Kimkim Trip Reviews for Iceland

4.8
Based on 895 ratings
Read 895 verified reviews by travelers who booked their trip to Iceland on kimkim. You can also read reviews about kimkim on 3rd party sites including Google, TrustPilot and Yelp.

Janel and team were great. I had a few chang...
Iceland | May 28 - Jun 5, 2022

S
Scott M.
Smyrna, GA | Reviewed on Jun 06, 2022
Janel and team were great. I had a few changes during the trip and they were there to help and coordinate. The trip was well thought out. We had a lot of coordination/ hotel accommodations to make and I felt everything went according to plan. Read more

Janel and team were great. I had a few changes during the trip and they were there to help and coordinate. The trip was well thought out. We had a lot of coordination/ hotel accommodations to make and I felt everything went according to plan.

Hotel Reviews
Berjaya Hotel Mývatn
Mývatn

Great place-

Tips for future travelers

Restaurant was ok- there is a bar / pub right next to it which actually shares the same kitchen but food prices are lower. I would just go there for dinner. Same menu...just less expensive.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Hotel Borg by Keahotels
Reykjavik

Great location. Very central to the active part of Reykjavik. Hotel was well appointed and the rooms were typical European style (smaller - which is to be expected in a city) and nice.

Tips for future travelers

Parking and can be tricky- there is a parking garage maybe two blacks away. I didn't feel 100% comfortable leaving the car on the street so I used the garage. The garage was more expensive but probably worth it.

Authenticity & Character
Great character - fit in with the city/ area
Location
Proximity to city center / activity
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Hotel Laugarbakki
Laugarbakki

The outside needs a little care but it looks like the interior was update not too long ago. I think this structure was an old dormitory Al that was converted over. The rooms were fine.

Tips for future travelers

Give it a try and I don't think there are many other options (better options) in the area.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Hotel Vík í Mýrdal
Vík

I think this is part of a chain of hotels - I saw at least three different hotels with the same brand name. This one was "earthy". It was well done And very nice

Tips for future travelers

Restaurant was great.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Hotel Grimsborgir Luxury Rooms and Apartments
Ásborgir

Great place. My son and I shared a 2 bedroom suite which was perfect. A little outside of town but great.

Tips for future travelers

I would definitely upgrade to a suite / apartment if traveling with family or just need a little extra room.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Activity Reviews
Blue Lagoon
Blue Lagoon
Iceland

Great - it is worth a few hours of your time.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Grábók Crater
Grábók Crater
Iceland

Great but all the sights in Iceland are great - not sure I would make a special trip for this but it was cool.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Katla Ice Cave
Katla Ice Cave
Iceland

It was ok- thought it might be a bit bigger and longer in the ice cave- it was more of a mountain trip than a cave trip but it was good to see - wouldn't do it again but glad I did it-

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Local specialist: Janel Doyle
Janel
Janel Doyle
Local specialist in Iceland | Replied on Jun 06, 2022

Thank you for the feedback and review, Scott. We hope you had a wonderful time in Iceland, and look forward to welcoming you again!

9 Days in Beautiful Iceland May 18-26
Iceland | May 18 - May 26, 2022

Rachel
Rachel K.
Eldersburg, MD | Reviewed on Jun 03, 2022
Trip Planning Experience: Typically I plan our trips and I enjoy the planning (I’m a Project Manager by day), but given this was a unique country with so many wonderful places to visit, having little time to plan, and not knowing the country very well we decided to use KimKim. I filled out a questionnaire about our trip preferences (budget range, types of sleeping accommodations, how we like to travel, etc). After submitting our info, we received a message from Preeti shortly afterwards... Read more

Trip Planning Experience: Typically I plan our trips and I enjoy the planning (I’m a Project Manager by day), but given this was a unique country with so many wonderful places to visit, having little time to plan, and not knowing the country very well we decided to use KimKim. I filled out a questionnaire about our trip preferences (budget range, types of sleeping accommodations, how we like to travel, etc). After submitting our info, we received a message from Preeti shortly afterwards with a recommendation based upon our preferences and what wanted to do in Iceland. This was an “out of the box” trip plan, but Preeti made us aware that we can customize as much as we wanted to. We spent about 2 months doing our own research and working with Preeti to fully customize our itinerary at which point we booked/paid for our trip. Then Preeti spend about 6-8 weeks planning our trip: reserving vehicle, hotels, excursions, refining our itinerary. There were times I had to reach out to Preeti because it had been awhile, but she replied soon after. In the end, after reviewing our detailed itinerary and comparing to our list of must have and nice to have places to visit, Preeti worked our itinerary to best suit our wants and we were pleased with the results.

Trip Experience: Snaefellsness Peninsula, South Coast, Westman Islands May 18-26
When we arrived in Keflavik, we picked up our rental car without an issue, we ended up upgrading our vehicle to an SUV and all the insurance possible based upon reviews we had read elsewhere. We’re glad we did because some of the roads in Iceland are very offroad and we ended up getting a fast leak in a tire to where we had to use the Roadside Assistance. Highly recommend getting all the insurance offered.
The whale watching excursion with Laki Tours was so much fun. While the first few hours we didn’t see anything, in the last hour we saw orcas (including a baby). Since we saw them so late, the tour operator stayed out another 30 minutes so we could watch the whales. We were under the impression that it was a small group tour, but there were about 40 or more people on this excursion. This may be what is typical for small group tour size, and we were not aware.

