The Reykjavik Christmas Food Tour

Reykjavik’s Christmas food is a mix of smoky lamb, cured fish, buttery bread, pickled herring, and sweet holiday drinks. This three-hour walk lets you sample that spread while your guide explains the customs behind it, including Iceland’s sometimes frightening Christmas tales. Guides such as Palli, Paul, Pauly, and Einar have led this experience.

I like the generous all-inclusive format, which gives you several tasting stops rather than one sit-down meal. I also like the small local details, from patterned laufabrauð to Jólaöl and malt with appelsín, plus the stop at the Little Christmas Store. The main caution is value: at $173 per person, portions need to add up, and one recent experience included very small samples and missed items such as leaf bread and mulled wine.

Key points to know

• Three hours on foot: You walk between several central Reykjavik food stops, with routes of about 5 to 10 minutes between tastings.
• Classic Christmas dishes: Expect smoked lamb, glazed Hamborgarhrygg, reindeer paté, gravlax, pickled herring, and laufabrauð.
• Festive drinks included: Try Jólaöl, malt with appelsín, and Jólaglögg, with hot cocoa available instead of the mulled wine.
• Stories are part of the meal: Your guide explains Christmas customs and tells Icelandic holiday stories, including some darker ones.
• Dietary needs can be addressed: Tell the company about allergies or restrictions when booking, not just when you arrive.
• Plan for winter weather: You meet outside Hlöllabátar near Ingólfstorg Square and spend most of the experience walking outdoors.

Icelandic Christmas food, one stop at a time

This is not a tour built around one grand restaurant meal. It is a moving tasting route through central Reykjavik, with food and drink appearing at several points along the way.

That format works well in December. You get to see the city’s lights and decorated streets between bites, and you avoid spending three straight hours at a table. You also get a wider look at holiday food than you would from ordering one Christmas plate.

The food is the real reason to book. Icelandic Christmas cooking leans toward preserved, smoked, cured, and boldly seasoned flavors. If you like salmon, lamb, pâté, pickles, and traditional holiday dishes, you should find plenty to enjoy. If you prefer mild food or want a large conventional dinner, this may feel less predictable.

The tour is all-inclusive, so the food and drinks are covered in the $173 price. The company says you will not leave hungry, and the route includes roughly 30-minute food stops, a shorter 15-minute tasting, and a final 45-minute regional food stop. Still, you should think of this as a progressive tasting meal rather than a promise of full restaurant portions at every stop.

Meeting your guide near Ingólfstorg

You meet outside Hlöllabátar, the sandwich shop facing Ingólfstorg Square and its two tall stone pillars. CenterHotel Plaza is to your right, and the benches, tables, and covered ceiling make this a practical place to wait if Iceland’s weather turns unpleasant.

Arrive about five minutes early. Do not go inside CenterHotel Plaza, since the meeting point is outside. Your guide usually wears a light blue jacket marked Your Friend in Reykjavik on the back, which should make the group easier to spot.

The walk is in English. Past guides have included Palli, Paul or Pauly, and Einar. Their role is more than simply leading you from one food stop to the next. They explain what you are eating, handle the arrangements at the food venues, and keep the route moving.

That matters on a food walk. You do not want to guess how a dish fits into Icelandic Christmas customs, or stand at each stop wondering what happens next. The best part of the guide-led format is having someone connect the plate in front of you with local holiday traditions.

First tastes: smoked lamb and leaf bread

Smoked lamb is one of the dishes to look forward to. Its flavor is firm and smoky, and it gives you a direct taste of Iceland’s fondness for preserving meat. It is not a shy dish, so this is a useful early test of whether the tour’s traditional menu suits your palate.

The buttery laufabrauð is another important part of the Christmas table. This thin leaf bread is cut into intricate patterns before it is fried until crisp. It is both food and decoration, and the careful patterning gives you a small look at the work that goes into Icelandic holiday traditions.

There is one practical wrinkle here. The advertised food list includes laufabrauð, but one experience reported that it was not served. Menus can change, especially around Christmas, so if leaf bread is the dish you most want to try, ask about its availability before booking or at the start of the tour.

