Kimkim Trip Reviews for Iceland

Our trip to Iceland was great. Emanuela was only a message away at anytime and we felt very supported throughout the trip.

Hotel Review

Blue Hotel Fagrilundur

Bláskógabyggd

Authenticity & Character

Location

It was so quiet and relaxing.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Silfra Snorkeling Adventure

Golden Circle

This is so much fun!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Explore Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon by Zodiac Boat

Iceland

We had a great guide and enjoyed this a great deal!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We returned last week from a 7 day self-drive tour in Iceland. We connected with our Icelandic travel planner Gudmundur Oli, better known as Gummi, through Kimkim. Planning our customized tour with Gummi was easy through online chat, Zoom calls and phone calls. We were a group of 6, ages 10 to 71 and Gummi helped us plan a trip with something for everyone.

Our trip was fabulous! From the Blue Lagoon, to the stunning waterfalls, to the thrilling Zodiac boat ride on Glacier Lake, and the ice caves, and the black sand beaches, to the Snaefellsnes Peninsula, and the puffins!!

The landscape of Iceland is a study in contrasts. One day you feel like you could be on the moon and the next like you might be in the Rockies in Colorado. It's stunning. I loved the contrast between the vast open spaces and rocky landscape and the warm and cozy indoor spaces like our accommodations and restaurants. There's a very Zen feeling to it all.

If I had to mention one negative it would be the cost...of everything. Lunch for 2, no drinks will cost you 75 bucks. Even souvenirs are outrageous. I thought Bermuda was expensive, but Iceland has them beat.

Thanks Gummi, it was great! We felt like we had a friend in Iceland and knew you were just a phone call away.

Hotel Review

Frost & Fire Boutique Hotel

Hveragerdi

Loved this property! It was our favorite. The location is so unique and interesting along the river with views from our room.. The hot tubs and heated pool were great, even on a cold and rainy day. The staff is great!

Authenticity & Character

Location

The river view and quiet area.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Explore Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon by Zodiac Boat

Iceland

Fabulous! The lake was full of ice floes and seeing the glacier up close was very exciting.

We had driven the golden circle in 2023. This time we wanted to see the North. The Kim Kim team did a superb job on planning the routing, suggesting stops along the way, sourcing great accommodation, and even suggesting some restaurants. They made it easy, with clear maps, descriptions of points of interest, confirmed arrangements along the way, and clearly a thorough understanding of what would interest us. I don't think we could have made these kinds of choices on our own, since we don't have the experience of Iceland and it is a very long way between towns. There was a huge advantage for us to have a rental car so that we could stop where we wanted, spend extra time at places of interest, or skip something where we didn't have the time to stay. The highlight was seeing the full solar eclipse at the Western most tip of Europe. When we return (and we will), we will be contacting Kim Kim again for the planning.

Adam Warszawski of Iceland Offbeat was simply amazing!!! He was kind, patient, thoughtful, funny, and told us great stories about Iceland and about his guiding experiences. He even cleared an injured duck off the roadway as we were driving. We saw so many wonderful sights, and learned so many things about the land and its history --- all because of Adam. We miss his company in the days since we've arrived home!

The entire experience was fabulous. The only reason I gave KimKim just 4 stars was because of a mix-up at the very beginning of our trip. Another guide picked us up at the airport (ahead of Adam) and was brusque about not being our guide. I had talked to Adam for months ahead of time, planning this trip, and was in communication with Adam even as we landed in Iceland. But when we descended the escalator, there was Svarnen (?) waiting with a sign in his hand that had my name on it. All was eventually sorted, but we found those first few moments odd and uncomfortable.

Adam was outstanding! He shared local and personal insights about everything wee saw. He also kept us moving along without bring obnoxious about it. Also, he asked us regularly what we wanted to see and in many cases gave us options to consider.

We loved our trip. We can't wait to go back to Iceland.

Thank you Luka for the most amazing Iceland experience. Your kind and reassuring words throughout the trip helped us through the difficult days. Your local operators Offbeat, especially Preeti was exceptional with getting our passports back without having to backtrack. I am so sad to be leaving today. My visual memories will last in my mind forever! Thank you so so much! Hope to meet you someday to give you a hug in person!

Luka worked with us for many months to understand our travel styles, restrictions and needs and she made us the dream holiday of a lifetime. We had some issues along the way but Luka and the ground travel agent partner (iceland offbeat) helped us to resolve the problems and for that we are very appreciative.

