Kimkim Trip Reviews for Norway

Enjoyed the overall experience working with kimkim and Krista. There was one hiccup with transportation at one location but everything else went perfectly. Really enjoyed the snowshoeing hike with Tromsø outdoor - our guide was great.

Activity Reviews

Luggage Transfer Service

Norway

Very easy to do and definitely worth it. We did the Norway in a nutshell and was so so much better to not have our large bags or packs with us. The bags even beat us to our next location.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Mostraumen Fjord Cruise

Bergen

The staff was great, scenery was amazing and really enjoyed the anecdotes and music played during the cruise.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Snowshoe Hill Hike - Kvaløya

Tromsø

This was my favorite experience during the trip. We had a small group and the guide was personable and made the day enjoyable. We also lucked out with the weather so it was quite picturesque.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I had an absolutely wonderful trip to Norway! The itinerary was well planned and clearly laid out by my guide, Roy. All of my hotels were in great locations and had good accommodations. The transports for travel between towns and destinations were on-point and led to a stress-free vacation. In Bergen I experienced local history and culture by visiting Fantoft stave church and Bryggen. I got to see amazing views in Flam from my hotel room window and with the Stegastein viewpoint. I toured a viking village (something I hadn't even known existed), and had a viking dinner. I had a great experience in Norway and with KimKim.

Our family trip to Norway was an adventure filled trip of a lifetime. We visited Alta, Briggen and Tromso. Each unique and with its own charm. We enjoyed activities such as dog sledding, reindeer sledding/ feeding with Sami cultural experience, whale watching and of course saw many auroras. The Kim Kim team arranged everything flawlessly and were very flexible, even managing to cancel one of our tours due to last minute change in plans. We take many memorable moments with us. Thank you!!

Trip was a blast! Was the perfect time of year to visit Tromsø and will be visiting Bergen again in the late spring/summertime! Planning could have been better. Almost missed an excursion due to the meeting point listed being in a completely different location than the actual meeting point. Luckily, the excursion company waited before departing and called me to gave me directions on where I was supposed to go. Another hiccup happened when my private transfer from the airport to my last hotel was booked 5 minutes after the planes arrival, which was not enough time to allow for delays. Sure enough, my flight was delayed and luggage pickup was also delayed, so the driver for the private transfer was mad and tried to charge me for him waiting an hour when it was outside my control, despite me messaging him he didn’t have to wait. as I said above, it was the perfect time of year to visit Tromsø, lots of snow but not too cold, and 3 days was enough time to do everything I wanted to do there. Bergen on the other hand, rained the entire time I was there and hiking was a struggle due to slushy snow, which is typical this time of year. There were lots of things to do around Bergen, but sadly only had a day and a half, which is why I plan to visit in the late spring/summer. Other than planning errors, all reservations were legit and I had fun!

Katie at Kimkim was such a great fit for us. There were 10 adults (siblings and spouses) traveling to Norway for the first time. We only had 2 weeks so we wanted to make sure our choices fit our personalities and styles (which is no easy task with 10 participants). We gave Katie a rough idea of the things we liked and the things we wanted to avoid and she gave us choices to consider and was VERY patient as we changed our minds several times. We used trains, planes, automobiles and boats to get all around Norway and everything was seamless. Katie's attention to detail was perfect. Kimkim was available to us while we were in Norway (there were a couple of occasions where they didn't seem to have our prepaid reservation at a hotel and once, our shuttle was very late). Kimkim called these businesses for us to help make sure all was ok. Katie really listened to what we were looking for and chose hotels that we really liked. I also liked that we could leave some days unplanned but Katie still gave us ideas of things to do once we arrived. I would use Kimkim again and again!

Hotels were in good, central locations. Breakfasts were wonderful with many choices. Travel details were perfectly arranged and we had no trouble getting from place to place. We enjoyed ourselves thoroughly.

