May - September
6 Hours
Moderate
No
12 Years
ISK 19.100
If you are looking for a full day of adventure in North Iceland, we recommend this tour! On this combo tour, you will go horseback riding on the beautiful Icelandic horse. You will also go river rafting in the West Glacial river. This tour is a great choice for families.
You’ll start the day at a local horse farm in Skagafjörður fjord. This area of Iceland is known for lush landscape and it’s beautiful horses. Here you will go on a 2 hour horseback riding tour. The tour is suitable for both beginners and more advanced riders. Your guide will select a suitable horse for you based on your skill level.
After your horseback riding tour, you will drive to the meeting point for your rafting tour. The drive takes about 15 minutes. Once on location, you will gear up in drysuits before being driven to the West glacial river which offers 2-3 class rapids. Your guide will give you a safety briefing and share some tips and tricks so you can look like a pro on the river. During the trip, you will stop at a geothermal hot spring where you can relax and get warm. Your guide will make some hot cocoa for you right by the river.
The bravest of the bunch will also get a chance to do some cliff jumping if conditions allow. After the tour, you’ll be able to enjoy relaxing in some hot pools by the boathouse.
Please read the FAQ for this tour carefully before booking.
No, you do not need to be able to swim to participate in this tour – but it does help! If you are not able to swim please let your guide know before the start of the tour.
No, due to the risk involved with adventure sports you can not participate in this tour if you are pregnant.
Most people are able to participate in this tour, but if you have a serious medical condition please contact us at info@iat.is before booking your tour.
Once you arrive at the meeting point all guests are asked about medical conditions which the guides need to be aware of. Please advise of any medical conditions that you may have, no matter how trivial they are. This is so that the guides are able to help you in a more efficient manner should you have any problems on the river. It is possible to store medication in a waterproof box should you need it during your trip.
If you are over 200 cm (6’5″) and 120 kg (265 lbs) please email us at info@iat.is before booking your tour.
No, you can not drink alcohol before your tour. We advise you not to drink alcohol excessively 12 hours prior to the start of your trip.
The tour operator reserves the right to refuse participation in rafting activities to those deemed dangerous to themselves and others.
WE DO NOT TAKE DRUNK PEOPLE FOR RAFTING.
You will be supplied with appropriate equipment for the horseback riding tour. These include saddles, bridles, helmets and raincoats if needed. You should dress in warm clothing and dress according to the weather.
You can wear your usual riding clothes on this tour, but please take special note of strict biosecurity measures enforced in Iceland (see “Can I bring my used riding clothes on this tour” below).
You will be provided with the following equipment on location for the river rafting:
The wetsuit is a 5mm thick rafting wetsuit to keep you warm and protect you from any rocks should you take a swim.
Rafting boats and oars are of course also included in the tour.
You can wear your usual riding clothes on this tour, but please take special note of strict biosecurity measures enforced in Iceland.
Icelandic horses are not vaccinated and are therefore susceptible to infectious agents from abroad. Visitors are asked to adopt strict biosecurity measures!
Importing the following equipment is strictly prohibited:
Cleaning and disinfection:
You will be supplied with a wetsuit and safety gear for the tour, but you do need to provide warm clothing to wear underneath your wetsuit. You’ll also need to dress according to the weather before and after the tour.
Please bring the following with you:
Rafting takes place on glacial rivers where the water is cold all year around. Once you get cold it is very hard to get you warm again. By bringing the correct thermal clothing you reduce the possibilities of becoming cold. Please do not bring any cotton products with you to wear on the river. If you are too warm on the river we can think of many creative ways to cool you down, for example, cliff jumping
Other optional things to bring with you:
Yes, the minimum age for this tour is 12 years. The age limit is flexible as long as the child is accompanied by an adult. If you have children younger than 12 years of age, please contact us at info@iat.is before booking the tour.
No, meals are not included in the tour.
The tour operator reserves the right to cancel or curtail any trip at short notice due to the prevailing weather conditions or a safety compromise.
Cancellations due to weather are solely at the discretion of the tour operator.
If the tour is canceled on your date, we offer you to re-schedule your tour. If you are unable to go on the tour on a different date, we will refund your tour in full.
As with any adventure sport, there is an inherent risk by participating in the tour. However, there have been very few accidents on this tour due to the rigorous safety standards set by the operator.
The guide team all hold internationally recognized certificates in raft guiding, first aid, and river rescue. Each season they are constantly training and reviewing the safety standards and evacuation procedures.
Guides always carry a minimum of 2 VHF radios, a comprehensive first aid kit and are all well trained, friendly and professional river rafting guides.
The operator only uses up to date modern equipment, all of our rafts, paddles, life-jackets, and helmets are less than 5 years old.
Transportation vehicles (bus) used on this tour all confirm to Icelandic transport regulations and all of the drivers hold commercial driving licenses.
Reservations can be canceled 72 hours prior to departure without penalty.
Cancellations received less than 72 hours before departure, but more than 48 hours prior to departure will be refunded by 50%. Tours canceled less than 24 hours before departure are non-refundable.
Cancellations must be submitted in writing to info@iat.is.
Please be mindful of possible time zone differences. Iceland is in the GMT time zone and cancellations must be submitted at least 48 hours before departure in Icelandic local time (GMT).
If you do need to cancel your tour, we recommend that you contact us as soon as possible.
The meeting point for this tour is near the town of Varmahlíð in North Iceland.
From the main road (nr. 1), you’ll turn onto road nr. 75 and drive for about 5 km where your meeting point will be on the left side of the road.
It takes about 1,5 hours to drive to the meeting point from the town of Akureyri. From Reykjavík, the drive takes about 4 hours. Pickup and dropoff in Reykjavík is not available for this tour.
Please note that you must be ready at the meeting point at least 15 minutes before the start of your tour.