Sometime in 2023(ish), I don’t remember exactly when or why, my friend Kate and I cooked up the idea to ride horses in Iceland “one day”. That “one day” turned into “sometime in 2025”. And that was all the further planning made. However, from that moment through 2024, I began scouring the internet to help flesh out the reality of making this trip a reality.
I think part of my draw to riding in Iceland was from following Elisa in Iceland on Instagram. Her content was beautiful and made Iceland look all the more attractive to me, especially as I learned how safe of a country it was to travel to. Through her account, I was introduced to Stori Kambur, a family-owned horse rental company in Iceland. They routinely posted absolutely stunning media of horse rides on beaches and upland areas. I immediately “followed” them.
Over the coming weeks and months following Stori Kambur, I became enamored with the rides they offered. When they posted about their [inaugural] schedule of multi-day tours scheduled for 2025, I quickly clicked through to learn more details. They advertise two week-long ride options, one that was on beaches and one that was ‘across the peninsula’. As I enjoy seeing a variety of environments and landscapes anytime I’m on horseback, I was immediately more drawn to the across the peninsula option.
This tour boasted an experience that included, “an awe-inspiring glacier, ride on multiple beaches and through ancient lava fields, on top of spectacularly tall and beautiful ocean cliffs, over waterfalls and rivers, across fields of green and rugged mountain passes, through an ocean of lupine flowers and rough rocky terrain.” I was sold.
I told Kate I’d found the perfect riding tour and we decided that the September date would be a perfect option for us. We booked it in January 2025. We’d arrive the day of the pick-up, head to Stori Kambur for a week, and then spend 3 nights in Reykjavik exploring the city and taking day tours before heading home.
Booking this trip has been a big motivator for me getting more saddle time this year. Knowing that I’d be spending a week in the saddle for rides from 4-6 hours each day meant I’d need to be in great riding shape. At least better shape than I’ve been in the past couple years! Each ride at home felt like part of the countdown, and every extra hour in the saddle another small investment in the adventure ahead.
What started as a casual “one day” dream with Kate turned into months of planning, training rides, and countdowns on the calendar. And now, it’s something I can finally say we did.
Seven days, countless miles, endless landscapes, and so many unforgettable moments. I’ve done my best to write about this adventure as it’s happened day-by-day, both to help myself remember clearly for years to come, and to share here with you. From black-sand beaches to glacier views, clifflines and roaring waterfalls, beach gallops and mountain climbs, Iceland gave us everything we hoped for and more. Experiencing it all from the back of an Icelandic horse was pure magic.
I can’t wait to bring you along for the ride and share the stories, photos, and wild little moments that made this trip what it was. Stay tuned as I share the adventure a day at a time.
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