Wake Up Reykjavík: local food, city walks and Iceland trips

Wake Up Reykjavík began with a simple idea: learning about a capital city can start at the table. Founded in 2014 by two local friends, the company built its identity around the Reykjavík Food Walk, a guided outing that links selected restaurants, Icelandic flavours and stories about everyday life in the city. Its catalogue has since expanded to urban walks, countryside excursions and multi-day trips. The result is an offer for visitors with just a few hours in the centre as well as travellers planning a larger part of their Iceland itinerary from Reykjavík.

A food walk as an introduction to the city

The Food Walk lasts about three hours and combines short walks through central Reykjavík with tasting stops at venues selected by the team. The company describes a route of five locations, including restaurants and an iconic local fast-food stop; the exact content may change with the season, availability and tour operations. Rather than presenting a tasting in isolation, the format connects ingredients and food customs with the everyday history of Reykjavík. A guide accompanies the group and provides context between visits, while the route also offers an orientation to the city centre.

The experience can be particularly useful early in a stay: it gives travellers places to return to and an initial way to understand the capital through its food. Wake Up also lists a private version, with a dedicated guide, flexible start times and options specified at booking. Check which drinks are included, what dietary requirements the company can accommodate and the exact meeting point; not every date or format should be assumed to have the same menu.

A wider catalogue beyond food

Wake Up maintains a selection of small-group day tours on its website. These include Becoming Icelandic, a city walk of about two to two and a half hours built around challenges and missions; trips to Þingvellir, Geysir and Gullfoss; outings along the South Coast and around the Snæfellsnes Peninsula; and itineraries pairing Golden Circle landscapes with Friðheimar or a geothermal lagoon. Names, duration, season and inclusions vary by product, so each booking page is the reference for planning.

The catalogue also includes Northern Lights outings, advertised between October and April, and adventure experiences such as snowmobiling, glacier hikes and horseback riding. For visitors who want to travel farther from Reykjavík, the company lists a seven-day guided Ring Road trip in the summer season and multi-day journeys to the south, the glacier lagoon and the remote Westfjords. The offers involve different logistics and suppliers: when comparing them, check who operates each section, whether transport leaves from the city, and which accommodation, meals or admissions are included.

Reading reviews and choosing a tour

Wake Up Reykjavík’s Google Maps listing showed 5.0 out of 5 from 903 reviews on 23 October 2026. Visible comments often mention the guides’ approachability, cultural context and food experience; reviews of individual excursions can differ with weather, route and assigned guide. The count and average belong to the general business listing and do not rate every tour separately. The company links Tripadvisor pages and displays review totals for individual products, but those figures do not align consistently with the platform’s overall listing; this profile therefore does not assign one external average to the company.

For a short visit, the food walk or city walk focuses on the centre without using a full day. Golden Circle, South Coast and Snæfellsnes excursions require a full day and time on the road; the Ring Road involves several days. Before booking, compare the calendar, language, accessibility, minimum age, group size, weather policy and cancellation terms. The company’s story appears on its about page, while the Food Walk guide and its tour catalogue describe the current options.