Kimkim Trip Reviews for Norway

We never would have been able to plan this trip without Roy. He was incredibly knowledgeable about the country, and worked with us through a few iterations of our itinerary to ensure that it was just right and would allow us to do everything that we wanted.

Planning our Norway trip with our Kimkim team was so smooth. They designed a vacation for us that allowed us to take in many points of interest and enjoy the culture of the area. To have all of our vouchers and days’ plans in one place on the app relieved any stress. Our hotel booking locations were close to popular areas and other transportation transfers. This was so convenient!

At first the planning went well. As we got closer to trip time and our agent went on leave, we had no responses to messages and had to call the emergency line for someone to be assigned to us.

We did like the Bergen lodging, though the washer dryer wasn’t in room, as promised. The Fjærland stay was excellent, but it would be great to know there were only three restaurants in town.

Some of the trip planning made no sense. We were originally scheduled to be in a town two hours from the airport which needed ferries that stopped at 11 pm.

It wasn’t the same as my other kimkim trips.

Hotel Reviews

Thon Hotel Ålesund

Ålesund

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sagafjord Hotel

Sæbø

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Fjærland Fjordstove Hotell & Restaurant

Fjærland

Great experience!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Vander Apartments

Oslo

Great location. Note that washer and dryer isn’t in the room. And one in basement is always busy.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Floating Sauna

Norway

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Food & Culture Walk

Bergen

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guidet Hike to Blåbærstølen

Fjærland

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

This was our first time working with kimkim, and I would not hesitate working with them for future trips. They made our time in Norway seamless and stress-free, without the constraints of a guided tour. The hotels that they chose for us were spot on, with great locations, amazing breakfasts and helpful staff. Transfers and activities were all great. We really enjoyed all of our guides: Nathan on the RIB Safari in Flom, Knut on the Food and Culture tour, and Cado on the Geiranger fjord tour. Thank you Taylor and the whole Kimkim team for arranging a great trip!

Hotel Reviews

Quality Hotel Ålesund

Ålesund

This hotel has a exceptional deck right on the field, where you can watch the sunset. Staff was very friendly and helpful, and the whole place had a cheerful vibe. I would definitely stay there again.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Scandic Torget

Bergen

This hotel is right in the center of the activities in Bergen, directly across from the fish market. The breakfast was amazing!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Flåm Marina

Flåm

The Marina had a beautiful view and more quiet being slightly away from the main town hub. I would definitely stay there when in Flam again. Also, the restaurant food was great and staff very helpful.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotell Bondeheimen

Oslo

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Geirangerfjord Cruise & Day Trip

Norway

This trip exceeded expectations. I really enjoyed the stories that Cado shared regarding the history and life on the fjord. This fjord is exceptionally beautiful.

Quality of Experience

Great choice for hotel in Oslo. During the whole trip we had a perfect mixture of good things to do for young and old. Both our guides were delightful. Kim Kim was very quick to helpfully respond to every question or issue raised during the trip. I would not recommend the Viking experience diner in Flam for kids. The restaurant at the top of the tram was world class in Bergin. For kids, Zip line in Oslo and rib boat in Flam were highlights.

We had a wonderful time and Norway is a very special place to visit.

I am sorry that we did not schedule a zoom call with Taylor prior to departure to tweak final details. I do think it would have been very helpful. We left the US on June 25 and did not begin our KimKim portion until July 5. In our communication, this did not get conveyed well. The video Taylor provided did help but a zoom call would have been better. We also should have reviewed KimKim's recommendations closer prior to departure to confirm that they suited us.

The KimKim app is excellent! User friendly and wonderful to have all tickets and vouchers easily accessible.

KimKim's communication is also superb- they respond to text messages and emails quickly and their responses were clear and helpful.

Hotel Reviews

Radisson Blu Airport Hotel, Oslo Gardemoen

Gardemoen

It was a perfect choice for us. We like to be at the airport the night prior to departure. It was a short walk to the international terminal.

Authenticity & Character

Location

It was at the airport

Staff

The receptionists

Cleanliness & Comfort

The bedroom

Home Hotel Bryggen

Bergen

The hotel was in a great location. The staff- friendly, professional and helpful. It was clean and met our needs. There were many tour groups with us at the hotel. A more elegant, boutique-type hotel would have been our preference. Breakfast and dinner were provided. The breakfast was excellent and the dinner- we did not realize was part of the package so a bonus. It was a buffet and nothing exceptional, but it served its purpose well.

Authenticity & Character

The traditional Norwegian look

Location

It is in the center of the old section, directly across from the harbor

Staff

The waitresses

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Food & Culture Walk

Bergen

The tour guide was genuine and passionate about Bergen. The tour was food and culture, but we expected more history of the area as we walked. The fish market and small restaurants on the tour were great, and the selection of food tastings- excellent. Restaurant in the Fish Market that tour guide recommended and it was excellent: Fjellskal

Quality of Experience

Food tastings

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The tour guides authenticity

Transport

Enjoyed the walk!

Fløibanen Funicular Ride

Bergen

It is a great view of the city at the top! We did not eat at the restaurant at the top but we heard good things about the quality.

Quality of Experience

There are great children activities at the top- petting zoo with goats, playground, troll structures, etc. It is a great place for families to visit.

Self-Guided Bergen Exploration

Bergen

We enjoyed our self-guided exploration. We walked up to the summit of Mount Floyd and rode the funicular (known as the Floibanen) down. We also walked around Bryggen, the wharf and the fish market and ended the morning with a hotdog from Hungry Dog.

Quality of Experience

The city center is very walkable and enjoyable.

Depart Norway

Norway

Norway in a Nutshell Sogenfjord Route: Ferry and train rides from Bergen to Oslo Central Station was stunning and an absolute must! It is a very long day. We wish we would have broken up into 2 days and stayed one night along the way- perhaps at Balestrand or Flam. Flam was very busy with many tourists and cruise ships The Flam train- definitely plan to sit on right side for the views. There are also no reserved seats so get in line early. The Kjosfossen Waterfall- beautiful and definitely worth getting off train to see. Bike riding from Myrdal to Flam would have been a fun activity to include. While visiting Flam, there is luggage storage at the tourist center. The train ride from Myrdal to Oslo- very enjoyable and loved the views along the way. Driver from train station to Oslo airport- professional and enjoyed the conversation.

Quality of Experience

The views of the fjords

Fjord Cruise to Rosendal

Bergen

It was a long day, and we should have researched more. We only had 3 1/2 hours in Rosendale. The tours of the barony and garden did not line up with our time there- we had to select one. There was not enough time to visit the church or to take a hike to the waterfall. Next time, I would plan to spend the night in one of the lovely hotels available. I would also want to explore the National Park. And if time was a concern, I would skip this activity and spend an extra day on the Sogneford Route.

Quality of Experience

spend the night or delete from itinerary

Tom planned an amazing trip for our family. We enjoyed a combination of guided walking tours as well as boat and train rides both solo and with a guide at times. We had time to explore on our own as well. Tom was very responsive and attentive to any questions or concerns. Thank you!

Tom was amazing, we had a family trip with 14 members from age 14 to 90. Tom helped us through all the challenges in planning the trip; Was there any time day or night to solve our various requests. Did an outstanding job planning the trip agenda including time in Oslo, Stavanger, Bergen and the Hurtigruten. I highly recommend Tom for trip to Norway.

We had an epic trip. Really enjoyed the local guides.

Hotel Reviews

Scandic Kirkenes

Kirkenes

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to center of town

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Radisson Blu Airport Hotel, Oslo Gardemoen

Gardemoen

Convenient location adjacent to airport

Authenticity & Character

We watched the Norway 🇳🇴 World Cup in their lounge watch party

Location

Easy walk to airport

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Breakfast was good

MS Richard With

Tromsø

The Hurtigruten was really nice. The food was excellent

Authenticity & Character

The hurtigruten has a storied history

Location

We saw almost the entire coast of Norway

Staff

Expedition Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bedding was really nice

Heimen Hotel

Bergen

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Scandic Stavanger City

Stavanger

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Thon Hotel Opera

Oslo

Authenticity & Character

Location

Fantastic Location across the street from the library voted best in the world

Staff

Everyone was helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Bergen Walking Tour With a Local Guide

Bergen

All our guides were excellent and helpful

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Nina helped us book dinner for 17 at To Kuchs.

Transport

Norway in a Nutshell and the Flamm railroad

Flor & Fjære Garden Cruise

Stavanger

Unbelievable achievement. Inspiring.

