Reykjavik: World War II Walking tour around the city centre

The British landing in Reykjavik in May 1940 began at the Old Harbour, and this walking tour lets you follow the same route into the city. It is not just a military story: the guide also explains how British and American forces changed Icelandic food, music, daily life, and attitudes.

I like the period photos and videos, which help you see how much Reykjavik has changed, and I like the route itself, since you walk through the actual streets taken over by soldiers. The main drawback is the subject matter. It suits older children and adults better than young families, and the tour runs in almost all weather.

Key points to know before you book

• The Old Harbour marks the exact British landing place in May 1940, giving the tour a clear and memorable starting point.
• You follow the soldiers’ route through Reykjavik Old Town, rather than hearing the story only from one square.
• American influence gets equal attention, including changes to food, music, and Icelandic society.
• Guide Lucky is known for adding humor and ghost stories when the group is interested in that side of Reykjavik.
• The walk is mostly flat with no stairs, though it includes a small hill and some stops without benches.
• The $40 price is fair for a focused, two-hour walking tour, especially if you want history that goes beyond Iceland’s usual Viking and nature themes.

Why wartime Reykjavik makes an excellent walking subject

World War II is not the first subject most people associate with Reykjavik. That is exactly why this tour works. You get a different view of the capital, one centered on a sudden military occupation and the social changes that followed.

In May 1940, British forces landed in Iceland. The walk begins at Austurvollur, the square beside Iceland’s Parliament, and heads toward the Old Harbour. This gives you a useful sense of direction before the story becomes more detailed. You are not simply told that an invasion happened. You trace the route from the landing place into the city center.

I like this approach because Reykjavik is compact enough for the history to stay connected to the streets around you. A building, square, or harbour viewpoint can be tied to a specific part of the wartime story. Period photographs and videos add a visual layer, showing you what the city and its people looked like at the time.

The tour also avoids treating the war as only a sequence of troop movements. The guide discusses the British presence, then turns to the Americans and their effect on everyday Icelandic life. Food and music may sound like small subjects beside military occupation, but they help explain how outside forces changed a society in practical ways.

Starting at Austurvollur and Hotel Borg

Your meeting point is outside Hotel Borg in Austurvollur, also known as Parliament Square. Wait outside rather than inside the hotel. This is a simple detail, but it matters in a city center where a few minutes spent searching the lobby can make you late.

Austurvollur is a fitting place to begin. It places the tour in the political heart of Reykjavik before you walk toward the harbour and the wartime arrival point. From here, the guide can set out the basic story and explain how the capital looked before the foreign troops arrived.

The opening is likely to suit you if you enjoy getting the wider setting before focusing on individual buildings. You can expect an English-speaking live guide and a history-focused walk rather than a general sightseeing tour. The emphasis stays on World War II, occupation, and its effects on Iceland.

The tour ends back at the same meeting point after two hours. That makes it easy to fit into a day of exploring central Reykjavik. You do not need to arrange transport between the start and finish, and you can continue sightseeing on foot afterward.

The Old Harbour and the British landing

The Old Harbour is the central stop. This is identified as the exact place where British forces landed in May 1940, so the tour’s main event begins with a physical location rather than an abstract date.

Your guide uses period photographs and videos to take you back to the wartime scene. The value here is comparison. You can look at the harbour as it is now, then see how it appeared during the war. That contrast helps you understand the scale of the change in Reykjavik.

The harbour stop should appeal most to people who like history tied to place. You are not standing at a monument built solely to explain the event. Instead, the ordinary setting becomes the evidence. The guide shows you where the landing took place and explains what happened as the soldiers moved inland.

This is also where you get the clearest military part of the tour. You learn about the British arrival and the route that led into the city. The subject is serious, but the format is active. You are walking through the story rather than remaining in one spot for a long lecture.

Bring a camera if you like taking comparison photographs. The tour specifically recommends one, and the old and new views of Reykjavik give you something meaningful to record.

Following the soldiers into Reykjavik Old Town

From the harbour, you follow the route taken by the soldiers toward the center. The walk passes through Reykjavik Old Town and includes key buildings that were taken over along the way.

This part gives the tour its strongest sense of movement. The city center becomes a map of the invasion. You can imagine the route from the waterfront toward the buildings that mattered to the running of Reykjavik.

The route also includes side streets that you might not find on your own. That is useful even if you have already spent time around the center, since a local guide can connect less obvious corners to the wartime story. The walk is not designed as a broad architectural tour, so the buildings matter mainly because of their role in the events being discussed.

Most of the route is flat, with one small hill up and down. There are no stairs. Several stops have benches, but not every stop does, so you should be ready to stand for parts of the explanation.

The two-hour length seems well matched to this route. A shorter tour could skim over the social effects, while a much longer one might feel too specialized for a city walk. You get enough time for the harbour, old town, key buildings, and wider discussion without committing half a day.

The German Residence and the wider wartime picture

The German Residence is one of the listed highlights. Its inclusion keeps the story from becoming a simple British-versus-Iceland account. The guide discusses the German presence as part of the political background, then places it beside the British and American roles in Reykjavik.

You should expect the stop to be handled as part of the wider walking narrative rather than as a separate museum visit. No indoor admission or museum entry is included. The value comes from seeing the site in context and understanding how different foreign interests shaped the city during the period.

This wider view is important. A tour focused only on the British landing could leave you with a narrow military account. Here, the German Residence and American presence help show that Iceland was caught in larger international events, even though Reykjavik itself was a small capital.

The discussion of the American presence is especially useful for understanding change after the initial British arrival. You hear about shifts in food and music, which gives the tour a human scale. Military history can sometimes feel distant. Talking about what people ate and danced to makes the social impact easier to grasp.

From military occupation to food, music, and social change

The strongest feature of this experience is its wider question: what happens to a society when thousands of foreign troops arrive?

The guide does not stop at where soldiers landed or which buildings they took over. You also hear how British and American forces influenced Icelandic society. Food and music are simple entry points, but they help you consider changes in habits, taste, entertainment, and contact with the outside world.

I would choose this tour if you want more than dates and battle plans. It gives you a way to understand wartime Iceland through ordinary life. You may leave thinking less about the invasion as a single event and more about the long after-effects of foreign military presence.

The tone can also be flexible. Guide Lucky has been described as funny and willing to add ghost stories when the group is interested. That does not change the main subject, but it can make the walk feel more personal and less like a formal lecture.

At the same time, you should not book this expecting a light ghost walk with a little history added. World War II remains the main focus, and the material is the reason children under 10 are not considered suitable for the standard tour. If you want to bring younger children, a private version can be arranged with the material adjusted.

How the guiding affects the experience

A good guide matters on a subject like this. The tour depends on connecting streets, images, dates, and social changes without losing the group along the way.

Guide Lucky has a reputation for being funny as well as well prepared, and for adapting the conversation when a group shows interest in ghost stories. Another guide may lead your departure, but you will still have an English-speaking local guide throughout the walk.

The best part of a live guide here is the chance to ask questions. A recorded audio tour could show you the same streets, but it would not adjust the emphasis for your group. If you are more interested in the American influence than military movements, you can give that topic more attention. If you enjoy unusual stories, you can ask about them.

The tour is described as personalized in feel, though no fixed group size is provided. I would treat that as a possible benefit rather than a guarantee. The guide’s style and the group’s questions will shape how much time is spent on each subject.

Weather, shoes, and the practical side

This walk runs in almost all weather. Reykjavik can feel cold even in summer, so bring outdoor clothing and rain gear rather than relying on a mild forecast. Comfortable shoes are essential because the activity lasts two hours and includes walking, standing, a small hill, and stops that may not have seating.

You do not need to plan for food or drinks during the tour. Snacks and drinks bought along the way are not included, so eat beforehand or make your own plan for afterward. Since the tour finishes where it begins, you can easily return to a cafe or continue around the central area.

Wheelchair users can join. The route has no stairs and is mostly flat, although there is a small hill. Because there are not benches at every stop, anyone who needs frequent seating should consider that practical limitation before booking.

The tour is offered in English only. That is worth checking if you are booking for a mixed-language group. You should also arrive at the outside of Hotel Borg with enough time to find the meeting point.

Is $40 a fair price?

At $40 per person, this is not the cheapest way to walk around Reykjavik, but it offers more focus than a general free city stroll. You are paying for two hours with a live guide, a clear historical route, period photos and videos, and interpretation of social changes that are easy to miss if you explore alone.

The price makes the most sense if World War II is a real interest, or if you have already seen the city’s main landmarks and want a fresh subject. It is less useful if you are looking for a broad introduction to Icelandic culture, architecture, or food. This is a specialist walk.

I also see value in the compact format. You do not need a full day, a bus, or an indoor museum ticket. For a short stay in Reykjavik, two hours is enough time to add serious history to your schedule without giving up a major part of the day.

Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start and a reserve-now, pay-later option make the booking less rigid. Check the available start times when planning, since the tour does not have one universal departure time.

Who should book this Reykjavik history walk?

I would recommend it to adults, history fans, repeat visitors to Reykjavik, and anyone curious about how foreign military forces affected Icelandic life. It also suits people who prefer walking and conversation to spending the morning inside a museum.

You will get the most from it if you are willing to listen closely and walk outdoors in changing weather. The tour is not designed around major photo stops or a long list of attractions. Its appeal comes from connecting the Old Harbour, old town, German Residence, and central streets into one wartime story.

Families with children under 10 should choose a private adjusted version instead. Older children may be fine, but the subject matter should be considered before booking. People with limited stamina can join because the route has no stairs and is mainly flat, but remember that some explanations take place without a bench nearby.

Should you book the World War II walking tour?

Book it if you want to see Reykjavik through the British landing of May 1940 and understand how the American presence changed daily life. The exact harbour starting point, route through the old town, period images, and discussion of food and music give the tour more range than a basic military walk.

Skip it if you want a general city tour, a food experience, or a mostly indoor activity. The weather is part of the deal, and the subject is not aimed at young children.

For the right audience, $40 buys a focused look at a part of Iceland’s past that many visitors miss. Guide Lucky’s humor and optional ghost stories can add warmth, but the real value is the connection between the streets under your feet and the social changes that followed the occupation.

FAQ

Where does the World War II walking tour meet?

Meet outside Hotel Borg in Austurvollur, also called Parliament Square. Do not wait inside the hotel.

How long does the Reykjavik World War II tour last?

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

What language is the tour offered in?

The live tour guide speaks English.

Is the walking tour suitable for wheelchair users?

Yes. The route has no stairs and is mostly flat, although it includes a small hill. Some stops have benches, but not all of them do.

Can children under 10 join the tour?

The standard tour is not suitable for children under 10 because of the subject matter. A private tour can be arranged with the material adjusted for younger children.

What should I bring?

Bring comfortable shoes, a camera, rain gear, and outdoor clothing. The tour runs in almost all weather, and Reykjavik may feel cold even in summer.