Reykjavik: Christmas Walking Tour with Icelandic Traditions

Christmas folklore gets gloriously strange in Reykjavik. This two-hour walk brings Iceland’s 13 Yule Lads, their troll mother Grýla, and the frightening Christmas Cat into the city center, where holiday lights, market stalls, and skating displays give the stories a proper setting. I like the mix of folklore and ordinary city life, especially the stop at an Icelandic bookshop and the walk along Laugavegur. One point to consider: a long hot-chocolate or snack stop can reduce the time spent seeing Christmas sights.

I also like the route’s tidy finish at Hallgrímskirkja, reached by way of colorful Skólavörðustígur. The guide makes the difference here, and Robyn received especially warm praise for her friendly, informative approach. At $66 per person, the tour offers good value if you want cultural context, though it is less attractive if you mainly want a quick look at Reykjavik’s decorations.

Key points to know before booking

• The 13 Yule Lads are not Iceland’s version of one Santa: Each has a distinct name, habit, and arrival day before Christmas.
• Grýla and the Christmas Cat add a darker edge: Icelandic Christmas tales include a child-eating troll and a cat said to threaten people without new clothes.
• The route covers central Reykjavik on foot: You visit Ingólfur Square, Austurvöllur, a bookshop, Laugavegur, and Skólavörðustígur.
• The bookshop stop reflects Iceland’s love of reading: Christmas books are a major part of the country’s seasonal culture.
• Festive food and drinks may be part of the walk: Snacks and hot chocolate can be offered, but the refreshment portion may take a sizable part of the tour.
• It runs only in December: Warm clothing and comfortable shoes are essential, even though the route remains in the city center.

Starting at Ingólfstorg with a clear meeting point

The tour begins outside Hlöllabátar, the sandwich shop at Austurstræti 1. Face Ingólfstorg and look for the two tall stone seat-pillars, each more than two meters high. Center Hotel Plaza is on your right.

This is a useful meeting point in winter. Benches, tables, and a covered ceiling give you somewhere sheltered to wait, which matters when Reykjavik weather turns cold or wet. Your guide usually wears a light blue jacket marked Your Friend in Reykjavik on the back.

I recommend arriving with enough time to orient yourself. Downtown Reykjavik is compact, but the square has several nearby streets and landmarks. Finding the pillars is easier than searching for a vague address, especially in December darkness.

The tour is conducted in English by a live local guide. It is also wheelchair accessible, though the experience remains a walking tour through central streets, so your own comfort with winter conditions is worth considering.

Reykjavik’s Christmas story is stranger than Santa

The main reason to choose this walk is the folklore. Iceland does not rely on one cheerful man in a red suit. Instead, the country has 13 Yule Lads, each with a different personality and a different kind of mischief.

You learn how these figures fit into Icelandic Christmas customs, where they come from, and how they appear around the city. Look carefully as you walk, because the tour encourages you to spot Yule Lad figures hiding around central Reykjavik.

That search gives children a simple task and keeps the walk from becoming a lecture. Adults get the cultural background, while younger participants have something concrete to look for between stops.

The stories also have a sharper side. The Yule Lads are connected to Grýla, a troll who eats naughty children, and to the Christmas Cat, a ferocious creature with its own place in Icelandic Christmas lore. These tales are not polished into a soft, universally cheerful holiday story. They retain a bit of menace, which makes them memorable.

The Christmas Cat is especially useful as a cultural detail. It is tied to the idea of receiving new clothes for Christmas, giving the season a practical and slightly alarming rule. Your guide explains the characters in a way that connects the folklore to modern Icelandic celebrations.

This is where a local guide earns the price of admission. You could see the lights and shops on your own, but the stories give meaning to the figures and decorations you pass.

Ingólfur Square brings the season into view

From the meeting area, the route takes you toward Ingólfur Square. Here, you can see the ice-skating rink, holiday decorations, and Christmas market stalls.

This is one of the most visual parts of the walk. The rink gives the square a seasonal focus, while the stalls add the smells, colors, and small purchases associated with December in Reykjavik. You are not simply hearing about Icelandic Christmas customs. You are seeing them arranged in a public city space.

The market stop is also practical for anyone looking for a small gift or a seasonal item. Discounts are offered at selected Christmas stores, stalls, and restaurants, so keep the tour information available if you plan to shop afterward.

Do not expect a huge market on the scale of a major German or Austrian Christmas fair. The value here is its place in a short city walk. Ingólfur Square is easy to combine with other downtown sights, and the tour uses it as a starting point for understanding how Reykjavik marks the season.

Austurvöllur and the Oslo Christmas Tree

The next notable stop is Austurvöllur, where you see the famous Oslo Christmas Tree. The tree is a long-running part of Reykjavik’s holiday setting and provides a clear link between Iceland and Norway.

This stop works best as a brief piece of context rather than a long visit. You get a major seasonal landmark, a chance for photographs, and another opening for the guide to explain local Christmas customs.

Austurvöllur also helps you understand the scale of central Reykjavik. The tour is not a bus ride between isolated attractions. It moves through connected public squares and streets, allowing you to see how the capital’s holiday decorations fit into daily city life.

Because the walk takes place in December, daylight can be limited depending on the start time. The lights and decorated squares are part of the appeal, but you should dress for cold weather rather than count on the decorations to make the walk feel warm.

The bookshop stop explains Iceland’s Christmas reading habit

The visit to a bookshop is one of the tour’s most distinctive features. You get to see Icelandic Christmas books and hear about the country’s strong love of reading during the holiday season.

This is more than a shopping detour. Books are closely tied to Christmas in Iceland, and the bookshop gives you a small, real-world example of that custom. You can browse the covers, see the kinds of books displayed for the season, and understand why reading is part of the holiday atmosphere.

I like this stop because it avoids treating Christmas as only lights, food, and shopping. A bookshop tells you something about how people spend time at home during the season.

The visit is short, so it should not be treated as a full literary tour. Still, it adds cultural weight to the route and gives you a better answer to the question of what Icelanders actually give and read at Christmas.

Laugavegur brings shopping and decorations together

The walk then reaches Laugavegur, Reykjavik’s main shopping street. This is the busiest retail stretch on the route and a good place to see seasonal displays alongside ordinary Icelandic shops.

A small Christmas store along Laugavegur is included in the route. You also look into selected shops for Christmas-related items as you head uphill. The discounts offered at certain stores, stalls, and restaurants can improve the tour’s value if you plan to buy gifts or stop for food.

The shopping section has one limitation. The exact appeal depends on your interests. If you enjoy local design, holiday decorations, and small gifts, you will have plenty to notice. If you prefer monuments and history, this part may feel less important than the folklore and bookshop stops.

The guide helps by pointing out the seasonal details you might otherwise pass without noticing. Keep in mind that the walk is designed as a cultural introduction, not a dedicated shopping trip. You will see selected places, but you will not have unlimited time in each one.

Skólavörðustígur leads to Hallgrímskirkja

The final section follows Skólavörðustígur uphill toward Hallgrímskirkja. This is one of Reykjavik’s prettiest central streets, with colorful buildings, shops, and a direct view toward the city’s best-known church.

The uphill walk gives the tour a satisfying shape. You begin in the lower downtown squares, pass through markets and shops, and finish beneath the distinctive form of Hallgrímskirkja.

The church is where the tour ends, not a separate guided church visit. That distinction matters. You should book this walk for the route and stories, not for an interior tour of Hallgrímskirkja.

Ending here is convenient if you want to continue sightseeing on your own. The church is a major Reykjavik landmark, and the surrounding streets offer more shops and places to eat. You also finish at a clear point rather than circling back to the starting square.

The slope on Skólavörðustígur is manageable for many people, but winter footwear still matters. Ice, wind, and wet pavement can make a short incline feel more demanding than it looks on a map.

