leg is over.

Why the Icelandic horse feels different

Icelandic horses have been bred in isolation for over a thousand years. Iceland's ban on importing horses is usually traced back to a law from the year 982, and the rule still holds today: a horse that leaves the country can never return.

That isolation produced a horse with unusual gaits. Besides walk, trot and canter, the breed is known for the tölt, a smooth four-beat gait that lets a rider cover ground at speed while sitting almost still. Some horses also have the flying pace, a fast lateral gait used over short distances.

Our longer guide to the Icelandic horse goes into the history and the gaits in detail. For planning purposes, the key point is simple: even complete beginners usually get to feel the tölt on a guided ride.

Choosing an Icelandic horseback riding tour

Most visitors start with a one- or two-hour ride from a farm near Reykjavík. These rides usually cross lava fields and moss-covered hills within half an hour of the city, and many operators offer hotel pickup.

Half-day and full-day rides go further, often combining riding with a stop at a hot spring or a waterfall. Multi-day treks in summer are a different commitment: long days in the saddle, mountain huts or farm stays, and a herd of loose horses that travels with the group.

When people ask about the best horseback riding in Iceland, the honest answer depends on experience. Beginners are happiest on short rides near the capital. Confident riders get the most from a full day or a trek in the highlands, where the open land lets the horses move.

Group size matters more than people expect. Smaller groups mean more time at the pace you want and more attention from the guide, which is worth paying for if riding is a highlight of your trip.

Fitting riding into an Iceland itinerary of 10 days

On a ten-day trip, two riding days work well. Put a short ride near Reykjavík early in the trip, when you are still close to the city, and a longer ride or a full day in the north or south once you know how your body copes.

North Iceland has a strong horse culture, and Skagafjörður in particular is known for its breeding farms. If your route follows the Ring Road, a riding day in the north breaks up the long drive between Akureyri and the west.

Season changes the picture. Summer brings long light and the multi-day treks. Winter rides are shorter and colder, but riding through snow under low sun is beautiful. Our month-by-month guide helps you match the riding to the light and weather you want.

Booking tips for riding days

Book riding tours a few weeks ahead in summer, when many farms run at capacity. In winter there is more flexibility, but shorter daylight means fewer departures each day.

Be honest about your experience when you book. Operators match riders to horses, and a guide who knows you have not ridden in years will give you a calmer horse and a gentler pace.

Check what is included. Some tours include hotel pickup, helmets, rain gear and a snack, while others expect you to drive yourself to the farm. On a self-drive trip, a farm on your route can save time compared with a pickup from Reykjavík.

Finally, keep the day light around the ride. Two hours in the saddle is more tiring than it sounds, and an evening at a geothermal pool is the best way to finish it.

What to wear, and what you cannot bring

Iceland takes horse health seriously, because its horses are not vaccinated and have no resistance to many diseases found elsewhere. The Icelandic Food and Veterinary Authority, MAST, bans the import of used riding equipment such as saddles, bridles and whips, and used riding gloves.

Used riding clothes and boots must be washed or dry cleaned before you travel. Items that cannot be machine washed, such as boots and helmets, need to be cleaned, disinfected and stored for at least five days before they touch Icelandic horses.

The easy solution is to let the tour operator lend you a helmet, and to bring warm, washable layers. Our Iceland packing list covers the wool, waterproofs and gloves that suit riding days as well as the rest of the trip.

Carrying on in the saddle in Norway

Once the Iceland leg is over, a short flight to Oslo opens up a different kind of riding. Icelandair flies between Keflavík and Oslo, and the journey takes under three hours.

Norway's own native horses are well suited to mountain riding. The Dølahest, a sturdy cold-blooded breed from Gudbrandsdalen, is calm, strong and comfortable on rough ground. It does not tölt, but it carries riders over mountain plateaus with the same steady confidence that Icelandic horses show on lava.

Gudbrandsdalen is also easy to reach. The train from Oslo up the valley stops at Ringebu, below the mountain plateaus around Venabygdsfjellet and Rondane. That makes it realistic to land in Oslo, take the train north and be riding in the mountains within a day or two.

If you want to keep riding after Iceland, read more about planning a riding holiday in Norway at Venabustallen, which runs mountain rides on Dølahest horses for riders of all levels.

Mind the order of your trip

The order of the two countries matters because of Iceland's rules. They apply when you arrive in Iceland, so riding there first and in Norway second means you never have to disinfect your kit halfway through the trip.

If you plan it the other way round, wash every piece of riding clothing before you fly to Iceland, leave your Norwegian gloves at home and disinfect boots and helmets well in advance. It is a small effort that protects one of the world's most isolated horse populations.

A sample two-country riding plan

Days one to seven: Iceland. Ride for two hours near Reykjavík on day two, then drive the south coast or the Ring Road, with a longer ride in the north or a full day in the south on day five or six.

Day eight: fly from Keflavík to Oslo. Spend the evening in the city and rest your legs.

Days nine and ten: take the train north to Gudbrandsdalen and ride in the mountains. Two days in the saddle there gives you a real feel for the Dølahest and the Norwegian fjell.

Two horses, one long ride

Horse riding in Iceland and riding in Norway are not the same experience, and that is the point. One gives you the tölt across lava and moss. The other gives you a steady mountain horse and the open plateaus of eastern Norway.

Put them together and a holiday becomes a riding journey across the North Atlantic, with two very different horses telling the story.