Hotel Reviews

Fretheim Hotel

Flåm

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful lobby and nicely appointed rooms. Wonderful breakfast buffet

Location

Lovely location, right on the fjord

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Daily room service provided

Scandic Torget

Bergen

Great location, clean and quiet. Terrific breakfast buffet. Rooms are very small and minimalist (one water glass for two guests, no luggage rack or closet.) But very serviceable and convenient for our stay

Authenticity & Character

Very small room, few amenities

Location

Located in the center of the tourist area, over looking the water

Staff

Staff were responsive when we asked for drinking glasses, extra towel

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Hop-On-Hop-Off Bus

Oslo

Great way to get around to major sites in the city. The bus stopped running before we were ready to return, so we walked back to our hotel

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Mostraumen Fjord Cruise

Bergen

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Stegastein Viewpoint by Bus

Norway

The view was absolutely magical

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The winding, narrow road to the viewpoint requires a skilled driver.

Transport

Mar planned our perfect getaway to Norway. Two weeks with train travel, cruises, and planes to see Oslo, Røros, Trondheim,Tromso, Longyearbyen, and kirkenes. She hit all our highlights as requested with a price range that was within our budget. We had a couple minor hiccups (not related to kimkim planning) and their emergency number was personally manned with resolutions within 15 min. Will definitely use again. They made it so easy!

Hotel Reviews

Radisson RED Hotel, Oslo Airport

Ullensaker

Great rooms so close to the airport. Made our one night layover perfect before starting home. The restaurant seemed very understaffed at dinner leading to some ppl getting upset. We luckily didn’t have anywhere else to be so no issue for us. Breakfast was great.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Snowhotel Kirkenes

Loved staying at the snow hotel for the experience! Once in a lifetime! Wish there had been a little more explanation at check in about what to expect but they did have a tour and explanation for everyone later in the day. They do have a lounge that was very private if you can’t get sleep in the snow hotel you can go there to get warm or more comfortable

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Havila Capella

Great state rooms. Great food. The staff were very accommodating. The views were amazing!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Radisson Blu Polar Hotel Spitsbergen

Longyearbyen

Great place to stay. Centrally located. Great food.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Thon Hotel Polar

Tromsø

Great hotel. Close to most things. Staff were very helpful

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Scandic Solsiden

7042

Great location. Close to lots of food options and right on the river.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bergstadens Hotel

Røros

Such great character! The people were friendly and everything was clean. Short walk to everywhere

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotell Bondeheimen

Oslo

Easy walk to most of the major sights. Staff was nice and food was awesome!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Gamme Northern Lights Cabins

Bjørnevatn

So cozy with great views!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Everyone was so nice and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

King Crab Safari

Kirkenes

Great time. The traps are pre-baited and you ride out and watch them pull the traps up. So many crabs!! And eating them was obviously amazing

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Early Husky Sledding (Oct-Nov)

Kirkenes

The dogsledders are so nice and helpful. The dogs were friendly and loved to get attention. Amazing experience!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Wildlife and Glacier Cruise

Longyearbyen

Great tour with amazing guides! The views of the glacier were amazing.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided afternoon tour around Longyearbyen and surroundings

Norway

Maxim was an amazing guide who has lived in Longyearbyen for many years. Very knowledgeable

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Reindeer Feeding & Northern Lights Experience

Tromsø

The Sami were so friendly and have such amazing history.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Oslofjord Sightseeing Cruise by Traditional Boat

Oslo

Great views of the city by boat. We really enjoyed hearing about the history and seeing the sights

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had a terrific trip to Norway and all of the kimkim team did a great job! One of my travel fears is being underway and encountering a snag. How can I easily get it resolved? Twice we needed help and the kimkim 24/7 service team came through quickly and decisively.

Hotel Reviews

Scandic Ishavs Tromso

For us, seeking a luxury trip experience, this was just so-so. But great location with amazing views.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Very indifferent.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Home Hotel Bryggen

Bergen

From the moment we entered reception we were not happy. We were trying to book a luxury trip to Norway and this was clearly a budget hotel. Not at all what we wanted. And our first room was a dungeon looking at the side of the adjoining building. kimkim customer service was able to get us an upgraded room that was much better but we still found NOTHING to like about this place. Terrible way to start our trip to Norway.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sorrisniva Arctic Wilderness Lodge

Alta

Wow wow wow! This is a great lodge in an ideal wilderness setting. Great views- Yes, great staff- Yes, gourmet food- Yes! We loved this place.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Reindeer Feeding & Northern Lights Experience

Tromsø

Another excellent excursion. It was great to learn more about the Saami people and customs, but really cool to be able to feed a herd of reindeer (40-50?).

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Northern Lights Hunt by Boat

Tromsø

We should not have gone on this excursion. It was a run down , cramped boat with a rag tag crew. And very unsafe. We felt like this should not be offered by kimkim.

Quality of Experience

Husky Puppy Training Visit

Tromsø

One of our top 3 experiences in Norway. Boy we loved this. It is located in a very scenic spot. They had a very friendly and helpful staff but more importantly some 170 dogs! And we got plenty of time to play with them. And the provided lunch was very good and delivered in a very nice traditional building.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Northern Lights Dinner Cruise

Tromsø

Yes- we finally saw the northern lights! Very nice tour boat and crew. The dinner was good, Even though they had a large crowd on board the boat was big enough to not feel crowded.

Quality of Experience

Northern Lights Hunt

Alta

We are conflicted on this. The weather was far less than optimal- it was snowing. So we ended up driving around in a van for 3 hours basically doing nothing. For any lights "hunt" the issue is what to do when the weather is just not cooperating. Like no chance of seeing lights.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Winter Whale Watching Excursion

Alta

Wow, one of the coolest experiences we have ever had on vacation! Our captain was just amazing.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Hardangerfjord & Waterfalls Day Trip

Bergen

Our guide, Arne, was the best guide we have ever had. We had a great day with him. He is a local and was very knowledgeable, enthusiastic, and really treated us as VIP's. And we were surprised at how much we enjoyed the visit to Viking village.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Nærøyfjord Cruise & Flåm Railway Day Trip

Bergen

Our guide, Arne, was the best guide we have ever had. We had a great day with him. He is a local and was very knowledgeable, enthusiastic, and really treated us as VIP's.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cultural Walk with a Local

Bergen

Fernando was an excellent guide even though he is from Ecuador (how is this a local?)

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fløibanen Funicular Ticket

Bergen

Fun thing to do and great views.

Quality of Experience

Explore Bergen

Bergen

Fernando was an excellent guide and we enjoyed the tour.

Quality of Experience

This was a great trip. First of all, I'm sure we were lucky by having sunny or "almost sunny" weather for 7 days. My husband and I were thrilled with Anna's responsiveness and ability to modify our trip as a few unforeseen things such as a strike at KLM for baggage handling that changed our inbound flight. It really is worth it to have local expertise that can arrange hotels and transport in Norway. Also, it is important that you do your own research before reaching out to KimKim so that they can know what exactly you want to see and where to go. Norway is beautiful, the people are friendly, and the accommodations and transport are excellent. Again, the experience using KimKim, especially with Anna, was excellent. Bergen was lovely, Balestrand and Flåm railway breathtaking, Oslo is a fascinating city. Our guide, Stig, in Oslo, took us for an unbeatable off the main path tour - great! So much to see - we hope to go back to see even more of Norway.
Go and see the fjords for yourself!

As senior citizens traveling on our own (with too much luggage), this trip looked to be ambitious and arduous. I was anxious about our extensive in-country travel, with all the buses, trains, ships, planes. But it went smoothly, thanks to pretrip communications with Christina, maps she included in the itinerary, and because she booked us into nice hotels close to terminals. Bente in Lillehammer, Stig in Oslo, and John In Bergen were all excellent. We especially appreciated Bente's efforts to bring us to Øvre Ulland, the farm my great great grandfather came from in the 1850's. That was special. Our walk through Oslo with Stig was great. He was easy to talk to about life in Norway, current events, and we were able to effectively explore your beautiful capitol on our own afterwards. At City Hall on Sunday we visited with residents, many wearing their bunads, who were attending a weekly ceremony celebrating and welcoming young children. Three days was not nearly enough time for Oslo. Every part of the country we visited was spectacularly beautiful. We did the Norway in a Nutshell experience with a little hesitation (because we were going to be spending a week cruising with Havila), but we are very happy we did it. So beautiful! The cruise along the coast was lovely. All aspects were great, except for cloudy nights obscuring the Northern Lights. I guess we'll just have to come back and spend enough time away from the cloudy coast to see them. Spending 2 days in Tromsø and the excursion to the Sami reindeer family was also highlights. And the food was great! Minnesota is 1,500 km from the nearest ocean, so to be able to eat fresh seafood 3 meals a day - I was in heaven, gastronomically speaking. Overall, the trip of a lifetime for us. Many thanks, Christina!

Our recent trip to Norway truly took our breath away. From the moment we landed in Bergen, we were surrounded by beauty — colorful wooden houses lining the harbor, crisp mountain air, and views that seemed painted by nature itself. The city’s charm and cozy atmosphere made it the perfect place to begin our Norwegian adventure.

Wishing we could remember our tour guide's name for our Cultural and Food Tour of Bergen. He did a great job and was very knowledgeable about the amazing history of Bryggen and the food was amazing that we tried during the tour.

The highlight of our trip, though, was the journey to Flåm. Traveling through the fjords and mountains felt like stepping into another world. The Flåm Railway lived up to its reputation — every turn revealed waterfalls, deep valleys, and autumn colors reflected in still waters. Our stay in Flåm was peaceful and unforgettable, with the sound of waterfalls echoing in the distance and the fjord glowing under soft autumn light.

Even in October, when the air was cool and mist lingered over the water, Norway’s beauty was nothing short of magical. Every view, every quiet moment, reminded us how powerful and pure nature can be.

We left Norway with full hearts, countless photos, and a deep desire to return. This country doesn’t just offer scenery — it offers an experience that stays with you long after you’ve left.

Choosing KimKim and working with Krista and the whole team made this adventure unforgettable. Listening to what the client is wanting to experience during their trip and hitting the mark with the itinerary, will make KimKim our go-to place for our next adventure.

Thank you for making our first out of country experience unforgettable and something we can't wait to do again.

Gary & Amy Burke

Hotel Reviews

Fretheim Hotel

Flåm

Enjoyed this hotel very much and again the buffet was wonderful.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Scandic Torget

Bergen

The staff was amazing and very helpful and the breakfast buffet was outstanding. Would recommend this hotel for anyone going to Bergen.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Floating Sauna Experience

Norway

This was a fun experience!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Fjord Safari by RIB

Flåm

Another experience where photos can't even touch the beauty of actually seeing it in person. We will never forget the calmness of the water and how the villages were reflected off the water like a mirror.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Stegastein Viewpoint by Bus

Norway

Breathtaking!!! Photos from this overlook are amazing but the only way to really experience the beauty of this place is to see it in person.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Food & Culture Walk

