Kimkim Trip Reviews for Iceland

Our trip to Iceland was amazing! We were very pleased with the sites and recommendations made by Preeti and kimkim - so much so that we want to visit again - and soon.

Things that stood out:
While we enjoyed the entire trip, the following stood out as truly exceptional experiences: the south coast, Jokulsarlon glacier lagoon, the glacier hike, the fjords on the east coast (Hotel Bjarg was charming!), Arnarstapi hotel and the surrounding area, Skaftafell national park, Kirkjufell mountain, Reynisfjara beach, Djupalonssandur beach, Londrangar, and Thingvellir National Park. Plus, we loved all the waterfalls, and we would most definitely recommend to anyone going to Iceland to drive around the country - it is simply breathtaking.

Things we'd do differently:
Our itinerary was quite full, which at times felt like there wasn't enough time to enjoy many of the locations fully. Also, we visited Perlan on the last day of our trip, and looking back, we think Perlan would have been great at the start to help provide more background and context to the area we explored. While all of the hotels were clean and sufficient, our least favorite was Hotel Laugarbakki, perhaps because of its remoteness (and the hot tubs were rather cold). Given that we drove around the country, we might also recommend a different car (a crossover perhaps or SUV) other than the sedan we received. While most of the routes were paved, we did occasionally find ourselves in the middle of bumpy gravel roads and a more durable car would have eased our minds a bit - though our sedan worked out just fine, and we did not have any difficulties.

Was super helpful in planning our trip and coordinating the moving pieces. Sotiria was super responsive and knowledgeable!

Our 16 day self drive tour went off very well. It was well planned by Sveindis Maria and only once or twice did we feel that we could have traded a day or so in a particular area for a longer stay where we were. We felt that our consultant had heard our desires and heeded them well in her planning.
We discovered truly extraordinary food in Hotel Borealis. The hotel itself was a comfortable but not exceptional lodge - with a fabulous view down the valley - but the chef was a wonder with both vegetables and meat. The meal there was unmatched and I think will be unmatched long after we return home. To add to it, our waiter was a delight.
Our 2 most beautiful rooms were both in Fosshotels - at Hőfn and Eastfjords. The Eastfjords hotel has an intetesting museum attached and built into it. Though the weather was rainy, the fjords here were really beauffiful. We recommend exploring them all and not being deterred by gravel roads.
The lava flows and craters at Krafla, the one desolate and the other awe inspiring, were fascinating as was the intricate shoreline of the Myvatn lakes.
The slow reclamation of the lava fields by lichen, moss and wildflowers was interesting to see as we moved from very recent to very old fields. The coastline on the roads to the Westfjords is not to be missed.
We heartily recommend the Settlement Cafe and associated museum in Borganes and the food at the Reykholt Fosshotel. Best salad in Iceland.
Our only disappointments were 2 rainy days and the Fosshotel in Reykjavik. It was tired and grubby. That said, the staff there was pleasant, kind and helpful.

Preeti was fantastic! Each day was filled with great adventures and experiences! Preeti was available for quick questions and advice at any time , and was really interested in preparing a trip that fit our interests!

My wife, Renee, and I had a memorable and exciting 14 day trip driving an AWD vehicle all the way around Iceland in early July. Preeti at kimkim did a fantastic job taking into account what we wanted to do, working out the logistics of how much we would likely be able to drive/accomplish in a day and choosing hotels for us that were all 3+ star and met and, in many cases, exceeded our expectations. She also incorporated a variety of guided activities into our schedule. The final package was delivered to us as a pdf document with day-to-day instructions, Google driving maps and vouchers for hotels and activities that we had pre-paid for. All-in-all a very seamless experience and well worth the small percentage service fee included in the final reckoning. My only somewhat minor criticism was that it was hard to decide what to include and what not to, based simply on cost, as the car rental, activities and hotel bills were not itemized prior to payment. For those trying to budget, I would strongly recommend searching on the web in addition to working with Preeti for a better idea of itemized costs before committing.

