Kimkim Trip Reviews for Iceland

We had our first trip with Kim Kim to Iceland and Emanuela Grieco was our travel designer.

By providing her our must and nice to see, she was able to coordinate a trip itinerary that ensure we maximize our time in the country and we were able to do and see all we wanted. Her experience and recommendations were exactly what we were looking for. She was very attentive and responsive before and during the trip.

The hotel selection was comfortable and with a great location to walk around to the recommended places of the city. She provided a written itinerary, inclusive of sightseeing and restaurants suggestions. If you are coming to Iceland, Emanuela is your person.

Activity Reviews

Snorkeling at Silfra fissure

Iceland

The snorkeling experience is a unique one, however the preparation period during the cold weather was difficult. The companies managing this tour should be able to attend this process better for the group as well for the guides.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

South Coast on small group tour - Day 1

Iceland

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was Asi from Troll Experiences and we was very attentive, telling stories about the locations, changing music based the place or story he was telling and knowledgeable of questions we had.

Transport

Ice cave tour and back to Reykjavik - Day 2

Iceland

This has a great experience, hiking in the glacier and learning about its changes provides perspective.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Kostas was our tour guide and he was patient with the team understanding the different people needs.

Transport

Eva was an excellent resource before and during the trip when things didn't go exactly according to plan. I highly recommend her, as well as Sky Lagoon, the Lava Tunnel, the Lava Show in Vik, and driving around the magical landscape that is Iceland.

Hotel Reviews

Reykjavík Marina - Berjaya Iceland Hotels

Reykjavík

Thoughtful, funky decor, great food and excellent hospitality.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Berjaya Hotel Vík

Vík

Excellent restaurant. Rooms functional, but not much more. Staff less friendly / hospitable than elsewhere.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Katla Ice Cave- under the Volcano

Iceland

This tour was a negligent disaster from start to finish. A 3 hour tour that consumed 9+ hours. The van was not properly equipped to handle the snow on the way to the cave. Consequently we got stuck and were pulled out dozens of times. It took over 6 hours to get to the ice cave after the sun had already gone down. During that time the driver provided no updates and refused to turn around even after being asked to do so when it had become apparent that we were well beyond the time allotted for the tour. At the ice cave we were not provided with either the helmets or head lamps other groups were using. As a result, we fumbled around in the dark. And the only provisions were one snack size bag of peanuts and a snack size bag of raisins that were shared by 13 people. We were towed out the entire way to the road, otherwise it would have taken us the same amount of time to get out of there.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Icelandic Lava show

Iceland

Fascinating experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Lava Tunnel Activity

Iceland

Tour guide, Soleil, was informative and charming. Lava tunnel was impressive. A unique experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

I cannot speak highly enough of the team at kimkim based in Iceland. During the planning phase, Francesca was highly communicative, accommodating, and responsive. Then, when we arrived in the midst of a blizzard and subsequent wind storm that forced all roads to close for 24+ hours, Sigurour was a godsend, helping us cancel and book and rebook and reroute all of the planned activities and hotel reservations that had to be changed without warning. He advised us on when and where to go, what to see, what to skip, etc. and was consistently available to respond to ever-shifting circumstances. I am a very experienced traveler, having lived abroad for most of my adult life, and juggling the logistics of this trip due to weather were beyond me. I am deeply grateful and appreciative for the flexibility, responsiveness, and kindness of the entire kimkim team and will treasure my memories of the adventure for a lifetime.

This trip was everything I hoped it would be. Lisbet was very responsive to our numerous questions and clarifications. Patient and very clear. She accommodated all our requests with ease. We hoped to meet her, but alas she was on vacation when we were on vacation. Good for her! But, I did have a small tremor about her not being available while we were in Iceland. No worries! I left a glove behind on a tour and contacted KimKim. Immediate response! I highly recommend KimKim!

Hotel Review

Hotel Ísland – Spa & Wellness Hotel

Reykjavík

We loved Hotel Island! Note - the pronunciation is “Iceland” or “eslanf”. Not I-land!

Authenticity & Character

Location

We loved NOT being in the “tourist” section of Reykjavík!

Staff

Our staff recognized us and engaged us in authentic conversation.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Apparently we needed a ton of pillows. No problem! The beds were very comfortable.

Activity Reviews

Faxaflói Bay Whale Watching Excursion

Reykjavík

We spotted 2 humpbacks about 10 minutes from leaving the dock! Holy cow!

Golden Circle & Farm Visit

Golden Circle

The waterfalls you get to see are beyond stunning.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

I think we learned the most about Iceland and Icelanders from oor guide.

Transport

Katla Ice Cave from Reykjavik

Reykjavík

I am so glad I did this. Mind you , it was hard and sometimes scary. But, ever so stunning!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The staff and fellow travelers were extremely helpful!

Transport

Blue Lagoon

Iceland

No matter the hype - go to the Blue Lagoon - it lives up to the hype!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We did this upon arrival. We were feeling overwhelmed and tired. The staff were very patient and helpful.

Transport

Working with KimKim (and Duncan in particular) was great! This trip was our first time using kimkim and our first time visiting Iceland. Duncan was very responsive to our requests and planned a great introductory trip to Iceland, including some must-see stops plus some stops off the beaten path. We especially enjoyed Mosfellsbakarí, Sky Lagoon, and Seljalandsfoss. We would've loved to stay longer at 360 Hotel & Thermal Baths. Overall, it was an amazing and memorable trip. I'm looking forward to revisiting Iceland and using kimkim again for all my future travel planning.

Duncan was a dream to work with. Our trip was meticulously planned and laid out for us. All we had to do was follow it. We appreciated Duncan checking in during the trip to ensure things were going well. When we requested to change a planned event, he was quick to cancel for us. We would definitely work with Dunan and KimKim again!

Iceland has been our favourite travel destination so far with its extraordinary experiences. We worked with Jenny for the last 5-6 months to plan the itinerary. She was supportive and patient while listening to our interests and suggested a trip plan accordingly. I was very keen on seeing the Northern lights and thankfully she booked the ‘superjeep tour’ for us instead of the regular bus tour as it was faster and we could do off-roading. The tour was booked on the second last day of our trip, however after my request it was rescheduled to the first day in order to maximise our chances of viewing them. We were so lucky that we saw the lights on the first day itself, that too within 30 minutes of meeting the tour operator. The experience made all the difference to our Iceland trip. The other tours – Golden Circle, South Coast 2-day tour and dog sledding – were all amazing. The suggestion of booking a two-day South Coast trip was a great one by Jenny. It included glacier hiking which was wonderful. We had told her early on to avoid a strenuous hike and so she had booked accordingly.

One of our feedbacks would be to have a whatsapp group in order to enable quicker communication during our stay in Iceland. We had one when we went to Greece with kimkim last year and that was super helpful. Also, it took a long time to receive a final itinerary because of weather-related concerns, which made us nervous. But ultimately it all worked out and we are thankful to Jenny and the team for their hard work and for organising an amazing trip for us. Iceland is truly one of a kind.

Thank you,
Nilanjana and Cody

Activity Reviews

Blue Lagoon

Iceland

This is definitely a must-do in Iceland.

Dog Sledding

Iceland

The dog sledding was exhilarating and every bit as good as we imagined. We were concerned about the lack of snow but it proved to be just as wonderful. Jenny was quick to rebook us on dry land when the tour company said there would not be any snow.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Skaftafell Ice Cave Tour & Glacier Walk

Iceland

The name of our mountain guide from Troll expeditions was Sighvatur. He is 68 years old but very fit and active. He guided us very well through the glacier. The weather forecast showed rain on the second day of the two-day South Coast tour so he wisely scheduled the glacier hike on the first day of the tour.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Northern Lights Hunt Super Jeep Tour

Iceland

This tour was definitely the cherry on top of the cake. The guide (Hjortur with Arctic Adventures) was funny and knowledgeable. He took us straight to a breathtaking view of Northern Lights within 30 minutes of picking us up from our hotel. The hot chocolate was spot on. We are glad Jenny booked the superjeep tour as it was faster, more efficient and we could do off-roading and go to places where a regular bus wouldn't. The aurora forecast was just moderate but the lights turned out more than spectacular and we consider ourselves very lucky. We are glad we booked this tour on the first night of our trip because it kept raining continuously the last three days of our stay.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We visited Iceland in November 2022 and our trip was planned by Terry. Terry was extremely helpful throughout the planning process and provided us with great suggestions to make our trip memorable. She was extremely attentive and provided prompt responses to our queries. She gave us all information to help us prepare for the trip.

We were also given a local contact Sigurdur who sorted out tour cancellations quickly making our experience less stressful. We would like to say a big thank you to Terry and Sigurdur for helping us plan the most memorable trip and we will be recommending Kim Kim to our friends who would like to visit Iceland in the future 😊

This was the best trip of our lives! The travel agent, Terry, was amazing and planned our trip to the fullest extent possible! We will use her again in the future!

Activity Reviews

East Glacial River Whitewater Rafting

Iceland

This was the best thing we've ever done!

Quality of Experience

Absolutely breathtaking!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Viking rafting was phenomenal!

Transport

Perfect!

Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon Kayaking Excursion

Iceland

Quality of Experience

Everything!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide was amazing!

Transport

Perfect!

My sister and I had an amazing adventure driving all around Iceland. We are sure to come back as there is so much to see in this beautiful country.

My wife and I had the most amazing trip to Iceland, and that was because of KimKim and our specialist Terry.

Having never travelled to Iceland, I contacted KimKim to help us with our travel. I could not have been more pleased. They assigned us our very own specialist (Terry) and she was communicative, eager to help, professional, and super, super nice. I gave Terry some broad-stroke ideas about the types of things we wanted to do as well as the parameters (like days there, activity levels, and other logistical ideas), and Terry took those ideas and provided me with a fantastic draft plan.

Terry was very willing to work with me on refining the plan, and the end result was absolutely phenomenal.

We traveled for five days, four nights, staying two nights apiece at Hotel Ranga and Hotel Apotek. We saw a lava tunnel, stunning waterfalls, craters, geothermal areas, gorgeous landscapes, the city Reykjavik, and a couple spas. All of it was perfect. The two highlights were the ice cave near Vik and Sky Lagoon in Reykjavik.

More so, the planning done by Terry and KimKim was SO smart. The driving directions Terry provided us with ensured our travels were not only full of adventure but also smartly designed. This was actually the key to KimKim's success on our trip - they planned everything to my design and desire and set my wife and I up for success with a smartly designed plan.

I will admit was a little hesitant to do a self-guided tour (KimKim has other options too), but KimKim made it so easy and so wonderful that those fears and anxieties of being in a new country were immediately resolved.

Anytime I travel, I'm going to use KimKim. One of the top trips in my entire life. And, my wife was thrilled (:

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Rangá

Hella

PHENOMENAL hotel!! Super friendly, professional, and terrific facility. Restaurant was out of this world, but you do need a reservation (can be made early in day). My wife and I found out the hard way and there were no seats available until later in the evening, but the staff immediately rallied and served us dinner upstairs. I could not believe the service. Best hotel staff I've ever experienced. In addition to the staff, the hotel has a service where you can be alerted to Northern Lights when they appear, increasing your odds of seeing them! I would recommend Hotel Ranga to anyone. Phenomenal.

Authenticity & Character

Location

great opportunity to see northern lights

Staff

Phenomenal staff - best I've ever experienced.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Apótek Hótel by Keahotels

Reykjavík

Hotel Apotek has the perfect location in Reykjavik - right in the center of downtown, walking distance to everything. Very friendly staff and GREAT rooms. Be aware, because Hotel Apotek is downtown, the parking can be very tough (no parking garage or lot). That said, the staff was willing to help me with figuring out Iceland's parking app and even brought my bags up to my room while I searched for parking. Hotel Apotek has a restaurant, and the breakfast buffet is the best I've ever had. Great choices to fill us up before exploring the city. No uber in Iceland, but the staff of Hotel Apotek helped us whenever we needed a taxi.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Perfect location. Right in the middle of everything.

Staff

Super friendly and helpful staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Cleaning crew for the hotel was outstanding.

Activity Reviews

Iceland Thermal Bath Experience

Iceland

This was the best spa I've ever experienced in all my world travels (we've been to 15+ countries). The staff are super friendly and professional. Definitely recommend the Sky package. This is where we saw the Northern Lights. Perfect for us on our last night in Iceland. Because Sky Lagoon is on a peninsula outside Reykjavik, it's a great way to see the Northern Lights.

Quality of Experience

Unbelievable experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very friendly staff

Transport

Secret Ice Cave

Iceland

This was the best tour we did in Iceland, and perhaps one of the best we've done in the world (rivals a nature tour we did in Costa Rica). The guides are PHENOMENAL. The views are unreal. It feels like it is totally different planet than Earth. Absolutely loved this tour.

Quality of Experience

Unbelievable tour. One of the two best activities I've done on holiday in the world.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Best tour operators / guides of every activity we did in Iceland

Transport

Fun super jeep travel to get out to the glacier! My wife has motion sickness, and the ride was bumpy, but the team put her (and another tourist) in the front row and both were ok.

Lava Tunnel Tour

Iceland

Good stop! Very cool to see. Guide was phenomenal. Tour was very good.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Blue Lagoon

Iceland

Was a great first stop in Iceland! Arrived in Iceland at 6a and headed straight there. Was super dark and cold and miserable outside, but the lagoon itself was warm. Staff not overly friendly, but the amentities were nice.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I wanted to go to Iceland and had no idea how to plan the trip. Janel did a great job of putting together a trip for my son and me that was just about perfect! Kimkim was so responsive, even helped us make changes once we wee in the country. We got to snorkel, ice caves were perfect and Blue Lagoon on the last day was the perfect end to a beautiful trip.

Iceland is like a dream land - it has a different beauty with glaciers, abundance of waterfalls and black sand beaches. Our trip was planned out by Lisbet with all the spots we wanted to visit in our short 5 days. Everything was very well lined up and Lisbet’s restaurant and cafe recommendations were spot on!
The overall experience was good but I would only recommend that Lisbet could have kept in touch with us while we were in Iceland. Iceland weather is very unpredictable and we were cautioned to not drive if there were high wind gusts - which was the case on our Day 2 and we were left a bit unsure of the trip. Another point we felt has scope of improvement - was the hotel at Hella. We were literally the only family in the whole hotel.

Hotel Reviews

Grand Hotel Reykjavik

Reykjavik

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Hella

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Fosshotel Glacier Lagoon

Hnappavellir

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Vík Apartments

Vik I Myrdal

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Blue Lagoon

Iceland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The staff in women’s changing room was rude and not at all helpful.

ATV to the Black Beach and Plane Wreck

Iceland

Best experience!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Crystal Blue Ice Cave

Iceland

The cave was beautiful and we got some very beautiful pictures. The hike was simple but it was pouring the whole time with wind gusts up to 17mps - although we did get wet completely, put outer layer kept us warm and did not freeze us.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The Secret Lagoon

Iceland

We nice experience

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Before the trip, to be honest, within the family, we have been debating whether or not we should use the Kimkim service as it is not cheap at all. After the trip, I have to say we are very glad that we did!

Halldór and Silvia have saved me enormous research time to customize a trip that fits the very different needs and interests of 4 family members. My mom, brother, husband and I all had a great time in Iceland. Everyone’s wishes were fulfilled.

They have also saved me a lot of time and headaches readjusting the hotel and tour bookings when our plan changed. Indeed they were the reason why I could focus on the journey and experience instead of logistic chores.

They have recommended the best ice cave + lagoon + whale tour in each area during the season. We compared ours with the others and were happy that they'd chosen the best for us. They’ve also warned us in advance when a severe snowstorm was about to hit and readjusted the route and hotel accommodation right away. It was life-saving!

If there is anything that can be improved, I will say I wish we had more transparency in the fee and also what to expect from their service right at the beginning. That would have made our initial communication much smoother.

But overall, I am very happy with Halldór and Silvia, and I would highly recommend any first-time Iceland visitors to use their service.

Trip was amazing! Eva did a great job scheduling out all the activities for each day…never felt rushed on any day and each day had the perfect amount of activities. It was a great mixture of active, fun, and more leisurely things to do. Each excursion went off without a hitch and it was a great time!

Hotel Reviews

Fosshotel Stykkishólmur

Stykkishólmur

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Alda Hotel Reykjavík

Reykjavík

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Stracta Hotel

Hella

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Fosshotel Glacier Lagoon

Hnappavellir

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hótel Kría

Vík

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Reykjavík Saga

Reykjavík

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Explore the Lóndrangar lava formations

Iceland

Gerðuberg Basalt Cliffs

Iceland

Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon

Iceland

Black Sand Diamond Beach

Iceland

Lava Tunnel Activity

Iceland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Zodiac Boat tour

Iceland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Solheimajokull Glacier Hike

Iceland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ice Cave Expedition

Iceland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Langjokull glacier snowmobiling

Iceland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Reykjavík Culture and Food Walk Tour

Reykjavík

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Cliffside walk at Arnarstapi

Iceland

Djupalonsandur Black Sand Beach

Iceland

Emanuela was very helpful and accommodating . She provided us with the perfect itinerary, capturing as much as possible of sites and experiences that mattered most to us. She was able to make adjustments as our travel plans changed and was extremely helpful when we were faced with an unexpected Icelandic storm, throwing everyone into a state of emergency, and causing our Zodiak iceberg tour to be cancelled. She urged us to leave the area quickly and found us new accommodations further South. The next morning the ring road was closed from our new location northward. We would have been trapped without her assistance. Instead, we had 2 more very lovely days to explore Vik and surrounding area with plenty of time to regroup in Reykjavik before heading home. Though we enjoyed all of Iceland, our favorite place was Seydisfjordur, where we stayed with Hotel Aldan (Highly recommend them). We loved our room in the Old Bank and they served the best breakfast of our entire trip. This is also where we finally witnessed the Northern Lights' splendor. Shout out to Martin (works with Anton) - our guide on our Northern Lights tour in Lake Myvatn, who taught us a lot about how to look for them and, though we did not see them that night, I credit him with teaching us how to find them the next.

My wife and I had an incredible experience in Iceland, largely thanks to KimKim.

More specifically, our local specialist Sylvia. She was responsive and organized. She suggested many activities we would have never thought of by ourselves and help us coordinate along the way as our plans changed. I can’t stress enough how amazing she was!

Countless waterfalls, glaciers, mountains, lakes, and of course natural hot baths. I would recommend to anyone that they visit, and get Sylvia’s help to do so!

What a great experience! Jenny was a perfect coordinator with our plans. She stayed in constant contact, if we had any concerns or questions. 100% recommend to anyone traveling to a new place. Everything was easy to navigate, locations, hotels, car, I could not have asked for anything better. Thank you!!

Activity Review

Skaftafell Ice Climbing & Glacier Hike

Iceland

Our guide, Pascal, was informative and awesome. We learned a lot about the landscape and how to climb safely. 100% recommend!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lisbet did an incredible job planning our twelve day trip to Iceland. She really listened to our needs and gave us a very structured list that made planning the trip easy to follow. Not only that, she was very responsive to any messages we sent regarding changes to our itinerary or any other questions we may have had. In fact, one day an excursion we had planned was canceled due to the weather and she contacted us before we had a chance to reach out to her to reschedule at a different location. There is so much to see and do in Iceland (and the language is so difficult) that it was a huge relief to have someone who lives in and knows the country plan our stops and ensure that our trip stayed on a realistic schedule. We loved our horseback riding trip at Hellasport. I have every reason to believe those horses are very humanely kept. Vok Baths, the Secret Lagoon, and Sky Lagoon were our favorites. Blue Lagoon is a must stop, but the other three places were more intimate. I wish we would have had time to fit in a dog sledding excursion, perhaps another time. Our favorite hotels were Hotel Geysir in the Golden Circle and Hotel Laxa at Lake Myrvatn. Hotel Laxa’s staff were so warm and welcoming, and they’re manager, Fion, has created and nurtured a fun, friendly, very comfortable environment. Be wary of the IcelandAir/Berjaya hotels. Evidently, they behave been purchased by another company and are planning to renovate, but some of the rooms look like they haven’t been renovated since the 90s. It’s also a more family friendly chain, which isn’t the environment one would hope for when celebrating a wedding anniversary. However, some places are so remote that they were likely the best options. All in all, I’m very grateful to Lisbet and kimkim for taking the stress out of a fabulous vacation.

Overall, the planning and support by Eva of Iceland Untouched was terrific. We had a small hiccup in that the airport transfer for one of two couples on arrival never showed due to a travel agent miscommunication, but was remedied quickly. If there were any complaints, I would say there was very little down time. We were constantly moving in a hurry to keep on schedule. Because the days were planned around our ability to stay in certain hotels, when one hotel was unavailable, the driving went from 4 hs to 5 1/2 hrs on one day, which was very difficult.

Generally, our guides were excellent, except for one: Ricky, of Glacier Adventures, for our Ice Cave Expedition. He was always in a hurry (our hike from the van to the cave was done at a far faster than needed or normal pace) and he was void of personality. We were the last ones to check in at the facility because we had a 1 1/2 hour drive under normal conditions, but because of the hotel change, we had to leave the hotel well before sunrise and travel on icy roads, which slowed us down considerably. When we were boarding the van to depart Base Camp for the cave, my wife asked if she had time to use the restroom before departure. Ricky appeared irritated and anxious to leave. His response was ok, but there's always the river. My wife, sensing his desire to be on the road, climbed aboard. The ensuing expedition was not very comfortable for her.

If we were to do it again, we would work to limit the amount of driving and build in time each day for some relaxation, instead of always being in a rush.