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Icelandic Horse Riding and Whale Watching Cruise from Reykjavík: An Animal Lover's Day Out!
4.0
14 Ratings
Sveitarfélagið Ölfus
Experience the best of Iceland’s animal life with this exciting combo! Ride a sturdy Icelandic horse through rugged moors and farmland, then embark on a thrilling 3-hour whale watching cruise in Faxaflói Bay. Don’t miss out on this unforgettable day of adventure!
Experience the best of Iceland’s animal life with this exciting combo! Ride a sturdy Icelandic horse through rugged moors and farmland, then embark on a thrilling 3-hour whale watching cruise in Faxaflói Bay. Don’t miss out on this unforgettable day of adventure!
Duration:
8 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Hótel Eldhestar - 1-1.5 hr. horse riding in the hardened lava fields of Hveragerði, the town of hot springs. See the beautiful landscape while you enjoy a lovely ride on the Icelandic horse!
- Elding Whale Watching - Enjoy a 3 hr. whale watching tour in Iceland’s biggest bay. Encounter minke whales, dolphins, porpoises and humpback whales and take in the breathtaking landscape on the way.
- Hótel Eldhestar - 1-1.5 hr. horse riding in the hardened lava fields of Hveragerði, the town of hot springs. See the beautiful landscape while you enjoy a lovely ride on the Icelandic horse!
- Elding Whale Watching - Enjoy a 3 hr. whale watching tour in Iceland’s biggest bay. Encounter minke whales, dolphins, porpoises and humpback whales and take in the breathtaking landscape on the way.
What's Included
- 1.5-2 hr horse riding
- Entry to wildlife exhibition
- Free WiFi on board boat
- 3 hr whale watching
- Snacks
- Warm clothing on both tours
- Experienced and knowledgeable guides
- Necessary safety equipment
- 1.5-2 hr horse riding
- Entry to wildlife exhibition
- Free WiFi on board boat
- 3 hr whale watching
- Snacks
- Warm clothing on both tours
- Experienced and knowledgeable guides
- Necessary safety equipment
What's Not Included
- Gratuities
- Lunch
- Gratuities
- Lunch
Additional Information
An ideal combination for animal enthusiasts! Enjoy two fantastic activities in one fun-filled day, one on land and the other at sea!
Spend a day exploring Iceland’s wildlife, both on land and at sea, with this 8-hour adventure from Reykjavik. Begin with a convenient pick-up from your accommodation and travel to a stable outside the city for a 1.5-hour…
An ideal combination for animal enthusiasts! Enjoy two fantastic activities in one fun-filled day, one on land and the other at sea!
Spend a day exploring Iceland’s wildlife, both on land and at sea, with this 8-hour adventure from Reykjavik. Begin with a convenient pick-up from your accommodation and travel to a stable outside the city for a 1.5-hour ride on a robust Icelandic horse. Accompanied by an expert guide, traverse rugged moors and farmland along established riding trails, pausing to take in the views and capture photos along the way. Light snacks are provided upon your return.
Following this, you’ll be transported back to Reykjavík for a 3-hour whale watching cruise, where you’ll search for humpback and minke whales, dolphins, and porpoises in Faxaflói Bay. Remember to bring your camera!
After returning to the harbor, you can either enjoy the rest of your day in the city or make your own way back to your accommodation.
- Minimum age is 12 years
- Please dress warmly for both activities
- In the case of non-sighting tours you will be given a complimentary ticket to use on another boat ride
- In the case of cancellation due to bad weather conditions you will be offered an alternative date or a full refund
- Please note that to take part in the horse riding element of the tour, travelers must weigh less than 240 pounds (110kg)
- This is a full day tour with only snacks included after the horse riding. You can purchase light refreshments on board whale watching tour or pack your own.
Location
Hótel Eldhestar
Meet us in the ELDHESTAR stables located in Hveragerði. Be sure to arrive in good time before departure.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.0
(14 Ratings)
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Jodiesu9116dp
Dec 21, 2025
Fantastic day riding horses and seeing whales - Icelandic horse riding was amazing and very informative we saw the sun rise on horseback!
Lunch was included which saved us money and broke up the day
Whale watching was a lot of standing around and waiting but we’ll worth it as we got to see humpback whales
Seeing them in wild was so worth the wait
Can’t recommend these two activities w puff
Only down side was no transfers back to accommodation so be ready to grab a taxi or the bus
Review provided by Tripadvisor
H46dwadrians
Oct 1, 2025
It was the best trip ever - The crew on the whale watching cruise where first class and made our trip so great
and the sighting of whales was a bonus will do it again on our next trip to Iceland.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Stephen_b
Apr 13, 2024
A must-do activity in Iceland. Dress warm if you go in April! - The whole reason for our trip to Iceland was so my granddaughter could ride an Icelandic horse. We are so grateful that you offer this package. We all had little or no experience riding but the staff did a great job keeping everyone safe and comfortable. Experienced riders were allowed to gallop their horses but no one was forced to do that (a blessing for us 72 year olds!).
The whale watch was well curated and delivered a single humpback whale. We followed it for about 30 minutes and got ample opportunities for pictures as it surfaced nearby 5 or 6 times.
Review provided by Viator
Letzgettwisted
Jan 1, 2018
great staff, very knowledgeable - extremely accomodating- and just great customer service - What a great experience. a true highlight on our vacation. The horseback riding experience was perfect. The staff was kind, much pacience, knowledgeable. Coral was such a good tour guide. My horse was a beautiful "White Princess" named "SYN". My husband had "Finnar"- gorgeous red horse. Such a great adventure.
the Whale watching was GREAT- We realize that you may or may not see the Whales but we SAW 3.... magnificent . The guides were perfect- Remember to bring a camera but if not they take pictures and post... Its really nice. they also have sea sickness pills, onboard refreshments. GREAT experience well done
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Robert
Jul 14, 2017
This was a fantastic day. We... - <p>This was a fantastic day. We actually saw quite a number of whales which was so exciting. We saw hump back and minky whales. The boat was a great size to enable you to see the whales comfortably. The guide was very informative and helped us spot the whales.<br/>
The Horse riding tour was great fun. I had never ridden a horse before so was a little anxious but you get the basic training and it is quite sufficient. The were old and young on it and everyone had a great time. You ride for approx 1.5 hrs or so. The horses are lovely and you are matched with one based on the level of your experience or inexperience as the case may be. More experienced riders will not be bored either as you can take a different route to enable you to use your experience. I would highly recommend the day. It was a fantastic day and we were still back in Reykjavik by 6.30pm so we crammed a lot into our day.</p>
Review provided by Viator
Jiselle_w
Jan 2, 2020
Value for money - I loved that the guides at the horseback riding ensured my absolute comfort and safety, rain fell for the entire day of my trip but the overalls provided kept me dry and warm and the guides were able to advise which rivers and paths to avoid due to the weather, plus they ensured we had a picture break to capture the experience.
I would however advise you walk with a face mask as these horses can go pretty fast and the cold breeze will freeze you face if unprotected.
Whale watching is completely in natures hands so unfortunately on my trip we were only able to spot 1 whale and 1 dolphin.
The organisation of the tour was exceptional as were the comfort and safety of the guests. The guides provided insightful details as to where to look, what we may see on the trip and they also took and shared their pictures in case guests missed anything.
I would definitely recommend this tour to others but as a guests be clear on when you decided to do this tour as some months will be better than others to spot whales due to whale migration etc
Review provided by Viator
Wolf3728
Aug 4, 2019
Good horses and staff - The horse ride was very good. The staff were very friendly and helpful for first time horse riders.
They stopped to talk a little much for me.
Wear insect repellent, it is a must.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Okiejer
Jun 2, 2019
Whale watching without the whales - We would have loved to have seen whales, but you have to know in advance that is not guaranteed so we just considered this a boat ride. The company did offer vouchers for additional trips to be able to see whales. They were good for 2 years; we didn't want to take anymore time on the chance we might not see anything the next day. The weather was beautiful by Icelandic standards, but we thought it was really cold so we appreciated the mustang rescue suits. We were warned of rough seas so I really appreciated the free Dramamine before the cruise.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Yvette_j
May 2, 2016
Horse riding a ton of fun - guides... - <p>Horse riding a ton of fun - guides were great : Whale watching started off great.. wish weather would have held up, but the staff on the boat entertained as much as they could - very funny and pleasant</p>
Review provided by Viator
294allin
Apr 21, 2018
Tour departed without me - Was given the wrong pick up time by a member of staff meaning I was stood at the bus stop waiting when in fact the tour had already begun. Was then told I would be entitled to a refund for the morning's activities, however despite numerous emails to Viator and Elding Whale Watching over the past month, I still haven't received my refund. I find this level of customer care extremely unacceptable. I would advise other tourists to book with somebody else instead if you don't want to end up in my position.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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