Reykjavik Folklore Walking Tour: Meet the Elves, Trolls & Ghosts of Iceland
Recommended by 94% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Reykjavik, Iceland
- 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Go beyond the tourist trail and take a deep dive into Icelands strong mythical tradition that includes sorts of elves, trolls, and 13 iterations of Santa. This guided tour of Reykjavik takes you to the oldest part of town to learn all about these creatures and their stories, with stops at the oldest graveyard in the city, an elf stone, and to the Reykjavik Pond, where aquatic monsters are believed to dwell.
- Discover a side to Reykjavik that many visitors miss
- Learn about local myths from your guide
- Check off multiple mythological landmarks in just one tour
- Ask your guide for local tips after the tour ends
What's Included
- Professional guide
- Live entertainment
- Gratuities
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- HlöllabátarIngólfstorgi 1, 101 Reykjavík, Iceland
Outside Hlöllabátar, facing Ingólfstorg Square and the two tall stone pillars. Center Hotel Plaza is to your right. Benches, tables, and a covered ceiling make it a comfortable spot to wait. Our expert local guides usually wear a light blue jacket with Your Friend in Reykjavik on the back
End point
- Jón SigurðssonAusturvöllur, 43W6+V4C, 101 Reykjavík, Iceland
We end up close to our starting point but now infront of the Parliament building at Austurvöllur public square.
Itinerary
Make your own way to the meeting point in central Reykjavik. With your guide and group of fellow travelers, head first for the oldest graveyard in Iceland, which dates from around the year 900.
After stops at a local playground and the Cathedral of Christ the King to learn about Icelandic elves and trolls, it’s on to Hólavallakirkjugarðurt, the second oldest cemetery in Reykjavik and favored haunt of Iceland’s most-famous ghost, the Deacon of Dark River.
Continue to the lake of Tjörnin to hear stories about Icelandic monsters and by Reykjavik City Hall on your way to Alþingishúsið to visit Icelandic guardian spirits.
Your tour finishes up at Austurvollur Square, close to where you began.
After stops at a local playground and the Cathedral of Christ the King to learn about Icelandic elves and trolls, it’s on to Hólavallakirkjugarðurt, the second oldest cemetery in Reykjavik and favored haunt of Iceland’s most-famous ghost, the Deacon of Dark River.
Continue to the lake of Tjörnin to hear stories about Icelandic monsters and by Reykjavik City Hall on your way to Alþingishúsið to visit Icelandic guardian spirits.
Your tour finishes up at Austurvollur Square, close to where you began.
1
Your Friend In Reykjavik
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
2
Skúli Magnússon Sheriff
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
3
Cathedral of Christ the King
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
4
Hólavallagarður
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
5
Tjörnin
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
6
Reykjavik City Hall
10 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
7
Alþingishúsið
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
8
Austurvollur Square
5 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Wheelchair accessible
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Stroller accessible
- Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Transportation is wheelchair accessible
- Most travelers can participate
- Please be at Ingolfur Square 5 minutes before the starting time
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 999 travelers
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
4.8
based on 751 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
Great tour…so glad we signed up for it. We learned so much and got to see new parts of Reykjavik. Would highly recommend it!
Great mix of history, folklore and Icelandic traditions! Dui, our tour guide, was wonderful! He told stories, he sang Icelandic tails & translated them, it was a really lovely opportunity to hear some of the native language. The tour wraps up right around the corner from the famous bbp hotdog stand, perfect snack post tour!
Einar is a great storyteller! The tour needs to connect his stories, history, and info to the stops/places visited. We had to stand in 1 location for a very long time and that was uncomfortable.
It's interesting, but much darker than I was expecting. I thought there would be lighter stories about trolls and elves, but it's a much heavier history, so be ready. Still a cool tour though!
Arni, our stupendous tour guide gave us the most amazing experience possible. I was intrigued by all of the interesting stories he told us. We got to hear interesting stories about magical folklore while exploring the beautiful streets of Iceland. This tour is very kid friendly and I would definitely recommend this for an amazing story walk
This was such a fun and educational tour. I loved the stories and the walk through Reykjavik with history and folklore was thoroughly enjoyable. I greatly appreciated the walk through the cemetery as well. It’s truly beautiful. Thank you.
My husband and I really enjoyed this tour. We heard a number of stories about Icelandic folklore which were all interesting. The guide was personable and funny. I would recommend this to anyone interested in learning about the folk stories in Iceland.
Stefan, our guide, was incredibly informative, friendly, and had a fantastic sense of humor! He was engaging from start to finish, making the tour fun and enjoyable for everyone. We had a wonderful time and would definitely recommend this tour to anyone visiting Reykjavík!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Viator app also worked seamlessly for booking and storing our event tickets. The directions to the meeting point were clear and helpful, with convenient links to Google Maps. Highly recommend downloading the app.
