HORSE RIDING ABILITIES
  You don't need to be an expert rider to participate in these tours, but some tours are by nature more difficult than

  others. To help choose which tour is right for you, we have graded each tour beginners, novice, intermediate or

  experienced.

  Beginners
  Little or no riding experience.
  

  Novice
  Suitable for riders that are comfortable & in control at a walk, moderate length trots and short canters.

  Intermediate
  Suitable for riders comfortable & in control at all paces, firm seat, and in the saddle for up to 7 hrs. per day.

  Experienced
  Suitable for strong or intermediate rider who is riding regularly with the necessary stamina for long riding days.

  


  GENERAL INFORMATION

  Airport Transfer
  Airport transfer to a guesthouse in Reykjavík for tours 3-10, 14, 15 and 17 is arranged in private busses. The transfer

  is part of our program and only included if clients participate in the program as described. If clients need an extra night

  before or after our program or are not using our included accommodation, the transfer is not included either. We will

  however assist all our clients with information. A public bus (Flybus) runs between the International Airport and

  Reykjavík upon any arrival of a flight and leaves Reykjavík approx. 2,5 hrs. prior to any departure of a flight.

  Welcome Folder
  Clients receive a welcome folder with various information regarding the tour from our driver upon arrival. If clients are

  not using our transfer, the folder is available at the accommodation the day before the ride starts.

  Alcohol
  Alcoholic beverages are not included in the tour price and hard to get in the highlands. They can be bought for a

  reasonable price in the Duty Free Store at Keflavík Airport upon arrival. Please remember to bring this with you

  since this is not for sale on the tour.

  Travel Insurance
  Clients are strongly encouraged to obtain travel insurance. Individual travel insurance is not included in the tour prices.

   It is therefore most important to obtain relevant travel insurance before visiting Iceland.

  Tour Itineraries
  Ishestar reserve the right to change the day’s itinerary, if road or weather conditions prove unfavorable.

  What to Bring
  Please ensure you read the list of necessary equipment for the riding tour. Clients must have their used boots

  disinfected,   before coming to Iceland and bring a certificate from their local veterinarian that this has been

  done. Riding clothes must be washed (40°C) or dry cleaned. Full leather garment and wax coats are prohibited.

  Please visit our "What to bring" section for a full list of equipment you will need.

  How to pack your belongings
  Luggage will be transported by the kitchen van. We recommend to bring bags, rather then hard cover suit cases and

  pack light because transport space is limited.

  Number of people on the tour
  Most Íshestar tours have a maximum of approx. 20 participants. Numbers of participants usually vary between

  12 and 19 participants on the tours of two horse category. Tours of the three and four horse categories often

  accommodate 15 to 20 participants. Our staff consists of the tour leader, our associate in charge of the horses,

  additional people to take care of the horses and, for the highland rides, a cook.

  Change of horses
  Usually we change horses once a day. Depending on the tour we change horses at the farm, our guides lead extra

  horses along or we ride with a free running herd of horses, the traditional way of riding in Iceland. All tours of the

  three and four horse category are operated with the free running herd, for tours of the two horse category this might

  vary.

  Additional money to spend during the tour
  Ishestar offers some optional sight seeing tours and/or activities on some of the rides which are mentioned in the

  tour description, along with the price in Icelandic kroner and should be paid for in cash on the spot. During the

  ride full board is included, along with water and coffee/tea. Bring your own alcoholic beverage. When you return

  to Reykjavík after your ride only breakfast is included.

  Accommodation
  Accommodation in Reykjavík (included in most of the longer tours) is in guesthouses, in rooms with shared

  facilities. Between 2 and 4 clients share a room, but a limited number of single rooms are available at an

  extra charge. Single supplement is available at the guesthouses for additional payment of USD 65 per night.

  During the ride all accommodation is shared. A detailed descriptions of the accommodation for each tour

  upon request. Tour 4 is operated in double and single room accommodation throughout the tour.

  Tours 4, 6 and 11 through 18 offer accommodation in made up beds throughout the tour. Most nights on

  tour 5 are now in made up beds as well.

  Other rides offer simple accommodation in sleeping bags. Sometimes the whole group stays together in

  one room. Accommodation is equipped with beds, bunk beds, shared bunk beds, and mattresses on  the

   floor (rarely and only on Kjölur, Northern Exposure and Egilsstaðir – one night each), depending on the

  size and location of each mountain cabin. Indoor WC, warm showers and/or hot pools are available at

  most locations.

  Accommodation in Reykjavík includes breakfast only, not lunch and dinner, except for a soup during

  our welcome meeting on the arrival day. Many excellent restaurants are available and the staff will      

  gladly make suggestions.

  During the Ride
  During the ride full board is provided. Our menu consists of a large breakfast and traditional Icelandic meals

 (fish or lamb). Vegetarian meals are available if requested in advance. All riders make their own lunch pack

  from the breakfast table.

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