Reykjavik: The Icelandic Sweet Tooth Tour

Iceland’s sweet tooth has a few surprises, and this tour gets straight to them. Over two hours, you’ll move through central Reykjavik for kleina, snúður, chocolate, candy, and ice cream, with Icelandic licorice appearing often but never as your only choice. The food changes with the day and season, so each outing has some flexibility.

I like the small group, capped at 12 people, and the way the walk mixes food with useful city advice. Guides such as Matthias and Oli have been singled out for their friendly, fun approach, and the stops can include more than sweets, such as dried fish at Baka Baka. The main consideration is that the exact treats are not fixed, so you should book this for the overall tasting walk, not one guaranteed pastry or candy bar.

Key points

• A small group of no more than 12: Easier to hear your guide and move into compact shops.
• Traditional Icelandic pastries: Try kleina, the fried pastry, and possibly snúður, a local-style cinnamon roll.
• Licorice without pressure: Icelandic licorice is often mild and sweet, with other options available.
• Several tasting stops: The route includes Baka Baka, Loo.koo.mas, Ísbúðin litla Valdís, and Taste of Iceland.
• Useful Reykjavik advice: Your guide shares suggestions for eating and drinking after the tour.
• Simple central meeting point: Start and finish at Ingólfur Square, close to Laugavegur and Center Hotels Plaza.

Why Reykjavik’s sweets deserve their own walking tour

Reykjavik is easy to explore on foot, but its food culture is not limited to fish, lamb, and hot dogs. The city’s bakeries and specialty shops offer a useful glimpse of daily life, especially through the pastries and candy people pick up with coffee or after work.

This tour gives you a guided introduction to that side of town. You are not simply handed a box of samples in one place. You walk between shops, hear how certain treats fit into Icelandic food culture, and get suggestions for places to eat and drink later in your stay.

That format matters in a city where the weather can change quickly and your first walk through the center may be spent trying to get your bearings. The route is short, central, and broken into tasting stops. You get food, a little sightseeing, and a practical introduction to the downtown streets in one outing.

The experience is conducted in English and takes about two hours. It is also wheelchair accessible, though you should still wear suitable clothing for Iceland’s changeable weather.

Starting at Ingólfur Square

The tour begins at Ingólfur Square, marked by two stone pillars more than three meters high. The square sits in front of Center Hotels Plaza at Aðalstræti 6, near the beginning of Austurstræti.

This is an important detail because Reykjavik has more than one statue and square associated with Icelandic historical figures. Do not head to the statue of Ingólfur Arnarsson or the statue of Jon Sigurdsson at Austurvöllur. The meeting point is the square with the tall stone pillars.

If you are walking down Laugavegur, keep going straight until the street leads you to the square. Icelandic street names can be tricky to match with a mental map, so I would use Google Maps rather than rely on signs alone.

Arrive at least five minutes early. The guide usually wears a light blue jacket marked Your Friend in Reykjavik on the back, which helps in a busy central meeting place. Since the group may set off promptly, being late could mean trying to find a moving group in unfamiliar streets.

Baka Baka and the first taste of Iceland

The first food stop is usually Baka Baka, where you may sample pastries and other local flavors. A typical introduction includes kleina, a deep-fried pastry with a shape somewhat like a twisted doughnut.

Kleina is one of the treats that gives the tour a clear Icelandic focus. It is not just a generic bakery item, and the guide explains how these pastries are made and where they fit into local eating habits. You might also find snúður, a cinnamon roll with its own Icelandic character, or another pastry selected according to the day.

One useful feature here is variety. A tasting at Baka Baka may include something less sweet, too. Dried fish has been part of the sampling on some outings, giving you a small reminder that Icelandic snack culture is wider than sugar and cream.

The scheduled stop lasts about 25 minutes. That is long enough to eat and hear the explanation without turning the tour into a sit-down meal. Do not expect a full breakfast or lunch, though. This is a series of samples, and you may want to plan a proper meal before or after it.

