Fridheimar Tomato Farm: Greenhouse Dining, History and Golden Circle Tours
Fridheimar Tomato Farm: Greenhouse Dining, Icelandic Horses and Golden Circle Tours
Fridheimar is one of the Golden Circle's most memorable food experiences: a working family farm where tomatoes grow through the Icelandic winter, guests eat among the plants and geothermal heat supports a remarkable year-round greenhouse operation.
This guide explores the story behind Fridheimar, how the tomatoes are grown, what you can eat, the Icelandic horses and the best ways to include the farm in a day from Reykjavik. It also connects Fridheimar with nearby Golden Circle places and Laugaras Lagoon, one of South Iceland's newest geothermal experiences.
Fridheimar at a glance
Come for the warm greenhouse atmosphere, the story of Icelandic horticulture and a tomato-led meal. Fridheimar is in Reykholt on the Golden Circle, so it fits naturally between Geysir, Gullfoss and the wider South Iceland route. Restaurant visits and experiences should be reserved in advance through the official Fridheimar website.
Jump to
Why Fridheimar is more than a lunch stop
Fridheimar brings several Icelandic stories together under one glass roof. The greenhouses show how clean energy, careful technology and skilled farming can produce fresh food in a country with short winter days. The restaurant turns that growing environment into the dining room, while the family farm and Icelandic horses keep the experience rooted in rural life.
The sensory contrast is part of the appeal. Outside, the Golden Circle can be windy, cold and open. Inside, tomato vines climb toward the glass, the air is warm and fragrant, and lunch is served within sight of the crop. It feels intimate and theatrical without stopping being a real agricultural business.
From a small family farm to a Golden Circle landmark
Greenhouse cultivation began at Fridheimar in 1946. Knutur Rafn Armann and Helena Hermundardottir bought the farm in 1995, when it had one employee, and developed it step by step into the family business visitors know today.
Between 1995 and 2001 they built new greenhouses, and in the following years Fridheimar moved into year-round tomato production with artificial lighting. Horses became another major part of the visitor experience, with a stable and showground added during the farm's next phase of growth.
The dining and visitor side expanded as interest grew. The Little Tomato Shop followed, older greenhouses were improved, and a major new greenhouse, packing facility and nursery opened in 2020. In 2023 an older greenhouse was given a new life as the Winebar & Bistro. What began as a modest farm is now a large employer and a nationally recognised example of Icelandic horticulture and hospitality.
How Fridheimar grows tomatoes through an Icelandic winter
Iceland does not offer easy outdoor conditions for tomatoes, but it has two powerful advantages: abundant geothermal energy and clean water. At Fridheimar, renewable heat keeps the greenhouses warm while artificial lighting supports growth during the darkest months.
Modern greenhouse controls monitor temperature, humidity, carbon dioxide, irrigation and lighting. A rooftop weather station helps the system respond to changing conditions, and staff can monitor the greenhouses remotely. Biological pest controls are used as part of the farm's environmentally conscious approach.
The result is not one anonymous crop. Fridheimar grows several types of tomatoes, including small Piccolo tomatoes, plum tomatoes, traditional varieties and colourful heirloom tomatoes. Visitors see the vines, growing systems and daily work around them rather than encountering the tomatoes only after they reach a plate.
What to eat at the Fridheimar restaurant
The signature experience is tomato soup with freshly baked bread, served in the greenhouse beside the plants that produced the main ingredient. It is simple, warm and perfectly matched to a Golden Circle day.
The tomato theme continues across the menu. Depending on the current season and service, choices may include salads, pasta, stone-baked dishes, heirloom tomatoes with burrata and other preparations that let different varieties show their character. Even dessert can carry the idea further, with creations such as tomato ice cream, tomato-jam cheesecake and fruit or vegetable sorbets appearing on Fridheimar menus.
The Little Tomato Shop is useful for edible souvenirs and farm products. The Winebar & Bistro offers another way to experience the greenhouse setting, with drinks and small plates in a converted growing space. Menus, opening arrangements and booking rules change, so check the official Fridheimar website before travelling.
Should you reserve a table?
Yes. Fridheimar is a working farm and a popular stop on the Golden Circle, and the main restaurant experience is not a place to leave to chance. A tour that explicitly includes a Fridheimar visit is the easiest solution from Reykjavik; independent visitors should reserve their preferred experience directly and build the day's driving around that time.
The Icelandic horses at Fridheimar
Tomatoes may be the headline, but horses are central to the family's story. Fridheimar breeds Icelandic horses and developed a horse show so visitors could learn about the breed, its history and its distinctive gaits in a setting connected to the farm.
The compact, strong Icelandic horse has been isolated in Iceland for centuries. Seeing the horses adds a cultural layer to the greenhouse visit and makes Fridheimar especially appealing for families and travellers who want more than a restaurant stop. Horse experiences are not automatically included in every tour, so check the selected itinerary carefully.
