Reykjavik: Folklore & Food Walking Tour with Local Guide

Iceland's Trolls, Elves and Ghosts Come Alive on a Reykjavik Street

You walk through central Reykjavik with a local guide who tells you the sagas and folklore that Icelanders still believe in—stories about elves, trolls, ghosts, and magic tied to real graveyards and landmarks you visit. Lunch with traditional lamb soup and local tastings is included at the end. You choose your start time, and the whole experience is wheelchair accessible.

Step-by-step itinerary

• Meet guide at Ingólfur Square
• Visit Víkurkirkjugarður graveyard
• Walk through Reykjavik center
• Visit Landakotskirkja Catholic Church
• Visit Hólavallakirkjugarður graveyard
• Explore Parliament garden
• Eat traditional Icelandic meat soup
• Taste local treats at Taste of Iceland
• Dine at Restaurant Dass

The Experience

Iceland has thirteen Santas and a child-eating troll named Grýla, and you'll hear about both of them on this folklore and food walking tour through Reykjavik. The walk starts at Ingólfur Square—marked by two stone pillars over three meters high in the city center—where your guide, usually wearing a light blue jacket, meets you at a time you choose. From there, the tour moves through the oldest parts of the city: Víkurkirkjugarður, the country's oldest graveyard, where you learn how Icelanders believed they could raise the dead; then past the Parliament garden, where the guide explains the old magic and runes that shaped the culture; and through neighborhoods where stories about hidden people and aquatic monsters still shape how locals see their landscape.

The folklore walking tour in Reykjavik isn't a museum visit—it's a conversation that happens while you move through real places. You'll stop at Landakotskirkja, the Catholic Church, to hear about trolls; then at Hólavallakirkjugarður, the second-oldest graveyard, dating back to 1838. The guide tells you about the Deacon of the dark river, creatures that live in the water, and why Icelanders still leave their houses alone on certain nights. Some stories are genuinely unsettling, so if you're bringing small children, you can ask the guide to dial back the scariness before you start. The whole walk takes you through the center of Reykjavik on foot, so you're not rushing between stops—you're absorbing the place as you go.

After the walk, you end at a traditional Icelandic restaurant where lunch or dinner is included. The meal usually starts with kjötsupa, a warm lamb soup that tastes like it's been made the same way for centuries, followed by a tasting of local specialties: fermented shark, skyr, and other Icelandic staples. If you're curious, you can try Black Death, the local spirit made from fermented potatoes—it's exactly as intense as it sounds. The restaurant is called Dass, and the meal is part of the tour price, so there's no separate bill at the end.

What’s included

• Expert local guide in a light blue jacket.
• walk through Reykjavik's oldest graveyards (Víkurkirkjugarður and Hólavallakirkjugarður) and landmarks including Landakotskirkja and the Parliament garden.
• stories about Icelandic elves, trolls, ghosts, magic and runes.
• traditional lunch with kjötsupa (lamb soup) and local food tastings at Restaurant Dass.
• option to try Black Death spirit.
• flexible start time you choose.
• wheelchair accessible route and facilities.

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller friendlyPets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Your Friend In Reykjavik

Is this one for you?This tour works well if you want to understand Icelandic culture through its folklore and stories rather than just see the sights, and if you'd rather have a guide explain the history and legends than read about them in a guidebook—the private format means you set the pace and can ask questions as you go.

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Top questions

How long is the Reykjavik folklore and food walking tour?

The itinerary includes six main stops plus lunch, but the exact duration isn't specified in the tour details. Plan for a half-day experience.

Can I do this tour with young children?

Yes, but some of the folklore stories are scary. You can contact the tour operator before booking to arrange a version with less frightening content.

What time does the tour start?

You control the starting time. Just let the guide know when you want to meet at Ingólfur Square.

Is the tour wheelchair accessible?

Yes. All areas and surfaces on the route are wheelchair accessible, and infants can ride in a pram or stroller.

What's included in the lunch?

Kjötsupa (traditional Icelandic lamb soup) and a tasting of local specialties like fermented shark and skyr. You can also order Black Death, the local spirit, if you want to try it.

Where do we meet the guide?

At Ingólfur Square in central Reykjavik, in front of Center Hotels Plaza at Aðalstræti 6. The guide wears a light blue jacket with "Your Friend in Reykjavik" on the back.

Is this a private tour or a group tour?

It's a private tour, so you're with your own guide and group only.

Do I need to be fit to do this tour?

No. The tour is suitable for all physical fitness levels and is fully wheelchair accessible.