The 15 Best Christmas Trips in Iceland

1.Goðafoss, Laufas & The Christmas House Combo Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 173 reviews · 4 hours · from $117Our pick

Travel from Akureyri by small bus to Goðafoss, Laufás heritage farm, and the Christmas House. English-speaking guides such as Jon, Inga, and Lilja share local stories, folklore, and humor. Hotel and cruise-port pickup, Laufás admission, and drop-off are included.

“A fantastic day out. The guide and driver were amazing. Very informative and friendly. I will definatley recommend them. We were a group of 5 friends.”

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2.Half-Day Combo Tour to Goðafoss, Laufas and The Christmas House

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 146 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $127

This four-hour outing from Akureyri pairs the dramatic Goðafoss waterfall with the historic Laufás turf houses and a quirky Christmas House. Expect round-trip pickup, English commentary, included admission to Laufás, and a short Akureyri sightseeing drive. Guides such as Jon, Graham, and Lilja have led this route.

“Guide was very experienced. Local and was able to share a lot of personal information about the area.”

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3.New Year’s Eve Fireworks Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 54 reviews · 2 hours · from $182

Board a comfortable Special Tours boat at Reykjavik's Old Harbor at 11 p.m. Cruise into Faxaflói Bay, watch fireworks across the city, toast midnight with champagne or non-alcoholic Prosecco, and return around 12:30 a.m.

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4.Goðafoss, Christmas House, and Forest Lagoon Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 35 reviews · 4 hours · from $149

Join The Traveling Viking for a four-hour trip from Akureyri to Goðafoss, the year-round Christmas House, and Forest Lagoon. English-speaking guides such as Joanna, Graham, Lilja, and Ingimundur add local stories, while the lagoon’s hot pools and mountain views provide a calm finish.

“The tour was great, the waterfalls was very impressive, but the Forest Lagoon was an unforgettable experience. The tour guide Joanna is fantastic, knowledgeable caring very good driver a wonderful positive cheerful person who shows love and respect for Iceland. Having her as a tour guide is a must for a truly amazing experience in a wonderful part of an incredible country.”

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5.New Years Fireworks Midnight Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 24 reviews · 2 hours · from $170

Join the Amelia Rose at 10:30 PM for a two-hour New Year’s Eve cruise from Reykjavik. You’ll watch city fireworks from three panoramic decks, raise a complimentary Champagne toast, and perhaps see the Northern Lights if the sky is clear. An English-speaking guide, onboard bar, and Wi-Fi are included.

“Extremely disappointed, expecting a 2 hour cruise experience with views of fireworks , we were taken from where the boat was docked and we floated at anchor in the bay opposite the city of Reykjavik for two hours ! Basically a floating bar at the cost of £239.74p Sterling for 2 passengers . We did get a glass of free champagne ( hardly free it’s paid for within the costings ) Free WiFi , hit and miss connection if you want to send new year Greetings . The company let off 4 off their own fireworks before returning to Dock ( The othered were free to view from anywhere in…”

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6.New Years Fireworks by Boat

★★★★★★★★★★4.1 · 20 reviews · 2 hours · from $150

Sail from Reykjavik at 10:30 PM on the Arctic Rose for a two-hour New Year’s Eve cruise. You’ll watch fireworks over the capital and nearby towns from three panoramic decks, toast midnight with champagne, and enjoy coastline views from Faxaflói Bay.

“Highly recommend this tour! We had a great time celebrating new years watching all of the fire works and even got an amazing show of the northern lights!! If you are going to Iceland for new years - book this!!!!”

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7.The Reykjavik Christmas Food Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 19 reviews · 3 hours · from $173

Walk central Reykjavik with a local guide such as Palli, Paul, Einar, or Pauly while tasting smoked lamb, laufabrauð, gravlax, reindeer paté, Christmas drinks, and more. You will also visit the Little Christmas Store and hear Icelandic holiday tales, including some rather scary ones.

“Loved the tour, our guide Pauly was amazing, kind and told us a lot about Iceland and it’s traditions. Food itself was great, loved all the restaurants and food options. We had an amazing time”

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8.Reykjavik Christmas Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 18 reviews · 2 hours · from $74

Walk downtown Reykjavik with an English-speaking local guide, hearing stories of the 13 Yule Lads, Grýla, and the Christmas Cat. You’ll visit Ingólfstorg, Austurvöllur, Laugavegur, a bookshop, Litla Jólabúðin, and Hallgrímskirkja. The tour runs only in December.

“Guide sympa, lumières féeriques, jolie ville pour passer Noël.”

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9.Reykjavik Christmas Walking Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 18 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $75

Walk central Reykjavik with a local guide such as Ester, Stefan, Einar, or Barti, learning about Yule Lads, the Christmas Cat, books, music, and Icelandic customs. The route includes festive squares, shops, hot drinks on some departures, and ends at Hallgrímskirkja.

“This was an interesting walking tour as we learned so much about their Christmas traditions. We had two additional guides in training which was nice as we were able to talk with three guides and were able to learn to much more about the country.”

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10.Reykjavík: New Year’s Eve Northern Lights Yacht Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 12 reviews · 1.5 hours · from $140

Sail Reykjavík’s coast for 1.5 hours with an English or Icelandic guide, passing Videy Island and the Imagine Peace monument before watching New Year’s fireworks from the water. A midnight champagne toast is included. The yacht has room for about 35 people.

“An intimate way to spend NYE in Reykjavik... capped at 35 people on a luxury yacht, we got Earth's fireworks (Northern Lights) and the just insane fireworks show the citizens of Reykjavik put on every New Year's Eve! If visiting Reykjavik during the New Year's holiday, I definitely recommend taking this cruise!”

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11.Winter Combo Godafoss Christmas House and The Forest Lagoon

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 12 reviews · 4 hours 20 minutes (approx.) · from $161Top rated

Travel from Akureyri to snowy Godafoss, the Christmas House, and Forest Lagoon with an English-speaking guide. You get 40 minutes at the waterfall, 30 minutes at the Christmas House, and about an hour in the lagoon, with pickup and Wi-Fi included.

“Firstly, our driver was very lovely & knowledgeable. She shared so many facts of the area & was able to answer any questions. The destinations we visited were all great, we were never rushed & had plenty of time to explore. I would 100% recommend this trip 👌”

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12.Iceland’s Christmas Myths and Traditions – Reykjavík walking tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 10 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $42Best value

Join an English-speaking guide, possibly Lalli, for a 90-minute Christmas walk through Reykjavík. Visit Hallgrímskirkja, the Einar Jónsson sculpture garden, and Alþingi Parliament while hearing Icelandic Christmas myths and traditions. Groups are limited to 15 people.

“Lalli was a great tour guide made it really funny and interesting, loved it! Would definitely recommend x”

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13.New Year’s Eve Fireworks Cruise in Reykjavik

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 · 10 reviews · from $183

Board Special Tours’ boat at Reykjavik’s harbor at 11 p.m. for a 90-minute New Year’s Eve outing on Faxaflói Bay. You’ll watch the city’s fireworks from the water, receive a glass of Champagne, use warm coveralls, and return downtown after midnight.

“The boat travelled a very shirt distance out and then was stationary, and the commentary by the attendant was hard to hear as his WiFi connection kept breaking. But the fireworks themselves were spectacular and we were given real champagne so it was overall not bad.”

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14.3-Hour Shared Christmas Food Tour with Guide in Reykjavik

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 10 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $149

Walk central Reykjavik with a local guide such as Paul or Helgi, stopping for Icelandic Christmas foods, pastries, drinks, holiday stories, and treats. You will visit Christmas shops, write to Santa, see the Ingólfstorg skating rink, and receive small local gifts along the way.

“What a fabulous afternoon. We had a superb most knowledgeable and attentive host Helge. It was a great walk around the city and the food was delicious. I had the best time. Would totally recommend this.”

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15.New Years Fireworks by Boat from Reykjavik

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 9 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $166

Join Iceland Discover at Reykjavik’s Old Harbour at 10:30 pm for a two-hour New Year’s Eve boat outing. Watch fireworks spread across the coastline from the bay, step indoors to warm up, or head outside for the full view. A bar, restroom, Wi-Fi, blankets, and one glass of champagne are included.

“Highly recommend this for NYE!! It was beyyyond cold AF and we weren't sure what to do. Didn't want to hang outside, but really wanted to see/experience the NYE fireworks...so how do you do that? Answer: hop on a boat where you can be both indoors and out and see everything from the water! We were able to comfortably view everything from both inside the boat or outside, had a bar and bathrooms, and we even got to see the Northern Lights!! It was a very special NYE.”

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