Kimkim Trip Reviews for Iceland

This trip was a long overdue senior trip for my now 24-year old son. Let's go on an adventure Mom, he said.

Our Travel Planner Gummi curated the perfect adventure for us - seeing Iceland up close and personal, while camping in a van. We had no idea where we were going other that we wanted to see waterfalls, Northern Lights, Hot springs, and Fly Fish. Check, check, check and check!

The daily itinerary was spot on with critical tips that kept us on course. Each and every day we repeatedly were saying "No Way!!" And the perfect trip book ends were the Sky Lagoon on day one to get us grounded and Blue Lagoon on the last day to ease us back into reality.

Not only was the timing and the logistics of the itinerary on point, but each campground recommended had exactly the services we needed.

Hotel Reviews

Landhotel

Hella

It had been a super long day fly fishing when we stayed at Landhotel. It was raining hard, it was dark, and we were quite late arriving. The agent at the front desk was friendly, and accommodating. The hotel is modern and stylish. Great beds, fantastic sauna and hot tup. We liked it so much we stayed a second night.

Authenticity & Character

Modern / minimalist

Location

It felt like it was in the middle of nowhere, but we had a fantastic view of the northern lights because there was no light surrounding the area

Staff

Exemplary hospitality

Cleanliness & Comfort

Beds were fantastic

Courtyard by Marriott Reykjavik Keflavik Airport

Reykjanesbær

So perfectly located for an early morning departure and to return the rental van

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to airport and van rental company

Staff

Our reservation was difficult to find, but the staff went the extra mile and didn't become annoyed. :-)

Cleanliness & Comfort

Nice breakfast

Activity Reviews

Fly Fishing

Iceland

FishPartner guide was professional and skilled at her craft. My son caught a HUGE Arctic Brown trout. Fish of a lifetime. Our guide was knowledgeable on all things Iceland, and all things fly fishing.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sky Lagoon - Experience the seven-step Sky Ritual

Iceland

What a unique venue. I didn't know what to expect, but so loved the 7 step ritual. Each of the steps offered artfully designed spaces to enhance the experience. A fantastic way to kick off our trip.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The staff at blue car rental were extremely rude and we kinda felt stranded in the first day in iceland work no support or help. Would recommend not using them as they created a really bad first impression.

We are so glad that we took the leap to use our very first travel agent! Duncan was so knowledgeable and answered all of our questions even when we were in the midst of our trip. He took our initial itinerary and made it something that was both fun AND intentional. I had done months of research and was met with a busy season of life where I knew I needed someone with experience in Iceland to really nail things down for us. We truly felt like we got the best of both worlds: seeing as many amazing sights as possible with out wearing our selves out or spending too much time in the car. The peace of mind knowing that all of our lodging was to our standard and already fully booked added another layer of ease to our travels. If you are on the fence about weather or not this will be worth it I can almost guarantee it will be.

Activity Reviews

Krauma

Iceland

At first I was on the fence about a 6 pm booking but it lined up perfectly with that days drive & check in. We were the most relaxed we had ever been. Getting to watch the sun set while soaking in a geothermal pool was the cherry on top. We spent two hours there and left with dinner to go!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Skaftafell Glacier Hike

Iceland

A once in a life time truly breath taking experience! Amazing to be so close to such a unique force of nature. We had a very knowledgeable guide and beautiful weather the day of our hike.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Whale Watching Tour

Reykjavík

It was incredible to be so close to such wild and beautiful animals. Even if we hadnt gotten to see any whales- being out on the open water and getting to see the city from a different point of view would have been worth it. The crew were very knowledgeable and had a lot of resources on board. I really appreciated the variety of seating options and look out points both indoor and outdoor.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Emanuella planned an amazing trip. Everything was perfect. So organized and professional. It’s amazing how she got our preferences down perfect. We were busy but not too busy. Her food recommendations were incredible. We saw every sight there was to see. I will never go anywhere else to plan a trip. The best trip I’ve ever been on. Thanks to Emanuella it was completely stress free.

Activity Reviews

Explore Reykjavik and Sky Lagoon

Reykjavík

Relaxing and pure bliss. The seven rituals were amazing.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Explore Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon by Zodiac Boat

Iceland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Eva planned a very impressive itinerary which we very much enjoyed. The glacier hike was most impressive and our guide was very patient with my wife’s initial hesitation about the venture which she enjoyed and now has a memorable event.

Dear Kim Kim. Thank you for Emanuela. I have traveled to many countries and iceland has put all doubt to rest on which was my most memorable. From the first phone call with her to all of her updates and check ins during my trip I could not have had a BETTER experience. Every detail was meticulous. Her recommendations where to go and what to see were spot on. If I had a question before and during this trip to heaven she handled it with precision,immediately and well informed knowledge. Every mile of this country was awe inspiring. Everything was gorgeous and immense. The sheer beauty was breathtaking and spiritual. I told her I will definitely be returning and was interested in living there as a commercial fisherman. Sure enough, Emanuela sent me all the information to start investigating a possible future there. The residents are all first class ,completely polite and helpful, along with a gratitude towards life I've never experienced anywhere. The entire country is the cleanest place I've ever seen.
Thank you From the bottom of my heart Emanuela. I promise you will be hearing from me again for my return in April and I've already shared your name and the company with everyone I met and will do so with my friends here in America.

All activities and sightseeing stops were great. Hotels were all perfect for our needs. Rinolda was responsive both before and during our trip. Would recommend kimkim to others looking to go to Iceland or other locations.

One small hiccup- the rental car company, Blue, charged us a ridiculous amount for 2 very, very tiny scratches on the car likely caused by pieces of gravel that hit our car during the trip. The amount of damage caused was extremely minor (maybe 2mm in length) and looked like normal wear and tear on a rental car to us, especially because many roads in Iceland aren’t paved and are gravel roads. Blue charged us nearly $900 for it to get assessed and fixed by their mechanic, and claims they will refund us the difference. We had no choice but to pay it. It was a shocking charge at the end of an otherwise great trip. I would not use blue rental car company again.

Hotel Review

Superior Category Accommodation With Private Bathroom and Breakfast

N/a- we didn’t actually stay here. Rinolda changed this part of our trip at our request. We didn’t end up staying here. The accommodations we did stay in in Reykjavik were great though.

Activity Reviews

Solheimajokull Glacier Hike

Iceland

Amazing, great guide, it was a challenge but fun!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Blue Lagoon

Iceland

Lovely time.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Gummi helped us plan an excellent trip, especially considering we had very specific travel dates and didn't get started until about 8 weeks before our departure. Gummi perfectly matched the interests and activity levels for our group of two parents with two adult children. Every day was full, but manageable, and well planned. When small bumps occurred, Gummi and his office were immediately available to work things out. We thoroughly enjoyed everything on the intinerary, but highlights for us were the kayaking among the icebergs in Heinabergslón, snorkeling and Silfra and the Husafell Canyon Baths. This is my second trip booked through Kimkim would definitely use them again

Hotel Reviews

Buubble Hotel Ölvisholt

Selfoss

Fun but cloudy skies for us. A big plus was the location near Mika, our favorite restaurant on the trip.

Skuggi Hotel Reykjavík by Keahotels

Reykjavík

Good location in a quieter area but still walking distance to downtown Reykjavik.

Stracta Apartments Orustustaðir

Kirkjubæjarklaustur

Nice layout for the 4 of us, but down a long dirt road.

Center Hotel Arnarhvoll

Reykjavík

Good location across from Harpa!

Activity Reviews

Sky Lagoon - Experience the seven-step Sky Ritual

Iceland

An excellent way to start our trip.

Lava Cave Explorer Tour

Iceland

Very knowledgeable tour guide.

Tour to Husafell Canyon Baths

Iceland

We loved the scenic and private location with a small group of 7 - and when we showed up early they were happy to accommodate us on an early visit.

Silfra Snorkeling – Dive Between Continents in Crystal Clear Waters

Iceland

A very special experience with Briosh, who was an excellent guide and urged us to take our time.

Katla Ice Cave

Iceland

It's not just the cave, but the adventure getting there. Our guide took the time to let us stop at the black sand desert on the way to the glacier cave.

Fjallsárlón Glacier Lagoon Kayaking Adventure

Iceland

This was actually the Glacier Kayak Adventure at Heinabergslón, which was wonderful. Only one kayaking group goes out at a time - very magical especially after seeing the larger groups/more activity at Jokulsarlon. Our guides were excellent and the kayaking was not difficult.

Sólheimajökull Ice Climbing & Glacier Hike

Iceland

My adult children did this activity while we did the glacier hike. They had a fantastic time and said their guide Eduardo was excellent.

Solheimajokull Glacier Hike

Iceland

My husband and I did this hike while our adult children did ice climbing. It was a good activity, but overlapped with some of the earlier activities on the trip (ice cave, glacier kayaking). It was great we could do this at the same time the kids did the ice climbing.

Great experience. One cannot possibly see all the country has to offer in a week. Our self guided travels took us from Akreyri in the north toward the eastern coast and back to Reykjavik. Without mentioning all places, we visited glaciers, waterfalls, seaports, geysers from a distance, and beautiful murals in Reykjavik. It was an extremely well organized
tour, and although there were a few glitches, all went well.

We loved our trip to Iceland and Adam was extremely helpful and knowledgeable. The trip was very thought out by Adam and we enjoyed every single stop. We followed about 90% of Adam's itinerary as it was laid out. The places we stayed were very comfortable and the driving directions were top notch. We enjoyed Adam's recommendation of the ferry to West Fjords was very enjoyable. When we did have a problem, we called the emergency phone number and got an immediate response. The Reykjavik Food Walk and our guide Thor was very entertaining and delicious. We loved the walking tour through Reykjavik and even tried the fermented shark. We loved visiting all the waterfalls and the highlight for us was snorkeling in Sitka. The snorkeling was a fantastic experience. The sea kayaking and the guide that Adam booked was amazing. He took us to a really neat cave and it was a great experience. The mountain bike company that Adam recommended and booked us with were extremely friendly, helpful and a great bunch of individuals. We also enjoyed many of the optional activities that Adam recommended. Thank you so much Adam for an unforgettable and adventurous trip!

Our trip to Iceland was the third trip we have used Kim Kim to plan. We have never been disappointed. Adam was so helpful in putting together a trip that reflected us. He made sure we were prepared for the weather, the driving, and anything else that might come up. We appreciated how he put together a trip that was geared for us and not just for anyone going to Iceland. He offered several options for us, and we did several of them and enjoyed every one of them. The hotel accomodations were perfect and the breakfasts were wonderful. I'm glad he included one rather unconventional type of lodging that let us experience a differnt style of overnight that included a very interesting film about a local soccer player. He did run it by us before making the reservation so we would know it was a tad different. Great way to end our evening. Our last night accomodations in Reykevik were in a perfect location - close enough to walk to some fun local spots, and a short drive to the airport. Adam also made sure we had the perfect rental car for driving on the roads in the northwestern area and in the mountains.

Veronika was amazing. She wasn't just available prior to the trip but she answered promptly when we needed help and advice as some of our flights and travel plans had issues. We were always impressed with her availability and smooth ability to shift plans for us.

Activity Reviews

Seaside Horse Ride

Iceland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Iceberg Ballet at Ilulissat Icefjord — A Close Encounter by Boat

Ilulissat

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lunar Landscapes & Healing Waters – Blue Lagoon Immersion

Iceland

Don't miss this experience!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Adam was very responsive and was able to accommodate my last minute trip to Iceland during high season. He was wonderful navigating my needs and the realities of high season.

Best ever, we were able to drive around the entire Island and see all that we wanted. We had a great mix of tour guided adventures and hikes, exploring on our own. We really enjoyed the geo-thermal baths, and we ended up booking a few of our own along the way to relax each night. Gumi, was super organized and everything was perfectly planned. We stayed a nice places and the food suggestions were great. Loved our time and will forever cherish it.

We had a great and memorable trip and want to thank Adam for arranging it. In particular, he and Michele were very quick to respond when an airline flight cancellation delayed our arrival by one day. All of our reservations in Iceland worked out perfectly, and the recommended stops were well chosen.

The car rental was also trouble free and comfortable (Kia Sportage). We actually never used the WiFi device because we had continuous cell coverage everywhere (ATT). We did struggle a bit with the driving plans as rendered through Google and Apple Carplay. This combination got easily confused in its sequencing if we deviated slightly from the plan, requiring frequent reloading of the map. Having a map point for each of the suggested stops would help a lot to simplify things.

We also have a few specific highlights and suggestions for future consideration:

Landmannalaugar: We followed the Google drive plan to road F26, which is well travelled, and then were told to make a sharp right onto F208, which at that point appears rarely travelled and likely impassable without a high-clearance vehicle. The Google course line also followed F225 for part of the drive ,which our plans says to avoid. It was getting late in the day and rather than risk getting stuck we chose to backtrack to Highway 1. A much better solution in this area would be to include a series of GPS turn points, rather than depend on Google.

Hella to Vik: we really enjoyed Gluggafoss, which had hardly any other tourists. In contrast, Seljalandffoss was mobbed with people, and was in shadow when we arrived. However there is an equally nice waterfall facing Highway 1 just a few km to the east, with hardly any people (on a small pull-out). We also stopped at Eyjafjallajokul Bakery on the highway for lunch; they have good sandwiches and plenty of parking and a WC.

Vik to Hofn: closer to Vik we found the “moss heath” very interesting (thick moss growing on basalt). We also liked the glacial lagoon and Diamond Beach. Hofn may once have been the lobster capital of Iceland it’s not anymore. Harvesting was recently prohibited due to over-fishing. We had a nice dinner at Otto’s but lobster was not on the menu.The hotel in Hofn was fine but oddly configured–no elevator, and you have to carry your bags up one flight of stairs and then down another, even if your room is on the ground floor. The staff does offer to do it for you however.

Hofn to Egilsstadir: As a geologist I found the Blabjorg green ignimbrite very interesting. I would suggest a slight modification of the descriptive text, to emphasize its origin from glowing hot clouds of ash, broken rock fragments, and gases that rushed down the slope of a volcano. This is similar to what covered Pompei in 79 AD. Petra’s stone museum was also interesting for its very large and diverse collection.

Some of the recommended restaurants in Egilsstadir were closed, but the hotel restaurant was quite good. We also visited the Hallormsstadur forest south of town. This was a nice contrast to the other areas, and we enjoyed taking a short hike on the trails through the trees.

Egilsstadir to Lake Myvatn: This was our favorite area due to the varied volcanic landscape. You might add to the description of the Grjotagj spring that it is inside a lava tube! We also liked the Krafla geothermal area and crater and the Dimmuborgir lava towers. Hotel Laxa was our favorite hotel of the trip; we had beautiful picture-window views of the surrounding landscape from our room. We were also lucky to see a nice display of Northern Lights.

The private volcanic tour near Husavik was excellent; our guide Gunnar was extremely knowledgeable and pleasant. He is a local native and we liked getting to know a real Icelander! We also visited Dettifoss but the water was very muddy, making for a less appealing brown waterfall.

Lake Myvatn to Laugarbakki: Godafoss waterfall was one of our favorites. This drive also crossed a lot of very dramatic glacial landforms such as U-shaped valleys in the mountains. Hotel Laugarbakki looks a bit run-down from the outside but the interior looked like it has been freshly renovated. We had a very nice 2-room suite. Our second-favorite hotel.

Laugarbakki to Reykjavik: The hotel was fine aside from some traffic noise (room facing the street). Its location was perfect however, and we had a nice dinner a block away at Garazie Trattoria. The helicopter tour was fantastic! We also visited Sky Lagoon and enjoyed it despite the cold 65 kph wind gusting over the water. A nice end-point to the trip and a chance to relax before the flight home.

FANTASTIC
Accommodations were all good; Hofsstadir Country Hotel was excellent.
Daily itineraries were very helpful; optional activities were great so we could pick and choose.
Map points were super helpful.
We added a hike at Hallormsstadur Forest - turned out to be one of our favorite things.
Ferry ride was interesting/fun and the zodiac boat tour was a big hit.
We would absolutely return to Iceland and use Rinolda as our travel specialist.

Activity Review

Jokulsarlon glacier lagoon zodiac boat tour

Iceland

Guide patiently waited in one spot until a piece of glacier fell off!

Eva with KimKim was amazing to work with. Having a locally based travel expert in Iceland gave us the confidence that our trip would be well-planned. Eva was super responsive and planned a trip that was tailored perfectly to our travel style. When our flight to Iceland got weather-delayed, causing us to miss the first day of activities, Eva jumped into action, helping us figure out how to make the most of the trip. Without Eva’s help, planning the itinerary would have been a difficult task. Thank you for a great trip, Eva. We highly recommend KimKim and in particular, Eva in Iceland.

I was looking for help booking a trip to Iceland, and Lisbet was really great to work with. She recommended excursions and attractions that were unique and tailored to our preferences. We made amazing memories that will last a lifetime thanks to her help! We especially loved the thermal hot springs in Hvammsvik, Loki tours whale watching, and the active geothermal areas like Geysir. Lisbet responded very quickly to all messages and questions. All of the arrangements were made for us, which made life so much easier. We had no issues with our bookings, including rental car, 3 different hotels, and a few activities. I will definitely use kimkim again.

Great trip, the Kim Kim team did an excellent job coordinating! Would be glad to use them again.

Adam was an outstanding specialist! very proactive, available anytime and well knowledeable of Iceland. We had a great time in Iceland doing the 10 day ring road!