Kimkim Trip Reviews for Iceland

This was the best trip ever!

I found KimKim through a search engine. Reviews were good and so I sent a message asking for information. From the beginning Adam was amazing. He put together a trip and then changed it multiple times as we added and subtracted. Although we never spoke, his good nature was visible throughout the entire process and much appreciated. Even during the trip itself, Adam and others answered emails quickly and humored our endless need to make adjustments.

The first day was rough but we pushed through and we were glad that we did. We saw the Northern Lights our first night in Budir and the trip got better from there. Other high points? Snowmobiling, eating at the Tomato Farm, hiking a glacier (thank you Sara!), soaking in the sky lagoon, dinner at Dill and so many frozen waterfalls. It was cold and dark but we had a magical trip. What made the trip a success besides the fabulous country? The trip was seamless. KimKim provided a travel plan that was perfect. Each day the driving route was provided with stops posted along the way with descriptions that added to the magic. We never felt lost because travel plan was perfect! Okay, one day a road was closed because of snow but it was Iceland in winter and to be expected. Every hotel and activity was set and went off without a hitch.

Cannot wait to use them again!

Eric our trip specialist was great to work with. We described what we wanted, and he tailored the itinerary to us and made changes happen very quickly and easily. The hotel rooms were fantastic and exactly what I would have picked, he nailed it! We will definitely be using Kimkim again in the future.

Activity Reviews

Langjokull Glacier Snowmobiling

Iceland

Huge group, lots of waiting, pretty lame trip overall. We went in a single line at no more than 10km/hr out to a spot and then back.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Katla Ice Cave Superjeep tour

Iceland

Small group, wonderful and laid back guide. Our favorite guided activity of the trip!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sky Lagoon

Iceland

Relaxing and located conveniently close. It was clean and a neat experience. Very easy to access.

Quality of Experience

Blue Lagoon

Iceland

Iconic and really neat to see the lagoon. The facilities aren't great here though, very few chairs to relax or sit on, so you basically need to be in the lagoon or sitting on a hard bench or plastic chair inside when it's cold out.

Quality of Experience

Thanks to Othman's patience, knowledge, flexibility and availability, we had an incredible, once in a lifetime Christmas trip to Iceland!!! Although the winter weather was a bit unpredictable, we were able to tour the South East coast, the Golden Triangle and Rekyavik with our family over the course of a week. Othman planned out a reasonable driving route and listened carefully to our hotel requests. The number of excursions per day was appropriate and we had a good selection to enjoy. The Blue Ice cave tour and the Glacier hikes were obvious highlights. We enjoyed stopping at the Diamond beach, Fjadrarjiljufur Canyon and riding the Icelandic horses during a hail storm was an outing to remember! They kept on trotting with their strong and short legs.:)The hotels were perfect accommodation for a family of 5 and we appreciated all we could see on a self guided tour. I was not sure how a trip would unfold with never actually speaking to our advisor, but Othman was a great communicator and paced out our trip, making changes even at the last minute to accomodate things. I would defintiely recommend working with Othman and using KimKim travel for my next trip!

Eric was an amazing source of information and guidance for our Winter Iceland Trip (for our family of 8)! I had done a lot of research on specific areas we wanted to visit, and he provided excellent details in creating a realistically-paced vacation, as well as specific details for greater understanding and additional highlights to visit. Eric was responsive and thorough in his explanations, as well as professional and patient with our itinerary questions and changes.

Specifics:
Car Rental - No problems at all... only a pesky spot that the windshield wiper didn't quite wipe away in the driver's view.

Day 1: We stopped to see some Icelandic friends at their home and visited with them awhile. The stops along the Golden Circle were beautiful... Thingvellir, Geysir and Gullfoss. What we should have, but didn't expect was all of the tour buses and group tours! We didn't have time for Fridheimar Tomato Farm or Kerid Crater, as our daylight was running out and we had dinner reservations. Our dinner at Ingolfsskali Viking Restaurant was absolutely delicious (for everyone)! We stayed at our friend's parents' cottage this night.

Day 2: Seljalandsfoss & Gljufrabui were amazing, although we couldn't see anything but pure whiteness when we pulled into the parking lot! The weather quickly cleared, and we were able to experience both waterfalls... my two sons even meandered back into the canyon to get closer to Gljufrabui, at the expense of one wet foot. Skogafoss & Reynisfara were amazing as well. We did witness a risky tourist challenging the sneaker waves too much and got completely knocked down & soaked by them! We had to call it a day after this because of weather/visibility. We went grocery shopping and cooked dinner at Eaglerock Guesthouse this night (and the next)... as well as breakfast. Very nice accommodations.

Day 3: Our Crystal Blue Ice Cave tour was awesome, and our tour guide (Johann from Troll Expeditions) had a super fun personality! Jokulsarlon & Diamond Beach were both truly beautiful! We even saw a seal playing close-up in the lagoon, and we saw the Northern Lights back at our rental this night right before bed!

Day 4: We HIGHLY recommend ice climbing with Tindaborg (referred by our Icelandic friends). Iris & Arni are expertly trained glacier mountain and climbing guides. They are involved in the national training of mountain guides, rescues, and glacier mountaineering. What's best are their friendly, patient, informative, adventurous, and truly pleasant personalities! We had complete confidence in our safety and guidance with them, and our whole family was able to experience something we never could have done on our own! We had a good meal at Smidjan Brugghus, and Vik Apartments provided a perfect stay for us.

Day 5: We really enjoyed hiking around Dyrholaey and into Loftsalahellir cave... spent more time there than we'd planned, but it was worth it! We drove to our friends' home in the Reykjavik area this night (New Year's Eve), and they had a delicious dinner catered in for us. They drove us out to one of the local bonfires, then back to their home for the traditional Áramótaskaupið TV show with English subtitles (and their helpful explanations of some jokes), then back outside for amazing fireworks all around!

Day 6: New Year's Day we went to Christ the King Catholic Church for Mass, shared coffee & pastries with some of the parishioners, then toured around some of the famous spots in Reykjavik. Some shops and quite a few restaurants were closed for the holiday, but we still got to visit a few. We had quick sandwiches for lunch and were throughly relaxed in the Seven Rituals of Sky Lagoon... Wow, what an experience! We even got to see the Northern Lights again from the warm waters of Sky Lagoon itself & outside as we were leaving. We returned to our friends' home for dinner and games that night.

Day 7: Our drive towards the Snæfellsnes Peninsula included the beauty of Hraunfossar & Barnafoss, but we didn't get to see much else because of the weather. The Gerduberg basalt cliffs were almost completely buried in snow (we could only see the very top of them), and we bypassed the other stops as well. Our family was hungry, and there were very limited options this time of year. We checked into Midhraun Resort (great accommodation), relaxed a bit, and waited for Langaholt Restaurant to open their buffet dinner (which was delicious)!

Day 8: We did a lot of imaging what beautiful Snæfellsnes would be like in the summer this day, as it we got pretty harsh weather most of the time we visited. We stopped at Budir church, Arnarstapi, and Londrangar. We spent a lot of time hiking around the amazing Djupalonssandur beach, which we thought was more enjoyable and preferable to the crowds of Reynisfara! Some of us took turns lifting the stones and staying clear of the sneaker waves. We had a very delicious lunch at Matarlist in the visitor center, but wow, it was pricey! We stopped by the Murals of Hellissandur, and half of our family walked the steps up to Saxholl Crater but found its top view a little disappointing. Unfortunately, Kirkjufell was only barely visible at its base because of the weather, but we were able to see Kirkjufellsfoss and play in the snow (snowball fight & built a snowman). We had planned to go to Stykkisholmur for a highly-rated restaurant dinner option, but were pretty worn out from the weather (and had spent so much at lunch) that we opted to stop at a grocery store and fix a simple dinner back at Midhraun.

Day 9: Breakfast at Midhraun both mornings was great, and staff was very friendly. We saw more Northern Lights this morning before heading out! We were mesmerized by the drive between Borgarnes and Hvammsvik with its incredible scenery... blue, clear skies and breathtaking views of the water and snow-covered mountains! Hvammsvik Hot Springs was throughly enjoyable, and most of us even went into the ocean in between the hot spring pools. We stopped in a shop near Reykjavik for some souvenirs, said goodbye to our Icelandic host friends, and made it to the airport on schedule.

We found the Icelandic people to be very friendly, the tour bus groups to be a bit annoying, and the trip as a whole to be outstanding!! We would love to return and experience it again one summer, but we also really appreciated and enjoyed the amazing beauty of this winter wonderland!

