From Reykjavík: Full-day Golden Circle & Horse Riding Tour

The best thing about this day is its contrast: first you are on an Icelandic horse crossing fields and a small river, then you are touring Iceland’s famous sights by bus. I especially like the 1.5 to 2-hour ride and the chance to try the breed’s unusual extra gait, followed by the roar of Gullfoss and the bursts of Geysir.

I also like the practical setup. Pickup and drop-off are available at many Reykjavík hotels and bus stops, and riding gear, a guide, and bus Wi-Fi are included. The main drawback is the length and tight timing. A late transfer from the horse farm could leave you rushing at the Golden Circle stops, so this works best if you accept a full, busy day rather than a slow country outing.

Key points to know before booking

• Two very different Iceland experiences: Ride at Laxnes Horse Farm, then tour the Golden Circle by coach.
• The horse ride lasts about two hours: You receive a suitable horse, riding equipment, instruction, and an easy river crossing.
• Three major Golden Circle stops: See Thingvellir National Park, erupting Geysir, and Gullfoss waterfall.
• The day lasts 11 hours: Bus transfers, riding, walks, and photo stops make this a long outing.
• The schedule can feel tight: One reported tour had a one-hour delay before the Golden Circle section, reducing time at the sights.
• Kerið needs clarification: It is named in the tour description, but the listed schedule does not show a stop there.

Why this combination works so well

Many Golden Circle outings follow the same pattern: coach, viewpoint, coach, viewpoint. This tour adds something more personal at the beginning. At Laxnes Horse Farm, you are not simply looking at Icelandic horses in a field. You are fitted with riding gear, introduced to your horse, and taken into the countryside for a guided ride.

That first half gives the day a calmer opening. You ride over hills and through fields, with an easy river crossing included. The ride is long enough to feel like a real activity, but it is not presented as an advanced equestrian expedition. The farm describes the horses as docile, and an instructor selects a horse for you.

I like that this is a genuine Icelandic experience rather than a generic trail ride. Icelandic horses are small, sturdy, and known for an extra gait that can make the ride feel unusually smooth. Their size may also make them less intimidating for a first-time rider, though you still need to be comfortable sitting on a horse for up to two hours.

After the ride, the tone changes. You leave the quieter farm behind and continue to the major sights of the Golden Circle. That contrast is the appeal, but it also explains why the day feels full. You are fitting two separate excursions into one booking.

Pickup across Reykjavík and the long day ahead

The tour offers pickup from a wide range of Reykjavík hotels, hostels, bus stops, and the cruise terminal area. Listed locations include Hallgrimskirkja, Harpa, the BSÍ Bus Terminal, Reykjavík Campsite, Hotel Reykjavík Grand, Reykjavík Natura, Hilton Reykjavik Nordica, and many other central stops.

You should check your exact pickup point carefully. Reykjavík uses designated bus stops in parts of the city, and a hotel may not always mean a coach pulls directly to its front door. The booking information says pickup is included from your accommodation in Reykjavík, but the long list of named locations suggests that the operator uses fixed collection points in many areas.

The coach ride to Laxnes Horse Farm takes about 30 minutes. After the riding portion, you have a shorter 20-minute transfer before reaching Thingvellir. From there, the route continues for about an hour to Geysir, then on to Gullfoss, followed by roughly 100 minutes back toward Reykjavík.

That adds up to an 11-hour outing. Bring a warm layer, water, and food you can eat without fuss. One French rider described having about 40 minutes to warm up and eat after the ride before joining the Golden Circle bus. That break can be useful, but it is not a long restaurant stop.

Riding at Laxnes Horse Farm

The horse farm is the most distinctive part of the day. On arrival, an instructor helps match you with a horse and provides the necessary riding gear. The ride lasts about two hours in the itinerary, while the general tour description gives a range of 1.5 to 2 hours. Allow for the longer figure when planning your day.

The route takes you across hills and fields and includes an easy river crossing. This is not just a short photo opportunity beside the stable. You are out in the countryside for a meaningful stretch of time, which makes the $234 price easier to understand for someone who specifically wants horseback riding in Iceland.

The riding is described as suitable for connecting with nature, not as a technical lesson or a fast-paced ride. If you are new to horses, the presence of an instructor and the selection of a suitable mount should help. Still, the tour is not suitable for children under seven, and people over 264 pounds, or 120 kilograms, cannot join.

The farm staff are another strong point. One rider described the owner collecting them at the selected Laxnes pickup point and the staff as kind and welcoming. Tea and coffee were served after the ride, which is a small but welcome touch in Iceland’s cold weather. The riding section earned especially warm praise, and I would treat it as the heart of the experience.

Wear clothes that can handle wind, mud, and changing weather. The supplied information does not specify every item of equipment, so avoid assuming that all outdoor clothing is provided. Riding gear is included, but your personal layers and footwear still matter.

Thingvellir National Park and the meeting of continents

After the farm, the coach takes you to Thingvellir National Park for about 40 minutes. The stop includes a guided visit, sightseeing, and a walk, with time for photographs.

Thingvellir is one of Iceland’s essential stops because it brings geology and history into the same place. Here, the American and Eurasian plates are pulling apart, creating the dramatic rift area that gives the park its character. You can see cracks and open stretches of ground rather than simply viewing a mountain from a bus window.

Forty minutes is enough to walk and take pictures, but it is not enough for a long exploration. Stay close to the guide and keep an eye on the time. The paths can be uneven, and Icelandic weather can change quickly, so practical shoes and a waterproof outer layer are sensible.

This is also the point where the tour shifts from the intimate scale of the horse farm to the classic Golden Circle circuit. If you want a quiet, extended visit to Thingvellir, a dedicated park trip would give you more freedom. If you want the main view and a clear introduction, this stop fits the day well.

Geysir, with time for repeated eruptions

The coach then continues for about an hour to the Geysir geothermal area. The planned visit lasts 70 minutes, making it the longest stop in the Golden Circle portion.

The original Geysir gave its name to geysers around the world, although the nearby Strokkur is the one that regularly erupts for visitors. You can expect bursts of hot water and steam, along with steaming ground and pools in the geothermal area. The stop is made for walking, photographs, and watching the eruption cycle repeat.

Seventy minutes gives you a reasonable chance to see several eruptions without needing to sprint back to the bus. It also allows time to look around the area rather than taking one photograph and leaving.

The schedule can change in practice. One Italian rider reported that the Golden Circle guide arrived about an hour late at the farm and then hurried the group onto the bus. That delay reportedly cut into the time at the attractions, and the rider felt the lunch break forced a choice between eating and viewing Geysir at leisure. I cannot say this will happen on every departure, but it is a useful warning: a combined tour has less spare time than a simple point-to-point outing.

Gullfoss and the force of glacial water

Gullfoss is the final major sightseeing stop, with about 40 minutes set aside for walking and photographs. The waterfall is fed by glacial rivers from Langjökull, and its broad, powerful flow drops through a rugged gorge.

This is one of those places where the sound arrives before the full view. Depending on the path and weather, spray can reach the viewing areas, so keep your camera protected and wear a waterproof layer. The supplied schedule gives you enough time to see the main viewpoint, but not to wander far from the marked area.

Gullfoss is a strong finish to the sightseeing portion because it delivers immediate drama. Thingvellir gives you geology, Geysir gives you heat and motion, and Gullfoss gives you water and scale. You do not need a long lecture to understand why it is one of Iceland’s most popular sights.

The return to Reykjavík takes about 100 minutes by coach. After riding and walking, that final stretch may feel long. On the other hand, you can use it to rest rather than arrange another transfer late at night.

What about Kerið crater?

Kerið is named among the sights in the general tour description, and its red volcanic crater and lake are presented as part of the experience. Yet the detailed stop-by-stop schedule lists Thingvellir, Geysir, and Gullfoss, without a separate Kerið stop.

