Reykjavik Christmas Walking Tour

Reykjavik’s Christmas story is far stranger than the familiar Santa tale. On this two-hour walk, you meet Iceland’s 13 Yule Lads, their troll mother Grýla, and the ferocious Christmas Cat while following the city’s lights from Ingólfstorg to Hallgrímskirkja. It is folklore with teeth, snow, books, markets, and a good deal of seasonal mischief.

I like the way this tour connects local stories with real city sights, rather than treating Christmas as a string of photo stops. I also like the short visit to a book store and the chance to see Icelandic Christmas goods up close. The main consideration is the price, $74 per person, for two hours of walking, so you should join if the stories and guide-led context matter more to you than simply seeing the lights on your own.

Key points at a glance

• Meet Iceland’s unusual Christmas family: Learn about the 13 Yule Lads, Grýla, and the Christmas Cat.
• Follow a clear downtown route: Walk from Ingólfstorg through Austurstræti and Laugavegur to Hallgrímskirkja.
• See the Oslo Christmas Tree: Austurvöllur Square provides one of the tour’s best-known seasonal sights.
• Visit Litla Jólabúðin: The little Christmas store adds a focused shopping stop to the walk.
• Hear stories from a local guide: Guides such as Bjornvain bring humor, folklore, and practical city knowledge to the evening.
• Plan for winter conditions: The tour runs only in December, and warm layers are essential.

Why Reykjavik’s Christmas folklore is worth your time

Icelandic Christmas traditions do not simply copy the modern Santa Claus story. The 13 Yule Lads arrive one by one, each with a particular habit or form of mischief. Their mother, Grýla, is a troll who eats naughty children, and the Christmas Cat is not a cuddly decoration. This gives the walk a darker, more entertaining tone than a standard Christmas lights tour.

The stories also help you understand how Icelandic folklore works. The figures are strange, comic, and slightly threatening. That mix makes them easy to remember, especially for children, but adults will get plenty from the cultural background too.

The guide-led format matters here. You could walk through downtown Reykjavik and see the decorations by yourself, but you would miss the meaning behind the Yule Lads and the old stories attached to them. A guide can also point out small seasonal displays and connect the modern city to older customs.

The tour has been praised for its friendly tone, with Bjornvain singled out as a funny and well-informed guide. That kind of personality is useful on a winter walk. Two hours outdoors can feel long if the presentation is flat, but stories, jokes, and short stops keep the pace moving.

Starting at Ingólfstorg with lights and market stalls

The meeting point is outside Hlöllabátar 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 reasonably comfortable place to wait.

Look for a guide wearing a light blue jacket marked Your Friend in Reykjavik on the back. That detail should make the group easier to find in the center of town. There is no hotel pickup, so plan to reach the square on your own.

The first main stop is Ingólfstorg. During December, the square features an ice skating rink, holiday decorations, and Christmas market stalls. This is a good opening because it lets you see Reykjavik’s seasonal mood before the guide moves into the folklore.

The market stop is more about atmosphere than a long shopping session. You can look at stalls, see the decorations, and begin getting a feel for how the city marks Christmas. If you are hoping for a large European-style market with rows of stalls and hours of browsing, keep your expectations modest. Reykjavik’s appeal here is its smaller scale and connection to the surrounding streets.

Austurstræti and the Oslo Christmas Tree

From Ingólfstorg, the walk continues along Austurstræti. This section combines guided sightseeing with a chance to look at shops and seasonal displays. It helps link the main square to Austurvöllur, one of the central public spaces in Reykjavik.

The Oslo Christmas Tree is the key sight at Austurvöllur Square. It is a familiar Reykjavik holiday landmark and gives you one of the clearest photo opportunities on the route. The square also makes a useful pause in the walk, allowing the guide to explain more about Christmas in Iceland while you take in the lights.

The tree has a diplomatic story behind it, but the supplied tour details do not provide further background, so you should not expect a long historical lecture about its origins. The value here is visual and seasonal. If you are photographing Reykjavik after dark, this is one of the places where the Christmas setting comes together neatly.

Laugavegur, Reykjavik’s main shopping street

The route then reaches Laugavegur, described as Reykjavik’s main shopping street. You get a photo stop, guided sightseeing, and time to look at shops along the way.

This is where the tour becomes useful for first-time visitors who want to combine holiday sights with everyday city orientation. Laugavegur is not only a Christmas stop. It is also one of the central streets you may return to for shopping, cafés, and restaurants during your stay.

The guide may point out Christmas-related items and seasonal details that you would otherwise pass without noticing. The walk is not built around a long shopping break, so treat this as an introduction rather than a dedicated retail outing.

You may also receive discounts at selected Christmas stores, market stalls, and restaurants. The exact discounts are not specified, so I would treat them as a bonus rather than count them as part of the tour’s core value.

Litla Jólabúðin and Iceland’s love of Christmas books

The stop at Litla Jólabúðin, or the little Christmas store, lasts about 30 minutes. This is the longest named stop on the route, and it gives the tour a more hands-on retail moment.

A small Christmas shop can be more revealing than a large market because it focuses attention on the objects Icelanders associate with the season. You may find decorations, gifts, and other Christmas-related goods, but the exact selection can change.

The tour also includes a short visit to a book store to see Icelandic Christmas books. The connection between books and Christmas is an important part of the experience. Iceland has a strong book culture, and the tour uses that tradition to show you a quieter side of the holiday season.