The Katla Ice Cave Tour excursion with Southcoast Adventures was not what I had envisioned. We were under the impression that it was a small group tour, but there were about 20 or more people on this excursion. The Katla Ice Cave collapsed last year (and we were not aware), so the first part of the tour was seeing what was left of the Katla ice cave (not a whole lot) and then hiking to a baby ice cave to walk through it. The baby ice cave made up for the first part of the tour. Even though it didn’t live up to what I had envisioned, the total experience of trekking to the glacier, hiking the glacier a bit to see what was left of the ice cave, and hiking through the baby cave was a unique experience. It was amazing to think how old the glacier was and the volcano ash we were walking on, we took it in. I wish we had known about the Katla Ice Cave collapsing, and we would’ve selected a different excursion (like a true glacier hike).

The Kayaking in Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon was AMAZING. This tour was a true small group tour of 5-7 people (2 people arrived late and had to go on a different tour), and what we would’ve expected with a small group tour (around 10 people). Once kayaking in the lagoon, we had the freedom of taking pictures and kayaking at our own pace. We were fortunate with the weather, and seals were swimming all around us. The seals were friendly and swam up near us, a few seals were on an iceberg sunbathing. This was by far my favorite excursion to be up close to the beautiful icebergs and seals.

Preeti recommended several different hikes and we thoroughly enjoyed them, the ones that stand out to us are Glymur Waterfall hike, Mulaglijufur Canyon, Nauthusagil Waterfall. There were a few times where I thought we should do something else but should’ve listened to Preeti in her recommendations.

Preeti recommended several restaurants throughout our trip and she was spot on. All the food in Iceland is delicious. I highly recommend the following restaurants: Bryggjan in Grindavik, Sjavarpakkhusid in Stykkisholmur, Hotel Rjukandi Restaurant in Borgarnes, Mjolkurbuid Eatery in Selfoss, Wok on Vik in Vik, Ice Cream from Vikurskali in Vik, Messinn in Reykjavik, Gott in Westman Islands (ate there twice), Ice Cream from Isbud Huppu.

There were a few times that either an excursion got cancelled, we decided to make a change to our itinerary due to weather, or we had questions, that we had to rearrange our itinearey. I’m thankful for Preeti and her team for being able to quickly adjust our schedule and rebook for different excursions or ferry tickets. It was a seamless process, no questions asked, and reworked our itinerary. Thank you for the quick response! We were able to enjoy our time in Iceland instead of having to rearrange our time and schedules. Totally worth it!

Overall we had a wonderful vacation, it is our best one yet! I am thankful that we used Kimkim and we had Preeti to assist us throughout the process. We would not have had such a great time had we planned ourselves and not had Preeti and her team. We hope to return to Iceland in the coming years and we will use Kimkim (and Preeti) again!

Hotel Reviews
Hótel Vestmannaeyjar
Vestmannaeyjar

This was our favorite hotel on our trip! The rooms were very spacious, clean, and the shower was amazing! The room temperatures were comfortable compared to other hotels on our trip. I only wish we had stayed one more night!

Authenticity & Character
Location
It was in the center of the town and could walk anywhere.
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Rooms were clean and very spacious. The bathrooms were clean.
Hótel Klaustur
Kirkjubæjarklaustur

We stayed at this hotel for 2 nights. This is a small town where a lot of establishments close at 9pm, including the hotel restaurant. The rooms were not as clean as I would've preferred. After our first night, the cleaning staff did not tidy up the room only refreshed the toiletries, which seemed odd to us and we had not experienced before. The room was small and our room was right near sitting water outside with a ton of bugs. The room was warm, so we had to crack the window, which meant a lot of bugs got into our room. If we were to stay in this town again, we would look for a different hotel. The hotel provided breakfast here was amazing.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Hótel Snæfellsnes
Borgarnes

We stayed at this hotel for 2 nights. The hotel provided breakfast was amazing. There is a cafe attached to the dining area where they offer espresso, pastries, sandwiches. We had the best coffee on our trip in their cafe (Cortado). Highly recommend getting one of their cafe drinks. There is not much around this area to choose from a hotel, but our rooms were clean and open. The room temperature was a little warm, but we cracked the window to keep the air circulating. The room was on the smaller side, but I expected that. The bathroom was a bit dated and could use an update. The beds and pillows were very comfortable. We ate at the onsite restaurant and had one of the specials and it was AMAZING. Some of the best fish we've ever had. Overall pleasant experience and we would stay here again.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Activity Reviews
Jokulsarlon Glacier Kayaking Adventure
Jokulsarlon Glacier Kayaking Adventure
Iceland

The Kayaking in Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon was AMAZING. This tour was a true small group tour of 5-7 people (2 people arrived late and had to go on a different tour), and what we would’ve expected with a small group tour (around 10 people). Once kayaking in the lagoon, we had the freedom of taking pictures and kayaking at our own pace. We were fortunate with the weather, and seals were swimming all around us. The seals were friendly and swam up near us, a few seals were on an iceberg sunbathing. This was by far my favorite excursion to be up close to the beautiful icebergs and seals.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Katla Ice Cave
Katla Ice Cave
Vík

The Katla Ice Cave Tour excursion with Southcoast Adventures was not what I had envisioned. We were under the impression that it was a small group tour, but there were about 20 or more people on this excursion. The Katla Ice Cave collapsed last year (and we were not aware), so the first part of the tour was seeing what was left of the Katla ice cave (not a whole lot) and then hiking to a baby ice cave to walk through it. The baby ice cave made up for the first part of the tour. Even though it didn’t live up to what I had envisioned, the total experience of trekking to the glacier, hiking the glacier a bit to see what was left of the ice cave, and hiking through the baby cave was a unique experience. It was amazing to think how old the glacier was and the volcano ash we were walking on, we took it in. I wish we had known about the Katla Ice Cave collapsing, and we would’ve selected a different excursion (like a true glacier hike).

