Private Reykjavik City & Folklore Walking Tour

by Your Friend in Reykjavik · City tours · Reykjavík

4.90· 1,779 Google reviews of the operator
  • Eco-certified
  • Can be tailored

from €318 per person

Next departure: Thu 22 Oct

Book Thu 22 Oct · €318Other dates
Private Reykjavik City & Folklore Walking Tour — Your Friend in Reykjavik
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About this experience

This is an excellent combination of our classic Reykjavik City Walk - Walk With a Viking and our Folklore Walking Tour

This is a relaxed walk and because it's private we can even pick up coffee if needed on the tour.

Our Reykjavik walking tour - Walk With a Viking is your introduction to our country. It will help you get your bearings and make the most of your stay in Iceland. We recommend it as your first stop in Reykjavik

This tour brings the history of Iceland to life with exciting stories and Icelandic mythology. We’ll visit all of the famous landmarks in the city center, such as Harpa Concert Hall, Reykjavik Harbour, Hallgrímskirkja Church (we’ll teach you how to pronounce that), Reykjavik Pond, and the Parliament building. But, we’ll also share hidden, local spots with you like a visit to an Elf home; things you’d miss if you didn’t know what to look for. We want you to feel the unique, friendly atmosphere of our quirky little city, not just to see the most popular tourist attractions. We’ll even have a small lesson on the Icelandic language so you can not only walk with a Viking but talk like one too. We’ll be showing you our favorite places to eat, drink and visit (we also have an intimate knowledge of happy hour deals that we’re happy to share).

Then after our regular semi-circle Reykjavik City Walking Tour we will continue and get off the beaten path for an added walk to visit the beautiful Hólavallakirkjugarður Cemetary, the Catholic Church - The Cathedral of Christ the King, and more

Iceland is sometimes called the land of the Sagas and on this walk, you get the chance to hear many interesting sagas involving the hidden people and creatures of Iceland. We will tell you all about the Icelandic Elves, Trolls, Ghosts like the Deacon of the dark river, the unique mostly aquatic monsters, the 13 Santa (it's not enough to have just one Santa Claus in Iceland after all, and their mother the child-eating troll called Grýla 

You will also get an introduction to Icelandic magic and the runes of old

On the long winter nights in Iceland storytelling has been the primary entertainment for people so there are reasons why Icelanders love books and have the highest literacy rate in the world. 1 in 10 Icelanders writes a book in his life so we obviously love to tell stories and you sure won't be disappointed by joining our walk and hearing a couple. J.R.R. Tolkien was heavily influenced by Norse mythology and the Icelandic Sagas when he wrote The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit so we will explain some of the fun similarities between our Icelandic Mythology and J.R.R.S Middle Earth. It's perfect for those who want a little adventure in their life because the story's come alive on our walk.

Description from the operator, Your Friend in Reykjavik. Prices and availability in the booking panel are live.

Where you go

  1. This is a combination of our City Walk and Folklore Tour

Included

  • Expert Guide who knows how to entertain as well as educate

Cancellation for this tour

Free cancellation until 24 hours before departure; no refund after that. If the operator cancels for weather or safety, you get a full refund or a new date.

Why we list it

Your Friend in Reykjavik is one of 204 operators we work with — chosen for reliability, honest descriptions and how they treat guests when weather changes plans. We don't list everything; we list what we'd book ourselves. The six checks every operator passes →

What travellers say about Your Friend in Reykjavik

Read all 1,779 reviews on Google →

Operator rating 4.9/5 from Google — these are reviews of the company, not this specific tour. Shown as Google returns them, unedited.

