A spectacular anniversary adventure !!!!!
Iceland | Mar 11 - Mar 18, 2023

Jason
Jason B.
Catalina Foothills, AZ | Reviewed on Mar 19, 2023

What a spectacular anniversary and adventure trip! We want to return & explore further with Gummi when we are able to in the late summer/fall of a year. From start to finish the experiences of traveling to Iceland was made simple & efficient with Silvia! Skól! Salud! Cheers! Drink! Thank you! Gracias! Our accolades & appreciation for Gummi & Silvia are infinite.
Gummi proved to be the perfect guide and ideal travel historian/explorer/caretaker/leader for the 5 of us. His temperament, attitude, insights, perspectives, transparency, frankness, humor and constant support were priceless! Just a cool f*ck*ng VIKING that helped us discover Iceland in unique and unparalleled fashion. Everyone, including the five of us loved & was amazed with the SuperJeep. So many tourists kept posing for pictures with it when we were both in & out of the mammoth Goliath. Gummi & Goliath the duo will fondly be remembered. Next time in Iceland, we will have Gummi drive a 6-door, 13-washing machine long x 5-washing machine tall, 56" tire real-VIKINGJeep. We will explore the rest of the island, visit more hot lagoons, spend a few more days in Rekjavik, enter the Artic Circle, and learn more from Gummi, while being catered to & cared for like toddlers. The accommodations were stellar. The perfect timing & ease of doing laundry was spot on! We got to see the Aurora Borealis twice. Once the evening we arrived at Hotel Strattca, after 36-hours of traveling & immediate adventure with Gummi & the 2nd on a remote night at Laki Hotel! From Geysirs to Ice Caves, a City Food Tour, the Valley of Thor, including two awesome hikes to experience glaciers from a majestic peaks & valleys, delicious fancy dinners, and Kiki for a Drag Show on St. Patrick's Day capped with tasty hot fries from Mandi, our time was packed with fun & excitement. We had tasty breakfast each morning at our hotels & dinner on-site each of the first 4-nights. All of which were convenient & yummy! I am not sure how this trip could have been improved. The weather was perfect, aside from the strong breezes that persisted for all our outdoor explorations! Luckily we all came prepared & pulled out every accessory & layer to ensure we were remained warm enough & protected from the harsh breeze. Hot feet & hot hands were great items we packed. There is so much more to add that explains how awesome & perfect this experience with Gummi & Silvia proved to be worth every cent. We extend our deepest gratitudes, huge hugs & a hearty VIKING roar with a joyful f*ck you in our appreciation.

Hotel Reviews
Stracta Hotel Hella
Hella

We enjoyed the drinks & dinner each night! The hot tub & sauna were awesome on our second night. As it was very cold & during the week, we have these two our small group. We got to see the Northern Lights one the first night & the awesome glassed wall & roof tunnel with easy access doors, made this all the more spectacular. We loved the radiator geothermal heaters & it was nice to have a refrigerator. Vlad was very helpful, responsive & accommodating of our requests. The breakfast was huge & diverse with something for everyone. Even filter coffee! We enjoyed our stay here!

Authenticity & Character
Glassed wall/roof tunnel were excellent! We enjoyed the hot tub & sauna. Easy access to Aurora Borealis which was an amazing sight to experience.
Location
We had a tour guide & this place was located nicely for our adventures along the way.
Staff
Vlad was awesome!
Cleanliness & Comfort
Hotel Laki
Kirkjubæjarklaustur

We enjoed Maga. She gave us our first fermented shark experience & enjoyed it with us. The bar was perfect & even had playing cards for us to enjoy during our stay. The 2nd night we enjoyed playing cards, drinking & stepping out on the bar balcony intermittently to take photos & pose with the Aurora Borealis! It was beautiful as it danced across the sky! The morning breakfast was diverse & tasty. I think we all enjoyed the Skyr here the most of the 3-hotels. The dinner buffet was delicious each evening & the ease of use of much appreciated. We are so glad we used the laundry service, which was flawless.

Authenticity & Character
One of a kind! The bar & balcony were so much fun! The remote location gave a pitch black night were the Northern Lights & stars were on dynamic display. Thanks for the playing cards!
Location
As we had a private guide, and this location was excellent for him to help us have unique & remote adventures.
Staff
We saw Maga every morning & evening! She was ever-present, personable & memorable. We adore her. The other ladies supporting the bar & meals were excellent too. The chef was nice & present for each meal.
Cleanliness & Comfort
The room was not filthy, but it could have been cleaned with a bit more attention to detail. It would have been nice to have a refrigerator.
Skuggi Hotel Reykjavík by Keahotels
Reykjavík

This place was fabulous! We were able to walk everywhere & explore many parts of Rekjavik from the Skuggi. From the Sun Voyager, to Harpa, the Rainbow Road, Kiki, Bravo, 3 Frakkar, Fish Mrkt, Mandi, the Iceland Phallological Museum, the Bar at the End of the Rainbow, the lovely Sky Lagoon, and everything in between we loved Rekljavik & the Skuggi was the perfect location. Here again we loved the radiant geothermal heat.

Authenticity & Character
We talked about the black & grey motif with the Behind the Mountains theme everyday. It was conveniently located & unique. Almost hidden in this one-of-a-kind city.
Location
Was perfect for our exploration of Rekjavik.
Staff
Everyone was pleasant. The front desk staff were impeccable, kind, gracious & positive with every interaction. The breakfast staff kind & fast. We felt rushed with the ending of breakfast each morning. We were disappointed that things as easy as the coffee were whisked away & dumped down the drain right at 1000. We appreciated the ice cold water that was available 24/7.
Cleanliness & Comfort
This place was lovely ! We appreciated the small window that remained open during our entire stay. It would have been nice to have a refrigerator.
Activity Reviews
Reykjavík Food Walk
Reykjavík Food Walk
Iceland

Lily Bjork was amazing! Her positive energy & vibrant presence were perfect for a terrific exploration of the food in Rekjavik. I had my first horse, enjoyed fermented shark with Brennivin and adored the perfect Icelandic Hotdog with chocolate milk. Our private tour guide Gummi treated us to this exact hotdog place upon arrival in Rekjavik. The atmosphere & experience facilitated by Lily resulted in 12 of us, most of the tour group, enjoying drinks at the Jungle afterwards. We went briefly to see Lily perform on 3/17 at the Irishman Pub.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Everyone loved Lily!
Transport
Easy & nice walk around Rekjavik.
Gullfoss Waterfall – Iceland's Mesmerizing Natural Wonder
Gullfoss Waterfall – Iceland's Mesmerizing Natural Wonder
Iceland

It was quite cold & windy this day. However, the brief time we spent walking around & enjoying this massive waterfall was spectacular!

Quality of Experience
Geysir Geothermal Area – Iceland's Natural Hot Springs & Geysers
Geysir Geothermal Area – Iceland's Natural Hot Springs & Geysers
Iceland

We were awe struck by this & enjoyed it very much. It was very cold, very windy & rather early an experience as we arrived in Iceland early & this was on our way to more adventure.

Quality of Experience
Easy, nice & rather quick!
Taxi to KEF Airport
Taxi to KEF Airport
Iceland

Arnar was excellent in his beautiful black Mercedes van. His kindness & expertise were much appreciated. He took us to & from the Sky Lagoon & to the hotel for our departure. All were seamless & fabulous!

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Arnar was awesome!
Transport
100% perfect & appreciated!
Caves of Hella - The Underworld of the South
Caves of Hella - The Underworld of the South
Iceland

This place was so cool, unique & insightful about Iceland. We adored Stefan, our private guide, & greatly appreciated him staying late & giving us our own private tour. I will forever remember his kindness, humor, & classic Iceland wool sweater.

Quality of Experience
High-quality, personal, intimate & full of unique history.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
We adored our private tour from Stefan, the guide. We appreciated his staying a little late & his flexibility.
Crystal Blue Ice Cave
Crystal Blue Ice Cave
Iceland

Ragnar was rejuvenating, energetic, hilarious & clear! This experience was facilitated 100% of the time by Ragnar. His direction, simplicity, personal touch with unique insights and delightful presence were much appreciated. He made this a unique experience that we all loved the most of all aspects of this trip! We felt like every part was awesome, but this one was once in a lifetime for sure. The ice caves are change regularly with the seasons of Iceland. It was amazing to walk on & in a glacier! That largest glacier in Europe.

