Private tour

Although our Icelandic horses are strong, our weight limit is 95 kilos. On longer tours, the weight limit may depend on your riding skills and experience.

We offer helmets, gloves, thermal suits and rain gear, but we recommend for everyone visiting Lofoten to bring a layer of wool just in case. Dress for the weather as far as possible.

The age limit on our beginner tours is 8 years. We open for younger riders on availability at an additional cost (750,-). This must be booked in advance. For families with younger children we offer “Family tour”. The price is the same as our standard beginner tours, but the ride is a bit shorter. On tours for experienced riders, the age limit is 14 years. For younger riders, we offer private tours on availability at an additional cost. For the very youngest riders to come, we offer the “Lead rope tour”.

We offer extra guide on availability at an additional cost (750,-) on availability. This must be booked in advance.

At Hov, we have horses for everyone. We will choose a horse for you based on weight, age and experience. For your safety and the horse’s welfare, we ask you to provide information about experience, weight, height and age when you place your order.

Our horses are icelandic horses. They are the best horses

Unfortunately, no. It is a little confusing, as there is a bus that goes past Hov Gård. This, however, is the school bus – it is not a public bus.

Again, you need to rent a car if you are going to travel here.  Until we get more public transportation infrastructure, this is the most effective, efficient and enjoyable way to travel The Lofoten Islands.

The Lofoten Islands are located at 68° North, above The Arctic Circle.

We also experience an anomaly called The Gulf Stream that pushes warm ocean currents from the south, creating much milder temperatures that other Arctic places.

That being said, it is still important to remember that we can also experience 4 seasons in one day.

Which is why you need to bring smart clothes on your Lofoten trip.

We highly recommend the following:

1. Merino wool underwear for all body parts
2. A rain and windproof jacket
3. A solid pair of boots – especially if you plan to do any sort of hiking or walking
4. Hat, gloves, scarf
5. Layers
6. If you visit us from May to September, you should bring a sleeping mask as it is daytime during the nighttime and can be harder to sleep.

TERMS – BOOKING AND CANCELLATION

Day tours and shorter rides (no sleepover)

Cancellation policy and cancellation fee:
No fee for cancellation that is made 48 hours or more before departure.

100% cancellation fee for cancellation less than 48 hours before departure.

Cancellation policy and cancellation fee for group bookings of 9 or more guests:
No fee for cancellation more than 7 days before departure.

50% cancellation fee for more than 48 hours but less than 7 days before departure.

100% cancellation fee for cancellation less than 48 hours before departure.

Multi Days Tours

Deposit and payments:
The tour paid in full to confirm the booking.

Cancellations:
All cancellations must be given in writing and will be charged as follows:
Cancellations more than 91 days prior to arrival: A 5% administration fee is charged.
90-61 days prior to arrival: 50% of the full price is charged.
60 days prior or less: 100% of the full price will be charged.

We offer hikes all year-round, along the beach, under the midnight sun and under the northern lights. We have different hikes for different levels.

Hov Gård is also where our restaurant, Låven, is located. We have very good chefs working constantly for our guests to experience great food in this stunning area.

On Hov beach in front of the farm, you can rent our wood heated sauna, take a dip in the sea and enjoy its white sands.

Hoven mountain (368 moh) is located directly behind Hov Gård. It is a stunning hike, with 360° panoramic views of Lofoten.

In addition, we accommodate special events like business meetings, weddings, birthday parties and so on.

Explore more activities in Gimsøy here.

Fishing, hiking, kayaking and bicycling are great options during the milder months.

Snowshoeing and ice skating are also possible during the winter months.

Explore more activities in Lofoten here.

Let us help you plan your trip!

Email us at info@hovgard.no

Yes!

We have a little shop in the reception from may until october where we sell logoed equipment. Don’t forget to buy a memory of your experience at Hov Gård or a gift for another horse lover at the farm before you leave!

We offer free parking whilst you enjoy a meal in the restaurat or go on tour with us. Our parking is next to the road, immediately when you get to the farm.

You book your ride here, online.

If you’re interested in a private tour, please throw us an email with the names, weight in kilos, height, age and level of experience from 1 to 5 where 1 is beginner and 5 is professional of everyone in your group, and we’ll send you an offer.

If you’re in the area, feel free to drop by our reception (may-oct) to see if there’s any available spots last-minute.

The northern lights season is from late August until April.

Which means that it’s absolutely possible to ride under the northern lights. Please book your spot on one of our Northern Lights Tours, available all season at 22.00 – as long as it’s not too windy.

Sometimes they show up for minutes, sometimes for hours. Sometimes not at all.

Their dance can be faint and light green, or strong and pink.

Either way, it is 100% worth it.

It must be dark to see the northern lights. Thus, the northern lights season starts around mid-August, when it starts getting dark again, and lasts until around April.

You can ride and see the northern lights by night from around mid-August until April.

If you wish to see the Northern Lights, we welcome you to stay with us at our camping or in our Guesthouse.

Up here in the Arctic, on an island in the sea, the weather is unpredictable and fast-changing. This poses a challenge in accurately predicting the weather.

If it’s predicted to be too windy we will cancel the ride.

Snow and rain is normally no reason for us to cancel, our fantastic, icelandic Viking horses embrace the weather all year.

As the weather can be shifty we always recommend to bring a thin layer of wool for all body parts just in case when visiting Lofoten. You can borrow helmet, rain gear, overall, gloves and boots from us.

Technically you don’t have to bring anything to join our rides.