Kimkim Trip Reviews for Iceland

The entire trip was amazing. The itinerary set up very well. All of the tours and guides were fantastic. The glacier walk was very interesting and the kayaking beautiful. We especially enjoyed the whale watching trip. The guide and Captain were both exceptional and made it very fun. We loved how close we were able to get to the whales We were lucky to enjoy good weather on all the tour days as well. One of our favorite spots was the Við Lónið Guesthouse, and the town of Seyðisfjörður.

The only issue we encountered was the Torg GuestHouse. Once we got it, the room was so small that there was barely any space for our luggage or to walk around. There was also construction going on around the square so it just didn't have a good feel.

All the other hotels were great to nice and we enjoyed our stay at each - especially the ones that had pools to lounge in.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Holt—The Art Hotel

Reykjavík

Older property. Great location.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hótel Húsafell

Húsafell, Borgarbyggð

Beautiful property! Enjoyed the hot tub pools. Restaurant was top notch. Great hiking around there if you have time.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Torg GuestHouse

Akureyri

Authenticity & Character

The room and bathroom were so small - barely fit our luggage and bathroom was hard to move around in

Location

Location was good but some construction going on and hard to access.

Staff

No staff on site - could not access the room upon arrival as we never received a code for the door.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hótel Laxá

Myvatn

Hotel was nice. Rooms were smaller but had a good view.

Authenticity & Character

Just standard looking property

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Við Lónið Guesthouse

Seyðisfjörður

It was a fun property!

Authenticity & Character

Old historic building converted into guestrooms.

Location

The views were amazing! Right in town - walk to everything.

Staff

No staff on property but the communication was great!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very comfortable.

Hótel Jökulsárlón - Glacier Lagoon Hotel

Hofn

Beautiful property!

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful property with a lovely patio with views and two hot tub pools that many guests, including ourselves enjoy.

Location

Staff

Very helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hótel Grímsborgir by Keahotels

Ásborgir

It is a very spread out property, rooms were large, hot tub available and the breakfast was fantastic.

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful setting and guest room buildings were spread out over the property.

Location

Centrally located to everything we were scheduled to see in the Golden Circle

Staff

Very proper and polite

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Kolugljúfur Canyon

Iceland

Quality of Experience

Explore Akureyri

Iceland

We preferred the remote places as opposed to a city in Iceland.

Quality of Experience

Hraunfossar

Iceland

Another beautiful unique waterfall.

Quality of Experience

Geological Wonders of Lake Myvatn

Iceland

Quality of Experience

Grjotagja Cave

Lake Mývatn

Cool place expecially if you are a Game of Thrones fan. Don't need much time there.

Quality of Experience

Explore Reyðarfjörður

Iceland

Quality of Experience

Grabrok Crater

West Iceland

4 stars becuase we hit it on a very windy day and was difficult conditions. Good experience though.

Quality of Experience

Explore Reykjavík

Reykjavík

Quality of Experience

Sky Lagoon Experience - Saman

Reykjavík

Absolutely amazing way to end our trip. The best spa/pool experience!

Quality of Experience

Forest Lagoon Pool Experience

Iceland

Beautiful spa experience.

Quality of Experience

Goðafoss Waterfall

Iceland

Just when you think you have seen them all you come across Godafoss waterfall. Stunning.

Quality of Experience

Whale Watching RIB Boat

Iceland

Absolutly amazing experience with a supberb guide and caption.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Dettifoss, Selfoss, and Hafragilsfoss

Iceland

Every waterfall unique and beautiful

Quality of Experience

Explore Seyðisfjörður

Iceland

beautiful little spot. one of our favorites.

Quality of Experience

Explore Djúpivogur

East Fjords

4 star only because we had bad weather that day and couldnt see see anything.

Glacier Walk & Kayaking Experience in Vatnajökull National Park

Iceland

Very interesting

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon and Diamond Beach

Iceland

Simplu stunning!

Quality of Experience

Explore Vík

Iceland

Beautiful town with black sand beaches.

Reynisfjara Beach & Reynisdrangar Columns

Iceland

Quality of Experience

Dyrhólaey Arch and Cliffs

Iceland

Quality of Experience

Skogafoss Waterfall

Iceland

Quality of Experience

Seljalandsfoss & Gljúfrabúi Waterfalls

Iceland

Quality of Experience

Laugarvatn Fontana Spa

Golden Circle

First "spa" experience. Didn't spend a ton of time there becuase we still had some sights to see. It was lovely with beautiful views and very relaxing.

Quality of Experience

Geothermal Bakery Experience

Golden Circle

Quality of Experience

The bread you tasted at the end was fresh out of the "oven" and delicious!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Þingvellir National Park

Iceland

Quality of Experience

The tectonic plates and hiking around. Not difficult but beautiful and interesting.

Geysir Geothermal Area

Iceland

Quality of Experience

Gullfoss Waterfall

Iceland

First waterfall we saw and it was spectacular.

Quality of Experience

Our trip to Iceland was incredible. We were 6 adults who travelled the Ring Road, 2550kms in total! We were fortunate to have Gummi as our travel advisor and local fixer. From start to finish, Gummi was a great help. WE had only two issues during our entire trip and Gummi was very quick to respond and to smooth out the problems. He picked some wonderful hotels for us to stay in. Our favourites were the Hotel Ranga, Hotel Jokulsarlon, and the Hotel Husafell. He arranged for us to drive a Toyota Proace via Blue Car Rentals, which was perfect for the group. It was quite easy on fuel too. Our tours were also quite good, although the Katla ice cave is less of a cave and ore of a smaller hole due to ice melting and deterioration. All of our small tour guides were terrific. The lava cave experience in Vidgelmir was particularly fantastic. Also important were the detailed notes that Gummi provided about parking, facilities at the places we visited, and other relevant information. Our days were quite filled, and we mostly felt like we saw the main highlights of Iceland, and a bit more. That said, by the latter part of our trip, we opted not to drive around the entire Snaefellnes peninsula in order to enjoy a more leisurely day. Gummi arranged for us to experience four of the famous Iceland thermal baths. I added two more: the Secret Lagoon and the Lysulauger algae bath. For some of the group, it was their first and only trip to Iceland; for others, we will return again!

If your going to Iceland, using KimKim ask for Guðmundur Óli . He was great to work with.... had all our MUST HAVES... and the just all the extras.

It was an AWSOME 9 days in Iceland.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Vík í Mýrdal

Vík

Rooms and bathrooms were tiny.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Holt—The Art Hotel

Reykjavík

Room was fully carpet.... had stains.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hótel Húsafell

Húsafell, Borgarbyggð

What a RESTURANT!!!!! hotel and food were spectacular.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Secluded

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Glacier Ice Cave Experience

Iceland

Cave tour was 3 minutes... To expensive, to far to drive. Wasn't impressed

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Old truck..... not in good condition

We had a fantastic experience planning our Iceland trip through kimkim. I came across the site while trying to pull together some initial plans for a trip to Iceland, and I'm so glad I did. Our agent, Gummi (Gudmundur Oli), was incredibly helpful and always timely with responses. We discussed our price range, what we liked to do on vacation, and what we were hoping to see in Iceland. He really listened to what we wanted from the trip and built a personalized plan that we fine-tuned together. Once our flights were booked, Gummi handled everything else. The daily travel links with all our stops on Google maps and time-specific schedules he provided were a game changer, helping us stay on track and make the most of every day.

It was an extremely smooth, thoughtful, and genuinely enjoyable experience.

