Hestaleigan Kátur (Horse rental) - Horse riding in Akureyri (Iceland)

A few words about us

Let us introduce ourselves

Did you know that the Icelandic word “Kátur” means joyous? We also want to share the joy of riding with you. Our horse rental Hestaleigan Kátur in Akureyri offers horse riding in Iceland. Come and join us on a 1-2 hour-long guided horse riding tour or the river-crossing-special. Families, groups or single travellers, everyone is welcome! We also offer custom-made riding trips, tailored to your wishes. 2020 we will add a NEW offer – the-half-day tour for experienced riders. It does not matter whether you have never sat on a horse or if you are a professional horseback rider, we have the right horse and the right tour for you. Discover the stunning landscape around Akureyri on our gentle Icelandic horses. There is no such thing than experiencing Iceland while riding on a horse.

We are looking forward to meeting you!

The team of Hestaleigan Kátur

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Our Riding Tours

Guided Riding Tours

For beginners and experienced riders

Iceland is famous for its horses. So a horseback ride is something you should not miss on your trip to Iceland. You don´t need to be worried if you have never sat on a horse. We have calm and well-trained horses for every level of experience. For newbies to horseback riding, we recommend the one-hour-ride or our River-Crossing-Special. For experienced riders we also offer 2-hour-fast-rides. For a group of experienced riders, we also offer half-day & day-tours.

On every tour, we adjust the pace of the tour to our guests’ needs. This way you can spend the entire tour just walking or if you want to go fast, you can enjoy the tour on the horses’ special gait tölt or trott. You don´t need to decide before the tour starts whether you want to go fast or slow, as we usually give you the chance to split the group after a while. If you are not sure whether a horseback ride is the right activity for you, you will find all answers about physical conditions and weight limits (99 kg /220 Lbs) also here.

In summer our tours start close to the beautiful river Eyjafjord where we also ride along.

In winter we meet at the stables just out-of-town. Both locations are reachable within a 5-10 minutes drive from the center of Akureyri. Click here to see the locations map.

We offer tours from March till October and around Christmas

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Choose Your Tour

1-hour, 1,5-hour-, 2-hour- and custom-made-tours

Half-Day & Day-Tours

Small groups for experienced riders

River-Crossing-Special

For beginners and experienced riders 🙂

Custom-Made-Tours

Tailored to your wishes

2-Hour-Tour

For those with horseback riding experience

1-Hour-Tour

For people with and without horseback riding experience

Perfect for beginners and experienced riders

Sophia FAmazing riding tour – Tripadvisor

Did you know that the Icelandic horse has 5 different gaits?

By the way…

Icelandic horses are scared of sticks. So please leave your selfistick at home – Rules about horseback riding

Worried about the rain?

In addition to helmets, we also provide raincoats and trousers.

You are not sure if you want to go fast or slow?

Not a problem. You can decide on the tour. We usually split up the group after a while..

Please leave at home:

Did you know that it is not allowed to bring used riding clothes to Iceland? The horses can catch a disease and we have to put them down :/

Booking

Book your Riding Tour

One/two-hour-ride or River-Crossing-Special

Tours for beginners:

one-hour-tour: ISK 7.500 p.p.
River-Crossing-Special (approx. 80 min.): ISK 9.500 p.p.

Tours for experienced riders:

two-hour-tour: ISK 12.500.
One-hour-tour: ISK 7.500 p.p.
River-Crossing-Special (approx. 80 min.): ISK 9.500 p.p.
Half-day-tour: ISK 16.500 p.p.

You can also book a pick up with it for ISK 1.500.

Please read the descriptions before choosing your tour 🙂

How to book:

Find your tour and fill out the form
Wait for our reply: we will either confirm it or contact you to find another tour.
What about the payment? When we contact you we will also inform you about the different ways of payment.
Your booking is confirmed 🙂

Ts & Cs: Cancellation and Cancellation Charges:

A cancellation has to be made at least 24 hours before the horseback riding tour is supposed to start. If a cancellation is made with less than 24-hours-notice 100% of the tour price must be paid. Our weight limit is 99 kg /220 Lbs. You need to be in the physical condition to mount a horse. No ramp/chair or other will be provided.

Liability
Hestaleigan Kátur reserves the right to alter routes, itineraries or timetables without prior notice, should it be necessary. No liability is accepted for loss or expenses due to delays or changes of arrival or departures of flights or other services, injury, sickness, accident, strikes, damage, weather, or other causes outside the control of Hestaleigan Kátur. The traveller himself has to take care of all such losses and expenses.

The online bookable tours can only be booked until 2 hours before the departure of the tour. If you want to book last minute or cannot find a tour on the date you are looking for, it is best to call directly +354 69 57 218

What

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1-hour-tour 2-hour-tour River Crossing Special

The online bookable tours:

Half-Day & Day-Tours

Small groups for experienced riders

River-Crossing-Special

For beginners and experienced riders 🙂

2-Hour-Tour

For those with horseback riding experience

1-Hour-Tour

For people with and without horseback riding experience

This might have crossed your mind – our FAQs (1):

Can I bring my own riding equipment?

It is not allowed to bring used riding equipment to Iceland as our horses could catch a disease. Even if they are disinfected, cloths containing leather and riding helmets are not allowed to be brought to Iceland at all.

Is there a weight limit?

Yes, even tough Icelandic horses are very strong our weight limit is 99 kg / 220 Lbs.

Are there age limits?

To go on a riding tour children need to be at least 7 years old for the 1-hour-tour or the Rive-Crossing-Special. For the 2-hour-ride children need to be older than 10-years and meet the required level of riding experience.

We don´t have a maximum age. No matter how old you are, you need to be in the physical condition to mount, ride and dismount the horse yourself. We are happy to give you a little help through giving you a little push on your back – but there is no such thing as a ramp.

Are there other restrictions / limits?

You need to be in the physical condition to mount, ride and dismount the horse yourself. We are happy to help you by giving you a little push on your back to get on the horse – but there is no such thing as a ramp.

How can I prepare for my ride?

Before your horseback riding tour starts, we will give you a thorough introduction to horseback riding. Nevertheless, you are welcome to read our Information sheet before you come to us 🙂

This might have crossed your mind – our FAQs (2):

How do I book?

You can book online (see above) or phone us (+354)69 57 218

How do I cancel?

Please note that you have to cancel at least 24 hours before the departure of the tour otherwise the full charge applies. If you are worried about the weather, we offer rain coats and trousers as well as gloves. The weather in Iceland changes quickly. So if it is raining now, it can be bright sunshine an hour later 😉

What time is the pick up?

Pick up time is 30 to 15 minutes before the tour starts – unless you get a different information on the phone or via mail.

When do I need to be there?

Please be at the meeting point 15 minutes before the tour starts.

What do I need to bring?

Please dress according to the weather, wear closed and warm shoes. As you are going horseback riding you might not want to wear your best clothes. You don´t really need a backpack or bag on the tour as your hands will be busy holding the reins 😉 You can leave everything that you don´t need in our cabin.

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The Team

Baldur Rúnarsson

Baldur Rúnarsson was born and raised in Hveragerði, South Iceland. He has been riding horses since he was a little kid. He has also been training , shoeing and successfully breeding horses for many years now.