Reykjavik: The Icelandic Sweet Tooth Tour

A walking tour built around Icelandic sweets is interesting because it turns Reykjavik errands into a guided food crawl, not just a list of shops. Small group size (max 12) helps you actually talk with the guide, and I like how Your Friend in Reykjavik guides such as Thor or Anna bring city context to every bite. One possible drawback, the tour is sweet-focused, and if you strongly dislike licorice you will want to lean on the alternatives offered during tastings.

You get a clear flow to the day: you start in the center, snack at a bakery, walk through a classic downtown street, stop for Icelandic sweets and gifts, then finish with ice cream and candy. Since the exact brands and bakeries can shift by season and timing, treat it like a curated tasting route rather than a guaranteed checklist.

Key Highlights You Should Know Before You Go

• Max 12 people keeps the pace friendly and the guide’s attention personal
• Expert guidance from Your Friend in Reykjavik, often with guides like Thor and Anna
• Seasonal sweet choices, but you can expect Icelandic staples such as kleina and cinnamon rolls like snúður
• Chocolate stops built around Iceland flavors, including licorice, birch sugar, and wild berry notes
• Ice cream tasting, with flavors you might not see elsewhere, like licorice and possibly skyr
• Finish with Icelandic candy, where licorice and chocolate combinations are a big theme

How This 2-Hour Reykjavik Sweet Walk Actually Feels

This is a short, concentrated tour, and that is a good thing. In two hours you cover several downtown stops without turning it into a long slog in the cold. It is also paced for eating, not sprinting, so you can walk, taste, and still have energy for the rest of your day in Reykjavik.

Price is $148 per person, which is not cheap for a walking tour. The value comes from what you receive along the way, multiple samples across specialty shops plus a guide who explains what you are tasting and why it matters in Icelandic food culture. If you like the idea of trying several places in one outing, this format usually makes more sense than trying to guess your way through on your own.

You should expect a mix of guided walking and short tasting windows. The tour moves through central Reykjavik, with a big emphasis on local sweets, pastry, chocolate, candy, and ice cream. If your idea of Reykjavik is scenery first and food second, you might prefer a different style tour, but if you like to snack your way through a new place, this one hits the mark.

Starting at Hlöllabátar, Finding Your Guide, and Getting Oriented

The tour meets outside Hlöllabátar, a sandwich shop facing Ingólfstorg Square and the two tall stone pillars. CenterHotel Plaza is to your right, and there are benches and a covered ceiling, so it is a comfortable spot to wait if weather turns unpleasant.

Guides typically wear a light blue jacket with Your Friend in Reykjavik on the back. That detail matters. Reykjavik weather can be unpredictable, and you will be happier if you can spot your guide quickly and get moving.

Before you eat anything, you get a short orientation through central town. There is a guided segment around the square, and then you start heading into streets where the sweet shops are easy to find. This early direction helps you later when you are trying to remember where everything was.

Practical note: wear weather-appropriate clothing. It is a walking tour, and even a short two-hour route adds up fast when wind is involved.

Ingólfstorg Square to the First Tastes: A Downtown Warm-Up

Right after you meet, you get about 10 minutes around Ingólfstorg with sightseeing and a bit of guided context. This is not the main reason for the tour, but it does help you put Reykjavik’s center on the map.

Then you start the eating phase at the bakery stop, with about 25 minutes for tasting. The structure is smart: you get a proper warm, baked start before the tour adds more sugar, chocolate, and cold treats.

One of the first things you can expect here is traditional Icelandic pastry, including kleina, a deep-fried doughnut-like treat. You also learn about how Icelandic baking traditions developed, and you get a sense that pastries are not just dessert, they are part of everyday culture.

If you are the type who likes to understand what you are eating, this is where you feel the guide’s value. You get history and practical flavor knowledge, not just permission to eat another bite.

Baka Baka Tastings: Kleina, Cocoa, and Pastry Variety

A major stop is Baka Baka, with about 25 minutes of food tasting. This is where you likely try some of Iceland’s best-known bakery flavors, such as kleina. You may also see other pastries depending on the day and season, which is useful because you avoid the disappointment of thinking the tour is only one item.

What I like about this part of the tour is that it is not just a single sample. The goal is variety, enough different bites that you can compare textures and flavors across shops. In real tours, guides have also added extra local bites, and one example included dried fish as part of the broader sampling mix. That shows the tour can go beyond the sweet-only headline, while still keeping sweets as the core.

You will also hear explanations from the guide about how these pastries are made and how they fit into Icelandic food traditions. This helps you notice details you might otherwise miss, like the unique flavors that show up in Icelandic desserts and the way ingredients reflect local tastes.

One small downside: if you are extremely cautious about sugar, this is the stop where you will need to slow down and pace yourself. The samples are meant to be shared bites, but it is still easy to overdo the first stop if you are famished.

Laugavegur Walk: Learn While You Move Through Center City

After the bakery, you head along Laugavegur, one of Reykjavik’s central streets. You get around 20 minutes of sightseeing here, tied to what you are learning as you walk.

This portion matters because it turns the tour from shop-hopping into actual city context. You are not stuck staring at menus for two hours. Instead you connect what the guide says to what you see, street layout, neighborhood feel, and how downtown shopping supports everyday food culture.

The sweet route also has a practical pacing benefit. A short walk after pastries helps reset your taste buds before the next stop, which includes more concentrated flavors like chocolate and licorice notes.

If you are traveling with someone who gets impatient in food lines, this street segment can be a relief. It gives you movement and a little sightseeing between tastings.

Loo.koo.mas Shopping Stop: Gifts, Flavor, and a Break from Eating

Next comes Loo.koo.mas, with about 15 minutes for shopping. This is a quick, focused window, not a long browse, so it works best if you treat it like a tasting-related supply stop.

