The Reykjavik Christmas Food Tour

Reykjavik’s Christmas food is far more than cookies and hot drinks. This three-hour walk brings you to several city stops for smoked lamb, reindeer paté, gravlax, pickled herring, laufabrauð, and festive drinks, while your guide explains the customs behind the table. Palli, Paul, Pauly, and Einar are among the guides praised for lively storytelling and warm service.

I like the generous range of food, and I like that you see Reykjavik on foot instead of sitting in one restaurant all evening. The Little Christmas Store adds a pleasant seasonal stop, and dietary needs can be handled if you report them when booking. The main caution is value: at $173 per person, portions and promised items need to match the description for the tour to feel worthwhile.

Key points to know before booking

• Five food and tasting stops: The route includes three 30-minute regional food stops, a 15-minute tasting, and a final 45-minute regional food stop.
• Classic Icelandic Christmas flavors: Expect smoked lamb, laufabrauð, glazed Hamborgarhrygg, reindeer paté, gravlax, and pickled herring.
• Three festive drinks: Jólaöl, malt and appelsín, and Jólaglögg are part of the plan, with hot cocoa available instead of mulled wine.
• A walking route through central Reykjavik: Walks between stops take about 10 minutes, followed by one five-minute stretch.
• Good local storytelling: Guides such as Palli, Paul, Pauly, and Einar have been singled out for their humor, warmth, and Icelandic tales.
• Christmas Day needs special care: The Christmas market may be closed on December 25, and some advertised food or drink items may not be available on every departure.

What this Reykjavik Christmas walk is really about

This is a food tour with a Christmas theme, not a formal dinner and not simply a city sightseeing walk. You move through central Reykjavik in winter darkness, stopping along the way to sample foods that many Icelanders associate with the holiday season.

That format works well in Reykjavik. The city center is compact, and a short walk between tastings gives you time to look at the lights, warm up, and hear the next story. You are not asked to spend three hours at a single table while a guide talks over dinner. Instead, each stop gives you a small piece of Icelandic Christmas culture.

The food is the main reason to book. Icelandic holiday cooking brings together preserved fish, smoked meat, sweet bread, rich pâté, and seasonal drinks. Some flavors are familiar, while others may be new to you. Smoked lamb has a firm, savory taste. Gravlax is delicate and seasoned. Pickled herring brings the sharpest edge to the meal. Reindeer paté gives the tour one of its more distinctive samples.

I also like the stories. Icelandic Christmas folklore includes strange and sometimes frightening figures, so the guide does more than identify each dish. You hear why certain foods appear at Christmas and how the season fits into Icelandic life.

Starting at Hlöllabátar and finding the group

The meeting point is outside Hlöllabátar, the sandwich shop facing Ingólfstorg Square and its two tall stone pillars. CenterHotel Plaza is to your right, and the square has benches, tables, and a covered ceiling where you can wait.

You should arrive five minutes early, and you need to wait outside CenterHotel Plaza rather than inside the hotel. Look for a guide in a light blue jacket with Your Friend in Reykjavik printed on the back.

This is useful information in winter. Reykjavik weather can shift quickly, and the meeting point gives you a sheltered place to gather before walking. Still, bring weather-appropriate clothing. You will be outdoors between stops, and the route does not consist of one continuous indoor meal.

The provider runs the tour in English. Guide personality matters here because the food samples are only part of the experience. Recent tour feedback names Palli as a strong storyteller, while Paul, also called Pauly, received praise for welcoming groups and taking festive photos around town. Einar was also praised for explaining Icelandic customs and handling an allergy carefully.

The short walks make the meal feel like a city tour

From the starting point, the route uses several short walking sections. The longest listed walks take about 10 minutes, followed by another 10-minute walk and a final five-minute stretch.

That pace should suit you if you like to keep moving but do not want a strenuous hike. You get food at regular intervals, and the city itself becomes part of the evening. Christmas lights and decorated streets provide the setting, though the exact look of Reykjavik depends on the date and weather.

The stops are arranged around tasting rather than transportation. You do not need a bus or taxi between food locations. This keeps the evening simple, but it also means you should wear shoes that handle wet pavement and winter conditions.

Group size is not fixed in the supplied details. One reported group had 10 people, but you should not assume every departure will have that number. A smaller group may make it easier to ask questions, while a larger one can feel more social but may require patience at busy food stops.

First tastings: smoked lamb and laufabrauð

The early food stops introduce some of the holiday table’s most recognizable items. Smoked lamb is one of the big draws. Its strong, savory flavor makes it a good first taste of Icelandic Christmas food, especially if you want something more substantial than a pastry or snack.

Laufabrauð is the playful contrast. This thin leaf bread is cut with intricate patterns before it is fried until crisp. The result looks decorative but is meant to be eaten. You may find it light and buttery, with a texture closer to a crisp than a conventional loaf.

These dishes show why the tour is useful for first-time visitors. You do not need to know the names in advance or order a full plate of something unfamiliar. You can try a small serving, ask questions, and decide what you like.

The timing matters. The first two regional food stops each last about 30 minutes, long enough for tasting and conversation without turning into a full restaurant meal. If you are hungry, the all-inclusive format should provide plenty of food across the whole route, but individual servings may vary.

The middle stops: ham, reindeer, salmon, and herring

Further along, the food becomes a tour of different preservation methods and holiday staples. Glazed Hamborgarhrygg is a special Christmas ham with a sweet finish. It gives the meal a richer, more familiar center after the sharper flavors of smoked fish and herring.

Reindeer paté is one of the more unusual samples. It is a chance to try a distinctly Icelandic ingredient in a prepared form, rather than as a large or intimidating portion. If you are curious about local food but cautious about strong dishes, a tasting format is helpful.

Gravlax brings cured salmon to the table. Its flavor is gentler than pickled herring, and it adds a cool, seasoned fish course to the mix. Pickled herring is more forceful, with the tang that comes from preservation. I would not expect every dish to suit every palate, but the variety keeps the meal from becoming repetitive.

One tasting stop is scheduled for about 15 minutes. That shorter pause likely suits a focused sample rather than a long course. Be prepared for at least one stop to feel more like a quick taste than a full serving. This is one reason the price can be difficult to judge if you compare the tour with a restaurant dinner.

Jólaöl, malt and appelsín, and warm holiday drinks

The drink selection is a strong part of the experience. Jólaöl is a traditional Icelandic Christmas ale, while malt and appelsín is a beloved non-alcoholic combination. The latter gives you a local soft drink with a festive connection, not just standard soda or juice.

Jólaglögg, the Icelandic version of mulled wine, adds spice and warmth. If you prefer not to have mulled wine, you can request hot cocoa instead. That substitution is useful for children, non-drinkers, or anyone who simply wants a sweeter winter drink.

You should confirm what will be served on your particular departure. One December 29 experience did not include mulled wine, and laufabrauð was also reported as missing. That does not prove the same thing will happen every time, but it is a fair reason to treat the menu as seasonal rather than guaranteed item by item.

The best approach is to judge the tour by the total food and cultural experience, not by one drink alone. Still, if you are booking mainly for hot cocoa, mulled wine, or leaf bread, ask before paying.

The Little Christmas Store and the festive side of Reykjavik

The Little Christmas Store is one of the tour’s most appealing stops for shoppers and anyone who wants a small seasonal memory. You can browse decorations, handmade goods, and Christmas items, and the tour includes a locally inspired gift.

This stop adds variety. Without it, the evening would be a sequence of food tables and short walks. The shop gives you a chance to look at objects connected to the season and see how Christmas is presented in Reykjavik beyond the dinner table.

There is one important date warning. The Christmas market may be closed on Christmas Day. If the market or Christmas shopping is the main reason you are booking, check the schedule for December 25 before committing. The tour itself can still include food, stories, and city decorations, but you should not count on every festive retail stop operating on the holiday.

The guides make a real difference

Food tours depend heavily on the person leading them. The guide must keep the group moving, explain unfamiliar dishes, manage restaurant stops, and make conversation feel natural.

Palli has been described as a Viking-like storyteller who handled the restaurant arrangements smoothly. Paul and Pauly have been praised for being welcoming and for adding photos around the Christmas decorations. Einar received particular credit for explaining traditions and responding to an allergy that had been reported in advance.

Those details matter because the route includes several handoffs between walking and eating. You want someone who can explain what is happening without making the evening feel rushed. The strongest feedback centers on guides who are friendly, entertaining, and attentive at the food stops.

The stories may include frightening Christmas traditions. That makes the tour a better fit for adults and older children who enjoy folklore, though the data does not specify an age minimum or a separate child program.

Dietary requests and what to tell the provider

Dietary restrictions and allergies can be accommodated when the provider knows ahead of time. You should include the information during booking rather than waiting until the meeting point.

That advance notice is especially important here because the menu contains meat, fish, dairy, and alcoholic drinks. The supplied details do not promise that every diet can be fully matched, so you should ask for confirmation if you have a serious allergy or a strict eating plan.

The tour can replace Jólaglögg with hot cocoa, but no other specific substitutions are guaranteed. If you avoid fish, meat, alcohol, or dairy, contact the provider before booking so you know what can be changed.

Is $173 a fair price?

At $173, this is a premium walking food tour. The fee includes the guide, all listed Christmas food, drinks, the shop visit, and a locally inspired gift. You also pay for the guide’s organization and the chance to sample many Icelandic dishes without ordering full portions yourself.

I think the price makes sense if you value context, variety, and convenience. A single restaurant meal may give you a larger serving, but it will not necessarily cover smoked lamb, glazed ham, reindeer paté, gravlax, herring, leaf bread, three Christmas drinks, and folklore in one evening.

The value becomes less clear when portions are tiny or advertised items are unavailable. One experience was judged expensive because a stop offered only a very small spoonful. Iceland is costly in general, but that does not remove the need for the tour to feel generous.

If food is your top priority, ask how the menu is handled on your date. If the stories and festive walk matter just as much, the price is easier to justify.

Who should book this Christmas experience?

I would recommend it to you if you:

• Want a broad introduction to Icelandic Christmas food
• Prefer small tastings to ordering unfamiliar full meals
• Enjoy walking through a decorated city center
• Like folklore, local customs, and unusual stories
• Want an English-speaking guide to organize the evening
• Need a tour that can consider dietary restrictions when told in advance

I would think twice if you want a formal sit-down dinner, fixed portions, or a guaranteed Christmas market visit. It may also disappoint you if you dislike preserved fish, smoked meat, or rich pâté, since those flavors are central to the menu.

The walking is gentle, but winter weather remains part of the deal. Bring warm, weather-ready clothing and shoes. You will spend time outside between tastings, even though the food stops give you chances to warm up.

My verdict on the Reykjavik Christmas Food Tour

I like the idea of this tour because it puts Icelandic Christmas food in context. You taste the dishes, hear the stories, walk through Reykjavik, and visit a seasonal shop instead of simply checking off one dinner reservation.

The strongest part is the guide-led storytelling, especially with guides such as Palli, Paul, Pauly, and Einar. The range of food is also impressive, from crisp laufabrauð to smoked lamb, gravlax, reindeer paté, and herring.

Book it if you want an organized, social introduction to Icelandic holiday traditions and you are comfortable paying a premium for several tastings. Before booking, confirm the menu for your date, especially if you are going on Christmas Day. If the provider can deliver the advertised spread, this is a useful and enjoyable way to get beyond Reykjavik’s standard restaurant scene.

FAQ

How long is the Reykjavik Christmas Food Tour?

The tour lasts three hours, including walking between food stops, tastings, storytelling, and the visit to the Little Christmas Store.

How much does the tour cost?

The listed price is $173 per person. The price includes the expert guide, Christmas food, drinks, and a locally inspired gift.

Where does the tour meet?

The group meets outside Hlöllabátar, the sandwich shop facing Ingólfstorg Square and the two tall stone pillars. CenterHotel Plaza is to your right. Wait outside the hotel, not inside.

What language is the tour conducted in?

The live tour guide speaks English.

What food and drinks are included?

The planned food includes smoked lamb, laufabrauð, glazed Hamborgarhrygg, reindeer paté, gravlax, and pickled herring. Drinks include Jólaöl, malt and appelsín, and Jólaglögg. Hot cocoa can replace the mulled wine if requested.

Can dietary restrictions and allergies be accommodated?

The provider tries to accommodate dietary restrictions and allergies, but you need to give the information before the tour, ideally when booking.

Can I cancel or pay later?

You can cancel up to 24 hours before the tour for a full refund. You can also reserve now and pay later, which keeps your plans flexible.