The best things about Iceland are the incredible scenery, especially the volcanic landscapes, seascapes, waterfalls and turf-roofed houses and churches, and the flora and fauna, especially the Icelandic Horses, puffins and arctic foxes. All of it was wonderful, even if the weather was not always cooperative. Expect to have a backseat full of wet rain gear, as you get in and out at frequent intervals to explore roadside attractions and take photos! Places that I would highly recommend include ALL the waterfalls (including Gjain and Haifoss, two of our favorites which we added to Preeti's itinerary), the road to Landmannalaugur, the icebergs at Jokulsarlon, Petra's Stone Collection in Stodvarfjordur and Audunn's Mineral Collection in Djupivogur, Seydisfjordur (especially the sushi at Nord Austur), puffin viewing at Halmarholmstri, hiking around Lake Myvatn and Asbyrgi, the Whale Museum at Husavik, the Herring Museum at Siglufjordur, the Settlement Center at Borgarnes, Hornstrandir Nature Reserve, and the reconstructed fishing station at Osvor. Overall, I'm so glad we did not spend too much time in Reykjavik or waste our money on the Blue Lagoon, as the rest of Iceland has so much more to offer.

Among the organized activities Preeti set up for us, we particularly enjoyed horseback riding among the geothermal springs at Eldhestar, a glacier hike near Skaftafell, and eating uni (sea urchin) and scallop sashimi freshly bottom trawled from the floor of Breidafjordur on our Viking Sushi tour. While we did successfully track three humpback whales on our whale watch tour in Husavik, it was a very wet ride and we had hoped to see other species, so it was a bit disappointing. The weather (10 foot swells!) also caused our trip by boat to Hornbjarg, the bird cliffs on the north side of Hornstrandir Nature Resrve, to be cancelled, but Preeti and her husband came to the rescue and arranged for us to go instead to Hesteyri on the south side of the Reserve, where we had an enjoyable hike to an old whaling station. We had booked a kayaking tour in Isafjordur the next day, but we were too tired to contemplate it and the weather looked foreboding still. Luckily, Preeti was able to cancel at no charge for us and we received a refund for this and the shortened Hornstrandir trip very promptly on our credit card. Finally, on our last day in Iceland, we were booked for the Inside the Volcano tour near Reykjavik. When we got there, the weather was really ghastly and we called Preeti to ask if we should/could cancel. She persuaded us to go, despite the weather, as she revealed that it was the most expensive tour we had booked on the whole trip. So we bravely marched two and a half miles across the lava in our yellow slickers and had an incredible experience descending more than 200 meters inside an extinct volcano, something I'm sure we'll never get the chance to do again. On top of that, we got to see an adorable baby arctic fox who had taken up residence under the trailer for the base camp at the volcano. So, THANK YOU Preeti for persuading us to persevere and for organizing such a great trip. Thank you also for going above and beyond to retrieve Renee's expensive Swarovski binoculars that she left at Hesteyri and ship them efficiently for us to Reykjavik's domestic airport, where we could pick them up before our departure back to the US. You get the highest recommendation from us!

This was our first trip to Iceland so we depended upon KimKim to advise us on appropriate tours and day trips. While the weather was not ideal, we still had a great time, and are very satisfied with our guide and the itinerary. Highly recommend, particularly if you’re not familiar with Iceland.

It was great to have Preeti's help once we were in Iceland. We encountered a few problems as we went, due to weather and cancellations, and she had to do some reshuffling and re-booking. It was nice to continue on our vacation while she handled the headaches- I don't know what we would have done without her help. The driving plan had lots of suggestions for stops and optional detours that were wonderful. We were very glad to have her to turn to during our stay. I wish that we had been given more choice and explanation during the planning process- particularly around accommodations. The hotels were always clean and located near the next day's activities, but we would have liked a higher class of accommodation and hotels with more personality. We had booked two nights on our own before enlisting help, and the places we booked were much nicer than what we got through Kimkim. Preeti really never asked what we were looking for or what price range we were looking for- we gave her some ideas for activities we'd like and she gave us back a fully planned trip and price for the trip without an explanation about how the price was set. In the end, we had a wonderful vacation and were glad that we went through Kimkim/Preeti, I just wish we'd felt a little more in control of and aware of the vacation we were embarking on. One thing that we came to appreciate during our trip was how Preeti had tried to steer us away from the Golden Circle- we felt obligated to see some of the sights there, and ultimately insisted on including it in the itinerary. She obliged and squeezed it in. We enjoyed the rest of Iceland much more than the Golden Circle. It was a zoo. We were glad we spent the majority of our trip elsewhere, where there are just as many beautiful and unique spots but a third of the people.

The hotels we stayed in were fine - but directions to them were sorely lacking.

In general directions were poor.

