Horseback Riding Trip in Iceland is One of National Geographic’s “50 Tours of a Lifetime”

April 11, 2013 – The Horseback Riding in Iceland: Land of Fire and Ice tour from women’s active travel outfitter, AdventureWomen, has been recognized as one of National Geographic Traveler Magazine’s 2013 “50 Tours of a Lifetime”. 

“How exciting to be chosen for this National Geographic honor, especially since our Iceland Horseback Riding adventure is very special to me,” says Susan Eckert, President and Founder of AdventureWomen, Inc. “I went to Iceland 16 years ago to set up a horseback trip, and fell in love with the “legendary and gaited” Icelandic horse. My life changed and I’ve had two wonderful Icelandic horses of my own in Montana for 15 years. Taking  AdventureWomen participants to ride these amazing horses through Iceland’s remarkable landscapes is one of MY personal trips of a lifetime!”

August 26, 2013    Just back from our VERY EXCITING August 9-18, 2013 Iceland Horseback Riding adventure! So many of the 16 horseback riding women on the trip want to go back to ride in Iceland next year, that I am currently working with our outfitter in Iceland to set up another horseback riding trip for 2014. We weren’t going to repeat this trip again until 2015, but it looks like it will be BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND in 2014!

Click here for full details on AdventureWomen’s custom-designed for 2014: Iceland Horseback Riding Adventure

Did you know that Iceland is an exciting country full of surprises and so close to home (only a 4 hour plane ride from Boston)! The island is an exotic destination of majestic landscapes, deep fiords, thundering waterfalls, steaming hot springs, huge glaciers, ancient Viking history, and free-roaming horses. And what HORSES!  Brought by the Vikings over 1,000 years ago, these celebrated equines are considered to be truly unique by horse enthusiasts from around the world. With wondrously flowing manes and tails, these sure-footed and affectionate horses are known for their smooth gaits, especially their tolt, or running walk, ideal for days of long overland travel.

On our trip this August we rode through the Snaefellsnes peninsula, called “Iceland in a nutshell” due to its diversity of landscape. Tolting through valleys and mighty lava fields, the majestic glacier-covered cone volcano, Snæfellsjökull, loomed ahead, as we tolted on smooth sand beaches and trails known only by the locals, crossed tidal flats and rivers, all while following a herd of 80 Icelandic horses that we used as extra horses to ride throughout the day. There was sightseeing as well: touring Reykjavik; a visit to the shark museum in Bjarnarhöfn; sailing out to sea in search of puffins and sea birds; and ending with an afternoon at the famous Blue Lagoon Hot Pools.

National Geographic Traveler’s selection process for our Iceland Horseback trip as one of their 2013 “50 Tours of a Lifetime” was competitive, and their editorial team worked long and hard to find 2013’s most authentic, most innovative, most immersive, best-guided, and most sustainable tours. 

“This year marks the 125^th anniversary of the National Geographic Society. The tours we selected capture that spirit of exploration,” said Executive Editor Norie Quintos. “They push the boundaries of mainstream tourism, whether taking travelers to the far corners of the globe, or helping them dive deep into the culture of familiar destinations.”

National Geographic Traveler magazine has been recognizing the best tours and outfitters for travelers for the last eight years, as part of the magazine’s mission “to propel readers out of their armchairs and into the field.” Traveler has the largest audience of any travel magazine, with more than 8.5 million readers. Our readers love to travel, with the highest passport ownership, most international and domestic trips, and most outdoor recreation spending of any other travel title.