Kimkim Trip Reviews for Iceland

kimkim WowWow,

Preethi and Haldor both planned our trip and helped us along the way. They replied to all inquiries and beforw and during the trip and sent detailed instructions for access to our lodgings and activities. They arranged our rental car for trip around Iceland - all our lodgings - sightseeing itnerary - Blue lagoon (Premium Entrance) - Iceberg lagoon kayaking, glacier walk, ice climbing, ice cave trip, and Silfa snorkeling. The itinerary they set up included links to GoogleMaps navigation for our route.

All in all - I would highly recommend kimkim. They really did everything and it turned out perfectly. I would use them in the future.

Thank you Preeti and Haldor.

Mike and family.

I communicated with Tanya using KimKim. My questions were answered within 24 hours (except on weekends or her days off). The responses I received were direct, professional, respectful, and thorough. I had concerns about communicating via email, as it took more time than if I communicated by phone, but the result was as complete and satisfying as it might have been by phone.

The staff at Midgard, with no exceptions, were helpful, polite, welcoming, and responsive. Tanya actually loaned me her clothes and shoes since my luggage hadn't arrived, and I was to go on a Super Jeep tour that would include weather changes, and river walking.

The dorm rooms, bathrooms, showers, and community room were clean and modern, and the beds private - with curtains facilitating the privacy. There was room at the foot of the bed to put some personal item and locked drawers sufficient to hold everything I had - and more.

I took the Super jeep Tour to Thorsmork (please excuse my Icelandic spelling from this point on!). Clara, the guide, was a terrific story teller, and provided a varied experience, including physical activity, which I found refreshing.

The Landmannalauger tour was less interesting to me - a lot of driving, and some opportunities for photos - with a short hike and a hot springs experience. This might be more suited for people who prefer an easier tour.

Unfortunately, there were several experiences I was unable to have - a biking trip and 2 of the shorter hikes - because there were not enough people signed up. The bike I rented was unsafe, but they had others I could use - I declined, but decided to try later, and Tanya, again my hero, loaned me her bike.

I went horseback riding - a treat, and snorkeled the tectonic plate divide - also a treat. Also, "Lava" the volcano and earthquake exhibit nearby was an amazing experiential education about both.

The meals I had there were excellent.

When my friend and I decided to tour Iceland on our own, we knew we needed a bit of guidance. We found that with Zeynep. First, she is a great listner. Second, she is a great planner. Zeynep took what she heard and presented back to us a great road tour, identifying points of interest along the way. Throughout the trip, our pre-book rooms and side excursions were flawless, all of which allowed us to experience Iceland and its beauty to the fullest. Thanks to all who made this trip such a memorable one and especially to Zeynep!

Everything that was planned went off without a hitch except we were unable to get to a trail head because we did not have a 4x4 rental car. We spent 5.5 days in Iceland - was up from dawn to dusk. Really needed a lot more time to hike around the features_ not just stop and take pictures. Overall, great adventure. All tour guides were awesome. Iceland is shockingly expensive. Paid $30 for a hamburger.

The hike was beyond beautiful and our KimKim guide was terrific. My family of five had a fabulous day of it. It took us about 10.5 hours which is a little longer than they anticipate because the guide had to help me through the couple of high narrow spots — which he did patiently and calmly; I couldn’t have asked for better support for my fear of heights.... that is a good reason to use a guid , beyond the fact that it took all stars out of finding our way or making that final bus back. KimKim was great to work with and gave us great lunches and hiking poles and a surprise bbq at the end of the hike. This was expensive — but one of the best uses of our money in Iceland!

We had an amazing trip. We went horseback riding on the beach, we visited the secret lagoon, saw amazing waterfalls, went on a lava cave tour, went on the sushi boat tour and the blue lagoon. Everything worked out perfectly, not one snag. So happy we did this :)

Halldor did a great job organizing our vacation. We especially liked the first 2 days north of Reykjavík (the Snaefellus area) as there were very few tourists. We liked the hotels except the one in Reykjavik. The Blue Lagoon was fun and we liked the horse back riding. Thanks for the restaurant recommendations they were very good. We enjoyed the black sand beaches and all of the water falls.

Our experience in Iceland was amazing!
We loved all the activities that Halldor planed for us. The place that we liked the most was Landmannalaugar, and Halldor made us a great recommendation of hiking the blue mountain, great views!! Also it was a very beautifull and clear day.
The lodging were pretty good, we loved that they all included breakfast and were clean.
The car rental service gave us a car that wasn't exactly 4x4, it was a good car in general, just on the river crossing part on our way to Thorsmork it was a bit stressfull with that car, but we manage the situation and we did it!
We are very greatfull to Halldor and the people from Kimkim that we came across, they were all very helpfull and kind, and gave us very good advices. We´re looking forward to return back soon!

A fantastic day with a local guide - great hiking with some cool, secret canyons and waterfalls. Lunch was amazing. Best of all were Jon’s Saga stores and personal love for the region. More than we expected!

We really enjoyed the itinerary and the hotels that were selected. Would have appreciated a bit more detail and tips. For example the day trip to the waterfall, where there was no opportunity to get lunch, a note suggesting to take a picnic lunch would have been helpful. Also some detail on the timing of activities would help plan the day better - seal colony viewing duration, whale watching duration etc.

We had a wonderful trip to North and West Iceland with our 2 year old daughter! Everything that Zeynep recommended was wonderful and completely doable with a toddler in tow. We especially loved seeing the geothermal areas in Myvatn, our awesome boat ride to see the puffins from Husavik, and the pebble beach on Snaefellsnes peninsula where a seal swam right up to us! Such a gorgeous country, and Zeynep's arrangements kept us out of the tourist crowds while still letting see so many amazing things.

Thank you Zeynep and kimkim, we had the most wonderful days in Iceland!!!
Everything was so well organized and worked as swizz clock that we had to worry about nothing, just make sure we will get to next place in time.
We had asked for budget accommodation, but were amazed how great and cozy all hostels, gueshouses and hotels were - Sunna’s guesthouse in Reykjavik had the best location! Guesthouse Lambastaðir was so cozy, just like somebodys home and the late night hot tub was brilliant. Same in hotel Katla. I’m not surprised all the places were fully booked.
Zeynep, we are so greatful fore the trip plan you had made for us. We visted almost everything you had marked on handwritten map - it was clever to use different colours, which made it really easy to understand. And small hints like the lobster restaurant Fjöribordid, wow!!! So worth of vsit.
And we loved ice hiking at Solheimajökull. It was the only day pouring rain, but we got everything we needed to stay dry. We really loved our guide who was so professional in hinking, but also fun and friendly as person. We will treasure that day for a lobg long time. And eveything he told about glaciers and melting really got us thinking about global warming and the results. Thank you Asgard Beyond!
We can also say only greatest thanks to Zodiac tours for boat tour on Ice Lagoon, what a experience! No one should miss it if in Iceland.
I left peace of heart to Iceland and hopefully will return some day to explore more. Just loved it!
Eneken and friends

We had an excellent time in Iceland and particulary liked the scheduled activities (Glacier walk and Iceberg lagoon boat ride). We also very much enjoyed our overnight on Westman Is. On the south coast we loved the major waterfalls-Seljalandsfoos, Skogarfoss and Gullfoss-, the black beaches-Dyrholaey & Reynisfjara . Also the wildness and vastness of the Snaefellsne was a highlights.

The amount of dramatic and beautiful scenery was unlimited and endless in Iceland.

Preeti made several suggestions that were excellent-Fjadargljufur Canyon, Route 558 through the lava filed and the Floi Bird Reserve, plus a wonderful ice cream stop Efstidalur. We prefer the less crowded stuff and these tips were good. We thought other than Gullfoss, the Golden Circles was overcrowded and not appealing.

People of Iceland were very nice and helpful. Over all it was great. As pescaterians , the food was fine and supermarkets were good shopping

We liked the accommodations particularly when isolated a bit and in beautiful place. However the apartment for 2 nights in Reykjavik while in a great location could have been a bit nicer. Also we spoke about the last nights accommodation at West Park and were offered a refund (shared bathroom and sitting area) and pretty basic all the way around.

The Westfjords were recommended first by Preeti and this was a highlight of the trip. Halldor took over after the initial contact.

Our main complaint is the vehicle. We were assigned a Renault delivery truck that had been converted to carry passengers. We experienced the following problems. The seats were to close together, the van was noisy, but worst of all, the leaf spring suspension made the vehicle very uncomfortable to ride in not only on some of the rough backcountry roads, but even on the well paved roads.

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.