Reykjavik: Beer and Booze Tour

Reykjavik once banned beer for 74 years, so this is more than a night of drinks. It is a lively introduction to Iceland’s odd drinking laws, new craft-beer scene, and social life, served across three central bars. I like the generous tasting lineup and the chance to try a beer that may not yet be sold. I also like the small groups, which make it easy to ask about food, nightlife, and Icelandic customs.

The main drawback is that the tour is built around alcohol, not a full meal, and some stops may feel more appealing than others. At $128, it is good value for Iceland if you enjoy beer, but less so if you only want a quick taste or do not drink much.

Key points at a glance

• Ten Icelandic beers or five spirits: Choose the beer route or the schnaps and spirits option.
• Three very different bars: Skúli Craft Bar, Lemmy, and Ölstofa each bring a different setting and selection.
• A useful Reykjavik orientation: The walk begins near Ingólfstorg, right in the city center.
• A guide-led evening: Guides including Chris, Arnar, Astor, and Kristjan mix beer facts with stories about Iceland.
• Small groups help: You can ask for advice on restaurants, nightlife, and local drinking customs.
• Adults only: The tour is limited to people age 20 and older, with no children or infants allowed in the bars.

Why Icelandic beer makes a good city introduction

Iceland is famous for glaciers, waterfalls, and hot springs, but its beer story is just as unusual. Beer was banned in the country for 74 years, and that long gap gives modern Icelandic brewing a slightly late-starting, experimental feel.

This tour uses that story as a doorway into Reykjavik. You do not simply sit in one bar and sample a flight. You walk between several places, hear about Viking-era drinking, and learn how today’s microbreweries are making use of Iceland’s fresh water and local tastes.

I like this format because it gives you something useful for the rest of your stay. By the end, you should have a better idea of which Icelandic beers to order and which bars suit your mood. You also get a short introduction to the city center without committing half a day to a formal sightseeing tour.

The tone is social rather than academic. Guides such as Chris, Arnar, Astor, and Kristjan have been praised for being funny, friendly, and good at bringing a group into the conversation. That matters here. A beer tour can become a dull list of brewery names if the guide only recites facts. This one is meant to feel like an evening with a local who happens to know the city’s drinks well.

Meeting near Ingólfstorg

The tour begins outside Hlöllabátar, a sandwich shop facing Ingólfstorg Square and its two tall stone pillars. CenterHotel Plaza is on your right, and the meeting area has benches, tables, and a covered ceiling.

This is a handy central location, though one person reported confusion about the meeting point. I would arrive a little early and check the map link before setting out. Look for a guide in a light blue jacket marked Your Friend in Reykjavik on the back.

The opening walk takes about 10 minutes around Ingólfstorg. It is not a major sightseeing circuit, and you should not expect a long tour of Reykjavik’s landmarks. Its value is practical: you begin to place yourself in the city center before settling in for the tasting.

That short walk also gives the guide a chance to explain how the evening will work. You can ask about the beer or spirits option, food after the tour, and places to continue your night. Since the tour ends at either Bastardur Brew Pub or Ölstofa, the guide can also help you understand where you are when the tasting is over.

Skúli Craft Bar starts the tasting

The first main stop is Skúli Craft Bar, where you spend about an hour with beer and whiskey tastings. This is the longest stop, so it is likely to be the place where the guide can give the most background and where you can settle into the group.

Skúli is a useful first stop because craft beer is the heart of the experience. You may taste several beers in smaller portions rather than drinking one full beer at a time. That lets you compare styles and flavors without spending the entire evening on a single choice.

The tour may also include a beer from an Icelandic microbrewery that is not yet available on the market. That possibility gives the tasting a sense of discovery, though it is not a guarantee. Beer selections can change, so you should see this as a bonus rather than a promised bottle.

Whiskey appears in the stop description, but the main tasting choice is still between 10 craft beers or five schnaps and spirits. If you prefer spirits, make that clear to your guide early. If you are not a big beer drinker, the guides have shown flexibility in finding lighter or sweeter options.

Food is not included, although several people found that the guide offered Icelandic snacks or a sweet bite during the evening. Do not treat those snacks as dinner. Eat beforehand or plan a meal after the tour, especially if you are choosing the full tasting route.

Lemmy brings a different bar setting

The second stop is Lemmy, with about 45 minutes set aside for beer. The point of moving here is not just to add another drink. You get a different bar setting and another chance to see how Reykjavik’s drinking scene changes from one place to the next.

A good guide will keep the tasting from becoming a blur by explaining what makes each beer different. You might compare a crisp beer with a stronger ale, an IPA, or another local style. The exact pours are not fixed in the information provided, so come ready for a changing selection rather than a set menu.

This is also where the group dynamic can become part of the fun. Small groups make it easier to talk with the guide and other people without shouting across a crowded room. Several tours have been very small, sometimes leaving the guide with only one couple or one small party. That can be a real advantage if you want to ask about Icelandic culture.

The tradeoff is that a quiet night may feel less like a classic pub crawl. If you want loud nightlife and packed bars, this is not designed as a party tour. It is better for conversation, tasting, and learning how to order drinks locally.

Ölstofa closes with the strongest local feel

The final listed stop is Ölstofa, with about 45 minutes for beer. The tour can finish here, and one of the listed drop-off points is Ölstofa itself. Bastardur Brew Pub is the other possible end point.

Some people have found the final stop especially atmospheric, while the first two have felt more ordinary by comparison. That makes sense for a three-bar route: not every place will match your taste, but the variety keeps the night from feeling staged around one venue.

You may taste more beer here, or the guide may shift to Icelandic schnaps and spirits if you selected that option. One common spirit associated with the tour is Black Death, the nickname for Icelandic Brennivin. The evening can therefore finish with something distinctly local rather than another standard lager.

