Embarking on a journey to Iceland is an experience unlike any other. As you traverse this land of fire and ice, what better way to immortalize your adventure than by bringing home souvenirs that capture the essence of Icelandic culture? What is Iceland renowned for that you could take home to commemorate your distinct journey?
With puffins ubiquitous, you might be tempted to acquire charming trinkets from the well-known puffin shop. Alternatively, are you seeking unique gift ideas for your loved ones? Iceland offers a treasure trove of keepsakes that promise to narrate your journey for years to come.
Icelandic sweets – licorice-infused delights
The short daylight hours of Nordic winters surely inspired locals to develop a strong culture of consuming sweets. In the past, due to local restrictions, importing international sweet treats was quite limited. This limitation is one of the reasons why Icelanders created their own chocolate and candy brands that they truly love.
Here is the list of the best Icelandic candy treats to try:
- Lindu Buff – it’s a classic Icelandic candy, a true sugar bomb. Inside the thin layer of chocolate a portion of jam is packed with a sticky, white, sweet, very soft filling.
- Omnom Chocolate – the artisanal brand exist since 2013 and is famous for using the organic ingredients like sugar cane or Icelandic milk powder. Among the wide range of tastes Omnom shop offers the traditional chocolate flavored with licorice (“Lakkris”) and sea salt.
- Opal – the old-school Icelandic candy brand founded in 1950 producing chewy treats that taste like a combination of licorice and methanol. Green version is salty licorice, red is menthol-eucalyptus-licorice which makes for a very distinctive taste. Two additional versions have fruity accents: lemon or raspberry. There are also sugar-free options to choose from.
- Þristur – a chocolate bar with a chewy black licorice center. The chocolate is more like a truffle, giving this Icelandic candy a unique flavor and taste.
- Djúpur – small balls filled with licorice, covered with milk chocolate and white sugar coating
Local perfumes are made from oils harvested in the Icelandic wild
The high-quality fragrances of the Icelandic brand Fischersund are available as either solid perfume or eau de parfum. Fischersund, a family business that includes Jonsi from Sigur Ros, operates their perfumery in Reykjavik city center, which formerly housed Jonsi’s recording studio. The prices range from 50 EUR to 165 EUR. Both the smoky scent and the elegant black bottle design embody the country’s unique beauty.
Icelandic gin with a taste of local wild-berries
Icelanders drink gin typically cold as a shot as a base for cocktails or with ginger ale beer. The gin market is relatively young as born in 2010, however the traditional Old Islandia Gin recipe is very old. Alcohol in Iceland is very expensive due to high taxes imposed on it, but it’s worth considering it as a gift:
- Ólafsson Gin – Both the taste and packaging design was recognized with 2 Double Gold Medals at San Francisco World Spirits Competition in 2021. In Iceland it is available in all Vínbúðin stores.
- Glacier Gin – In 2018 two Icelanders created the unique flavours of Juniper Berries, Coriander Seeds, Lemon, Bergamot and Dandelion flowers.
- Old Islandia Gin – Launched in 2015 includes taste of juniper, coriander seeds, angelica root, ginger, liquorice root, orange, lemon.
Icelandic schnapps for winter
Since beer was prohibited until 1989 the country turned into a land of liquor. Schnapps are not consumed by Icelanders on regular basis, but rather for special occasions. The best is to buy them at the government-run Vínbúðin liquor shops where they will be cheaper than in the Icelandic duty free store. Note that Icelandic grocery stores don’t sell alcohol with higher than 3.2% and the stronger ones can be bought in the government-run liquor shops.
- Brennivín – The national liquor of Iceland made of fermented potato mash and flavoured with caraway seeds
- Fjallagrasa Moss Schnapps – Made from alcohol concentrates of moss growing in Icelandic highlands
- Reyka Vodka – Distilled from wheat and barley and filtered through lava rocks Grábrók lava fields.
- Ópal – The vodka that is flavored with the salty licorice, which is an ingredient of icelandic candy Opal. It is also available in wild berries flavor
- Tópas – Salty-licorice-based spirit, very known among Icelanders as everyone there grew up eating licorice candies. It’s famous for its eucalyptus taste.
