Reykjavik: The Icelandic Sweet Tooth Tour

Icelandic sweets are more than a sugar stop. On this two-hour walk through central Reykjavik, you get a taste of local pastries, candy and ice cream while learning how these treats fit into everyday food culture. The exact shops and samples can change, so expect variety rather than a fixed tasting menu.

I like two things in particular: the chance to try treats such as kleina, snúður and chocolate with licorice, and the practical food-and-drink tips your guide shares along the way. Guides named Matthias and Oli have led lively tours, and the small group size, capped at 12, leaves room for questions.

The main consideration is that the menu varies by season, day and time, and licorice features in several Icelandic sweets. If you dislike it, there are other choices, but this tour is best for curious eaters rather than anyone seeking a guaranteed list of exact samples.

• Kleina and snúður offer a taste of familiar Icelandic bakery treats, not just imported candy.
• Baka Baka is a 25-minute stop where the tasting may include pastries and cocoa.
• Licorice chocolate is a local pairing worth trying, even if licorice is not usually your thing.
• Ice cream is part of the route, with flavors that may include licorice or skyr.
• The route changes with the day and season, so each tour may sample different shops and sweets.
• Groups are limited to 12, and the walk starts and ends at Ingólfur Square.

A sweet introduction to Reykjavik

The Icelandic Sweet Tooth Tour gives you a compact way to get acquainted with central Reykjavik through its bakeries and sweet shops. It is not a full food tour, and you should not expect a substantial meal. Think of it instead as a guided tasting, with enough variety to make a pleasant break in a sightseeing day.

The walk begins at Ingólfur Square and returns there after stops around the city center. Along the way, your guide introduces Icelandic pastries, candy and ice cream, and shares tips about places to eat and drink. That local advice can be useful beyond the tour itself: you leave with ideas for what to try next, rather than simply a list of sweets you sampled.

The itinerary names Baka Baka, Laugavegur, Loo.koo.mas, Ísbúðin litla Valdís and Taste of Iceland. The precise shops and samples can vary, though, so treat those names as a guide to the kind of route, not a promise that every stop will be identical on your date.

Starting at Ingólfur Square

Meet your guide at Ingólfur Square, in front of Center Hotels Plaza at Aðalstræti 6. Look for the two stone pillars, which are more than three meters high. Guides usually wear a light blue jacket marked Your Friend in Reykjavik on the back.

This is an easy point to miss if you head for one of the city’s better-known statues. The meeting place is not the statue of Ingólfur Arnarsson, nor the statue of Jón Sigurðsson at Austurvöllur. If you are walking down Laugavegur, continue straight until you reach the square. Icelandic street names can take a little getting used to, so use a map and arrive at least five minutes early.

The square also sets a useful tone for the tour. You start in the center of town, then walk between shops rather than riding from one destination to another. The route is short enough to fit neatly into a morning or afternoon, though you should bring weather-appropriate clothing. Reykjavik weather is no reason to let a pastry go uneaten, but it is a good reason to dress sensibly.

Pastries and cocoa at Baka Baka

Baka Baka is scheduled as a 25-minute tasting stop. A bakery visit gives the tour its most direct introduction to Icelandic baking, with the chance to try treats such as kleina, a deep-fried doughnut-like pastry, and possibly snúður, a cinnamon roll with a distinctly Icelandic place in the local sweets lineup.

The point is not just to sample something sweet. Your guide can explain the history of the pastries and how bakers make them, giving you a little context for what might otherwise seem like a simple snack. A tasting is also a useful way to discover flavors you may not have thought to order on your own.

Baka Baka may also serve cocoa. One tour included what was described as amazing cocoa, along with Danish pastry, which was singled out as especially delicious. Those details are not guaranteed parts of every visit, but they give you an idea of the range: the tour may include more than one kind of pastry and a warm drink, depending on the day and what is available.

Keep your expectations flexible. The tour’s samples change with the season, day and time, so you should not count on one exact pastry or drink. That variation is a small trade-off for visiting working local shops rather than following a rigid tasting script.

A walk along Laugavegur

After the bakery, the tour spends about 20 minutes on Laugavegur, Reykjavik’s main shopping street. This is a walking and sightseeing portion, not a long lecture or a separate food stop. It gives your guide a chance to point out places and share recommendations for eating and drinking around town.

I like this stretch because food tips are most useful when they come with a sense of place. You can ask what else to try during your stay, or where to go for a meal after the tour. The guide’s role is not just to hand out sweets, but to help you make sense of the city’s food options.

Past guides Matthias and Oli have been praised for being personable, fun and good at sharing history and useful facts. You cannot choose who leads your tour, but the format gives a local guide time to talk with a small group instead of addressing a crowd. If you are traveling alone, that can also make the first couple of hours in a new city feel less solitary and help you get your bearings.

Specialty sweets at Loo.koo.mas

The route includes around 15 minutes at Loo.koo.mas, listed as a shopping stop. The tour description also includes visits to specialist shops for Icelandic chocolate and candy, so this is a chance to encounter treats that may be harder to identify or choose if you browse on your own.

Icelandic chocolate is often paired with ingredients such as licorice, birch sugar and local wild berries. Licorice here is described as sweet and mild, which may be a different experience from the stronger versions you know. Popular examples include Draumur, a chocolate bar, and Þristur, a chocolate-and-licorice combination.

If licorice is a hard no for you, say so. There are other options, and the tour is not meant to force you into one flavor. But if you are open to a small experiment, this is a good setting to try the pairing in a bite-sized sample rather than buying a full bar on guesswork.

The shop stop is also a reminder that the tour is part tasting and part discovery. You may see candies you would not have known to look for, and your guide can explain what makes them local favorites. Just remember that the selection depends on the day and route.

Icelandic ice cream at Valdís

A 20-minute stop at Ísbúðin litla Valdís brings ice cream into the mix. You may find familiar flavors alongside options associated with Iceland, such as licorice and possibly skyr, the local dairy product. The precise choice is not fixed, so go ready to ask what is available.

This is a useful contrast to the baked goods and chocolate. A scoop or sample gives the tasting a different texture and temperature, and the chance to try an unusual flavor without committing to a large serving. The tour description calls the ice cream creamy, but the practical appeal is simpler: it is another local sweet to sample, and a pleasant pause in the walking route.

The schedule allows about 20 minutes here, enough for a tasting rather than a long sit-down stop. If you have dietary restrictions, the supplied information does not specify which ingredients are available or whether substitutions can be guaranteed, so check directly before booking if that matters to you.

Candy and the final stop

The final named tasting stop is Taste of Iceland, with about 20 minutes set aside. The route description also refers to another candy shop, where you may encounter Icelandic sweets such as Draumur or Þristur. Since stops and samples can change, do not assume every candy will appear on your tour.

You may also come across nammi, the Icelandic word used for candy and sweets. This final round is a good place to compare flavors and decide what you might want to buy later. One tour included dried fish, an unexpected savory sample in a trip built around sugar. That is not a standard promise, but it shows how a guide may add a local food surprise.

The tour then returns to Ingólfur Square, so you finish where you began. The full experience is listed as two hours, while the timed stops add up to about 110 minutes. The remaining time allows for walking between shops and moving through the route.

What the $90 price gets you

At $90 per person, this is not the cheapest way to buy pastries, candy and ice cream. You are paying for samples at several stops, a local guide, and the context that connects the food to Icelandic tastes and customs. The small-group format, capped at 12 people, is another part of the value: it is easier to ask questions and keep the walk personal than it would be in a large group.

Whether the cost feels worthwhile depends on how much you value guided tasting. If you only want to buy a pastry and a scoop of ice cream, you can visit shops on your own. If you like trying a range of local treats but are unsure where to begin, the tour saves you the work of choosing places and gives each sample a bit of explanation.

The tour is also a practical sightseeing break. One participant described it as a good way to rest and build up energy for more sightseeing and trekking. That is fair: two hours of gentle city walking with food along the way can serve as a comfortable pause between more strenuous plans. It is not a substitute for lunch, though, and you should not book it expecting a full meal.

The strongest value comes if you are curious about local food, enjoy talking with a guide and would otherwise spend time finding the right shops yourself. The weaker case is for someone who dislikes sweets, wants a fixed menu or would rather spend $90 on a substantial meal.

Who will enjoy the walk most

I would recommend this tour to anyone with a sweet tooth who wants a light, social introduction to Reykjavik’s food culture. It suits solo visitors well, since the group setting offers a friendly way to explore and get your bearings. It can also work for couples or families who enjoy trying several small treats instead of committing to one dessert stop.

It is especially useful early in a visit. Your guide shares food-and-drink recommendations that may help you plan the rest of your stay, and the route covers central streets you may be exploring anyway. If you take it near the start of your trip, you can use those suggestions while you still have time to try them.

You may want to skip it if you are not interested in sweets, are uncomfortable with changing menus or have dietary needs that require guaranteed ingredients. The tour does offer alternatives to licorice, but the available samples vary, and no detailed dietary accommodation information is provided. If you have a serious allergy, contact the provider before booking rather than relying on an on-the-spot adjustment.

Should you book it?

Book the Icelandic Sweet Tooth Tour if you want a guided, two-hour sampler of Reykjavik pastries, candy and ice cream, with local tips included. Go with an open mind about the menu, and give the Icelandic licorice chocolate a try if you are curious. If you prefer a full meal, a fixed tasting list or a self-guided browse, spend your money elsewhere.

FAQ

How long does the tour last?

The tour lasts two hours and begins and ends at Ingólfur Square.

How much does it cost?

The listed price is $90 per person.

What time does the tour start?

Starting times depend on availability. Check the available times when booking.

Where do I meet the guide?

Meet at Ingólfur Square, by the two stone pillars in front of Center Hotels Plaza at Aðalstræti 6. Arrive at least five minutes before the start time.

What food is included?

The tour includes samples of pastries, sweets and ice cream. Items may include kleina, snúður, chocolate and candy, but the selection varies by season, day and time.

How many people are in each group, and what language is the tour in?

The group is limited to 12 people, and the live tour is in English.

Is the tour wheelchair accessible, and can I cancel?

The activity is listed as wheelchair accessible. You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.