Reykjavik: Christmas Food Tour with Tastings and Drinks

Reykjavik’s Christmas table is far more varied than cookies and hot chocolate. This three-hour walk brings you smoked lamb, crisp laufabrauð, reindeer paté, gravlax, pickled herring, and festive drinks while the city’s lights glow around you. I especially like the food variety and the stories that explain why these dishes matter.

I also like the stop at the Little Christmas Store, which gives the tour a small shopping and craft element instead of making it only a meal on foot. Guide Palli earned high marks for being entertaining and full of useful information. The main drawback is price: at $173 per person, this is a costly way to sample food, and the menu is not suitable for vegans or vegetarians.

Key points at a glance

• Seven Christmas tastes in one walk: Try smoked lamb, laufabrauð, glazed Hamborgarhrygg, reindeer paté, gravlax, pickled herring, and seasonal drinks.
• Palli may lead your group: He is described as an entertaining host who adds stories and local context to the meal.
• Christmas lights are part of the route: You see Reykjavik’s seasonal decorations while walking between food stops.
• The Little Christmas Store adds a keepsake: Your visit includes a locally inspired gift, along with time to browse seasonal goods.
• The $173 price needs careful thought: It covers a guide, tastings, drinks, the store visit, and a gift, but it is still a substantial outlay for three hours.
• Dress for Icelandic weather: The tour operates in all weather, so warm clothing and comfortable shoes are essential.

Why Reykjavik’s Christmas food is worth tasting

Icelandic Christmas food reflects a practical northern tradition. Smoked meat, preserved fish, rich pastries, and warming drinks all make sense in a cold December city, and each item gives you a different angle on the holiday table.

The tour does not limit you to one famous dish. You get salty, smoky, sweet, tangy, creamy, and spiced flavors in the same afternoon or evening. That variety matters because some Icelandic specialties can be strong on their own, while a guided tasting lets you try a small portion before deciding what deserves a place on your own holiday menu.

You also get explanations along the way. The guide discusses the background and cultural meaning of the food and drinks, so the tasting becomes more than a list of unfamiliar names. I find that especially useful in Iceland, where several Christmas foods may look simple but carry long family and seasonal traditions.

Meeting outside Hlöllabátar in central Reykjavik

The tour begins outside Hlöllabátar, the sandwich shop facing Ingólfstorg Square and two tall stone pillars. CenterHotel Plaza is on your right, and benches, tables, and a covered ceiling make this an easy place to wait.

This is a useful central meeting point, but give yourself enough time to find the square. Reykjavik’s center is compact, yet unfamiliar street corners can look alike in winter darkness. The guide usually wears a light blue jacket marked Your Friend in Reykjavik on the back, which should make the final meeting easier.

There is no hotel pickup or drop-off. You need to reach the starting point on your own, and the tour then continues on foot through the city center. Bring shoes that can handle several hours of walking and warm layers that you can keep on while standing outside.

Smoked lamb and the first taste of Christmas

Smoked lamb is one of the more substantial items on the tasting list. Its strong, smoky flavor gives you an immediate sense of how Icelandic holiday food leans toward preserved and boldly seasoned meat.

The portion size is not specified, so you should think of the experience as a progressive tasting rather than a full restaurant meal at one sitting. Still, the number of savory samples means you should arrive ready to eat. If you have a light appetite, the rich meats and fish may feel like a lot by the end.

The guide’s role is important here. You learn how the dish fits into Christmas celebrations rather than simply receiving a plate and moving on. That context helps you understand why smoked lamb remains such a familiar seasonal flavor.

Laufabrauð, Iceland’s crisp leaf bread

Laufabrauð brings a completely different texture. This thin, buttery bread is cut with intricate patterns before it is fried, producing a crisp result that looks almost too decorative to eat.

The bread is a good reminder that Icelandic Christmas food is not all heavy meat and preserved fish. Its delicate pattern work adds a handmade quality to the meal, and the contrast between the brittle surface and buttery taste gives the tasting some balance.