Best Fridheimar tours from Reykjavik
These tours place Fridheimar on the route of a real Golden Circle day. The classic choices focus on Thingvellir, Geysir, Gullfoss and the greenhouse visit; small-group and Kerid versions add a different pace or extra landscape. Always check the live itinerary to see whether the selected departure includes a greenhouse visit, food, admission or free time.
| Tour style | Best for | Why choose it |
|---|---|---|
| Golden Circle & Fridheimar | The straightforward first visit | Classic Golden Circle scenery with the tomato farm as the food-and-culture highlight. |
| Golden Circle, Kerid & Fridheimar | Extra volcanic scenery | Adds the red slopes and crater lake at Kerid to the classic route. |
| Small-group Fridheimar farm visit | A more personal pace | A smaller group can make the driving day feel calmer and more conversational. |
| Golden Circle, waterfalls, Fridheimar & Kerid | A fuller South Iceland day | Builds more scenery around the farm stop for travellers who want a broad itinerary. |
Classic Golden Circle day with geysers, waterfalls, volcanic scenery and easy Reykjavík access.
Classic Golden Circle day with geysers, waterfalls, volcanic scenery and easy Reykjavík access.
Discover The Golden Circle and Friðheimar Greenhouse, a richly varied Icelandic experience where the Golden Circle’s tectonic hist...
Discover Golden Circle Small Group Tour with Friðheimar Farm Visit, a richly varied Icelandic experience where the Golden Circle’s...
Discover Golden Circle & Waterfalls, with Fridheimar Farm & Kerid Tour, a richly varied Icelandic experience where the Golden Circ...
Fridheimar with Sky Lagoon or Silfra
Fridheimar also works beautifully as one chapter in a more ambitious day. A Sky Lagoon combination changes the rhythm from sightseeing and greenhouse warmth to ocean-edge bathing. A Silfra combination is for travellers who want an active tectonic experience before the Golden Circle and farm visit.
These longer or more specialised choices are excellent when your time in Iceland is short, but read the itinerary and inclusions closely. A combination tour is at its best when every element matters to you, not simply because it fits more names into one day.
Discover Golden Circle Fridheimar & Sky Lagoon Tour, a richly varied Icelandic experience where the Golden Circle’s tectonic histo...
Discover Golden Circle, Silfra Snorkeling and Fridheimar Tomato Farm, a richly varied Icelandic experience where the Golden Circle...
Discover Golden Circle, Friðheimar and Sky Lagoon Sér Pass, a richly varied Icelandic experience where the Golden Circle’s tectoni...
Discover Golden Circle, Friðheimar and Sky Lagoon Saman Pass, a richly varied Icelandic experience where the Golden Circle’s tecto...
Combine Fridheimar with Laugaras Lagoon
Fridheimar and Laugaras Lagoon are close neighbours with a shared geothermal story. At Fridheimar, Icelandic heat supports year-round food production. At Laugaras Lagoon, geothermal water creates a restorative bathing experience beside the Hvita river. Together they turn the Golden Circle into a day about how people live with the landscape, not just how they photograph it.
Build a food-and-lagoon Golden Circle day
Want to add geothermal bathing? Our dedicated guide compares the best Laugaras Lagoon tours from Reykjavik and explains how the lagoon, Golden Circle and Fridheimar fit together.
A private or self-drive day gives the most control over restaurant reservations and bathing times. Standard group tours follow fixed itineraries, so never assume they include both places unless both are named in the live tour description.
Places near Fridheimar
Geysir and Gullfoss
The Geysir geothermal area and Gullfoss waterfall are the obvious route partners. Geysir brings erupting Strokkur and steaming ground; Gullfoss brings glacial water, canyon views and immense scale. Most organised Fridheimar tours include both.
Thingvellir National Park
Thingvellir adds Icelandic history and visible rift-valley geology. It is usually the western anchor of a Golden Circle day and creates a strong contrast with the intimate agricultural story at Fridheimar.
Skalholt and Bruarfoss
Skalholt is one of Iceland's most important historic and religious places, while Bruarfoss offers unusually blue water in a smaller waterfall setting. They are good additions for independent or private itineraries with enough time.
Reykholt, Laugaras and Fludir
Fridheimar is in the small community of Reykholt, surrounded by greenhouses and farms. Laugaras lies nearby by the Hvita river, and Fludir is another geothermal village with the Secret Lagoon. This part of South Iceland rewards travellers who slow down enough to notice its food, hot water and rural communities between the famous landmarks.
How to plan your Fridheimar visit
- Reserve ahead: book the restaurant or visitor experience directly, or choose a tour that explicitly includes Fridheimar.
- Read the inclusions: a greenhouse visit, meal and horse show are different experiences and are not automatically bundled together.
- Allow a full day from Reykjavik: Fridheimar is most rewarding as part of the Golden Circle rather than a rushed out-and-back lunch.
- Dress for the route: the greenhouse is warm, but Thingvellir, Geysir and Gullfoss can be cold, wet and windy.
- Check current information: menus, services and opening arrangements can change. Use the official Fridheimar website and your final tour voucher.
Fridheimar FAQ
Fridheimar is a family-run tomato farm, greenhouse restaurant and Icelandic horse centre in Reykholt on the Golden Circle. It is best known for year-round tomato cultivation and dining among the plants.
Make Fridheimar part of the journey
- Visit for the story of geothermal horticulture as much as for the tomato soup.
- Reserve the restaurant or choose a tour that explicitly includes the farm.
- Use a classic Golden Circle tour for the easiest day from Reykjavik.
- Add Laugaras Lagoon when you want food, landscape and geothermal bathing in one route.
Book your adventure
The famous Golden Circle tour in a Super Jeep, visit the highlights of Iceland; Þingvellir, Geysir and Gullfoss
Super Jeep tour to the Classic Golden Circle in the midnight sun during summer.