The walking breaks between stops are short, usually about 10 minutes. That is enough time to see a little of central Reykjavik without turning the activity into a long city walk. Wear shoes with a good grip, since the supplied information calls for weather-appropriate clothing but does not promise sheltered routes.

Glazed ham, reindeer paté, and cured fish

The middle part of the tour brings in more of the foods associated with Icelandic Christmas tables. Hamborgarhrygg is a special glazed pork dish, usually treated as a centerpiece food during the holiday season. Here, you receive it as part of a tasting route rather than as a large plated roast.

Reindeer paté adds a distinctly Nordic note. It is one of the more unusual samples on the menu and may be a highlight if you enjoy game flavors. The same goes for gravlax, the cured salmon preparation, which brings a softer and more delicate contrast to the smoky lamb and rich paté.

Pickled herring rounds out the savory selection. Its tangy flavor can be strong, but that is part of the point. This is an opportunity to try a traditional food in a guided setting, with enough context to understand why preserved fish remains important in northern cooking.

I appreciate this range because it prevents the tour from becoming a parade of similar meat samples. You move between smoked, glazed, cured, and pickled foods. The drawback is that some stops may offer only tasting portions. One person found a sample so small it was served in a tiny spoon, so you should judge the $173 price by the entire three-hour spread, not by any one bite.

Jólaöl, malt with appelsín, and warm holiday drinks

The drinks help make this feel like a Christmas tour rather than a standard Reykjavik food walk. Jólaöl is a traditional Icelandic Christmas ale, while malt with appelsín is a beloved non-alcoholic combination of malt drink and orange soda.

Malt with appelsín is especially useful if you want a local festive drink without alcohol. It is also a fun example of how seasonal traditions can be less formal than a glass of imported wine or a standard soft drink.

Jólaglögg, the Icelandic-style mulled wine, adds the warm spice you expect on a cold evening. If you prefer not to have wine, you can request hot cocoa instead. Make that preference clear when booking or before the tour begins.

Again, seasonal availability deserves a quick check. One experience did not include the mulled wine listed in the menu. That does not necessarily mean the drink is always absent, but it does mean you should not treat every advertised item as guaranteed on every date.

Reykjavik at Christmas, between bites

The walking itself is modest but worthwhile. You are not signing up for a major sightseeing circuit, and the route details do not promise entry to famous museums or landmarks. Instead, you move through central Reykjavik while taking in Christmas lights, decorations, and the city’s holiday atmosphere.

That makes the tour a good first or second activity during a winter visit. You get your bearings in the center, learn where Ingólfstorg and Laugavegur are, and see the city while shops and streets are decorated.

The visit to the Little Christmas Store on Laugavegur is the most shopping-focused part. You can browse seasonal decorations, artisanal crafts, and other holiday items, and you receive a locally inspired gift to take home.

Do not confuse this stop with a guarantee that every Christmas market will be open. If you are visiting on December 25, seasonal businesses and markets may have limited hours or close altogether. One experience specifically found the Christmas market closed that day. The Little Christmas Store is part of the planned experience, but it is sensible to confirm the exact holiday schedule if shopping is your main reason for booking.

The stories give the food some meaning

Food tours can become a string of bites without much connection between them. The storytelling is what should keep this one from feeling that way.

Your guide talks about the history and cultural meaning of each dish and drink, then adds Icelandic Christmas stories. Some are light and amusing. Others are described as frightening, which fits Iceland’s long tradition of unusual seasonal folklore.

This is where guide quality matters. Palli was described as a strong storyteller with a Viking persona, while Paul was praised for welcoming the group and taking photos among the Christmas decorations. Einar was noted for explaining Icelandic traditions and handling an allergy well. These details suggest that the guide can shape the evening as much as the food does.

You should also expect practical help at the stops. The guide arranges the food and drinks, explains what is being served, and keeps the group together. If you want a silent tasting experience, this may feel too chatty. If you want context and a bit of personality, it is a good fit.

Dietary needs and the winter walking pace

The company says it can accommodate dietary restrictions and allergies, but you need to give advance notice. This is important because the route includes fish, meat, dairy, bread, and alcoholic drinks. Do not wait until the first stop to explain a serious allergy.

The walking is manageable for most people who are comfortable on city streets, but you should plan for cold, wind, rain, or snow. The total route includes several outdoor sections of about 5 to 10 minutes, with one shorter five-minute walk. Good layers and weather-ready footwear will make a bigger difference than dressy clothes.

The exact group size is not guaranteed, although one experience had 10 people. That is a comfortable size for a food walk because you can hear the guide and move between stops without a large crowd. The tour receives a 4.8 rating from 19 reviews, with especially strong praise for the guides, food variety, friendly mood, and handling of dietary needs.

Is $173 a fair price?

At $173 per person, this is an expensive three-hour activity. Reykjavik is costly, and the price includes the guide, all food, drinks, and the local gift. You also save yourself the trouble of choosing several restaurants and paying separately at each stop.

The value is strongest if you treat it as dinner, cultural orientation, and a Christmas activity combined. You can sample foods you might not order alone, hear the stories behind them, and walk through the center at a festive time of year.

The value is weaker if you mainly want large portions or a shopping market. A small tasting at one stop can feel poor value when the total price is above $100, and missing items such as leaf bread or mulled wine make the comparison harder.

I would book it for the experience as a whole, not for one particular dish. Before paying, ask whether the menu on your date will include the items you care about most, especially laufabrauð and Jólaglögg. If they confirm the full range, the price is easier to justify.

Who should book this Christmas food walk?

You are a strong match if you want to try Icelandic holiday foods without planning several meals yourself. It also suits first-time visitors who want a gentle introduction to central Reykjavik, local customs, and Christmas folklore.

Families may like the stories and hot cocoa option, though the menu includes strong flavors that younger children may not enjoy. The non-alcoholic malt with appelsín also gives you a local festive choice.

Food-focused couples and small groups should appreciate the variety. You get smoked lamb, pork, reindeer, salmon, herring, bread, and several drinks in one outing. If photos matter to you, the guide may also help with group pictures among the decorations.

You may want to skip it if you dislike cured fish, game, smoked foods, or walking outdoors in winter. It is also not ideal if your only goal is a Christmas market, since holiday opening hours can change and the tour is centered on food rather than shopping.

Final call: book it for the stories and variety

I would book the Reykjavik Christmas Food Tour if you want a festive evening with a local guide, a broad sample of Icelandic holiday food, and enough walking to see central Reykjavik between stops. The strongest parts are the guide-led storytelling, the mix of savory specialties, and the chance to try drinks that are hard to understand from a menu alone.

I would pause before booking if $173 feels high for tasting portions, or if you are visiting on Christmas Day and expect every shop and market to be open. Confirm seasonal food and drink availability, report dietary needs in advance, and arrive outside Hlöllabátar five minutes early. With those checks, this is a useful and lively introduction to Icelandic Christmas customs.

FAQ

How long does the Reykjavik Christmas Food Tour last?

The tour lasts three hours.

How much does the tour cost?

The listed price is $173 per person.

Where does the tour meet?

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

What language is the tour in?

The tour is conducted in English.

What food is included?

The food includes smoked lamb, laufabrauð, glazed Hamborgarhrygg, reindeer paté, gravlax, and pickled herring, along with other Icelandic Christmas specialties.

What drinks are included?

The listed drinks are Jólaöl, malt with appelsín, and Jólaglögg mulled wine. Hot cocoa can be substituted for the Jólaglögg if requested.

Can dietary restrictions or allergies be accommodated?

The company tries to accommodate dietary restrictions and allergies. You need to provide that information before the tour, ideally when booking.

What should I bring?

Bring weather-appropriate clothing for a three-hour walking experience in Reykjavik.

Can I cancel the tour?

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund. The reserve-now, pay-later option is also available.