Keep an eye on your pace at this stop. Ten samples over roughly two and a half hours can add up, even when the pours are tasting-size. All drinks are included, but you are not required to rush through them. Tell the guide if you want to slow down or skip a sample.

What $128 buys you in Reykjavik

The price is $128 per person. That is a serious amount for a bar walk, but Icelandic alcohol prices are high, and every drink on this tour is included. If you bought 10 separate craft beers or five spirits in Reykjavik bars, the bill could rise quickly.

The value depends on how much you drink and how much you care about context. For a beer fan, the price includes a broad tasting range, three bars, a guide, and practical city advice. It can be a sensible way to sample local choices without guessing at expensive menu prices on your own.

For a light drinker, the calculation changes. You may not want 10 beer samples, and a standard city walk followed by one drink would cost less. The tour makes more sense if you see the drinks as part of a guided introduction to Icelandic culture, not as a cheap way to get alcohol.

Private groups are available, which may suit families of adult friends, couples, or colleagues who want a more personal evening. The standard small-group format is probably the better value for most people, since the strongest feature is the chance to talk with an Icelandic guide.

The guides are a major part of the experience

The guide can make or break any tasting tour. Here, the strongest praise has gone to Chris, Arnar, Astor, and Kristjan for being engaging, funny, friendly, and good at explaining both beer and local life.

Chris has been especially good at drawing everyone into the conversation. That is useful if your group includes quiet people or someone who knows little about beer. Arnar has been praised for mixing Reykjavik stories with the tasting, while Astor and Kristjan have been noted for explaining the character of different Icelandic beers.

The practical benefit is that you can use the guide as a local resource. Ask where to eat after the tour, which bar to visit next, or how Icelandic drinking laws shape the current scene. You may get more value from those questions than from memorizing brewery names.

Guides also help non-beer drinkers. One group included a person who did not care much for beer, and the guide found lighter and sweeter choices that worked better. Still, you should not book this expecting a nonalcoholic alternative. The experience is centered on tasting drinks.

What to know before you book

You must be at least 20 years old. Iceland’s legal age to purchase alcohol is 20, and people younger than 20 are not allowed inside the bars used for this tour. Children and infants cannot join.

The tour is also not suitable for pregnant women. You need a passport or ID card, and you should wear layers. Reykjavik weather can change quickly, and you will spend time walking outside between bars.

The advertised duration is 150 minutes. The listed stop times add up to slightly more than that, so allow a little flexibility rather than scheduling a tight dinner reservation immediately afterward. The tour does not include hotel pickup or drop-off, but the route stays in central Reykjavik and ends at either Bastardur Brew Pub or Ölstofa.

English is the tour language. Free cancellation is available up to 24 hours before the start, and you can reserve now and pay later if that option is offered when you book.

Who will enjoy this beer and booze tour?

I would recommend it to you if you like trying local drinks but want more guidance than a bar menu provides. It suits solo visitors, couples, and small groups who enjoy conversation and do not mind sharing the evening with other adults.

It is also a smart choice for a second night in Reykjavik. You get your city bearings, learn which drinks to look for, and finish with suggestions for dinner or nightlife. Several hours of drinking can make a poor first activity after a long flight, so give yourself time to settle in before booking.

Beer fans will get the most from the 10-beer route. The spirits option is better if you want schnaps, whiskey, or traditional Icelandic liquor, though the supplied details do not promise the exact five pours in advance.

I would skip it if you want a full meal, a quiet museum-style tour, or a late-night party crawl. The walk is short, the food is not included, and the bars may vary in atmosphere. You are paying for the guide, the range of tastings, and the local stories as much as for the drinks.

Should you book it?

Book this tour if Icelandic beer, local drinking customs, and easy conversation sound like a good evening. The mix of three bars, 10 possible beer samples, and a guide who can point you toward the rest of Reykjavik gives you useful value for the price.

I would especially choose it early in your stay, when advice about restaurants and nightlife can still shape your plans. If you drink little, eat a proper meal first and pace yourself. If you want a loud pub crawl or a guaranteed set of specific beers, choose another activity.

For most adults who enjoy tasting local drinks, this is a fun and practical way to get oriented in Reykjavik without turning the night into a lecture.

FAQ

How long does the Reykjavik Beer and Booze Tour last?

The advertised duration is 150 minutes, or two and a half hours.

How many drinks are included?

The tour includes 10 Icelandic craft beer samples, or five different schnaps and spirits samples.

Can I choose spirits instead of beer?

Yes. You can choose the five schnaps and spirits option instead of the 10-beer tasting.

Where does the tour meet?

The meeting point is outside Hlöllabátar sandwich shop, facing Ingólfstorg Square and its two tall stone pillars. CenterHotel Plaza is to the right.

How can I identify the guide?

The local guides usually wear a light blue jacket with Your Friend in Reykjavik printed on the back.

Which bars does the tour visit?

The route includes Skúli Craft Bar, Lemmy, and Ölstofa. The tour begins near Ingólfstorg.

Where does the tour finish?

The listed drop-off locations are Bastardur Brew Pub and Ölstofa.

Is food included?

Food is not included in the tour price. Some guides may provide Icelandic snacks or a sweet bite during the tasting.

What is the minimum age?

You must be at least 20 years old to join the tour.

Is hotel pickup included?

No. Hotel pickup and drop-off are not included.

Is the tour available as a private experience?

Yes. A private group option is available.

Can I cancel for a full refund?

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.

What language is the tour in?

The tour is conducted in English.

What should I bring?

Bring a passport or ID card, and wear layers suitable for Icelandic weather.