Kimkim Trip Reviews for Iceland

Gummi was friendly, thorough and knowledgeable lending a hand when necessary and taking care of business in a professional manner. He and his wife Yara are a fantastic team! We would not hesitate to recommend them to our friends.

Our KimKim local specialist, Gummi , put together a wonderful tour for us, that was comfortably paced. The hotels and restaurants were all enjoyable. I particularly liked the food at Hotel Kria in Vik and the Hotel Budir on the peninsula near Reykjavik.

Eric did a great job helping us plan an awesome 11-day trip to Iceland, circumnavigating the country with a good mix of sightseeing and activities. We rented a car at the Keflavik airport, spent one full day in Reykjavik including a guided city tour, then began driving counterclockwise around the island. The next four days were packed with unique adventures including "Into the Volcano", snorkeling in the Silfra fissure (in an insulated dry suit!), exploring an ice cave, and walking on the biggest glacier in Europe - all were absolutely wonderful.

That got us to the SE corner of Iceland and the remaining days were spent driving, checking out the beautiful sights, hiking, and going to 2 thermal spas. It was a fair amount of driving (2.5-4 hours/day) but allowed us to be immersed in the wonderful natural beauty, culture, and variety of the island. Of particular interest to us were some spectacular waterfalls, Hverir geothermal area (fumaroles, mudpots), Hvitserkur rock formation and beach w/lots of seals and seabirds on the Vatnsnes peninsula, and the Glaumbaer Museum w/traditional turf house.

We absolutely loved our visit to Iceland and our guide Gummi was amazing!! What a dramatic, beautiful and constantly changing country. So much to experience that picking a favourite thing is hard, but for me I would likely say it was the beaches, for my husband those beautiful little fishing villages. I can't imagine a better person to have shown Iceland to us than Gummi and his assistant Yara. He obviously loves Iceland and that made everything we explored more special. His stories were informative and very entertaining. And his ability to balance the whole trip, troubleshoot any glitches or necessary changes and do so seamlessly was admirable. But mostly what we appreciate was Gummi's warmth, kindness and humour in showing us his beautiful country and making us welcome.

Gummi was amazing on our 10 day Ring road tour. More than once he handled unexpected hiccups in our plan. When a restaurant cancelled dinner for our 21 person group he found us a new restaurant within 24 hours. He also had to get us back a hotel room that was cancelled without notice. He achieved that perfect balance between stopping at all the impressive natural wonders and allowing us time to appreciate the beauty we seeing. His great planning was exceeded only by his outstanding execution - he is a good driver, as well as funny and informative.

This was the first time I have used KimKim for travel and it was great. All hotels were good other than the last night in Reykjavik (the hotel was under construction, self check in only, did not have 3 separate beds as requested). All of the suggestions on our itineraries were most helpful. My favorite activities were the glacier hike and ice cave, the lava cave, and especially the PUFFINS! I expected to see them on a cliff via binoculars but they were just feet away from us and it was fabulous!

Gummi was an absolute gem. Nothing was too much trouble for him and he made sure that each and every person in the group was comfortable with the excursions that we had. His wife Vara came with us too as we were a big group and she added another dimension and took care of the admin.
Gummi's knowledge of Iceland was great and we enjoyed his Trolls and Elves stories on long segments of our travels although I'm not sure we believed all his tales!
Gummi's passion for Iceland was evident as was his pride in his country. That came through loud and clear on many occaisions.
A busy trip but a wonderful one.
Thank you to the Kim Kim team and especially thanks to Vara and Gummi
Gill and Maurice

Hotel Review

Hótel Kría

Vík

Excellent food and helpful staff

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Lunar Landscapes & Healing Waters – Blue Lagoon Immersion

Iceland

Much better than I was expecting! It was busy but didn't feel crowded. The drinks from the swim up bar were great!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Katla Ice Cave

Iceland

Quite a long walk to the cave but the staff made sure that I was ok. I have two knee replacements so I am not as agile as i used to be! Cave was good but with our large group was a bit full of people

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We and 19 friends had a SUPERLATIVE experience with Gummi. I cannot say in words how effective he was in all respects, as was his assistant Yara. He was great at the outset working with me on agenda. The customized attention he and his team gave from the moment welanded to the last cab ride to airport heading home was great. H em masterfully navigated the bad things that every trip involves, ie Covid case hotel and restaurant reservations that broke down etc.

He also has a great knowledge and sense of humor. All of our group connected with and appreciated him. Kimkim is lucky to contract with him.

Let me know if other questions. Give him a raise

Tayloe Washburn, group leader

Duncan arranged a very comprehensive/detailed wonderful plan for us to complete Iceland’s ring road! We loved the route, sites, and unique lodging/breakfasts. The car rental process was very efficient and loved the onboard wifi capability. This was our 3rd KimKim trip and we are going to use again!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Katla by Keahotels

Vík

Very comfortable lodging with access to lovely dining facility/hot tub/sauna.

Hotel Hallormsstadur

Egilsstadir

Very lovely and large space ‘in the forest’! The hotel had just opened for the season so not many people there yet or lots of staff. But breakfast was grand and staff were very pleasant & helpful!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Abit out of the main town but lovely setting. We loved having access to out doors to sit in the evening!

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Litli Geysir Hotel

Haukadalur

We were early in their season and at their non-connected hotel. It met our needs for 3 people well.

Authenticity & Character

The main hotel/restaurant were very top notch! Right across from the geysers…

Location

Staff

I had misplaced my phone and called after leaving to have them check space. Given lower staffing this took abit of time & a few call backs. But I appreciated their efforts!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Árnanes Country Hotel

Höfn

Really liked the cabin like lodging! Could get a glacier brewed beer when checked in (price reasonable)! Staff lovely and breakfast was tasty/adequate.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Vogafjós Farm Resort

Myvatn

Very sweet farm setting and decor of ‘cabin’/dining area. Dinner and breakfast were fabulous! Vista of sheep grazing plus seeing their dairy cows get milked/tended to—while overlooking the acreage was very cool (for this ‘farm girl’)!

Authenticity & Character

Lodging was across the road from the dining/reception area. But very pleasant stroll to access or to walk in the eve on paved off road trails.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Laugarbakki

Hvammstangi

The hotel is very remotely located and was just getting started with this season. Staff were fine. Breakfast was great—(dinner was OK just not the caliber have been having). We had them move us to a room with 3 separate beds which they did accommodate. It was in a building that did not seem to have others in—so felt abit more isolated.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Fosshotel Hellnar

Hellnar

Very pleasant place to rest/refuel! Restaurant and staff were great!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Fosshótel Reykholt

Reykholt

Modern lodging with great restaurant/breakfast and staff! Our room was very spacious and included a small table with comfy chairs to enjoy.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

22 Hill Hotel

Reykjavík

This was very proximal to walking to sites downtown but we came early and without central reception on site—it was more challenging to call ‘home’. This was one hotel we also were not able to get our 3 ‘separate beds’ but all was very feasible. They were doing major renovations so lots of construction activity in the ‘lobby’. This will be nicer when all renovations are done!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Vidgelmir cave guided tour

Iceland

This was a great educational and physical experience! Guide did a great job preparing us and leading us through activity.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Rye Bread tour (Geothermal bakery)

Iceland

Great job by seasonal staff! Lovely space to wait in (by geothermal spa)…

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

i’m

The Geothermal Vok Baths

Iceland

Loved the non-sulfur hot bath! Also enjoyed being able to dip in cold lake water from one of the hot baths. Very cool building/shower rooms etc. Only comment for possible improvement—is that some of the equipment getting in/out of baths were kind of green/slimy/slippery. It may be tough for them to impact this—but seems like they could have been cleaned.

Quality of Experience

Katla Ice Cave

Iceland

Very fun activity! It was fun to get into the ‘back country’ with big vehicle and then to explore on glacier trails that staff keep having to affirm are safe for walking on (with crampons). The caves and sites were glorious to take in!