Bergen

Our guide did a great job and was very knowledgeable about the history and the food we experienced was amazing as well.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Kim Kim Coordinator Tom Christer helped us put together and organize a nearly perfect 2 week trip in Norway. The accommodations were as advertised. They were comfortable, friendly, and always well located. The various elements of the trip such as train arrangements, city walking tours ( Guide John in Bergen was particularly good!), ferries, car rental, and taxi pick up were flawless. We especially loved the flower garden island and boat trip from Stavanger. Highly recommend without question! The driving route suggestions including hiking trail recommendations were perfect for our needs. We enjoyed Flam with the train ride and kayaking tour. A great day!
Tom was available to meet with us through Zoom several times prior to our departure from the US. His consideration and friendly personality were quite reassuring and he and other members of the Kim Kim team on the ground, were available and immediately responsive, the few times we had questions or sought information.
Norway is a stunningly, beautiful, easy to be in country of friendly seemingly happy people. It is a gem and we recommend, as we did, traveling there exclusively so it can be fully appreciated and explored.
Please consider for future reference, providing more specific directions, on arrival at Oslo Central Station to hotel accommodations. It is a bit overwhelming to arrive at a large station with seemingly dozens of exits. Also, since there are many Thon hotels the need for more specific directions would be helpful.
When we arrived in Bergen by ferry, we decided to walk from the dock to our hotel. This proved to be an interesting but arduous walk up and over steep cobblestone streets. We would recommend the short taxi ride.
While our all electric rental car ran beautifully, the need to secure charging, and paying for the charge was somewhat stressful at the time, but ultimately worked out well.
We’re not sure what happened with our first class train ride from Oslo to Stavanger, but halfway there we were required to de-train and complete the second half of the trip on what was a more local, less comfortable conveyance.
We particularly loved the hotel Ulansvagen. Awesome scenery, accommodation, history and food.
We also greatly enjoyed our stay at Bestabakken. The setting was gorgeous, the accommodation excellent. The owner – hosts were very nice and the guests who shared the family style dinners were interesting and fun.
The dining experience was beautifully presented and the food was good. Breakfast not great. I think potential guests for this place should be informed that the pre booked dinner with wine is quite expensive. Two nights’ dinners, for two people, was close to $600. It would be helpful prior to dinner for the host to inform guests that wine is extra. We fully enjoyed the experience, and/but the Bill was a bit salty.
In short, we could not be happier with all aspects of our trip. We look forward to future travel opportunities with Kim Kim. Shout out to Tom.
Joel B
Barb C

The stay in Bergen was too long, it should have been remove two night and the last boat experience wasn’t great, there was nothing to do or visit.
But overall all went good.

Our local specialist, Mar put together an amazing trip for my husband and I to Norway for our anniversary. Everything was so easy and everyone was so helpful- from the beginning of the planning stages to the trip itself! I even needed to contact the urgent contact while I was on my trip and Ricardo was very responsive and helpful! The hotels were great, the excursions and activities were perfect for us, and it was so nice to have all of our transfers taken care of with detailed instructions on where meet up and catch busses/trains! We spent time in Bergen, Balestrand, Flam and Tromso and did a variety of things including hikes, ferry rides, private floating sauna on the fjord, Sami and reindeer experience, funicular, northern lights excursions (we were lucky to see the norther lights 3 out of 3 nights in Tromso), etc. It was magical. I would definitely recommend KimKim's Mar and their team to plan a trip to Norway!

Activity Reviews

Reindeer Feeding & Northern Lights Experience

Tromsø

I loved hearing about the history and current day culture of the Sami people and their relationship with the reindeer. The camp was beautiful.

Quality of Experience

Food

The reindeer stew was great!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Northern Lights Husky Experience with Dinner

Tromsø

Quality of Experience

Food

I loved the fish soup!!!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide, Max was great!

Transport

Private Floating Sauna Experience

Norway

I loved that we had a private sauna and we were able to get into the Fjord privately from the inside via a transparent door on the floor, or we were able to jump off the roof into the Fjord!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Waterfall Hike & Stegastein Viewpoint Experience

Flåm

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide, Lauma was amazing!

Transport

Our food tour was special and well organized and our guide to pulpit rock was great especially since we had the challenge of hiking in a light rain most of the way. The funicular above Bergen to watch the sunset is a unique experience. One thing to watch is store and restaurant hours - a lot of shops are closed on Sundays and only one restaurant was open in Rosendal on Monday - luckily it was terrific.