Thank you, Eric, for all your help and expert guidance!
Sincerely,
The Williams Family from Florida

Activity Reviews

Crystal Blue Ice Cave

Iceland

Amazing sights and creation! Johann from Troll Expeditions had a great personality and helped make this experience super fun! The crowds were the only thing detracting from this trip.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sky Lagoon

Iceland

Truly relaxing and luxurious experience!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Hvammsvik Hot Springs (& Nature Reserve)

Iceland

Such a great and relaxing experience! We enjoyed the views from these hot springs even better than Sky Lagoon, and it was much less crowded as well.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We had a great time despite the terrible weather. Difficult driving conditions (we rented a car) added to the adventure! We did not get to do everything on the itinerary, either because of time, weather, or we just decided to pass on a couple of things. Do not miss the Freidheimar tomato farm. The tomato soup and breads are the best.

Blue Lagoon was a great way to start the trip. Ice cave tour was amazing. Thingvellir is incredible from an historic and geological perspective.

We are talking about going back for 3-4 days in Spring or Summer just to stay in Reykjavik and maybe do some days trips from there.

Emanuela was so amazing to work with! We could reach out to her with any questions and she got right back to us. I told her what we were hoping to do and see during our trip to Iceland, and she planned a perfect vacation full of waterfalls and hot springs, and even a glacier hike. We were able to print out everything before our trip, including the tickets that she booked to the hot springs and for our snorkeling tours. Everthing that we need to know was on the pdf files that we printed out. It just made packing and planning so easy and stress free. The driver that she booked for us was such a nice guy. He was able to tell us so much about his beautiful country. And he was super helpful with everything. We had a wonderful trip and would absolutely use Kimkim again for future trips. Thank you Emanuela!

Iceland truly left me in awe with its otherworldly beauty, and our trip was unforgettable in every way. The landscapes were absolutely breathtaking—rugged volcanic terrain, vast glaciers, and waterfalls at every turn. The highlight for me was the charming town of Vík, a place so picturesque it almost felt surreal. Nestled by the sea, Vík offered incredible views. Every corner felt like something out of a dream.

Our hotel was nothing short of spectacular. Located between two mountains with the sea infront ,it felt like we were nestled in the heart of Iceland's wild beauty. Waking up to those mountain views each morning was an experience in itself. The accommodations were cozy and modern, providing the perfect base for our adventures.

Throughout the trip, we were consistently impressed by the warmth and kindness of the Icelandic people. Every guide we encountered was not only friendly but also incredibly knowledgeable. Their passion for Iceland’s history, culture, and natural wonders shone through in every tour. We learned so much about the island’s geology, mythology, and wildlife, which made the excursions even more enriching.

A special thanks to Jenny for helping to book the trip. She was wonderfully patient, attentive, and extremely helpful throughout the process, ensuring every detail was taken care of. Thanks to her, everything went smoothly from start to finish, and we were able to experience the best of what Iceland has to offer.

This trip was an absolute dream, and I can’t wait to return to Iceland someday!

Activity Reviews

Blue Lagoon

Iceland

Quality of Experience

Northern Lights Hunt Super Jeep Tour

Iceland

Solheimajokull Glacier Hike

Iceland

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Katla Ice Cave Superjeep tour

Iceland

Whale Watching Tour

Reykjavík

Adam listened to what we were looking for and created a great itinerary for us. Loved the fact that he created Google maps itineraries for each day, that made our road tripping so much easier and was such a thoughtful detail. Furthermore he made great suggestions in case we wanted to do more than what had been aalloyed for each day- some of those ended up being extraordinary experiences which we loved. Our trip was beyond delightful, the activities selected and even the hikes he managed to sneak in (it’s late November and quite cold) were extraordinary. Hotels were great as well and were within our budget.
This is my 3rd trip with Kim Kim and I am definitely a fan! Will be consulting them for my next trip without a doubt.

Our planner & guide, Gummi was wonderfully responsive to our wants in planning and needs once we arrived. His sense of humor was a plus. Gummi was in tune to the children’s ages and was able to flex to keep them interested. He planned tremendous activities, tours, and events for them.
We did experience a couple of very minor issues. With a call to Gummi, his immediate response resolved the problems nearly immediately.
Our trip was a complete success.

Hotel Review

Óðinn Penthouse Apartment

Reykjavík

Pros: Nice, clean, well appointed, comfy beds, plenty of room. Cons: 4th floor walk up with 7 & 4 year olds was a bit difficult at times when they were carrying their luggage & when they were tired.

Authenticity & Character

Seemed like a typical Reykjavik apartment & furnishing

Location

Right in downtown

Staff

Did respond to our initial questions when we tried to check in but seemed irritated with some of our questions

Cleanliness & Comfort

Comfy & generally clean. The 1 bathroom, though functional, was in need of updating

Activity Reviews

Hunting the Northern Lights with a Guide -Private tour

Iceland

Our guide, Joost, tried hard to conjure up the northern lights for us. They just were not cooperating ;) We had amazing views of thousands of stars and a myriad of constellations.

Quality of Experience

A new experience for our young grandsons

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Joost was pleasant and his efforts were apparent

Transport

Comfortable ride.

The Golden Circle Private Tour

Iceland

Gummi, our guide, offered just enough information to make the journey educational without being boring. Additionally, his sense of humor was delightful, very much like our own.

Quality of Experience

Traveling in winter, there were no crowds so we were able to enjoy the quiet beauty.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Gummi tailored the experience to suit the needs of our 3 generational group.

Transport

Safe and comfortable

Reykjavik Hop-On-Hop-Off Tours + Wonders of Iceland Exhibition

Reykjavík

We used the bus as our public transportation within Reykjavik. Harbor views we beautiful.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The drivers were polite, but not the least be hospitable

Transport

FlyOver Iceland

Reykjavík

Excellent show. Thrilling but not frightening. The children loved it and compared it to a Disney Park ride.

Quality of Experience

So much fun and oh so interesting.

Perlan Museum - Icelandic Wonders & Northern Lights Show

Reykjavík

So much to see and do, even for the 4 & 7 year olds.

Quality of Experience

High quality multi-media presentations

The Reykjavík Park and Zoo

Reykjavík

We went at night to view the Christmas lights. They were beautiful. We saw many animals, unfortunately not the reindeer that night.

Quality of Experience

It was free admission when we went and therefore were not disappointed when we were unable to see all the animals.

Whales of Iceland

Reykjavík

This was very interesting for the adults. The children were only interested in the scale models. It was geared more for adults.

Quality of Experience

More for the littler ones to do and manipulate.

How to be­come Icelandic in 60 minutes

Iceland

What an enjoyable presentation! Wonderful for all ages. There were many facts embedded in the humor that we all retained.

Quality of Experience

The comic was terrific, playing well off the audience.

Our Icelandic adventure was nothing short of spectacular, despite the elusive Aurora Borealis. Gummi's meticulously planned itinerary was a game-changer, ensuring we made the most of our time.

We kicked off our trip in Reykjavik, a vibrant city with a lively atmosphere. The food tour and cultural exploration were highlights, offering a delicious and insightful introduction to Icelandic cuisine and history.

Our journey continued to the Golden Circle, where we marveled at the raw power of nature. From the tectonic plates and cascading waterfalls to the geothermal geysers and the serene black church, every stop was breathtaking. We ended the 2 day round trip with a relaxing soak in a geothermal pool, the perfect antidote to the 2 days of intensive driving.

The next leg of our trip took us to the south coast, where we encountered stunning landscapes, including frozen waterfalls, dramatic cliffs, and the iconic black sand beach. The highlight was undoubtedly the glacier hike and the crystal caves, unforgettable experiences that allowed us to witness the immense power of nature firsthand.

While we didn't catch a glimpse of the Northern Lights, the otherworldly beauty of Iceland more than made up for it. The crystal ice caves, the diamond beach, and the glacier lagoon were truly awe-inspiring.

We wrapped up our trip in Reykjavik, visiting the fascinating Museum of Iceland before heading home. Though exhausted, we were filled with a sense of wonder and exhilaration. Iceland is a must-visit destination for anyone seeking a unique and unforgettable travel experience.

Hotel Reviews

Berjaya Hotel Reykjavik Natura

Reykjavík

The Berjaya Hotel Reykjavik Natura was a comfortable stay. Overall, a nice hotel with convenient parking.

Bubble Hotel

Selfoss

The Bubble Hotel offers a unique glamping experience where you can sleep under the stars in a clear plastic bubble. While the view was breathtaking, the lack of furniture besides the bed was slightly inconvenient. It's more about the amazing experience and the view than hotel room comforts.

Hotel Laki

Kirkjubæjarklaustur

Hotel Laki was nice; we stayed there for two nights. Although we spent little time at the hotel due to being out exploring, the restaurant was impressive. The roof deck provided an excellent spot to search for the Northern Lights. Overall, a pleasant stay.

Activity Reviews

Reykjavík Food Walk

Iceland

The Reykjavík Food Walk was an absolute blast! It was a fantastic way to spend the day exploring the city, trying out different restaurants, and getting recommendations for places to eat. The tour was fun and engaging, and I really enjoyed the experience.

Crystal Blue Ice Cave

Iceland

Visiting the Crystal Blue Ice Cave was a highlight of the trip! We were lucky to explore a newly discovered cave, which was pristine and breathtaking. The size of the cave allowed us to walk in comfortably, and the beauty of the ice formations was unparalleled.

Solheimajokull Glacier Hike

Iceland

The Solheimajokull Glacier Hike was a unique and amazing experience. Walking on the glacier with nothing but ice around was surreal. We had an excellent guide who made the experience unforgettable, sharing insights and ensuring we appreciated the incredible glacier landscape.

Lava Cave Explorer Tour

Iceland

The Lava Cave Explorer Tour was definitely worth it! It was fascinating to see the inside of a cave where lava flowed hundreds of years ago. Our guide was knowledgeable and enthusiastic, making the experience very engaging.

Journey Through Time & Tectonics – Thingvellir National Park Exploration

Iceland

The Golden Circle tour was a bit rushed due to limited daylight hours in winter. Although the sites were stunning, driving 400 to 500 kilometers each day felt like a lot, and the final activities of the day were often in the dark, which wasn't ideal for viewing the waterfalls. If there's an option, allow for more time or perhaps an extra day during the winter to fully enjoy the sights.

My husband had been wanting to go to Iceland since we first met. We decided to go for his 40th birthday and worked with Rinolda to plan the trip. It was amazing. She took all of our feedback into account and really thought about the details. We had a redeye flight so didn't sleep much and basically started our activities as soon as we landed. The first stop on our itinerary was the Blue Lagoon which was really refreshing and helped to wake us up. We had just the right amount of things to do each day and got to see so many beautiful places and do so many unique things on this trip.

Hotel Review

Comfort Category Accommodation With Private Bathroom

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Blue Lagoon

Iceland

The facilities were very nice and it was a nice, relaxing experience overall.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Crystal Blue Ice Cave

Iceland

Our guide was very knowledgeable and funny. The experience itself was really cool and definitely something I'd recommend.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Based on the time we had and priorities we shared, Adam developed a complete itinerary for our first trip to Iceland with wonderful lodging well-suited to our group. Adam's communication was frequent and supportive before and during our trip. For a reasonable fee, our group of 4, which had minimal time to plan and communicate with each other, had an on-demand advisor and assistant who took care of booking lodging, transportation, and several structured activities that reflected our desires for the trip, budget, and timeline needs. It was easy, supportive, and affordable and we had a great trip!

Activity Reviews

Rye Bread tour (Geothermal bakery)

Iceland

The "bakery tour" was a fun activity and I would highly recommend a visit to the spa and brief presentation about traditional geothermal baking, but I would keep expectations realistic for the depth of the tour. We did not tour a bakery, but witnessed a guide pulling a pot out of the ground and then serving us the bread. On the one hand it was nice that it was just a brief spiel and demo by a friendly presenter, (especially in the windy rain outside), with a tasting as the main event, but if you're looking for something more in-depth about history, baking, or science, this isn't it. Not sure how much the tour is since it was booked for us, but I think I might be happy with a meal at the café and a visit to the spa. It was a great change of pace from driving and waterfalls, though, and the bread was delicious! At this time of year, there were 2 times available, 11:45 and 2:30, so take that into account with what else you want to do that day. We enjoyed the tomato greenhouse cafe and educational space about 40 min. from the bakery after the tour.

Quality of Experience

More depth to the tour, maybe a peek at the actual bakery, something more immersive--experience with the baking?, more history about baking in this way and the place of bread and rye and geothermal water in Icelandic cuisine. That said, it was enjoyable for what it was. The brevity might be especially appropriate for families with kids or itineraries with several other things on it for the day.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Friendly and clear

Transport

Just a short walk to the site where the bread is buried.

Skaftafell Glacier Hike

Iceland

Despite the rain and cloudy sky, our friendly and enthusiastic guide, Lilly, made sure we were all safe and having a good time out on the Skaftafell Glacier Hike. While there was not as much pre-hike safety and what-to-expect info before hitting the trail, as we've come to expect doing similar activities in the US, our guides and staff who outfitted us before leaving the meeting location were definitely open to questions and made sure we knew what we were doing on the glacier.

