Riding an Icelandic horse is not only tremendous fun, it’s also a great way to experience the natural beauty of Iceland; snow topped mountains, the largest glacier in Europe, volcanoes, thundering waterfalls and striking lunar landscapes.

The Icelandic horse is a pure-bred descendant of those brought to Iceland by the Vikings over a thousand years ago. Horses remain an important part of Icelandic culture; they are used on remote farms to round up livestock and are still the best means of getting around in many parts of the island. Although small, the Icelandic is a powerful horse and has no difficulty carrying someone weighing 90kgs.

What makes this horse special is its fifth gait, the tölt, which is comparable to a running walk. Most riders can master it fairly quickly; it's fast, comfortable and enables the horse to cover great distances.

The Absolute Iceland trail offers you a real piece of Iceland. Each day you will change horses once or twice a day and as you ride, the herd of up to fifty loose horses travels with you. In the evenings you sit down to fresh Icelandic fayre from the finest local ingredients. You spend five nights in the comfortable cottages at Hestasport (see Home at Hestasport) and two nights in a mountain cabin on the trail. There are just two rides this year. During the first dates the accommodation in the hut is 'sleeping bag' and for the second dates there are made up beds throughout. This is a chance to experience all that Iceland has to offer, with a touch of comfort!

This trail ride is also suitable for families.