The Reykjavik Christmas Food Tour

Reykjavik’s Christmas table is far more interesting than a plate of cookies and hot chocolate. On this three-hour walk, you taste smoked lamb, reindeer paté, gravlax, and laufabrauð, while your guide explains the customs and sometimes frightening Christmas stories behind them.

I like the small-group feel and the way the food comes with context rather than arriving as anonymous samples. Guides such as Palli, Paul, Pauly, and Einar have been praised for warm storytelling and personal touches, including taking group photos among the city lights. The catch is price: at $173 per person, this is good value only if you want a full meal, several tastings, drinks, and a guide, not just a quick snack tour.

Key things to know before you book

• You sample a full range of Icelandic Christmas food: Smoked lamb, glazed Hamborgarhrygg, reindeer paté, gravlax, pickled herring, and buttery leaf bread are all part of the experience.
• The walking is easy to fit into a city break: The tour lasts three hours and uses short walks between central Reykjavik stops.
• Your guide supplies the cultural background: Expect stories about Christmas traditions, food customs, and Icelandic folklore, including tales with a darker edge.
• Drinks are part of the price: You may try Jólaöl, malt and appelsín, and Jólaglögg mulled wine. Hot cocoa can replace the mulled wine.
• Dietary needs must be shared before the tour: The company says it can accommodate allergies and restrictions when told in advance.
• Christmas Day needs extra planning: A seasonal market or shop may not operate on December 25, so confirm what will be open if that stop matters to you.

Starting at Hlöllabátar in central Reykjavik

The meeting point is outside Hlöllabátar, a sandwich shop facing Ingólfstorg Square and its two tall stone pillars. CenterHotel Plaza is to your right, and benches, tables, and a covered ceiling give you a practical place to wait.

Arrive five minutes early. Look for a guide in a light blue jacket marked Your Friend in Reykjavik. This is useful in winter, when darkness, coats, and holiday crowds can make a guide harder to spot.

The tour begins on foot, so wear shoes with a decent grip and dress for Icelandic weather. Reykjavik’s center is compact, but wind and cold can make a short walk feel longer than it looks on a map. You will not be moving at a rushed sightseeing pace, yet this is still a walking tour rather than a seated tasting.

The first walk is about 10 minutes. That gives your guide time to introduce the group and set up the evening’s theme. It also lets you see central Reykjavik dressed in Christmas lights before the food stops begin.

Smoked lamb and the flavors of an Icelandic Christmas

One of the first regional food stops lasts about 30 minutes. Smoked lamb is a key reason to take this tour. It has a firm texture and a strong smoky flavor, so it gives you a clear sense of how Icelandic holiday food differs from the familiar roast turkey and mince pies found elsewhere.

This is not only a chance to eat something unusual. Your guide can explain how these foods fit into Icelandic Christmas traditions and why preserved and smoked ingredients have such a place on the holiday table. The stories help turn each sample into part of a larger cultural picture.

The food is served across several stops, rather than placed before you all at once. That pacing matters. You can ask questions, walk off a little of the meal, and reset your appetite before the next course.

After this stop, you walk another 10 minutes through Reykjavik. The route gives you a look at the city’s decorated streets and squares, though you should think of the lights as a pleasant part of the walk rather than a dedicated light display.

Leaf bread, glazed ham, and the texture of tradition

The next regional food stop lasts about 30 minutes. Here, you may taste laufabrauð, the delicate Icelandic leaf bread. Its name refers to the intricate cut patterns made in the dough before it is fried. The finished bread is thin, crisp, and buttery.

Laufabrauð is one of the more distinctive dishes on the tour because its appearance tells you something about the work that goes into Icelandic Christmas customs. It is not simply a piece of bread. The decoration is part of the tradition, and it gives the food a handmade quality that you will not get from a standard restaurant meal.

The tasting also includes special glazed Hamborgarhrygg, a festive pork dish. Along with the lamb, it shows the range of Icelandic holiday fare. One dish is smoky and robust, while the other brings a sweeter glazed note.

You should come hungry. The company describes the tour as all-inclusive, with enough Christmas food and drink that you will not leave hungry. Still, the exact portion sizes may vary. One person felt that a sample at one stop was extremely small, so do not expect every tasting to be a full restaurant serving.

Reindeer paté, gravlax, and pickled herring

A third walk of about 10 minutes leads to another 30-minute regional food stop. This is where the menu becomes especially varied. Reindeer paté offers a gamey flavor, while gravlax brings the familiar silky texture of cured salmon.

The gravlax is a useful choice for anyone who wants an approachable introduction to Icelandic Christmas food. It is recognizable, but still connects with the Nordic tradition of curing fish. Reindeer paté is more unusual and may be the most memorable bite for adventurous eaters.

Pickled herring adds a sharp, tangy note. It is not likely to please everyone, and that is part of the point. A good food walk should show you the dishes people actually serve, not smooth everything into safe tourist food.

You may want to pace yourself here. By this point, you have already eaten several substantial tastes. Since the final regional food stop lasts 45 minutes, saving room is wise.

Jólaöl, malt and appelsín, and warm holiday drinks

The drink selection adds another useful layer. Jólaöl is a traditional Icelandic Christmas ale. Malt and appelsín is a well-known non-alcoholic holiday drink made from malt beverage and orange soda.

The second drink is particularly useful if you do not drink alcohol or if you want a taste of local Christmas custom without beer or wine. It also gives you something different from the usual soft drink choices.

Jólaglögg, a warm mulled wine, adds spice and heat on a cold evening. If you prefer not to have alcohol, or simply like cocoa better, you can request hot chocolate instead. Tell the company when booking or tell your guide early so the substitution is clear.

The tour’s drink policy is one reason the $173 price can make sense. You are paying for drinks along with the food and guiding, not merely a series of restaurant visits. Still, value depends on what you would otherwise spend on dinner in Reykjavik. If you already plan to eat an expensive meal, this can replace dinner. If you want only a few small tastes, the price will feel high.

The final 45-minute food stop

The last major stop is another regional food experience lasting about 45 minutes. This is the longest sitting of the evening and gives you time to slow down, ask questions, and enjoy the final dishes.

The full menu may include more than the named highlights, but the central theme remains Icelandic Christmas food and drink. You should expect the evening to feel like a progressive meal spread across several places, not a formal restaurant dinner with one fixed table and one printed menu.

That format works well for first-time visitors. You can sample several styles of food in one evening and get a sense of how Reykjavik’s central dining scene fits together. It also prevents the meal from becoming too static.

The tradeoff is consistency. Different stops may offer different portion sizes and levels of atmosphere. One stop might feel like a proper meal, while another may serve a tiny taste. If you judge the tour only by grams of food per dollar, you may be disappointed. If you value variety, access to local specialties, and a guide who explains what you are eating, the calculation looks better.

Christmas stories with a darker Icelandic edge

Food is only half the experience. Your guide also tells stories about Christmas in Iceland, including tales that can be strange or frightening.

That darker tone makes the tour more memorable. Icelandic Christmas folklore is not limited to cheerful decorations and gift giving. Stories of unusual Christmas figures and unsettling traditions give you a better sense of how winter was imagined in a country where long, dark nights shaped daily life.

The guide’s personality matters here. Palli has been described as a strong storyteller with a Viking look, while Paul and Pauly have been praised for being welcoming and attentive. Einar has also received credit for explaining Icelandic traditions clearly and handling dietary needs well.

Guide quality can vary from one departure to another, but the company’s format gives a good guide room to make the evening personal. You are not listening to a recording while walking between restaurants. You can ask about a dish, a custom, or a story as it comes up.

A short visit to the Little Christmas Store

The tour finishes with a visit to the Little Christmas Store. It offers holiday decorations, handmade goods, and seasonal items, plus a locally inspired gift for you to take home.

This is a pleasant ending because it connects the meal with something tangible. You can look at local crafts and decorations without having to spend the rest of your evening searching for souvenirs.

Keep your timing in mind, especially around Christmas Day. One departure on December 25 had a closed Christmas market, which was a disappointment for someone who had booked partly for that reason. The advertised stop is the Little Christmas Store, not necessarily a market, but holiday opening hours can change. If the shopping stop is important to you, confirm the plan for your date before booking.

The final walk is only about five minutes, so the store is close to the last tasting. You are not being sent across town at the end of a food-heavy evening.

Is $173 a fair price?