Lopapeysa – an authentic, handmade souvenir
Initially it was simply a handmade fishermen’s wear in winter, nowadays it became a fashion staple. The real wool jumpers, locally known as lopapeysa, have a long tradition in Iceland however the famous zig-zag pattern around the yoke is dated from 1950. Not every sweater made in Iceland can be designated as lopapeysa. It should be handmade in Iceland from non recycled wool and have the zig-zag design. Those factors explain why the price of icelandic sweaters is so high, 25-30,000 ISK (approx. £150–180, or US$170–200). It is however worth paying it as it’s a sweater you will wear for years. The alternative option to get it cheaper is to buy it second-hand in one of the Reykjavik vintage shops such as Gyllti Kötturinn or Spúútnik, and the flea-market Kolaportið.
If you don’t want to overpay for your authentic Icelandic wool sweater, you might also try to find good quality handmade one in the local second hand stores.
Knit your own souvenir with yarn Icelandic yarn
Another gift option for a knitting amateurs would be to buy the quality yarn that comes from Icelandic sheep so that they can knit their own wool sweater. There are plenty of tutorials showing how to make the warm winter garments that breathe. The great quality yarn is available in Reykjavik stores like Storkurinnor or Handknitters Association of Iceland. Lopi yarn is also commonly available in many small grocery shops in the north, rural part of Iceland and obviously at the airport in Keflavik.
Handcrafted jewellery inspired by Icelandic nature
Iceland provides a wide range of nature-inspired jewelry options. The Aurum brand, based in Reykjavik, exemplifies eco-friendliness by utilizing recycled precious metals and paper elements derived from mulberry tree leaves.
The Metal Designs boutique on Skolavoroustigur street in Reykjavik offers not just gold and silver gems, but also exquisite lava rock rings and bands renowned for their unique quality and beauty. This boutique is the sole authorized source for obtaining lava rock from protected areas. Lava rock jewelry is worn for stress relief, emotional support, and grounding purposes.
To shop for the authentic jewellery as the best Icelandic souvenirs, go shopping at Kolaportið flea market.
The finest spices from Iceland to bring home
Although herbs and spices weren’t a part of Icelandic cuisine until late, nowadays Icelandic cuisine is spiced up with many botanicals like moss, juniper berries, licorice, dills, tarragon, caraway, angelica, wild arctic thyme or seaweed.
Arctic thyme is used to product herbal infusion that can be bought in any grocery shop together with syrups made of birch, bilberries or angelica.
Commemorate your journey with souvenirs inspired by music
Since music is an integral part of Icelandic culture it’s worth visiting a record store to get a music-inspired gift. 12 Tónar, Lucky Records, Runner-up are the cream of the cream of Reykjavik music shops where not only the prominent folk vinyls can be found but also underground records. Shopkeepers know the local music scene in and out, so make sure to have enough time to get lost in there.
Second Hand Markets
When traveling, I always visit secondhand markets because I believe they reflect culture. They showcase the goods that people in the area use and discard, providing insight into their lifestyles and preferences. Additionally, interactions and transactions at these markets often involve local customs and traditions.
In Fatamarkaðurinn Second Hand Market in Reykjavik you can find many vintage treasures such as warm jackets or wool coats. There is a huge selection of unique and authentically handmade sweaters from the local wool for about 64-83 EUR (70-100 USD).
I also visited the Reykjavik flea market, Kolaportið. This indoor bazaar open on weekends year-round. The locals are selling handmade crafts, vintage clothing, and traditional delicacies.
Frequently asked questions
Memorabilia to avoid?
There are many souvenir-shops in Reykjavik and selling mass-produced plastic items like trolls or puffins instead of locally crafted goods. These are very often overpriced and not the best quality.
If you plan to buy Icelandic delicacies avoid grocery shopping at the most common 10/11 where prices are at least twice higher than in any budget-friendly supermarket.
Can i pay with credit card, cash or Alipay?
Most of shops, gas stations and restaurants in Iceland accept debit and credit cards. Tourists will be fine using credit card or debit card while travelling throughout the country.
Alipay handles around 80% of mobile payments in China and the number of Chinese tourists in Iceland is constantly growing. In 2019 Keflavík Airport became the first provider in Iceland to offer the option of paying with Alipay through ePassi. Without such payment method Chinese travellers are mainly using cash payment which limits their spendings.
