Reykjavik: Christmas Food Tour with Tastings and Drinks

GYG

Reykjavik: Christmas Food Tour with Tastings and Drinks

★ 4.8(5 reviews)

• Guide works in English
• Duration per the operator: 3 hours

from $169

See dates, price and what is included at the operator

A Three-Hour Christmas Food Walk Through Reykjavik

This tour is a walking introduction to Reykjavik's Christmas food scene, run by a local operator called Your Friend In Reykjavik. It lasts three hours and starts in the city itself, so you will not need to factor in travel time to reach a departure point outside town. The itinerary takes in Reykjavik and also reaches Vík í Mýrdal, which is a long way south along the coast, so the three hours cover travel as well as the tastings themselves. The tour is guided in English by a local guide, and the focus is on what Icelanders actually eat and drink around the holidays rather than on the sights you might see on a standard city tour. It suits someone who wants to understand the food culture through a local's eyes, and who is happy to spend a winter afternoon moving between stops rather than sitting down to one long meal. The price starts at 169 USD, which puts it in the middle of the range for food tours in Reykjavik. You will be walking and riding between two quite different places, so the total time on your feet is limited, but the day is built around tasting rather than sightseeing.

Photographs from the operator Your Friend In Reykjavik. They show the listing, not your day.

What the Price Covers and What You Pay on the Day

The listed price of from 169 USD covers the guided tour itself, the tastings at the stops, and the drinks that come with them. The operator does not break the price down into individual items, so you will not know exactly how much of that figure goes to each tasting until you are on the tour. Hotel pickup is not part of the deal, which means you make your own way to the starting point in Reykjavik. The tour is led in English by a local guide, and that is included in the price. Free cancellation is offered, though the operator does not give a deadline for it, so you should check the terms when you book if that matters to you. No other fees apply to the places on the itinerary. Neither Reykjavik nor Vík í Mýrdal charges admission or parking for the stops on this tour, so the 169 USD is effectively the whole cost unless you choose to buy something extra at a stop on your own. The operator does not say whether drinks beyond the ones included are available to purchase, and does not mention any meal beyond the tastings, so plan on the assumption that the tour provides the food and drink it names and nothing more.

What the Score Is Worth

The tour carries a rating of 4.8 out of 5, which looks strong at first glance. The problem is that this score comes from only five reviews. That is a very thin base, and it means the number tells you almost nothing about how consistent the experience is. Five people who happened to enjoy themselves can produce a perfect score, and five people who had a bad day can sink it just as easily. In the food tours category, which holds 21 listings, this tour ranks 11th by the number of reviews it has collected. That puts it in the middle of the pack, not because the score is low but because so few people have bothered to rate it. The price, at from 169 USD, ranks 12th of 21, which is also mid-field in a group that ranges from 39 to 1,348 USD. So you are paying a fairly typical amount for a tour whose reputation is essentially unproven. The few people who have reviewed it were happy, but you would be wise to treat the 4.8 as a suggestion rather than a guarantee.

When to Take This Tour

This is a Christmas food tour, so the season is built into the concept. The tour runs during the holiday period, which in Iceland means December, when the average high in Reykjavik is 3 degrees and the low drops to minus 2. The daylight hours are very short at that time of year, and the three-hour duration means the tour will likely start in the afternoon and finish after dark. The temperatures are cold but not extreme, so the main concern is dressing for the wind and the damp rather than for deep cold. The tour also reaches Vík í Mýrdal, which is further south and can be noticeably colder and windier than Reykjavik, though no separate figures are given for it. The weather in December is unpredictable, with rain, sleet, and snow all possible, and the short days mean you will see the stops in artificial light for part of the tour. If you are visiting outside the Christmas season, this particular tour will not be running, so it is tied to a winter visit rather than a year-round option.

What Happens When the Tour Starts

You meet your guide in Reykjavik at the starting point, which the operator does not specify in advance. The guide is local and leads the tour in English, so you will hear the stories behind the food from someone who grew up with it. The tour moves between Reykjavik and Vík í Mýrdal, which means there is driving involved, and the weather in December can close roads in that part of the coast. If the conditions turn bad, the guide has the authority to adjust the route, and that is part of the job rather than a failure of the tour. The stops themselves are food venues rather than outdoor sights, so you will be indoors for the tastings, but the travel between them is exposed to the weather. There is no mention of any meeting point details beyond the city, so you should confirm the exact location when you book. The tour is not wheelchair accessible, so if you have mobility needs this is not the right choice.

Who This Tour Suits and Who Should Look Elsewhere

This tour is for someone who wants to taste Icelandic Christmas food and drink with a local guide, and who is comfortable with a tour that involves travel between two towns rather than a single walking loop. It suits a visitor who is already in Reykjavik during the holiday season and who wants a structured introduction to the food culture without having to research the stops themselves. It is not for anyone who needs wheelchair access, since the operator explicitly rules that out. It is also not for someone who wants a tour with a proven track record, given the very small number of reviews. If you want a food tour with a much larger base of ratings, the Guided Foodie Walking Tour with 6 Tastings runs for the same three hours, costs from 150 USD, and has a 4.9 rating from 1,933 reviews. That tour stays in Reykjavik and has far more evidence behind it, so if the thin review count on this one bothers you, that is the safer alternative.

GYG

Reykjavik: Christmas Food Tour with Tastings and Drinks

Dates, remaining places and the current version of what is included are at the operator. This page reflects the state of the catalogue, not the state of this morning.

from $169

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