We had such a great time on this tour! Stefan was amazing and such a great storyteller! It is a walking tour, but not very far and frequent breaks.
This tour was absolutely fantastic, we had so much fun walking around and our tour guide Dúi told the stories with a real whimsicalness while also being educational on the history of the city. We did this tour on our very first day of our trip and thought it was the most wonderful introduction to the city.
This was a very cool and educational experience. I love mythology and folklore and try to book a tour like this wherever I go. Even though I was already familiar with Norse mythology, I still learned quite a bit from this tour.
There was some general Norse mythology stuff just as background and reference point, but the "meat" of the tour was very much Iceland specific. You would get no complaints from me if the guide just stood there and told us stories about Odin and Thor, but the very specific Icelandic flavor of the things that were discussed and the relevant locations was very much appreciated.
I had no idea that Iceland had such a rich and unique folklore tradition that is very distinct from what comes to mind when you think Scandinavian folklore. The value of this tour was two fold.
On the one hand, there were the cool stories and getting to know more about a fascinating culture. But that part stands on its own. We could have done this bit in the pub over a few beers (future tour idea maybe?) and I would have been happy.
But the locations! The locations add a whole new aspect to this fantastic tour. I got to see more of the city proper. My lodgings were located in the touristy part of town where all the bars are, close to the big church and the rainbow street (no complaints on that front,) but I had no idea that there was a whole other part of Reykjavík that had some of the most amazing modern architecture I've seen on four continents. That should honestly just be a tour in and of itself. Love cool buildings? Let us show them to you and tell you cool facts about them! I'd book that. But I digress!
We saw some really cool sites around Reykjavík. I need to come back just to see all the museums. Every stop we made had an interesting story related to it and even if it wasn't really relevant to whatever bit of cool Icelandic folklore our guide happened to be imparting to us at that moment, it still made the story better.
Our guide told us about several Icelandic poems and lullabies. And then he sang them! He freaking sang them to us! How awesome is that? I'll tell you how awesome. Very bloody awesome!
The tour included a visit to the local cemetery, and he showed us the graves of some of his relatives, which added a personal touch to the whole thing.
At the end, we visited a secret garden. If you didn't know it was there, you'd walk right by it, none the wiser. I'm not gonna tell where it is. Book the tour and find out. Just know it's really cool.
The weather wasn't exactly THE BEST for a walking tour. It was chilly, windy, and rainy. But the rain was just a light on and off sprinkle, the wind was pretty mild, and the cold was no worse than normal. It's was all in all a normal Icelandic day. I would have just preferred it if it wasn't 😀.
Apparently these reviews have a character limit and I blew right past it so I had to revise my review. Long story short: if you're into mythology and folklore, book this tour. You'll learn a lot and want to learn more. Also, if you're building a road and there's a large, weird looking stone in the way, go around it. There's probably elves there, and it's better to be safe than sorry.
A fun experience that actually helped us later in our trip without the stories and myth some of the souvenirs didn’t make
Sense. High energy great story telling. Saw neat parts of the city.
Dui was fantastic. He told us stories, he sang us songs, he did a phenomenal job! There wasn't a place to sit at all of our stops, so hopefully you can stand and walk for the 1.5 hours.
The information was nicely presented. The pace of the walking and story telling was unhurried and informative. We enjoyed the stories and singing. We appreciated the tip to visit the National Museum which we thoroughly enjoyed the following day.
Our guide Hravn was a gifted storyteller and made the tour so interesting and fun. I am certain several of the stories will stay with me forever. This was one of several tours with this company and all of the guides have been great.
Dui was so kind and accommodating. He brought so much life to the stories. Even singing to us multiple times. His words, and songs, were beautiful and haunting. He really captured the lore of his beautiful country.
Our guide was very kind, animated and a true storyteller! He was well versed in Icelandic folklore! My challenge was that he was so engaged in his storytelling that it seemed he wasn’t reading our body language. We were standing in the same spot (in the park area at the beginning of the tour) for a long time. Our group shared that we had just landed that morning and we were all exhausted. We were fidgeting bc our legs were hurting by just standing there and he could have talked while we walked. In that same area, he seemed oblivious to the construction noise intermittently going on 50 yards behind him.
It was an entertaining way to hear a few stories, see the only “operating” Catholic Church and cemetery (where we learned quite a bit about his family members).
He obviously loves what he does and his country’s folklore!
I can recommend this tour if it’s nice out and doesn’t cost too much (booked a long time ago and I can’t remember what we paid).
The tour was full of interesting facts about the city of reiki vec and it's culture of little people and giants. If you like corky history tours you will love this tour.
Interesting to learn more about the Islandic culture and the country. Would recommend to someone who doesn't know Reykjavik very well.
It was VERY cold and at first, when our guide said the tour would be 1.5-2 hours, I thought, “we will never last that long,” but the time went by quickly with the stories and exploration of a cemetery, a stop by a church, etc. I’m very glad we decided to do it!
Response from Host, Apr 2026
Dear Lauren, thank you so much for your wonderful review! 🌟😊
We’re delighted to hear that you enjoyed the stories and exploring parts of Reykjavík you might not have discovered otherwise 🏡✨ Even in the cold, it’s great to know the time flew by thanks to the storytelling and unique stops along the way ❄️📖
We’re so glad you decided to join the tour and that it turned into such a memorable experience, from the cemetery visit to the church and beyond ⛪👻
Your kind words mean a lot to us 🙏 We truly appreciate you joining us and hope to welcome you back again soon for another adventure and more fascinating stories ✨😊
With gratitude and warm regards
Steina
Your Friend In Reykjavík & Team
Einar was a wonderful guide. Took us inside when we were freezing to give us Interesting information. It was fun Learning about Iceland traditions. He told us great stories and sang us great songs.
Response from Host, Apr 2026
Dear Carol, thank you so much for your wonderful review! 🌟😊
We’re delighted to hear that you enjoyed your folklore walking tour with Einar and that he made sure you stayed warm while still sharing such interesting insights ❄️📖 It’s fantastic that you enjoyed learning about Icelandic traditions, along with his great stories and songs 🎶✨
Your kind words truly mean a lot to us 🙏 We’re so happy you had a fun and memorable experience and hope to welcome you back again soon for another magical adventure in Reykjavík 🇮🇸💙
With gratitude and warm regards
Steina
Your Friend In Reykjavík & Team
We took our tour with Matthias and my goodness was he a wealth of knowledge, and so incredibly warm and kind. It is so clear he enjoys these tours and connecting with tourists to tell them about these stories. Incredible storyteller, attentive to all the needs of a tour group with diverse walking speeds, and offered so much more than just folklore during this walk.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Dear Bridget,
Thank you so much for your wonderful and thoughtful review! 🌟 We’re absolutely delighted to hear how much you enjoyed your tour with Mathias. His warmth, knowledge, and passion for storytelling truly make the experience special, and he’ll be so happy to hear your kind words. 😊
It’s lovely to know that you appreciated not only the folklore but also the wider stories and insights he shared along the way. Making sure everyone feels comfortable and included, no matter their walking pace, is something our guides care deeply about, and it’s great to hear that came through. 🏙️✨
We’re so glad you had such a memorable experience and hope to welcome you back for another adventure in Reykjavík soon! ❄️
With gratitude and warm regards
Steina
Your Friend In Reykjavík & Team
Very cool experience, lots of interesting stories and songs from the guide. A really interesting way to see Reykjavik
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Dear Lianna,
Thank you so much for your lovely review! 🌟 We’re delighted to hear that you had such a cool experience and enjoyed the interesting stories and songs from your guide. 🎶✨
It’s wonderful to know that the tour gave you a unique and engaging way to see Reykjavík, that’s exactly what we hope to create for our guests. 🏙️😊
We hope to welcome you back soon for another memorable adventure in the city! ❄️
With gratitude and warm regards
Steina
Your Friend In Reykjavík & Team
It was very interesting. Our tour guide Bo made it fun. Also a great way to see the area.
Very pleasant.
Response from Host, Mar 2026
Dear Darren,
Thank you so much for your kind review! 🌟 We’re delighted to hear that your tour with Bo was both interesting and fun, and that you enjoyed seeing the area in such a pleasant way. 🏙️✨
Bo will be thrilled to hear your feedback, and we hope to welcome you back soon for another memorable adventure in Reykjavík! ❄️
With gratitude and warm regards
Steina
Your Friend In Reykjavík & Team
Ester was our guide, and she made this tour fun, informative, and engaging. She also had some great local tips at the end. This was a great way to get more familiar with Icelandic folklore, and get a bit more familiar with Reykjavik. Totally recommended!
Response from Host, Jan 2026
Dear Megan,
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! 😊 We’re delighted that Ester made your tour fun, engaging, and informative. It’s great to hear that you enjoyed learning about Icelandic folklore and getting more familiar with Reykjavík, and that Ester’s local tips added an extra special touch 🏙️📖✨.
We would love to welcome you back for another Icelandic adventure soon! 🌍💙
With gratitude and warm regards
Steina
Your Friend In Reykjavík & Team
The tour was fun. The tour guide was very friendly and even had a special gift for us at the end of the tour. After the tour ended, I went to get gelato. While inside the gelato store, the door behind me (that was closed) flew open without reason and the store employee said “that’s a ghost!” I found that interesting seeing how I had just completed a ghost tour of Reykjavik.