Overall the trip was great. We loved Iceland. The printed book that was given to us had several errors. For instance, a waterfall recommended for us to see was listed on two days. It was a clear mistake but confusing for me at first. Also, one night there was a hotel listed in the written part of our itinerary but there was a different hotel listed on the back. Errors like this are unacceptable to me. I also could have used a phone call immediately prior to departure to walk me through everything. Our point of contact was responsive so can't fault her for that. Our trip turned out great but I don't think I would recommend your service. I'm a neutral supporter.

Super trip in spite of the miserable weather. The itinerary was excellent. Preeti handled the refunds for the cancelled excursions speedily. The only item that must be improved is the directions to the booked hotels - there were none. Our car navigation system handled the two hotels with street addesses (Hotel Orkin & Hotel Bjarg) but we spent a lot of time finding the others. E.g. it would have been useful to know that Efri-Vik Bugalows are co-located with Hotel Laki. All the accomodations were good - we especially enjoyed Hotel Bjarg. The background information that we received should also mention the numerous Visitor Information Centers. They were an excellent resource. We really enjoyed the Myvatn Nature Baths. Thanks for a great trip.

We booked a 14 day ring road trip. Planned it a year in advance. Everything went smoothly for the most part, but the hiccups made it more of an adventure.I loved the West Fjords the most the scenery was beautiful and it was the only time sun was shining so that helped. When we had any issues or questions during the trip they emailed us in a timely manner. I would not hesitate to use this service again.

My travel specialist, Caroline, did an excellent job planning our summer vacation in Iceland! Not only did she book all of our accommodations, rental car, and some excursions, she also provided detailed information on sight-seeing and restaurant recommendations. She was even available while we were on the road in Iceland to provide tips on last-minute excursions. During the planning process, Caroline was very flexible with changes to our travel plans and provided excellent advice. I highly recommend Caroline to anyone looking to book a road trip in Iceland!

The information provided allowed us to make the best use of our short time in Iceland.

It was our first time using kimkim and we have already recommended it to others. Preeti's itinerary provided a great balance - logistics were taken care of and we had reservations for a few excellent activities, but she also left us with suggestions for add-ons and free time to explore on our own. That made it better than an all-inclusive tour while being a lot less stressful than planning it all ourselves. I'm glad we chose to spend the first days in the remote and beautiful eastern fjord country before we drove to the more heavily touristed southwest. I think we were both impressed most by the ever-changing and dramatic landscape shaped by volcanoes and glaciers.

Our guide, Birgir Jóhannsson was very good. He was intersting, polite, accommodating to our needs. The hotels/guest houses which were booked were very modest. Of the five nights there, four were very bare. Two had no TV, no soap in some of them, no bath mats, no face cloths, about two clothes hangers. They all had private bathrooms with wonderful hot and cold water.
My biggest complain was the bus. There were 17 people plus driver crammed into a very tight space. There was absolutely no leg room, particularly for tall people. The overhead bins were very shallow , so would not accommodate a full backpack, only some jackets. We sat for hours driving with out packs on our knees. We did make frequent stops to stretch our legs but that also meant a lot of off and on the bus. Our group of passengers was very good at rotating seats, but when you got over the wheel well, there was even less space. Either get a bigger bus or less passengers. We specifically choose this tour because there were less passangers than the big tour buses.

We had a terrific trip. Visiting Landmannalaugar was probably my favorite - the landscape is incredible and hard to even describe. We hiked through an obsidian lava field to a bunch of fumaroles, and then up to the closest peak for an amazing view. The whole family really enjoyed our trip to Heimaey as well (although as the family member with motion sickness isssues, I had a few complaints!). We climbed up Eldfell and found an active hot air vent, which was very exciting, saw the puffins and other seabirds, and even had an unexpected whale sighting. Early in the trip, we did some of the more standard visits - Seljalandsfoss, Skokafoss, the glacier at Skaftafell, the glacial lagoon, and other nice stops on the ring road. The first couple were crowded but still lovely to see, and that's saying something given that we come from a town famous for its waterfalls. We also really enjoyed our visit to Snaefellsnes Peninsula - there were extreme winds on our first day there (a steady 50-60 mph with higher gusts), which was wild. We couldn't even make it to the top of Saxholar Crater because I was literally blown off my feet! The next day the winds were milder and we hiked from one village to another through a lava field, along sea cliffs. We also took an F road up to the edge of the glacier. In Reykjavik, we enjoyed seeing Hallgrimskirkja, we had a LOVELY visit to one of the local geothermal pools, and we walked around in the rain. Oh, and we stopped at Thingvellir to see the continental rift, and we couldn't miss seeing the geysir!

We stayed in guesthouses - shared bathroom facilities, and breakfast provided. All but one of them had kitchens, which worked out great because we only ate 2 restaurant meals during our whole trip to save money.

Halldor did a great job coming up with hike suggestions that worked for the whole family (3 generations, ages 4-64). We took a substantial hike every day of our trip, sometimes two, and found his suggestions really solid. It was chilly (48F and raining) pretty much the entire time but we were well prepared and the weather wasn't an issue.

If I had to do it again, I would spend less time in Reykjavik and more time in Snaefellsnes. Reykjavik was just so very expensive - we couldn't afford to visit all the museums (just the animal park, for the 4yo), and although the shops are lovely and I wish I could have bought a sweater, there was no way I could pay $200 for a sweater or even $30 for a single meal. We spent at least half of our last day watching Norwegian cooking shows on the guesthouse's television and eating Icelandic cheese sandwiches. It wasn't unpleasant, but we could have been poking around Snaefellsnes instead. The thermal pool visit, however, was SO WORTH IT.

We had a great 1st trip to Iceland. It was very memorable. Our favorite outings were the glacier lagoon and the glacier hike. The Wifi in the car was great. We were not very happy with our accomodations at Hotel Katla. The entire room size was for the beds. The bathroom was clean but old and so small that the toilet and shower had to overlap in space. We would not stay there ever again. Hotel Stracta was the best place we stayed.

Overall, the trip was amazing. We really enjoyed the sights, food and experience. The different hostels each had a charm of their own, and only one or so was even remotely a negative., and that was because of the access to the house and kitchen.
My only concern was the hike in Hornstrandir was extremely strenuous. I had appropriate gear, and was in decent enough shape to find it enjoyable, however the description kind of made it sound like an easy stroll. Other people might not be as prepared with gear, and/or ability. Although if I had understood, maybe I would have had more fear. So it’s hard to say if more description would have been good or bad! We got through it and felt that we really accomplished something at the end. . I absolutely loved our guide and the experience. It was incredible, but I was somewhat unprepared for the reality of wading shoeless in icy creeks and rivers and hiking straight uphill for several kilometers.

Also the road to Látrabjarg, HOLY CRAP, that road was so super scary, for little payoff at the end, it was really foggy and we couldn’t see much. A little warning about that road and maybe I could have been a little more prepared, and not so scared that we would slide off into the ocean.

Otherwise, everything was fabulous. We enjoyed the horseback riding, the hostel in Broddannes was our favorite, hands down. What a stunning place.
We also really enjoyed the town that was the Herring Capital, and the museum there.
The whale watching was a little different than we do here in the states, but it was pleasant nonetheless, and I hope that Iceland abandons it’s Whaling program for whale watching instead, as I’m sure it’s more lucrative and more humane. But I’m an environmentalist, and have been against whaling my whole life. I hate to think of these creatures being killed. Seeing them on the menus in Reykjavík , I had to grit my teeth with that one.
Again, I had a wonderful, memorable time!! I will never forget it!!

All of our guides were very good. The part of the trip we enjoyed the most was the hike in Hornstrandir. The hike was very challenging for us. The elevation gain and distance were just what we expected. We didn't expect the rocks to move around so much as we walked on them. The food at the farm house was great.

The Isafjordur Cultural walk was very informative and enjoyable.

The kayaking was similar to what we experienced in other places. The clothing provided was much better than we had at other places. I was confident that we wouldn't end up in the water, but it was good to know that if we did we were well protected from extreme cold.

Our guide on the 2 day van ride was knowledgeable and really looked out for us. The weather impeded our enjoyment of the Latrabjarg Cliffs, but our guide to took us back again on the second day and the weather was better. I(but not Peggy) got tired of being in the van so long each day and not being out and walking more. The weather again was a part of the problem. We of course don't fault anyone for that. We were well aware that the weather we saw was about average and could have been much worse.
Overall, Iceland was a new and very different experience. We would have had difficulty planning and navigating such an experience without of expertise of Kim Kim.

Our guide arrived 1 1/2 hours later than scheduled. Concierge called you after waiting a half hour and we were informed that the guide would pick us up in an hour. The guide did arrive in an hour and was wonderful. He did not know what happened, only said that he got a call an hour ago and asked if he could do them a favor. Obviously, it was a major mess up. The guide did make up for your error as he was wonderful; very knowledgeable and a pleasure to spend the day with. Not happy and would not recommend Kim Kim. Sveindis Maria was very helpful with making plans.