Walking along Laugavegur between bites

After the first bakery stop, the group spends time on Laugavegur, Reykjavik’s main shopping street. The guided walk is listed at about 20 minutes, giving you a chance to see how the center’s shops and food businesses fit together.

The walking portions are part of the value. Your guide can point out places to eat and drink, rather than leaving you with a sugar rush and no idea where to go afterward. For a first day in Reykjavik, that local advice can help you choose a café, bakery, or restaurant for the rest of your stay.

The walk is also a useful break between tastings. Two hours of continuous sampling would be too much for many people, especially when pastries, chocolate, candy, and ice cream all appear in the same outing.

Wear comfortable shoes and bring a weatherproof layer. The tour is outdoors between shops, and Icelandic weather does not need much encouragement to change.

Loo.koo.mas and Icelandic candy culture

The next stop is Loo.koo.mas, listed as a shopping stop of about 15 minutes. Here, you can expect the focus to shift toward Icelandic candy and giftable sweets.

Licorice is one of the flavors that gives Icelandic confectionery its own personality. If you associate licorice with a strong, medicinal taste, Icelandic versions may surprise you. The tour information describes the local style as sweet and mild, and the guide can explain how it is paired with chocolate and other ingredients.

You may encounter candy such as Draumur, an Icelandic chocolate bar, or Þristur, a combination of licorice and chocolate. That pairing is a big part of the fun. It sounds unusual if you have not tried it, but the creamy chocolate can soften the licorice flavor.

You do not need to like licorice to enjoy the stop. Other options are available, so the tasting does not force one flavor on everyone. Still, I would encourage you to try a small piece if you are unsure. The tour works best when you approach these samples with curiosity rather than deciding in advance that licorice is off the table.

Ice cream at Ísbúðin litla Valdís

The stop at Ísbúðin litla Valdís lasts about 20 minutes and brings a colder, creamier change of pace. Icelanders enjoy ice cream even when the weather is far from warm, so an ice cream stop makes sense here.

You may choose from familiar flavors, along with options tied more closely to Icelandic ingredients and tastes. Licorice may appear again, and skyr can be part of the selection. Skyr is an Icelandic dairy product with a thick texture, and it gives an ice cream flavor a distinctly local angle.

The exact choice depends on what is available during your tour. That flexibility is useful because seasonal selection and shop stock can change. It also means you should not treat a particular skyr or licorice flavor as guaranteed.

This is one of the more relaxed stops on the route. You can enjoy the ice cream while the guide continues talking about local food habits. If you are traveling with children, the ice cream shop may be the easiest part of the tour for them. If you are sensitive to cold foods or already full from the bakery stop, keep your portion in mind.

Taste of Iceland and the final candy stop

The last tasting stop is Taste of Iceland, where you may sample more candy and sweets before walking back to Ingólfur Square. The name suggests a broad selection, and this final stop gives you another chance to compare flavors rather than focus on one traditional item.

A chocolate and licorice combination such as Þristur may appear here, along with other Icelandic candy. Draumur is another possibility. Again, the selection changes by season, day, and time, so the most accurate expectation is a mix of local sweets rather than a fixed menu.

Ending with candy works well. By this point, you have already tried pastries and ice cream, and the final stop lets you decide which treats you might want to buy for later. It also makes the tour useful for anyone looking for edible souvenirs.

The group then returns to Ingólfur Square. There is no separate return transfer, and the central ending makes it easy to continue sightseeing, find a meal, or return to your hotel.

What the $90 price includes

The tour costs $90 per person. That is not a bargain if you think of the experience as simply buying pastries and candy. You could purchase individual treats on your own for less.

The value comes from the combination of several tastings, a two-hour guided walk, explanations of Icelandic food culture, and personal recommendations for the rest of your visit. You are paying for access to a route that links several specialty stops, plus the time saved from choosing them yourself.

