Reykjavik: Christmas Food Tour with Tastings and Drinks

Reykjavik’s Christmas table is the real star here. Over three hours, you taste smoked lamb, crisp laufabrauð, reindeer paté, gravlax, pickled herring, and festive drinks while walking beneath the city’s Christmas lights. I like the mix of food and local stories, and I like that the Little Christmas Store visit adds a small, tangible souvenir. The main drawback is the price: at $173 per person, you’ll want to arrive hungry.

The English-speaking guides, including Palli, bring the setting to life with history and humor. Pascal from Germany found the food and guiding excellent, though he felt the cost was a little high. Also note that this tour is not suitable for vegetarians or vegans, and Icelandic winter weather calls for warm clothing and proper walking shoes.

Key points at a glance

• Traditional Christmas menu: Try smoked lamb, glazed Hamborgarhrygg, laufabrauð, reindeer paté, gravlax, and pickled herring.
• Three festive drinks: Sample Jólaöl, malt and appelsín, and warm Jólaglögg mulled wine.
• Christmas lights walk: Move through decorated central Reykjavik streets while your guide explains local customs.
• Little Christmas Store stop: Browse seasonal decorations and crafts, then receive a locally inspired gift.
• Flexible format: The tour lasts three hours, runs in all weather, and can be booked as a private group.
• Dietary limits matter: Dietary restrictions and allergies can be discussed when booking, but the experience is not designed for vegans or vegetarians.

Icelandic Christmas food in the heart of Reykjavik

Icelandic Christmas food is more than a plate of familiar holiday fare. It reflects old preservation methods, local ingredients, family customs, and the country’s fondness for bold flavors. This tour gives you a guided introduction without asking you to commit to a full restaurant meal at every stop.

The food is served as a series of tastings. That matters because you get to sample several Christmas specialties in one evening, rather than choosing one dish and missing the rest. You can compare smoky lamb with salty herring, delicate gravlax with sweet glazed ham, and crisp bread with rich paté.

Your guide explains what each item means and how it fits into Icelandic Christmas traditions. I find this kind of context useful because some dishes can seem unfamiliar when they arrive without explanation. A short story about a food’s place on the holiday table can turn a small bite into a more memorable part of the walk.

The route also connects the food with Reykjavik itself. Instead of sitting indoors for three hours, you walk through streets decorated with Christmas lights and seasonal displays. That gives the tour a stronger sense of place, though it also means you need to be ready for cold, wind, and possibly wet weather.

Smoked lamb, laufabrauð, and the first tastes

Smoked lamb is one of the main savory highlights. Its strong, smoky flavor makes it a fitting Christmas food, especially if you enjoy cured or smoked meats. This is not the mildest item on the menu, so it may be the first useful test of how adventurous your palate is.

Laufabrauð offers a gentler contrast. This thin leaf bread is cut into delicate patterns before being fried until crisp. Its appearance is part of the pleasure, but the texture matters too. You get something light and buttery beside the heavier meats.

The combination shows the range of Icelandic holiday cooking. One bite is bold and smoky, the next is crisp and subtle. The guide’s explanations help place both foods in the larger Christmas tradition, rather than treating them as random samples.

Portion sizes are presented as tastings, not full meals. I would still arrive with an appetite, particularly since the tour includes several savory foods and drinks. If you have a narrow diet, tell the operator about allergies or restrictions when booking so they can discuss possible adjustments.

Hamborgarhrygg, paté, gravlax, and herring

The next part of the food selection moves through several classic holiday flavors. Hamborgarhrygg is served with a special glaze, giving the meat a sweeter edge and adding another style of Christmas pork to the menu.

Reindeer paté is one of the more distinctive samples. It offers a direct taste of Icelandic festive food and may be especially appealing if you want to try something you are unlikely to find on a standard Christmas menu at home. The flavor is fuller and more unusual than the everyday foods you may already know.

Gravlax brings cured fish into the meal. Its seasoning and texture provide a cooler, cleaner contrast to the smoked meats and glazed pork. Pickled herring follows with a sharp, tangy note. Herring is a strong flavor, and the pickling gives it a lively bite that can divide the table.

This sequence is useful for anyone who wants a broad sample of Icelandic Christmas customs in a short period. It is less ideal if you dislike fish, cured food, or rich meat. The operator specifically says the tour is not suitable for vegetarians or vegans, and the menu makes clear why.

Jólaöl, malt and appelsín, and warm Jólaglögg

The drinks are not an afterthought. They help explain how Icelanders mark the Christmas season, and they give you a chance to pause between food tastings.

Jólaöl is a traditional Icelandic Christmas ale. Its inclusion adds a local seasonal drink to the menu rather than relying only on familiar beer or wine. Malt and appelsín offers a non-alcoholic option. This combination of malt and orange soda is a beloved Christmas drink in Iceland, and it gives the tour a distinctly local character.

Jólaglögg, or mulled wine, brings warmth and spice to the walk. A hot drink is particularly welcome when you are outside in Reykjavik during the darker winter days. It also helps the tour feel tied to the season instead of being a regular food walk with holiday decorations added on top.

If you do not drink alcohol, the malt and appelsín is important. The experience still includes a dedicated non-alcoholic Christmas drink, but the available information does not promise that every tasting can be adapted for every dietary or drink preference. Mention your needs before the tour.

Christmas lights and Reykjavik after dark

The walking portion gives the food a festive setting. You follow your guide through central Reykjavik streets decorated with lights and Christmas displays, taking in the city’s holiday atmosphere between tastings.

The meeting point is outside Hlöllabátar sandwich shop, facing Ingólfstorg Square and two tall stone pillars. CenterHotel Plaza is to your right, and benches, tables, and a covered ceiling provide a comfortable place to wait. Look for a guide wearing a light blue jacket with Your Friend in Reykjavik printed on the back.

This central starting point is practical because you do not need hotel pickup. You make your own way to the square, then spend the three hours on foot. That keeps the tour focused on the center of Reykjavik, but you should allow enough time to locate the meeting point, especially after dark.

The lights are part of the experience, not the entire purpose of it. You are there to eat and learn as much as to look around. The mix works well for a first evening in the capital because you get an introduction to local food, seasonal customs, and the decorated city in one outing.

The trade-off is the weather. The tour operates in all conditions, so rain, wind, or cold will not automatically cancel the walk. Warm layers and comfortable shoes are essential. A sturdy pair of walking shoes is more useful than stylish footwear on slippery or wet streets.

The Little Christmas Store and the local gift

The Little Christmas Store adds a compact shopping stop to the route. You can browse festive decorations, artisanal crafts, and seasonal treasures, then receive a locally inspired gift.

This is a small detail, but it gives the evening a pleasant finish. Food disappears quickly, while a little gift can remind you of the tour after you leave Iceland. It also gives you a chance to see how Christmas is presented in local retail culture.

Do not treat the store as a major shopping excursion. The information provided describes it as a charming Christmas store with seasonal items, not a large market or a long shopping session. Its value is in the atmosphere and the connection to the holiday theme.

For visitors who prefer an experience over another restaurant meal, this stop helps justify the format. You are not only paying for food. You are also paying for a guided walk, cultural explanations, festive drinks, and a small souvenir.

What the $173 price really buys you

At $173 per person, this is an expensive three-hour activity. One early booking review praised the food and guide but specifically considered the price high. That is fair. You should compare this with the cost of buying a few Icelandic Christmas dishes and drinks on your own.

The value depends on what you want from the evening. If you simply want dinner, this tour may not be the best use of your budget. Tastings are not described as a full restaurant meal, and you are paying for several small portions rather than one large entrée.

The price makes more sense if you want a guided introduction to Icelandic Christmas culture. You receive food, drinks, stories, a decorated-city walk, a Christmas store visit, and a gift in one package. You also avoid the guesswork of finding traditional dishes on your own.

