This is the trip that got me back into horse riding after years away from the sport. I took riding lessons once per week for a year to prepare for this trek, and it was completely worth it. My friend who was a non-rider took lessons for only 2 months before this trek and she also thoroughly enjoyed herself. It was the perfect introduction into horse trekking as it was only 3 days of riding, and the horses were very friendly and quiet on the ground.

If you are looking for a shorter trek, stunning landscapes, and love the idea of riding multiple horses throughout your stay, this is the trek for you! Advanced riders and Beginners will have slightly different routes so everyone can have fun.

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The meeting point is conveniently located in Reykjavik, near the bus station. We were picked up and then shuttled to the farm for our orientation lunch, with coffee and tea, and to meet the other riders. The group size was around 20-25 riders, with guides included. Our hosts at Núpshestar asked everyone to do a short introduction, and they noted down our riding experience and preferences to help match us to the right horses. We were loaned helmets for the ride, and then we were loaded into the bus again to be taken to the ride starting point.

We were matched with our horses, and off we went. Our group was split into two – one for the more advanced riders and one for the beginners. We took slightly different routes but we all arrived at the same lunch spot. There was a corral for the herd of 50 horses that made up our team (you switch horses halfway through the day). Water bottles and packed lunch boxes were provided in the saddlebags, and we sat down to eat those while the horses also took a short break.

After lunch, we were paired with a new (fresh) horse, already tacked, and we continued on our journey towards our first overnight camp. The sights along the way were breathtaking!

Our first night was spent at this A-frame hut, which was surrounded by rocky plains, streams bordered by tall grasses, and distant mountains and volcanoes. The supply truck was already in place, with dog companions nearby.

The evening meal that was served to us was incredible. My photos don’t do it justice, but below is a small image gallery of the food we enjoyed on both evenings. After a long day of riding (6-7 hours) the food tasted amazing.

The next morning, we packed our personal belongings back into our bags and brought them down to the truck. We were greeted with a beautiful breakfast spread on the main floor of the cabin, and we filled our lunch boxes with the offerings from the table.

This second day was very special. We started the ride as one giant group of riders, with all 50 horses together. We did this with hand horses (riding our own horse while holding onto two others)! As a newer rider, at first I found it intimidating, but then it became such an exciting experience. It was fun to steer and maneuver my horse while considering the two extras to the left of me.

This second day was filled with sunshine and wind (hooray)! The wind kept most of the bugs at bay, and the sun kept us so warm that the frigid river water felt refreshing on our legs as we splashed across.

Our lunch spot was set in another beautiful area. Once we finished eating, we took a quick look around the remains of an old viking farm (Stöng Viking longhouse). After this, we rode to our second night’s accommodation for a short waffle break before riding out to take in the views at Haifoss. The sun kept beating down on us through the second part of the day, but the heat was not overwhelming and we were glad for the sunshine.

The day concluded with hot showers and another delicious homecooked dinner. We were even treated to hákarl (fermented shark), and we had some practice singing Icelandic songs.

The weather was cloudy on our last day, but not too cold. We were given the option of choosing a “wish horse” for the first ride, so I picked Klukka. She was the first horse I rode on this journey and I liked the idea of coming full circle on the final ride.

We had lots of bugs to start, but it was another very good day of riding, ending with a dinner back at the farm. We ate Icelandic meat soup and rhubarb crumble with ice cream. After our final farewells, we paid the remainder of what we owed for the ride, and browsed through their stock of handmade Icelandic sweaters. I bought one beautiful grey sweater with a horse pattern at the top.