Response from Host, Dec 2025
Thank you so much for your wonderful and fun review, Gracie! 👻✨
We truly appreciate you taking the time to share your experience with us. We’re delighted to hear you enjoyed the tour, the friendliness of your guide, and the little surprise at the end 🎁😊. And wow — that gelato shop moment sounds like the perfect spooky Reykjavík finale after a ghost tour! 👀🍦 Iceland certainly loves to keep the folklore alive.
Thank you again for your kind words and for choosing to explore Reykjavík with us. We hope to see you again soon on another adventure! 🌟❄️
With gratitude and warm regards
Steina
Your Friend In Reykjavík & Team
We enjoyed meeting the guide, who was both knowledgeable and entertaining, as well as visiting the various sites around Reykjavik center. The stories were informative, lively and funny. This was the first tour of our trip and our introduction to Reykjavik.
Unlike some of our other tours, our guide took many pictures which we were later sent via text message, including some group photos. We only wish they all weren't partially covered with giant "Your Friend in Reykjavik" logos in the corner, especially considering we were also given small magnets with the same design.
We'd also have liked to have spent perhaps a little more time at the cemetery, given its age, to visit some of the older graves.
We thought this good value for the price.
Response from Host, Dec 2025
Thank you so much for your thoughtful and detailed review, Ronald! 😊🙏
We’re really happy to hear that you enjoyed meeting your guide and that the tour was a great introduction to Reykjavík 🇮🇸✨ It’s wonderful to know the stories felt informative, lively, and funny, and that visiting the city center sites helped set the tone for the rest of your trip.
We truly appreciate your constructive feedback as well. Your comments about the photos and the time spent at the cemetery are noted, and we value insights like these as they help us continue to improve our experiences 📸🌿 Thank you for sharing this so openly and kindly.
We’re glad you felt the tour was good value, and we hope to welcome you again soon on another adventure in Reykjavík — there’s always more to discover! 🚶♂️🌋
With gratitude and warm regards
Steina
Your Friend In Reykjavík & Team
We had such a great time learning about the Icelandic folklore and seeing the hidden parts of Reykjavik that a normal tourist wouldn’t even think twice about stopping at. Our tour guide “Po” was such a joy to be around. Thank you!
Response from Host, Dec 2025
Thank you so much for the lovely review, Giovanna — we truly appreciate it! 🌟
We’re delighted to hear that you enjoyed exploring the hidden corners of Reykjavík and diving into Icelandic folklore. It’s wonderful that Bo made the experience joyful and memorable for you. We’re grateful you chose to spend your time with us and hope to see you again soon for another adventure!
With gratitude and warm regards
Steina
Your Friend In Reykjavík & Team
A fun way to learn about the trolls, elves, and ghosts of Iceland! Our guide Bo was very knowledgeable and took us on a great trip through the city.
Response from Host, Dec 2025
Thank you so much for your lovely review, Isabella! 🌟👻🧝♂️
We’re thrilled to hear that you enjoyed learning about Iceland’s trolls, elves, and ghosts with Bo. His knowledge and passion for the magical and mysterious sides of Reykjavík really make the stories come alive, and it sounds like you had a fantastic journey through the city. 🏙️✨
We hope to see you again soon on another adventure! 😄
With gratitude and warm regards
Steina
Your Friend In Reykjavík & Team
We had the most amazing guide from Iceland who took us on a great walk to see a rock where elves hide, and we heard so many spooky stories, learned about the culture, saw beautiful homes and buildings and a Catholic Church and then walked through a scary cemetery where our own special cat with a funny wreath collar followed us the entire time til we left the cemetery, the cat was so friendly. Our guide explained that elves are known to shapeshift and the cat was seeing us through the cemetery to listen to our storytelling. Our guide also took us near his family crypt.. Our kids were fascinated. We also walked by the water with swans and ducks. We ended in the city center with hot chocolate and donuts to end the night ice skating. Loved, loved, loved this tour!
Response from Host, Dec 2025
Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful experience, Sara! 🏰🦄😺
We’re delighted to hear that your family enjoyed the magical mix of elves, spooky stories, beautiful architecture, and even a special cemetery cat 🐾✨. From swans by the water to hot chocolate and donuts at the end of your night, it sounds like a truly enchanting adventure through Reykjavik! Your kids’ fascination and excitement really make us smile. 🍫🍩❄️
We hope to see you all again soon for another memorable Reykjavik adventure! 🌟
With gratitude and warm regards
Steina
Your Friend In Reykjavík & Team
From $54.24
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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