Reykjavik Folklore Walking Tour: Meet the Elves, Trolls & Ghosts of Iceland

The most memorable part of this Reykjavík folklore walk is the way ordinary city spots become story settings. A cemetery, a church, a rock, and a city pond all take on a second life through tales of elves, trolls, ghosts, and Icelandic guardian spirits.

I like the route’s mix of old Reykjavík and local storytelling, and I like that guides such as Mathias, Bo, Stefán, and Dúi bring different styles, including humor, dramatic voices, and even songs. The main drawback is that the quality can depend heavily on your guide, and one or two people found the storytelling scattered or less focused on elves than expected.

Key points to know before you book

• A 90-minute walk through old Reykjavík: The route links the oldest graveyard in Iceland, historic churches, cemeteries, Tjörnin lake, City Hall, Parliament, and Austurvöllur.
• Folklore with local color: Expect stories about the Huldufólk, trolls, ghosts, monsters, rocks, and guardian spirits, mixed with pieces of Reykjavík history.
• A strong introduction to the city: The walk is useful early in your stay because it helps you get your bearings in central Reykjavík.
• Guides shape the experience: Mathias is praised for humor, while Bo, Stefán, Steingrímur, Magnus, Dúi, and others are noted for storytelling, singing, and enthusiasm.
• Easy central logistics: You meet at Ingólfur Square and finish near Parliament at Austurvöllur, close to the starting area.
• Plan for outdoor weather: The tour is on foot, children need an adult, and you should arrive five minutes early in suitable clothing.

Why folklore is a good way to see Reykjavík

This is not a standard walk through Reykjavík’s main landmarks. You will see familiar civic buildings and central streets, but the guide uses them as doorways into Icelandic beliefs and old stories.

That makes the experience especially useful if you have already seen Hallgrímskirkja, Harpa, and the main shopping streets and want something less focused on dates and architecture. You still learn about the city, but the facts arrive through stories about supernatural beings and local customs.

I like this approach because Icelandic folklore is not treated as a museum subject. Elves, trolls, ghosts, and invisible people are presented as part of the country’s cultural imagination. You do not need to believe in them to enjoy the walk. The fun comes from seeing how these stories connect people to rocks, churches, cemeteries, water, and the land around them.

The tone can be playful and theatrical. Some guides use distinct voices for trolls and elves. Others tell stories through song. Mathias has been praised for his comic timing and animated style, while Dúi is noted for his singing voice and colorful tales. The guide you receive will shape the mood, so expect a lively storytelling walk rather than a fixed lecture delivered in exactly the same way each time.

Meeting at Ingólfur Square

You make your own way to the meeting point at Hlöllabátar, Ingólfstorgi 1, beside Ingólfur Square in central Reykjavík. The meeting area can be a little difficult to spot if you are relying only on memory, so use a map and arrive at least five minutes early.

There is no hotel pickup or drop-off. That is not much of a problem for most people because the starting point is central and near public transportation, but you should allow time to find the exact spot.

The opening meeting and introduction take about five minutes. This is when you meet your guide and group and get the basic idea of the walk. The experience is offered in English and includes a professional guide and live entertainment.

The published maximum is 999 people, which is unusually high and does not tell you the actual size of a typical departure. A smaller group will make it easier to hear the guide and ask questions. If you are hoping for a quiet, intimate walk, keep in mind that group size may vary.

Stop 1: The oldest graveyard and Skúli Magnússon

The first major stop is an old graveyard dating to around the year 900. That date gives the tour an immediate sense of age. Reykjavík can feel like a compact modern capital, but this stop points to much older settlement and burial traditions.

You spend about ten minutes here. The stop is less about touring a large site and more about using the cemetery as a setting for stories and early Icelandic life. You may want to listen for the link between the physical ground beneath the city and the beliefs that developed around it.

One useful tip is to treat this as a storytelling stop, not a full cemetery visit. One person specifically wished for more time to look at older graves. If you are interested in headstones, burial customs, or genealogy, the short visit may leave you wanting more.

Stop 2: The Cathedral of Christ the King and Icelandic trolls

The route then moves to the Cathedral of Christ the King, also known as Landakotskirkja. You spend about five minutes here, hearing why Icelandic trolls are said to dislike the church.

This is a quick stop, but it adds an amusing contrast between Christian buildings and older supernatural beliefs. The subject also shows how folklore often borrows from the places people see every day. A church is not just architecture in this walk. It becomes part of a larger story about forces that do not fit neatly into ordinary life.

The tour may touch on Christian themes in a playful way. One participant felt uncomfortable with treatment of their Christian faith, so this is worth considering if you prefer folklore presented in a strictly neutral or academic style. For most people, the point is cultural storytelling rather than criticism of religion, but the guide’s humor matters.

Stop 3: Hólavallagarður cemetery and the Deacon of Dark River

Hólavallagarður is the second-oldest cemetery in Reykjavík and one of the most atmospheric stops on the route. You spend about fifteen minutes here, hearing about the Deacon of Dark River, described as Iceland’s most famous ghost.

Cemeteries work well for this kind of tour because the setting does much of the work. You are walking among old graves while listening to a ghost story, so the experience feels more immediate than hearing the same tale indoors.

The cemetery also gives you a quieter view of Reykjavík. Instead of looking only at shops and public buildings, you see a place tied to memory, family, and older generations. One guide even brought the group near a family crypt, adding a personal touch to the visit.

The route can feel spooky, but it is not presented as a haunted-house attraction. The mood comes from the stories, the setting, and the weather. If rain or darkness is part of your evening, the cemetery may feel especially atmospheric. If you want a serious historical tour of graves and monuments, this stop may move too quickly.

Stop 4: Tjörnin lake and Icelandic monsters

At Tjörnin, Reykjavík’s central lake, the focus shifts from ghosts and graves to monsters and creatures associated with water. You spend about ten minutes by the pond.

This is one of the route’s most pleasant changes of scene. The lake gives you open space after the tighter streets and cemetery paths. You may also see swans and ducks, which creates a funny contrast with the darker stories about monsters beneath or around the water.

The stop shows how folklore grows from familiar places. A lake in the center of the capital can be both a pleasant public space and a setting for strange tales. You are not simply looking at Tjörnin as a photo stop. You are hearing how Icelandic stories make ordinary natural features feel uncertain and alive.

The guide may refer to local monsters rather than sticking only to elves and trolls. If you booked this expecting a narrow focus on hidden people, be prepared for a wider selection of Icelandic folklore.

Stop 5: Reykjavík City Hall and the map of Iceland

The walk continues past Reykjavík City Hall, with about ten minutes devoted to the area. Sometimes the group visits the large map of Iceland inside or near City Hall, where the guide discusses locations associated with trolls and other creatures.

This is a useful geographic moment. Iceland’s folklore is closely tied to specific places, and a map helps you see that these stories are spread across the country rather than limited to Reykjavík. You begin to connect the capital with the wider island.

The City Hall stop also gives the tour a practical sense of place. You are close to important civic buildings, but the guide turns the setting toward folk belief instead of giving you a standard government tour.

The exact visit to the map is not guaranteed, since the wording indicates that it happens sometimes. Think of it as a possible addition, not a central promise. The main value is the guide’s explanation of how Icelandic creatures are connected to different areas.

Stop 6: Alþingishúsið and Icelandic guardian spirits

Near Alþingishúsið, the Icelandic Parliament building, you hear about guardian spirits. The stop lasts about five minutes and brings together folklore and national identity.

Parliament is an important place to finish the story because it represents the country’s public life and political tradition. Guardian spirits add another layer, suggesting that Iceland is understood not only through institutions and people but also through symbolic beings tied to its regions and past.

This is a short stop, so listen closely. The guide may move quickly from the story to the final part of the route. It is also a good point to ask a question if you want to know more about how folklore relates to Icelandic identity today.

Finishing at Austurvöllur Square

The tour ends at Austurvöllur, the public square in front of the Parliament building. The endpoint is close to the beginning at Ingólfur Square, though it is not exactly the same place.

This makes the walk easy to fit into a day of sightseeing. You can continue into central Reykjavík for food, drinks, or further exploring without arranging transportation back to your accommodation.

The published time at the final stop is about five minutes, though the whole activity is approximately one hour and thirty minutes. One person reported a tour that ran longer than expected, so do not schedule a tight appointment immediately afterward.

Some guides take group photos and send them later by text message. That can be a nice extra, especially if you are traveling as a family or couple. The photos may include large provider logos, so do not treat them as professional travel portraits.