Quality of Experience
100% MUST DO, when available & in season.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Ragnar Rocks! Hilarious historian & expert!
Transport
This was a nice all-terrain well-equipped vehicle. Ragnar knew how to expertly drive it.
Sky Lagoon - Experience the seven-step Sky Ritual
Sky Lagoon - Experience the seven-step Sky Ritual
Iceland

This place was magnificent! From start to finish you never feel like you are near buildings or in something man-made. The entry from the dressing room is awesome. The 7-step ritual is a must do experience. The lagoon is lovely & we enjoyed much time just chilling, relaxing, rejuvenating & enjoying some drinks. This was a great way to spend our last afternoon in Iceland.

Quality of Experience
Transport
We appreciated Arnar taking us there!
Taxi to and from the Sky Lagoon
Taxi to and from the Sky Lagoon
Iceland

As noted in the other transport activity, Arnar was awesome! We loved his black Mercedes van. The trips were excellent. He was prompt, courteous & kind.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Arnar was awesome!
Transport
Lava Tunnel Tour
Lava Tunnel Tour
Iceland

This activity was neat, but the tour group was too large in my view. The experience was straightforward & rather quick. The hard hat & crampons were much appreciated. This was a unique experience.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Our guide was nice & funny. The group was just too large to remember her name or even hear her sometimes.
Kvernufoss
Kvernufoss
Iceland

This walk & waterfall were fabulous! We loved the site for pictures & our private guide even got some cool group shots with the waterfall in the background. It was too slippery for me to get too close to the waterfall or behind it, but this would have been cool.

Quality of Experience
Journey Through Time & Tectonics – Thingvellir National Park Exploration
Journey Through Time & Tectonics – Thingvellir National Park Exploration
Iceland

With our private guide Gummi this experience was unique & unparalleled. We enjoyed the sites, stories & exploring the national park.

Quality of Experience
Þórsmörk & Eyjafjallajökull - Private Superjeep Tour
Þórsmörk & Eyjafjallajökull - Private Superjeep Tour
Iceland

This adventure was amazing & left us speechless at times. Between the hike to the top of a mountain, unique views of glaciers, seeing an artic fox in the wilderness, crossing a flowing river twice, walking in the Valley of Thor & getting pictures with beautiful views, this experience was 100% awesome! This private SuperJeep tour is the way to explore these sites & enjoy your remote adventures in Iceland. Gummi was stellar & we have only positive praise to celebrate our time with him. Aside from the Jeep on this tour, we had it for the first 5 days of our trip. This proved to be one of the best decisions made for this trip. Gummi & Goliath as we named the vehicle made this experience one of a kind & great in every way!

Quality of Experience
Food
Hotel Strattca made us a sack lunch for the day! The wrap was delicious & we loved Prince Polo treat.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Gummi f*ck*ng rocks!
Transport
The SuperJeep was awesome in every way!
Hunting the Northern Lights with a Guide -Private tour
Hunting the Northern Lights with a Guide -Private tour
Iceland

We were able to view the Northern Lights at both Hotel Strattca on night one & at Laki Hotel on night four. So we never had to hunt much for this experience. One slight regret is that we did not expect to see the Northern Lights while in Rekjavik, However, on our first night their, night 5 of the trip, the lights were bright & visible throughout Rekjavik. We sadly did not even look for them that night. That night may have been a great night for a evening hunt north of the city to see the bright lights one last time.

Quality of Experience
Local specialist: Silvía Ástvaldsdóttir
Silvía
Silvía Ástvaldsdóttir
Local specialist in Sweden | Replied on Mar 20, 2023

Hi Jason!

Thank you so much for the awesome and oh so very detailed review! We are thrilled that you had such an amazing time with the Viking from our team and had tons of great experiences during your stay in the land of Ice and fire! And thank you guys for choosing to work with us, it has been a pleasure from the beginning to the end!

We look forward to planning more adventures with you in the future!

Huge hugs & Viking roars!
The Unforgettable Nordic Team