Reykjavik: Christmas Food Tour with Tastings and Drinks

Reykjavik’s Christmas food traditions are wonderfully specific: crisp patterned laufabrauð, smoky lamb, reindeer paté, and a curious local mix of malt and orange soda. This three-hour walk pairs those flavors with Christmas lights and city decorations, so you get a taste of Iceland’s holiday season rather than just a restaurant meal.

I like the chance to try several foods in one sitting, especially the Little Christmas Store visit and locally inspired gift. I also like that the guide explains the story behind each dish and drink. The main drawback is the $173 price, which is a lot for a three-hour tour, especially if you are not keen on meat and fish.

Key points at a glance

• Traditional Christmas menu: Try smoked lamb, laufabrauð, glazed Hamborgarhrygg, reindeer paté, gravlax, and pickled herring.
• Three festive drinks: Taste Jólaöl, malt and appelsín, and warm Jólaglögg mulled wine.
• Reykjavik after dark: Walk among Christmas lights and decorations while moving between tastings.
• A small local shopping stop: Visit the Little Christmas Store for decorations, crafts, and seasonal gifts.
• Personal guiding: Palli has led the tour, and the English-speaking guide adds stories about Icelandic customs.
• Important food warning: The tour is not suitable for vegans or vegetarians, though other dietary needs can be discussed in advance.

Why Icelandic Christmas food is worth a dedicated tour

Icelandic holiday food is not always easy to decode from a standard restaurant menu. Some items are familiar in name, such as gravlax or mulled wine, while others are closely tied to Iceland’s own Christmas table. A guided tasting helps you understand what you are eating and why it matters.

The tour brings together foods with different textures and levels of intensity. Smoked lamb gives you a firm, savory bite. Laufabrauð is delicate and crisp, with fine cut patterns that make it look almost too pretty to eat. Reindeer paté brings a gamey flavor, while gravlax offers the cool, seasoned taste of cured fish.

That range is the point. You are not simply eating a large plate of one dish. You are comparing old holiday customs, preserved foods, festive sweets or breads, and modern serving styles in a short period.

I would choose this experience if you like trying local food in small portions and want a guide to fill in the cultural gaps. If you prefer familiar food, dislike fish, or want a full restaurant dinner, the menu may feel demanding and the price harder to justify.

Meeting at Ingólfstorg Square

The tour begins outside Hlöllabátar, the sandwich shop facing Ingólfstorg Square and its two tall stone pillars. CenterHotel Plaza is on your right, and the meeting area has benches, tables, and a covered ceiling. That makes it a practical place to wait, especially in winter weather.

Look for a guide wearing a light blue jacket with Your Friend in Reykjavik printed on the back. Palli has been specifically praised for combining useful information with humor and entertainment, so you may find the tour led by him, although the supplied details do not promise a particular guide for every departure.

Give yourself enough time to find the square without rushing. Reykjavik’s center is compact, but the meeting point includes recognizable landmarks rather than a large tour office. The Google Maps location supplied for the tour can help you confirm the spot before setting out.

There is no hotel pickup or drop-off. You need to reach the meeting point yourself and return to your own accommodation after the three-hour walk. That is normal for a central Reykjavik food tour, but it matters if you are staying outside the center or planning another activity immediately afterward.

Christmas lights turn the walk into part of the meal

The food is the main reason to book, but the walk through Reykjavik’s decorated streets gives the experience a seasonal shape. You are not seated in one place for three hours. Instead, you move through the city while the guide points out Christmas lights and decorations.

This is especially useful if your time in Reykjavik is short. You get an evening look at the center along with food and local stories, rather than having to arrange a separate Christmas lights walk. The decorations also create a natural pause between tastings.

Keep your expectations sensible. The description promises a guided tour of lights and decorations, not a full sightseeing tour of Reykjavik or a visit to every major seasonal display. The food remains the focus.

Winter conditions are part of the deal. The tour runs in all weather, so wear warm clothing and comfortable walking shoes. Reykjavik can be cold, wet, or windy, and standing outdoors between stops is much less pleasant if you dress only for the indoor portions.

Smoked lamb and laufabrauð introduce the menu

The first foods include smoked lamb and laufabrauð, two very different expressions of Icelandic Christmas cooking.

Smoked lamb has a firm texture and a strong savory taste. Smoking was historically a practical way to preserve meat, but it also became part of the flavor people associate with the holiday table. A small tasting is a good format for it because the taste is concentrated.

Laufabrauð means leaf bread, and its appearance is part of its appeal. The bread is cut with intricate patterns before being fried until crisp. You can think of it as a thin, decorative festive bread rather than a soft loaf. The fine patterns show the care that goes into traditional holiday preparation.

I particularly like this pairing because it moves from smoky and meaty to light and buttery. It also gives the guide an opening to explain how Icelandic Christmas foods are shaped by preservation, celebration, and family custom.

Do not expect the meal to begin with neutral, everyday food. This is a Christmas tasting, so the flavors can be salty, smoked, cured, or strongly seasoned from the start.

Hamborgarhrygg, reindeer paté, and cured fish

The menu then broadens with special glazed Hamborgarhrygg, reindeer paté, gravlax, and pickled herring. These are not interchangeable samples. Each brings a different preparation and a different idea of what belongs on a festive Icelandic table.

Hamborgarhrygg is a special glazed Christmas meat dish. The glaze adds a sweeter holiday note to the savory meat, giving you a contrast with the smoked lamb. Since the tour serves it as a sample, you can try the traditional preparation without committing to a full entrée.

Reindeer paté is one of the more distinctive tastings. Reindeer is not an everyday flavor for many visitors, and serving it as paté gives the meat a smooth, spreadable form. It is a memorable part of the menu, but anyone uncomfortable with game meat should know what to expect.

Gravlax is cured fish, usually served in thin slices. Its seasoning and soft texture make it quite different from smoked lamb or paté. Pickled herring brings a sharper, tangier profile. Together, these fish dishes show how curing and pickling remain important parts of Nordic food traditions.

This is where the tour’s limits become clear. If you do not eat fish, the menu loses two important tastings. If you avoid meat, you lose even more. The experience is not suitable for vegans or vegetarians, and you should contact the operator about allergies or other dietary restrictions before booking.

Jólaöl, malt and appelsín, and Jólaglögg

The drinks are not filler. They explain another part of Icelandic Christmas culture and help balance the savory food.

Jólaöl is described as a traditional Icelandic Christmas ale. Malt and appelsín is a beloved non-alcoholic holiday drink made from malt and orange soda. That combination may sound unusual if you have never had it, but the chance to try it is one of the tour’s most locally specific moments.

You also receive Jólaglögg, a warm mulled wine with the familiar holiday scent of spices. It adds a comforting hot drink to a menu that otherwise includes cold or room-temperature samples.

The mix of alcoholic and non-alcoholic choices makes the drinks section more varied than a simple beer-and-wine stop. Still, you should not treat the $173 price as the cost of an open bar. The information confirms drinks are included, but it does not promise unlimited pours or full-sized servings.

If you do not drink alcohol, the malt and appelsín gives you a meaningful local alternative. If you are expecting a cocktail-focused evening, this is not that kind of tour. The drinks are chosen for their connection to Christmas customs.

The Little Christmas Store adds a useful final stop

The visit to the Little Christmas Store gives the tour a change of pace after the food tastings. You can browse festive decorations, artisanal crafts, and seasonal treasures, then receive a locally inspired gift to take home.

This stop matters because it connects food with the wider holiday culture of Reykjavik. A small craft or decoration can be a more useful souvenir than another generic item from a souvenir shop. The gift also gives the experience a physical reminder beyond photographs.

The store is described as charming, but no exact shopping allowance or length of stay is provided. You should see it as a short seasonal stop, not a major shopping session. If you want time to buy presents, ask the guide how much time is available.

I like this addition because it keeps the tour from becoming a sequence of tastings with no sense of place. You get food, lights, stories, and a small look at local seasonal goods within one compact outing.

What the guide adds beyond the food

A good food tour is not just a meal divided into samples. The guide explains the history, stories, and cultural meaning attached to each dish and drink. That context helps you understand why a thin fried bread, a cured fish, or a Christmas beverage belongs on the table.

The guiding style matters here. Palli was singled out as an entertaining host who shared plenty of information, and that combination is exactly what this format needs. Food facts alone can become dry. A guide who keeps the talk lively makes the walking time pass easily.

The tour is in English. A private group option is available if you want a more personal format, though the information provided does not specify the private-group price or maximum number of people.

You should also tell the operator about allergies and dietary needs at booking. The operator says the experience can be tailored for specific needs, but the tour is explicitly not suitable for vegans or vegetarians. That means flexibility exists, but it has limits.

Is $173 a fair price for three hours?

