Arctic Travel Designer

Prior to this trip I had never used a travel specialist, but I knew that a road trip along the southern coast of Iceland would require local knowledge. After a short session with the kimkim rep, I was matched with Emanuela. She is the best! Emanuela created an itinerary that included everything on our bucket list. We received our trip details well in advance, and were able to make adjustments as needed. Each adventure was so fun, well-timed, and led by friendly, knowledgeable guides. Some real standouts were the buggy adventure in the Golden Circle by Amazing Tours and kayaking the Glacier Lagoon with Iceguide. The hotels selected for us were comfortable. The staff at City Center Hotel in Reykjavík could not have been nicer. Emanuela and her team came through when we needed them most. Two days into our trip, I got a call that one of our boat tours had been cancelled. As soon as I messaged Emanuela, she went into problem solving mode. She was able to arrange for a different Puffin tour later in our trip. It was such a relief to know that I didn't have to pause my trip to figure out what to do. It put us at ease knowing that there was someone local for us to contact if (when) we needed anything. I highly recommend planning your trip with Emanuela!!

Activity Reviews

Buggy tour in the Geyser Area

Golden Circle

So. Much. Fun. It ended up being just the two of us with our guide. We had a beautiful clear day, so we had a full view of the glacier as we zipped along the F-roads passing Gulfoss and the geyser.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Jokulsarlon Glacier Kayaking Adventure

Iceland

This was a once in a lifetime experience! Everywhere you looked felt like a National Geographic photograph. If you enjoy kayaking, this is by far the best way to experience the glaciers. We saw glaciers collide and flip (from a safe distance) and seals playing in the lagoon. Our guide was super friendly and knowledgeable.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Lava Tunnel Tour

Iceland

This was our first activity in Iceland; what an introduction to the country! The guided tour takes you to the end of the tunnel and then you can make your way back at your leisure-giving all the time you need for pictures. The way down is well marked and easy to travel.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Katla Ice Cave

Vík

Hiking on a glacier was a unique experience. The ice cave itself is short (we went in July) but beautiful. This special place is ever changing, so no two trips will be the same. Our guide was knowledgeable and patient as everyone on the tour made their way over and around the glacier.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

I recently had the pleasure of working with Emanuela to book a family vacation to Iceland, and I cannot recommend her services highly enough. From start to finish, Emanuela was incredibly knowledgeable, attentive, and helpful, making the entire process smooth and enjoyable.

During the planning stages, Emanuela provided us with excellent advice and a variety of great options for travel and accommodations. She took the time to understand our interests and preferences, crafting an exciting itinerary that perfectly suited our family. Her expertise and attention to detail ensured that every aspect of our trip was well thought out and meticulously planned.

While we were in Iceland, Emanuela's support continued to shine. She was readily available to answer any questions we had and provided valuable tips that enhanced our experience. Thanks to her, we discovered hidden gems and had unforgettable adventures that we would have otherwise missed. I wouldn't hesitate to book another trip through Kim Kim, and would certainly recommend Emanuela to help book your next trip to Iceland.

Emanuela was prompt, personable, and took into consideration all of our needs when planning our 5 day trip to Iceland. She gave us a detailed itinerary with places to see including some off the beaten path we may have missed if we didn't have her information. She gave excellent restaurant recommendations to help us narrow down meals during our time there as well.
I would definitely use KimKim again in the future and would utilize Emanuela again if I plan to take another trip to the arctic.

Emanuela put together a fantastic trip for us in northern Iceland including Akureyri and Lake Mývatn.

The planning phase was very useful as we had several decision points that would have been unclear without her help. Do you fly or drive from Reykjavik? Answer - there’s little to see on that drive if you have the funds try to fly. How many days? We wound up adding one to make Mývatn and Akureyri 2 days and that was well worth it.

The itinerary was filled with otherwise unobtainable local nuance such as the very pleasant and unexpected cafe Kaffi Klara she casually mentioned in a note to an optional side trip to Olafsfjordur. Best apple cake we had anywhere. Or the endorsement of the seeming odd thing like the bird museum in Mývatn that nudged to try something unique we might not have considered. Suggested providers like hotels and horse riding outfits were very good. My wife’s horse ride in Mývatn was a highlight for her as she’s and advanced rider and she got a solo tour that worked on unique gaits of Icelandic horses.

Highest value to us I would say is having Emanuela available via messaging throughout. There are dozens of little questions that come up and we found it very comforting to just have a local available. 100% would recommend.

We completed an 8-day car tour of the Western fjords to Akureyri and back to Reykjavik, from 3/8 - 3/16/24. Emanuela of KimKim prepared our itinerary, from a questionnaire answered in advance. The original itinerary required very little modification, and was thorough and entertaining for the (5) of us. We were blessed with perfect weather for each of the legs of our journey, and that, for Iceland, was lucky. The first night we viewed the Northern Lights - one of two clear nights. The gentleman that took us into the land Northeast of Reykjavik for the viewing, Hjortur Kristianson, was entertaining and knowledgeable of the terrain. We then proceeded to Snaefellsnes and loved the circumferential drive around the peninsula. Our night at the Kast Guesthouse was perfect - we really loved the remoteness and simple but adequate lodgings. We enjoyed meeting the owners the next morning - we strongly recommend this lodging. Our tour of the lava cave was simple and very adequate., with a very nice guide from Serbia. The drive to Akureyri was uneventful and beautiful, our 4-wheel drive Toyota Land Cruiser was a great car for our journey - enduring a couple of white out blizzards. Our Hotel Kea in Akureyri was well located near the Centrum and worked well. If we did this again, we might have done a night at a different lodging near Lake Myvatn - to have a more remote setting and break things up. The whale watching was very professional and we located three whales. We really enjoyed the two ladies that hosted us for snowshoeing, The Traveling Viking (VTT) - Inga and Rachel (the owner). Next time we might enjoy cross country skiing - there was just enough snow. We recommend the use of TTV for bookings.The three recommended and ticketed hot springs were all perfect, and well timed. We most enjoyed the last one at Hvammsvisk, near Reykjavik, was our favorite, - again because the cold windy conditions ma=de the visit that more special. The food at that Springs was very good - especially the soup.

We really have no criticisms - we thank Emanuela for her attentiveness to our requests and her constant communication during our vacation. The use of a travel agent is a first for us in over 20 years of travel. We will strongly recommend KimKim to friends and in other reviews. Keep up the good work, you arranged great tour groups in a beatiful setting, providing us great memories of the beauty of Iceland and its people.

Thanks you, Chuck, Cecile, Quentin, Alex Toner, and Kristianne Otiong