You should pay attention to this sample if you enjoy food with a visual story. The name and design are easy to remember, and the bread is one of the more distinctive items on the route. It also makes a pleasant change from the denser dishes served alongside it.

Hamborgarhrygg and reindeer paté

The menu includes a special glazed Hamborgarhrygg, a Christmas pork dish served with a sweet glaze. The glaze should provide a counterpoint to the smoky lamb, though the exact preparation and portion are not specified.

Reindeer paté brings another distinctly northern ingredient to the table. It is a small taste, but it gives you a chance to try game in a familiar form rather than as a large or intimidating serving. The paté also adds a softer texture to a menu otherwise filled with crisp bread, sliced meats, and fish.

These two samples show why the tour works best for people who want to sample a wide range of Icelandic holiday foods. You are not simply repeating one flavor profile. The meal moves between sweet, smoky, savory, and rich notes.

Gravlax and pickled herring for a sharper edge

Gravlax provides the clean, seasoned taste of cured fish. It is a familiar Scandinavian-style preparation, but tasting it in a Christmas setting helps connect it to Iceland’s own seasonal food customs.

Pickled herring supplies the sharpest contrast on the menu. Its tangy flavor may appeal to you if you already enjoy preserved fish, while it may be the item you approach most carefully if you prefer mild food.

This is one reason to tell the operator about allergies or dietary restrictions before booking. The tour can accommodate specific dietary needs when informed in advance, but the experience is not suitable for vegans or vegetarians. The listed menu is built around meat, fish, and dairy-rich foods, so you should not book expecting a plant-based alternative.

Three Christmas drinks, from malt to mulled wine

The drink selection covers both alcoholic and non-alcoholic traditions. Jólaöl is described as a traditional Icelandic Christmas ale, while malt and appelsín is a beloved non-alcoholic Christmas drink.

Malt and appelsín is particularly useful if you do not drink alcohol or simply want a taste of a classic local holiday combination. It also gives you a break from the meat and fish samples without adding another alcoholic serving.

Jólaglögg, the mulled wine, brings the familiar Christmas scent of warm spices and gives the walk a cozy finish. Because the tour takes place outdoors in Reykjavik, a warm drink has practical value as well as seasonal charm. The available information does not specify how much of each drink is served, so think of these as tasting pours rather than a night of drinking.

Reykjavik’s lights turn the walk into a seasonal outing

Food is the main reason to book, but the city walk adds atmosphere. You move through Reykjavik’s streets while Christmas lights and decorations provide the backdrop, making the route feel tied to the season rather than like a standard food crawl that happens to run in December.

The lights also break up the tastings. Instead of sitting in one place for three hours, you get short stretches of walking and conversation between food experiences. That makes the tour a practical way to see some of central Reykjavik’s Christmas setting while learning about local dishes.

There is a trade-off. Winter weather can be cold, windy, or wet, and the tour operates in all weather conditions. Dress for the forecast, but also prepare for conditions to change. A warm coat, sensible layers, and comfortable waterproof shoes will make a bigger difference than festive clothing.

The Little Christmas Store and local gift

The visit to the Little Christmas Store gives the tour a clear final stop. You can browse Christmas decorations, artisanal crafts, and seasonal items, then receive a locally inspired gift to take home.

I like this addition because it gives you something tangible beyond photographs and food memories. It also lets you compare the edible traditions with Icelandic seasonal design and small-scale craft. The experience does not specify the exact gift, so do not book expecting a particular souvenir.

The store is best viewed as a short cultural stop, not a major shopping session. If you are searching for a large market or an extensive selection of gifts, this tour does not promise that. Its value comes from adding a personal, festive note to a food-focused walk.

Guide style and the value of local stories

The tour is conducted in English by a live local guide. Palli is specifically praised for combining information with entertainment, and that balance matters on a three-hour walk filled with unfamiliar food names.

A good guide can tell you what you are tasting, explain how it fits Christmas customs, and keep the group moving without turning the experience into a lecture. Pascal, who booked the tour from Germany, found the food enjoyable and the guide’s extra stories interesting, while also feeling the price was high. That is a fair way to view the experience: the guide and interpretation are a major part of what you pay for.

A private group option is available. That can make sense if you want the pace and conversation to suit your own group, though the available details do not give a separate private-group price. If you prefer meeting other people, confirm the group arrangement when you book.

Is $173 a fair price for three hours?

At $173 per person, this tour sits at the expensive end for a three-hour food walk. The fee includes the local guide, food tastings, drinks, the Little Christmas Store visit, and a locally inspired gift. It does not include transport to or from your hotel.

The value depends on what you want from the outing. If you only want to taste a few Icelandic foods, you could find the cost hard to justify. If you want a guided introduction to Christmas customs, several food and drink samples, a decorated city walk, and a small souvenir, the package makes more sense.

You should also account for the setting. Reykjavik is costly, and a guided seasonal experience can save you from trying to identify unfamiliar holiday dishes on your own. Still, do not expect a full multi-course dinner simply because the price is high. The tour is designed around tastings, conversation, and movement through the city.

The strongest value is likely to come from booking early in your Reykjavik visit. You can use the guide’s food explanations to make better choices during the rest of your stay. That said, the tour is seasonal in feel, so it makes the most sense if you are visiting during the Christmas period and want that particular atmosphere.

Who should book this Christmas food walk?

I would recommend it to you if you enjoy trying local food, like having a guide explain customs, and want a seasonal activity that combines eating with a city walk. It suits couples, families with adventurous eaters, and small private groups who want more structure than an evening spent choosing restaurants at random.

It is also a good fit if Christmas lights and local crafts matter as much to you as the food. The Little Christmas Store and the locally inspired gift give the outing a festive shape that a regular Reykjavik food tour may not have.

I would hesitate if you are vegan or vegetarian, dislike fish, avoid meat, or have serious allergies that require a tightly controlled menu. Specific dietary needs can be discussed in advance, but vegans and vegetarians are explicitly not suited to this experience.

The tour is wheelchair accessible, although you should still confirm the details of the walking route for your own needs when booking. Smoking is not allowed. Free cancellation is available up to 24 hours before the tour, and you can reserve now and pay later, which helps if your Iceland plans are still shifting.

Should you book the Reykjavik Christmas Food Tour?

Book it if you want a guided taste of Icelandic Christmas culture, not just a meal. The smoked lamb, laufabrauð, reindeer paté, gravlax, herring, festive drinks, lights, store visit, and gift create a full seasonal experience in three hours.

Skip it if $173 feels too high for tasting portions, or if the meat and fish-heavy menu does not suit you. For the right eater, the best parts are the range of dishes and the guide’s stories, especially with a host such as Palli. Pack warm clothes, arrive ready to walk, and treat the fee as payment for food, local context, and a planned Christmas evening in central Reykjavik.

FAQ

How long does the Reykjavik Christmas Food Tour last?

The tour lasts three hours. Starting times vary, so check availability when booking.

What food is included?

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

Which drinks are included?

You taste Jólaöl, malt and appelsín, and Jólaglögg mulled wine.

Is the tour suitable for vegans or vegetarians?

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

Can dietary restrictions or allergies be accommodated?

The operator asks you to provide dietary restrictions or allergies when booking and says the experience can be tailored to specific dietary needs.

Where is the meeting point?

Meet outside Hlöllabátar sandwich shop, facing Ingólfstorg Square and the two tall stone pillars. CenterHotel Plaza is to your right.

Is hotel pickup included?

No. Hotel pickup and drop-off are not included.

What should I bring?

Bring comfortable shoes and warm clothing. The tour operates in all weather conditions, so dress appropriately.

Is the tour wheelchair accessible?

Yes, the activity is listed as wheelchair accessible.