I like this combination of folklore and books. It gives the walk more substance than a simple search for lights. You are not only looking at decorations. You are also learning how stories and reading fit into the season.

The time spent shopping will appeal to some people more than others. If you prefer nonstop sightseeing, a 30-minute store visit may feel slow. If you enjoy local products and want a Christmas gift, it gives you time to look without rushing.

Meeting the Yule Lads in the city center

One of the most playful parts of the walk is looking for representations of the Icelandic Yule Lads around central Reykjavik. The tour does not promise a staged performance or a costumed encounter. Instead, the figures appear as part of the city’s seasonal decoration and the guide’s storytelling.

The 13 Yule Lads are a useful way to understand Icelandic Christmas customs. Rather than one all-purpose Santa, Iceland has a whole group of characters, each associated with a particular kind of trouble. The guide brings those personalities to life through stories, so listen closely if you want to remember which Lad does what.

Children will likely enjoy the search, but the folklore is not limited to families. The stories have enough oddness and humor to keep adults interested. Grýla and the Christmas Cat also give the tradition a sharper edge. Icelandic Christmas is not entirely soft and sweet, and that is exactly what makes it memorable.

The tour may include a taste of Christmassy Icelandic food or drink, although the details are not fixed. Do not book this as a food tour. Think of any sample as a small seasonal extra that supports the stories.

Walking uphill to Hallgrímskirkja

The final part follows Skólavörðustígur uphill toward Hallgrímskirkja. The church is one of Reykjavik’s best-known landmarks, and ending there gives the route a clear visual finish.

The walk is not described as difficult, but it does include outdoor walking in December and an uphill street. Wear proper shoes and dress in layers. Icelandic winter weather can change quickly, and the advice to dress for the weather is worth taking seriously.

Along Skólavörðustígur, you look into selected stores for Christmas-related items before reaching the church. The route ends at Hallgrímskirkja, with a final photo stop and guided sightseeing.

Ending here works well for practical reasons too. You can continue exploring the church area afterward, take photos, or make your own way back toward central Reykjavik. Since there is no return transport included, consider the finish when planning dinner or your next activity.

What the $74 price gives you

At $74 per person, this is not the cheapest way to see Reykjavik’s Christmas lights. You can walk through the downtown streets without paying for a guide. The price makes more sense if you want interpretation, folklore, a planned route, and a local person to keep the evening moving.

You are paying for a compact cultural experience rather than transportation or a major attraction ticket. The tour includes the walking tour and guide, but hotel pickup and drop-off are not included.

The value is strongest for a first visit to Reykjavik, especially if you know little about Icelandic Christmas customs. It is also useful for families who want a clear, short activity with stories rather than a long museum visit.

The value is weaker if you mainly want to shop or take photos at your own pace. In that case, you may prefer to visit Ingólfstorg, Austurvöllur, Laugavegur, and Hallgrímskirkja independently.

A private group is available if you want a more personal setting. The standard information does not specify the exact size of a regular group, so ask before booking if group size is important to you.

Who should book this December walk

I would recommend this tour to you if you enjoy local legends, seasonal city walks, and a guide who adds humor to the route. It suits families particularly well because the Yule Lads, Grýla, and the Christmas Cat give children a story to follow from stop to stop.

It is also a good fit for adults who want more than pretty lights. The book store visit, Icelandic Christmas traditions, and unusual folklore provide cultural context without turning the evening into a formal lecture.

You should think twice if you dislike cold-weather walking, shopping stops, or fixed routes. The tour operates only in December, lasts two hours, and finishes at Hallgrímskirkja rather than returning you to your hotel.

Bring warm layers and weather-appropriate clothing. The guide can make the walk more enjoyable, but no guide can make cold feet comfortable.

Final verdict: a good choice for festive folklore

Book this Reykjavik Christmas Walking Tour if you want the city’s holiday season explained through Icelandic stories, not just viewed through a camera. The strongest parts are the 13 Yule Lads, the strange family folklore, the Oslo Christmas Tree, the book tradition, and the friendly guide style associated with guides such as Bjornvain.

At $74, it asks you to value storytelling and local context. If that sounds worthwhile, the tour gives you a focused two-hour route through downtown Reykjavik, with seasonal shops, markets, decorations, and a memorable finish at Hallgrímskirkja. If you only want lights and shopping, save the money and walk the route yourself.

FAQ

How long is the Reykjavik Christmas Walking Tour?

The tour lasts two hours. Starting times vary, so you should check availability when booking.

Where does the tour meet?

The meeting point is outside Hlöllabátar sandwich shop, facing Ingólfstorg Square and the two tall stone pillars. CenterHotel Plaza is to your right, and benches, tables, and a covered ceiling provide a waiting area.

Where does the tour finish?

The walk finishes at Hallgrímskirkja church after following Skólavörðustígur uphill.

What language is the tour offered in?

The tour is conducted in English with a live guide.

Does the tour include hotel pickup and drop-off?

No. Hotel pickup and drop-off are not included, so you need to reach the meeting point independently and arrange your own return from Hallgrímskirkja.

What should I bring?

Wear weather-appropriate clothing and dress in layers. The activity takes place outdoors in Reykjavik during December.

Is a private tour available?

Yes. A private group option is available.