Quality of Experience

Note to anyone who may have challenges with balance or endurance—this could be abit much for some. We really enjoyed but are used to walking with crampons on ice & in good shape!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide/driver was very well versed on the area and entertaining/informative.

Transport

The trip was great. Everything was very easy to do and follow. One of the things that made it incredibly easy were the day trip plans set by Hanna - we never questioned where we were headed as all we had to do was click a link and we had all our directions preloaded in google maps.

The main reason for this trip was to see the Northern Lights ( bucket list), knowing it might not happen however the first four nights in Iceland I was gifted with sightings! The itinerary Rinolda put together for me was incredible, amazing, awesome! She really listened to my wants and made my adventure all that we talked about and more! Just one hiccup with one of my tours and it was me not giving the correct means of contacting me for directions but Rinolda took care of the miss communication and got me on the tour the next day, again outstanding! This was my first time on a self drive tour and the car was fast and easy and ready when I got to the rental company. My accommodations were outstanding, comfortable and the staff and owners were super nice, friendly and very helpful. Iceland is a beautiful country and its people are wonderful. So much diversity from volcanos to glaciers and all the waterfalls and geography, the history and the weather made for one of my top five vacations and I’ve been to many wonderful places! All and all Kimkim was a great find in my research for an Iceland adventure and will use them again and again for other places and countries. I went in November and will definitely use Kimkim again for a summer adventure in Iceland!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Langaholt

Stadarstadur

Great staff, amazing breakfast (included) and had dinner one night and was so very good! The rooms were very clean and comfortable. I would highly recommend and would stay there again.

Authenticity & Character

Easy to find and remote in the best way!

Location

Was my first night in Iceland and saw the Northern Lights!

Staff

The chef was really great and all were so nice and friendly.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rooms and the bed was awesome!

Hestakrain Guesthouse

Selfoss

The owner was delightful, the guesthouse is on a horse farm and watching and listening to the horses was so soothing .

Authenticity & Character

Had a hot tub on the back porch to star gaze and watch the Northern Lights!

Location

On a horse farm!

Staff

Very accommodating.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rooms were rustic just the way I like and all was very clean.

Activity Reviews

Dog Sledding

Iceland

Ok my favorite part is the dogs! So beautiful sweet friendly to me and I wanted to take them all home with me! The hides and staff were great too!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lava Cave Explorer Tour

Iceland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

It was very easy to follow the itinerary and choose sites and options that were of interest to us. Great directions. A wonderful adventure.

Hotel Reviews

Litli Geysir Hotel

Haukadalur

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Katla by Keahotels

Vík

Hotel Hallormsstadur

Egilsstadir

Árnanes Country Hotel

Höfn

Vogafjós Farm Resort

Myvatn

Hotel Laugarbakki

Hvammstangi

Fosshotel Hellnar

Hellnar

Fosshótel Reykholt

Reykholt

22 Hill Hotel

Reykjavík

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

All self check-in, no staff but available by phone

Cleanliness & Comfort

Under renovation so lobby all torn up

Activity Reviews

Katla Ice Cave

Iceland

Absolutely gorgeous scenery. The walk was slippery, but crampons helped.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide was very knowledgeable and experienced with this environment. Good summary and explanation of what we were seeing and driving through.

Transport

Rye Bread tour (Geothermal bakery)

Iceland

Very interesting to see the process, but a very short tour.

The Geothermal Vok Baths

Iceland

Water is fresh and the highlight is being able to move from the hot bath into the cold lake and back with ease.

Vidgelmir cave guided tour

Iceland

Fascinating environment; excellent tour guide. Early in the spring so path was very icy in parts.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

I contacted KimKim in February 2024 for help in planning an 8 day trip to Iceland in late May for me, my wife, and our adult son who lives in another city. The three of us were hoping to spend some quality and adventure time together and decided to try Iceland. We were assigned to Èric and he took our suggestions/likes/hopes for the trip and created a very full itinerary with plenty of primary and secondary suggestions. The suggestions were mapped out perfectly for a driving tour and allowed us quite a bit of flexibility from day to day. He and his team took care of the vehicle reservation, all accommodations (including breakfast) for every night, and pre-purchasing tickets to all of the activities we had requested. Nearly everything about the trip was easy and seamless. I say nearly everything because one tour was cancelled due to weather and we thought we would miss it because we were flying home the next day and the only possible option for us was the earliest tour of the day, which the company's website said had no more availability. The KimKim representative spoke to them and was able to get us on the early tour. We were very grateful as this was something we had really hoped to experience.
This was my first time using KimKim but it will not be my last. Leaving the planning to an expert took a lot of the pressure off of me and led to a really enjoyable vacation. I'm old enough to remember going to a travel agent (in person) to help book a vacation. This experience was very similar. Thank you KimKim and Èric!

I had the idea to plan a surprise Iceland trip for my wife’s 50th birthday, and Duncan was phenomenal in every way to turn the idea into an amazing trip!! From the planning phase to answering any questions while we were there, Duncan was always extremely responsive, organized, and knowledgeable! We loved every aspect of our trip from going to the blue lagoon after we landed to the hotels (Hotel Budir was our favorite) to the ice cave and glacier tours to the waterfalls and hikes and restaurant recommendations (must go to Fridheimar - the tomato farm for an outstanding lunch) and our last couple days in the city. My wife had a wonderful birthday, and we loved our time there. Thank you, Duncan!!!

Thank you to Kim Kim and Caroline & Sandra for their planning and support
Making our recent trip to Iceland an unforgettable holiday experience .
My wife and myself are especially grateful to Caroline and Sandra for their prompt response and help whenever we need them.
I highly recommend Kim Kim as your trusted travel advisor for your holiday planner.

This was an incredible and action packed trip! Our family of four (two teenagers) had an amazing time. We followed Gummi’s recommendations and were not disappointed, from excellent restaurant picks to perfectly timed driving and touring information, he made the experience smooth. In just five days in Iceland, we visited two hot springs, a lava cave, ice cave, hiked up a glacier, rode Icelandic ponies, saw amazing waterfalls, geysers, canyons and more. Bonus, we even got to see some puffins, who had just returned to the area for the summer. Using Gummi’s guide made this trip so easy. We told him what we liked and he made everything happen smoothly. Even set up our rental car with WiFi so that everyone could connect without needing international cell service.

Hotel Reviews

Puffin Hotel Vík

Vík

Great location, friendly staff. Rooms were simple and clean. Nice basic breakfast spread, too.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Selfoss & Spa

Selfoss

This is a great location if you are doing the Golden Circle and was a great place to spend the night on our way East! Comfortable rooms and a nice breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Lunar Landscapes & Healing Waters – Blue Lagoon Immersion

Iceland

The best place to start your vacation in Iceland. Right between the Airport and Reykjavik. Get refreshed and rejuvenated after a long flight!

Quality of Experience

Lava Tunnel Tour

Iceland

Such a unique experience! Our guide Michael was very informative and we had an incredible time. Bring a jacket. It gets cold.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The Secret Lagoon

Iceland

A more rustic hot spring than the Blue Lagoon. It was the perfect end to a long day.

Quality of Experience

Katla Ice Cave

Iceland

Starts with a fun jeep ride from the lovely little town of Vik. Then you get to walk up a way towards a glacier and see these otherworldly ice formations. The ice melts and changes every day, so each tour is different. The guide kept everything fun and knew how to get the best photos.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Skaftafell Glacier Hike

Iceland

One of the highlights of our trip. It may seem like a long drive, but it was worth it. We had a great time climbing up to the glacier and exploring. The guide, Kate, was so lovely and brought a perfect energy to our group.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Icelandic horse riding tour

Iceland

These ponies are adorable. Enough said!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Santiago Hinojosa Iceland

Veronika was amazing! She responded quickly with very efficient and kind answers. She deserves 6 stars 🙌🏼

The whole experience was amazing, de RV was perfect and so were tours, guises and hotel reservations.