We would like to highlight a few issues, which you may want to take note of. The car rental that we got had a screen and no GPS and the Garmin was very old fashioned and complicated to use. It took us sometime to understand that you needed a wire connection from your phone to the screen and much tweaking before they were paired to work. We hope you can ask the car company to explain this to customers and provide them with wires so that they can start their journey smoothly. They should also inform the renter about the fact that if they hit an animal on the road, no insurance will cover that. We ended up with a very big bill which has yet to be resolved. They took 500,000 ISK for the car repair but until now, we have not received the quotation for the repairs to the car. A local we met there said there is no way the cost of repair is 500K! So I think it is helpful for the traveller to know these things in advance.

Aside from that, the hotel choices, the routing, the tours booked for us, everything was very good and we are already feeling we need to go back and see the things we missed! We will be checking in with Luka again then! Thank you Kim Kim, Luca and Preeti for an amazing trip!

Because of our issues with the GPS, we missed a few of the beautiful places we were supposed to visit which is dissapointing.

Hotel Review

Hotel Holt—The Art Hotel

Reykjavík

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

The Geothermal Vok Baths

Iceland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lava Tunnel Tour

Iceland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sky Lagoon

Iceland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Flightseeing Tour from Skaftafell

Iceland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Husavik Whale Watching

Iceland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Adam did a fantastic job for us !

We had the best trip with Gummi! He made it so special and was great, kind, full of Icelandic knowledge and reliable. He also planned really exciting excursions tailored for our group! The bus we had was perfect for us and we got to see and do many of the major sight-seeing must-dos in Iceland. We could not have done this trip without his expert help and hospitality. So, so grateful.

Activity Review

Glacier Ice Cave Experience

Iceland

This was AMAZING!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Iceland is a treasure! Great scenery, great people, very clean landscapes, bathrooms and superb water. We loved everything scheduled that we tried and couldn’t pick a favorite. As it was peak season we were delayed at customs . Our other setbacks were some unpaved roads and working with the internet/carplay. Still we saw amazing glaciers, lava flows, geysers, thermal hot springs, waterfalls, a lava cave, hiked around a volcanic crater and learned about geologic processes and Iceland’s history in a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The food and hotels were above average. We recommend our tour guide Emanuela for your itinerary.

Activity Reviews

At the feet of the Vatnajokull glacier

Vík

We enjoyed seeing quite a few glaciers as the clouds had lifted enough.

Quality of Experience

Food

My husband liked his cinnamon roll and I liked my gluten free vegan chocolate cake.

West Iceland

Borgarnes

Great waterfalls

Quality of Experience

Explore Fjallsárlón Glacier Lagoon by Boat

Iceland

A bit chilly despite gear provided but worth it to hear and see the glacier and icebergs.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Pics taken from the zodiac by guide

Transport

Lava Show Vík

Vík

Surprising and informative

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Sky Lagoon

Reykjavík

Our first spa experience in 80 years and we felt so lucky and relaxed.

Quality of Experience

Outstanding facility and location

A Day at the Westmann islands

Iceland

Loved seeing the puffins from excellent viewing platforms.

Quality of Experience

Food

Gluten free options

Explore the South Coast

Iceland

Despite rain we still had fun.

Quality of Experience

Food

Reykjavík Puffin Watching

Reykjavík

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Víðgelmir Lava Cave Experience

Iceland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Geothermal Bakery Experience

Golden Circle

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Back to the mainland

Westman Islands

People were helpful when conditions were slippery.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Good ferry service.

Transport

Depart Iceland

Iceland

The kiosk at United Airlines wasn’t working to print the luggage strips so we and many other passengers had to wait in the main line even though we had checked luggage online.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Drive back and more of the South Coast

Iceland

Enjoyed the promontory and more puffin and bird watching.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Not applicable

Transport

We had a great trip to Iceland! Was grateful to have Othman making bookings for us, especially for hotels, and planning the overall route while still leaving flexibility in many of our days. We somehow got great weather, too, which was a bonus. Othman was very responsive to our questions and requests for changes. Would definitely use KimKim (and Othman) again.

Activity Reviews

FlyOver Iceland

Reykjavík

Loved this.

Skaftafell Glacier Hike

Iceland

Well-organized, great guide, cool experience.

Puffin and Volcano Tour

Westman Islands

Ebbi is a great tour guide!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

It was nice to have everything already planned. Having breakfast included with the hotel was very convenient. The three lagoon experiences were all unique and refreshing. The directions for driving and time allotted were adequate. It was helpful to know ahead of time what the highlights were and how long we should stay at each stop. It took the stress out of trip planning and having to arrange for hotel stays as well as excursions.

The travel arrangements were excellent. Gummi had really planned out the trip meticulously. The trip plan for each day including directions really helped. And, whatever little issues had along the way, Gummi was always available to address them. Iceland is a beautiful country with lovely people. Really had an enjoyable trip thanks to Gummi

The itinerary that Gummi put together was FANTASTIC! He hit the best experiences/sites for us. Really loved the horseback riding & glacier ice cave tour. So sorry the whale watching trip was canceled due to weather. The food is Iceland was FANTASTIC and I really appreciated his recommendations! He did not disappoint!
We thought this was a once in a lifetime trip but we must come back! Thank you!

Hotel Reviews

Hótel Grímsborgir by Keahotels

Ásborgir

Beautiful location!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Fosshotel Eastfjords

Fáskrúðsfjörður

Love Fosshotels!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Fosshótel Mývatn

Myvatn

Fosshotels are consistently wonderful!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Love the view of the lake!

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Fosshótel Vatnajökull

Höfn

Beautiful setting. Very consistent quality with all Fosshotels!

Authenticity & Character

Great breakfast in gorgeous dining setting!

Location

Love the view!

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Magma Hotel

Kirkjubæjarklaustur

Loved the location

Authenticity & Character

Location

Beautiful setting on the lake!

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hótel Búðir

Búðir

Our favorite hotel from the entire trip! Everything was OUTSTANDING!

Authenticity & Character

Perfect!

Location

Loved it's remote location.

Staff

Perfect!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bed and linens were amazing!

Fosshotel Baron

Reykjavík

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Reykjavík Saga

Reykjavík

Wonderful accommodations to stay out adventure. The only drawback was real difficulty finding parking in the city.

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful!

Location

Easy access to the city!

Staff

Friendly and helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Outstanding!

Activity Reviews

Glacier Ice Cave Experience

Iceland

Amazing adventure in that super Jeep! The real deal with the crampons on the glacier!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Cal (? Spelling) was really great!

Transport

Horse Riding on Black Sand Beach

Iceland

Amazing experience. The staff was PHENOMENAL, knowledgeable, friendly, reassuring and fun!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

This is the first time we used KimKim. I cannot speak much to the planning experience, as much as husband did most of it. Our travel specialist Adam was excellent and attentive. If we had to do the trip again, we would..... 1) request more athletic and challenging experiences, 2) would not go on the Glacier ice cave experience...was a joke, 3) would spend more time in Reykjavik (social life, live music, etc), 4) sign up for the ice climbing option in addition to the glacier hike, 5) not do the whale watching tour. We loved the Glacier Hike, Diamond beach, Westman Islands, Reykjavik food tour. Food overall was great at all places! We used YELP.

Gummi’s handling of our trip was amazing !!! His recommendations for dining options at each of our overnight stays were fantastic! His personal recommendations for off the beaten path things to see and experience were greatly appreciated! We will not hesitate to use him in the future!!! We had an amazing trip to Iceland !!!!

Hotel Review

Hótel Búðir

Búðir

This hotel was described as a kimkim gem ! It truly was a gem ! Great location, beautiful room , fantastic restaurant in the hotel , and great staff . We loved it

Authenticity & Character

Modern look with all the amenities

Location

Scenic spot overlooking waterfront, and within walking distance to the black church

Staff

Very professional and friendly staff at all positions

Cleanliness & Comfort

Spotless

Activity Review

Lava Tunnel Activity

Iceland

It was an amazing experience

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

She was knowledgeable and made it fun

Transport

We really enjoyed our trip. It was packed full of nature and adventures that matched our travelling style. Very grateful for the help as there is not way we could've planned this trip on our own.

If you're considering a trip to Iceland, I can't recommend Gummi highly enough. From start to finish, our experience was exceptional.

Our itinerary was thoughtfully designed around our family's interests and needs, striking the perfect balance between adventure and relaxation. Every day was well-paced, and the timing for each stop was incredibly accurate, allowing us to make the most of our time without ever feeling rushed. We experienced an incredible variety of Iceland's breathtaking landscapes and attractions, and everything flowed seamlessly.

Every detail was handled with care—from coordinating our rental car, hotels, and excursions to recommending fantastic restaurants along the way. It was clear that every recommendation came from genuine local knowledge and firsthand experience, making the trip not only unforgettable but also completely stress-free.

What truly set this experience apart was Gummi's attention to detail, responsiveness, and commitment to creating an itinerary that felt personalized to our family rather than one-size-fits-all. We were able to relax and fully enjoy every moment, knowing everything had been so thoughtfully planned.

We absolutely fell in love with Iceland and are still amazed by its beauty and magic. This was one of the best family vacations we've ever taken, and the memories we made will stay with us for a lifetime.

What an amazing, well-organized trip! Our 3 generational family, ages 3-76 spent 7 days exploring Snaefellsness & the Golden Circle. KimKim magically put together the perfect itinerary, made hotel and rental car arrangements & made many of the necessary reservations for some fun excursions. They built in flexibility too! Noga, Nick & Maria were all wonderful & stayed in touch throughout the trip. Kudos!

We began planning for this trip over a year before departure...and we quickly realized that we needed help. Kimkim to the rescue! We had never used a travel service like this before, and I was a little hesitant at first, but SPOILER ALERT...We will 100% be using Kimkim going forward! It is SO worth it to have a local guide help you with the logistics. We could not have planned the trip to this level without Gummi's help, and he truly made the process so easy. We are a family of 6 (4 kids including 2 teenagers) and we skew more towards the budget side of things than luxury when it comes to travel. Gummi took all of our preferences into consideration, plus all of our unique family needs (a large rental van that would fit us and all of our luggage, accommodations for 6 people to sleep on real beds, varying interests and ability levels) and he planned the PERFECT trip for us. Every single day, we told ourselves that it really couldn't get any better...and then IT DID! Gummi took care of everything...our locations for the places we stayed were perfect for our family, the excursions he planned for us were superb, and his detailed recommendations for where to eat and what to see were essential. We really could NOT have done this trip without him. Possibly the most valuable part of this service was Gummi's insider knowledge and tips on the timeline for each day...he outlined when to leave each morning and approximately how long to spend at each location. We would have been lost without him.

Here are some of the highlights of the trip...although really, we loved it ALLLL!

Foss Hotel Raodara' was a great location...easy to walk to everything in Reykjavik and they had triple rooms to accommodate our family (2 rooms for 6 people). The breakfast here (included) was SO filling and had a huge variety.

Perlan Museum in Reykjavik (outstanding way to start the trip to get familiar with the country and the unique features we were about to explore)

Puffin Tour with Elding--we saw tons of Puffins and the boat ride was beautiful!

Every single spot along the Golden Circle was more stunning than the last! And again, we loved having Gummi's timeline to follow as well as his recommendations for food!

We stopped at Efstidalur for lunch and ice cream and it was SO GOOD! Perfect location and timing for a stop for the hungry crew!

Secret Lagoon was so relaxing and unique for us. We loved it!

Bakki Apartments was perfect for our family! Plenty of space and such a great location. We stopped at GK Bakari for breakfast and those pastries will live on in my brain forever. We even tried to stop back in on our way back to Keflavik but it was closed...heartbreaking!

Glacier Ice Cave experience with Southcoast Adventure really was a thrill for the kids! (I *might* have been a little scared on this, but I tried to be the coolest mom!) Peter, our guide, was so great at explaining the history and the geology while also taking us on a true adventure!

The Vik Apartments were another perfect location and space for our family. So clean, and beautiful, and spacious!

Black Crust Pizza was definitely a favorite and they deserve all the respect for being the best pizza in Iceland...as fas as we know!

Again...the trip plan, including specific timing and food recommendations, came in clutch for the trip from Vik up the coast to Jokulsarlon Glacier. We loved every single stop! The amphibian boat tour by Glacier Lagoon was incredible.

Of course, our finale was a visit to the Blue Lagoon. AMAZING! The comfort entrance package was perfect for us.

I could go on and on, but I've probably already said too much. We cannot thank Gummi enough for sharing his expertise, his love of Iceland, and his time and energy with us! THANK YOU, GUMMI!

Hotel Reviews

Vík Apartments

Vik I Myrdal

This place is BEAUTIFUL! So perfect for our family. We loved walking around the area and eating some crepes in the evening! The fact that there was laundry available was so helpful!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bakki Apartments & Hostel

Eyrarbakki

This was a big WIN for our big family. We loved being able to stay all together after two nights spent in two separate hotel rooms. This space was perfect for us and so cute! We loved the location right along the ocean. So beautiful and perfect for an evening walk.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Fosshótel Rauðará

Reykjavík

Such a great breakfast! Loved that they had an early check in option. Totally worth the $40 for us to get a little organzied after an overnight flight.

Authenticity & Character

The hotel looks a little tired, but it has everything you need! Don't sleep on this budget friendly option.

Location

We walked everywhere and there was free street parking.

Staff

The team was so accommodating!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Beds were super comfortable!

Activity Reviews

Glacier Ice Cave Experience

Iceland

Peter was a SUPER guide! He really showed us a great time...we loved every minute of this! (Even if some of us were scared!)

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon by Amphibian Boat

Iceland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Reykjavík Puffin Watching

Reykjavík

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport