The event of the summer in Iceland 2026 is the total solar eclipse on August 12th! The eclipse reaches totality between 5:48PM and 5:50PM and what better way to experience it than letting a mighty Icelandic Horse take you to a carefully selected viewpoint in the path of totality in West Iceland?
Are you travelling to Iceland to experience the total solar eclipse on the 12th of August 2026? Or just happen to be in Iceland for a once in a lifetime experience? Then you are in luck!
Here is what we are planning: We will welcome you at the riding center and after an introduction to how to ride an Icelandic Horses, we will match you with your horse for the afternoon. The guides will help you mount the horses and make sure the tack is properly adjusted before you head out for the adventure.
From our stables we ride on excellent riding paths as the eclipse slowly begins. Roughly 20 minutes before the total eclipse we will reach a carefully selected view point where we will have an undisrupted view of the eclipse over the lava fields as it blacks out Western Iceland. After around half an hour of break we will mount the horses again and continue our loop back to the riding center. This is truly a once in a lifetime experience where you get to combine the experience of the mighty Icelandic Viking horses with the Forces of Nature.
This tour is suitable for riders at all levels and the group will be split into two before heading out on the trails. We will have one group for intermediate riders who will get a chance to try the tölt and another group which will do the full tour in a relaxed walking speed.
After the ride we will join the other riding tours for a cozy barbeque at the Íshestar Riding Center. There will be burgers, lamb legs, hotdogs and vegetarian options on the barbeque, and we will serve some homemade sides. All food is included in the price and soft drinks can be bought on location.
We reccomend that you bring warm gloves and a thin hat that can fit under the riding helmet. Included in the price is that you can borrow a helmet, warm overall or rain coat and rain pants as well as rubber boots.
Maximum weight for a rider is 110kg/242lb.
Riding clothes. Riding gear (riding trousers, jackets, etc.) needs to be washed (40°C) or dry cleaned. Items which can not be washed or dry cleaned (riding boots, riding hats) need to be cleaned and disinfected at least five days prior to arriving in Iceland. The Icelandic Veterinary Authority recommends the broad-spectrum disinfectant Virkon S for disinfection. Used riding gloves, whips, saddles, bridles, chaps and other used leather gear may not be brought into the country.
Kindly note that these precautions are necessary because there are no contagious animal diseases in Iceland. Horses are not vaccinated and are therefore susceptible to infectious agents from abroad. Please help us to protect Iceland’s fragile nature! For further information please take a look at: Import of riding equipment | Matvælastofnun
You can book online on our website or by contacting Ishestar by email [email protected] or by phone +354 555 7000
We recommend booking a couple of days in advance just to make sure that we have free spaces on the day you wish to arrive.
Included in all Day Tours:
Riding Excursions The Freedom to explore Explore Our Riding Excursions Explore a particular corner of Iceland through different rides, discovering its landscapes, trails and local attractions, returning to the comfort of a familiar base each evening.
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Riding Journeys The Adventure of Discovery Discover Our Riding Journeys Travel through Iceland on horseback, following a continuous route across changing landscapes, from one destination to the next. Experience the adventure of travelling with the horses, discovering new places and sharing the journey along the way.
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