Quality of Experience

Just being on a glacier in Iceland was amazing. Wish the weather had been nicer and would have preferred to book a time that would have had us back before dark at this time of year. Great informative and fun guide.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

An informational chat with the group before leaving the meeting center would have been appreciated. Lilly was awesome--so friendly, made sure we were safe, and put us all at ease.

Transport

10 min bus trip was no problem. Some may want to know there is 15-20 min of hiking on either end of the glacier hike beforehand, especially the return hike in the dark if you're booking a hike after 3 in November.

First time going with kimkim to plan our holiday itinerary.
Eric was assigned to us and the discussion/ideas flowed freely. We provided a list of activities we'd like to do together with my 8yr old girl and he planned a seamless itinerary that allowed us to participate in the activities based on a self drive route planned by Eric.
Our flight into Rejkavik was delayed. Eric and his team provided quick assistance with regards to our car rental. Unfortunately, due to the delay we had less time to explore the city.
Each day's itinerary was planned meticulously with 'must-see' sights and other sights if we had the time.
The hotel stays booked for us were very comfortable.
Working with Eric to plan the trip was an absolute pleasure.
It was a great trip, definitely one we will miss for a long time.

Activity Reviews

Horse riding tour

Hveragerdi

We enjoyed this every much, especially our 8 year old!

Solheimajokull Glacier Hike

Iceland

In my honest opinion, a must do in Iceland. Our guide, Malek, was very good.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We really enjoyed our trip to Iceland. Our specialist, Othman, provided numerous options for us to experience and we enjoyed them all. The accommodations were good. The route information and maps were excellent. The plan worked well, with scenic driving and adventures spaced out well. The wifi device was a great thing to have.

One problem we ran into a few times was communications. For example, one of the self-checkin guesthouses did not send any information to me ahead of time. I did not know it was self checkin, so did not realize the issue until we actually arrived and were locked out. Also, when one of the tours was rescheduled at the last minute, our specialist helpfully rebooked the tour, but our notice came only by email (rather than a phone call), and we did not have any wifi access, so missed the opportunity.

Activity Reviews

Myvatn Nature Baths

Lake Mývatn

Husavik Whale Watching

Iceland

From start to finish, our trip to Iceland went off without a hitch. All the transfers were pre-arranged and the #1 Bus Stop was only a 5 minute walk from our hotel in Reykjavik. We loved walking around the city and exploring out of the way areas. There were multiple restaurants to choose from. We enjoyed dining at Apotek, Sumac and Rok. The breakfast buffet at Apotek was exceptional! Unfortunately, our northern lights tour had be cancelled twice due to unfavorable weather conditions.

On our 3rd day, Jói from Arctic Adventures picked us up for the 3 day South Coast tour. We saw several waterfalls and a geyser, hiked on a glacier (our guide was from Dublin) and on our way to Kirkjubaejarklaustur the first night, Jói stopped the bus so that we could get out to see the northern lights. Beautiful!

Adam was incredibly helpful and the trip he planned was fantastic. We had some slight changes due to weather-no ones fault. However, Adam was always very quick to reply and provide us with an amazing plan B. He had fantastic communication and set up everything in a way that was convenient, streamlined, and easy to follow. Even in the initial planning stage, he worked very closely with us to provide the best trip possible, providing plenty of opportunities and great advice that was so incredibly helpful. Would love to work with Adam again!

As the other person in this trip I figured I should chime in as well. Adam was fantastic! We committed the cardinal sin of travel and didn’t research very much. It didn’t matter because Adam did that for us. He was on top of everything. Very easy to get a hold of and even helped while we were in our trip and had to make last minute changes due to weather. Adam was great. I’d work with him again! Thanks Adam!

Gummi helped plan our itinerary and he was very helpful. When you book trips for people, it would be helpful to ask their physical condition and capability. I have a balance disorder and osteoporosis (Bad bones, so I don’t want to fall and break anything) and I’m 65 years old. I spoke with Gummi about this and he said bring my walking sticks.

The lava cave tour was hundred of steps down and up (a lot of space between each step..easy to trip or fall for me) and once we arrived there, I was unable to participate because it was too risky for me. My husband went and enjoyed it and that was fine but I wouldn’t have paid for me to go, so we lost that money.

The glacier and ice cave tour was ridiculous for me to participate. The truck driver to get us there drove like a maniac on the off road terrain to get to the glacier. He drove so fast and my back was smashing up and down and it was very scary too. Once we arrived (it was extremely windy and rainy) and I saw what it would take to participate and once again, I had to wait in the truck for an hour and a half because it was way too dangerous for me to participate. We lost that money for me too.

Our guide, Guttie (I’m sure I misspelled his name) was truly fabulous. His knowledge of Iceland and history facts were wonderful. I give him 10 stars! He made sure we saw the northern lights and spent two late nights with us until we did! He is warm and friendly and took care of everything for us.

So, like going into a restaurant and the server asks you if you have any food allergies, your company should ask the travelers if they have any physical limitations first!

Thank you,
Julie Mandell

Hotel Review

The Reykjavík Edition

Reykjavik

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Sky Lagoon - Experience the seven-step Sky Ritual

Iceland

Quality of Experience

This was our second trip planned through KimKim in 2024. As with the first, it was tailored to our interests and seamless! Working with Eric was again a pleasure, he offered various ideas and options for the itinerary and was responsive to questions and concerns.

Activity Reviews

Forest Lagoon

Iceland

The best of all seven great geothermal baths we visited on this trip! Such a beautiful setting and varied options for soaking and sauna.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Krauma

Iceland

Runner up for the best stop. Beautiful setting, multiple pools for soaking, infrared sauna and a steam room.

Quality of Experience

The view, the variety of soaking pool (temperatures), the saunas

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We were able to enter several hours earlier than reservation time, friendly staff

The Geothermal Vok Baths

Iceland

The beauty of the baths are best appreciated with a little daylight - we arrived after dark, and were unable to visual the setting very well. This is not a criticism of the facility - we understand the concept of keeping artificial lighting to a minimum!

Quality of Experience

The natural setting, several pools and the quiet - other than a few loud guests, but they were just enjoying themselves.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Staff were friendly and knowledgeable. Explained the process upon arrival.

This was a celebration trip – celebration of 25 years of friendship and we - Gail and Aru - picked the land of Fire & Ice! Both of us having experienced Kimkim earlier, decided to go with Kimkim.

Our trip to Iceland was planned by Veronika from the Unforgettable Nordic. The initial part of nailing down a broad itinerary was a smooth process. Where it got tedious for us was when it came to planning the details. For example – we were specific in mentioning that we wanted a hotel with an elevator and a room of a particular size. All these details and more were overlooked. Veronika’s attention to detail and responsiveness was poor, at best, and it required a considerable amount of our time to ensure that all details were attended to. Further, we noticed a few planning glitches, information gaps, a general quality of oversight and a lack of regard for our collective & individual budget. She needed to have a far more in-depth knowledge of us, our abilities, our needs and what we want to do before she could fulfill what Kimkim actually promises – a customized trip. The amount of time it took for us to push her to get things done, we would have spent it better if we planned this on our own given that almost all the trips she chose are online anyway for people to make their own choices.

Thankfully, about a month prior to the start of our vacation, we were informed that Veronika is no longer with Unforgettable Nordic and we were assigned to Connor. Connor was an absolute delight to work with. He was informative, responsive, on-the-ball, quick to handle itinerary changes/ requests, clear in his communications, offered an opinion when needed and has a wicked and lively sense of humour! It was an absolute pleasure to have Connor partner us on this critical phase of our vacation and we enjoyed interacting with him. We were both relieved to have ‘on the ball’ Connor, especially since many of our activities were cancelled and needed rescheduling and reshuffling and he handled all these changes efficiently.

In terms of ratings, we would divide it:
For the portion with Veronika, my rating would be 1.5/5
For the portion with Connor, my rating would be 4/5

Some feedback for Unforgettable Nordic & KimKim:
1. Creativity of the itinerary: The portion of the itinerary from Unforgettable Nordic (Veronika) was standard tourist fare. Many of the interesting activities added to the itinerary were a result of our own research. All the tours were available through Viator, Tripadvisor or other such online spaces. We being seasoned travelers know this. Kimkim loses significant for us since it provides nothing new. So to actually have us as customers again Kimkim will need to up their game.
2. An escalation process/request a change of primary contact: Despite our initial discomfort, we had no way to escalate or discuss our issues - we (the customers) had to endure the poor levels of service with no place to complaint. This by any service standard is just poor customer management. Unless Kimkim does some quality control customers will dwindle.
3. More transparency: For a few of the experiences, we were booked for the premium level. We certainly did not mind. But it would have been appropriate to check if we’d prefer a standard or premium ticket for our experiences. The point is we weren’t aware that we had a choice.
4. Our experiences with service on Kimkim for Japan and Vietnam (separate vendors) were awesome. That experience led us to book Iceland with Kimkim. But the standards of service were much, much lower.

Overall, we had a beautiful trip. But it was seamless, primarily due to the level of attention and follow-up we did to the itinerary. If it wasn’t for us being on top of the itinerary, we would have experienced many glitches on our travel. As also, Connor’s contribution at the end – his on-ground coordination really helped us.

Hotel Reviews

Eyja Guldsmeden Hotel

Reykjavik

Great stay and service. Very friendly staff. Small rooms, but beautifully done up.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Superb

Cleanliness & Comfort

Gerði Guesthouse

Höfn

Basic. But good. Tiny rooms - ok for a night.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Dogsledding Mosfellsdalur

Iceland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ultimate Icelandic Night—Northern Lights Hunt, Cozy Blankets & Local Treats in Reykjavik

Reykjavík

We did not see this properly

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

2-Day South Coast Tour: Waterfalls, Ice Caves and Glacier Lagoon (Day 1)

Iceland

Reykjavík Food Walk

Iceland

Icelandic Lava Show Reykjavik

Iceland

Golden Circle Super Jeep and Snowmobile Tour

Iceland

8 Days in Iceland! This was our second trip my husband and I have booked through KimKim and we really enjoyed it! Gummi did a great job planning our itinerary and was extremely responsive when we had questions or needed to tweak our plans. We travel a lot and using Gummi and KimKim really saved us time by booking hotels and activities and planning our route. This was a road trip, starting and ending in Reykjavik. We had a fairly aggressive itinerary and a lot of driving but we were able to fit everything in and are looking forward to another Iceland adventure. Loved the glacier hike and ice cave adventures, stopping at many beautiful beaches, waterfalls, cliffs and other geologic features of this unique landscape!! We loved riding Icelandic horses on the beach near Vik. We stopped at 3 different geothermal pools -- Sky Lagoon, Secret Lagoon and the Blue Lagoon. Each had its own unique vibe and definitely worth a visit. We were surprised at what an incredible foodie town Reykjavik is - Gummi provided restaurant recommendations for the city and smaller areas as well. The tasting menu at Fish Market in Reykjavik is spendy but not to miss! Our hotels in the outlying areas all had very good restaurants, too. There were a few days when we rolled in late and it was nice to be able to head to the dining room for a great meal - without having to get into the car again in search of dinner. We did have a couple of reservation mixups at two hotels but we called Gummi and he got things sorted out speedy quick. Things happen on trips, I get it, but the key is having a super-responsive travel agent who can fix the problem in a heartbeat.

Activity Reviews

Sky Lagoon - Experience the seven-step Sky Ritual

Iceland

What a fun experience! The 7-step ritual was unique! The outdoor setting and infinity pool view was gorgeous. Loved having a swim-up bar!

Quality of Experience

Solheimajokull Glacier Hike

Iceland

Beautiful area! We felt safe and well-taken care of. Fun going up and down - the crampons were easier than I expected. The only problem with these types of events is that there are always one or two people who maybe don't have the best fitness level for this type of activity. Our guide really wanted to be accommodating to all the guests but we ended up stopping a lot- and we were a little concerned! It's a good hike just to get to the glacier and then an uphill walk in crampons. The glacier ice was amazing.

Quality of Experience

Icelandic horse riding tour

Iceland

Fun, fun, fun! These shaggy little horses were so cute and friendly and well-mannered. The guides did a thorough demo before we set off. It was fun going along the black sand beach and lots of photo ops. My only wish is that we could've had a longer ride, but we had other sights to stop at and a drive back to Reykjavik that day so it worked out fine.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Crystal Blue Ice Cave

Iceland

Another great glacier walk! Guide was thorough but he could've used a helper as a "tail gunner" to keep an eye on everyone from the rear. As it was, Connelly and I took on that roll. The guide clipped in an older woman in our group to ropes anchored in the ice.

Transport

Phew! Our guide/driver knew the back road but it was rough and he drove (what I thought) was too fast. Lost of turns - i was feeling a little carsick in the back of the van on the way back to the parking lot.

The Secret Lagoon

Iceland

This was a lower-key outdoor pool experience than Sky or Blue Lagoon but equally enjoyable. Loved the gravel bottom. There were foam pool noodles that were fun to float around on.

Quality of Experience

Lower key than Blue or Sky Lagoon. Enjoyed floating around with the pool noodles - loose gravel bottom felt great under foot.