Reykjavik: The Icelandic Sweet Tooth Tour

Iceland’s sweet side is more varied than a quick stop at a souvenir shop suggests. On this two-hour walk through central Reykjavik, you sample kleina, snúður, chocolate, licorice, candy, and ice cream while your guide explains how these treats fit into daily Icelandic life. I like the small group, capped at 12, and the mix of bakeries, specialist shops, and an ice cream parlor. I also like that the route gives you practical food tips for the rest of your stay.

The main thing to consider is the $90 price. That is fair if you enjoy guided tastings and want a friendly introduction to Icelandic sweets, but it is more than you would spend buying one pastry and a candy bar on your own. The selection changes with the season, day, and time, so you should book this for the experience and local guidance, not for one guaranteed signature item.

Key points at a glance

• Kleina and snúður provide the Icelandic starting point: Try the deep-fried pastry and cinnamon roll that help define the local bakery tradition.
• Licorice is part of the fun, not a test: Icelandic licorice is described as sweet and mild, with non-licorice options available if it is not your taste.
• Six central stops keep the walk varied: You move from Ingólfur Square to Baka Baka, Laugavegur, Loo.koo.mas, Ísbúðin litla Valdís, and Taste of Iceland.
• The group stays small: A maximum of 12 people makes it easier to ask questions and keep the food stops manageable.
• Your guide adds useful Reykjavik advice: Guides such as Matthias and Oli have brought food knowledge, history, and practical recommendations to the walk.
• The tour ends where it begins: Starting and finishing at Ingólfur Square makes it easy to fit into a day of sightseeing.

Why Icelandic sweets are worth your time

Icelandic food culture is often reduced to dramatic specialties and strong flavors. Sweets offer a gentler introduction. They show you what people pick up at a bakery, share with friends, or eat during an ordinary afternoon in Reykjavik.

You get a taste of that everyday side on this walk. The stops are not limited to one formal tasting room. You enter working bakeries and local shops, which gives the experience a more useful shape. You see where the food is sold, hear how it is made, and get suggestions for places to eat and drink after the tour.

The route also covers several kinds of sweetness. Pastry gives you a warm, baked start. Chocolate brings in local ingredients such as licorice, birch sugar, and wild berries. Ice cream adds a cold break, and the candy stop lets you compare familiar chocolate bars with Icelandic combinations.

That range matters. If you only like cakes, you still have the bakery stops. If you prefer candy or chocolate, those parts receive proper attention. If you are curious about Icelandic licorice but unsure about it, the guide can offer alternatives.

Starting at Ingólfur Square

The tour begins at Ingólfur Square, beside two stone pillars more than three meters high. The meeting point is in front of Center Hotels Plaza at Aðalstræti 6, near the beginning of Austurstræti.

This detail matters because Reykjavik has several statues and squares that can cause confusion. Do not head for the statue of Ingólfur Arnarson or the statue of Jón Sigurðsson at Austurvöllur. The correct spot is Ingólfur Square, by the tall stone pillars.

I would arrive at least five minutes early. Guides usually wear a light blue jacket marked Your Friend in Reykjavik on the back, which helps you spot the group. If you are walking down Laugavegur, continue straight until you reach the square. Using Google Maps is a sensible move, since Icelandic street names can be tricky to read and pronounce.

The opening 10-minute stop includes a short guided look around the square. It is not a major sightseeing visit, but it gives the guide a chance to introduce the route and set the food in a local context.

Baka Baka and the first pastry tasting

The first substantial stop is Baka Baka, where you spend about 25 minutes tasting food. The bakery visit usually introduces traditional Icelandic pastries, including kleina.

Kleina is a deep-fried pastry with a shape somewhat like a small twisted doughnut. It is one of the most useful things to try early in the tour because it feels distinctly tied to Icelandic baking rather than simply being an imported candy product. Your guide explains the pastry’s background and how bakers prepare it.

You may also taste Danish pastry or other bakery items. The exact selection changes, so do not expect a fixed menu. One pastry that received particularly strong praise was the Danish pastry, and the cocoa at Baka Baka has also been singled out as a highlight.

This stop is a good measure of the tour’s style. You are not simply handed food and sent on your way. You get a little context, a chance to ask questions, and an introduction to the way Icelanders enjoy bakery treats. The limitation is that bakery samples depend on what is available that day.

Walking Laugavegur between the food stops

After the bakery, the group spends around 20 minutes walking and sightseeing along Laugavegur. This is Reykjavik’s main shopping street, so it links the tastings with the city center rather than sending you across town.

The walk gives you time to finish one sample before the next stop. It also lets the guide point out places to eat and drink. That advice can be useful if this is your first day in Reykjavik and you are still trying to understand where the central streets lead.

Do not expect a full city tour. The purpose is to connect sweet shops and bakeries, with sightseeing along the way. That focus keeps the experience manageable, but it means you should pair it with a separate Reykjavik walking tour if you want a broad introduction to the city’s landmarks.

Loo.koo.mas and Icelandic candy culture

The next stop is Loo.koo.mas, with about 15 minutes set aside for shopping. This is where the tour shifts from fresh pastry to packaged sweets and specialist products.

Icelandic candy often includes licorice, and this is one of the best places to try it in different forms. The local style is described as sweet and mild, which may surprise you if your only experience with licorice has been a sharp or bitter variety.

Licorice also appears alongside chocolate. Þristur is a well-known example, combining chocolate and licorice in the same sweet. Draumur, an iconic Icelandic chocolate bar, may also appear during the candy portion.

If you dislike licorice, you do not need to force yourself through every sample. Other choices are available. Still, I would try at least a small piece if you are open to it. The pairing of chocolate and licorice is one of the tour’s more distinctive food lessons, and you may find the flavor more approachable than expected.

The shopping element gives you a practical advantage. You can identify candy to take home, compare labels, and ask the guide what locals actually enjoy. Since the stop is short, it is more about sampling and orientation than an extended shopping session.

Ísbúðin litla Valdís for a cold break

The ice cream stop at Ísbúðin litla Valdís lasts about 20 minutes. Icelanders eat ice cream even in cold weather, so this is not just a tourist-friendly dessert stop. It offers a small look at a familiar local habit.

You can choose from several flavors. Possible options include licorice and skyr, Iceland’s thick cultured dairy product. The exact choices can change, but the point is to compare familiar ice cream with flavors connected to Icelandic ingredients and tastes.

This is also a welcome change of pace. After pastries and chocolate, a cold and creamy sample keeps the tasting from feeling too heavy. The downside is simple: if you are already full, the ice cream may be the point where you need to slow down.

The tour is designed around samples rather than full meals, but this is still a lot of sugar in two hours. Eat a sensible breakfast or lunch before you arrive, and think of the tastings as small portions. That approach lets you enjoy the variety without turning the final candy stop into a chore.

Taste of Iceland and the final candy round

The final tasting stop is Taste of Iceland, where you spend about 20 minutes sampling more sweets. This gives you a second chance to try Icelandic candy and chocolate after you have already learned the basic flavors.

The last stop can include items such as Draumur or Þristur, along with other candy sold in Iceland. Again, the day and season affect what is served. The guide may also include an unexpected local food sample. One past group tasted dried fish along with the sweets, a reminder that Icelandic snacking is not limited to sugar.

Ending with candy works well because it leaves you with products you can recognize later in a supermarket or shop. You may decide to buy a few bars for the journey home, or simply remember which combinations you liked.

The route then returns to Ingólfur Square. You do not need to arrange a taxi or find your way back from an unfamiliar neighborhood. That simple finish makes the tour easy to combine with other central Reykjavik plans.

What the guide adds to the food

The food is the hook, but the guide is what turns this from a shopping list into a cultural walk. Your English-speaking guide explains the pastries, candy, and ingredients, then adds recommendations for places to eat and drink.

Guides including Matthias and Oli have led this experience. Matthias has been praised for being personable and relaxed, while Oli has been credited with making the group laugh and offering a wide range of food. Those details suggest a friendly style rather than a formal lecture.

You also get small pieces of local context. The guide can explain why kleina matters, how a bakery makes its pastries, and why licorice appears so often in Icelandic sweets. These points are modest, but they help you understand the food instead of merely consuming it.

For solo visitors, the format is particularly useful. A small guided group gives you company for two hours, and the route helps you get your bearings in central Reykjavik quickly. You can ask where to find dinner, which shops are worth another visit, or what local product makes a good gift.

Is $90 good value?

At $90 per person, this is not the cheapest way to eat sweets in Reykjavik. You could buy a pastry, chocolate bar, and ice cream yourself for much less.

The value comes from the combination of several tastings, a local guide, and a compact walking route. You are paying for access to a planned selection, explanations of the food, and recommendations that can improve the rest of your stay. The small group also matters because 12 people is easier to manage than a large bus-style outing.

I would consider the price fair for people who enjoy food tours and want more than a self-guided snack stop. It is less compelling if you already know Reykjavik well, dislike guided activities, or want a substantial meal rather than samples.

The changing selection cuts both ways. It keeps the tour seasonal and flexible, but no particular pastry, chocolate, or ice cream flavor is guaranteed. Book it for variety and discovery, not for a promise of one exact brand or item.

Who will enjoy this tour most?

I would recommend it to anyone with a serious sweet tooth, especially first-time visitors who want a gentle introduction to Icelandic food culture. It also suits solo visitors who like meeting a small group while walking around a new city.

Families may enjoy the ice cream and candy, though the tour’s value depends on how much the children care about the explanations between tastings. Adults who are curious about licorice will get the most distinctive experience, but those who dislike it still have other options.

The tour is also useful early in a Reykjavik stay. You can use the guide’s restaurant and café suggestions later, and you will recognize several local products when you see them in shops.

I would not choose it as your only Reykjavik sightseeing activity. The route includes some sightseeing along Laugavegur, but the main purpose is food. Pair it with a broader city walk if you want more landmarks and local history.

Wear clothing suited to Icelandic weather. The tour is outdoors between stops, and the weather can change quickly. The activity is listed as wheelchair accessible, but you may still want to confirm any route concerns when booking if you require specific access arrangements.

Booking details that affect your day

The experience lasts two hours, with starting times shown according to availability. It begins and ends at Ingólfur Square, so it fits neatly into a day based in central Reykjavik.

An English-speaking live guide leads the group. Cancellation is free up to 24 hours before the start for a full refund, and you can reserve now and pay later, which helps if your Iceland schedule is still shifting.

The tour accepts a maximum of 12 people. That limit is one of its practical strengths. You can hear the guide, ask questions, and move into small shops without the group feeling unwieldy.

The included food consists of pastry, sweets, and ice cream samples. Drinks, extra purchases, and a full meal are not listed as part of the experience, so budget separately if you want coffee or souvenirs.

Should you book the Icelandic Sweet Tooth Tour?

Book it if you want a relaxed, social way to learn about Icelandic pastries, candy, chocolate, and ice cream. The strongest reasons are the variety, the small group, the central route, and the chance to try local combinations such as chocolate with licorice and flavors linked to skyr.

Skip it if $90 feels high for samples, or if you prefer to choose your own bakeries and shops. You can certainly explore Reykjavik’s sweets independently.

For most first-time visitors who enjoy food tours, I think the tour earns its place in a Reykjavik schedule. Go with room in your appetite, arrive early at the correct stone pillars, and keep an open mind about licorice. That is where the Icelandic character of the experience comes through most clearly.

FAQ

Where does the Icelandic Sweet Tooth Tour begin?

It begins at Ingólfur Square in central Reykjavik, by the two stone pillars over three meters high. The square is in front of Center Hotels Plaza at Aðalstræti 6.

Where does the tour end?

The tour ends back at Ingólfur Square, the same place where it begins.

How long does the experience last?

The tour lasts two hours. Starting times depend on availability.

What food is included?

The tour includes samples of Icelandic pastry, sweets, and ice cream. Possible items include kleina, snúður, chocolate, candy, and local ice cream flavors.

Will I have to eat licorice?

No. Licorice is part of Icelandic candy culture and may be included, but other options are available if you do not like it.

Is the tour conducted in English?

Yes. A live English-speaking guide leads the experience.

How many people can join the group?

The tour is always a small-group experience with a maximum of 12 people.

What should I wear?

Wear clothing suitable for the weather, since you walk outdoors between bakeries and shops.