Why I like including a shop here: it helps you convert flavors into souvenirs you can actually use. Icelandic candies and chocolate tend to taste different from what you get at home stores, and buying something small after tasting it in the tour usually feels smarter.

This stop also gives you a mental break. By now, you have had bakery sweets and you are about to head into ice cream and candy. A short shopping period can help you decide what you want to take back before you reach the final sugar climax.

If you dislike shopping, you can still use this time to ask the guide what to buy later. The guide can point out what matches what you liked on the earlier tastings, so you do not leave empty-handed even if you skip purchases.

Ísbúðin litla Valdís Ice Cream: Licorice and Skyr Possibilities

The tour then shifts to Ísbúðin litla Valdís for about 20 minutes of ice cream tasting. This is one of the more fun stops because ice cream adds a cold contrast to the earlier baked treats.

Here is where Icelandic flavors show up clearly. You may find options flavored with licorice, and the tour description also suggests you might see flavors like skyr. Even if you have never tried Icelandic licorice before, you are not walking into something harsh. The licorice in Iceland is often described as sweet and mild, which is important if you are nervous.

Also, the tour explicitly aims to be flexible. If you do not like licorice, the guide can steer you toward other options during tastings. That makes it more inclusive than you might assume from the tour name.

One practical tip for this stop: since you are switching from sweets to creaminess, eat slowly. Ice cream is easy to rush, and it is harder to enjoy the flavors when you are in speed mode.

Taste of Iceland Finale: Candy Bars, Chocolate, and Licorice Pairings

The last food stop is Taste of Iceland, with about 20 minutes of tastings. This is where the tour leans hard into classic Icelandic candy culture.

You may sample iconic chocolate and candy like Draumur, plus the well-known combo of licorice and chocolate called Þristur. The tour also mentions other candy options depending on timing and season, so you should expect variety rather than a fixed menu.

What I like about ending here is the payoff. Earlier stops teach you how Icelandic flavors show up in pastry, chocolate, and ice cream. Then the final shop lets you experience the licorice-and-chocolate theme in its strongest candy form.

The guide’s role matters again. When you understand what ingredients contribute to the flavor, like licorice, birch sugar, or local wild berry notes, you taste with more attention. You are not just eating dessert, you are learning how these flavors work together.

This final stop is also the best moment to decide what you want to buy for later. If you are going home with one souvenir flavor, this is usually where you discover the one you will actually crave after the trip ends.

Price and Value: Why $148 Might Make Sense for You

At $148 per person for a two-hour walk, this tour is priced like an experience, not like a free self-guided stroll. So the key question is what you get in return.

You get:

• Multiple tasting stops across pastry, specialty chocolate, ice cream, and candy
• Expert guide time, focused on Icelandic sweet culture and what you are eating
• Local guidance in central Reykjavik, which saves time and guesswork
• A small group of up to 12, which makes questions and interaction easier

In other words, you are paying for convenience plus education, and you are also paying for access to specialty shops where it is easy to feel lost without local context. If you love food tours that actually explain what you are eating, the price becomes easier to justify.

If you only want one dessert and you already know exactly where to go, you might be able to create a cheaper route yourself. But most people who take this tour do it because they want the tasting variety in a short time frame, with a guide to translate the Icelandic flavors into something you can understand quickly.

Who This Tour Is Best For (And Who Might Want a Different Plan)

This tour is ideal if you:

• Like sweet foods and want to try several Icelandic styles in one morning or afternoon
• Prefer a guided way to discover downtown Reykjavik quickly
• Enjoy learning what makes local ingredients and flavors different
• Want a short activity that still feels like a real experience

It is also a great first-day option. Even if you land mid-day and cannot jump into a bigger adventure, you can do this as a friendly start. The tour is designed as a compact way to get your bearings and start tasting Icelandic culture without committing to hours of travel.

You might want to skip or modify expectations if you:

• Dislike licorice completely and want a strictly licorice-free route
• Have very low patience for shopping stops, even short ones
• Prefer outdoors and views over food-based activities

That said, the tour does offer alternatives if licorice is not your thing, and the ice cream and candy options are there to keep the experience enjoyable.

Should You Book the Reykjavik Sweet Tooth Tour?

Book it if you want a high flavor-density activity in downtown Reykjavik, with friendly small-group pacing and a guide who helps you taste with meaning. It is a good choice when you want to eat your way through Icelandic staples like kleina, explore licorice-friendly chocolate and candy pairings, and end with ice cream that includes Icelandic twists.

Skip it if sweets are not your priority, or if licorice is a hard no for you and you prefer total control over every bite. If you are mostly curious, though, this tour is a smart first try, because it is guided, it is structured, and it gives you a clear route with enough samples to help you find your personal favorites fast.

FAQ

Where does the tour meet in Reykjavik?

You meet outside Hlöllabátar the Sandwich Shop, facing Ingólfstorg Square and the two tall stone pillars. CenterHotel Plaza is to your right.

How long is the Reykjavik sweet tour?

The tour lasts 2 hours.

How much does the tour cost?

The price is $148 per person.

What kind of group size should I expect?

It is a small group tour with a maximum of 12 people.

What language is the guide?

The tour is guided in English.

Is the tour wheelchair accessible?

Yes, the tour is wheelchair accessible.

What do I get to sample?

You get samples of pastry, sweets, and ice cream. The exact bakeries and stores can depend on the season, day, and tour time.

Is licorice part of the tour, and what if I do not like it?

Licorice flavors are a theme, and Icelandic licorice is described as sweet and mild. The tour also notes that there are other options if you do not like licorice.

What should I bring or wear?

Wear weather-appropriate clothing, since this is a walking tour.

Is there free cancellation and flexible booking?

Yes. You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund, and you can reserve now & pay later.