1. Iceland
  2. Iceland Trip Reviews
  3. Family Adventure in Iceland

The trip to Iceland was a dream come true
Iceland | Jun 26 - Jul 6, 2026

Jennifer
Jennifer Y.
Ashburn, VA | Reviewed on Jul 13, 2026

The trip to Iceland was a dream come true! It was so wonderful to have all the suggestions, ideas, details and logistics provided by Gummi, the local KimKim guide. There is absolutely no way I could have done everything that Gummi did with the level of professionalism and perfection. The trip was packed with memorable experiences which is exactly what we wanted. Highly recommend the kayaking on the Glacier Lagoon/Diamond Beach, snorkeling at Silfra, hiking in Thorsmork, and the hot springs at Reyjadalur. The entire trip was memorable. Thank you to Gummi and KimKim for the trip of a lifetime.

Hotel Reviews
Fosshotel Stykkishólmur
Stykkishólmur

This is a great hotel - best breakfast we had in Iceland too! Nice people and very comfortable room.

Authenticity & Character
Felt homey and intimate but not pretentious
Location
Easy to walk into town
Staff
Professional and friendly
Cleanliness & Comfort
Very clean, and good room darkening shades here!
Black Beach Suites
Vik I Myrdal

This hotel appears to be very chic and swanky. The rooms are very updated and feature a kitchen. Unfortunately, you could not lock the doors once in the room. I ended up putting our suitcases in front of the door to keep someone from coming in. They gave crazy directions about how to use an Icelandic lock but we stayed in several places that had plain old deadbolts. Would not recommend or stay there

Authenticity & Character
Fix the locks - all the fancy in the world does not make you safe. Also no breakfast provided
Location
Close to things we were seeing
Staff
Cleanliness & Comfort
Very clean and spacious but the door thing is a no go on comfort
Activity Reviews
Faxaflói Bay Whale Watching Excursion
Faxaflói Bay Whale Watching Excursion
Reykjavík

We did see whales so that was the main goal. The person telling us about the things we were seeing was very good. The whales were pretty far away so it would not be an experience for someone who wanted to see whales closer up.

Quality of Experience
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Transport
Silfra Snorkeling Adventure
Silfra Snorkeling Adventure
Golden Circle

This experience is truly one of a kind in the world. If you like snorkeling, then you should definitely try this experience. There is no wildlife but the water, rock and depth of sight is amazing

Quality of Experience
Great location and interesting snorkel.
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Our guide in the water was awesome. Explained everything very well. They move a lot of people in and out of Silfra, and they've got it down. You'll take more time than you think at the busiest times of the year. The entire staff is hustling to get people dressed and ready.
Transport
Good job providing vans and seating to help people change.
Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon Kayaking Excursion
Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon Kayaking Excursion
Iceland

Great kayaking experience - fun to get a little closer to the icebergs.

Quality of Experience
Nice to get on the water and kayak amongst the icebergs
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Guides were fantastic.
Transport
Víðgelmir Lava Cave Experience
Víðgelmir Lava Cave Experience
Iceland

Great fun to see the cave carved by lava!

Quality of Experience
Unique thing to see. Used to seeing caves in the US. This is very different
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Guide was awesome. She knew a ton about the cave, formations and geology of the lava cave/tube
Transport
Short walk with stairs to descend. Safety protocols were very good. Everyone had headlamps to see
Glacier Ice Cave Experience
Glacier Ice Cave Experience
Iceland

The ice cave was smaller than I thought but still cool to see.

Quality of Experience
The ice caves are cool and interesting
Guides, Drivers and Staff
Guide did OK - did lots of picture taking. I listened to another group guide and she gave more info and details about the ice caves. I like those details and info rather than always lining people up for a photo op.
Transport
The modified cargo van we took to the locations was absolutely awful. It was not a super jeep and they stuffed 13 people into it including 4 of us on the very back bench seat that could have fit 4 children but not four adults. It was hot and no air circulation - so if you get carsick this is not the ride for you. The car bounced around so much that our heads hit the ceiling WITH seatbelts on. It was dangerous, uncomfortable, and terrible. It felt like they were more interested in making money and stuffing as many people into a vehicle as they could rather than providing safe, fun transport.
Local specialist: Guðmundur Óli Pálmason
Guðmundur Óli
Guðmundur Óli Pálmason
Local specialist in Iceland | Replied on Jul 14, 2026
Thank you for the kind review jennifer. I am very happy to read you had such a great time in Iceland and overall such a good experience with Kimkim I think I know what type of lock you are talking about on the doors at Black Beach Suites (been a while since I've stayed there so I can't remember exactly). It's the ones you have to lift the handle up to be able to lock the door, right? I know it can be a bit confusing to those not used to them. I have driven those trucks to Katla Ice Cave... Read more

Thank you for the kind review jennifer. I am very happy to read you had such a great time in Iceland and overall such a good experience with Kimkim

I think I know what type of lock you are talking about on the doors at Black Beach Suites (been a while since I've stayed there so I can't remember exactly). It's the ones you have to lift the handle up to be able to lock the door, right? I know it can be a bit confusing to those not used to them.

I have driven those trucks to Katla Ice Cave myself, and while it sounds like the driver might have been going a bit too fast, I can assure you the ride is not dangerous at all, uncomfortable as it might be, especially if tiding in the way back, behind the rare wheel, where the truck bounces the most.
We take safety in tourism very seriously in Iceland, in fact way more so than in any country I've traveled to, and I have traveled a lot, so please rest assured that as uncomfortable as the ride might be, it is not dangerous at all.
I will forward your comment to the tour operator and ask they do better in the future, although I know that doesn't change your experience.

I haven't kayaked in a long while myself, your review made me want to do that again :D

I hope we'll see you in Iceland again soon
All the best
Gummi

Read all Iceland reviews