The maximum group size of 12 strengthens that value. A guide can answer questions and keep the group together without the feel of a large bus excursion. The small format also suits solo visitors who want an easy social activity while learning the center quickly.

I would consider the price fair for people who enjoy tasting local food and want guidance during their first days in Reykjavik. It is less appealing if you dislike sweets, need a full meal, or prefer to browse shops independently.

Samples of pastry, sweets, and ice cream are included, along with the English-speaking guide. You do not need to budget for extra food during the tour, though you may want to buy a favorite item to take away.

How the guides shape the experience

The food is the hook, but the guide makes the tour more than a string of shop visits. Guides including Matthias and Oli have been described as personable, fun, and good at sharing local facts. That matters in a small group because the pace and mood depend heavily on the person leading it.

A good guide can explain why kleina is different from a standard doughnut, how Icelandic licorice is used, and what makes skyr familiar in Iceland. The guide also offers practical tips about restaurants, cafés, and bars, which can be more useful than a long list of historical facts.

The tour has a friendly, informal feel. It can suit solo visitors who want to meet people and get oriented in the center, as well as couples and families who want a lighter activity between larger excursions.

Because the route changes, you should also expect the guide to make choices during the outing. That is a strength when a shop’s selection changes, but it means the tour does not work like a fixed tasting menu.

Who should book this Reykjavik food walk

I would recommend it most strongly to:

• First-time visitors who want an easy introduction to central Reykjavik
• People who enjoy bakeries, chocolate, candy, and ice cream
• Solo visitors who prefer a small guided activity
• Families looking for a short, low-effort food experience
• Anyone curious about Icelandic licorice but hesitant to buy a full package
• Visitors who want restaurant and café suggestions from a local guide

You may want to skip it if you avoid dairy, pastries, or candy, since the tasting focus is clear. It is also not the best choice if you want a substantial meal or a long historical tour.

The tour is wheelchair accessible, and all walking stays in central Reykjavik. Still, Icelandic weather can make outdoor sections less comfortable, so bring weather-appropriate clothing.

Booking details worth knowing

The tour lasts two hours, with starting times shown when you check availability. It begins and ends at Ingólfur Square, so there is no complicated transport plan.

You can cancel up to 24 hours before the start for a full refund, and the reserve-now, pay-later option lets you keep your schedule flexible. These terms are useful in Iceland, where weather and changing excursion plans can affect a short city stay.

The activity is offered in English. Since the tour involves several small food shops, arriving early is especially sensible. Find the two stone pillars first, then look for the light blue jacket with Your Friend in Reykjavik on the back.

Should you book the Icelandic Sweet Tooth Tour?

Book it if you want to understand Reykjavik through everyday treats rather than formal dining. The mix of kleina, snúður, chocolate, mild licorice, ice cream, and candy gives you a broad sample of local tastes in a short time.

The strongest reasons to go are the small group, the range of stops, and the practical food advice. The main limitation is the changing selection. You cannot count on one exact pastry or candy, so think of this as a guided sampler with local context.

At $90, it is best value for food lovers, solo visitors, and anyone arriving in Reykjavik who wants a pleasant way to get oriented. If that sounds like your kind of first or second day in the city, this is an easy tour to fit into your plans.

FAQ

How long does the Icelandic Sweet Tooth Tour last?

The tour lasts two hours. Starting times vary, so check availability when booking.

Where does the tour begin?

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

Where does the tour finish?

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

What food is included?

Samples can include Icelandic pastries, sweets, chocolate, and ice cream. Possible treats include kleina, snúður, Draumur, Þristur, licorice, and skyr-style ice cream, but the selection changes by season, day, and time.

Is the tour suitable for someone who dislikes licorice?

Yes. Licorice is part of the Icelandic candy selection, but other options are available.

Is the tour wheelchair accessible?

Yes, the activity is wheelchair accessible. You should also wear clothing suited to Icelandic weather because the tour includes walking outdoors between stops.