Food, hot chocolate, and the question of timing

The tour includes stories about Icelandic Christmas food and drinks, with the possibility of sampling some along the way. A particularly positive detail is that snacks may be offered after the walk.

This part can be a pleasant bonus, especially if you have just arrived in Reykjavik and want an easy introduction to seasonal tastes. Discounts at selected restaurants also give you options for continuing the food side of the evening.

There is a tradeoff. One participant felt that the final 45 minutes were spent getting hot chocolate, leaving less time for sightseeing. That does not mean every departure follows the same timing, but it tells you to ask yourself what you want from the tour.

If you mainly want folklore, squares, lights, and the walk to Hallgrímskirkja, a lengthy refreshment stop may feel too long. If you like sitting down with a warm drink and hearing more stories, it may be welcome in December weather.

I would treat the food and drink element as an added possibility, not the main reason to book. The core experience is the guide-led walk and the Christmas folklore.

Is $66 a fair price for two hours?

At $66 per person, this is not the cheapest way to walk around downtown Reykjavik. You can see Ingólfur Square, Austurvöllur, Laugavegur, and Hallgrímskirkja without paying for transport or admission.

The price makes more sense if you value interpretation. You are paying for a local guide, a structured route, Icelandic Christmas stories, a bookshop visit, a market stop, and possible tastings or discounts. The tour also saves you from researching the Yule Lads, Grýla, and the Christmas Cat on your own.

The value is strongest for a first visit to Reykjavik in December. You get orientation and culture at the same time. Families may also find the two-hour length easier than a full-day activity, while the hunt for Yule Lad figures gives children a reason to stay engaged.

The value is weaker if you already know Icelandic folklore or have limited interest in Christmas customs. In that case, a self-guided evening walk may give you enough of the lights and decorations for less money.

Free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure and the option to reserve now and pay later add useful flexibility. Those policies are helpful when December weather or changing plans could affect your schedule.

Who will enjoy this Reykjavik Christmas walk?

I would recommend it most strongly to:

• Families wanting an easy cultural activity in central Reykjavik
• First-time visitors who want seasonal orientation with local stories
• Adults interested in folklore that is stranger and darker than standard Santa tales
• Readers and gift hunters who like the bookshop and Christmas store stops
• People who enjoy a warm drink or snack as part of a winter walk
• Anyone looking for a short activity that ends near Hallgrímskirkja

You may want to skip it if you dislike cold-weather walking, want a focused history tour, or prefer to spend every minute moving between sights. The possible hot-chocolate stop also matters if you want a fast-paced itinerary.

Private tours are available in any language, which may suit families or groups that want a more personal format. The standard tour is in English.

Final verdict: book it for stories, not just lights

Book this tour if you want Reykjavik’s Christmas season explained through local folklore. The 13 Yule Lads, Grýla, and the Christmas Cat give the walk a personality that a simple decoration tour cannot match.

I especially like the combination of public squares, a bookshop, Laugavegur, and the uphill finish at Hallgrímskirkja. Robyn’s friendly and informative guiding received particular praise, and the offered snacks can make the experience feel generous.

Just set the right expectations. This is a two-hour cultural walk, not a major Christmas market visit or a church tour. Wear warm clothes, use comfortable walking shoes, and allow for the possibility that refreshments may take a meaningful portion of the time. For a December visit focused on Icelandic customs, $66 is a reasonable price. For a quick look at lights alone, it is harder to justify.

FAQ

How long is the Reykjavik Christmas walking tour?

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

When is the tour available?

This tour is available only in December.

Where does the tour meet?

Meet outside Hlöllabátar sandwich shop at Austurstræti 1 in Reykjavik. Face Ingólfstorg and look for the two tall stone seat-pillars. Center Hotel Plaza is to your right.

What language is the tour conducted in?

The standard tour is conducted in English by a live local guide. A private version is available in any language.

Is the tour suitable for wheelchair users?

Yes. The activity is listed as wheelchair accessible.

What should I wear?

Dress warmly and wear comfortable walking shoes. The tour takes place outdoors in Reykjavik during December.