At $173 per person, this is a premium activity. You are paying for a local guide, multiple food tastings, several drinks, the Christmas lights walk, the Little Christmas Store visit, and a gift. You are also paying for the convenience of having the menu explained as you go.

The value is strongest if you would otherwise book several separate food stops and spend time researching Icelandic Christmas dishes yourself. It is also stronger for first-time visitors who want a planned seasonal activity in central Reykjavik.

The value is weaker if your main goal is simply to eat a large dinner. Tastings are designed to give you variety, not necessarily to replace a full evening meal. You may still want dinner afterward, depending on how generous the portions are.

One verified booking rated the tour highly but considered the price somewhat high. That is a fair warning, not a reason to dismiss it. This experience makes more sense as a special Christmas activity than as a budget meal.

The free cancellation policy allows you to cancel up to 24 hours ahead for a full refund, and you can reserve now and pay later. Those options help if your winter plans are still shifting, but they do not change the basic price question.

Who will enjoy this Reykjavik food walk?

I would recommend it most to you if you:

• Like trying local meat, fish, cured foods, and unusual seasonal dishes.
• Want an English-speaking guide to explain what you are eating.
• Are visiting Reykjavik during the Christmas season and want lights and decorations included.
• Prefer several small tastings to one standard restaurant meal.
• Enjoy a little browsing and would appreciate a local gift.
• Can walk outdoors for three hours in winter conditions.

I would hesitate if you are vegan or vegetarian, since the tour is not designed for those diets. I would also pause if you dislike smoked food, cured fish, pickled flavors, game meat, or rich holiday dishes.

Families and mixed groups may need to discuss the menu before booking. The activity is wheelchair accessible, but the tour still involves moving through city streets and operating in all weather. Ask the operator about your specific needs rather than assuming every food item can be replaced.

Practical tips for a warmer, better evening

Wear your warmest practical layers, not just a stylish Christmas sweater. Comfortable shoes are essential, since the experience combines walking, outdoor stops, and food.

Tell the operator about allergies and dietary restrictions before the tour. This is especially important because the menu includes meat, fish, dairy-rich foods, and drinks with different ingredients. Do not wait until the meeting point to raise a serious allergy.

Arrive at the Hlöllabátar meeting point with a little spare time. The covered waiting area is helpful, but finding a central square can still take longer than expected if you are unfamiliar with Reykjavik.

Do not plan the tour around smoking stops. Smoking is not allowed during the activity.

Finally, keep some room in your evening for the experience to be your main event. The combination of food, walking, conversation, and the Christmas store is more enjoyable when you are not racing to a dinner reservation across town.

Should you book the Reykjavik Christmas Food Tour?

Book it if you want a guided introduction to Icelandic Christmas food and like the idea of tasting several distinctive dishes in one evening. The smoked lamb, patterned laufabrauð, reindeer paté, cured fish, local Christmas drinks, lights, and small gift create a full seasonal experience rather than a simple meal.

Skip it if $173 feels too high for tastings, if you need a plant-based menu, or if you want a long sit-down dinner. For the right eater, the tour offers a useful mix of food and culture, with Palli’s lively guiding style adding appeal when he leads the group. For everyone else, Reykjavik has cheaper ways to sample food, though few combine these particular Christmas traditions in three hours.

FAQ

How long is the Reykjavik Christmas Food Tour?

The tour lasts three hours.

How much does the tour cost?

The listed price is $173 per person.

What food is included?

Tastings include smoked lamb, laufabrauð, glazed Hamborgarhrygg, reindeer paté, gravlax, and pickled herring.

What drinks are included?

You can taste Jólaöl, malt and appelsín, and Jólaglögg mulled wine.

Is the tour suitable for vegetarians or vegans?

No. The activity is listed as not suitable for vegans or vegetarians.

Can dietary restrictions or allergies be accommodated?

The operator asks you to provide dietary restrictions or allergies when booking and says the experience can be tailored for specific needs. The tour is still not suitable for vegans or vegetarians.

Where does the tour meet?

You meet outside Hlöllabátar the Sandwich Shop, facing Ingólfstorg Square and the two tall stone pillars. CenterHotel Plaza is to the right.

How will I recognize the guide?

The local guides usually wear a light blue jacket with Your Friend in Reykjavik written on the back.

Is hotel pickup included?

No. Hotel pickup and drop-off are not included, so you need to make your own way to the meeting point and leave from there afterward.