The guide is a major part of that value. Palli received especially strong praise for being entertaining and full of useful information. Pascal also highlighted the guide’s stories and the quality of the food. Those comments point to the experience working best when you take an interest in the explanations, not just the samples.

A private group option is available, which may make the cost easier to accept for families or friends who want a more personal outing. The standard format details do not specify a group size, so ask about that if the size of the group affects your decision.

Who will enjoy this Christmas food walk

I would recommend this tour to meat and seafood eaters who want a quick but varied introduction to Icelandic holiday food. It suits first-time visitors especially well, since the evening combines central Reykjavik, local dishes, Christmas lights, and cultural stories.

It also works for couples, families with adventurous older children, and friends who want something more distinctive than a standard dinner. The festive setting gives you a seasonal activity without requiring a full-day trip outside the capital.

You should think twice if you are vegetarian or vegan. The experience is explicitly not suitable for either group. People with allergies or other dietary restrictions should contact the operator before booking, since accommodations may be possible but are not guaranteed for every need.

It may also be a poor match if you dislike walking in cold weather. The tour takes place outdoors and operates in all conditions. Warm clothing is not optional advice here. Reykjavik’s winter streets can be chilly, and standing around in thin layers will make the food less enjoyable.

Smoking is not allowed during the activity. The tour is wheelchair accessible, and an English-speaking live guide leads the experience. These details make it easier to judge the fit before you reserve.

Practical details for a smoother evening

Plan to reach the meeting point outside Hlöllabátar at Ingólfstorg Square. The square has benches, tables, and a covered ceiling, so you have a clear place to wait. CenterHotel Plaza should be on your right when you face the two stone pillars.

The guide usually wears a light blue jacket marked Your Friend in Reykjavik. That is useful in a busy central square, especially in the dark.

Wear warm clothing and comfortable walking shoes. Since the route continues in all weather, bring layers that can handle wind or rain. You do not need to arrange hotel transportation because pickup and drop-off are not included.

The tour lasts three hours, with starting times depending on availability. English is the stated tour language. You can reserve now and pay later, and cancellation is free up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.

The operator can provide a private group, which may suit people who want more control over the pace or setting. The core experience remains food, drinks, Christmas lights, stories, and the store visit.

Should you book the Reykjavik Christmas Food Tour?

Book it if you want to taste several Icelandic Christmas foods while learning why they matter, and if the festive walk sounds as appealing as the menu. Palli’s lively guiding style, the range of samples, and the Little Christmas Store gift give the three-hour outing plenty of character.

Skip it if you are vegetarian or vegan, dislike smoked fish and cured foods, or mainly want a filling dinner for the lowest possible price. At $173, the cost is significant, so the tour works best when you value the guide, the cultural context, and the variety of tastings.

For an adventurous eater visiting Reykjavik during the Christmas season, it offers a convenient way to sample the holiday table without arranging several separate meals. Just dress for the weather, arrive hungry, and tell the operator about allergies before booking.

FAQ

How long does the Christmas food tour last?

The tour lasts three hours.

What language is the tour conducted in?

The live tour guide speaks English.

Where does the tour meet?

The meeting point is outside Hlöllabátar the Sandwich Shop, facing Ingólfstorg Square and the two tall stone pillars. CenterHotel Plaza is to your right.

What food is included in the tastings?

The tastings include smoked lamb, laufabrauð, glazed Hamborgarhrygg, reindeer paté, gravlax, and pickled herring.

Which drinks are included?

The drinks include Jólaöl, malt and appelsín, and Jólaglögg mulled wine.

Is the tour suitable for vegetarians or vegans?

No. The tour is listed as not suitable for vegetarians or vegans.

Is the tour wheelchair accessible?

Yes, the activity is wheelchair accessible.

Can I cancel the booking?

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund. You can also reserve now and pay later.