Reykjavik Folklore Walking Tour: Meet the Elves, Trolls & Ghosts of Iceland

Some city walks come with invisible residents. This 90-minute Reykjavik folklore tour takes you through the oldest part of the capital while a guide brings Icelandic elves, trolls, ghosts, guardian spirits, and monsters into the story. I like the unusual route, especially the old cemeteries and Tjörnin lake, and I like that the tour helps you get your bearings without feeling like a standard facts-and-dates walk.

The guides are the main attraction. Ester, Mathias, Bo, Stefán, Magnus, Dúi, and others have received praise for humor, singing, dramatic voices, and lively storytelling. The possible drawback is that the quality can depend on the individual guide. One experience was described as scattered and too personal, while another raised concerns about jokes touching on Christian faith.

Quick reasons to consider this folklore walk

• An old graveyard dating from around 900: The tour begins with one of Iceland’s oldest burial sites, giving the stories a real sense of place.
• A famous ghost in Hólavallagarður: You visit the second-oldest cemetery in Reykjavik and hear about the Deacon of Dark River.
• Tjörnin’s possible water monster: The lake adds a fun, slightly eerie stop, with stories of Icelandic creatures.
• A different kind of city orientation: You pass City Hall, the Parliament building, the cathedral, old streets, and residential corners while learning local legends.
• Guides add performance, not just facts: Some guides sing, use troll and elf voices, take group photos, or hand out a small souvenir.
• A manageable central route: The walk lasts about an hour and a half, but you remain on foot throughout and should dress for Icelandic weather.

What this Reykjavik folklore tour is really about

This is not a ghost hunt, a museum visit, or a theatrical haunted house. It is a guided city walk built around Icelandic folklore, with the streets, cemeteries, churches, water, and government buildings serving as the backdrop.

The stories concern the huldufólk, or hidden people, along with trolls, ghosts, monsters, rocks, and protective spirits. You do not need to believe in elves to enjoy the walk. The value is seeing how old beliefs still color Icelandic culture and place names.

I especially like this approach for a first day in Reykjavik. You move through central streets while learning where the old city began, and the stories give ordinary buildings a memorable identity. Several guides have also added local tips at the end, which can help you decide where to eat or what to see next.

At $55.63 per person, this is not the cheapest way to walk around Reykjavik. Still, the price compares reasonably with other guided city experiences if you want entertainment, cultural context, and a route that covers places you might otherwise pass without stopping. There are no extra admission fees at the listed stops.

Starting at Ingólfstorgi Square

You meet near Hlöllabátar at Ingólfstorgi 1, in central Reykjavik. The instructions ask you to arrive five minutes early, which is sensible. The meeting point can be difficult to spot without a map, so I would use Google Maps before leaving your hotel and allow a few extra minutes.

The opening section is short. You meet the guide and group, then begin the walk toward the city’s older burial ground. The tour is offered in English and includes a professional guide plus live entertainment.

Group size can vary. The stated maximum is 999 people, which is a very high administrative limit rather than a useful picture of the usual experience. Some bookings have produced a nearly private walk, while other departures may feel more like a standard group tour. If a small group matters greatly to you, ask the operator before booking.

The oldest graveyard and Skúli Magnússon

The first substantial stop is connected with Skúli Magnússon, an important figure in early Reykjavik history. You visit the oldest graveyard in Iceland, said to date from around the year 900, and spend about ten minutes there.

This is one of the tour’s strongest ideas. Folklore can feel vague when it is told in a hotel room or on a bus. In an ancient burial place, stories of ghosts and spirits gain a physical setting. You can also get a better sense of how small and old Reykjavik is beneath its modern capital-city appearance.

The stop is fairly brief. If you are fascinated by gravestones, burial customs, or old family names, you may wish for more time. One detailed experience specifically hoped to explore older graves at greater length. That is useful to know: this is a folklore stop, not a full cemetery tour.

Christ the King Cathedral and Icelandic trolls

The walk continues to the Cathedral of Christ the King, where the guide discusses Icelandic trolls and their dislike of the church. The stop itself lasts about five minutes, so expect a compact story rather than an architectural tour.

The cathedral gives the route a helpful change of mood. You move from burial ground and ghost stories to a religious building, then hear how Christian ideas and older beliefs overlap in Icelandic tales. The guide may use humor here, and the tone can be playful.

This is also the point where guide style matters. Most feedback describes the guides as warm, funny, and engaging, but one person felt uncomfortable with jokes about Christian faith. If religion is a sensitive subject for you, keep in mind that the tour may treat churches and belief systems through satire and folklore rather than formal religious commentary.

Hólavallagarður and the Deacon of Dark River

At Hólavallagarður, Reykjavik’s second-oldest cemetery, the tour spends about fifteen minutes. The main character here is the Deacon of Dark River, described as Iceland’s most famous ghost.

This is likely the atmospheric center of the experience. Cemeteries offer quiet corners, old stones, and a natural setting for tales of the dead. You are not simply told that a ghost exists. You are brought to a place linked with one of the country’s best-known supernatural figures.

The cemetery is also where the walk may feel most exciting for children. One family described a friendly cat that followed the group through the graveyard, adding an unexpected bit of theater to the evening. That was a chance event, not a promised part of the tour, but it captures the informal nature of the walk.

If you want a serious cemetery study, this will probably feel too short. If you want a well-placed ghost story in an old setting, fifteen minutes is enough to create a memorable stop without making the tour gloomy.

Tjörnin lake and Reykjavik’s monsters

The route then reaches Tjörnin, the lake beside central Reykjavik. You hear stories about Icelandic monsters and may look across the water for signs of a local creature.

Tjörnin is a useful pause after the cemetery. The setting is open, and you may see ducks or swans on the water. The walk is not only about fear. Icelandic folklore includes strange, comic, and mysterious beings, and the lake gives the guide room to explain those traditions in a lighter way.

The official description says you may spot a water monster. Treat that as part of the story, not a wildlife promise. The fun comes from looking at a familiar city lake with a different idea in mind.

This stop lasts around ten minutes. It is also a good place to take photographs, although the tour’s main purpose remains storytelling rather than sightseeing photography.

City Hall and the map of Iceland

From Tjörnin, you walk past Reykjavik City Hall. Sometimes the group goes inside to see the large map of Iceland and discuss the locations associated with trolls and other creatures.

The word sometimes matters here. A visit inside City Hall should not be treated as guaranteed, so do not book the tour mainly for that map. When available, it adds helpful geographic context. Icelandic folklore is often tied to particular rocks, lava fields, mountains, and remote areas, and the map can show how widespread those tales are.

This is one of the places where the tour moves beyond central Reykjavik. You are not only hearing a story about a creature. You are connecting it to the wider island, which makes the legends easier to remember when you later travel beyond the capital.

Alþingishúsið and the guardian spirits

Near Alþingishúsið, the Icelandic Parliament building, the guide introduces Icelandic guardian spirits. The stop lasts about five minutes.

The setting is a good reminder that folklore is not kept in a separate fantasy corner. Parliament represents the modern state, while the stories concern protective beings tied to Iceland and its people. The contrast gives the final part of the walk a clear theme: old beliefs can remain part of national identity even in a modern capital.

You will not get a full Parliament tour. The building is one stop in a walking route, used to frame a short explanation of guardian spirits.

Ending at Austurvöllur Square

The walk finishes at Austurvöllur Square, in front of the Parliament building. This is close to the starting point, though not exactly the same place.

Ending here is practical. You remain in central Reykjavik, near restaurants, shops, and other city sights. Some guides have offered local recommendations at the end, and one experience included a small gift or magnet. Those extras are not described as guaranteed, so I would regard them as pleasant additions rather than part of the value calculation.

The route is short enough to fit into a busy day, but you will be standing and walking for the whole experience. One direct warning from the feedback is worth taking seriously: the tour may be too much for someone who is uncomfortable spending ninety minutes on foot.

The guide makes or breaks the evening

The strongest praise centers on the guides. Mathias is repeatedly described as funny, charismatic, and full of stories. Stefán has been praised for dramatic troll and elf voices. Dúi has impressed people with his singing, while Steingrímur has also used song during the walk.

Ester has been singled out for making the experience fun, informative, and engaging, and Magnus has been praised for his pride in Icelandic culture. Bo has also received warm comments for his cheerful style and folklore knowledge.

This tells you what kind of tour to expect at its best. It is less like a lecture and more like a moving performance. Humor, voices, songs, and personal delivery can make the same route feel lively.

The downside is variation. One guide was considered unfocused, with too much personal narrative and not enough folklore. Another person hoped for more detail about elves. The company appears to use several guides, so you cannot assume every departure will have the same style.

Photography is another small variable. One guide took many group photos and sent them by text later, but the images had large company logos. That may be useful if you want a group record, but do not count on professional photography or logo-free pictures.

Is $55.63 a fair price?

I would call the price fair, but not a bargain. You pay for a ninety-minute guided walk, live storytelling, local cultural context, and a route through several historic places. There are no ticket charges at the stops, and hotel pickup is not included.

The value is highest if you want a first-day orientation with personality. You learn the layout of central Reykjavik while getting an introduction to ideas that can appear throughout an Iceland trip. The value is lower if you prefer a formal history tour, a long cemetery visit, or a tightly scripted performance.

The experience is booked about 43 days ahead on average. That suggests you should not leave it until the last morning of a popular trip, especially if your schedule is short. Free cancellation is available up to 24 hours before the start time for a full refund. The terms also say poor weather or failure to reach the minimum number may lead to a new date or full refund.

There is a small inconsistency in the practical information: the tour is described as operating in all weather, while the cancellation terms say it requires good weather. The safe approach is to dress for rain, wind, and cold, and check the operator’s message if conditions look poor.

Who should book this walk?

I would recommend it to:

• Families whose children enjoy ghosts, monsters, and theatrical storytelling.
• First-time visitors who want to get their bearings in central Reykjavik.
• People who prefer folklore and local culture to a standard landmark lecture.
• Couples looking for an easy evening activity with a slightly spooky mood.
• Anyone curious about how elves and hidden people fit into Icelandic identity.

I would be more cautious if you want a quiet, scholarly tour. I would also think twice if you dislike walking, religious humor, gruesome folklore, or stories that may include personal touches from the guide.

The tour can work in rain, but good shoes and waterproof clothing will make a big difference. Bring a phone with maps for the meeting point, arrive five minutes early, and keep your schedule flexible enough to allow the walk to run slightly beyond the expected ninety minutes.

Should you book the Reykjavik folklore walking tour?

Book it if you want stories with a city walk attached. The old graveyards, Tjörnin, Parliament area, and central streets give the legends a useful setting, and the best guides turn the route into a lively piece of local theater.

Skip it if you want detailed architecture, extensive cemetery research, or a guaranteed focus on elves at every stop. The guide’s personality shapes the experience, and the short visits leave little time for lingering.

For most visitors, I would place it early in a Reykjavik stay. It gives you a playful map of the city, points out places you might otherwise miss, and leaves you ready to notice Iceland’s rocks, churches, lakes, and old buildings in a new way.

FAQ

Where does the Reykjavik folklore walking tour start?

It starts at Hlöllabátar, Ingólfstorgi 1, 101 Reykjavik, Iceland.

Where does the tour finish?

It ends at Austurvöllur Square, in front of the Parliament building at Alþingishúsið. The endpoint is close to the starting area.

How long does the tour last?

The tour lasts approximately one hour and thirty minutes.

What language is the tour offered in?

The tour is offered in English.

What is included in the price?

A professional guide and live entertainment are included.

Is hotel pickup provided?

No. You must make your own way to the central Reykjavik meeting point.

What places do you visit?

The route includes the oldest graveyard in Iceland, the Cathedral of Christ the King, Hólavallagarður cemetery, Tjörnin lake, Reykjavik City Hall, Alþingishúsið, and Austurvöllur Square.

Is the tour suitable for children?

Children may participate, but they must be accompanied by an adult.

What happens if the weather is poor?

The cancellation terms state that if the tour is canceled because of poor weather, you may be offered another date or a full refund.

Can I cancel for a full refund?

Yes. You can cancel at least 24 hours before the experience begins for a full refund. Changes or cancellations made less than 24 hours before the start time are not accepted for a refund.