Hotel Reviews

Vík Apartments

Vik I Myrdal

It was great to have an apartment style place to stay. It had everything we needed and was so convenient. Great location in Vik and just wonderful

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hótel Grímsborgir by Keahotels

Ásborgir

Fantastic hotel. Great location for our travels and great food. We wish we could have stayed longer.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Reykjavík Marina - Berjaya Iceland Hotels

Reykjavík

Fantastic hotel. Great location, great personality, great food. Amazing.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Explore Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon by Amphibian Boat

Iceland

AMAZING!!! Even though it was sleeting, this was such a wonderful experience. Great pictures and so much fun.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Glacier Ice Cave Experience

Iceland

What a fun excursion. Our guide Peter was knowledgeable and so nice. We all loved this experience

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We thoroughly enjoyed our trip visiting East/South Island. Eric provided us with more than enough activities that he thought we would enjoy, and though it was not possible to see them all, Eric's choices for us were well though out. The four of us talked about our favourites, which included Studlagil Canyon's basalt columns, Thorsmork (we hiked 15 km for 5 hours), Mulagljufur Canyon (which we hiked to the top), and the Puffins at Borgarfjordur Eystri. Not organized by Eric but noteworthy for any golfers was Brautarholt Golf course...every hole was stunning and the staff was so friendly! The Katla Ice cave tour was organized by Eric and it was very interesting - our guide Jon was entertaining and informative. We enjoyed Vok Baths and Sky Lagoon when our bodies needed some TLC. We dined very well with some restaurant suggestions by Eric (Apotec, and Pakkhus in Hofn).
We appreciated Eric's attention to find lesser visited areas, for example we drove right by the very crowded Seljalandsfoss because we had Gilsafoss all to ourselves a couple days previous!
All in all, we were in awe every day at the beauty Iceland has to offer, and we will definitely use Kimkim again when we adventure again in the future! Thanks to Eric and Kimkim, well done!

Activity Review

Katla Ice Cave Superjeep tour

Iceland

The drive in was fun and not too long, the gear was suitable, and the tour was interesting, engaging and beautiful! Our guide Jon was entertaining and helpful, and his instructions were clear for safety , gear, etc.

Quality of Experience

The tour gave us access to the natural beauty of the Ice cave, and the surrounding hills.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Jon (spelling?) was entertaining, funny, and very informative about the ice cave. Also good with safety instructions

Transport

There was some trouble with the tire compression which was noisy the entire drive back, but not uncomfortable

The trip was very well planned for trying to squeeze a 10 day trip into 6 days. Thank you for a well planned route which allowed us to see and do almost everything in that shorten time. I will be spreading the word on your services to anyone & everyone who is planning to go to Iceland.

Iceland has long been on our bucket list, but nothing could have prepared us for just how magical this trip turned out to be. From the moment we arrived, we were swept into a world of raw, untamed beauty—towering waterfalls, black sand beaches, glittering glaciers, and moss-covered lava fields that looked like something from another planet. Every direction we turned offered a postcard-perfect view.

What truly elevated this trip into something extraordinary was our incredible guide, Gummi. Warm, professional, and impressively knowledgeable, he not only knew the land inside and out but also shared its rich history, folklore, and geology in fascinating and deeply engaging ways. My daughter and I were traveling alone and we always felt safe, cared for, and completely at ease.

A large part of our trip was was spent at Grimsstaðir farm, where we were welcomed with the kind of genuine hospitality that stays with you. The cottages were freshly built and beautifully designed, with all the essentials thoughtfully provided. The beds were exceptionally comfortable, which made it easy to relax and recharge after long rides. The owners were gracious, kind, and clearly devoted to their beautiful Icelandic horses, who were just as charming and curious as we’d hoped. Spending time with them—both horses and humans—was soul-nourishing and gave us a real glimpse into rural Icelandic life.

This trip wasn’t just a vacation—it was a transformative experience.

Adam put together an amazing itinerary for our 7 day trip to Iceland. A few of our favorite things included descending 700 feet into a dormant volcano, walking behind a waterfall, the Blue Lagoon, Diamond Beach, a Zodiac Boat tour and getting close enough to puffins to get fabulous pictures! Mr. S was a wonderful guide showing us everything on our itinerary and more! Adam was incredibly patient answering all of my questions as we prepared for the trip. I highly recommend a trip to Iceland planned by Adam!

This is my second trip to Iceland planned by Emanuela, and it was somehow even better than the first one! She did a fabulous job planning both trips.

On this trip, we started off with two days of orange advisories for the wind. Emanuela rearranged some things at the very last second to help keep us safe. When we finally did go out there were so many campers and cars were flipped on the side of the roads from wind. Emanuela kept us up to date on everything important and was there for us during both trips.

Her recommendations were beyond stellar—we had one of the best meals of our lives at Slippurinn in Heimaey on our anniversary at Emanuela’s suggestion. Our three favorite things aside from all the food and spending time together were the glacier lagoon boat ride, whale watching, and the food walking tour of Reykjavík.

Go to Iceland and let Emanuela plan it for you—you won’t regret it!

The trip.was well planned out and coordinated for daily activities.

Gummie was very attentive to questions we had with a very quick response time.

I would recommend him to anyone for.travel planning!

Well done

We used kimkim for a week long family trip to Iceland because I was overwhelmed with trying to figure out what to do in such an amazing country. The trip was great and probably far better than if I had planned it myself. We are an active family and I'm not a fan of long drives, so Eric made an itinerary that allowed us to get out of the car and get moving and limited the time on the road. We did waterfall hikes, guided glacier hike, puffin viewing tour, and whale watching. All the tours were fabulous. Having a complete driving plan with the best places to stop on each drive was one of the most helpful part of using kimkim.

We had to make some adjustments due to jet lag and the kids sleeping until 11am every day, but that was easily done since the sun didn't set until midnight. We asked for 2 bedroom apartment style accommodations, which were all lovely. Using kimkim was definitely worth it and took all the stress out of trip planning.

Activity Reviews

Whale Watching Tour

Reykjavík

We saw many dolphins and got close to a couple humpback whales. I've been on a few whale watching trips and this was closest I've been to whales. It felt like they were checking us out at times.

Puffin watching tour at the Ingolfshofdi cape

Iceland

So many puffins! My husband took 2300 pictures of puffins on this tour because his camera can shot 12 images a second. There is a very short but steep sand dune hike at the beginning that some of the others had trouble with, so know your abilities. But you get to run down the dune at the end of the tour.

Solheimajokull Glacier Hike

Iceland

Relatively easy hike onto a glacier with beautiful views of the valley. They had us put on a climbing harness, but there was no actual technical climbing. My 10 year old had no trouble with this hike and it was his favorite part of the trip.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The Secret Lagoon

Iceland

Much smaller than the more popular Blue Lagoon, but large enough we had plenty of room for our family. Had towels and suits to rent.

Quality of Experience

Our trip to Iceland was amazing. The reason for such a great trip was our tour guide Guomundur Oli. He created a great itinerary to see as much as possible that was very detailed (maps for each day, descriptions, estimate of times, restaurant suggestions). The itinerary fit our activity level .

Hotel Review

Pier Apartments

Vestmannaeyjabær

The Pier Apartment was beautiful, spacious, well appointed. It was in a great location, easy to walk to restaurants and museums. Self checkin was easy.

Authenticity & Character

Beautifully appointed, great view of harbor

Location

Easy walk to just about any restaurant.

Staff

No staff was needed.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean and comfortable.

Activity Review

Icelandic Food Walk

Reykjavík

Our guide, Kristin, was very friendly, funny, knowledgeable. The five restaurants were all delicious, providing a wide range of Icelandic foods.

Quality of Experience

Delicious food, variety of Icelandic foods

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Knowledgeable, friendly, funny

Transport

We walked

WOW!! Éric provided an excellent, well thought out itinerary. My whole family was thoroughly impressed. The detail was excellent right down to great dining recommendations. Excellent excellent excellent job. Thank you.

Our day with Gummi was without question the highlight of our trip to Iceland. He is very knowledgeable about his country, historically and culturally.

Wow, just wow!! I looked around for the best self-guided driving tours. I compared Kimkim to others. I ended up picking Kimkim because I liked the way they were able to customize the tour for us. I picked a 10 day driving tour driving around the Ring Road and also the Golden Circle. My guide stayed in touch with me via WhatsApp. I freaked out a lot in the beginning because I wasn't sure I was doing things correctly. Emanuella was very responsive and helpful. Because of the snow storm, we ended up staying an extra day in Akureyri instead of two days in Myvatn. We were still able to catch up on some of the sites we didn't get to see because of the missed day in Myvatn once we headed there. Some excursions we couldn't do because of the weather - we were warned to go straight from Reyjavik to Arureyri. There was an excursion over gravel roads that we had to skip. Just wasn't safe because of the bad weather. But, there were so many sights suggested along the drive that we were always busy and didn't feel we were missing out. We went the first week of June. Such a great time because we have so much daylight. With driving, we got to see all the landscapes. From sunny and clear while we were in Reykjavik, to windy and snowy in Akureyri and other parts in the North, to sunny along the south. We lucked out on our days on boats with sunny weather. It was an amazing trip. We used the suggestions Kimkim provided for finding places to eat, where to visit, geothermal pools, boat tours, and even a horseback riding experience in Vik! I highly recommend using Kimkim. The driving tour came with driving instructions that included all the stops. All the excursion tickets didn't need to be printed - I just needed to give my name and they had our info. The food was so delicious. Highly recommend Icelandic lamb soup. Moe's Food truck in Akureyri was a hit with Gf fish and chips. Thank you, Kimkim and Emanuella!!

Activity Reviews

Amphibian boat tour

Jökulsárlón

We arrived over an hour early and they were able to move us to an earlier boat. The guide was really nice. I liked that the guide talked the colors of the ice and what they were. We even got to touch a piece of ice as well as taste it! I felt this tour was a good length of time. We were able to walk around the park afterwards.

Quality of Experience

It was fun!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The guide was informative and fun.

Glacier Walking

Skaftafell

I was a bit confused where to meet but eventually made my way over after parking. It was a warm day and I was surprised that it was just as warm up the glacier. Our guide prepped us with ice pick and crampons for our shoes (some people didn't have the correct shoes and they had extra hiking shoes for those people). We took a 20 min 4x4 bus ride to the glacier. The off road part is really bumpy! Then, we hiked up to a base area where we put in our crampons. Our instructor was a glacier hiker from Finland. He gave us lessons on how to walk up and down with crampons on the ice. I went from nervous to confident in a very short time. We even got to look down a steep hole in the glacier. I highly recommend this tour. Definitely a highlight. We got lucky with the weather, too!

Quality of Experience

The young guide was very knowledgeable and a great teacher.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Even the young driver who brought us to the glacier and then picked us up at the end was amazing. She really handled the rocky terrain so well.

Transport

Horseback riding on the black sand beaches

Iceland

Definitely one of the highlights of the tour for my daughter. I had to back out after an injury and was refunded for that. They meet at the barn. The guides explain the difference between the way Icelandic horses walk and American horses. Icelandic horses tölt and American horses trot. Then, all got on horses and they walked along the black sand beach in Vik. I drove over to the beach and watched them. Everyone was smiling and giddy at the end.

Quality of Experience

The staff was excellent and organized.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Reykjavík Puffin Watching

Reykjavík

My daughter loved this and we lucked out with sunny weather. They provide binoculars as you can't get too close. Nice tour guide. We saw lots of puffins!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The captain and guide worked well together

Explore Reykjavik and Sky Lagoon

Reykjavík

This was our first stop after arriving. It was such a wonderful intro to Iceland. We loved going through the ritual. I was nervous about all the lagoons on our trip before arriving but I'm glad these were added.

Quality of Experience

People are friendly. They speak English everywhere.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I was using a rental car.

Our trip to Iceland was amazing. Our planner and local specialist, Guðmundur Óli “Gummi” was so helpful and put together an amazing itinerary for our family. He guided us on our ice cave adventure and he was so knowledgeable and personable! We will definitely be using the KimKim app again for our next adventure and recommend Gummi as the Iceland planner and guide of choice! Thank you, Gummi!!!!

Iceland was amazing! Tons of waterfalls, glaciers and volcanoes! Its heaven for the outdoorsy type! Hanna was the agent we worked with to plan the trip and we really enjoyed everything we had planned. The lodging she booked us in throughout the week was perfect for our family of 5! Really enjoyed the waterfall Seljalandfoss, the glacier lagoon zodiac boat tour, swimming at the Blue Lagoon and Sky lagoon and had 2 days at the end of the trip to enjoy the charming town of Reykavik! This was a high school graduation gift for my son. it was his choice and he loved it!

Our family trip to Iceland was the best family vacation we have ever experienced and I give kimkim all of the credit for making it happen smoothly. I can't thank Noga (our local specialist), enough for her skillful, end-to-end planning that allowed us connect all of the dots on a 10-day itinerary that included six hotels, pre-reserved daily activities (i.e., Kayaking, Rafting, Horseback Riding, Whale Watching, etc.) and included self-guided experiences aligned with our family interests.

Logistics couldn't have been better. We circled Iceland on the "Ring Road" with extended stays in locations that allowed us to see what we wanted to see (and do). We knew we wanted to be outside as much as possible to see the incredible, natural wonders Iceland serves up around each turn. The hotels and outfitters kimkim chose to facilitate our accommodations and adventures were superb. Everyone was friendly, insightful and you could see they enjoyed being in the business they were in, whether it was hospitality or adventure guides. Usually, I am the master planner on our family trips, but Noga was excellent in conducting high-level planning to capture wishes and expectations, price range, allocation of time, and then detailed planning took place. This part of the process was extremely informative, completely collaborative, and left me in the driver's seat to make final decisions. Kimkim did all of the planning legwork that is essential in planning a successful vacation experience, particularly in a country I knew nothin about. The ROI (return on investment) with kimkim was extremely high for me. You can measure that in the satisfaction of of everyone participating in the trip, which for me was my family. My reputation as being awesome Dad is still intact.

Because of Noga and the kimkim team (Carina for sure), I intend to use kimkim again on a future international trip we are considering.

Hotel Reviews

Eyja Guldsmeden Hotel

Reykjavik

Our last night in Iceland we stayed at this hotel and didn't have a lot of exposure to internal services. First impressions ... the reception area is cramped (right next to dining), the access to elevators was somewhat impeded with construction / barrier. We did not eat dinner or breakfast here.

Authenticity & Character

Nothing really stood out or differentiated the hotel itself. Was a bit more institutional given it is in Iceland's largest city versus the smaller rural location that we mostly visited on out trip.

Location

While we walked to the Hallgrimskirkja church, the Loki Cafe, and the Rainbow Street (about 15-20 minutes away) the immediate location was not necessarily scenic or historic. We were fine with just having a good hotel to sleep in.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Búdir

Búðir

Stayed two nights, incredible location with views of the surrounding mountains and ocean lagoon. Staff were very friendly and helpful. Service was excellent.

Authenticity & Character

Hotel has a one-of-a-kind charm that makes you feel welcome and at home. Loved the common areas and views out back. Rooms were well apportioned.

Location

Remote location nestled within Icelandic splendor. Only building nearby was the historic "Black Church", which also featured hikes to the coast.

Staff

One of the key attributes of the staff, and this was true in a few of the hotels we visited, is they (like us) are from another country and are here because they want to be. I found that to be super important in the delivery of the service. They are excited about Iceland as we are. That isn't to say native Icelanders aren't excited about their country because they are as well.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Fosshotel Husavik

Husavik

We loved the town of Husavik and the Fosshotel Husavik was well situated to enable exploration of the harbor, surrounding restaurants and shopping. Staff were helpful and accommodating.

Authenticity & Character

Roomy, Spacious, Pleasant

Location

Exactly where we wanted to be. Our priority was proximity to the harbor and Geo Sea Hot Springs. Nestled right behind a beautiful church.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Berjaya Hotel Mývatn

Mývatn

Arrived late, missed dinner and nothing was available in town. That situation was on us, but points out there are, at times, few options to eat when travelling the Ring Road. We intentionally prioritized seeing the country and taking advantage of extended daylight. Seemed a little harder to move our luggage in and out of the hotel. Room was warm, but it did have a mobile fan. Windows could open but there were no screens and some flies were beginning to hatch outside so we just used the fan. Not crazy about the overall location, however we did find a wonderful homemade, farm fresh, ice-cream parlor in the area and "Daddy's Pizza" was great for a lunch.

Authenticity & Character

Staff

Staff were professional and adequate, but not necessarily engaging and friendly.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hótel Jökulsárlón - Glacier Lagoon Hotel

Hofn

A great, secluded location near the coast and right off the Ring Road that provided contemporary charm and elegance. While we were unable to take advantage of internal services such as hot tub, pool, and sauna due to our time constraints, it was clear guests were enjoying all of them. Dinners were elegantly prepared and catered to a broad set of tastes and preferences. We were able to save time by having a breakfast to go option that allowed us to select various food items and take in the car. Views of the glacier outside our hotel room were fantastic. Hotel exuded more upscale in terms of services and furnishings. Would definitely revisit again.

Authenticity & Character

Seclusion and elegance.

Location

Isolated yet easy to reach. Setting retained a sense of wilderness versus town-like. If you plan to spend several days in an Iceland Hotel this is the one to choose. Well positioned to see sights and do things.

Staff

There was a waiter we had for dinner who was from Spain and I believe his name was Antonio. He was quite friendly, humorous and helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Greenhouse Hotel

Hveragerdi

Wonderful in-town setting that was clean, cozy and comfortable. We arrived to late too sample dinner but the breakfast buffet the next day was excellent, and the staff were very friendly and accommodating. We only stayed one night. We felt this was one of the better hotels on our 10-day trip, and would stay here again.

Authenticity & Character

Open atmosphere in the main common areas. Not commercial or gaudy. Exuded one-of-a kind identity versus being institutional.

Location

We arrived relatively late in the day given all of the activities and sights we experienced earlier. Location kept us on our primary route and was a great first stay. We were given a warm, friendly greeting by the reception,

Staff

They seemed really glad to see us and everyone was able to converse in English which was greatly appreciated.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Explore Reykjavík

Reykjavík

We opted for more time touring of the country versus seeing Reykyavik. I personaly would have like to have taken more time to see the city. The day we were visiting Reykavik was quite cold and windy as a gale had swept into the area. We walked to the old town section from our hotel and it was a lot of fun. There is really no crime to speak of so we felt completely safe. We walked to Hallgrimskirkja and enjoyed the Loki Cafe (lamb soup was fantastic), which was right next door. The girls wanted to see the Rainbow street and did some shopping. This is a nice, historic section of town. Had dinner in a ramen restaurant and were not overjoyed.

Quality of Experience

Cliff Walk from Arnarstapi to Hellnar

Snæfellsnes Peninsula

Not bad but the hike was a little more demanding than what you would expect in a shoreline hike.

Quality of Experience

Kirkjufellsfoss

Snæfellsnes Peninsula

This was a must see and the photo you see in brochures is the real deal.

Quality of Experience

My daughter wanted to check this out because it was featured on Game of Thrones. Glad we did.

West Glacial River Family Rafting

Iceland

I can't say enough about this activity as well. It was the perfect length of time (~ 3 hours) and the rivers cuts through wonderful canyon-like landscape. Mostly class 2 and class 3 rapids. Plan on getting wet, but not getting dunked. Gear was fantastic and the guides are great ... very safety conscious.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

A top notch team that takes care of everyone and everything.

Transport

GeoSea Geothermal Sea Baths Experience

Iceland

I'm personally not a big fan of spas or bathing with strangers but my wife and daughter enjoyed it. As far as Icelandic spas go I think this one is a little more scenic (oceanic views) and private (fewer people) versus the gigantic Blue Lagoon.

Quality of Experience

Seemed a bit more upscale and I could see how people who enjoy this type of activity for relaxation and/or socialization would really enjoy it.

Whale Watching RIB Boat

Iceland

Another one of those "we've never done this before" experiences that Iceland seems to deliver all over the island. Can't say enough about how much we anticipated this particular activity. My daughter just graduated in zoology and wishes to become a marine biologist. This was partly her idea and I have to say it exceeded everyone's expectations. You can't make whales magically appear, but we saw plenty of humpbacks.

Quality of Experience

Rib Boats are smaller, faster, and hold fewer people. I think this is the way to go versus larger, slower whale watching boats,

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Completely professional, friendly, highly skilled and entertaining.

Transport

Maximizes ability to quickly seize an opportunity and get you closer to the action.

Stuðlagil Canyon

Iceland

Just amazing!

Goðafoss Waterfall

Iceland

There are so many waterfalls in Iceland that you lose count. You will see high volume, forceful displays of hydraulics that will amaze anyone, as well as small, poetic wisps of water cascading down a huge cliff. That being said, Godafoss was our favorite as a beautiful, quintessential waterfall that could easily be our trip icon.

Quality of Experience

Godafoss is nestled within a picturesque landscape that looks like pure Icelandic countryside. Aesthetically beautiful. Great picture taking.

Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon Kayaking Excursion

Iceland

Great kayaking is all about what you are doing and where you are doing it. It doesn't get any better than kayaking a glacial, iceberg-laded lagoon. Equipment was superb.

Quality of Experience

Never did this before. Location is right next to the Diamond Beach. You can spend a fair amount of time just touring on foot.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Everything and everyone was top notch.

Glacier Ice Cave Experience

Iceland

Overall an entertaining and informative tour into an ice cave contained in the 2nd largest glacier in Iceland, something we had never done before. The previous year we visited glaciers in Canada, but this was a more hands-on exposure through both lava fields and glacial structures. Had hoped for more individual cave rooms than what we saw, but that is a function of mother nature versus the outfitter.

Quality of Experience

The trek revealed a great deal about Iceland's volcanic origins and dynamic glacial interaction ... glacial melt, cave formation, etc.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Boris was outstanding. His expertise, familiarity with the area, knowledge transfer, and sense of humor kept everyone engaged.

Transport

Learned a great deal during the ride to the glacier about how they made the initial roads and the surrounding geology.

Horse Riding on Black Sand Beach

Iceland

We loved the team of guides at the Black Sand Beach. The horse ride was a good way to see the beach and surrounding area. Everything was executed well. Icelandic horses have a charm all their own.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

My daughter (10) and I did an 11 day Ring Road trip. We started having not much of an idea of what we wanted to do, and Hanna worked with us to understand our interests and propose the best itinerary. At Hanna's advice, we started planning early, and were able to book the exact type of hotels and guesthouses that we wanted, and the tours that we were most interested in. During the trip we had a small issue with our car and Hanna and the team helped liaise with the rental company and got it all fixed in no time. We saw zero interruptions to our schedule.

The whole trip was amazing, but some special thoughts/highlights:
- Horseback riding in Egilsstaðir was very special. Helga, the owner of the farm, was very generous with her time and advice, and she seemed to bond with my little girl, which was very special.
- Puffins are the cutest creatures and you can spend hours observing their behaviors! We saw lots in Borgarfjörður Eystri and I just wish we had stayed in town for one night.
- Visiting the Blue Lagoon at opening time (8am) was a great experience and the best way to recover from jet lag. Very few people at that time . We also visited Vok Baths and Myvatn Baths. My daughter made a friend at the Blue Lagoon and we met them again at Vok. We live in the same city, a few minutes drive from each other. What are the odds?!

I now see why people keep going back. So much to see, and so much to learn! We may be reaching out to Kimkim for a next round of Iceland adventures!

We just returned from a seven day trip to Iceland with our adult children. Adam was great to work with and helped plan an amazing trip that our whole family enjoyed. Adam helped make the most of our time in Iceland so we didn't have to waste a minute wondering where to go next or how to get there. There were a variety of activities which were all well planned out and included driving instructions and tips for the day such as "take something waterproof today" or "recommend a 3:00 pm reservation at a particular restaurant" . All details were planned and it made for a stress free trip knowing Adam had thought of all the details. I would definitely use Kim Kim again for another vacation.