Christmas in Reykjavík tastes like a legend.

I like that this tour blends Icelandic holiday food with story time, not just a checklist of snacks. You’ll spend a few hours walking around town with a guide such as Palli, Einar, or Paul, sharing the kind of Christmas tales that range from charming to a little terrifying. I also love the practical ending at the Little Christmas Store, where you can pick up festive decorations and crafts and leave with a locally inspired gift.

One thing to watch: holiday availability can vary by date.

If you’re booking for Christmas Day, some seasonal town elements (like markets) may be closed, and you should double-check that key items such as laufabrauð and mulled wine are on your schedule.

Key highlights to look for

• A full 3-hour food route that keeps moving, but doesn’t feel rushed
• Smoked lamb and crispy laufabrauð early, so you start with the big flavors
• A savory lineup including reindeer pâté, gravlax, and pickled herring
• Christmas drinks with options, from Jólaöl to Jólaglögg (or hot cocoa)
• A store stop with a gift, plus time to browse decorations and seasonal crafts

A 3-hour Christmas crawl that turns food into stories

This tour is designed for people who want more than a plate of food in Reykjavík. Yes, you’ll eat Icelandic Christmas specialties. But the real hook is how your guide connects each dish and drink to what Christmas means here—family tables, winter habits, and traditions that show up again and again.

The pace also helps. You’re not trapped in one restaurant for three hours. You’re walking through the city, pausing to taste, and learning why certain flavors became Christmas staples in Iceland. That story layer makes the food feel less random, and more intentional.

And you get a real guide, not just a handout. Guides can be storytellers in a big way—Palli, for example, is described as having real Viking energy and the knack for making people lean in. That matters on a winter night, when your group is cold and hungry and you want the experience to click fast.

Meeting at Hlöllabátar: where to stand and how to spot the guide

Start at Hlöllabátar, outside the Sandwich Shop, facing Ingólfstorg Square with the two tall stone pillars. CenterHotel Plaza is to your right, and there are benches and tables under a covered ceiling, so you’re not standing fully exposed while you wait.

Look for a guide in a light blue jacket with Your Friend in Reykjavik on the back. You’ll want to be there about 5 minutes early, specifically in front of Center Hotels Plaza (not inside). In Iceland, those few minutes matter because weather can change fast.

This setup is also practical for first-time Reykjavík visitors. You’re starting near a central square, so you don’t have to hunt across the city in the dark.

Stop one: smoked lamb and crispy laufabrauð

The opening tastings set the tone. You’ll sample smoked lamb—one of those Icelandic flavors that hits with deep, robust savor. If you like meat that tastes like it has a history, this is the place to start.

Right after that, you’ll get laufabrauð, the leaf bread. It’s butter-rich and fried until it turns crispy, with those patterned, delicate shapes that look almost decorative before you tear off a piece. The key here is texture: even if you don’t normally care about sweets or snacks, crispy fried bread usually wins.

This is also the part of the tour where the guide’s job shows. When a guide explains what you’re tasting and why it belongs at Christmas, you taste more than salt and smoke. You notice richness. You notice balance. You notice how the fried crunch cuts through heavier foods later.

Savory Christmas classics: reindeer pâté, gravlax, and pickled herring

After the first wave, the tour leans fully into the savory side of Icelandic Christmas. You’ll try items that represent what locals often keep in rotation during winter holidays.

Expect:

• Hamborgarhrygg in a special glazed style (a famous pork roast connection for Christmas tables)
• Reindeer pâté, often a bit gamey but smooth and spreadable
• Gravlax, cured salmon with a distinctive flavor that feels both festive and familiar
• Pickled herring, tangy and briny, the kind of bite that either becomes a new favorite or teaches you what you don’t like

I like how this mix covers different taste categories instead of repeating the same flavor profile. You’ll get smoky meat, buttery fried bread, cured fish, and fermented-style tang from pickled herring. That range is a big part of why the tour feels worth doing, even if you’ve eaten Icelandic food before.

Also, if you’re picky, don’t stress too much. The tour is built around sampling a variety, so you’re not locked into one dish you hate.

What’s on the menu for Christmas drinks

Food is only half the holiday equation here. The drinks are part of the point, and your guide will guide you through what’s traditional and what’s easy to like.

You can expect:

• Jólaöl, a traditional Icelandic Christmas ale
• Malt & appelsín, a non-alcoholic Christmas beverage
• Jólaglögg, mulled wine, warm and aromatic

If you’d rather skip alcohol, there’s an easy swap: Jólaglögg can be replaced with hot cocoa. That’s a comfort choice that makes a difference when it’s cold and you want your night to feel cozy, not sleepy.

One practical tip: treat the drinks as part of the pacing, not as a solo drinking plan. Three hours in winter is already a lot of time outdoors and in restaurants. You’ll enjoy it more if you sip and let the food do the heavy lifting.

The Little Christmas Store stop: decorations, crafts, and a gift

Near the end, you’ll visit the Little Christmas Store in Laugavegur. This isn’t just a photo-op. It’s where you can actually browse festive decorations, artisanal crafts, and seasonal treasures.

You also receive a locally inspired gift tied to the excursion. That’s one of the small touches I really like. It turns the tour into something you can remember later without needing to haul home a box of leftovers.

Laugavegur is a shopping street people naturally walk anyway. Doing it as a guided finale makes the browsing feel purposeful, not random.

Price and value: is $173 worth it?

At $173 per person for about 3 hours, this isn’t the cheapest thing you can do in Reykjavík. But it is priced as an all-in, guided tasting experience—Christmas food and drink included, so you’re not paying extra for each course.

Where value gets real is in the variety. You’re sampling multiple Icelandic Christmas staples—smoked meats, cured fish, pâté, fried bread, plus several drinks. If you tried to build that yourself, you’d spend time figuring out where to go and what to order, especially during the holiday season when opening hours can be odd.

That said, value depends on what’s served on your date. One specific concern that comes up is that sometimes a stop can feel like it’s offering smaller samples than you expect for the price. Another concern is that key items mentioned in the tour description may not show up on certain dates. If value matters most to you, verify your menu details before you lock it in for a specific day.

For me, the safest way to judge the price is simple: if you want a guided, pre-planned mix of Christmas flavors and you like eating at a relaxed pace, it can feel fair. If you’re looking for maximum quantity at minimum cost, you might feel the gap.

Dietary needs, allergies, and what to confirm

The tour says it can accommodate dietary restrictions and allergies, as long as you tell them when booking. That’s important because Icelandic Christmas food includes ingredients that can be tricky for some diets (fish, dairy, and cured items, plus meat and fried bread).

If you have allergies, be direct. Send the details ahead of time and mention which ingredients are a problem. The experience includes an expert guide and restaurant handling, so your message needs to arrive early enough for your plan to match what the kitchen can do.

Also, don’t assume that every listed item appears on every holiday schedule. If your must-have is laufabrauð or mulled wine, and you’re traveling on a major holiday date, it’s smart to confirm that substitution and availability are covered in your exact booking.

Who should book this tour, and who might skip it

This is a great fit if you:

• Want to learn while you eat, with a guide who explains what you’re tasting
• Like walking a few city blocks in winter without it becoming an all-day ordeal
• Enjoy traditional flavors, including tangy pickled items and cured fish
• Appreciate a guided Christmas vibe, plus a final stop at a festive shop

You might skip it if you’re chasing only the most food per dollar. Portion size can feel different depending on the day, and the experience isn’t marketed as a buffet-style meal.

It also helps if you’re okay with a little unpredictability that comes with seasonal timing. Reykjavík in December can be beautiful, but Christmas Day in particular can change what’s open.

Should you book the Reykjavik Christmas Food Tour?

If you want a guided, efficient way to taste Iceland’s Christmas classics, I think this tour is a smart buy—especially for first-timers. The mix of smoked lamb, laufabrauð, reindeer pâté, gravlax, and pickled herring gives you a real snapshot of what locals often associate with the holiday table.

Book it if your priority is the combo of food + guide stories + warm drinks and you like ending with the Christmas store browsing. Before you go, do two things: share dietary needs clearly, and if you’re traveling on a major holiday date, double-check that the items you care about (including mulled wine or its hot cocoa alternative) are actually part of your run.

FAQ

How long is the Reykjavik Christmas Food Tour?

The tour lasts about 3 hours.

What does the tour include?

It includes an expert English-speaking guide, Christmas food tastings, and Christmas drinks. It’s described as all-inclusive, so you won’t leave hungry.

Where do we meet for the tour?

You meet outside the Hlöllabátar Sandwich Shop, facing Ingólfstorg Square and the two tall stone pillars. CenterHotel Plaza is to your right, and there are benches and a covered area to wait. You should be in front of Center Hotels Plaza (not inside) about 5 minutes before the walking tour starts.

Is the tour in English?

Yes, the live tour guide speaks English.

Can you accommodate dietary restrictions or allergies?

They try to accommodate dietary restrictions and allergies, but you need to tell them when booking.

Can Jólaglögg be replaced with hot cocoa?

Yes. The tour can substitute Jólaglögg for hot cocoa if you want.

What’s the booking and cancellation policy?

There’s free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund. You can also reserve now and pay later.