  • Sanket Das

    ★★★★★ · 2 months ago

    Your Friend in Reykjavik is the best tour company in Reykjavik . I took Walk with a Viking Tour , Snaefellsnes Peninsula day tour and 6 days around Iceland Adventure tour . I spent 8 Nights in Iceland . I stayed 2 nights at Hotel Reykjavik Grand , 1 night at Hotel Geirland , 1 night at Hotel Hofn , 1 night at Wilderness Center , 1 night at Akureyri Berjaya Iceland Hotels , 1 night at Hotel Laugarbakki , 1 night at Hotel Keflavik . It was an amazing tour . My experience in Iceland was magical and heavenly . I also visited Blue Lagoon and it was a nice experience. I enjoyed my every second in Iceland . Iceland is one of the most beautiful country on our planet . I would keep visiting Iceland in the future . Thank you for making my Iceland journey special and memorable .

  • Wendy Uhlig

    ★★★★★ · 2 months ago

    We had a great time on our Iceland Folklore tour. Our guide was Einar. He was a fantastic storyteller!! Hidden people/elves, trolls and ghost stories - and a lot of Icelandic history. Thank you Einar!!

  • Nanci Ritter

    ★★★★★ · 2 months ago

    Petra was an incredible guide. We asked her to show us as much as she could before taking our crazy family of 10 to the airport for our flights to three different cities ! First stop was the beautiful church in downtown Reykjavik that had just opened with an organ recital. Next stop a lovely spot and observation sight overlooking the city by the Pearl. Cold and wet she found us a lovely coffee shop with the best pastries for a welcome mid morning rest next to the sea. Back in the van we drove for a bit before having the opportunity to explore a geothermal field on our way to the airport. A perfect day and ending to our time in Iceland. Petra shared alot of history and information from the perspective of a local which we all appreciated and enjoyed!

  • Vincent Damas

    ★★★★★ · 4 months ago

    Nice walking trip in Reykjavik city centre with our local guide Hrafn, very friendly and knowledgeable. A good introduction to Iceland on the very first day of our 2 weeks road-trip around the island 👍

Reviews from Google · updated 21 Oct 2026

Read before you book

Reviews from our travellers

Only people who booked this tour through us can write here. We publish every review in full — good or bad.

Reviews arrive the day after each trip — none yet for this one. After your tour we send one email asking how it was, and what you write goes here, unedited.

City tours — questions people ask

Do I need a city tour of Reykjavík?

Probably not. Reykjavík's centre is small enough to walk end to end in twenty minutes, and Hallgrímskirkja, Harpa, the Old Harbour and Laugavegur are all on the way. A short driven tour (/experience/1194803/) makes sense if you have limited mobility, a few hours between a flight and a tour, or want the outer sights like Perlan and Grótta without a bus. Otherwise, walk, and spend the money on a food walk.

How many days do you need in Reykjavík?

One full day for the city itself, plus however many days you use it as a base for tours. Most people spend the first and last nights here and take day trips to the Golden Circle, the South Coast and the sea. Three to four nights in Reykjavík with three day tours is a sensible first Iceland trip. Longer than that, move on; the country is the point.

What is the Imagine Peace Tower and when is it lit?

A column of light on Viðey island, just off Reykjavík, dedicated by Yoko Ono to John Lennon. It is lit each year from 9 October, Lennon's birthday, to 8 December, the date he died, plus a few other dates including New Year. Elding runs an evening ferry and walk to the tower (/experience/1301/) during the lighting season. Outside those dates the island is still worth an hour for the walk and Richard Serra's sculptures.

Is Viðey island worth visiting?

For a quiet two hours, yes. The ferry (/experience/1539/) takes twenty minutes from the Old Harbour in summer and five from Skarfabakki all year. There is a cafe in the old house, a small church, walking paths and views back across the city. Nothing on it is dramatic, and it is exposed to wind, so pick a calm day. It suits a spare afternoon better than a planned one.

Hotels

Where to stay for this tour

From the cheapest to the top end of what is near Reykjavík, from our hotel partners. Rooms are booked on our hotels site.

All hotels in Reykjavík →

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Pairs well with

Add any of these to this tour and 3 % comes off both at checkout — about €16 on the cheapest pair. One basket, one payment, however many operators they come from.

from

€318 per person

Book Thu 22 Oct · €318