Reykjavík Pub & Brewery Tour
A 3-hour evening guided crawl through four downtown Reykjavík pubs and microbreweries — 4 tastings of Icelandic craft beer, plus the story of how prohibition only ended here in 1989.
About this tour
Iceland banned all beer above 2.25% strength from 1915 until 1 March 1989 — longer than American prohibition by a wide margin. The craft-beer scene that emerged after 1989 caught up fast. This three-hour walk hits four downtown bars and microbreweries, with tasting flights at each, ending in the bar district so the night can keep going on your own.
What's planned
Meet at Skuggi Hotel lobby
10 minQuick intro and beer-prohibition primer. Iceland banned all beer above 2.25% from 1915 until 1 March 1989 — still celebrated annually as Beer Day.
Microbar — Icelandic craft tasting flight
40 minReykjavík's first dedicated craft-beer bar. Flight of 4 from across the country — Borg, Einstök, Ölverúk, Steam Brewery.
Brewery visit — working tank floor
45 minWalk to a working downtown microbrewery. Tasting straight off the tank, with a brewer's-table snack of skyr-and-rye crackers.
Skuli Craft Bar
30 minDedicated craft-beer pub on Þingýr. Curated tasting flight chosen by the bartender to contrast with what we drank earlier.
Tour ends at Lebowski Bar
15 minFinish on Laugavegur, the main bar street. Your guide leaves you with recommendations for the rest of the night.
Highlights
- 4 tasting flights of Icelandic craft beer
- Visit a working microbrewery
- Local guide who knows every brewer in the room
- Story of Iceland's beer-prohibition era (1915–1989)
- Ends near the bar district so you can keep going on your own
What's included
- 4 tasting flights (~3 oz each, 12+ different beers across the night)
- Local guide — a Reykjavík-based beer journalist
- Light snack with the third tasting
Not included
- Full pints (available at each stop, paid on the night)
- Food beyond the snack stop
- Tour is 20+ only — ID required
Pickup & meeting point
Meeting point
Harpa Concert Hall
Austurbakki 2, 101 Reykjavík, Iceland
Ready to book Reykjavík Pub & Brewery Tour?
From €89 per person