Reykjavik, Iceland
Tours Delivered,
Since Jan 10, 2022
5.0
Hours, Avg. response time
Guide #53078
Hello, my name is Pétur, and I would like to be your guide in Iceland. Now, why should you choose me as your guide? Am I any different from the other talented people here offering their services? Well, I'm probably the oldest of them, so I've been in the school of life for the longest time. And even though I'm 67, I try to stay in good shape by running and lifting weights. I started running 30 years ago when I noticed my weight was increasing steadily, around 0.5 kg a year, and I had to do something about it. Luckily, my body can still do it and is ready for action if needed. I was born in Iceland and I have lived here my whole life, except for three years in Sweden as a young boy. I'm as local as they get and financially independent, which means I can do whatever I like. I enjoy being a guide, showing guests from other countries our magnificent island with all its natural wonders. That is why I quit my 9-to-5 job and decided to become a guide. I worked as a QESH manager for the Coca-Cola Company here in Iceland. Now, some of you might wonder what QESH stands for. That is Quality, Environmental, Health, and Safety. I had been working there for far too long, so I decided to resign. This was ten years ago, and I founded my own little company with me as the only employee and bought a Van. Since then, I've been a guide, mostly working for other travel agencies. But with the wise words from my wife saying don't put all your eggs in one basket, I also decided to accept an offer to become a lead auditor auditing quality, environmental, health and safety management systems in various companies. Interesting job I know well after all my years as QESH manager. With all this, I work as a contractor about 50/50. However, this meant I didn't develop my own guiding business as I had planned. The good thing is that no one likes audits in the summertime, when most tourists visit us. It is challenging to capture the attention of travelers visiting Iceland. Big companies in this business catch customers in their nets long before I have a chance. Now, I'm trying to change that with the good help of Tours by Locals, and here I'm creating my tours to places I know so well. Most of my tours are similar to those offered by others. People like to visit the same places so it's impossible to avoid that. But one of my tours is different. I like to take you out of the crowd and into my world and let you feel what it is like to be an Icelander. I'd like to take you through the areas where I was born and raised and then to other parts of Reykjavik, including the neighboring towns you might not otherwise visit. I will show you where some Icelanders have lunch, and you can eat as much as you like of typical Icelandic home food. We will visit the wonderful open-air museum featuring old houses saved from destruction and relocated from the center of Reykjavik, each with its own story. You get to learn everything about our unique geothermal open-air swimming pools and take a swim. Finally, I will invite you to my home. You haven't been to Iceland before you have done this. My qualifications: Certified Tourist Guide and a member of the Iceland Tourist Guide Association. Day Tour Provider, license issued by the Icelandic Tourist Board. Permit of Passenger Transport issued by the Icelandic Transport Authority.
Reykjavik

Contact your local guide to know more!!
Replied from the guide, Pétur H.
August 2026Thank you for the five-star rating.
Pétur is a great guide! Our group of six had a wonderful day. Petur is very knowledgeable and well prepared. He knows a lot about so many aspects: history, geology, culture, current events, business, politics, etc. He’s a renaissance man! Give yourself a great and book a tour with Petur!
Replied from the guide, Pétur H.
August 2026Thank you so much for the review, Barbara. What a great day we had. Perfect weather and beautiful nature. You can´t ask for more.
We had a fantastic tour with Pétur. He is extremely friendly and professional and was happy to adapt his tour to meet our requirements. We learnt so much about Iceland as well as the area that we were travelling in. We also learnt about Petur’s career and family. So much more than a regular tour and very highly recommended. Thanks for such a great day!
Replied from the guide, Pétur H.
August 2026Thank you so much, Alastair, for this great review.
Our full-day South Coast tour with Petur was fabulous! We boarded his very comfortable Mercedes van in Reykjavik and followed the southern coastal Ring Road. Along the way, we saw beautiful scenery and dramatic landscapes, including waterfalls, volcanos, glaciers and black sand beaches. Highlights included the Seljarlandsfoss and Skogarfoss waterfalls, the...
Replied from the guide, Pétur H.
August 2026Linda, thank you so much for this fantastic review. I really appreciated that you made the effort to write it, and I'm happy you enjoyed the tour so much, along with Sandy and Rhonda.