The guide makes the difference

The strongest part of this experience is the guide’s ability to tell a story. Mathias is praised for being funny, animated, and good at combining folklore with local history. Bo is described as joyful and engaging. Stefán is noted for enthusiasm and convincing troll and elf voices.

Steingrímur has used song during the walk, and Dúi has been praised for storytelling and singing. Magnus is described as proud of Iceland and its folklore. These details suggest that the company uses guides with different personalities rather than delivering a dry script.

That variety is part of the charm, but it also creates a possible weakness. One person found a guide scattered, with too much personal narrative and random history. Another hoped for more about elves. You should book this as a live performance shaped by the guide, not as a tightly controlled museum presentation.

The humor may include spooky, silly, or mildly gory material. Icelandic tales can be dark, and one person specifically described the stories as atmospheric but gory. Families with older children may have a great time, but adults should decide how much ghostly or gruesome material suits younger children.

Is $55.63 good value?

At $55.63 per person, this is not the cheapest way to spend ninety minutes in Reykjavík. You can walk the city center alone for free, and many of the stops are public places with no admission charge.

The value comes from the interpretation. You are paying for a guide who turns a cemetery, lake, church, and civic square into a connected story. If you like folklore, live entertainment, and a walk with personality, the price is reasonable. The experience also helps you get your bearings early in your stay, which can save time later.

I would consider it better value for a first day or evening in Reykjavík than for someone who wants a formal history tour. It is also a good choice if you have already seen the headline sights and want a different angle on central Reykjavík.

The tour includes the guide and live entertainment, but no food, drinks, hotel transfer, or entry tickets. Keep those limits in mind when comparing it with longer city walks or evening storytelling experiences.

Who should book this walk?

I would recommend it to you if you enjoy legends, ghost stories, unusual local customs, and guides who perform rather than simply recite facts. It suits couples, families with children who can manage a 90-minute walk, and solo visitors who want an easy introduction to Reykjavík.

It is also useful for anyone who wants to see parts of the older city that might not attract attention on a normal sightseeing route. The cemetery and Tjörnin stops add variety, while the central finish makes the walk easy to combine with other plans.

You may want to skip it if you dislike supernatural stories, prefer detailed architecture or political history, or need a strictly timed activity. You should also be comfortable standing and walking outdoors for the full experience.

The tour is listed as operating in all weather, and the practical advice is to dress properly. At the same time, the cancellation terms say poor weather can lead to a different date or a full refund. Icelandic weather changes quickly, so bring suitable outdoor clothing and keep some flexibility in your schedule.

Free cancellation is available up to 24 hours before the start time. Children must be accompanied by an adult, service animals are allowed, and most people can take part.

Final decision: should you book it?

Book this folklore walk if you want Reykjavík to feel stranger, older, and more personal than it does on a basic city stroll. The best guides add humor, songs, voices, and local stories, while the route gives you cemeteries, Tjörnin, City Hall, and Parliament in one compact outing.

I would choose it early in a Reykjavík visit, especially if you want to get your bearings fast while learning why rocks, churches, water, and graves matter in Icelandic storytelling. Just keep your expectations clear: this is a flexible live storytelling experience, and the guide’s style may be more important than the exact route.

FAQ

How long is the Reykjavík folklore walking tour?

The tour lasts approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes.

Where does the tour begin?

It begins at Hlöllabátar, Ingólfstorgi 1, 101 Reykjavík, beside Ingólfur Square.

Where does the tour end?

It ends at Austurvöllur public square in front of the Icelandic Parliament building, Alþingishúsið. The endpoint is close to the starting area.

What language is the tour offered in?

The tour is offered in English.

What places do you visit?

The route includes the oldest graveyard in Iceland, the Cathedral of Christ the King, Hólavallagarður cemetery, Tjörnin lake, Reykjavík City Hall, Alþingishúsið, and Austurvöllur Square.

Will I hear stories about elves, trolls, and ghosts?

Yes. The tour focuses on Icelandic mythical creatures and includes stories about elves, trolls, ghosts, monsters, rocks, and guardian spirits.

Is hotel pickup included?

No. You must make your own way to the central Reykjavík meeting point, and hotel pickup and drop-off are not included.

Can children join the tour?

Yes, but children must be accompanied by an adult.

What happens if the weather is poor?

The experience is listed as operating in all weather, so you should dress appropriately. If the tour is canceled because of poor weather, you will be offered another date or a full refund.