The Icelandic Sweet Tooth Tour

Reykjavik’s best sweet treats come with a side of local life on this two-hour walk. You’ll try pastries at Baka Baka, sample Icelandic foods at Taste of Iceland, get ice cream at Valdis, and finish with skyr cake at Dass Reykjavik. Guides such as Óli, Thor, Ester, and Páll add stories about the city, food, and growing up in Iceland.

I like the small maximum of 12 people, which leaves room for questions and can sometimes turn the walk into a nearly private outing. I also like that every tasting is included, so you can focus on the food instead of counting krona at each stop.

The main caution is the value if you already know Reykjavik’s cafés. One portion may be dried haddock rather than a sweet, and the exact selection can feel modest for the price. Anyone avoiding dairy should also skip this tour, since ice cream is part of the route.

Key points to know before you book

• Five food stops in about two hours: Expect pastries, candy, local samples, ice cream, and skyr cake, with the route concentrated in central Reykjavik.
• The guides make the difference: Óli, Thor, Gudjon, Bo, Einar, Stefan, Mathias, Ester, and Páll have all led this experience, with storytelling and personal Icelandic memories at the center.
• Come hungry: The portions add up quickly, especially when pastries, hot chocolate, ice cream, and cake are all on the same walk.
• A good first-day activity: The 2 p.m. start, central meeting point, and city orientation make it useful early in your Reykjavik stay.
• Not just a dessert crawl: Fermented shark and dried haddock may appear alongside the sweets, giving you a broader taste of Icelandic food culture.
• Plan for weather: You walk between stops, but Icelanders eat ice cream in all seasons, so bring a warm layer.

What this Reykjavik food walk is really like

This is not a formal pastry class or a chef-led tasting menu. It is a relaxed city stroll built around small food stops, with your guide doing much of the connecting work.

You meet at Ingólfstorg, also called Ingólfur Square, in central Reykjavik. Look for the two stone pillars, each more than three meters high, in front of Center Hotels Plaza at Aðalstræti 6. The company says its guides usually wear a light blue jacket marked Your Friend in Reykjavik.

From there, you walk through the downtown streets toward Laugavegur. The pace is easy, and the route gives you a useful introduction to central Reykjavik without turning into a long city tour. Your guide talks about the places you pass, Icelandic customs, and the foods you are about to try.

That blend is the heart of the outing. You are not simply handed a pastry and sent on your way. A good guide such as Thor, Óli, or Bo can explain why a treat matters, describe local habits, and answer questions about Iceland beyond the plate.

The tone is informal. Several guides have been praised for being warm, patient, and good at making a small group feel comfortable. That matters here because the route is short. If your guide only named the foods, two hours would pass quickly and leave little behind. When the guide shares personal memories and city stories, the walk feels more like being shown around by an outgoing local.

Ingólfstorg and the walk along Laugavegur

Ingólfstorg is a practical meeting point because it sits right in the center and is easy to identify. The stone pillars give you a clear landmark, and the nearby address removes much of the guesswork.

The opening ten minutes are more than a roll call. Your guide introduces the setting and begins placing Reykjavik in its cultural context. One family particularly enjoyed the guide’s introduction to the Nordic gods, which helped keep younger children interested from the start.

You then spend about ten minutes walking along Laugavegur, one of the main downtown streets. This part is not a major food stop, but it gives the tour a sense of place. You begin to see how cafés, shops, and casual food counters fit into daily life in the capital.

I would use this early section to ask for restaurant or café suggestions. One person who took the tour on the first day found the guide’s recommendations useful for the rest of the stay. That is one of the quiet benefits of booking a food walk early: you can turn a short tour into a source of practical ideas for later meals.

Baka Baka and the appeal of Icelandic pastries

Baka Baka is the first substantial stop, with about 20 minutes set aside for tasting. This is where the tour’s sweet focus becomes clear.

Expect traditional Icelandic pastries, with some experiences also including hot chocolate. The pastry selection is often the favorite part of the tour because it offers something more rooted in local baking than a standard scoop of ice cream or packaged candy.

The happy marriage pastry receives special attention from the people who enjoyed the walk. Its name alone makes it a fun introduction to Icelandic food culture, and it was singled out as a treat worth remembering after the trip.

Your guide can also explain the shop’s traditions and the place pastries hold in Icelandic life. That context is useful because Icelandic baking is not just about sugar. Pastries reflect home cooking, café habits, seasonal comfort, and the practical pleasure of stopping for something warm on a cool day.

There is a small issue with fixed expectations. The tour description presents Baka Baka as a traditional pastry stop, but the exact food served may change. If you are hoping for a large pastry or a full café serving, remember that this is a tasting, not lunch.

Taste of Iceland and the savory surprise

The Taste of Iceland stop lasts about 20 minutes and broadens the menu. Here you may encounter skyr, fermented shark, and other Icelandic specialties.

Fermented shark is one of Iceland’s best-known food challenges. It is not sweet, and it is not likely to become everyone’s favorite. Still, it gives the guide a chance to explain how Icelanders preserved food in earlier times and why certain traditional foods remain part of the national conversation.

This stop is where the title can create the wrong expectation. The outing is centered on sweets, but it is not limited to cakes and candy. Dried haddock may also be served. One dissatisfied customer felt that a small piece of dried haddock did not belong on a sweet-focused tour and would have preferred more interesting menu items from the same establishments.

That criticism is fair. If you want an all-dessert crawl, this stop could feel off track. If you want a broader introduction to Icelandic tastes, the savory bites make the tour more useful. I would think of it as a food-and-culture walk with a strong sweet side, not a pure dessert tour.

Valdis ice cream, even in Icelandic weather

At Ísbúðin litla Valdís, you get about 15 minutes for ice cream. The stop is casual and popular, and the company emphasizes that Icelanders eat ice cream in any weather.

That detail is more than a joke. Reykjavik weather can be chilly, but cold air does not stop local ice cream habits. Valdis gives you a chance to try flavors selected with help from your guide and to see a familiar Icelandic pastime firsthand.

The ice cream is also a useful change of texture after pastries and candy. By this point, however, you may already be full. Many people underestimate how much food a series of tastings can add up to. You should not plan a large lunch immediately before the 2 p.m. start.

The dairy issue is clear. This tour is not recommended if you are lactose intolerant because ice cream is part of the experience. The provided information does not promise dairy-free replacements, so you should not book expecting an adapted menu.

Dass Reykjavik and the skyr cake finish

The final food stop is Dass Reykjavik, where you try a cake made with skyr. The stop is listed at about 25 minutes, making it one of the longer tastings on the route.

Skyr is a local Icelandic specialty with a thick, smooth texture. Using it in cake gives you something different from the earlier pastries and ice cream, while still keeping the ending firmly in dessert territory.

This is a smart finish because skyr helps explain how one familiar Icelandic food appears in modern sweets. Your guide can connect the ingredient to local eating habits and the wider food culture you have been sampling all afternoon.

The tour ends back at the meeting point. That makes the route simple for the rest of your day. You can continue exploring central Reykjavik, return to your hotel, or make dinner plans without arranging a separate pickup.

How much food do you actually get?

The tastings are included in the $109.04 per-person price, which makes budgeting simple. You do not need to pay separately at Baka Baka, Taste of Iceland, or the other food stops listed on the route.

The harder question is value. At roughly two hours, the price is not cheap for a walking tour. You are paying for the food, the guide, the small group, and the convenience of having the stops arranged. You are also paying for conversation and local context, which you cannot get by walking into a café alone.

If you already have a list of Reykjavik bakeries and feel comfortable ordering on your own, you may get more food for less money by visiting the cafés independently. That was the strongest criticism of the experience, and it is worth taking seriously.

I see better value if you are new to Reykjavik, enjoy food stories, or want a friendly introduction without planning every stop yourself. The price also becomes easier to justify when the group is tiny. Several bookings ended up with only two people, creating a private-feeling walk without a private-tour price.

Do not eat a large meal beforehand. The route can include pastries, hot chocolate, candy, ice cream, skyr, cake, and savory bites. The practical advice from the food itself is simple: arrive hungry and leave room for dinner later.

The guide can shape the whole afternoon

This tour depends heavily on the person leading it. The food stops are appealing, but the route is compact and the walking portions are short. The guide supplies the energy, background, and personal connection.

Óli has been praised for keeping the conversation lively and offering useful Reykjavik suggestions. Thor has led tours focused on history, culture, and the stories behind each food. Gudjon has been described as fun and well informed, while Bo has combined city history with a welcoming manner.

Other named guides include Ester, Einar, Stefan, Mathias, Arnr, and Páll. You cannot choose your guide from the information provided, but the range of names gives you a sense of the company’s guide team.

For families, the guide’s attitude matters even more. Children have enjoyed the pastries, hot chocolate, candy, ice cream, and yogurt, while parents appreciated a guide who answered a steady stream of questions. The relaxed walking pace also helps, although the sugar intake can become its own kind of adventure.

Some guides take photos along the way and share them afterward. That is not presented as a guaranteed feature for every departure, so treat it as a possible extra rather than part of the core package.

Who should book this food tour?

I would recommend it most strongly to:

• First-time visitors who want quick bearings in central Reykjavik
• Families looking for an activity that keeps children interested
• Couples who like casual food stops and conversation
• People who want Icelandic stories with their tastings
• Anyone who prefers a planned route over researching cafés alone

I would be more cautious if you have strict dietary needs, dislike dairy, or want only sweet foods. I would also compare the price with the cost of visiting a few bakeries yourself if you already know the city well.

The tour is offered in English, uses a mobile ticket, and allows service animals. It begins at 2 p.m., lasts approximately two hours, and has a maximum of 12 people. Most people can take part, and the meeting point is near public transportation.

Because it is booked an average of 67 days ahead, I would reserve it early if the timing matters to you. Free cancellation is available until 24 hours before the start time. Cancellations or changes made inside that window are not accepted for a refund, and the company may offer another date or a full refund if it cannot meet the minimum number needed to operate.

Should you book the Icelandic Sweet Tooth Tour?

Book it if you want more than a list of cafés. The best version of this outing gives you Icelandic pastries, skyr, ice cream, and unusual local tastes while a friendly guide such as Óli or Thor explains the city around you.

Skip it if you want a large meal, a strictly dessert-only route, or the lowest possible food cost. You can explore Reykjavik’s bakeries on your own for less, but you will miss the easy conversation, personal stories, and ready-made route.

For most first-time visitors, I would schedule it on the first afternoon in Reykjavik, arrive hungry, wear shoes suited to a short city walk, and save dinner for later. It is a sweet introduction to the capital, with just enough fermented shark and dried haddock to remind you that Icelandic food is not all frosting.

FAQ

Where does the Icelandic Sweet Tooth Tour start?

It starts at Hlöllabátar, Ingólfstorgi 1, in Reykjavik. Your guide meets you by the two tall stone pillars in Ingólfur Square, in front of Center Hotels Plaza at Aðalstræti 6.

What time does the tour begin?

The tour starts at 2:00 p.m. and lasts approximately two hours.

What foods are included?

Included tastings can feature Icelandic pastries, hot chocolate, candy, skyr, fermented shark, ice cream at Valdis, and cake made with skyr at Dass Reykjavik. The exact selection may vary.

Is the tour suitable for someone who is lactose intolerant?

It is not recommended for people who are lactose intolerant because ice cream is part of the experience. No dairy-free replacement is specified.

How large is the group?

The tour has a maximum of 12 participants. Some departures may be much smaller, but a private group is not guaranteed.

Can I cancel for a full refund?

Yes. You can cancel at least 24 hours before the start time for a full refund. Cancellations or changes made less than 24 hours before the start time are not accepted for a refund.