Private Iceland Golden Circle with Blue Lagoon

Worst tour experience in Iceland

This was probably one of the worst tours we’ve ever had. While we enjoyed seeing the sights, we had some serious issues with our tour and the guide Sultan. This was our first time in Iceland and we don’t know when we’ll be able to come back again. We felt like we got shortchanged since our guide didn’t seem like he wanted to be there and was rushing us to get the tour done so he could take care of a personal matter. 1) He didn’t seem to know anything about the details of our trip. For example, he didn’t know which cruise ship to pick up from, he didn’t know Blue Lagoon tickets were prepaid, and he wasn’t aware what time the tour would end (he still thought it was 7pm when it was supposed to be 9pm since the start time got delayed by 2 hours). He rushed to drop us off by 7:30pm. 2) He was speeding, often driving 110-120km/h and taking over cars. I was concerned about our family’s safety because he would sometimes pass 3-4 cars at the same time. We have small children, and they also expressed feeling either car sick or scared of his driving. 3) It felt like Sultan was more of a driver rather than a tour guide. He gave us the basics about each site, but barely talked to us otherwise. He probably talked for 20 minutes in total during an 8 hour tour. We thought we’d get a lot more personalized service by having a private tour, but we didn’t get any of that. 4) The whole tour felt really rushed. He often told us to only spend 20-30 min at each site. We skipped the Keratid Crater because Sultan said we had no time. But, later he explained that he had a personal matter to take care of and wanted to get back by 7pm to see her. While we understand that personal matters come up, we would have preferred a different guide. We even complained to the tour operator immediately after the tour, and they agreed to give us a partial refund. It’s been almost 2 months and we still haven’t received anything.

Response from the operator: We have spoken directly via email. It is common with this tour when adding the blue lagoon, to only have 20-30min per site to ensure you arrive for your Blue Lagoon reservation (which we have a duration of 2-3 hours for). It was discussed that our phone is not handled by one of the staff members who is authorized to allow refunds and it is likely that team member did not relay your message through the channels- and there was no email sent to us until recently. As for the claims of the reckless driving, this is not a typical complaint, so unless we receive video proof, we have to remain neutral.

via Viator

Not what we paid for.

The guide was new and not experienced. The vehicle was cramped and not what we requested. I would not use this company again.

Response from the operator: Please stop posting your review again and again. We have made our position clear. You refused alternatives to make the situation better, since there was a mechanical issue and we had to move to an SUV. You denied the option for extra space and forced someone with a bad knee to sit in the middle seat. Your continuing to repost that same statement is now considered harassment.

via Tripadvisor

Golden Circle & Blue Lagoon without a guide, just a driver.

Golden Circle and the Blue Lagoon is a great day trip, but not with tour company we used. First we were switched from a proper size Minivan for our senior age group to an SUV which destroyed my wife's knee from sitting in the back by the hump. Also, even though the Driver/Guide was a fantastic young women, she was not a certified guide so her general knowledge of area and our trip was not sufficient. She tried her best, but we would have preferred a guide that really told us the story of the places we visited.

Response from the operator: Thank you for writing a review. Our guides are certified with general knowledge but they are not geology experts, so they may not know every detail. As for the vehicle size, we have it noted it was a group of 4 and could fit up to 7 passengers. We were also informed you declined our guides offer of additional room, so it appears we have conflicting stories and if you wish to discuss further, please email us.

via Viator

Golden Circle

We went on a private Golden Circle tour with Otto. He was amazing. He explained everything to us and took us to some wonderful places. Highly recommend this tour company.

via Tripadvisor

Amazing Iceland Adventure!

Julien was an amazing tour guide. For starters, our luggage did not arrive. When I told him I was missing my contacts, he called the pharmacy for me. When they did not have any he drove to his apartment and got me his girlfriends contacts which coincidentally were the same prescription. So generous of them both. The best part of being on a private tour was the ability to pivot our plans based on Juliens experience and understanding of the ever changing weather system. We did an amazing snowmobile tour on the golden circle and saw the Gullfoss waterfall on the first day. On day 2 we headed to the South Coast. We thought we would miss the glacier hike because of a storm but Julien adjusted our plans when the weather cleared and we ended up having the entire glacier to ourselves! He taught us how to gear up, hike and have some fun and safe experiences on the glacier (ask about viking push ups!). On day 2 we also saw 2 waterfalls and the black rock beach before heading back to Reykjavik. It was a packed day but we were glad to hear all the insight on the island throughout our travels. On day 3 we took a scenic drive through the active volcano before doing the Retreat experience at the Blue Lagoon. The best spa experience we've ever had! It was a whirlwind tour of a beautiful country and our private tour with Julien enhanced our experience tremendously. Highly recommend to anyone searching for an Iceland adventure.

via Tripadvisor