Quality of Experience

Food

Unexpectedly brilliant

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Boat ride was scenic

Oslofjord Sightseeing Cruise by Traditional Boat

Oslo

Would definitely recommend this cruise to get a fuller picture of Oslo

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private City Walk

Oslo

Our guide was excellent.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Train went straight from airport to our hotel

The trip was amazing. The hotels were very nice and conveniently located. The activities in Flam and Aurland were awesome! Mathia was always incredibly responsive and helpful. Highly recommend!

Having Kimkim's assistance in planning our 17 day self-drive tour of Norway was very helpful. We started with a long list of places we wished to visit and Katie helped us reduce our list to the most important destinations that were within a few hours drive of each other. Most of the lodges we stayed at were fine but one was terrible (Batsfjord Rorbuer). We ended up leaving after our first night and getting a much nicer Airbnb place for the second night. In Alesund we could not fit our luggage into the standard room at Quality Hotel Waterfront so we paid for an upgrade to a larger room with a nice view. Otherwise things went well.

Most everything was real good. My only recommendation would be to ask more about the ages of the travelers and any restrictions they may have.

This review has been a long time coming, I feel terrible for taking so long to write it, but our experience with Mathia was AMAZING. He was very accommodating and patient with us, even though we asked him to update our itinerary multiple times. Also, while we were in Norway, we got a little lost and he was able to help us get back on track. He was planning on being on vacation for part of our trip and gave us plenty of notice and made sure we had another person that we could contact in case we needed assistance. He was super friendly, and really personalized our honeymoon. A great experience, and now we are planning to use Kimkim again for our trip to Switzerland.

Traveling with KimKim couldn't be easier! I simply threw out some ideas of what my family and I wanted to do - and they took care of the rest. They were so kind with my initial back-and-forth in the planning (I changed dates, flipped direction of travel, etc), and it was no problem for the team. They were kind, gracious, and handled it all.

I really, really loved the Kimkim app as well - having everything in one place (including links to meetup points, tickets, and a chat function) was so smart and user-friendly. Taylor provided so many points of contact - and I appreciate the phone calls to answer any questions and provide some extra tips.

In our epic journey across Norway, the entire team did a great job in supporting all our questions with helpful suggestions and prompt replies. Special KUDOS to Taylor whose intimate knowledge of all our stops made the trip diverse, culturally immersive and, MOST OF ALL, self-directive with plenty of flexibility with the precise level of structure that we wanted to keep things balanced and well-rounded. The Fretheim Hotel in Flam is a gem as a heritage hotel, but the crown jewel find of our trip was fine dining atop the Funicular in Bergen at the Floirestauranten where bubbles & caviar with halibut main made for a VERY special celebration on our last night there. Once again I will say TAYLOR is the total OG of Norway deets and help!

All the trips and all the guides worked out too perfection. Tom did a fantastic job of arranging everything on this journey.

Amazing family trip!! Everything went smoothly and all the activities were great! Alex did a great job!

Driving from Ålesund to Bergen
Hotel Alexander was a standout among the hotels…very nice. Loved driving in Norway! Driving up to Jostedalsbreen National Park, seeing Briksdal & Kjendalsbreen glaciers, riding the Flåm train: very special & scenic ❤️. Our electric car (Volkswagen ID4) knew when the speed limit changed and adjusted cruise control up & down to match. Driving the longest car tunnel in the world between Flåm to Bergen…very fun, & with the 3 visual breaks 👍

Activity Review

Flåm Railway Round-Trip Experience

Norway

Beautiful

We had just finished a cycling trip and we were taking a few more days to see the western part of Norway. We spent time in Alesund, Loen, Flam and Bergen and rented the car on our own. We really enjoyed the time on our own to explore Loen and the Jostedalbreen National Park. I highly recommend the Loen Skylift, it is a bit pricey, but the views are outstanding. We also visited the glacier museum on the drive to Flam. Renting an electric vehicle was easy and we easily found charging stations, be prepared for long tunnels if you are driving to Bergen.
We were lucky to arrive at places in between tour buses and cruise ships. Most of the towns had very large cruise ships docked in the fjords nearby and that created a crowded downtowns while people were off the ship or bus tours. Norway has a short tourist season and lovely cool weather, so plan ahead. I was very happy with the service provided by Kimkim and the app made finding tickets and confirmations very easy.

Activity Reviews

Flåm Railway Round-Trip Experience

Norway

Viking Day in Gudvangen

Gudvangen

Past & Present City Walk

Bergen

We had an amazing time in Norway with all the trip details planned out for us by kimkim team! Taylor and Maria were wonderful and always available for any questions or challenges and very prompt with their responses!