9 Christmas Tours in Iceland to Build a Day Around

1.Goðafoss, Laufas & The Christmas House Combo Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 173 reviews · 4 hours · from $117Our pick

Travel from Akureyri to Goðafoss, Laufás, and the Christmas House with an English-speaking local guide. You’ll get waterfall views, old turf homes, Icelandic folklore, and free time for holiday shopping, with hotel and cruise-port pickup included.

“Very easy booking. Met at the cruise port. Our guide was very informative and friendly. Gave clear instructions at each stop and had a fun and comfortable tour. Dropped us in town to explore after the tour and dropped others back to the ship. Highly recommend.”

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2.Half-Day Combo Tour to Goðafoss, Laufas and The Christmas House

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 146 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $127

From Akureyri, a small-group bus tour visits Goðafoss waterfall, the historic turf houses at Laufás and the year-round Christmas House. Expect an English-speaking driver-guide, round-trip pickup, included admission to Laufás and a short Akureyri town tour. Guides may include Jon, Graham or Lilja.

“Guide was very experienced. Local and was able to share a lot of personal information about the area.”

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3.The Reykjavik Christmas Food Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 19 reviews · 3 hours · from $173Top rated

Walk central Reykjavik with an English-speaking local guide such as Palli, Paul, Pauly, or Einar. Sample smoked lamb, laufabrauð, gravlax, reindeer paté, herring, Christmas drinks, and finish at the Little Christmas Store.

“Loved the tour, our guide Pauly was amazing, kind and told us a lot about Iceland and it’s traditions. Food itself was great, loved all the restaurants and food options. We had an amazing time”

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4.Reykjavik Christmas Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 18 reviews · 2 hours · from $74

Join Your Friend in Reykjavik for a two-hour English walking tour through downtown Christmas lights and folklore. Meet outside Hlöllabátar, hear about the 13 Yule Lads and Grýla, visit markets and Little Christmas Store, then finish at Hallgrímskirkja. Guide Bjornvain has earned praise for his humor and warmth.

“Guide sympa, lumières féeriques, jolie ville pour passer Noël.”

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5.Reykjavik Christmas Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 18 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $75

Walk central Reykjavik with a local guide such as Ester, Stefan, Einar, or Barti, learning about the Yule Lads, Christmas Cat, books, music, and Icelandic traditions. Expect festive squares, shopping stops, Hallgrímskirkja, and possible hot chocolate or treats.

“I went on this tour with my husband and we were very excited to learn about the Christmas traditions and culture. Our guide was great and was very informative in a fun way. We recommend this tour to any group coming! A plus was we enjoyed hot chocolate and treats.”

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6.3-Hour Shared Christmas Food Tour with Guide in Reykjavik

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 10 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $149

Walk central Reykjavik with a local guide such as Páll or Helgi, sampling Christmas foods, pastries, drinks, and seasonal treats. You’ll visit the Little Christmas Shop, write to Santa, hear stories of the Yule Lads and Cat, and finish at Ingólfstorg’s December rink and stalls.

“Absolutely great time! Our tour guide was fantastic, telling us different stories of the Yule Lads and Cat. Sampling the different Icelandic foods was a blast. This is a great tour to do around Christmas”

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7.Christmas Walking Tour with Icelandic Traditions

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 8 reviews · 2 hours · from $66Best value

Walk central Reykjavik with a local English-speaking guide and hear the strange stories of Iceland’s 13 Yule Lads, Grýla, and the Christmas Cat. Visit Ingólfur Square, a bookshop, Laugavegur, and Hallgrímskirkja. The tour runs only in December and may include festive food samples.

“Tour was wonderful and the guide was excellent! She was well informed and friendly. Very happy to have started our holiday in Iceland with this tour!”

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8.Christmas Food Tour with Tastings and Drinks

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 5 reviews · 3 hours · from $173

Walk central Reykjavik with a local guide such as Palli, tasting smoked lamb, laufabrauð, reindeer paté, gravlax, herring, and Christmas drinks. See holiday lights, visit the Little Christmas Store, and receive a locally inspired gift. Tell the operator about dietary needs when booking.

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9.Private Reykjavik Christmas Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 4 reviews · from $159

Walk central Reykjavik with a private guide such as Stefan, learning about the 13 Santas, the Christmas Cat, local books, music, and holiday customs. The two-hour route ends at Hallgrimskirkja and includes coffee, tea, hot cocoa, and a pastry. Seasonal market stalls are not guaranteed.

“Stefan was the perfect guide. He answered everyone's questions and is very friendly and knowledgeable. He brought us to places we might not otherwise have found. Very well done, very pleasurable experience and glad we went!”

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