Hotel Reviews

Bergen Børs Hotel

Bergen

Suggest upgrading to a deluxe room for a little more room. First class bar and breakfast

Authenticity & Character

Location

On the harbor and near shipping and restaurants

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Victoria

Stavanger

Smaller rooms but central - staff was great and helpful

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Karl Johan Hotel

Oslo

Attentive staff and perfect location to walk around Oslo

Authenticity & Character

Old style with current amenities

Location

Very central and very walkable.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Fløibanen Funicular Ticket

Bergen

Not to be missed. A dramatic view of Bergen and the fjords.

Quality of Experience

Clear night and great meal at the restaurant

Pulpit Rock Hike with Lunch

Stavanger

Top shelf hike with incredible experience at the pinnacle. It was fairly tough made more difficult with misty rain the entire time. Andi was great and brought very welcomed lunches. Wish we had a clearer day but would do it again.

Quality of Experience

LLP

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Taste of Oslo Street Food Walk

Oslo

Well organized and a true inside experience. He knew interesting places and made sure we had a true taste of the local food. Special thanks for accommodating Bev’s food allergies. Deep understanding of history of Norway. Excellent!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private City Walk

Oslo

No clear plan for the day - said she really didn’t like the city and preferred to take a walk in the forest.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

I had not heard of kimkim before starting to plan for our trip to Norway, so I was a little apprehensive. My experience could not have been better and it exceeded my expectations by far. I found the website online and after reading some of the good reviews (and endorsements by familiar companies), I typed in general thoughts about what kind of travel we enjoy, and some of the things we wanted to do. Anna, our specialist, sent back an itinerary that was a great first start, and within a week or so, we had it almost finalized. I was able to talk with her a couple of times to go through the plan carefully, and she tweaked some things based on feedback. I never felt like I was being forced to pick the most expensive choices, rather Anna was able to point out value where appropriate. She also responded to concerns and adjusted our plans accordingly (where I felt we might benefit from a car service, rather than public transportation, as an example).

Our trip had a few twists and turns, and was not straightforward (one person had to leave early), and we added one person after the trip had been planned, and Anna handled it with grace and a bit of humor. She went above and beyond to help me make it work within my budget, and we wound up with a spectacular experience all around.

The price of our trip did adjust upwards a couple of times, and while it was likely due to adding some things, I would make sure to make sure I know the final cost (and what is included) before I finalize a trip in the future. I will definitely plan on using kim kim in the future, though!

Hotel Reviews

Thon Hotel Oslo Airport

Gardermoen

Typical airport hotel. It was a bit worn, and could use a bit of a fresh coat of paint and carpet repair.

Authenticity & Character

It's a hotel airport

Location

Staff

Nothing lacking, but nothing beyond basic service.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Beds were comfortable, and room was clean.

Svinøya Rorbuer

Svolvær

Very spacious, comfortable, beautiful views, great location.

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful cabin in traditional style.

Location

Just a few minutes walk to town. Great location on the water.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Manshausen

Leinesfjord

Simply amazing! Breathtaking views and totally worth taking a detour to stay there. Everyone was very accommodating and because our unit wasn't rented, they were happy to let us have a late check out, so that we could explore the island until time for our ferry ride.

Authenticity & Character

Unique and wonderful.

Location

Breathtaking.

Staff

Very accommodating.

Cleanliness & Comfort

lovely all around.

Hotel Norge by Scandic

Bergen

Loved the upbeat atmosphere, and the rooms were very comfortable and relatively spacious. The breakfast was amazing - it would be impossible to try everything!

Authenticity & Character

Nice vibe - dj in the lobby was fun.

Location

Great location in the middle of everything.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

very clean and comfortable

Highland Lodge

Geilo

Very comfortable and clean. Small rooms, but nice to have common area, and the bakery was great!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Nice lake and hiking in the area.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Continental

Oslo

5 star hotel with all of the expected amenities. Beds and rooms were very comfortable (but small). Breakfast was a highlight!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

One of them took the time to walk us to the train station so we wouldn't miss it.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Lofoten Sightseeing Trip

Svolvær

Andrea was a highlight of our trip. We spent a full day touring with him, and we could have spent another day with him! He went out of his way to show us things. It was clear he loves the islands, and sharing his love of the area with others.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Andrea had a delightful personality, and clearly loves the out of doors and the environment.

Transport

Comfortable car.

Explore Bergen with a Local

Bergen

John was a great guide. He was very knowledgeable about Bergen, and took the time to explain the history and to make sure we got a chance to see things that were of interest to us.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Not applicable - we walked, but it was a good pace.

Explore Oslo's Hidden Gems with a Local Expert

Oslo

Loved Stig - very knowledgeable, and we really enjoyed our time with him.

Quality of Experience

Very knowledgeable, and he was very engaging and cared about our time in Oslo.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Not applicable - we walked, but it was a fun walk.

The planning process with Anders was great. The hotels selected in each city were in the best locations. The rooms we were given often were not top rate and when I asked for a different room, e.g., with a view or a larger room, upon checking our booking the hotels were unable to accomodate us. Our driver in Norway, Lene, was fantastic. She planned our days well and went out of her way to help the Hernas members of our threesome find their ancestral home towns. All of our other drivers and guides were top flight. Our only issue was that it took several tries to convince Anders that only Deborah and I were travelling to Finland. Even when he finally adjusted the room bookings, he did not adjust other reservations like the ferry to Estonia. Fenne straightened things out while we were there.

Hotel Review

Scandic Grand Central Helsinki

Helsinki

Great location in the heart of the city. Our room was tiny, the only one of the floor that had a former office divided into two rooms.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Helsinki To Tallinn Private Day Trip with Old Town Tour & City Sightseeing

Helsinki

Tallinn was wonderful. It has a great old walled city with lots to see. Our guide was very knowledgeable about it and made it a fun day.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Porvoo Private Tour with Helsinki Highlights

Helsinki

This was a highlight tour while we were in Finland. Porvoo is a quaint waterfront city with an old shopping district. We also enjoyed the Sibelius monument and the rock church in Helsinki. Our guide, George, was very knowledgeable and kept us entertained the whole day. The only reservation we had was that he insisted on telling us about sauna even after we told him we have one in our home in California. I didn't need to be sold on sauna.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Geirangerfjord Cruise

Geiranger

The Fjord itself is spectacular and the cruise well paced to allow you to enjoy the waterfalls and other sights.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Geiranger Skywalk Visit

Geiranger

The trip to get there takes you out of your way to the fjord itself. The view from there is spectacular overall, but the Geiranger Fjord is but a speck in the distance.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cider Tasting with Food Pairing

Balestrand

Although I was a bit skeptical about this going into it, the experience was really fun. The owner walked us through a tasting of ciders and then paired them excellent food choices. I was not a cider drinker before this, but I have gained a whole new appreciation for the genre.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Mostraumen Fjord Cruise

Bergen

This was not a worthwhile cruise in our view.

Oslo Private Driver for a Day

Oslo

Lene was fantastic, not just this day but for the whole time we were with her in Norway. On this day, she exerted her "site location" skills from the movie industry to help locate the villages where Deborah and Pat's ancestors once lived.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Lene!

Transport

Our guide Katie was very helpful, the itinerary was very much to my expectation. We can see beautiful Norway, it helps also with good weather (we have been very lucky). Taxi in smaller cities probably is not the most reliable service. But in general, most cities in Norway are not big, very walkable (and also relatively flat). It’s also my first time using assistance of tour guide, also a good experience for me.

Alex and team were great to work with - knowledgeable, resourceful, and responsive. Kim Kim's process and online tools were quite well developed. We loved every bit of the custom itinerary Alex devised for us to see the splendor of Norway's fjords.

Some travel partners show up well during part of the process and then disappear. Alex and team were with us all the way.

I'd be happy to work with them again.

