Great experience. Highly recommend - Overall it was a really great experience that definitely added a lot of value to my trip. Pickup was convenient and on time. Staff was super amazing, everyone was very nice and accommodating answering any questions and ease any anxieties. The horses were super beautiful and calm as well definitely made it a lot easier for a first time rider. The views were beautiful, I went during the summer and it was gorgeous but the staff said during winter with the snow was amazing too.

Primarily for beginners... - Primarily for beginners but a small group broke away to ride at faster speeds; the entire excursion ran smoothly and the “majestic Viking steeds” were very sweet and could basically run on “autopilot”!! It was beautiful scenery to ride through as well.

Family trail ride - It was a great experience. Family loved it! The horses were all well behaved and followed instructions well. Guides were nice and helpful.

Incredible Icelandic Horse ride - A great tour for beginners to experienced riders across the incredible Iceland backdrop. The horses are a unique breed who have adapted over time to the harsh Icelandic conditions.

Lovely experience - What a lovely tour this is! From novice to experienced, there is something for everyone. The horses are friendly and gentle and easy to ride. This was an incredibly peaceful tour. The guides were helpful and kind, as well as super informative about the horses and the area. My daughter and I had a lovely time. It really rounded out our visit to Iceland.

Do this! - Very professional map and safe. Fun. Beautiful scenery. There was confusion on my part for pick up. They were super patient with my endless questions.

Nice riding trip for beginners! - Good riding trip for beginners! Horseback riding is a nice way of seeing the fascinating Icelandic landscape, and Ishestar seem to take good care of their horses. This is a trip for those wanting a relaxed and comfortable riding experience. For experienced riders wanting a challenge I would recommend looking somewhere else.

Good tour but fairly risk adverse. - Friendly and knowledgeable staff, well trained horses. A little risk adverse for letting experienced riders a bit of freedom. Must have heard "stay in line" a few to many times to truly enjoy.

Safety first - We enjoyed our opportunity to ride Icelandic Horses (they’re not ponies!) in a beautiful setting. The stable is very clean and you can tell that safety is a priority. We had to watch a safety video before the ride and our 10 and 12 year old kids were given safety vests to wear, in addition to the helmets that all riders had to use. It was a large group of riders (approximately 20 of us) with 4 guides. About 10 minutes into the ride we were given the opportunity to separate into 2 groups - one that stays at a walking pace and one that gets to go a bit faster. Because the kids are under 13, they were not given the option to go in the fast group. They were disappointed by this and got a bit bored at the walking pace. It’s too bad they couldn’t give the chance to at least go at a trot. The transportation to and from the city was right on time and easy.

isHESTAR: Do NOT book this tour, especially with kids. It’s unsafe and irresponsible. - isHESTAR This tour is dangerous and completely unprofessional. They claim it’s suitable for kids 7 and up, but there were 5 kids 12 and under, with only 3 staff for over 20 people — nowhere near enough to manage safety. The horses were visibly agitated. My horse and few other horses kept pushing toward the front, displacing other horses with customers already on them, clearly determined to be first at the gate of the pen. I fell off the horse within the first minutes due to a loose saddle the staff failed to secure properly. It was a hard fall from a significant height to the ground — if I were older, I could have easily broken some bones. The staff’s only reaction? A cold stare and a flat, “You ok?” — no help, no concern. My child, terrified after seeing me fall, told us her saddle was also loose, so my husband made the smart decision not to ride and stayed behind with her. Right at the start, my horse bucked me toward vegetation to eat, violently pulling me forward and sideway. I almost fell several times. During the ride, my horse bolted toward the lava field to eat. A staff member from the far distance finally yelled that the lava field was unsafe — unstable ground we could fall through — and to pull hard, but the horse wouldn’t listen. She then ran toward us and pulled my horse very hard, away from the lava field back onto the trail. At the end of the ride, we witnessed even more aggression — horses rearing and kicking, each other right in front of us in the crowded pen. The staff casually admitted the horses are “competitive,” yet they continue putting inexperienced riders and children at risk. This company is reckless. The horses are agitated and not trained. Do NOT book this tour, especially with kids. It’s unsafe and irresponsible. Our family has ridden horses before, but we are not experienced riders — exactly the type of customers this tour claims to accommodate. We are a sporty, physically active, and able family, so we expected to handle a casual trail ride without issues. We even told the staff this before the ride, hoping they would assign us patient and well-trained horses. But instead, it was obvious from the start that the horses were agitated and not suitable for casual riders or families.