Rinolda J

We have many lovely memories from our trip to Iceland. While our local specialist had many good suggestions for sites to see and things to do that I may not have discovered on my own, the planning process was sometimes frustrating. Response times for questions were often too long, sometimes a week at a time. Most importantly, when I asked if two weeks was time enough to see and do all the things I had on the list, I was told it was. Unfortunately, this was not the case and we had already booked our flights when I figured that out. On the positive side, the accommodations our specialist booked were for the most part quite nice. Her suggestion to take a zodiac tour of the Jokulsarlon Lagoon rather than the amphibious boat was great . It was one of the highlights of our trip. She also recommended a wonderful shop, Handradinn in Hofn, for hand knit Icelandic sweaters. Lastly she had a good knowledge of hiking trails and which roads would be accessible in early June.

Due to our hectic schedules in our native country, we often felt panicked during the planning process, but our guide Rinolda remained professional and calm alleviating our stress. In the end she created an excellent itinerary of suggested excursions.

Personally, I was unaware that the KimKim model included booking hotels, tours, and other reservations for us. That was extremely helpful. I thought we would have to do that ourselves. The only thing I wish we had made clear to Rinolda was that we were willing to pay a premium for lodging.

While Hotel Holt in Reykjavik (our first hotel) was charming, the room was uncomfortably small. Perhaps the fact that we departed from Toronto, Canada at 7:00 pm Saturday evening and arrived in Iceland 5 hours later, what would have been midnight EST in our brains, it being 6:00 am Iceland time might have contributed to our stress as we were unable to negotiate an early check-in. I would advise anyone traveling from the west to Iceland to book a room available one day earlier than their arrival. KimKim might suggest to clients the same.

Regardless of this hiccup, the breakfast at Hotel Holt was exceptional. As an aside regarding all breakfasts in Iceland, I now include tomatoes and cucumbers with my own back home.

While we were on our own for breakfast in Reykjavik, we did stumble upon a wonderful little breakfast joint called Grái Kötturinn (Gray Cat). We didn’t realize until later after checking our notes that Rinolda recommended it. Well done.

My only mistake—because I worked as a server in my youth—I tipped $20 US currency. Apparently tipping is atypical in Iceland. Whatever, I enjoy tipping.

Our entire trip was fabulous. Iceland is like another planet. I’ve never experienced such diverse landscapes. The glaciers, icebergs, puffins, waterfalls, black sand beaches, geo-thermal pools (ah), the tomato restaurant, skyr, cod, the bread, the churches, the lupine, the hikes—my wife lost 5 pounds trekking the wonders of this wonderful land.

Our second hotel in Kirkjubaejarklaustur, Magma Hotel was perfect. From the outside it looks like a small, nondescript cabin, but the interior is a designer’s dream. Everything about it was style and comfort. And the view, to die for.

I feel like I’m writing a book, so I’m going to end it here.

Takeaways: Iceland is glorious. Rinolda is an excellent guide. Kim Kim Travel is a great solution for travelers. I’ll be back.

Rinolda was AMAZING! I took my 17 y/o niece on a 9 day adventure through Iceland. I shared my goals with Rinolda- I wanted to see as much as we could without overwhelming a teenager with too rigourous a schedule. She nailed it. And on extremely short notice! Everything was so well organized. I especially appreciated the drive plan she provided for each day. We knew exactly where were were going, how long each stretch was and she even had suggestions for stops along the way with interesting things to see and places to stop for snacks and meals. I can not say enough about how wonderful it was to have such a well planned and organized trip.

Each day felt like a new adventure and we LOVED taking in all the beautiful scenery! Highlights for us were the Arnarstapi-Hellnar Coastal Walk- the views were breathtaking! Truly spectacular. And the small hidden gem resturant at the end of the trail tucked in the hillside over a secluded beach topped off an already awe inspiring day. The fish soup was *chefs kiss*.

The Jokulsarlon glacier lagoon zodiac boat tour was spectacular. This blew my mind. Gorgeous, informative, the company had incredible guides and the views, including seeing the seals and being up close and immersed in the beauty of the Lagoon is definitely an experience that should not be missed.

I honestly can not say enough about the quality of the trip, the details, the planning and all of the suggestions. So happy we found KimKim and especially, Rinolda.

I feel like Rinolda was over-worked or overwhelmed or something; she was slow to get back to us, a little snappy, and repeatedly did not listen/ absorb what we were saying about our arrival dates being staggered. I wouldn't use the service again; we spent more time going back and forth with her than we would have actually planning it ourselves.

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.

We had a wonderful time on our 9-day visit to Snaefellsnes Peninsula and the Golden Circle. The scenery is all amazing and so dramatic! The most spectacular waterfalls and canyons were only a short hike from each parking lot, and every parking lot had clean restrooms. Visiting in late April turned out perfect; we had the best weather - no rain until the day we left, and even the most popular sights were not too crowded. We really enjoyed the lava cave tour, the Zipline Iceland tour in Vik, and the Settlement Center at Borgarnes, and the Reykjavik food tour was a real highlight. We visited Hvammsvik Hot Springs and the Sky Lagoon, which were each very neat. Our accommodations were all comfortable and the breakfasts were very good. I wish we had planned more historic locations, but with all the driving needed to see everything, I think we fit in as much as we could with the time we had. The only thing that would have improved the trip is seeing puffins and the aurora borealis, but we'll have to return for that!

Very easy to book. Our whale watching got canceled and I received a refund with a week of returning. Had a great experience. Our travel agent was very responsive when we had questions. We loved Iceland and can’t wait to travel there again.

Rinolda was great with helping us book the trip. It was on short notice and part way through we added a day to the trip and she didn't falter at all. We got to see lots of Iceland without feeling rushed along with lots of tips. The places we stayed at were fantastic and despite the shorter sunlight days we still were able to fit it all in (and Rinolda knew which places we could visit while still slightly dark and get great photos). We all really enjoyed the trip

We had a great time despite the terrible weather. Difficult driving conditions (we rented a car) added to the adventure! We did not get to do everything on the itinerary, either because of time, weather, or we just decided to pass on a couple of things. Do not miss the Freidheimar tomato farm. The tomato soup and breads are the best.

Blue Lagoon was a great way to start the trip. Ice cave tour was amazing. Thingvellir is incredible from an historic and geological perspective.

We are talking about going back for 3-4 days in Spring or Summer just to stay in Reykjavik and maybe do some days trips from there.

My husband had been wanting to go to Iceland since we first met. We decided to go for his 40th birthday and worked with Rinolda to plan the trip. It was amazing. She took all of our feedback into account and really thought about the details. We had a redeye flight so didn't sleep much and basically started our activities as soon as we landed. The first stop on our itinerary was the Blue Lagoon which was really refreshing and helped to wake us up. We had just the right amount of things to do each day and got to see so many beautiful places and do so many unique things on this trip.

Hotel Review

Comfort Category Accommodation With Private Bathroom

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Crystal Blue Ice Cave

Iceland

Our guide was very knowledgeable and funny. The experience itself was really cool and definitely something I'd recommend.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Blue Lagoon

Iceland

The facilities were very nice and it was a nice, relaxing experience overall.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport