Kimkim Trip Reviews for Iceland

With only 8 days before departure Emanuela put together a great trip to Iceland. Before contacting KimKim, I had an idea of where in Iceland I wanted to go and some must do activities. After finalizing the details, such as driving distance for each day and the type of accommodations that I wanted I received a detailed itinerary for the trip. The trip was fantastic. I always book my own vacations unless I am doing a specialized tour (photography tour etc). Due to timing logistics I reached out to KimKim. It was the best decision for this trip. All my accommodations were great. Most of the hotels where smaller with maybe only 10-20 rooms except for one that catered to tour buses. That hotel was good except for the pushing and shoving at breakfast as the tour groups dominated the breakfast. I received a detailed itinerary with suggestions for each day in terms of what to see along with a detailed driving map and restaurant recommendations. I knew exactly what order I would come across the sights and what side roads to take. Emanuela also had some suggestions for hikes and other natural wonders that I had not come across in my research. During the trip Emanuela reached out to me to ensure everything was going ok. The tours she booked were all first class. Good guides who truly enjoyed their job and offered us a wonderful experience. I did three different tours and there were never more than 10 people in my group. I did a glacier hike with Icelandic Mountain Guides lucking in with only one other person on the tour. We were able to cover a lot of terrain and get quite close to the fissures. This along with our guide Brook, who is a geology master's student added to the experience. Every day had detailed suggestions such as the history of a street, or inclusion of a site in literature, or additional museums to visit made for a wonderful trip. On my last day I stayed at the hotel at the Blue Lagoon, all details where taken care of to ensure I could check in and enjoy the lagoon. If you are able to go to Iceland and have Emanuela organize your self drive trip you will have an enjoyable time. From kayaking in Jokulsarlon lagoon amongst the ice, to hiking a glacier, seeing the beautiful colors of Landmandalauger, hiking to Gylmur waterfall, discovering gorges and seeing the beauty of Snaefellsnes Pennisula, lounging in geothermal pools as I shed a winter jacket for a bikini, and viewing Kredid Crater the trip offered beauty, nature and new discoveries every day. I would not hesitate to use Emanuela, or KimKim again.

The trip plan was totally customized to our needs, with all activities and routes organized on a convenient itinerary including clickable planned routes on Google maps. It couldn’t have been easier!

This is our first time using KimKim and we will be sure to recommend to anyone looking for a customized travel experience. We too will be back! :)

Positives:
+I appreciated having places to stay arranged for us for our long trip around Iceland
+ The places which were arranged were all very nice, definitely nicer than if I had tried to plan it myself.
+For the most part, the staff was pretty responsive to questions while we were on our trip.
+ The itinerary given was pretty good for ideas and suggestions within most of the things I had expressed interest in
+ Everything was provided in a good, organized manner

Negatives:
-There were a few parts in the itinerary where it was out of order so I would have to make sure ahead of time that we were able to go to all the places without backtracking
-There were a few places that I feel were recommended that could have been missed and there were a few that were not mentioned that I felt could have been on the places recommended, so even with the provided itinerary, I did spend extra time to make modifications.
- A little flexibility or a little more heads up about things may have been helpful? One of the unfortunate things with our trip and completely not the fault of the Kimkim staff, is that we had a bit of not good weather which significantly altered some of our activity plans. It would have been nice if offerings for alternatives or even if they had a notice about weather and could have switched a day's activity with another day's activity. As it was, we had 3 days in a row where we scrambled to find alternative plans due to weather.
-There was a least one time where some questions were left unanswered for a very long time.
-There were a few parts on our itinerary and vouchers that were not complete and needed clarification

Overall, I am glad that I used kimkim to plan our trip. There were some things that could have been better but then again, i usually don't book with multi-day tours, especially self-guided ones. I would definitely consider kimkim again for future travel possibilities.

We thoroughly enjoyed our 14 day self driving tour of Iceland. The itinerary prepared by Preeti enabled us to see much of Iceland and much more than if we just followed highway 1. The accommodation and vehicle were both quite satisfactory - we had no mishaps whatsoever. And Preeti was immediately responsive on our few queries.
I would recommend Kim Kim to anyone wanting to tour Iceland.

The clockwise direction around Iceland and detour onto Snaefellsness peninsula were perfect. We saw far more cars heading in the opposite direction which made for a much smoother driving. Given the extra time it was a real treat to have some of the island’s most beautiful attractions to share with a relatively small crowd of visitors . It was shocking to encounter large caravans of cars and campers by the time we reached glacier lagoon. The golden circle was almost anti-climactic. Cases in point: Krafla crater lake was much more impressive than Kerid; and the Myvatn nature bath was very enjoyable ( skipped blue lagoon ).

Judith was great we have to change or alter our plans many times and she was super helpful and cool. All communications were very professional and prompt everyone was on time;

Favorite memories of our early August 2019 trip to Iceland include the low sunlight illuminating the horses in a field near Hofn and lighting the cliffs behind Hotel Kria as we got into our rooms that night.

August 10 was a 5 star day: beautiful shirt sleeve weather, ice cave tour -- just out of Vik-- with Katlatrack, followed by puffin shots, followed by rainbow shots at Skogafoss, followed by Frost and Fire restaurant. Try their chocolate cake and Pine-smoked Arctic Char!

Our ice cave guide gave us lots of insider information and gave constant cheerful helping hands so Jen could tour the cave with a bum ankle.

Thanks to KimKim who took tons of planning off our shoulders!

As a family who has self toured to 30+ countries, we were reluctant to use a travel service for our 6 day trip to Iceland. However, with limited time to see the country, I sought help from KimKim for guidance. They connected me to a local specialist, Preeti, who organized an amazing 6 day trip to remember. Leading up to the trip, we communicated via email on several occasions to work out the schedule and the package she delivered was well before the trip, giving our family plenty of time to study the route and plan for added stops, meals, etc.. We enjoyed an amazing week along the southern part of Iceland starting with the Blue Lagoon and a night in Reykjavik and stops and hikes along multiple waterfalls and other beautiful vistas. Tours included a zipline tour from the activity hub of Vik, a Zodiac Glacier Lagoon Tour in Jokulsaron, and an ice cave tour. The other days were spent stopping at spots such as Diamond Beach near Jokulsaron, Geysir to see the Stokkur geyser, plane wreck on Solheimasandur, hikes around glorious waterfalls, driving off the main roads through farmlands and on drivable beaches. Every turn along the way was a beautiful surprise and we loved every minute of our time in the majestic country. On our final day, we detoured to the Rekjadalur Hot Springs near the town of Hveragerdi where you hike about an hour to a delightful hot springs river for a delightful and relaxing reward! We finished with a great pizza dinner at Olverk Pizza and Brewery before driving back to Keflavik for the night before flying out the next morning.
Everything was well coordinated with plenty or room for detours and spontaneous stops and we without a doubt would recommend both Preeti and KimKim to others!

Thank you Preeti and also Pauline for your assistance in setting this up

Overall the drive/trip went very well

A couple of caveats for your awareness
1) The Google maps driving instructions were not always the most accurate; sometimes off by multiple kilometers (this is not your fault; but something to be aware of... not sure if there is a better way to map these trips) which did create some confusion

2) I would not stay in the Hotel West again; very very small room, no TV, no coffee, cold only breakfast, etc... I would barely consider this a two star hotel

Our guide Kristjan was knowledgeable, efficient, and tremendously flexible. All necessary attributes in dealing with our family!

I wanted to thank Preeti for being such a patient and helpful travel specialist. She always answered my questions in a timely matter and was very flexible. She really tried her best to accommodate us and I appreciate that. It was a pleasure working with her, she was fantastic.

We had and AWESOME trip. Everything was planned so well and we were able to see and do all the things we wanted to do. All the guides were super friendly and helpful. I would recommend this trip to anyone thinking of going to Iceland. They will help you plan a fantastic trip.

What an experience! Our family thoroughly enjoyed our trip to Iceland. No one, from the youngest to the oldest (ages 4 to 77), has had any negative comment.
We were there almost twelve days and really needed more time. Well, I suppose that will have to happen in a subsequent trip. We were pretty much seeing the southwest quadrant of the island, doing all the activities requested and then some. Halldor was an excellent tourist agent. It must have been quite a feat to pull together such a nice trip following our (probably strange) requests that included the interests of every individual in this family. He succeeded in doing so. He even made certain that the vehicle in which we would be traveling would be booster seat compliant for the children. Kimkim, your organization has a real treasure in this local specialist!
The lodging was very nice, family-friendly, with nice dining facilities and delightful breakfasts. I was particularly impressed by the fact that most places had an area for young children to entertain themselves while still in sight of their parents.
Our guide, Mr. S, was most accommodating to the various members of our family. He was a good choice! I never heard one complaint, even from the four-year old. Mr. S came up with activities to supplement our experiences, from the requests and questions we asked. There was plenty of participation from the oldest to the youngest. If a question arose concerning our reservations at any previously-scheduled part of our trip, Mr. S got it straightened out. He directed us when, mid-trip, we needed to have our laundry done, locate a postal facility or a bank, etc.

One person had a birthday during the trip. Mr. S oversaw the request of the two children to pick berries, and he prepared a cake to celebrate using those berries. It was delicious! He also recommended museums, eateries, woolen/gift/souvenir shops, and all of the things that one likes to become acquainted with when traveling. I thought that perhaps there would be too much time allotted to rest in the afternoons, but that was definitely not the case.
Everything we did was memorable because of the planning and direction of Halldor and the suggestions of Mr. S. We chased sheep, pointed out "dead" horses, climber a crater, fed retired horses, rode horses, took a sled-on-wheels ride pulled by huskies, counted seals, relaxed in various geothermally heated pools, watched geysers, identified birds, hiked lava fields into a lava cave, saw mushroom production before eating probably the best mushroom soup any of us had ever had, ate hot dogs and more hot dogs, walked to a waterfall, straddled a rift in the tectonic plates of North America and Eurasia, visited a museum a day I think, trolls, history of this country, Vikings, and the list goes on . This is not a trip any of us will ever forget, nor do we wish to do so; therefore, Get ready Kimkim, Halldor, and Mr. S. It may take awhile, but this family will probably be back! Thank you for everything you did to make our trip memorable.

I appreciated the detailed itinerary and arrangements that Emanuela prepared for our Iceland trip. She had lots of activities and suggestions for how to make the most of our time there, visiting Reykjavik, the Snaefellsnes, Thingvellir, Golden Circle, and southern coast. As we travelled at a self-pace, we were not able to do all the suggestions, but I think that we got the highlights. The recommendation for the Iceland Lava Show in Vik was great, the show is informative, entertaining and interactive!

One suggestion that I have is that while the rental car (Kia station wagon) was fine, there are many places where the roads got a little rough (pot-holes in gravel). Having a little more ground clearance (such as an SUV) would have been better. Also, we didn't use the GPS much, and opted for an in-car WiFi hotspot and used our phones for navigation.

We did a 11 day driving tour around Iceland. I wish I could pick a few places that were most memorable but the whole trip was amazing. The accommodations were exceptional and the directions were accurate. We had no problems while in Iceland and following the itenary that Preeti put together. Thanks to the WIFI in the car, we were even able to add in a few detours on the fly and still get back to the routes that were part of the iterary. The tours that were booked for us and the guides were very good. We had a lot of fun on all the tours.
Thanks to the team at kimkim for making this trip to Iceland memorable. We plan on coming back for the northern lights and will definitely use their services again.

Solid two weeks plan, good accommodations by and large, good guidance on the sites to visit and places to see. She put together a good plan under very short notice with good local guides.
Could benefit from more insights upfront on people interest and some quicker responsiveness during planning.

We enjoy our trip in Iceland very much. Sotiria has been really helpful and answered all of our questions. Her planning has helped smooth our trip and we had more opportunity to enjoy the moment with less worry.

After an initial few hiccups with getting going, the experience with kimkim has been very pleasing. The quality of the accommodation choices were in line with expectations, which was not a bad thing as we tend to have high expectations! However the star of the show was your instructions guide as that made our road trip through Iceland a piece of cake! Preeti and importantly Halldor were extremely helpful in getting our bookings together especially when we wanted changes on the fly while in Iceland and that was greatly appreciated. Overall it was a positive experience!

I was nervous about using an online service, but it was simple and Preeti and her team were great. We had a wonderful trip that included everything we wanted to see and a couple less-known places that we really enjoyed. And, Preeti helped us however needed while we were there, including re-scheduling a tour for a later time. We could not be happier with the service we received.