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Whale Watching Ólafsvík
Whale Watching Ólafsvík
Snæfellsnes Peninsula

The whale watching excursion with Laki Tours was so much fun. While the first few hours we didn’t see anything, in the last hour we saw orcas (including a baby). Since we saw them so late, the tour operator stayed out another 30 minutes so we could watch the whales. We were under the impression that it was a small group tour, but there were about 40 or more people on this excursion. This may be what is typical for small group tour size, and we were not aware.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Local specialist: Preeti Bhide

Happy we used Kim Kim !
Iceland | May 17 - May 31, 2022

Linda
Linda B.
Weslaco, TX | Reviewed on Jun 02, 2022
So happy that we used Jenny at Kim Kim for planning our trip to Iceland. She took all the stress out of planning the trip away and we were able to just go and enjoy it ! We like traveling on our own And this way were able to do it without missing things because she had all reservations made with plenty of time for doing what we wanted at the pace we enjoy and provided a map with things we wouldn’t want to miss along the way. Her choice of lodging was great and the adventures we needed... Read more

So happy that we used Jenny at Kim Kim for planning our trip to Iceland. She took all the stress out of planning the trip away and we were able to just go and enjoy it ! We like traveling on our own And this way were able to do it without missing things because she had all reservations made with plenty of time for doing what we wanted at the pace we enjoy and provided a map with things we wouldn’t want to miss along the way. Her choice of lodging was great and the adventures we needed reservations for we’re booked with excellent guides- We loved Thor with Katlatrack for our Katla ice cave tour, Troll for ice climbing and the zodiac boat with Glacier Lagoon were all fantastic, plus a couple other adventures. I would definitely take another trip using Kim Kim !

Activity Reviews
Solheimajokull glacier hike & ice climbing
Iceland

Great guide! Very patient , encouraging , and made this a wonderful day

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Katla Ice Cave
Katla Ice Cave
Vík

Really glad we had Thor for our guide! It was excellent and we thoroughly enjoyed this !!

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Jokulsarlon glacier lagoon Zodiac boat tour
Jokulsarlon glacier lagoon Zodiac boat tour
Iceland

Glad we went with the zodiac boat. It was a great way to really get to see the glaciers at glacier lagoon and as an added bonus we saw seals up close

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Myvatn Nature Baths
Myvatn Nature Baths
Lake Mývatn

Loved the myvatn nature bath experience !

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Local specialist: Jenny Booth
Jenny
Jenny Booth
Local specialist in Sweden | Replied on Jun 03, 2022

Hi Linda, I'm glad that you had a wonderful time in Iceland. It was a pleasure to plan your trip with you and make it the experience you were after.

ADVENTURE OF A LIFETIME!!!!!
Iceland | May 21 - May 29, 2022

Marnie
Marnie M.
Austin, TX | Reviewed on Jun 01, 2022
I will start out by saying TERRY was absolutely AMAZING!!! Cannot say enough wonderful things about her and how helpful she was in planning the most perfect vacation for us. She listened to what we were wanting and gave great suggestions. She took the time to chat with us on the phone which made communicating our needs so much easier. HOTELS: all the hotels were really nice, but want to give a special shout out to Hunkubabbar Guesthouse and Arnarstapi hotels. They were both so incredibly... Read more

I will start out by saying TERRY was absolutely AMAZING!!! Cannot say enough wonderful things about her and how helpful she was in planning the most perfect vacation for us. She listened to what we were wanting and gave great suggestions. She took the time to chat with us on the phone which made communicating our needs so much easier. HOTELS: all the hotels were really nice, but want to give a special shout out to Hunkubabbar Guesthouse and Arnarstapi hotels. They were both so incredibly unique and wonderful and the little towns they were in were so special! EXCURSIONS: Silfra Snorkeling was our favorite and a once in a lifetime experience. Also, the people that ran that outfit were above and beyond fantastic and accommodating. Our younger son was last minute not able to do the snorkel and they offered us a refund for him on the spot! Kayaking on the glacier lagoon was extraordinary as well! All of our excursions( and we did a lot of them) were top notch, well organized, well run and truly fabulous. If there was one thing to miss I would say maybe the Lava Cave. FAVORITE AREAS: Peninsula, Golden Circle and Kirkjubaejarklauster. It was all so spectacular it's hard to pick just one thing. The waterfalls, the whale watching, going into a glacier...and ending with a day in Reykjavik and Blue Lagoon was just what the doctor ordered! Truly an adventure of a lifetime!!!! We didn't want to leave!

Local specialist: Terry Stanley
Terry
Terry Stanley
Local specialist in Canada | Replied on Jun 26, 2022

Thank you so much for your wonderful words of praise. It was my pleasure putting together this adventure for your family and I'm so happy that you had such a fantastic time.

Amazing trip.
Iceland | May 21 - May 28, 2022

K
Katie C.
Apex, NC | Reviewed on May 31, 2022

Rinolda was responsive and super helpful- would recommend! We had an amazing trip!!!

Local specialist: Rinolda J
Rinolda
Rinolda J
Local specialist in Iceland | Replied on Jun 01, 2022

Thanks Katie, I'm glad you liked it!

Rinolda helped us plan a great trip! She work...
Iceland | May 21 - May 28, 2022

Sarah
Sarah O.
Minneapolis, MN | Reviewed on May 29, 2022

Rinolda helped us plan a great trip! She worked with us to design the right trip for our needs and abilities and found us tours that mixed adventure and education nicely. She also recommended wonderful restaurants.

Local specialist: Rinolda J
Rinolda
Rinolda J
Local specialist in Iceland | Replied on Jun 01, 2022

Thanks Sarah, it was my pleasure!

The itinerary planned for us was tailored to ...
Iceland | May 15 - May 21, 2022

William
William M.
Salem, NH | Reviewed on May 25, 2022
The itinerary planned for us was tailored to our interests. The guided excursions included hikes that allowed us to see amazing landscapes that you can’t get from a highway pull off. Our guides Damion of Ice Explores and Omar of South Coast Adventures gave us insight to the ever changing Iceland landscape and the history of its population. The links included in the itinerary were very helpful. The driving plan link to google maps along with Apple car play made finding our way around Iceland... Read more

The itinerary planned for us was tailored to our interests. The guided excursions included hikes that allowed us to see amazing landscapes that you can’t get from a highway pull off. Our guides Damion of Ice Explores and Omar of South Coast Adventures gave us insight to the ever changing Iceland landscape and the history of its population. The links included in the itinerary were very helpful. The driving plan link to google maps along with Apple car play made finding our way around Iceland stress free. our favorite hotel of the trip was the Magma. This trip qualified as a check mark on our bucket list. We walked on glacier, saw seals swimming around icebergs , soaked in a geothermal river, walked up to a lava field, hiked into canyons where scenes from The Game of thrones was filmed, watched 10pm sunsets, gagged on fermented shark and much more.

Will

Activity Review
Breidamerkurjokull Glacier Walk, Ice Cave, Super Jeep
Iceland
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Local specialist: Terry Stanley
Terry
Terry Stanley
Local specialist in Canada | Replied on May 26, 2022

What wonderful adventures you had and memories you made. I'm so pleased that I could be a part of this. Thank you for the wonderful review.

Fantastic trip! Othman did a great job respon...
Iceland | Apr 24 - Apr 29, 2022

B
Ben P.
| Reviewed on May 24, 2022
Fantastic trip! Othman did a great job responding quickly and working with us to create the perfect trip that allowed us to enjoy every moment. Read more

Fantastic trip! Othman did a great job responding quickly and working with us to create the perfect trip that allowed us to enjoy every moment.

Activity Reviews
Crystal Blue Ice Cave
Crystal Blue Ice Cave
Iceland

Gorgeous place! Photos don’t do it justice. Just don’t go if you get carsick. The monster truck ride is wild! The whole trip was a little over 3 hours

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
The car was a bit older than all the others at the lot
Crystal Blue Ice Cave
Crystal Blue Ice Cave
Iceland

Gorgeous place! Photos don’t do it justice. Just don’t go if you get carsick. The monster truck ride is wild! The whole trip was a little over 3 hours

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
The car was a bit older than all the others at the lot but it did not detract from the experience
Local specialist: Othman A

Great trip to Iceland's South Coast
Iceland | May 9 - May 15, 2022

C
Cathleen H.
Ossining, NY | Reviewed on May 18, 2022

I was very happy I used kimkim to plan my trip to Iceland's South Coast. My specialist, Preeti, did a great job. She worked with us to come up with an itinerary that met our interests, had lots of great suggestions for things to see and do, restaurants, etc, and was very responsive to my many questions. During the trip,
a couple of minor problems were handled promptly. We'll definitely use kimkim and Preeti in the future.

Local specialist: Preeti Bhide

Mixed Iceland Review
Iceland | May 9 - May 15, 2022

E
Erica R.
Jacksonville, FL | Reviewed on May 17, 2022
Throughout the process of being assigned to Othman at the start of our use of KimKim, we had difficulty understanding what he was doing or saying. It should have been a sign for us to back out of using KimKim.
Othman carried out a plan for us that seemed to ignore some things that were most important to us and seemed scripted and geared toward his personal favorite things to tell tourists to see.
The first example of "The Othman Scripts" was his "Welcome to Reykjavík" and "So happy you...
Read more

Throughout the process of being assigned to Othman at the start of our use of KimKim, we had difficulty understanding what he was doing or saying. It should have been a sign for us to back out of using KimKim.
Othman carried out a plan for us that seemed to ignore some things that were most important to us and seemed scripted and geared toward his personal favorite things to tell tourists to see.
The first example of "The Othman Scripts" was his "Welcome to Reykjavík" and "So happy you enjoyed your day" message, which he posted about 4 weeks before we landed, and it was written for travelers who arrive early AM, not late PM (we arrived at 9:00 PM/21:00)- so his message was off-putting and irrelevant.
Our itinerary seemed to have been pre-written from other travelers' itineraries and often included places we had no interest in seeing and Othman often placed our personal stated goals into his "alternative ideas"- "if you have time" section.
Upon de-boarding and making our way to the transport service, our itinerary listed one company and our voucher listed another. Our voucher said drop-off at hotel and the actual drop off was at a church. Not that walking at 10:00 PM at night in Reykjavík is too dark as they days are long and we easily got to our self-booked hotel which was so charming and clean.
We were assigned to EuroCar for our vehicle and were assigne a similar model at the airport the evening of day 2. We spent several hours the next day driving to one of their stations in Akureyri and waiting as they located a SIM card and black box so we had wifi connection for our driving directions. (One has a 50-50 chance of dealing with a friendly hospitality specialists or a rude hospitality specialists in Iceland.) As never-been-to-Iceland-before tourists, we definitely got our first dose of rude hospitality at EuropCar in Akureyri. The initial male we experienced (after several minutes of ignoring our presence and then assisting a male customer who walking in after us) kept asking us to produce a black case from our vehicle which of course we did not have and was the reason we were there to begin with. Luckily the female who rented us the car at the airport arrived at this station and began to help us obtain the missing SIM card and routing case. After about an hour, a new SIM card was successfully activated. And we finally began our sight-seeing for the day.
Driving times did not seem to factor into Othman's planning so there was no way to both experience his suggestions and our personal interests (which were too-often listed as "alternative sites"). By day 3 we knew to research our personal interests and then focus on what mattered to us (what attracted us to Iceland in the first place).
Any tour that had issues due to weather was fine with us. On day 4 our Geothermal Spa tour was unpleasant because the hospitality experts there are rude. Othman did not think to add towels to our tour package and he did not warn us to bring towels from our hotel. So the hospitality staff took pleasure is insulting us for not knowing that our "basic tour" did not include a way to dry off. By this time in our tour, it was becoming clear that had we done everything ourselves, and not relied on KimKim's "self-guided tour", we would have had a smoother experience all the way around. Everything that we had booked ourselves was splendid, things that Othman booked were often incorrect or chaotic or poorly thought-out. Although in retrospect one of Othman's or KimKim's scripts may have said "make sure you follow Covid policies", it was not mentioned during our stay, nor were we reminded to check on need for Covid testing before going to the airport. It would have been a nice and helpful touch for KimKim/Othman to just check in on us and try to save us money and time by telling us about the Covid testing site on the way to the airport. Spending extra money and time on cabs and testing right before our departure after a less than stellar KimKim experience was not appreciated. We are happy we came and saw Iceland. We are not happy we were assigned to Othman or that we used KimKim.

Hotel Reviews
Hotel Odinsve
Reykjavik

We booked this hotel ourselves and it was charming, clean, well-situated for sight-seeing and had super friendly staff!

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Hotel Sveinbjarnargerdi
Svalbarðsstrandarhreppur

Although rooms are rustic, they are clean and get the job done. The food here was the best of all hotels booked by KimKim. The staff is generous and kind.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Although rooms are rustic, they are clean and get the job done. The food here was the best of all hotels booked by KimKim. The staff is generous and kind.
Húsavík Cape Hotel
Husavik

The two owners have been running this hotel for about three weeks. They are passionate about their unique gallery (Eurovision-themed) and this was an interesting, quirky, and fun bonus. The rooms was clean, the staff was friendly. The current cooks are from Naples so the pizza and tiramisu was delicious. The breakfast was the weak point. No yogurt (a specialty of Iceland), no hot food. Bread, meh. Cucumbers fresh and delicious. Heinrich was quick to honor local restaurants and gave an excellent recommendation for dinner. We are "foodies" and the suggested restaurant was a Win.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Grand Hotel Reykjavik
Reykjavik

We booked this hotel ourselves and it is a great find. Loved the gym, restaurant, locations was good good. Free parking was a Plus. Friendly staff and waiters. Delicious cuisine in the restaurant. One weird thing which we tried to fix ourselves. The air-draft beneath the door to the hallway is quite loud- like a continuous running loud vacuum. We placed a towel there to dampen the sound so we could sleep. It worked well-enough.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Hotel Laugarbakki
Laugarbakki

Food was nice. Staff very friendly and helpful. Rooms were very modern, minimalist, and clean. Very updated and pretty. Horses, ponies nearby and swing set for children. Outdoor hot tubs were popular.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Activity Reviews
Skutustadagigar Pseudocraters
Skutustadagigar Pseudocraters
Lake Mývatn

Cold snowy day. Not much to remember.

Quality of Experience
GeoSea - Geothermal Sea Baths
GeoSea - Geothermal Sea Baths
Iceland

The pools themselves were pretty and did overlook the ocean with land between the two. Of course it was snowing the day we were there so visibility was limited and our heads were exposed to the snow and cold as we did not have hair/head covers. Water was warm and relaxing from the shoulders down.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Friendliness, understanding that travelers using a travel company are not made aware of details odf what's included in the package purchased by the tour company.
Blue Lagoon
Iceland

The lagoon is very pretty and the hospitality staff were informative and friendly. A towel, silica face mask, and drink were included with the experience which was appreciated.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
self transport
Local specialist: Othman A

Iceland on the go!
Iceland | Apr 16 - Apr 24, 2022

Jodie
Jodie L.
Cherry Hill, NJ | Reviewed on May 14, 2022
Our trip to Iceland was nonstop fun & adventure! From the moment we stepped off the plane till the moment we departed our kimkim guide Rinolda had us covered. Day 1 we started off with a luxurious visit to The Blue Lagoon and a walking food tour in Reykjavik with our awesome guide Ben! After stuffing our faces we did some light shopping and headed north for the 1st hotel. Day 2 was a sightseeing / hiking while driving kind of day. We stopped for lunch in downtown Akureyri and visited their... Read more

Our trip to Iceland was nonstop fun & adventure! From the moment we stepped off the plane till the moment we departed our kimkim guide Rinolda had us covered. Day 1 we started off with a luxurious visit to The Blue Lagoon and a walking food tour in Reykjavik with our awesome guide Ben! After stuffing our faces we did some light shopping and headed north for the 1st hotel. Day 2 was a sightseeing / hiking while driving kind of day. We stopped for lunch in downtown Akureyri and visited their art gallery and cathedral before driving east towards Lake Myvatn area for 2 nights. Day 3 was JAM PACKED with a wake watching tour in Husavik then loop around the peninsula to see Dellfoss and other sites along the way, ending with a nice soak at the sulfur baths and steam rooms in Lake Myvatn. Day 4 was long but we visited the author Gunnar Gunnarson's farm and cultural house, hiked great heights to see beautiful waterfalls, drove off road to see basalt column formations, and traveled through the East Fjords before settling in for the night at a cute spot in Breiddalsvik. Day 5 poured so our original ATV tour was canceled, but thankfully Rinolda was able to reschedule it for Day 7. It was nice having her so we didn't have to worry about what we would do that day in it's place or finding a new time to slot it in. Day 6 we visited the Diamond Beach and Glacier lake as well as hiked on a glacier. That was strenuous and a little above my ability but the guides were gracious and we were able to make the best of the situation. Day 7 was probably my favorite day of the whole trip. After a great night in Vik, we started strong with a visit to Skool Beans Cafe run by ex pat Holly, then had a BLAST ATVing on the black sand beaches with our guide Max, ultimately ending the day in Gullfoss with their famous geyser and great waterfall. The Gullfoss Hotel staff was phenomenal! Day 8 we kicked things off with snowmobiling on a glacier, which was absolutely wild. We also stopped at Estaduir II family farm for the freshest burgers I've ever had and ended the night with a walk around downtown Reykjavik to see the viking boat sculpture and yellow lighthouse. Day 9 our final morning in Iceland Rinolda didn't disappoint. She gave us the option of a direct path to the airport or a 2.5 hour ride around the peninsula stopping at geothermal sites, lighthouses, and other natural wonders, before returning our car & heading to the airport. Well, I'm sure you guessed which route we took. So as the title proclaims - this was our Iceland on the go adventure! Jam packed with sites, hikes, activities and fun we won't forget!

Activity Review
Reykjavik Food Walk
Reykjavík

Great food & guide. Ben was knowledgeable and fun to hang with. The food choices were diverse and delicious.

Quality of Experience
The other guests were sociable and the food delicious.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Ben was great and extra accommodating for my friend who was gluten free.
Local specialist: Rinolda J
Rinolda
Rinolda J
Local specialist in Iceland | Replied on May 14, 2022

Thanks a lot for your feedback! It was my pleasure to work with you!

Iceland Ring Road trip May 2022
Iceland | May 4 - May 10, 2022

N
Nancy H.
San Jose, CA | Reviewed on May 11, 2022
Excellent trip planning from Fran. We enjoyed everything and the trip was seamless and easy to follow. My only concern is the price transparency. Hard to know what your getting is worthy of prices if you were booking alone. The price is all inclusive and you are not allowed to see receipts or know how much Kimkim is making for their services. Read more

Excellent trip planning from Fran. We enjoyed everything and the trip was seamless and easy to follow. My only concern is the price transparency. Hard to know what your getting is worthy of prices if you were booking alone. The price is all inclusive and you are not allowed to see receipts or know how much Kimkim is making for their services.

Hotel Review
Hotel Rangá
Hella

Beautiful location, restaurant was fabulous, and very friendly staff. Hot tubs in the country side was amazing too.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Amazing landscape views outside!
Staff
Front desk lady sang happy birthday to me in Icelandic language..made my day!
Cleanliness & Comfort
Activity Reviews
Þingvellir National Park
Þingvellir National Park
Iceland
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Dive.IS did great
Fridheimar
Fridheimar
Golden Circle

Expensive but worth it. Unique and delicious!

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Solheimajokull Glacier Hike
Solheimajokull Glacier Hike
Iceland
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Horse Riding
Iceland

Amazing one on one experience. Rode out to several waterfalls.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Blue Lagoon
Iceland

Amazing

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Myvatn Nature Baths
Myvatn Nature Baths
Lake Mývatn

A bit smelly and locker rooms not as nice as other spas but worth it if your in Myvatn.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Whale Watching in Akureyri
Whale Watching in Akureyri
Iceland
Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Grábók Crater
Grábók Crater
Iceland
Local specialist: Francesca Stoppani
Francesca
Francesca Stoppani
Local specialist in Iceland | Replied on May 12, 2022

Thanks for your positive feedback Nancy and Darrell! We do full-package tours, hence no service-by-service price breakdown. You can see the price breakdown comprehensive of the kimkim-related fees from your booking. Looking forward to having you back in Iceland.

Iceland in April
Iceland | Apr 19 - Apr 24, 2022

Sally
Sally B.
United Kingdom | Reviewed on May 03, 2022

We had a wonderful holiday.
Emanuela worked with us to plan a trip that was perfect for our needs, wants and time constraints. She was always responsive and regularly in touch before and during the trip. Logistically, the bookings she made for our trips all worked exactly as intended. We were particularly delighted with the company she chose for our two expeditions, the minibus and the guides were truly excellent.
In Reykjavik, Sky Lagoon was an absolute highlight and my favourite restaurant was Fiskfelagid although we sampled many and had lots of excellent food!

Local specialist: Emanuela Grieco

Adventures through Iceland
Iceland | Apr 12 - Apr 19, 2022

R
Rachel O.
San Jose, CA | Reviewed on Apr 28, 2022

Emanuela was absolutely fantastic to work with on this trip. She helped plan a wonderful Iceland adventure and helped us keep our costs down while exploring all the beauty that Iceland has to offer. She made sure to include the 'must see' spots, while also taking us off the beaten path to explore in places like Varmaland. She was extremely communicative during the trip and helped answer all of our questions no matter how big or small. Would definitely use KimKim and work with Emanuela again! Snow mobiling is also definitely worth it :)

Local specialist: Emanuela Grieco

Our amazing trip plan by Terry
Iceland | Apr 13 - Apr 22, 2022

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Laura H.
West Melbourne, FL | Reviewed on Apr 25, 2022
Terry and I emailed back and forth and she really got a good idea of what type of a vacation we were looking for. She wanted to know about us, what we liked to do, eat, etc. Then we had a nice long phone conversation to discuss further what we were looking for.
She listened and provided a few ideas and we revised and regrouped and tweaked the plan and the trip plan was fantastic. We stayed in 7 hotels over 10 nights. The selection of hotels were perfect. Exactly what we wanted.
The...
Read more

