Reykjavik / The verdict
Is a food tour in Reykjavik worth it?
Yes for first-timers and anyone curious about Icelandic food: a three-hour small-group walk covers five or six spots and dishes you would never order blind, and doubles as a city orientation. If you are counting krónur, a DIY day of hot dogs, soup refills and food halls costs a fraction of the ticket.
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The Reykjavik story
Reykjavik is the smallest-feeling capital in Europe: colorful tin-roofed houses, the rocket-church silhouette of Hallgrimskirkja, the Harpa concert hall on the waterfront, and a 101 downtown you can cross on foot in twenty minutes. It works as a base camp rather than a museum city, and the famous Iceland is mostly outside it, which the city itself seems to know.
The verdict in 30 seconds
Go
Yes for first-timers and anyone curious about Icelandic food: a three-hour small-group walk covers five or six spots and dishes you would never order blind, and doubles as a city orientation. If you are counting krónur, a DIY day of hot dogs, soup refills and food halls costs a fraction of the ticket.
Go if
- Your first full day in Reykjavik; reports call it the fastest way to learn the city and build a restaurant shortlist
- Travelers curious about traditional dishes like fermented shark, horse and lamb soup who want a guide's context
- Anyone happy to spend about 19,000 ISK on a meal replacement plus local storytelling
Skip if
- You are on a strict budget; groceries, a 820 ISK hot dog and food-hall plates cover the same ground far cheaper
- You dislike group tours or already know Reykjavik's restaurant scene
- You are a very picky eater; menus lean seafood, lamb and dairy with a few intentionally daring bites
What it costs
- Wake Up Reykjavik, The Reykjavik Food Tour, adult: kr 18900 (about 3 hours, small group capped at 14, all tastings included). Official source, checked Oct 2026.
- The Reykjavik Food Walk classic tour, adult: $144 (3 hours, 5 restaurants, 8+ tastings; the operator quotes in US dollars). Official source, checked Oct 2026.
What travelers report
Based on 14 traveler reports (Jan 2025 to Sep 2026) and the official sources linked on this page. 0 were negative.
What people like
- The first-day orientation value: local history, landmark walk-by and a ready-made restaurant shortlist.
- The range of dishes you would never order blind, from langoustine and Arctic char to fermented shark with Brennivín.
- Named local guides praised for storytelling; groups stay small, around 10 to 14 people.
- Logistics feel easy: private tables waiting at each stop, about two kilometres of walking, phones-ahead service.
- The DIY route earns its own fans: the 820 ISK hot dog, refillable soup and food halls feed people for a fraction of the cost.
What people complain about
- The price: about 19,000 ISK buys several DIY days of hot dogs, soup refills and supermarket meals.
- Tasting portions are not restaurant portions, so the tour is not a like-for-like replacement for eating out.
- A few bites are deliberately challenging; fermented shark's ammonia punch is a standing joke in the reports.
- Reykjavik restaurants are expensive in general, which colors every report; 30 USD soups come up outside the tours too.
- At least one budget reviewer found a hyped Reykjavik street-food spot mediocre, a reminder that famous is not the same as good.
How to do it right
- Book it for your first evening or first full day; reports consistently call it a built-in city orientation plus a restaurant shortlist for the rest of the trip.
- Arrive hungry. Tours run about three hours with 8 or more tastings across 4 to 6 stops, and travelers report leaving full.
- Book ahead in summer; groups are small, typically 10 to 14 people.
- Ask the guide for where to eat next; reviewers report guides sending follow-up lists of the exact spots visited.
- Doing it DIY instead: string together a Bæjarins Beztu hot dog, soup with free refills, a food hall like Hlemmur Mathöll or Pósthús, and a Bónus grocery run for a fraction of the tour price.
- Tell the operator about dietary limits when booking; tastings lean seafood, lamb and dairy.
The trap to avoid
Expecting the tour to save money on food. At roughly 18,900 ISK it costs several times a DIY day, and tasting portions are not restaurant portions. What the ticket buys is the local guide, the range of traditional dishes you would not order on your own, and the first-day orientation, not a discount on eating out.
What to do instead
Why this verdict
Travelers split cleanly on this one, and the split is about money, not quality. Everyone who took a food tour loved it: the reports name guides, list the dishes, and consistently call it the best first-day move in Reykjavik, because three hours of tastings doubles as a city orientation and leaves you with a restaurant shortlist. Nobody reports leaving hungry.
The counter-case comes from budget travelers who never bought the ticket. They strung together the famous 820 ISK hot dog, soup in a bread bowl with free refills, food-hall counters and Bónus supermarket runs, and ate for a fraction of the roughly 19,000 ISK a tour costs. Their point is fair: Reykjavik restaurant prices are punishing, so the choice is really tour versus DIY, not tour versus restaurants.
So the answer hinges on what you are buying. If the guide, the stories, and access to dishes like fermented shark and horse are the point, the tour earns its ticket, especially on day one. If you just need to eat, the hot dog stand and food halls cover you.
What you get for the money
Both major operators run the same shape: about three hours, a small group, four to six stops, and eight or more tastings from the hot dog stand to lamb soup, Arctic char, langoustine, skyr and the shark-and-schnapps finale. Wake Up Reykjavik’s tour lists at 18,900 ISK; the Reykjavik Food Walk quotes 144 USD. Reports from both describe identical experiences, so pick by time slot rather than brand.
Book or check times
Wake Up Reykjavik food tourThe Reykjavik Food WalkBæjarins Beztu Pylsur
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Where to stay
Staying in Reykjavik?
Which area of Reykjavik to stay in, based on traveler reports. Search Reykjavik hotels on Expedia partner site
Questions
What do you actually eat on a Reykjavik food tour?
Reports list the same core lineup: the famous lamb hot dog, lamb soup or stew, Arctic char, langoustine, skyr, rye bread, homemade ice cream, and usually the infamous fermented shark washed down with a shot of Brennivín. Some groups add horse meat. Stops rotate between about five restaurants, food trucks and market stalls.
Is the food enough to count as a meal?
Yes. Reports repeatedly say you will not leave hungry, with 8 or more tastings over three hours. Most travelers treat an evening tour as dinner.
Which company should I book with?
Reports cover two main operators: Wake Up Reykjavik's food tour and the Reykjavik Food Walk by Your Friend in Reykjavik. Both run small groups with local guides and get praised by guide name; the experiences read as near-identical, so book whichever time slot fits.
Is a food tour worth it on a tight budget?
no. Budget travelers report covering the same ground for far less: a hot dog at the famous stand runs about 820 ISK, soup with free refills around 2,500 ISK, and food halls and Bónus supermarkets fill the rest. The tour is a splurge for guidance and variety, not a saving.
When in the trip should I do it?
Day one. First-timers call it the ideal start because the guide's stories double as an orientation walk, and several tours send a list of the restaurants visited so you can return to favorites.
What if the weather is bad?
Tours run regardless; one recent review walked the route in steady rain and still rated it a highlight. The walking total is only about two kilometres, but pack a rain layer.
Pack for it
Gear verdicts from our sister site, Real Buyer Experiences: