Kimkim Trip Reviews for Iceland

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!

My husband and I recently returned from a road trip to Iceland and it could not have been better!

KimKim Travel and Adam, our tour designer, took care of everything from start to finish. Adam tailored the trip to our timeframe and interests. He patiently answered all of our questions. The itinerary included well known stops, as well as “hidden gems.” We ate at local restaurants and stayed at amazing hotels, with delicious breakfasts.

KimKim (Adam) made travel planning simple and stress-free. They made us feel like we had relatives in Iceland! Thank you!!

This is my second time working with Kim Kim to plan an overseas trip and the service and my local travel coordinator Gummi again exceeded our expectations.

Gummi was super knowledgeable about both typical and off the beaten path excursions and planned a great itinerary for us based on our preferences. He was very responsive to our needs - before and during travel. Gummi secured all of our accommodations (combo of hotels and air bnbs) and excursions and also offered a ton of restaurant recommendations. All were amazing!!

Iceland was an outsiders/travelers dream. And working with Kim Kim allowed us to quickly plan a custom, unforgettable vacation! I love how they can accommodate a mix of low, mid and high end budgets and preferences and the local knowledge of the travel coordinators is a huge plus. Their travel coordinators are intimately familiar with the locations you are visiting.

Activity Review

Reykjavík Food Walk

Iceland

A lot of fun, excellent guide, highly recommend!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

I did not feel Eric was as easy to work with as Mar who I was working with at the same time planning the first part of the trip in Norway.

I found Eric’s 100% reliance on technology, specifically google maps, and not providing a backup - specifically names or addresses prohibited me from experiencing as much as I would have hoped.

At one point google maps completely failed - I was in my way to a planned and paid for experience car and it told me to do u-turn. It was unable to course correct and I missed the 5 hour glacier hike (I would like to discuss a refund for that please).

The few links I tried for the optional additional activities either did not work at all for me, or I were things I tried too late since I was too far away. Had his directions been more clear, such as where within the route the add one made sense, I could and would have seen and done far more.

When food options s are far away, it would have been appreciated if that could have been shared up front. One night we were left with no option for food other than a gas station. Finally at one location the itinerary said breakfast was included, but it made no sense to me so I sent a note asking - granted it was late. I received a response well after we had left and while food was supposed to be delivered for breakfast (makes no sense to me since food preferences were not asked) we had a long drive ahead and left before that happened (between 7:30 and 8 am).

Overall I enjoyed Iceland but know that I missed a lot that I did not have to miss. So I am disappointed but still enjoyed the trip

Activity Reviews

Katla Ice Cave Superjeep tour

Iceland

This was absolutely fantastic and Avi was an amazing guide. I would so highly recommend this activity!!!

Quality of Experience

It was an easy hike and gave a fantastic experience for all

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Avi was fantastic!

Transport

It did the job but was only ok

The Geothermal Vok Baths

Iceland

This was a lovely experience at the end of the day. The facilities were clean and it was lovelt

Quality of Experience

Whale Watching in Akureyri

Iceland

The crew was absolutely fabulous and constantly made sure we knew that their focus was not disturbing the whales.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Excellent communication, Eric followed our outline and provided great suggestions for optional activities. All reservations came through perfectly without a hitch.

We had a great time. Veronika listen carefully to requests and plan to trip that was just our pace. We got to see lots of stuff without wearing the kids out too much. A personal favorite was the ice cave tour with Federico. He was funny, knowledgeableand fun and we had a great time learning about glaciers.

We really enjoyed our time in Vik. It was a beautiful little town and it was nice too stay in the same room for two nights in a row. Restaurants and supermarket were very close to our room, so it was easy to pick up extra food etc.

For us, there was just enough hiking to keep things fun and interesting without wearing us out on any particular day. Hotel accommodations were what we expected in the free breakfast each morning was nice.

Rental car was easy and convenient and Veronica was accessible when we needed her.

Hotel Review

Hotel Vík í Mýrdal

Vík

Spacious room and its convenient to local restaurants in supermarkets.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Katla Ice Cave

Iceland

Federico was tons of fun and informative. He's very knowledgeable about glaciers and kept the trip educational and exciting.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We just returned home from the most phenomenal adventure in Iceland, and cannot thank our specialist Eric enough for crafting such a jam-packed, memorable itinerary for our family! Eric took all our must see spots and built a trip that was not only logistically efficient, but also delivered all the highlights within the timeframe we had available. I have built many travel itineraries over the years and can confidently say, there is no way I could have come up with an equivalent experience on my own. The first hand knowledge and insight Eric shared, his prompt responses to all our questions as we approached our departure date, and the tours & accommodations he recommended and booked were perfect. With the countless travel blogs & social media groups online, attempting to build a personalized, self-guided itinerary is incredibly overwhelming & time consuming. The service Eric provided made this process both easy & enjoyable, and saved us so much time & stress. Having just experienced the highlights of Iceland, we can sincerely say, our itinerary delivered the most incredible, memorable experience for our family - there isn't a thing I'd change about the trip Eric built - so thank you Eric!!

Activity Reviews

Blue Lagoon

Iceland

The Blue Lagoon was an incredible experience. The geothermal waters were so relaxing, and the setting was just beautiful. The kids had a blast, and it was a great way to start our trip. It was a bit pricey, but totally worth it for the unique experience.

Kayaking tour under Mount Kirkjufell

Iceland

We loved the kayaking tour under Mount Kirkjufell. The scenery was stunning, and being on the water gave us a unique perspective of the iconic mountain. It felt intimate and less touristy, which we really appreciated.

Both the Golden Circle tour and the Fire and Ice tour were informative and well planned. Thy were run by Hidden Iceland. The Reykjavik Food and Culture tour was also very good. Driving in Iceland is super easy, and Eva gave us all of our map coordinates, which was very helpful.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Odinsve

Reykjavik

The location is perfect! Right in the center of a residential and tourist friendly section of Reykjavik. We walked to everything! The bus stop for our tours was right up the street. Plenty of cafes, coffee shops, and shops nearby. We stayed here for 3 nights at the beginning of our trip. We were not happy with the room we were given. It was old and drab, with a very small bathroom and stall shower. We stayed again the last night of our trip and were pleasantly surprised to get a much nicer and updated room and bathroom. I would definitely request a newer, renovated room! The buffet breakfast was fine, but they seemed understaffed, because the food platters were often empty and we had to ask them to put out more food.

Authenticity & Character

The rooms are very bare. Maybe add some artwork and comfortable seating.

Location

Staff

Most were helpful. One was not very friendly when we arrived after an overnight flight and inquired about a check in earlier than 3:00.

Cleanliness & Comfort

We had a very small and sparse room and bathroom. Not very comfortable. Room 201. The hotel should charge less for this room. The beds were comfortable.

Fosshotel Stykkishólmur

Stykkishólmur

We loved this hotel! The front desk staff was very helpful and friendly. The rooms were spacious and comfortable. The breakfast buffet was plentiful, and the staff in the restaurant was very attentive. Our dinner here was also excellent. We enjoyed the happy hour as well! We liked being able to walk to everything in town.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Reykjavík Culture and Food Walk Tour

Reykjavík

The meeting spot was easy to walk to. We went to 5 different spots and tried many different dishes. Our guide, Jenny, was entertaining and informative. Highly recommend.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

GOLDEN CIRCLE: PLATINUM TOUR

Reykjavík

Enjoyed all activities on this tour! Secret Lagoon was peaceful and rejuvenating. Tomato farm was educational and lunch was yummy. Gulfoss waterfall was unbelievable. Our tour guide wasn’t as informative as I would have liked, but otherwise it was a great tour.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide wasn’t as informative as I had hoped

Transport

Very comfortable and new tour busses.

South Coast — Fire & Ice Tour | Small group

Reykjavík

This tour guide provided a lot of information which was very helpful. He drove carefully through some difficult weather. Black sand beach was super windy and rainy, but we persevered! Lava show was cool, and our guide wisely had us order our lunch before the show so it would be ready when the show was over. It was great to have an experienced guide who could be sure everything ran smoothly!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Gerðuberg Basalt Cliffs

Snæfellsnes Peninsula

This is a quick stop. Only do it if it is on your way to something else. We only stayed for a few minutes.

Quality of Experience

Vatnshellir Lava Cave Tour

Snæfellsnes Peninsula

This lava cave was a cool experience. The guide was OK. not great. Be prepared to climb up and down some steep steps and be deep underground. Also wear sturdy shoes. Don’t go if you are claustrophobic!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Deildartunguhver

Iceland

Small area to view. Not a lot to see or do here after you view the hot spring area, which takes about 5 minutes. The best surprise was the Krauma Day Spa which is on site. We had a lovely lunch in the restaurant there. Unfortunately, we were not aware of the spa ahead of time so we didn’t take advantage of the soaking pools.

Quality of Experience

Quality of Experience

The Trip was fantastic. The sites and food recommendation was spot on. We loved how everything was planned out each day. Especially since we did a lot of driving, so it was great to have a pre loaded itinerary with google maps. There was a lot of information that our guide gave us with regards to the sites and restaurants. We had total freedom to pick and choose where we went and what we saw. the tours were very fun and the local guides were so nice and accommodating.

Hotel Reviews

Hótel Klaustur

Kirkjubæjarklaustur

clean and comfy

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Skuggi Hotel Reykjavík by Keahotels

Reykjavík

Great Hotel. Clean and comfy. Breakfast was ok.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Fosshotel Stykkishólmur

Stykkishólmur

Very nice hotel. Clean and amazing breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel South Coast

Selfoss

Clean and comfy

Authenticity & Character

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Blue Lagoon

Iceland

very relaxing and staff were very nice. Love how quiet it is.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Vatnshellir lava cave tour

Iceland

Very cool and guide was very funny

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Rye Bread tour (Geothermal bakery)

Iceland

delicious !

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Reykjavik Food Walk

Reykjavík

Got to experience some cool restaurants and food. One stop was a hotdog. Could of had something else there since thats so easy to get . Other than that our guide was great and food was delicious.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Silfra Snorkeling

Iceland

Great guide and staff. Wish it was longer. really cool experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Katla Ice Cave Superjeep tour

Iceland

Great hike with amazing scenery. wasnt really a cave tour. More of a glacier hike. We went in a tunnel of ice for like 5 seconds. Still great to see.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Puffin watching tour at the Ingolfshofdi cape

Iceland

Scenery was surreal. Got really close to the puffin. I wish i had my professional camera.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We chose to use KimKim's services to simplify all the bookings and planning of our 10-day motorhome trip. We did the complete tour of the country, the Golden Circle.

Guðmundur Óli (Gummi) was very efficient in preparing the perfect itinerary for these 10 days. He showed us the most beautiful and interesting places in this magnificent country of fire and ice.

All the reservations for the campsites were respected. Note that some campsites do not accept reservations but it was easy for us to find a site with electricity each evening.

The only downside of this trip was that of the motorhome rental company, Europcar. We had poor service and they delivered us an uncleaned vehicle. Fortunately, the manager, who heard about this problem, compensated us for the inconvenience.

Throughout the trip, Gummi was a great support to us and was always available. I highly recommend the services of KimKim and Gummi.

Activity Review

The Secret Lagoon

Iceland

Great place. Not as beautiful as we expected but relaxing. Clean place.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Got there in our motorhome.

We did a 12 day/11-night self-drive trip around Iceland. Overall, it was an amazing experience in a country where the scenery is so truly spectacular - just when you think you've seen the most magnificent vista, you turn the corner and the next is even better! Over 10,000 waterfalls, 130 volcanoes, vivid blue glaciers, black beaches littered with sparkling icebergs, rugged lava fields, spouting geysers, steaming geothermal pools, whales, puffins, artic horses ... the visual variety was astounding! Each place of special interest was usually well signposted, and we did many beautiful self-guided hikes. (Beware that most tourist spot carparks require payment)
Our particular highlights were a Glacier hike, Fjallsárlón Glacier overnight adventure and zodiac tour, Puffin watching on the East Coast and Sky Lagoon thermal baths.
We hired a Kia hybrid Sportwagon which was comfy, roomy and economical but there were a few roads we couldn't explore because we did not have a FWD.
We also paid for the "medium band" priced accommodation level and 3 of our 8 guesthouse/hotels were a bit disappointing in terms of standard (only 2 star and clean but very basic). Food and wine in Iceland is very expensive but having said that our final "splurge dinner" in a Michelin star restaurant in Reykjavik was relatively great value!

Activity Reviews

Activity options for North West Iceland & Akureyri

Iceland

Make sure you visit Hverfjall crater Godafoss after leaving Myvatn. Akureyri a nice town to visit - good shops and cafes and lovely Botanical gardens

Quality of Experience

Activity options for the Golden Circle

Iceland

Reykjadalur Valley is a lovely walk not far from The Greenhouse hotel where we stayed, but it is a 7km hike for the carpark and quite steep. Don't bother visiting gyesir/geothermal park in Hveragerdi. Not worth it. But their bread is worth trying!

Quality of Experience

Solheimajokull Glacier Hike

Iceland

Amazing experience walking on a glacier complete with harness and crampons. Excellent guide too.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Jokulsarlon glacier lagoon zodiac boat tour

Iceland

WE did the Fjallsarlon zodiac tour instead which was fabulous and much less busy and less touristy than Jokulsarlon . You can still see a lot of the later by driving there and viewing from the roadside.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Myvatn Nature Baths

Lake Mývatn

Very crowded even in the evening. Water is milky and black gravel bottom to the pools. Freezing getting from change rooms to the pools

Quality of Experience

Activity options for Lake Myvatn & Husavik

Iceland

The diamond circle in the north is a must. Whale watching tour from Husavik was great, as was a visit to the Whale Museum there. Dettifoss and Asbyrgi Canyon were fantastic

Quality of Experience

Activity options for Snaefellsnes

Iceland

Long drive around this peninsula and roads rough and lots of potholes. 4WD preferable if plan to go here. Can't get to Beserkjahruan or Snaefellsjokull without risking Tyre blow out - need 4WD. Kirkjufell and kirkufellfoss majestic

Sky Lagoon

Iceland

Magnificent experience. beautiful pools with great views

Quality of Experience

Activity options for Reykjavik

Iceland

Loved Reykjavik architecture and food scene

The golden circle was wonderful. Loved the stops & our guide, Sara, was sweet and knowledgeable. Food tour was super cool introduction to city. The south coast tour was incredible, the glacier hike was the coolest thing we've ever done 10/10. Driver, Stefan, was funny & authentic Icelander. We did so much in the short amount of time we were there & it was great that everything was set up for us. Very very fun & just makes us want to go back & explore different areas of this amazing country. Thanks so much for making it happen!

Activity Reviews

Food Walking Tour

Reykjavík

The best introduction to the sights & delights of reykjavik. So much fun!

Quality of Experience

Food

Lamb stew,hotdogs, cod dish

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Walking tour

Golden Circle on small group tours

Reykjavík

Beautiful sights, interesting history, cute cow Cafe & wonderful tomato farm.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

South Coast on small group tour - Day 1

Skaftafell

So cool! The entire coast is beautiful! Adorable guesthouse & glacier hike was life-changing.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Reykjavík Puffin Watching

Reykjavík

So many Puffins! So cool!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Boat tour among the icebergs and back to Reykjavik - Day 2

Skaftafell

Very cool experience!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Adam did a great job planning our trip to Iceland, he included lots of options and was very knowledgeable about the country. He was sensitive the dietary needs of our daughter and selected activities that kept our kids (13 and 15) engaged and happy. The excursions kept smiles on our teens faces from the time we landed until we left. The Ice cave tour and hiking were particular favorites for our crew! We would absolutely use Kimkim again!!!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel South Coast

Selfoss

This was a nice hotel, rooms are tight and very hot, otherwise a nice stay.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Very convenient to dinner options

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

It was comfortable just very warm in the rooms.

Hótel Klaustur

Kirkjubæjarklaustur

This is a great hotel but people should be aware that this is a remote location. Lovely hotel though!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Very convenient for activities in the area. Not a lot near by so the resatuarant was important and food was good.

Staff

Staff was incredibly friendly and knowledgeable about the area.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rooms were very nice, definitely a favorite.

Hótel Dyrhólaey

Vik I Myrdal

Wasn’t high on my list, it was horrible weather during our stylat, I’m sure the views are incredible based on the location. Hotel was in need of updating but was clean. Staff was friendly and accommodating.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Frón

Reykjavík

Great central location in Reykjavik! We stayed in an apartment in the back building and this was awesome for our family of 4.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Great place, breakfast lacked options we had become accustomed to in other hotels during our trip.

Activity Reviews

The Cave People Museum

Iceland

I think the tour guide was quite knowledgeable and provided a lot of information. It was really neat to see. You should note that there is not anything substantial to eat or drink there. Part of the tour was in a back room where the guide shut the door and about 8 of us were standing there in pitch black while he told a few scary stories for a bit. Just might not be the best for kids or people who may be a bit on edge by that.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Rye Bread tour (Geothermal bakery)

Iceland

This was a cool experience! A neat intro to the science behind geothermal and fun to eat bread from the earth!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Katla Ice Cave Tour

Iceland

This was a highlight! It was an incredible experience!!! So cool to get off the main roads and be part of the landscape.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

I thought our guide was good, he wasn’t the most knowledgeable but still did a great job!

