Reykjavik Food & Beer Walk: 5 stops, 8 dishes, 4 craft beers

Taste traditional Icelandic food and learn why Icelanders preserved it this way

This guided food and beer walk through Reykjavik combines history, traditional Icelandic cuisine and craft beer tasting across 5 stops over 3 hours. You'll taste at least 8 local dishes—including fermented shark, dried fish, lamb soup and the famous hot dog—plus 4 locally brewed beers while visiting Hallgrímskirkja, Einar Jónsson's Sculpture Garden, Reykjavik City Hall and Alþingi Parliament House. Groups stay under 8 people so the guide can answer questions and connect with each traveler. A live English-speaking guide leads the walk.

Step-by-step itinerary

Reykjavik food and history walking tour

• Meet at Hallgrímskirkja landmark
• Visit Einar Jónsson's Sculpture Garden
• See Reykjavik City Hall
• View Alþingi Parliament House
• Taste 8 traditional Icelandic dishes
• Sample 4 locally brewed craft beers

The Experience

The walk starts in front of Hallgrímskirkja, Reykjavik's most recognizable landmark, where the guide introduces its history before moving into the city's food story. Over the next 3 hours, you'll stop at five different venues to taste dishes that have anchored Icelandic tables for centuries—fermented shark, dried fish, heart-warming lamb soup, the famous Icelandic hot dog, and more. Each tasting comes with context: why these foods mattered, how Icelanders preserved them through long winters, and what food traditions still shape the culture today.

The route weaves through central Reykjavik's landmarks. After the opening stop at Hallgrímskirkja, you'll pass Einar Jónsson's Sculpture Garden, Reykjavik City Hall, and Alþingi Parliament House, so the walk doubles as a guided introduction to the city's architecture and civic history. The guide handles the pacing and the stories; you handle the tasting. Four locally brewed craft beers punctuate the food stops, giving you a sense of what Icelandic brewers are making now alongside what Icelanders have eaten for generations.

Small group size—never more than 8 people—means you're not herded through stops or competing to hear the guide. The limit exists so questions get answered and the experience stays conversational rather than rushed. If fermented shark sounds intimidating, the guide can tell you what to expect. If you want to know more about a particular dish or brewery, there's room in the schedule for that.

What’s included

• Tasting of 9 local Icelandic foods including fermented shark, dried fish, lamb soup and the famous hot dog.
• tasting of 4 locally brewed craft beers.
• live English-speaking guide.
• all fees and taxes.

Good to know

Easy physical levelStroller friendlyPets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Funky Iceland

Is this one for you?The guide speaks English throughout, so you follow the history and food stories without translation or guesswork—this suits anyone who wants to understand why Icelanders eat what they do, not just taste it and move on.

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Top questions

What exactly is fermented shark, and will I have to eat it?

Fermented shark (hákarl) is a traditional Icelandic delicacy made from Greenland shark that's been buried and aged for months. The tour includes a tasting of it alongside other traditional dishes; you'll try it as part of the 8+ local foods sampled across the 5 stops, so you get the full range of what Icelandic cuisine actually is.

How long does the whole walk take, and how much walking is involved?

The tour runs 3 hours total, moving between 5 food and beer stops across central Reykjavik. The walk is suitable for all fitness levels, and public transportation options are available nearby if you need them.

Are the craft beers included, or do I pay extra for those?

All 4 locally brewed craft beer tastings are included in the tour price, along with the 9 local food tastings and all fees and taxes.

Can I bring my young children or a baby on this walk?

Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller, and the tour is designed to accommodate families. Service animals are also allowed.

What's the difference between fermented shark and dried fish, and why do Icelanders eat both?

Dried fish (harðfiskur) is fish that's been air-dried and stays shelf-stable for months; fermented shark is preserved through a different aging process. Both developed because Iceland's long winters and isolation meant food had to last. The guide explains the preservation methods and traditions behind each dish as you taste them.

Will the guide speak English the whole time?

Yes, a live guide leads the tour in English throughout the 3 hours, so you'll understand the history and context for every stop and tasting.