Kimkim Trip Reviews for Iceland

We highly recommend Emanuela. We had a wonderful experience in Iceland. Hotels, itinerary and food recommendations were amazing. Would definitely book with her again.

Andres helped us book an incredible trip. We enjoyed every minute, and it was the perfect combination of activities for adults and children. The accommodations were fantastic and the activities were so much fun. It was wonderful. I will definitely use Kim Kim again!

Sigurdur planned a spectacular Icelandic adventure for my young family. He was very responsive to every question I had during the entire process. Each day was planned perfectly. His hotel selections were exactly what I had asked for. All excursions booked were wonderful and ran smoothly. I could not have asked for more of this trip. Thanks Sigurdur and Kimkim!!

Hotel Reviews

Room With A View Apartment Hotel

Reykjavík

Amazing location and very spacious rooms. Bar next door which was loud into the night. Shower didn’t work and we had already unpacked so we just dealt with it. Location and spaciousness outweighed any issues.

Authenticity & Character

Nice

Location

I’m the center of all touristy things.

Staff

Friendly but sometimes hard to find.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean and comfortable!

Hotel Örk

Hveragerði

Hotel is under renovation. With that said our room was updated and very nice. Blackout curtains worked great. While their pool looked very dated it was very nice to take a dip at the end of the day. Great location, right across the street from a commercial building with wonderful food options.

Authenticity & Character

It’s difficult to review because it is under construction to update and the updated parts are nice.

Location

Staff

Very nice and helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean and comfortable!

Hotel Vík í Mýrdal

Vík

Beautiful hotel. Beautiful rooms. Blackout curtains do a great job. Laundry service available which was great!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to everything Vik

Staff

Very kind and even provided us space heater to dry out our gloves.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean! Comfortable!

Hótel Lækur

Hella

Quaint countryside hotel. Great for relaxation and gateway to the south coast.

Authenticity & Character

Loved the little cabin we stayed in.

Location

Staff

Extremely friendly and accommodating

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean!

Activity Reviews

Faxaflói Bay Whale Watching Excursion

Reykjavík

Informative and saw many whales and puffin. Really enjoyed.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Blue Lagoon

Iceland

Commercial but iconic to Iceland so a must do. Had a great time. Silica face masks were a fun perk.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The Secret Lagoon

Iceland

Unique small lagoon. Had an authentic less commercial feel. Really enjoyed.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Jokulsarlon glacier lagoon amphibian boat tour

Iceland

Informative boat tour regarding the glacier lagoon and climate change. Enjoyed it a lot.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Puffin watching tour at the Ingolfshofdi cape

Iceland

Puffins everywhere! Lots of fun.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Wonderful trip - we really enjoyed our guides and the spots we saw. Andres and Aron were our guides and planned a great day for our group. We had a wonderful time and would recommend them!

Trip of a lifetime! sigurdur was attentive, and made sure an excursion was rescheduled when it was cancelled due to weather, so we could make sure we got in all of our priorities on our trip. The Kimkim team was outstanding from start to finish.

Jenny pointed us to many interesting sights. Our favorite was seeing the magical little puffins up close. All the accommodations were very clean and in peaceful spots. It was a wonderful trip. Thank you!

Activity Reviews

Blue Lagoon

Iceland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Silfra Snorkeling Adventure with Transport

Reykjavík

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Horse Riding on Black Sand Beach

Iceland

Vik is a beautiful place. The guides were wonderful. We got to see the huge cliffs on the beach with all the birds nesting there. Of course the Icelandic horses are lovely.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Amazing trip
Preethi was so responsive and wonderful. Michele was great.
We cannot wait to go back.
They were able to help us with switching the booking for one activity and making it later immediately. Preethi was ready with suggestions for a rainy day. Overall I highly recommend this entire South coast trip

The entire trip was well planned in an excellent, courteous, collaborative working relationship with Preeti. She sought to meet our desires and wishes for the trip and incorporated them into the itinerary. We accomplished ALL the elements of the itinerary and in addition, a few of the suggested options. We also added a few of our own after reading books about options in touring Iceland. One was the Fridheimar Tomato Farm and Restaurant -geothermal greenhouses for growing tomatoes and other vegetables. Of course all the major waterfalls were amazing and the trip up to Husavik where we had outstanding steamed mussels at Naustid. We arrived for lunch at 2:30pm, they were open, but said the mussels were only on the menu for dinner. When we said we came from the U.S. to have mussels...the chef said. "They're on the way" for lunch, and they were better than the mussels we had in Bruges Belgieum. All interactions with staff in hotels and restaurants were very good. No language problem. Bakkagerdi old harbor was an excellent experience viewing puffins up close and personal along with the puffins tour at Ingolfshofdi arranged by Preeti. Overall the trip exceeded our expectations and KimKim and Preeti did an excellent job planning a trip that takes the hassle out of travel. Blessings to you all!
We offer a suggestion when planning for seniors - consider hotels with elevators or first floor accommodations. We did have help with moving luggage when requested. Overall we are very pleased with the results and will represent KimKim well to others to wish to plan for non-group travel. It was refreshing to stop the car whenever we wanted to check on birds in the lakes, take advantage of a good photo op and watch the buses and vans whiz by. Thank you very much! The only regret is that we now have over 1000 pics to sort out. Smiles and happy memories!