Our ONLY complaint is the person that checked us in when picking up the RV. She had a terrible attitude, she was in a hurry for us to leave, and a little rude to be honest.

I will recommend KimKim to all of my contacts that want to visit Iceland. And I hope to use it again!

Eric was great helping us plan our trip to Iceland. He worked with us to curate the sorts of things we wanted to see and do very well. We had some issues with weather while we were in the country and the on the ground team there was very helpful in making sure we were able to stick to our travel plans as well.

Activity Reviews

The Secret Lagoon

Iceland

Quality of Experience

Lava Tunnel Tour

Iceland

Sky Lagoon

Iceland

Rye Bread tour (Geothermal bakery)

Iceland

Solheimajokull Glacier Hike

Iceland

Crystal Blue Ice Cave

Iceland

Let me start by saying that Island is totally beautiful and that we had a great time! Thank you to Kim Kim and the local specialist Emanuela, our trip was a memorable one. Emanuela designed an itinerary that was well tailored to our interests, and that was paced and organized just right. The Hotels we stayed at were very clean, in quiet areas and had a good breakfast. Also, we are vegetarians and Emanuela suggested some nice restaurants for us that served plant based food. Due to a local volcano eruption our experience at Blue Lagoon was cancelled, but Emanuela was quick to get us a refund. Additionally, when one of us got sick and could not do a snowmobile tour, Emanuela was able to get us a partial refund. Overall, I would highly recommend Kim Kim and their specialist Emanuela to other travelers.

Activity Reviews

Northern Lights tour

Reykjavík

It was a bit long and extremely cold, plus the lights are hard to see with naked eye - however, they came out in pictures. We enjoyed looking at the sky full of stars, that was beautiful!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hvamsvik Lagoon

Reykjavík

There is only one word: AMAZING! It is a gorgeous setting, super relaxing!

Quality of Experience

The Secret Lagoon

Iceland

It was nice, but a bit crowded and the changing rooms area was not as clean.

Quality of Experience

Snowmobile tour on Eyjafjallajokull glacier

South Coast

A good experience!

Quality of Experience

South East coast and ice cave tour

Iceland

A unique experience!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

South Coast

Vík

An amazing drive, scenery absolutely breath taking!

Quality of Experience

Drive back and more of the South Coast

Vík

The waterfalls are simply impressive!

Quality of Experience

Sky Lagoon

Reykjavík

The absolute BEST !!! Wonderful does not even get close, this place is magical!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Skaftafell and Glacier Lagoon

Vík

Beautiful place!

Quality of Experience

Depart Iceland

Reykjavík

All went well.

Working with Adam was a great experience. He was always very responsive and helped guide us on some key decisions about the trip plan overall. We were able to make adjustments before and even during the trip. It was really seamless for us and it was reassuring to know we had Adam available during the trip in case we needed any support. Having all the logistics set for us, like the rental car and hotel reservations, made it easy to just focus on enjoying the journey itself. The detailed feedback about activities and all of the optional information was great for us to plan each day.

Activity Reviews

Sky Lagoon

Iceland

We made this our first activity upon arrival. After a red-eye flight we were able to get our rental car and spend a little time in Reykjavik before heading to Sky Lagoon. It was fantastic. What a way to refresh and prepare for the days ahead. Facility was top notch and the views from the main lagoon were incredible. This set the tone for our vacation. Very relaxing.

Quality of Experience

Silfra Snorkeling

Iceland

Exceeded expectations. This was a highlight of the trip and one of my favorite travel experiences. You go in groups of 6 per guide so you get a really good experience and attention from the guide.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was great

Crystal Blue Ice Cave

Iceland

This was pretty crazy overall. The drive up to the glacier makes you feel like you are on another planet. It's quite adventurous including the hike up to the caves but they provide crampons and there is a rope you can use for support. Once you are there it's worth the effort. Caves were amazing to walk through and even with a bit of a crowd they did not rush us at all.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff