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

Reykjavik’s food story is best understood one small bite at a time, and this tour gives you a useful first taste: shellfish soup by the harbor, the original lamb hot dog stand, unusual Icelandic foods at Kolaportið, and a final bowl of meat soup. It is part meal, part city walk, and part cultural lesson.

I like the small maximum of 12 people, which gives you a better chance to ask questions and hear your guide. I also like the central route, since it helps you get your bearings on your first day. The main catch is timing: the flea market is open only on Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and busy city events or a long hot dog line can change the planned route.

Key points at a glance

• Shellfish soup by the old harbor: Your first tasting connects Iceland’s fishing culture with a warm local dish.
• Kolaportið on weekends only: This is a real food market stop, but it cannot be offered in the same way outside Saturday and Sunday opening hours.
• The original lamb hot dog stall: Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur has served hot dogs since 1937, though lines can affect the stop.
• Food, stories, and city orientation: Guides such as Óli, Stefán, Ester, and Ólafur have been praised for humor, local detail, and easy conversation.
• A filling finish: Icelandic Street Food serves a large bowl of traditional meat soup with an Icelandic drink.
• A walk with a few stairs and hills: The route is not strenuous, but it is not entirely flat.

What this Reykjavik food tour is really like

This is a compact downtown walking tour rather than a restaurant crawl. Over roughly three hours, you move between food stops while your guide explains Icelandic customs, food traditions, and parts of Reykjavik’s past.

The pace is usually easy enough for most people. You will walk through central streets, go up and down some stairs, and encounter a few uphill sections. I would not call it a hard walk, but anyone with mobility concerns should ask about the route before booking.

The group can hold up to 12 people. That size matters. A good guide can adjust the conversation, answer questions, and keep the group together without making you feel like one person in a crowd. Some departures have been much smaller, even just two people, and the tour has still gone ahead.

The meeting point is Ingolfur Square, near Hlöllabátar. Arrive five minutes early. The tour ends at Icelandic Street Food on Lækjargata, right in central Reykjavik, so you finish near shops, sights, and public transportation rather than being left on the edge of town.

Starting at the harbor with shellfish soup

The first proper stop takes you toward Reykjavik’s old harbor for an Icelandic shellfish soup. This is a sensible opening dish. Seafood is central to Icelandic food culture, and the harbor gives the tasting a clear setting rather than presenting it as an unrelated sample.

You can expect about 25 minutes here. That leaves time to eat, listen, and ask about Icelandic seafood without turning the stop into a long sit-down meal.

The soup also sets the tone for the tour. You are not simply checking off famous dishes. You are being shown how location, weather, fishing, and local eating habits connect. If you are unsure about seafood, this is one of the more important stops to consider before booking.

Fish allergies do not automatically make the tour impossible. A past group received strong substitutions for a fish allergy, and other food stops may offer alternatives. Still, I would make any allergy clear at booking. The tour includes several seafood-related foods, and substitutions should be confirmed rather than assumed.

Kolaportið, Reykjavik’s weekend food market

Kolaportið is the tour’s most distinctive stop for many people. It sits inside the Reykjavik Flea Market and offers a look at traditional Icelandic foods in a casual market setting.

Allow about 30 minutes. Your guide leads you through the small food market and points out local products and unusual items. You might see dried cod, frozen sheep head, and other foods that are not common sights in a standard supermarket or restaurant.

The market is also where the tour feels most tied to everyday Reykjavik. You are not just tasting a polished version of Iceland. You are seeing the kinds of foods that carry older traditions, strong flavors, and a fair amount of local curiosity.

There is one important practical point: Kolaportið is open only on Saturdays and Sundays, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. If the market matters most to you, book a weekend departure that fits those hours and confirm the stop will operate on your chosen date.

The market visit can be brief. If you want time to browse stalls or shop for souvenirs, plan to return after the tour. One useful advantage of the tour ending downtown is that Kolaportið is easy to revisit on your own.

The Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur hot dog stop

No Reykjavik food walk can ignore Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur, the famous hot dog stall dating from 1937. The tour treats it as a key stop and presents the Icelandic lamb hot dog as an essential local taste.

You have about 15 minutes here. That is enough for a quick serving when the line is manageable, but not enough to guarantee a relaxed stop during a busy period.

This is the stop most likely to affect your impression of the tour. Some departures have reached the stall without trouble. On others, the line has been too long, and the hot dog tasting was missed. A voucher was promised on one occasion but did not arrive, so you should not treat a missed serving as automatically solved.

The hot dog itself is also a matter of taste. Some people find it memorable; others find it less exciting than the reputation suggests. I would try it with an open mind, but I would not book the tour solely for this one bite.

If the hot dog is high on your Iceland list, ask your guide at the start how the stop is looking. You can also return on your own after the tour if needed, though the included tasting is part of the value you are paying for.

A supermarket stop for snacks and candy

The supermarket visit lasts about 10 minutes, but it fills an important gap. You get to see Icelandic snacks, sweets, and everyday foods in the place locals actually buy them.

This stop is less dramatic than the harbor soup or the hot dog stall. Its value is practical. It helps you identify Icelandic candy and packaged foods you may want to take home, and it shows how local tastes appear outside traditional dishes.

The tour is not limited to formal food culture. Icelandic eating also includes supermarket treats, unusual snacks, and familiar foods with local twists. For families, this may be one of the easiest stops because everyone can compare flavors and choose favorites.

The exact products can change. Do not expect a fixed display or a guaranteed item. The guide’s explanation is the point, not a specific packet of candy.

Finishing with meat soup at Icelandic Street Food

The final stop is Icelandic Street Food on Lækjargata, where you receive a large bowl of meat soup. The dish is described as Iceland in a bowl, and it makes sense as the closing meal after several smaller tastings.

You spend about 45 minutes here, longer than at most earlier stops. That gives you time to sit, eat properly, and talk with the rest of the group. An Icelandic drink is included, and the tour also lists beverages and alcoholic beverages among its inclusions.

This is the stop that keeps the experience from feeling like a string of tiny samples. You may not eat a full restaurant lunch at every stage, but the final soup makes the overall food amount more substantial.

One past group felt the food was not quite enough for lunch, describing the portions before the final meal as small. Another group found the food filling. My advice is simple: do not eat a full lunch before the tour, but do not arrive expecting a long, multi-course restaurant meal either.

The tour can include unusual tastes beyond the fixed highlights. Depending on the day and guide, groups have encountered shark, whale meat, dried cod, and rye bread ice cream. These foods should be treated as possible extras or variations, not guaranteed menu items.

The guides shape the experience

The strongest part of this tour is often the person leading it. Óli has been praised for a calm, friendly manner and for taking group photos. Stefán is known for humor and lively stories. Ester has been singled out for explaining Icelandic history, food traditions, and the limits that volcanic land and harsh weather place on farming.

Ólafur has been described as a patient storyteller who welcomes questions, even when they take the conversation off course. Other guides, including Paul, Einor, Robyn, and Bo, have also led departures.

Guide quality can vary, as it does on any walking tour. One group found its guide too quiet and had to ask questions to draw out more detail. That is worth knowing if you want a nonstop lecture. The better approach is to ask questions early. This format works best as a conversation, not as a scripted performance.

The guide also has to handle real city conditions. A crowded street, a long queue, a changed meeting point, or a citywide event can force adjustments. A capable guide can keep the tour useful, but the route may not match every detail on your booking day.

Timing, weather, and the walking route

The tour runs for about three hours, though one group reported that it lasted longer than expected. Avoid scheduling a tight activity immediately afterward. Give yourself extra time, especially if you need to cross town or catch transport.

Reykjavik weather can change quickly, and the tour operates in all weather conditions. Wear waterproof outer layers and shoes that can handle wet streets. You will be outside between food stops, so this is not an indoor tasting class.

The route is central and close to public transportation. There is no hotel pickup or drop-off, so you must reach Ingolfur Square yourself. The end point at Icelandic Street Food is also central, which makes it convenient for continuing your day.

Large city events can create trouble. A cultural festival, marathon, or other downtown event has caused crowded streets, delayed starts, and route changes. In one case, a last-minute meeting-point change pushed the tour back nearly an hour and the group missed Kolaportið. These disruptions are not normal, but they are a reason to avoid booking this as your only fixed plan for the day.

Is $151.38 a fair price?

At $151.38 per person, this is not a cheap way to eat in Reykjavik. You are paying for several tastings, drinks, an English-speaking guide, local context, and the convenience of having the food choices organized for you.

The value improves if you are new to Reykjavik. In three hours, you get a basic map of central streets, several foods you might not order alone, and ideas for what to seek out later. A good guide can also explain what you are seeing in the supermarket or market, something you would miss by simply walking through on your own.

The price feels less attractive if you mainly want a large meal or if you already know Reykjavik’s food scene. The hot dog, soup, and market items can be found separately, and the tour does not guarantee every unusual food mentioned by past groups.

For me, the tour makes the most sense as an orientation experience on your first day. It gives you a reason to stay awake after a long flight, and several people have found the walking and food useful for getting past jet lag. Do not eat a full lunch first, since the stops add up.

Who should book this experience?

I would recommend it to first-time visitors who want a friendly introduction to Reykjavik without committing to a long or strenuous excursion. It also suits curious eaters who want to try local foods with someone there to explain what they are eating.

Families can enjoy it, provided children are accompanied by an adult. The small group size helps, and substitutions have been possible for at least some dietary needs.

You should think twice if you need a fully fixed schedule, require guaranteed access to the flea market, or are mainly interested in one specific food. The market depends on weekend hours, the hot dog stop can be affected by queues, and city events can disrupt the route.

The tour has a 4.8 rating from 47 published ratings, with 94 percent recommending it. The most consistent strengths are the guides, the mix of food and history, and the useful downtown orientation. The clearest weaknesses are occasional missed stops, uneven guide talk, and portions that may feel light before the final soup.

Should you book the Reykjavik food tour?

Book it if you want a social first-day introduction to Reykjavik, enjoy trying foods you might not choose alone, and can keep your schedule flexible. The shellfish soup, Kolaportið market, lamb hot dog, supermarket treats, and meat soup create a good spread of Icelandic tastes.

Skip it if you want a guaranteed flea-market visit on a weekday, a large sit-down lunch, or a tightly controlled route. If you do book, choose a weekend during market hours, arrive early at Ingolfur Square, dress for rain, and leave room in your day for delays. Cancel without penalty at least 24 hours before the start if your plans change.

FAQ

How long does the Reykjavik food tour last?

The experience is scheduled for about three hours. It can run longer, so avoid booking another activity too tightly afterward.

Where does the tour start?

The meeting point is Hlöllabátar at Ingólfstorg, Ingolfur Square, in central Reykjavik. You should arrive five minutes before the starting time.

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, inside the Reykjavik Flea Market, is open Saturdays and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The market stop may not be available in the same way outside those hours.

What food and drinks are included?

The tour includes food tastings, beverages, and an Icelandic drink. Planned tastings include shellfish soup, the Icelandic lamb hot dog, Icelandic snacks and candy, market foods, and meat soup.

How many people can join the tour?

The maximum is 12 participants per booking. The tour can also operate with a much smaller group.

Can I cancel for a refund?

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