We loved our trip planned by Preeti and KimKim. All of the day-by-day instructions were extremely helpful in navigating and getting to where we needed to be on time. Thank you so much for suggesting that the Price family go up to the lighthouse at Gardur. We met the funniest gentleman manning the lighthouse coffee shop and spend a good deal of time listening to his stories.
We weren't sure we would enjoy all of the driving along the South coast, but when we were done, we really appreciated all of the beautiful sights that we saw and were glad we did it. Everyone seemed to have a different favorite experience. Our 15 year old loved the ice cave tour with Katlatrack Adventure Tours. David was an awesome guide and great story teller. It was well worth it.
The adults enjoyed the secret lagoon. The teenagers were a little put off by the open showers, but they managed. We only spent about an hour there. The dinner at the tomato farm was liked by all of us. We all really liked the waterfalls on the first day of our trip and the Lava Tube tour was voted by the teens as most underrated tour.
Everyone loved the black-sands beach in Vik. It was very crowded but not too hard to find a place for a photo without other in the shot. The drive from Vik to Gerdi was amazing in places with the cliffs and fascinating topography,
My favorite thing was sitting on the porch of our cottage at Hesthmier Cottages and looking out over the valley at the horses and other animals. That hotel was a favorite for its location and views. It was clean and well managed. The owners were very friendly and proud of their place.
The Glacier lagoon and diamond beach were also a big hit with the teenagers. We had a lot of fun taking photos there. Unfortunately we arrived after the bathrooms were closed, so that was an issue.
The falls at Guilfoss were incredible and a must-see. We didn't get to see the Geysir because we were running low on time. We liked the national park, but the kids were tired and we had to walk quickly in order to get to our dive between the continents. For several members of our group that dive was by far the favorite thing of the trip. They loved the team at Dive.Is.
We spent some time walking around Reykjavik, but did not really enjoy the Puffin tour. We really couldn't see them since they are so small. It wasn't a long tour and the people giving the tour were wonderful, it just wasn't our thing. On the last day we really only had time to go to the Blue Lagoon. We all loved it and had fun getting face masked and laying around in the water. We had lunch at the sit-down restaurant which was fine, but very slow. We ultimately had to cancel our desserts and rush out to get to the airport.
Final thoughts: we loved the trip and would definitely recommend KimKim to anyone planning on traveling to Iceland. Our only suggestion would be that our daily plans really didn't seem to allow enough time to enjoy the stops and we ended up having to cut some stops out of our day simply because we ran out of time. The crowds at some of the places may have played a part in that and limited parking and walking areas at some of the stops made our time there longer.

Our experience with Preeti and the kimkim service was excellent. Our 9 day trip to Iceland was our first family trip abroad and it couldn't have gone smoother. Once off the plane, our rental car was waiting and was all tricked out with wifi and plenty of leg room. Our itinerary provided by Preeti was excellent, we never felt rushed, yet there was so much they recommended we see. The guides were excellent, we did an ATV tour on black sand beaches and into a gorgeous valley (this was everyone's favorite), a snowmobile tour on a glacier (ok, but I'm sure much better in the winter without all the slushy runoff), walked into a glacier ice cave (also cool, but very short), toured a lava cave (very cool - and unusual), and did a horseback ride (this was not everyone's favorite - extremely beautiful scenery through hot springs and backcountry, but the black flies were incessantly swarming and biting and none of us are seasoned riders, so we were very sore the next couple days - lol). All our guides were informative, friendly and accommodating. The hotels we stayed at were all good in their own way, either great food, or nice room, Hotel Umi stood out as one of the best for both. We were all surprised how small the rooms were, and how stuffy most were. The weather when we were there was unseasonably warm, with most days in the low-mid 60's. The family's highlights were the waterfalls, especially Seljalandsfoss, driving to Vik, Skogar museum and Skogarfoss, ATV tour, Geysir - geysirs and waterfall there, the Kerid crater, Thingvellir National park and the fault line between the continental plates, driving through the lava fields up to the western coast, and laughing about signs for snyrting. We enjoyed every minute of our time in Iceland. I would use Kimkim again for planning our next big vacation. We could not be happier with our experience with Preeti and the amazing vacation she put together for us! It was very well planned and for a Type A mom, this is a huge deal!!! Thank you!