Reykjavik Food Lovers Tour – Icelandic Traditional Food

Reykjavík’s food culture is at its best when you try the dishes that sound strange, simple, or both. This walking tour moves from the old harbor to Hallgrímskirkja, serving up shellfish soup, lamb, smoked foods, licorice, the famous Icelandic hot dog, and a small taste of fermented shark.

I like the small limit of 12 people, which makes it easier to hear stories and ask questions. I also like the wide mix of stops, from a 1937 hot dog stand to a weekend flea market and a local delicacy shop. The main consideration is price: at $152.37, you need to value the guide, drinks, and food lessons, not just the amount on the plate.

The food is generally served as tastings, but the portions can add up. Come hungry, wear layers, and allow about three hours. The tour is fun for curious eaters, yet people hoping for tucked-away restaurants or a full city sightseeing tour may find it more mainstream than expected.

Key points at a glance

• Fermented shark at the finish: You get a chance to try hákarl, then mark the occasion with an Icelandic drink.
• The original Reykjavik hot dog stand: Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur has served its famous lamb-based hot dogs since 1937.
• A weekend-only market stop: Kolaportið adds traditional foods and local browsing, but only on Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• A food lesson with local stories: Guides such as Paul, Bo, Stefan, Palli, Magnus, Robyn, and Óli have been praised for linking dishes with Icelandic customs, sagas, and daily life.
• A walk, not a formal city tour: You move between downtown food stops, picking up useful city tips along the way.
• Dietary needs can be discussed: The company tries to accommodate allergies and restrictions, but you should provide those details when booking.

Why this Reykjavik food walk works

This is a practical first taste of Iceland. You do not sit in one restaurant for a long meal. Instead, you walk between several central stops and sample foods that explain how Iceland eats: seafood from the surrounding waters, lamb from the countryside, hearty soup for cold days, sweet licorice, and preserved foods shaped by older Icelandic customs.

The route lasts roughly two and a half to three hours. That gives you enough time to eat, walk, and listen without turning the outing into an all-day commitment. I especially like using a tour like this early in a Reykjavik stay. You can ask your guide where to return for dinner, and several guides have offered useful restaurant and food tips beyond the scheduled stops.

The mood depends partly on the guide. Names praised in past outings include Einar, Paul, Bo, Stefan, Stefán, Robyn, Palli, Magnús, Pauli, and Óli. The strongest part of the experience is often the person leading it: local stories, family memories, explanations of ingredients, and bits about Icelandic folklore can turn a basic tasting into a better lesson in the country.

Do not confuse this with a full walking tour of Reykjavik. You will hear facts about the city, Icelandic history, sagas, runes, and food traditions, but the purpose is eating. The walking mainly links the venues.

Meeting at Ingólfstorg

You begin at Ingólfur Square, near Hlöllabátar at Ingólfstorgi 1. Arrive five minutes early. The meeting point is central and close to public transportation, but one person had trouble locating it, so check the address before setting out and do not arrive at the last second.

The tour ends back at the meeting point. There is no hotel pickup or drop-off, so plan your own way to and from the square. Since the route runs through central Reykjavik, you are on foot between stops. Dress for changing weather, because the tour operates in all conditions.

The small group limit matters here. With no more than 12 people, you should be able to stay close to the guide while crossing streets and entering small food venues. It also gives the outing more of a shared-table feel than a large bus excursion.

Seabaron and the old harbor soup

The first food stop is Seabaron by the old Reykjavik harbor. You begin with Icelandic shellfish soup, sometimes described as lobster or langoustine soup in the tasting descriptions.

This is a smart opening. Seafood is central to Iceland’s location and economy, and soup gives you something warm before the walk continues. It also sets a useful standard for the rest of the tour: you are not simply collecting bites, you are learning why certain foods make sense in Iceland.

The stop lasts about 25 minutes. That is enough time to taste the soup and hear about Icelandic seafood, but not enough for an extended restaurant meal. If you have already eaten a large breakfast or lunch, the many stops can feel less manageable later.

Kolaportið on weekend afternoons

If your tour runs during Kolaportið’s opening hours, you visit Reykjavik’s flea market and its indoor food market. This stop is available only on Saturdays and Sundays, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Kolaportið adds a different texture to the route. Instead of receiving a prepared dish in a restaurant, you browse traditional Icelandic foods in a local market setting. Your guide can point out unfamiliar items and explain how they fit into Icelandic eating habits.

The timing is important. If you book a weekday tour or an evening outing, you should not expect this stop. The overall route can still work without it, but the market gives the day tour a more informal feel and a better chance to see food as something people buy and take home.

Allow about 30 minutes here. The market can also be a useful place to decide if you want to purchase a snack or souvenir food later, though the supplied tour details do not promise specific products or shopping time.

Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur and the famous hot dog

No food walk through Reykjavik would feel complete without the city’s best-known hot dog stand. Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur is the original location, operating since 1937, and the tour includes an Icelandic lamb hot dog.

This is one of the most accessible tastings of the day. You do not need to be adventurous to enjoy a hot dog, yet the lamb base gives it a clear Icelandic angle. Several food descriptions single out the hot dog as a favorite, along with cod and soup.

The stop lasts around 15 minutes. It is quick, casual, and useful for showing that Icelandic food is not all preserved shark and unusual snacks. Everyday street food is part of the story too.

One practical point: the tour is not built around large servings at each location. Some people found the portions generous, while others felt the overall amount was smaller than expected for the price. Think of the hot dog as one course in a long tasting menu, not the meal by itself.

Icelandic Street Food and lamb in a bowl

At Icelandic Street Food, you sample lamb soup along with other traditional foods. Lamb soup is often described as Iceland in a bowl, and it gives you a direct taste of the country’s preference for warm, filling food in cool weather.

The stop lasts about 40 minutes, making it one of the longer visits. You have more time to eat and hear how the dish is made and why lamb remains so important in Icelandic cooking. Other tastings connected with this part of the experience may include dishes such as lamb stew, smoked salmon, goose, cod, or additional small plates, but the exact selection can vary.

This stop is also where expectations need managing. One diner found the lamb soup less impressive than soup served elsewhere in Iceland, and found the bread disappointing. That does not make the stop a failure, but it shows why this tour is best judged as a food introduction, not as a search for the single finest bowl in Reykjavik.

Taste of Iceland and the sweeter side

The route then visits Taste of Iceland, a local delicacy shop with unusual foods, snacks, and candy. This short 10-minute stop breaks up the savory dishes and gives you a look at the packaged side of Icelandic food culture.

Chocolate-covered licorice has appeared among the tastings, and it can be a revealing introduction to Icelandic sweets. Licorice is a strong flavor, often more salty or intense than visitors expect. You may love it, or you may decide that one sample is enough.

I like this stop because it gives you something to talk about after the tour. It also helps you identify snacks in shops later, instead of walking past unfamiliar Icelandic labels without knowing what you are seeing.

Dass Reykjavik and the hákarl test

The final stop is Dass Reykjavik near Hallgrímskirkja church. Here you try several Icelandic delicacies, including hákarl, or fermented shark. You also finish with a choice of an alcoholic or non-alcoholic Icelandic drink.

Hákarl is the tour’s great dare, but the point is not simply to shock your palate. Fermentation and preservation are tied to older food practices, and tasting the dish with a guide gives it cultural context. You can approach it as a small historical lesson with a strong smell, rather than pretending it is an everyday favorite.

The final stop lasts about 45 minutes, so you have time to settle in and compare impressions with the group. The listed drink choices include a special beer or Icelandic schnapps, sometimes associated with Black Death, the country’s well-known spirit. One account described the available choices as soda, beer, or moonshine and said Black Death was not offered, so the exact drink selection should not be treated as guaranteed.

Ending near Hallgrímskirkja is convenient if you want to continue exploring central Reykjavik afterward. The activity itself ends back at the original meeting point, so confirm the walking sequence with your guide before making a tight reservation elsewhere.

How much food do you really get?

You should eat a light meal before the tour, not arrive after a huge lunch. The route includes several tastings, soup, a hot dog, traditional dishes, snacks, and a closing drink. Some people found the servings generous; others thought the portions did not fully match the $152.37 price.

That difference comes down to what you are buying. If you count only the food, the tour may look expensive compared with ordering a hot dog, soup, or dinner on your own. If you value the guide’s explanations, the chance to try dishes you might skip, the planning, and the small group, the price becomes easier to defend.

The best value comes for first-time visitors who want a guided introduction without paying for a full meal at several separate restaurants. It is less compelling for someone who has already eaten through Reykjavik or who mainly wants large portions.

Water is included at all stops, and taxes, fees, food tastings, and the closing drink are covered. Hotel transfers are not included.

What the guide adds to the meal

The guide can make or break a food walk, and this experience has a strong record in that area. Paul, a retired fisherman, has led outings with stories about food and Icelandic life. Bo has explained how dishes are prepared and has suggested other places to eat. Stefan and Stefán have connected the food with local history, ingredients, sagas, and runes.

Other guides, including Einar, Robyn, Palli, Magnus, Pauli, and Óli, have been praised for warmth, humor, clear explanations, and useful restaurant advice. That range suggests a tour built around personal storytelling rather than a fixed audio script.

You should still keep your expectations realistic. The restaurants do not always provide a detailed presentation about how each dish is prepared. One person wanted more direct involvement from the venues. The guide carries most of the teaching, so ask questions as you go.

The tour also brings together people from different countries in a small group. That social element can be a plus, especially if you are traveling alone or want an easy way to meet others over a shared reaction to fermented shark.

Is the route truly off the path?

Partly, but not entirely. The stops are central, recognizable, and easy to reach. Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur is famous, and the tour uses established eateries rather than promising secret kitchens or private restaurant visits.

That is not necessarily a weakness. Mainstream stops are often practical, reliable, and tied to Reykjavik’s food identity. You can return to several of them later, and one person enjoyed a venue enough to go back independently.

Still, you should book a different type of outing if your main goal is intimate contact with cooks, kitchen demonstrations, or hard-to-find neighborhood restaurants. This is a guided tasting walk through central Reykjavik, with local context layered over familiar places.

Who should book this tour?

I would choose this experience for a first visit to Iceland, especially at the start of a Reykjavik stay. It helps you recognize local dishes, gives you a list of places to revisit, and lets you try challenging foods in a supportive setting.

It suits adults and older children who are willing to taste unfamiliar food. Children must be accompanied by an adult. The company tries to handle allergies and dietary restrictions, and one group received help with food allergies, but you should share your needs in advance and understand that the menu is based on traditional foods.

This is not ideal for someone who wants a quiet sit-down dinner, a formal cooking class, or a full city tour. It may also disappoint you if you have already tried most of the featured foods or are watching every dollar.

The experience receives a 4.8 rating from 1,012 ratings, with 95 percent recommending it. Those figures fit the main pattern: guides, variety, and the chance to try Icelandic classics are the strongest points, while price, mainstream venues, and occasional mismatches between promised and available drinks are the main cautions.

You can cancel for a full refund up to 24 hours before the start time. Cancellations or changes inside that window are not refunded or accepted. The tour also needs a minimum number of bookings, so a cancellation for that reason brings a different date or experience, or a full refund.

Should you book the Reykjavik Food Lovers Tour?

Book it if you want a well-organized introduction to Icelandic food and enjoy learning through stories. The combination of shellfish soup, lamb, a historic hot dog, market foods, licorice, hákarl, and an Icelandic drink covers a lot in three hours.

I would book it early in your stay, arrive hungry but not stuffed, and wear waterproof layers. Go in expecting tastings at central venues, not secret restaurants or a grand city tour. At $152.37, it is a considered purchase, but it makes sense for curious eaters who want local guidance and a simple way to try foods they might otherwise avoid.

FAQ

How long does the Reykjavik food tour last?

The experience lasts approximately two hours and 30 minutes to three hours.

Where does the tour start?

It starts at Ingólfur Square, at Hlöllabátar, Ingólfstorgi 1, 101 Reykjavík. You should arrive five minutes before the scheduled start.

Where does the tour end?

The activity ends back at the meeting point in Ingólfur Square.

Is Kolaportið Market included on every tour?

No. The market stop is available when the tour runs during the market’s opening hours. Kolaportið is open Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Is fermented shark included?

The final stop at Dass Reykjavik includes an opportunity to try fermented shark, also called hákarl.

Can the tour accommodate allergies or dietary restrictions?

The company tries to accommodate dietary restrictions and allergies. You should provide your requirements when booking, since the tour focuses on traditional Icelandic foods.