Terry and I emailed back and forth and she really got a good idea of what type of a vacation we were looking for. She wanted to know about us, what we liked to do, eat, etc. Then we had a nice long phone conversation to discuss further what we were looking for.
She listened and provided a few ideas and we revised and regrouped and tweaked the plan and the trip plan was fantastic. We stayed in 7 hotels over 10 nights. The selection of hotels were perfect. Exactly what we wanted.
The Iceland Yurt !! Wow what an experience. Loved it. It was the perfect way to begin our adventure. We wanted a variety and she delivered. We stayed in a cottage on the water in Fjarabyggd and it happened to be cold, windy, rainy and blustery. It was so perfect and we were able to keep our blinds open and watch the weather through the windows overlooking this amazing water - the view was amazing. Frost and Fire in Hveragerdi was awesome. Loved the town and so glad she chose this little gem for us to stay for two nights. Every hotel choice was perfect - we had fantastic variety and locations.
Excursions !! She hit the nail on the head. Every one of them was perfection. We had the perfect quite the variety; beer bath, Glacier Hike, Geo Spa geothermal pool, Ice Cave tour, Glacier Snowmobile.
Between our excursions we had outlines of the best things to see as we drove around the country.
The driving directions and itinerary was outstanding. Every night we checked the next days activities and picked the can't miss ones !!! We followed right along with the directions in our trip plan. We loved the way the trip plan was broken down with the driving directions, hints (ie: when to book our covid test, dont forget to pay for the toll for the tunnel, etc) accommodations and confirmations for our tours.
It was truly priceless. It allowed us to just enjoy the adventure and not stress about the little things. Thankful for Terry's work and diligence to help us plan the absolute best vacation of our lives.

Activity Reviews
GeoSea - Geothermal Sea Baths
GeoSea - Geothermal Sea Baths
Iceland

This was a great place to visit. We loved the baths, the swim up bar, etc. We ate in a lovely restaurant in the town. Be sure to bring clothes and be ready to shower before and after going into the pools. We brought a towel with us from our hotel. We didn't need a robe. I was shocked that i wasn't freezing getting in and out of the pools. The view of the mountains over the water in the distance does take your breath away.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Skaftafell Glacier Hike
Skaftafell Glacier Hike
Iceland

This hike was very educational . We didn't realize why the lava was on the glacier, etc I loved learning about it. The crampons are interesting to walk with. They will give you those, a helmet and you will wear a harness. Be prepared that you may get hot walking but the guides are so great. They realize that you may want to take off a layer or two. This is a straight hike. You hike from where you check in. There is not drive to the glacier.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Our guides were great. Super helpful
Katla Ice Cave Experience
Katla Ice Cave Experience
Iceland

The cave is beautiful. Our guide was great as well. The notes said that there was a bumpy ride to the cave. Just be prepared because whatever you think is bumpy times it by 10. It was super bumpy as you drive for about a half hour off road. Then you will hike about a half hour to the cave. It is an easy walk. It is gorgeous in the cave. Waterproof pants jackets and shoes really will make life easy.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Langjokull Glacier Snowmobiling
Langjokull Glacier Snowmobiling
Iceland

This was our favorite excursion. You will meet at the meeting spot and drive for one hour up the mountain in ice and snow. Once you get to the hut they will put a complete snowsuit on you with helmet and buff. If you don't have waterproof shoes they have a bootie you can use. The day we went the winds were at least 50mph and it was hailing. Being a Florida girl never on a snowmobile I was second guessing my choice as I watched grown people fall over because the wind was so strong they couldn't even walk. Once we got on the snow mobile and drove for about 5 mintues we got out of the hail storm. It was the most beautiful sights from up there. Truly unforgettable .

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Local specialist: Terry Stanley
Terry
Terry Stanley
Local specialist in Canada | Replied on Apr 26, 2022

Wow, I am absolutely thrilled that you had such an amazing experience! And thank you for the glowing review. It was great working with you both to put together this Icelandic adventure.

Everything we were looking for
Iceland | Apr 16 - Apr 23, 2022

E
Erin J.
Wantagh, NY | Reviewed on Apr 24, 2022
We were so happy with our trip to Iceland. Terry provided a very detailed and easy to follow itinerary. We so appreciated the convenience of having all of our reservations booked for us and easily accessible. The tours, hotels, and rental car were all perfect for our needs. Terry was excellent in communicating and providing helpful information. We will definitely recommend kimkim to those looking to travel to Iceland! Read more

We were so happy with our trip to Iceland. Terry provided a very detailed and easy to follow itinerary. We so appreciated the convenience of having all of our reservations booked for us and easily accessible. The tours, hotels, and rental car were all perfect for our needs. Terry was excellent in communicating and providing helpful information. We will definitely recommend kimkim to those looking to travel to Iceland!

Activity Review
Silfra Snorkeling
Silfra Snorkeling
Iceland

Our tour guide, AJ was fantastic. He helped us every step and let us know what to expect. The experience was amazing and even though seemed daunting at first was very surreal and easy if you listened to your guide’s tips.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Local specialist: Terry Stanley
Terry
Terry Stanley
Local specialist in Canada | Replied on Apr 26, 2022

It looks and sounds like you had a truly amazing Icelandic adventure! I'm so happy for you both.
I look forward to you becoming repeat customers. Haha. Terry

Emanuela planned an amazing trip for us. I tr...
Iceland | Apr 17 - Apr 22, 2022

D
Deborah G.
Concord, MA | Reviewed on Apr 24, 2022

Emanuela planned an amazing trip for us. I traveled with 3 kids and their grandmother. Everything was perfect for our group. The hotels were spectacular, the activities a lot of fun, and even the dinner recommendations were amazing. Our favorite dinner was in a small local restaurant in Vik that we never would have heard about if we didn't have Emanuela. Can't wait to take my husband to the Blue Lagoon!

Local specialist: Emanuela Grieco

Unforgettable Trip!
Iceland | Mar 14 - Mar 20, 2022

Grace
Grace M.
Manhattan, NY | Reviewed on Apr 05, 2022

We had such a wonderful trip in Iceland! It was our first time there and Emanuela was extremely helpful in communicating with us while we were there about any last minute confirmations or changes due to the weather! Everything was set up and very easy to follow, from the google maps to the daily itinerary. It was such a special trip and we would highly recommend Emanuela to anyone planning to travel to Iceland , especially for the first time! It was an unforgettable trip!

Local specialist: Emanuela Grieco

Don't go to Iceland without Emanuela's advice!
Iceland | Mar 19 - Mar 27, 2022

Shalini
Shalini S.
San Rafael, CA | Reviewed on Apr 04, 2022
I have great things to say about Emanuela. We traveled to Iceland in March, which is not the typical or ideal time to travel there. We had originally signed up for a group tour but realized we wanted more flexibility and to travel just by ourselves. I had bought two different guide books but Emanuela was invaluable in telling me what would be appropriate for the season-- half the hikes and activities that I read about were snowed in or the roads were closed! She helped us pivot to do a fun... Read more

I have great things to say about Emanuela. We traveled to Iceland in March, which is not the typical or ideal time to travel there. We had originally signed up for a group tour but realized we wanted more flexibility and to travel just by ourselves. I had bought two different guide books but Emanuela was invaluable in telling me what would be appropriate for the season-- half the hikes and activities that I read about were snowed in or the roads were closed! She helped us pivot to do a fun winter trip with ice caving, snowmobiling, horseback riding on the beach, a Northern Lights tour, a premium Blue Lagoon experience, a Reykjavik food tour, and fantastic hotel recommendations. Some of the activities ended up being cancelled or rescheduled due to weather but we had enough going on we didn't feel any loss. She planned our whole trip out with great google map links and even set us up with a wireless internet hub for the whole trip through the rental car agency. The restaurant recommendations were always the best as well. She consistently checked in while we were in Iceland and also was very communicative about the changing covid protocols. I also switched the plans around quite a bit (dates, activities, hotels) and she was always patient and friendly. I know folks going to Iceland and I am recommending Emanuela for all their needs!

Local specialist: Emanuela Grieco

Our trip to Iceland was an absolute adventure...
Iceland | Mar 14 - Mar 25, 2022

M
Mary M.
Broad Ripple, IN | Reviewed on Mar 26, 2022
Our trip to Iceland was an absolute adventure. We experienced true Icelandic weather with a red storm warning on arrival and the whole range of possible conditions after that. This understandably affected our activities/planned tours but Jenny and the kimkim team did an excellent job communicating with us and updating our trip plan. We received very helpful and quick replies to our questions and felt very well supported throughout our trip. Jenny did a great job spacing out planned tours... Read more

Our trip to Iceland was an absolute adventure. We experienced true Icelandic weather with a red storm warning on arrival and the whole range of possible conditions after that. This understandably affected our activities/planned tours but Jenny and the kimkim team did an excellent job communicating with us and updating our trip plan. We received very helpful and quick replies to our questions and felt very well supported throughout our trip. Jenny did a great job spacing out planned tours which made it possible to reschedule things as needed. This also gave us plenty of time to do our own hikes and dive into the Iceland landscape at our pace. I’m extremely glad we used kimkim and know that our experience was better because of the knowledge Jenny brought to our trip plan.

Hotel Review
Magma Hotel
Kirkjubæjarklaustur

We absolutely loved this hotel. The little cabins are more spacious than most hotel rooms. We also got lucky and we’re able to see the northern lights from here!

Tips for future travelers

Food options are limited at this location. There’s one restaurant in town that was excellent though!

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Activity Reviews
Crystal Blue Ice Cave
Crystal Blue Ice Cave
Iceland

We loved seeing the ice cave. Our only frustration was with other tourists on the tour who delayed the hike and caused us to spend less time than expected at the location.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Blue Lagoon
Iceland

Overall we didn’t think the blue lagoon was worth the money. There are other smaller geothermal baths that are natural and not as crowded with tourists.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Local specialist: Jenny Booth
Jenny
Jenny Booth
Local specialist in Sweden | Replied on Mar 28, 2022

You and Patrick certainly experienced some extreme weather during your trip!
We are always on hand to provide support and ensure you have the best experience of Iceland possible, what ever the weather.
It was lovely to have got to know you and I hope you have many fond memories of Iceland to talk about in years to come.

Why travelers love kimkim

Custom trips for independent travelers who are too busy to plan
Customize your trip with the help of a local travel specialist

Kimkim has handpicked the world’s top local travel specialists so you will have peace of mind and an unforgettable trip that meets your exact requirements.

Authentic travel experiences

Kimkim’s local specialists ensure that you will have the best experience based on up-to-date local insights. On top of that, the vast majority of your money will go straight to support and grow local economies.

Secure & easy booking

Once you are happy with the trip, you can easily book via kimkim’s secure payment platform.

Local support during your trip

You can always reach your local specialist with a quick message or call in case you hit a snag during your trip, or simply want some great local recommendations.