Weekend Reykjavik Food Tour with a stop at the Reykjavik Flea Market

Reykjavik’s best food stories are often found in humble places: a harbor soup bowl, a hot-dog stand, a supermarket candy aisle, and a market counter selling foods that may look daring to first-time visitors. This three-hour walking tour strings those stops together while explaining how Iceland’s weather, fishing, farming, and volcanic soil shaped the local menu.

I like the small maximum of 12 people, which gives guides such as Óli, Stefán, Ester E, and Ólafur room to answer questions and adjust the pace. I also like that the food and drinks are included, so you can focus on tasting instead of keeping track of one small bill after another.

The main caution is that the flea market and hot-dog stop are not completely immune to city events, crowds, or long lines. One tour ran late and missed the market during a chaotic day, while another group could not get hot dogs because the queue was too long. If those two stops are your top priority, keep your schedule flexible.

Key points to know before booking

• Kolaportið is a real weekend stop: The Reykjavik Flea Market is open Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., so timing matters.
• The food is more than a snack crawl: Soup, market samples, a lamb hot dog, supermarket treats, dessert, and a final meat soup make this a filling introduction to Icelandic food.
• Guides shape the experience: Óli, Stefán, Ester E, Ólafur, and others have been praised for storytelling, humor, patience, and local knowledge.
• The route covers central Reykjavik: You begin at Ingolfur Square near the harbor and finish at Icelandic Street Food on Lækjargata.
• Expect some walking and stairs: The route is not strenuous, but parts go uphill, and some food stops involve stairs.
• You do not need to arrive hungry: All tastings, beverages, taxes, and an Icelandic alcoholic drink are included, and the food adds up quickly.

Why this is a smart first-day activity in Reykjavik

I would put this tour early in an Iceland trip, ideally on your first afternoon if the timing works. You get moving after a long flight, see several useful parts of central Reykjavik, and learn what to order later without spending your first day wandering into restaurants blind.

The route also gives you a quick orientation. You start by the harbor, pass through the downtown core, visit the flea market, stop at a famous hot-dog stall, look around a local supermarket, and finish near the center of town. That makes the tour useful beyond the food itself. Afterward, you will know where the harbor, central market, hot-dog stand, and several downtown streets are located.

The guide is a big part of the value. The strongest experiences have come from guides who tell stories about Icelandic food and explain why some dishes are common, scarce, or unusual. Ester E has been singled out for explaining how volcanic ground and difficult weather affect what Icelanders can grow and produce. Ólafur has been praised for answering questions without rushing. Stefán brings humor and trivia, while Óli has a calm, friendly manner.

This is not a formal lecture. It is a moving conversation with food in your hand, which suits Reykjavik well.

Starting at Ingolfur Square near the harbor

Meet at Ingolfur Square five minutes before departure. The listed meeting point is at Hlöllabátar, Ingólfstorgi 1, in central Reykjavik. There is no hotel pickup, so you need to make your own way to the square.

The starting point is convenient if you are staying downtown or arriving by public transportation. It also puts you near the old harbor, where the first tasting takes place. Give yourself a little extra time to find the square, especially if you are dealing with luggage, poor weather, or a busy city event.

The group limit is 12 people. That is small enough for the guide to hear questions and keep the group together without turning the walk into a private tour price. One booking even went ahead with only two people, creating an unusually personal outing.

Shellfish soup by the old Reykjavik harbor

The first proper tasting is Icelandic shellfish soup near the old harbor. This is a fitting opening: seafood is central to Icelandic food culture, and the harbor gives the dish a clear sense of place.

You get about 25 minutes here, enough time to eat and hear how seafood fits into Iceland’s food traditions. The soup has been one of the most praised tastings, with some people referring to it as lobster soup. It is a warm and approachable start before the tour moves on to more unusual foods.

If you have a fish or shellfish allergy, tell the provider ahead of time and remind the guide at the start. Substitutions have been handled successfully for people who could not eat fish, but you should not assume every tasting can be replaced without notice.

The soup also sets the right expectation for the tour. This is not only about famous Icelandic novelty foods. Much of it is everyday food, presented with context.

Kolaportið Flea Market and Iceland’s more unusual foods

Kolaportið is the most distinctive stop on the route. Inside Reykjavik’s Flea Market, you walk through a small food market filled with traditional Icelandic products. The stop lasts about 30 minutes.

This is where you may encounter foods such as dried cod and frozen sheep head, along with other items that do not usually appear on a standard restaurant menu. The point is not to force you to like every sample. It is to show how Icelanders preserved and used food in a country where farming conditions were tough and imported goods were once limited.

Some food experiences have included shark and whale meat. One person found the shark difficult to describe but was surprised by the steak-like taste of whale meat. Your guide should explain what you are seeing and eating, but the exact samples can vary.

The market is also worth seeing as a place, not just a tasting stop. It feels more useful than a polished souvenir shop because it gives you a look at local food habits and products. If you find something you like, you may want to return after the tour. One group did exactly that.

Here is the important practical point: Kolaportið is open only on Saturdays and Sundays, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The experience is specifically built around a weekend visit, but city events, timing problems, and unexpected delays can interfere. Check the scheduled start time carefully, and avoid booking something immediately afterward.

The original Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur hot dog

No Reykjavik food walk can ignore Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur, the famous hot-dog stand founded in 1937. The tour allows about 15 minutes for this stop and presents the Icelandic lamb hot dog as a key taste.

The hot dog is a fun cultural stop because it is quick, inexpensive, and woven into Reykjavik’s daily life. It is also a useful reminder that Icelandic food is not all preserved fish and old rural specialties.

Still, keep your expectations sensible. A hot dog is a hot dog. Some people find the Icelandic version memorable; others think it is simply fine and prefer the soup or market food. The experience can also be affected by the line. One group missed the tasting because the queue was too long, and a promised return voucher did not arrive.

That is the clearest weakness in the tour design. The hot-dog stand is a public business, not a reserved tasting room. If you are especially eager to try it, ask your guide early in the walk how the timing looks. You can also return on your own later if necessary, but the included tasting is part of what you paid for.

A supermarket stop for snacks and candy

The supermarket visit lasts around 10 minutes. At first, this may sound less exciting than a traditional market, but I think it adds useful contrast.

You see Icelandic snacks, candy, and other foods that locals buy for ordinary use. This helps you understand what is sold to residents rather than what is packaged only for visitors. It is also a good place to spot inexpensive edible souvenirs.

The stop is brief, so do not expect a full shopping trip. Instead, treat it as a quick guide to Icelandic flavors and brands. If you discover a candy or snack you like, you can return later with more time.

This part can be especially useful for families. Children may not want to sample shark or dried fish, but a supermarket aisle gives them something familiar to explore. Children must be accompanied by an adult.

Icelandic Street Food and the final meat soup

The tour ends at Icelandic Street Food, Lækjargata 8, with a large bowl of traditional meat soup. The final stop lasts about 45 minutes and is meant to be the substantial finish.

The soup is described as Iceland in a bowl, and that is a fair way to think about its role. After several small tastings, this gives you something warm and filling. It also keeps the tour from feeling like three hours of tiny samples that leave you searching for lunch immediately afterward.

The end point is in the heart of downtown, close to other sights and public transportation. That makes it easy to continue sightseeing, return to your hotel, or stop for another drink nearby.

The food total is more generous than the individual stop times might suggest. Soup, a hot dog, market items, snacks, dessert, and the final meat soup add up. One useful tip is simple: do not eat a full lunch beforehand. A participant who ignored that advice found the tour harder to manage.

What the $151.38 price really covers

At $151.38 per person, this is not a cheap way to grab lunch. You are paying for a guided food-and-history walk, several tastings, beverages, an alcoholic Icelandic drink, taxes, fees, and the convenience of a planned route.

The value depends on how much you want explanation with your food. If you only want a hot dog and soup, you can spend less by visiting places on your own. You would not, however, get the same sequence of stops or the guide’s stories about local customs, food production, and Reykjavik history.

I think the price makes the most sense for a first visit, especially if you enjoy trying things you might not order alone. It also works well for people who prefer to pay once rather than make several food decisions in an unfamiliar city.

The tour is booked, on average, about 55 days ahead. That suggests you should reserve early if your weekend dates are fixed. The 94 percent recommendation rate and 4.8 out of 5 rating indicate strong overall satisfaction, but the specific problems with missed stops show why you should not treat the advertised route as completely protected from city conditions.

Walking, weather, and physical effort

The walk is not described as strenuous, but it is not entirely flat or effortless. You may go uphill at times, and some restaurant stops involve stairs. If stairs or uneven walking are difficult for you, ask before booking so the operator can explain the route and possible limitations.

Reykjavik weather can change quickly, and the tour operates in all weather conditions. Wear a waterproof outer layer, warm clothing, and shoes with a good grip. A small umbrella is less useful than a proper rain shell in windy Iceland.

Because the tour moves between food stops, you are outside for part of the three hours. Dress for standing and walking, not just for sitting indoors with soup.

Food allergies and adventurous eaters

This experience suits curious eaters. You may encounter shark, dried cod, whale meat, sheep products, traditional soup, candy, and other Icelandic foods. You do not need to enjoy every item, but you should be willing to taste and listen.

Food allergies require advance planning. Fish-allergic diners have received successful substitutions, and allergy issues have been accommodated during other tours, but the standard route clearly includes seafood. Send your restrictions when booking and speak with the guide before the first tasting.

Picky eaters can still enjoy the tour, since not every stop is extreme. The lamb hot dog, shellfish soup, meat soup, supermarket snacks, and dessert provide a mix of familiar and unfamiliar flavors. Still, choose another activity if you want a predictable meal with no experimental foods.

The guides make or break the walking time

The most praised part of this experience is the human connection. Guides have included Óli, Stefán, Ester E, Ólafur, Einor, Robyn, Paul, and Bo, also identified as Sveinbjörn. Their styles differ, so your experience will depend partly on who leads the group.

The strongest guides add food stories, Icelandic history, humor, and practical city advice. They also handle small problems, such as a busy stop or a food establishment running behind. One guide adjusted the route after a booking mix-up and still made room for the flea market.

Not every guide is equally talkative. One person found it necessary to ask questions to draw out more information. That is a useful reminder that you will get more from the tour if you join the conversation rather than quietly follow at the back.

The tour can also run longer than the planned three hours. Do not book a tight museum time, airport transfer, or dinner reservation immediately afterward.

Who should book this Reykjavik food tour?

I would choose it for:

• First-time visitors who want a fast introduction to downtown Reykjavik
• People who enjoy food stories as much as food itself
• Families with older children or young adults who are willing to try local dishes
• Visitors arriving on a long-haul flight who want a gentle way to stay awake
• Anyone curious about Icelandic foods beyond the usual restaurant menu
• Small groups who value a guide and included tastings

I would hesitate if you need a guaranteed hot dog, a guaranteed flea-market visit, or a precise finish time. I would also reconsider it if stairs, uphill walking, seafood allergies, or adventurous foods are major concerns.

Cancellation is free up to 24 hours before the start time. Changes made less than 24 hours before departure are not accepted, and a minimum group size applies. If the operator cancels because that minimum is not reached, you are offered another date or experience, or a full refund.

Should you book it?

Yes, if you want a lively first look at Reykjavik through food, and you can keep the rest of your day open. The best parts are the combination of everyday eating and old Icelandic traditions, plus guides who explain why the food matters.

Book it for the stories, variety, and easy downtown route, not just for one famous hot dog. Aim for a weekend time that fits Kolaportið’s 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. opening hours, arrive five minutes early, dress for bad weather, and come with a healthy appetite. If the market and hot dog are essential, build in time to visit them independently as a backup.

FAQ

How long does the Reykjavik food tour last?

The tour lasts approximately three hours, though it may run longer than planned.

Where does the tour begin?

It begins at Hlöllabátar, Ingólfstorgi 1, at Ingolfur Square in central Reykjavik.

Where does the tour finish?

It ends at Icelandic Street Food, Lækjargata 8, in the heart of downtown Reykjavik.

Is the Reykjavik Flea Market open every day?

No. Kolaportið Flea Market is open Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

What food is included?

The tastings include Icelandic shellfish soup, traditional market foods, an Icelandic lamb hot dog, supermarket snacks and candy, dessert, and meat soup at Icelandic Street Food.

Are drinks included?

Yes. Beverages and an Icelandic alcoholic drink are included.

Is hotel pickup provided?

No. Hotel pickup and drop-off are not included. You must make your own way to the meeting point.

How many people can join the tour?

The maximum is 12 people per booking and 12 people on the activity.

Can children join the tour?

Yes, children can participate, but they must be accompanied by an adult.