Hotel Reviews

Skuggi Hotel by Keahotels

Reykjavík

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Búðir

Búðir

The BEST we experienced - hotel, breakfast, dinner, room...

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel West

Patreksfjörður

Authenticity & Character

very small rooms for accommodating luggage for 2 persons

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Vogur Country Lodge

Deildarey

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Owner was personal and engaging on arrival, at dinner, breakfast and on departure.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hérað - Berjaya Hotels

Egilsstadir

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

All services done well including excellent breakfast offering

Hotel Laugarbakki

Laugarbakki

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Berjaya Hotel Mývatn

Mývatn

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Again, Icelandair hotels have excellent breakfasts

Milk Factory

Höfn

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Minimal breakfast offering

Hótel Klaustur

Kirkjubæjarklaustur

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The provide an excellent breakfast

Hotel Örk

Hveragerði

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Puffin watching tour at the Ingolfshofdi cape

Iceland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Personal knowledge of staff and allowing time to take in the awesome experience

Terry planned a fantastic trip for us!

My partner just finished 12 years of medical training,
and this trip was to celebrate his amazing accomplishment. I wanted it to be special.

We went to Iceland for the first time and decided to use KimKim to alleviate some travel stress. Terry created a detailed itinerary, respected our budget, and crafted a well-organized and efficient trip plan that considered our likes and dislikes for activities, hotels, and even restaurants!

Terry's notes on our itinerary, such as suggested places to make dinner reservations, were so helpful. We are both vegetarian, and a few weeks before the trip, Terry sent us a list of vegan/vegetarian restaurants in each location, which was very considerate.

All the details, the communication, and the accommodations were excellent. We are so happy with the trip.

It was a very smooth trip, and because of Terry, we focused on just having fun. No stress. We will definitely use kimkim again!

Amazing trip!
Iceland is a magical place full of kind people, great food, and incredible landscapes. We will come back some day is there is still so much to see and do. Thanks to kimkim for their services.

Terry was terrific -- responsive, kept us up to date on possible changes with respect to covid tests, advised us correctly about driving too much, etc. I would like her to plan every trip for us. The maps and instructions were first rate. I mean we are talking about really being on top of every detail over which she had control.
There is one problem. Terry seems to arrange everything and somewhere along the line the people in Iceland get involved. The hotel choices on that end were great in some cases and not as great in others. Whoever arranged for our car did so with an agency that was closed when we arrived. There was a kiosk that you could use but somehow it did not work for us. Consequently, we spend a couple of cold hours after a long flight dealing with the problem. Eventually, we took an expensive taxi ride to the first hotel and came back -- another expensive taxi ride -- in the morning to get the car, We were told to keep the receipts and we would be reimbursed but we are waiting for instructions on how to make this happen.

Preeti arranged a fabulous itinerary for our trip to Iceland. We loved the Seljalandsfoss waterfall, the Jokulsarlon amphibian boat ride in the spectacular glacial lagoon fed by the Breidamerkurjokull glacier, our walk on black sands of the Breidamerkursandur (Diamond Beach), our ferry excursion to the Westman Islands, where we enjoyed an exhilarating rib ride around the island to caves and puffin colonies, the amazing Elhraun moss covered lava fields dating from the might Laki eruption in 1783-1784, and walking the streets of enchanting Reykjavik including our stay at the upscale Hotel Borg.

Activity Reviews

Activity options for the South East Coast

Iceland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Activity options for the South West Coast

Iceland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Rental car pick up

Everything was good. Recommended place were very good.

The best: Waterfalls, Whale watching in Husavik, the canyons, Iceberg Lagoon, Jeep tour (terrific.) Also -- the Blue Lagoon. Touristy? Yes. But fun and worth seeing. Good experiene. Good way to start the trip. And.... Rejkavic restaurants..... Pricy, but very good. Skal, in partcular. Very good.

The not so good: Geysir: Touristy and boring. Skip it. IcelandAir hotel by Rejkavik marina. Noisy and not so good.

Service from Andres Ulfur: 5-star. Super. Responsive. Always available.

Overall: Very good. Expensive. But, if you can afford it, worth it.

Andres Ulfur service.

Hotel Reviews

Reykjavík Marina - Berjaya Iceland Hotels

Reykjavík

Noisy, no parking. TV didn't work! Staff no help.

Authenticity & Character

Location

The bar.

Staff

No TV!!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Blow it up and start again.

Hótel Lækur

Hella

Small, funky hotel with great staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Breakfast and overall service.

Staff

Staff talkative and friendly. Accomodating.

Cleanliness & Comfort

small rooms. But breakfast space good.

Fosshotel Núpar

Kálfafell

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Non-caring staff.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Fosshótel Mývatn

Myvatn

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Alda Hotel Reykjavík

Reykjavík

Tips for future travelers

Don't go there if you have a car! Otherwise, hotel is good.

Authenticity & Character

Hotel staff friendly, talkative, and helpful.

Location

Hotel is good. Location great. Could improve or make available PARKING. Many guests have cars!!

Staff

Hotel staff great. "Happy hour" staff terrible. Didn't know drinks. Came across as stupid and non-caring. Hostile, which was so unlike the normally friendly and helpful Icelander. The "hostess" should instead clean rooms. Job as a maid may be too difficult for such a person, but it may be only job she's qualified for.

Cleanliness & Comfort

"Happy hour." Overpriced crap. Poor service. So bad that hotel management should do something about it.

Activity Review

Fjallabak Nature Reserve- Superjeep tour in the highlands

Iceland

Jeep driver and guide.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The driver was great. "Tate" Ulfarsson. Friendly, knowledgeable, and brought us to unusual and awesome places. Only a Jeep could get there. Snow, waterfalls, hot springs. etc. Great day. Picked us up and dropped us off at hotel. From 9:30 to 4.. One of the highlights of the whole trip.

Transport

$-wheel drive vehicle with 48 inch wheels. Necessary for the places we went.

Rinolda at KimKim did a great job in planning our trip. We had a wonderful trip because of the suggestions and the itinerary that Rinolda did for us, Hikes, restaurants, fjords, hot baths, ice lagoon in zodiac all were excellent. thank you Rinolda!

Our trip was amazing! I cannot thank Jenny enough for not only picking great destinations but really listening to what we are interested in a building an itinerary that we didn’t miss a single suggested stop!
What I also loved was how it was created in order so you didn’t have to figure out which was a priority or not along.

Her consistent communication and follow up was great.

Ok-now for our trip experience. Unbelievable!!
We could have stayed 2 extra days in Snaefellsnesd(sp) as well as an extra day in the Golden Circle.
The accommodations were great, nice staff and our last night had to be modified but I think resulted an amazing upgrade! We tried to hit all restaurants suggestions and they were spot on!
Our checkin for hotel and excursions were seamless.

Thank you for putting an 8 day trip together that was absolutely seamless

If you can at least try to see all the stops given, it’s worth it!!

Preeti was excellent.... everything was memorable couldn't ask for better person to handle everything

My daughter and I just completed an epic 15 day tour of Iceland thanks to Francesca, our dedicated kimkim specialist.

Francesca delivered a flawless, personalized adventure that we will never forget.

As a seasoned traveler and past travel agent, I knew better than to try to curate this trip. I needed someone who knew where to go, how long it would take to get there, yet also have the insider information to direct us to off the beaten track sights and special gems.

Of the tour operators I contacted, kimkim was the only one that asked me for more information before recommending a general tour. Once Francesca assessed and understood our interests, activity level and expectations, she cooked up a highly personalized itinerary that met our needs and exceeded said expectations.

Glad we upgraded to an automatic AWD as the car was our home for some 1800 miles and the heated seats made a BIG difference. The car wifi also came in handy multiple times.

We truly loved our time at the different thermal spas we visited, the endless views, the constantly changing scenery and weather. Diamond beach was a favorite stop and driving the Western Fjords felt like playing a video game! Not for the faint of heart.

Thank you Francesca for a trip we will never forget. Thank you for your instant responses to my emails, your knowledge and expertise, your handholding and your availability for suggestions while we were traveling.

We loved every minute and mile of our trip to this enchanting country of fire and ice.

Activity Reviews

The Geothermal Vok Baths

Iceland

Go jump in the lake!

Quality of Experience

Myvatn Nature Baths

Lake Mývatn

Go jump in the lake!

Quality of Experience

Blue Lagoon

Iceland

Great place to start your trip...especially after a long overnight flight!

Quality of Experience

Not one thing went wrong. Nothing.

We spent 10+ days in Iceland, staying in 8 hotels, rented a car, visited dozens and dozens of destinations, participated in some for-pay activities (whale watching, glacier lagoon boat, hot springs, etc.) and it was flawless. That rarely happens when I book my own trip.

On top of this we had detailed maps for every day (that were based Google maps, with each destination laid out), optional activities, local insights, restaurant suggestions. The hotels were all very good, the driving rimes reasonable, and the trip was AMAZING.

During the planning process Preeti communicated at each step, really worked to understand what we wanted (small groups, boutique hotels, off the beaten path destinations) and she tailored the trip for us, asking for feedback, adjusting and delivered a great adventure for the four of us.

I feel like I need to mention one more thing: we had originally planned on taking this trip in 2021 and Preeti had helped us put a trip together (to the point of us only having to put down a deposit) and then we had a medical emergency and, by necessity, stopped responding. Preeti was so very understanding when we finally did connect a few weeks later and was hugely enthusiastic when we reached out to plan our 2022 trip.

Hotel Reviews

Exeter Hotel by Keahotels

Reykjavík

This is a fine hotel in a very touristy area. Parking is hard (garage is near impossible for a SUV). Close to other sites (we walked everywhere aside from our visit to Sky Lagoon). In house restaurants for street food, lots of options around.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Fairly busy tourist area.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

ION Adventure Hotel

Nesjavellir

This place is incredible. The location is remote, but the hotel is so unique and the pool is an incredible treat. Food is solid, bars are fun.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hótel Kría

Vík

Beautiful, modern hotel with nice rooms, solid restaurant and located in a town with breweries, pizzerias and great views and access to nature.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Fosshotel Glacier Lagoon

Hnappavellir

Another beautifully designed hotel, modern, clean and stunning location.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Hallormsstadur

Egilsstadir

This was our least favorite hotel. The hotel is dated, the rooms are VERY hot, it seems to be very popular with bus rides and the restaurants were not great (and the hotel was so remote that the nearest options were about a 20 minute drive). The hotel was fine, just not at the same caliber of the other 9 hotels we visited.

Authenticity & Character

The hotel is dated.

Location

It's remote, but in a beautiful woodland.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The rooms were extremely hot and one small window.

Fosshótel Mývatn

Myvatn

Stunning hotel, amazing views, amazing location. Great rooms.

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful design, beautiful location.

Location

Location & views.

Staff

Very friendly and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Laugarbakki

Laugarbakki

This hotel was really remote. The restaurant was fine. The rooms are modern and updated.

Authenticity & Character

Location

The hotel is really not located near anything, but stopped a long day of driving from being longer.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Fosshotel Hellnar

Hellnar

This is a very basic hotel. Nice location, isolated, good restaurant.

Tips for future travelers

There is an on-site restaurant (that was very good) with limited offerings. There is another town a few KM away that has broader and less expensive offerings.

Authenticity & Character

Very simple hotel, nothing fancy.

Location

Great views, access to nature.

Staff

Excellent, prompt help.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean.

Activity Reviews

Husavik Whale Watching

Iceland

An old oak boat, dolphins, whales and incredible views. We learned a ton as well.

Quality of Experience

Myvatn Nature Baths

Lake Mývatn

Stunning pools, modern facility (and they are remodeling).

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Iceland Thermal Bath Experience

Iceland

This is such a great alternative to the blue lagoon. The seven step ritual is worth the extra money. Modern, clean, great experience.

Quality of Experience

Katla Ice Cave

Iceland

Don't set your expectations on seeing a cave -- we did and it was fine. The best part is being in an incredibly remote part of the tackier, no crowds and incredible beauty. Our driver was sarcastic and funny and gave us a great overview.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

It was a bumpy ride, but was great!

Jokulsarlon glacier lagoon Zodiac boat tour

Iceland

A truly remarkable, small group tour. Boat pilot was knowledgable, funny and engaging.

Quality of Experience

The Geothermal Vok Baths

Iceland

This is an amazing facility. Truly one of the best we've visited. Do not miss.

Quality of Experience

Agent did an amazing job booking a tour exactly how we wanted it. Everything went off without a hitch and it was an unforgettable experience that I will always cherish! I would highly recommend Emanuela

My husband and I were scheduled to take a circumnavigation cruise of Iceland that was canceled with just a few weeks notice. We already had airline tickets and activities planned for two days in Reykjavik when I contacted Terry in a panic with a request to fill the remaining ten days with a Ring Road tour. She asked about our interests and did an amazing job! The car rental, hotel accommodations, and pacing suited us very well. Our daily plan was so easy to follow and included absolutely everything we could have wanted. The activities were well-chosen and included things that I would never have thought of, like a tour of a lava cave. I’ve always wanted to see puffins so she suggested a trip to Grimsey Island and made all of the arrangements. It was the highlight of out trip! There were puffins, arctic terns, kittiwakes and guillemots everywhere! We loved it!
My husband and I love to travel and prior to Covid spent at least 25% of our time away from home. I did all of the planning and always enjoyed doing it. KimKim and Terry made this trip so easy and delightful that I have decided to retire as our family travel agent!