Shopping at the Kolaportið Weekend Market

If there’s one souvenir that embodies Iceland, it’s the lopapeysa - a traditional Icelandic sweater with a distinctive pattern. These sweaters are made by hand with sheep’s wool and incredibly warm. They can also be incredibly expensive in the stores that line Laugavegur street, Reykjavik’s main shopping drag.

For a cheaper (but still high-quality) version, head to the Kolaportið flea market.

Though there are many other things you may find worth buying at the market - knick knacks, used books, DVDs, vintage clothes and shoes, Icelandic delicacies - the best deals are to be had on the lopapeysas. Here you can often find them for a good deal less than in the shops, along with woolen hats, mittens and scarves for a steal.

Browse the stalls and try on as many as it takes until you find your perfect pattern and fit. You can try to haggle, but most prices are pretty firm and already represent a large discount from what you would pay in other stores.

The Kolaportið is only open on weekends, Saturday and Sunday from 11:00 to 17:00, in the old customs house at Tryggvagata 19. Since 2025 the market has been run by the street food company Götubiti, which plans to add restaurants, a café and a food market alongside the stalls. You won’t be able to get the tax back on your purchase, but generally you’ll save enough that it doesn’t matter.

Photo by Luc Van Braekel