The listed price is $173 per person. That is a serious amount for a three-hour walking tour, even in an expensive city such as Reykjavik.

I would judge the price against four things:

• The amount of food you receive
• The number of drinks included
• The quality of the guide
• The cost of replacing the tour with dinner and separate sightseeing

The menu is broad. You may taste meat, fish, bread, paté, pickled food, and several Christmas drinks. The tour is designed to function as a meal, and the company says you will not leave hungry.

The guide is another major part of the value. A good guide can explain why laufabrauð is patterned, place smoked lamb in context, and turn an unfamiliar dish into a story you remember. A less engaging guide would leave you with expensive samples and little understanding.

The weak point is portion uncertainty. A small sample is fine when it is one bite among many, but it becomes frustrating when several stops feel skimpy. The tour has received a rating of 4.8 from 19 ratings, with strong praise for the food, the atmosphere, and the guides, but there is also a clear concern about value for money. You should book it for the range and the guidance, not because it is the cheapest way to eat in Reykjavik.

Dietary needs and practical comfort

Tell the company about allergies and dietary restrictions before the tour. The food is varied, and several dishes may contain meat, fish, dairy, or other ingredients that do not suit every diet.

The company says it will do its best to make adjustments when informed in advance. Do not wait until the first restaurant. Early notice gives the guide a better chance to arrange suitable alternatives.

Wear weather-appropriate clothing. Reykjavik’s Christmas season can be cold, wet, windy, or all three. Since the group walks between stops, a warm waterproof outer layer matters more than dressing for a long indoor dinner.

The tour is in English. Starting times vary, so check availability for your chosen date. You can cancel up to 24 hours before the start for a full refund, and the reserve-now, pay-later option keeps your schedule flexible.

Who will enjoy this food walk most?

I would recommend this tour to a first-time visitor who wants a guided introduction to Icelandic food without planning several restaurants alone. It suits curious eaters who enjoy trying smoked, cured, pickled, and game-based dishes.

It is also a good choice for couples and small groups who want an evening activity with conversation and city scenery. The tour is social by design. One reported group had 10 people, which gives you an idea of the friendly group atmosphere, though the usual group size is not specified.

Families may enjoy the stories and the hot cocoa option, but the menu includes strong and unfamiliar flavors. Children who prefer plain food may not get as much from the tastings.

I would hesitate if your main goal is a Christmas market visit, especially on December 25. I would also hesitate if you dislike walking in winter weather or expect large portions at every stop.

Should you book the Reykjavik Christmas Food Tour?

Book it if you want a guided Christmas dinner with local flavor, not a quick sampling session. The broad menu, included drinks, festive walks, Little Christmas Store visit, and Icelandic stories give you a useful introduction to Reykjavik’s holiday customs.

The strongest reason to choose it is the guide. Palli, Paul, Pauly, and Einar have each been singled out for warmth, storytelling, and care with arrangements. The biggest reason to pause is the price, especially if small portions at some stops would bother you.

I would book early in your trip, so the guide can help you understand Icelandic food and traditions before you choose later meals. Confirm holiday opening details for December 25, report dietary needs in advance, and arrive hungry. If those points suit your plans, this is a festive, filling way to spend three hours in central Reykjavik.

FAQ

How long does the Reykjavik Christmas Food Tour last?

The tour lasts three hours, including walking between food stops, tastings, drinks, stories, and the visit to the Little Christmas Store.

Where does the tour meet?

Meet outside Hlöllabátar sandwich shop, facing Ingólfstorg Square and the two tall stone pillars. CenterHotel Plaza is to your right. Arrive five minutes before the start time.

What food is included?

The tastings may include smoked lamb, laufabrauð, glazed Hamborgarhrygg, reindeer paté, gravlax, and pickled herring. The company describes the food as all-inclusive and says you will not leave hungry.

What drinks are included?

Drinks include Jólaöl, malt and appelsín, and Jólaglögg mulled wine. You can request hot cocoa instead of Jólaglögg.

Can dietary restrictions and allergies be accommodated?

The company tries to accommodate dietary restrictions and allergies, but you need to provide that information before the tour.

Is the tour available in English?

Yes. The tour has a live English-speaking guide. Guides generally wear a light blue jacket with Your Friend in Reykjavik printed on the back.