Transport

Fjallsarlon glacier lagoon zodiac boat tour

Iceland

Such an interesting experience!! Definitely worth it, neat to see glaciers up close and understand calving and rotation. So cool.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Horse riding tour

Iceland

This was a lot of fun! Kids loved it and it was neat to ride in Iceland.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We have always wanted to see Iceland and it did not disappoint. Of course it rained, a lot, we made (navigation) mistakes, it's expensive and all that, but the place is just so breath takingly beautiful! Guðmundur did an amazing job planning our trip and when things went not quite right he was immediately available to replan and recover. I hope we can visit again. What an amazing country!!

Activity Review

Katla Ice Cave

Iceland

Don't use Google Maps to get to this destination. Instead use the route Kimkim gives. Otherwise you might be ~45 minutes in the mountains and not where you need to be.

Rinolda put together a great itinerary for us!

Adam was amazing to work with and so helpful in customizing our trip. We asked to see puffins and we must have seen 20,000! There are so many hidden places to see in Iceland I can’t imagine any other way to find them all.

Rinolda planned an amazing trip for our family. Everything was perfect - lodging, sites, food recommendations - everything. We will definitely use KimKim again in our travels and when we return to Iceland. We loved it!

Father / Son 8 day Iceland Trio - Our guide Gunmi was amazing start to finish. From our first contact where my son and I described the kind of vacation we liked (and what we didn’t) Gummi listened and helped design an itinerary perfectly. During our trip Gummi stayed in touch with us, let us know about road closures, helped us find alt activities on the fly (we had an urge to rent E-bikes) and communicated to the last.

Iceland is daunting wirh so many names, places and sights but Kimkim’a organization was perfect. We never missed a turn or a were unprepared for a day and each day can be significantly different.

Overall, one of our top trips, we can’t say enough positive things about the planning, the guide or the trip.

Hotel Reviews

Fosshotel Lind

Reykjavík

Front desk not very helpful or welcoming. Location is meh.

Authenticity & Character

Lacked activated common area.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Fosshótel Reykholt

Reykholt

Super friendly staff, nice common area and public space larger rooms.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Landhotel

Hella

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Laki

Kirkjubæjarklaustur

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rooms are a bit small.

CenterHotel Plaza

Reykjavík

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Katla Ice Cave

Iceland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lunar Landscapes & Healing Waters – Blue Lagoon Immersion

Iceland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Silfra Snorkeling – Dive Between Continents in Crystal Clear Waters

Iceland

Worth the effort. It can appear intimidating it it’s really well done and coaches.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Lava Cave Explorer Tour

Iceland

Enjoyable. It’s a large group so took longer than we’d have liked having to wait for so many people of various walking abilities.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

I am glad Eric advised my wife and I to circumnavigate Iceland on the ring road from west to east, i.e. clockwise, because that gave us for the most part the best side of the narrow roads when navigating fjords, etc. My wife and I had a wonderful time, despite some typically rough Icelandic weather and trouble with our rental car, which stopped starting around Lake Myvtan. But Eric and Blue Rental Car had someone local on site in fifteen minutes and the issue (low key fob battery) was resolved quickly and cost us only maybe an hour total.

Eric’s plan was excellent, not overloading the driving—we did a full ring road circumnavigation—on any day and giving us lots of options plus the certain stops we asked for. That said, the daily driving plans were perhaps too precise about where we had to stop on each destination, so that at times if we didn’t go to the end of a parking lot, for example, the plan would not recognize our arrival and keep sending us back to it instead of moving on to the next stop. But we did figure out how to delete stops and it was not a big problem.

I would add to other folks contemplating a visit that the Golden Circle was the most disappointing part of our tour. Way too touristy and crowded. If you must limit yourself to that, skip Kerid Crater and Geyser and spend your time in Thingvellir National Park and Gladafoss and the Secret Lagoon!

Our trip to Iceland was amazing! Eric planned some great adventures for my husband and I! There was a good balance between time to relax and time to go sightseeing. All of the suggestions of places to see and how to navigate the island were great!

Activity Review

Solheimajokull Glacier Hike

Iceland

This was our favorite activity of the trip! Our hike guide was extremely knowledgable and we learned a lot about the glaciers of Iceland.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport