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Guðmundur Óli Pálmason

Born in Reykjavík, Iceland in 1978, from a young age I was already travelling all over Iceland with my parents.
After a short stint as a driver guide on modified SUVs in 2004, I came back to it full time in 2015 and have been working as one since then.
In 2020, I co-founded Location Scouting Iceland, a company that specializes in finding locations and providing location service for all kinds of productions.
In addition, I have been working as a travel planner and a travel specialist since January 2022.

What places and activities do you specialize in?

"For the last decade or so I have made it a point to explore locations off the beaten path. This includes but is not limited to the north-west and the east of Iceland (the so-called Westfjörds and Eastfjörds) as well as the central highlands. "

How did you get involved in travel?

""I started travelling with my parents around Iceland at an early age and I guess that's where I picked up the travelling bug. In my early 20s I started travelling around Iceland on my own and with friends. My biggest interest was always finding out what was at the end of the unmarked gravel road. What unexplored treasures would I find that weren't on the map?
In 2004 I worked for one summer as a driver guide on a modified Land Rover Defender for the first time. That's when I started to gain experience in off-road driving on glaciers and mountains. I came back to that job in early 2015 and have been working as a driver guide full time ever since. ""

Please share a unique travel experience you will never forget.

""Travelling around the vast Icelandic highlands, the biggest untouched wilderness in Europe, under the midnight sun is something I'd list as my absolutely favorite pastime, with clients or alone.""

Guðmundur Óli is part of the following groups: Iceland Travel Agents
Top itineraries and travel advice
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Favorite experiences

Jeep Tour of Askja Northern Highlands

Deep in Iceland's Northern Highlands is the Askja area, where Mount Herðubreið, a majestic table mountain of a truly peculiar shape, acts as the gateway to the wild region. The peak's dark silhouette is unmistakable, even from very far away. Still, the area's most precious gem is Askja itself,...

Skaftafell Blue Ice Cave & Glacier Hike

Combine two of the most popular excursions in Iceland: glacier hiking and exploring the electric-blue ice caves. Skaftafell Nature Reserve sits within Vatnajökull National Park, home to Europe's largest glacier. So, lace up your hiking boots and get ready to experience an incredible journey along...

South Highlands Helicopter Tour

See Iceland from a completely different perspective by flying above the county's serene, diverse, and breathtaking landscape. This half-day journey brings you the ultimate sample of Iceland's natural and cultural highlights. From stunning glaciers, volcanoes, and waterfalls to marvels of human...

Hiking the Thórsmörk Valley

The Thórsmörk Valley, named after Thor, the Nordic God of Thunder, was carved by glacial river floods from volcanic eruptions under the area's glaciers. It sits just west of Vatnajokull, Europe's largest glacier, and about 45 minutes from the town of Vík on Iceland's South Coast. As you hike...

Recent trip reviews for Guðmundur Óli

VH Iceland
Iceland | Jun 6 - Jun 14, 2025

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Paula V.
Chicago, IL | Reviewed on Jun 23, 2025

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 .

Local specialist: Guðmundur Óli Pálmason

Our day with Gummi was without question the h...
Iceland | Jun 16 - Jun 19, 2025

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Bruce K.
San Jose, CA | Reviewed on Jun 20, 2025
Our day with Gummi was without question the highlight of our trip to Iceland. He is very knowledgeable about his country, historically and culturally. Read more

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

Hotel Review
Hótel Keflavík by Keflavík Airport
Keflavík

In a word, I was disappointed. Not what I expected from a supposedly five star hotel at the rate of $350/night. The disappointment started when we arrived two hours before checkin time, and were told that our room was not ready but that for an extra fee, it could be made ready immediately. When I refused to pay the extra charge, we waited in the lobby until the official 3pm check-in time and when nothing happened, I again inquired as to the status of our room. Again we were told that it was not ready but then shortly thereafter, it mysteriously and inexplicably became ready. In other words, the hotel could have accommodated us but declined to do so. The room included breakfast, but, again not what I expected for the price. The assortment of items was inconsistent and the buffet would randomly run out of food and utensils. One day it was lids for the to go coffee cups (which were the wrong size anyway), another day it was bowls for the cold cereal. Sometimes there was smoked salmon, but only if you arrived early before it was all gone. Sometimes there was as orange juice in the juice dispenser but sometimes not. Sometimes there were no empty tables because they had not been cleaned. Overall, very disappointing. Finally, despite being an “airport hotel “, the hotel does not offer a shuttle service to the airport. That is, unless you are an airline employee in which case there actually IS an airport shuttle. In conclusion, this hotel would be my very last choice for my next trip to Iceland.

Authenticity & Character
Location
Staff
Inconsistent. Some were better than others. Overall, the guest-facing employees need a refresher charm-school class.
Cleanliness & Comfort
Local specialist: Guðmundur Óli Pálmason
Guðmundur Óli
Guðmundur Óli Pálmason
Local specialist in Iceland | Replied on Jun 21, 2025
Hi Bruce
Thank you for the kind words. I really enjoyed our day together exploring the south coast and all the various topics we talked about. I'm impressed by how much Mimi remembered from reading the old Icelandic sagas years ago.
As we talked about in the car, I'm also surprised and disappointed in the hotel's service and kinda wish I had been a bit more stern on having you stay where I originally wanted you, but I can understand you felt it would be better to stay closer to the airport.... Read more

Hi Bruce
Thank you for the kind words. I really enjoyed our day together exploring the south coast and all the various topics we talked about. I'm impressed by how much Mimi remembered from reading the old Icelandic sagas years ago.

As we talked about in the car, I'm also surprised and disappointed in the hotel's service and kinda wish I had been a bit more stern on having you stay where I originally wanted you, but I can understand you felt it would be better to stay closer to the airport.

I am going to follow this up with the hotel and will let you know if anything comes of it.

I do hope I'll see you both in Iceland again soon. There's still much to be discovered :)

Our trip to Iceland was amazing. Our planner ...
Iceland | Jun 10 - Jun 15, 2025

Traci
Traci W.
Los Angeles, CA | Reviewed on Jun 18, 2025

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!!!!

Local specialist: Guðmundur Óli Pálmason
Guðmundur Óli
Guðmundur Óli Pálmason
Local specialist in Iceland | Replied on Jun 18, 2025

Thank you so much for the kind words Traci!
It was a pleasure to meet you all!
Hopefully we'll see you in Icaland soon again :)

Fun family adventure that was stress free
Iceland | May 23 - May 30, 2025

Rachel
Rachel C.
Dallas, TX | Reviewed on May 31, 2025

Guðmundur "Gummi" Óli Pálmason was so helpful in planning our last minute visit. He readjusted the itinerary a few times to meet our needs and wants, and gave us some very valuable insider tips for each activity, location and lodging. We thoroughly enjoyed our first trip to Iceland and can’t wait to return. We can’t thank Gummi and the Kim Kim team enough for helping make this trip unforgettable and fun for the whole family!

Local specialist: Guðmundur Óli Pálmason
Guðmundur Óli
Guðmundur Óli Pálmason
Local specialist in Iceland | Replied on Jun 01, 2025

Thank you so much for the kind review Rachel!
I am so happy everything worked out perfectly even though we jumped into this last minute :)

I hope we'll see you back in Iceland soon again!

All the best
Gummi