Landmannalaugar Horseback Riding in Iceland
Introduction
Searching for Landmannalaugar horse tours or horse riding Landmannalaugar Iceland? This highland wonder delivers unreal colors, dramatic terrain, and open-air magic.
Landmannalaugar is one of Iceland’s crown jewels — a paradise of colorful rhyolite mountains, steaming hot springs, and vast lava fields. It sits deep in the Fjallabak Nature Reserve, where raw volcanic power meets breathtaking beauty.
For centuries, only sure-footed horses could carry people into this remote region, navigating rivers, lava, and mountain passes. Even today, riding into Landmannalaugar feels like stepping into another world — one where the Icelandic horse is still the perfect companion.
About Landmannalaugar
A highland wonderland
Landmannalaugar, meaning “People’s Pools”, is famous for its natural hot springs and multicolored rhyolite mountains. Shades of red, yellow, green, blue, and black make the landscape look almost painted. The contrast is even more striking against the surrounding obsidian lava fields, formed by eruptions centuries ago.
Geology and nature
The mountains are made of rhyolite, a volcanic rock that creates the rainbow effect.
Vast lava flows, especially from the Laugahraun eruption around 1477, shape the area.
The region is home to geothermal activity — steam vents, bubbling ground, and the hot springs that gave Landmannalaugar its name.
Hiking and sagas
Landmannalaugar is also the starting point of the Laugavegur trail, Iceland’s most famous hiking route. It’s a place tied to Icelandic sagas, where travelers rested in the geothermal pools before continuing their journeys through the highlands.
Horseback Riding in Landmannalaugar
Riding in the highlands
Exploring Landmannalaugar on horseback is a journey back in time. The landscape is vast and rugged — best suited to the sturdy Icelandic horse, which has carried people through these highlands for centuries.
Riding here combines:
Open rhyolite valleys, where horses tölting give you sweeping views of painted mountains.
Obsidian lava fields, where the dark rocks contrast with the bright hillsides.
Geothermal steam rising around you, making the air shimmer.
River crossings, where horses wade calmly through glacial streams.
Why horses belong here
Before mountain roads and 4x4 jeeps, the only way into Landmannalaugar was on horseback. Horses were the lifeline connecting farms to the highlands — carrying supplies, assisting with sheep herding, and guiding people to remote grazing lands. Riding here today is more than an adventure; it’s a continuation of that timeless tradition.
The Icelandic horse is legendary for its ability to cross highland passes like those in Landmannalaugar, where rugged trails, lava fields, and glacial rivers challenge ordinary travel. With their sure-footedness and calm nature, these horses remain the perfect companions for exploring this untamed landscape.
The feeling of riding in Landmannalaugar
On horseback, the colors and contrasts feel even more intense. Moving at the horse’s rhythm lets you absorb the details — the scent of geothermal earth, the sound of hooves on lava, the sight of endless valleys stretching ahead. Many riders describe it as the most surreal riding experience in Iceland.
Practical Information
Location
Landmannalaugar is located in the Fjallabak Nature Reserve, in Iceland’s central highlands.
Access is only possible in summer (typically mid-June to September), when mountain roads are open.
It is about 180 km (112 miles) from Reykjavík.
Nearby highlights
Fjallabak Nature Reserve — volcanic landscapes and remote trails.
Laugahraun lava field — vast obsidian flows.
Hot springs — a must-do after a day of adventure.
Þórsmörk valley — another famous riding and hiking destination often combined with Landmannalaugar.
Tours in the region
Multi-day horseback tours are the most authentic way to reach Landmannalaugar, crossing valleys, rivers, and lava fields over several days. Hestar og Fjöll offers a dedicated Landmannalaugar horseback tour, giving riders the chance to fully experience this remote highland paradise.
Day trips are less common because of the distance, but some operators combine jeeps with shorter horseback rides to make the area more accessible.
Overall, Landmannalaugar is best suited for riders who want a true highland adventure — one that blends challenging terrain with breathtaking scenery.
Best season to ride
Summer only (June–September). Snow and river levels make other months inaccessible.
Weather can be unpredictable even in summer — expect sun, rain, and wind, sometimes all in one day.
Fun Facts about Landmannalaugar
The geothermal pools have been used for centuries as natural “rest stops” for travelers.
The area is known as the “gateway to the Icelandic highlands.”
Because of the colorful mountains, Landmannalaugar is often compared to a natural painting.
Icelandic sagas mention people traveling here with their horses long before roads existed.
Why Visit Landmannalaugar on Horseback?
Unforgettable scenery: Nowhere else in Iceland offers such a palette of colors.
Adventure and tradition: Riding follows the same paths that Icelanders used for generations.
Connection to nature: Traveling by horse keeps the pace slow enough to absorb every detail.
Remote beauty: Landmannalaugar is far from the crowds, making it one of the most authentic riding experiences in Iceland.
Many travelers looking for horse tours Landmannalaugar or horseback riding Landmannalaugar Iceland come here for the iconic landscapes and the rare highland adventure.
Hestar og Fjöll offers a dedicated Landmannalaugar Multi-Day Horseback Tour, giving riders the chance to explore this colorful highland paradise in depth.