Reykjavik: The Icelandic Sweet Tooth Tour

Reykjavik’s best introduction may come in small bites: a warm pastry, a square of chocolate, a scoop of ice cream, and a taste of Icelandic licorice. The Icelandic Sweet Tooth Tour turns central Reykjavik into a two-hour tasting route, with stops at bakeries, candy shops, and ice cream parlors.

I like the small group limit of 12, which gives you room to ask questions without being swallowed by a crowd. I also like the range of tastes, from familiar cinnamon rolls to licorice-chocolate combinations and possibly even dried fish. The main drawback is simple: if you prefer museums, old buildings, or grand scenery to food stops, this tour may feel light on sightseeing.

Key points to know before you book

• Kleina and snúður: Sample two classic Icelandic pastries, including a deep-fried doughnut-like treat and a local cinnamon roll.
• Several tasting stops: The route can include Baka Baka, Loo.koo.mas, Ísbúðin litla Valdís, and Taste of Iceland.
• Licorice is part of the fun: Try Icelandic chocolate and candy with licorice, but other choices are available if you dislike it.
• Small English-speaking group: The maximum is 12 people, with an expert local guide leading the walk.
• Useful Reykjavik advice: Your guide shares suggestions for places to eat and drink after the tour.
• Easy central meeting point: Begin and end at Ingólfur Square, close to the main shopping streets.

Why a sweet tour works in Reykjavik

Food gives you a quick way into Icelandic daily life. You are not just checking off famous sights. You are learning what people buy at bakeries, what candy appears in local shops, and how Icelandic ingredients show up in ordinary treats.

The tour is also a good match for Reykjavik’s compact center. You walk between stops rather than spending much of the experience in a vehicle. That keeps the pace active, but not strenuous, and lets you see pieces of the downtown streets along the way.

The food list changes with the season, day, and time of your visit. That flexibility is worth understanding. You will receive pastries, sweets, and ice cream, but the exact bakery items or candy brands are not guaranteed. Think of the tour as a guided tasting of Icelandic sweet culture, not a fixed menu.

The English-speaking guides add context as you go. Guides named Matthias and Oli have led tours with a friendly, personal style, and the food is not presented without explanation. You can ask about ingredients, local habits, and other places to eat after the walk.

Meeting at the stone pillars in Ingólfur Square

The tour begins at Ingólfur Square in central Reykjavik, beside two stone pillars that rise more than three meters. Your guide generally wears a light blue jacket marked Your Friend in Reykjavik on the back.

This detail matters because Reykjavik has more than one statue and square connected with Icelandic history. Do not go to the statue of Ingólfur Arnarson or the statue of Jón Sigurðsson at Austurvöllur. The correct meeting point is in front of Center Hotels Plaza at Aðalstræti 6, near the beginning of Austurstræti.

If you are walking down Laugavegur, Reykjavik’s main shopping street, keep going straight until you reach the square. Street names can be tricky, so I would use Google Maps and arrive at least five minutes early. Once the group has started walking, it may be difficult for the guide to find you.

The route finishes back at Ingólfur Square. That makes the tour easy to fit into a morning or afternoon of exploring, and you will not need to arrange transport back to your hotel.

The first tastes at Baka Baka

The first food stop is usually a local bakery, with Baka Baka listed as the main tasting stop. You can expect pastry samples and an explanation of how these familiar Icelandic treats are made.

One likely highlight is kleina, a twisted, deep-fried pastry often compared with a doughnut. It is a traditional Icelandic bakery item, and trying it in this setting gives you more than a sweet snack. Your guide can place it in the larger story of Icelandic baking and explain how local bakers prepare it.

You may also try snúður, a cinnamon roll with a distinctly Icelandic place in the pastry case. The pastry selection can change, and one tasting may include Danish-style pastry or another bakery specialty. That variety helps keep the stop from feeling like a single-item sampling.

Baka Baka can also be a surprise for anyone expecting only sugar. One tasting has included excellent cocoa and even dried fish. Dried fish is not a sweet, of course, but its appearance gives the tour a wider view of Icelandic snack culture. You may come for pastries and learn that local treats do not always fit a narrow dessert definition.

The bakery stop lasts about 25 minutes. That is enough time to eat, listen, and ask questions without turning the experience into a long sit-down meal.

Walking along Laugavegur between bites

After the first tasting, the group continues through central Reykjavik, including a guided walk along Laugavegur. This part lasts about 20 minutes and adds a little sightseeing between food stops.

Do not expect a full city tour. The emphasis remains on sweets, shops, and food culture. Still, walking through Laugavegur helps you understand where Reykjavik’s cafés, bakeries, stores, and restaurants fit into the city center.

This is one reason I like taking the tour early in a Reykjavik stay. You get your bearings quickly, then receive practical suggestions for places to eat and drink. A solo visitor may especially appreciate the easy conversation and the chance to explore downtown with a small group.

The walk also gives you a short break between samples. That is useful because the tour includes several tastings in two hours. You are not expected to rush from one dessert straight into another.

Candy shopping at Loo.koo.mas

Loo.koo.mas is the shopping stop, lasting about 15 minutes. Here you can look at Icelandic candy and sweets in a specialist setting rather than simply passing a supermarket shelf.

This is where the tour’s local focus becomes especially clear. Icelandic candy often includes licorice, and the local style is described as sweeter and milder than some visitors expect. If you usually avoid licorice, do not assume every sample will be difficult. Other options are available, and the guide can help you try the candy at your own pace.

A familiar bar you might encounter is Draumur, an Icelandic chocolate bar. Another is Þristur, a combination of licorice and chocolate. That pairing may sound unusual, but it is one of the flavors the tour encourages you to consider with an open mind.

The guide does not force the licorice issue. You can choose alternatives if it is not for you. Still, trying a small piece can be worthwhile. A guided tasting is a low-risk way to test a flavor that may be much milder than expected.

Ice cream at Ísbúðin litla Valdís

The stop at Ísbúðin litla Valdís lasts about 20 minutes and brings a colder, creamier change of pace. Icelanders enjoy ice cream even in chilly weather, so an ice cream stop feels less like a novelty and more like a look at an everyday local habit.

The available flavors depend on the day. Alongside familiar choices, you might find licorice or a flavor connected with skyr, Iceland’s thick cultured dairy product. The point is not only to choose the strangest flavor. You can also use the stop to compare Icelandic ingredients with ice cream styles you already know.

This part of the tour is likely to appeal to families and to anyone who finds pastry tastings too heavy. It also breaks up the texture of the experience. You move from fried dough and cinnamon pastry to chocolate, candy, and then ice cream.

The shop stop is short, so do not expect a long pause at a table. You will have time to taste your selection and hear more about Icelandic preferences before moving on.

The final treats at Taste of Iceland

The last listed tasting stop is Taste of Iceland, with about 20 minutes devoted to more sweets. This is where you may sample additional chocolate, candy, and other Icelandic treats.

The exact selection changes, but Draumur and Þristur are possible examples. If you have been cautious with licorice, this is another chance to try it alongside chocolate. That combination is one of the tour’s most distinctive themes, and it gives you something unusual to take home or seek out later.

The stop also helps round out the tasting. You have already had bakery food and ice cream, so the final candy selection feels like a conclusion to the food route without requiring a full meal.

Because the tour lasts only two hours, the tastings are portions rather than lunch. I would not book this as a replacement for breakfast or dinner. It works better as a substantial snack, a midmorning activity, or a pleasant afternoon break.

What the $90 price includes

At $90 per person, this is not the cheapest way to buy candy in Reykjavik. You are paying for the guide, the organized route, and samples across several types of food, not just the retail cost of the sweets.

The value depends on how much you want the explanation and local direction. If you already know Reykjavik well and are happy to walk into bakeries on your own, you could spend less by choosing individual treats. You would not get the same structure, introductions, or food context.

I think the price makes more sense for a first visit, a short stay, or a solo traveler who wants an easy activity with company. The maximum of 12 keeps the experience personal, and the route visits places you might not think to choose on your own.

The guide’s restaurant and café suggestions add practical value beyond the two-hour tasting. If even one recommendation helps you find a good meal later, the tour becomes more useful than a simple dessert crawl.

Who will enjoy this tour most

I would recommend it to anyone who plans trips around food, especially visitors curious about local snacks rather than only famous restaurants. It also suits families, couples, and solo visitors who want a relaxed way to see downtown.

The activity can work well during a longer Iceland trip. After a day of driving or outdoor sightseeing, the short walking route gives you something social and low-pressure. One useful feature is that it provides a break and a little sugar before more sightseeing or trekking.

You should be comfortable walking between stops in central Reykjavik and eating several small samples. Weather-appropriate clothing is important because this is an outdoor walking tour, even though the tastings happen indoors.

The activity is wheelchair accessible, and the route returns to the starting point. The tour is offered in English, and you can reserve now and pay later. Cancellation is free up to 24 hours before the start time, which helps if Iceland’s weather changes your plans.

A few practical limitations

The biggest limitation is the changing menu. The provider does not promise one fixed list of pastries, candy, or ice cream flavors. If you are booking specifically for one item, such as snúður or Þristur, keep your expectations flexible.

Licorice is another consideration. It appears in several possible sweets, and it is part of Iceland’s candy identity. You will have other choices if you dislike it, but you should not expect a licorice-free route.

The tour also focuses on central Reykjavik rather than the wider Capital Region. You will not see waterfalls, geothermal areas, or the Icelandic countryside. This is a city food walk, and its appeal comes from small local tastes and conversation.

Finally, two hours goes quickly. You receive enough samples to understand the theme, but not enough time to linger at every shop. The compact schedule is good for most people, though those who prefer slow café visits may find the pace brisk.

Should you book the Icelandic Sweet Tooth Tour?

Book it if you want a friendly introduction to Reykjavik through pastries, candy, chocolate, and ice cream. The combination of kleina, snúður, Icelandic chocolate, mild licorice, and possible skyr ice cream gives you a useful sense of local tastes.

I would especially choose it early in your stay, when the restaurant tips and downtown orientation can guide the rest of your visit. Skip it if you want a major sightseeing tour or if you dislike sampling several sweets in a short period.

For food-focused visitors, the $90 cost is reasonable when you value a small group, an English-speaking local guide, and tastings at several stops. Just arrive at the correct stone pillars, dress for the weather, and leave room for one more piece of licorice-chocolate candy than you expected to enjoy.

FAQ

How long does the Icelandic Sweet Tooth Tour last?

The tour lasts two hours.

Where does the tour start?

It starts at Ingólfur Square in central Reykjavik, beside the two stone pillars more than three meters high.

Where does the tour end?

The activity ends back at Ingólfur Square.

What food is included?

The tour includes samples of pastries, sweets, and ice cream. Possible foods include kleina, snúður, Icelandic chocolate, licorice, candy, and ice cream flavors connected with skyr.

Is licorice included?

Licorice may be included in some chocolate and candy samples. Other options are available if you do not like licorice.

Is the tour offered in English?

Yes. The tour has a live English-speaking guide.

How many people are in the group?

The tour is always operated as a small group, with a maximum of 12 people.

Where should I meet the guide?

Meet at Ingólfur Square, in front of Center Hotels Plaza at Aðalstræti 6. The guide usually wears a light blue jacket with Your Friend in Reykjavik on the back.

Is the tour wheelchair accessible?

Yes, the activity is wheelchair accessible.