That matters because Kerið is not located at the same point as the other three attractions, and a visit would affect the day’s timing. If seeing the crater is important to you, confirm it before paying. Do not assume it is included simply because it appears in the written highlights.

Guide quality and the split between two operators

The tour includes a live English-speaking guide, and the Golden Circle section is operated by BusTravel Iceland. A guide named Monica was identified in one account of the experience. That account described the horse farm section very positively but criticized Monica’s late arrival, hurried boarding, and comments about the stops.

This is the clearest weakness in the available information. The experience seems to involve a handoff between the horse farm and the Golden Circle coach, so the day may feel like two separate tours joined together. That is not automatically a problem, but it means the service level can vary between the farm and the bus portion.

Most importantly, make sure you know where you will be dropped off. One rider paid for a taxi because the drop-off point did not match the pickup point. The published tour offers many drop-off choices, but you should confirm your requested location with the operator, especially if you have evening plans or a cruise departure.

Is $234 a fair price?

At $234 per person, this is not the cheapest way to see the Golden Circle. You are paying for two activities, hotel pickup and drop-off, riding gear, a live guide, and Wi-Fi on the bus. The horse ride is the feature that changes the value calculation.

If you only want Thingvellir, Geysir, and Gullfoss, a standard Golden Circle coach tour should be the more economical choice. If you also plan to book horseback riding separately, this combined day may save you the trouble of arranging two bookings and two transport plans.

The price makes the most sense for someone with limited time in Iceland who wants a clear mix of countryside and famous sights. It makes less sense if you dislike long coach days, want extended time at each stop, or already have a separate riding excursion arranged.

The overall rating is 4.8 from 53 reviews, but the individual accounts show why you should read the schedule closely. The horse ride is a strong draw. The bus portion is more dependent on timing, traffic, and the guide assigned that day.

Who should book this tour?

I would recommend it to a first-time Iceland visitor who wants to cover the Golden Circle and try an Icelandic horse in one day. It is also a good fit if you are staying in Reykjavík without a rental car and prefer one organized outing with transport included.

It suits confident beginners and casual riders more than serious equestrians seeking a long, technical route. It also suits people who value variety. You get animals, countryside, geology, geothermal activity, and a major waterfall before returning to the city.

I would hesitate if you want a relaxed pace. The day is long, the sightseeing stops are fixed, and any delay in the handoff from the farm to the coach can squeeze the schedule. Families with children under seven and anyone over the stated weight limit need to choose another activity.

Should you book it?

Book this tour if the horse ride is as important to you as the Golden Circle. That combination is the reason to choose it, and the Laxnes portion appears to offer the warmest, most personal part of the day.

Before booking, confirm three things: your exact pickup and drop-off points, whether Kerið is truly included, and how the handoff from the horse farm to the Golden Circle coach works. If the answers suit your plans, $234 buys a full Iceland day with plenty of variety. If you want more time at the sights, choose a simpler Golden Circle tour and arrange horseback riding separately.

FAQ

How long does the tour last?

The full experience lasts 11 hours, including pickup, bus transfers, horseback riding, sightseeing stops, and the return to Reykjavík.

Is hotel pickup included?

Yes. Pickup and drop-off are included from listed hotels, hostels, bus stops, and other locations in Reykjavík. Check the available location list when booking.

How long is the horseback ride?

The horseback riding portion is scheduled for about two hours. The general description gives a range of 1.5 to 2 hours.

What Golden Circle sights are included?

The scheduled stops are Thingvellir National Park, Geysir, and Gullfoss waterfall. Kerið is named in the general description, but it is not shown as a separate stop in the detailed schedule, so confirm this before booking.

Is the tour suitable for young children?

No. Children under seven are not permitted to join.

What is included in the price?

The price includes a guide, hotel pickup and drop-off, horse-riding gear, and Wi-Fi on the bus. The supplied information does not state that meals are included.