Hotel Reviews

Kviknes Hotel

Balestrand

Magnificent hotel, beautifully situated. Great staff and solid food.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Det Hanseatiske Hotel

Bergen

Terrible experience. Despite having reserved many months ahead, we were given rooms on the part of the fourth floor not served by an elevator. Not a great result for older folks. We were not clear why we got the worst rooms in the hotel when we had reserved so far in advance. The attendant, in a tired white undershirt, did not represent the hotel well. The 4th floor rooms were run down and the hottest in the hotel with no way to moderate temperature. Opening hte window was no solution due to noise from the nightlife just outside. While the the hotel is conveniently situated, location doesn;'t overcome the downsides.

Authenticity & Character

See above.

Location

Staff

Honor reservations made well ahead with decent rooms. Show more professionalism.

Cleanliness & Comfort

See above.

Hotel 1904

Ålesund

Great staff and location. Upper floor room had a funny configuration but worked out ok.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Cider Tasting with Food Pairing

Balestrand

Lovely little glimpse into local culture and economy. Short walk from hotel was lovely.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Self Guided Exploration Balestrand

Balestrand

Magnificent town with some good walks.

Quality of Experience

Geirangerfjord Cruise & Day Trip

Norway

Quality of Experience

Explore Ålesund

Norway

Lovely town. Sadly, time to explore was curtailed trying to deal with luggage lost by the airline.

Quality of Experience

We had a great time and the route was well planned out. If I were to do it again I would fly in and out of Bergen. I felt that for us Oslo didn’t add much to the trip and it was a long drive up to our next destination. The last day was way overbooked, thankfully the golden train was not running, otherwise we would not have started our trip back to Oslo till the afternoon. It took us 8 hrs to drive to Oslo and we had to forfeit stopping in Lillehammer as we ran out of time due to a road closure and diversions that increased our driving time. All hotels and excursions were booked without issue, better communication regarding golden train cancellation could have been handled better.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Aurlandsfjord

Aurland

Parking is very limited for size of hotel. Front desk staff could have been more helpful.

Authenticity & Character

Lovely front porch to sit out at.

Location

Staff

Dining staff were great, front desk staff could be more helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Booths were comfortable, but the chairs at tables were very small and uncomfortable. Beds could be firmer

Olden fjordhotel

Olden

Decent dinner buffet, breakfast was ok, however we had a substantial surcharge for gluten free bread.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

More comfortable beds

Grand Hotel

ÅNDALSNES

Authenticity & Character

Location

Walking distance to shops, golden train and gondola

Staff

Front desk could be more pleasant

Cleanliness & Comfort

Beds could be more comfortable

Hotel Union

Geiranger

Spa feature is special here. Beautiful location and outdoor hot tub overlooking mountains and fjord.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Walaker Hotel

Solvorn

Beautiful hotel, pride of ownership clearly evident. Service impeccable, lovely one night stay as town is small.

Authenticity & Character

L

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bergen Harbour Hotel

Bergen

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Porthole type windows that you could see out of, made it dark. No real lounge area.

Eidfjord Hotel

Eidfjord

A little rustic, could be cleaner.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clarion Hotel Oslo

Oslo

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Romsdalsgondolen - Romsdalen Cable Car (round-trip)

Åndalsnes

The views are spectacular. Worth the trip

Geiranger Skywalk Visit

Geiranger

Great views if you’re close by otherwise just a nice views along the road

Geraingerfjord Safari by RIB

Geiranger

I wouldn’t recommend it particularly if you’ve already been on the ferry as you will not see anything new. Very basic, nothing special.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Hotel Union Spa Evening

Geiranger

The day we booked our spa there was a huge convention going on and it was crazy busy. Hotel gave us a free pass for the following day which was much quieter. Nice way to decompress after long driving or hiking days.

Summer Kayaking Excursion

Norway

Go for the joy of kayaking more than the scenery as we really didn’t go anywhere you couldn’t see from land

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Flåm Railway Round-Trip Experience

Flåm

Definitely a must for tourists. Beautiful scenery.

Njardarheimr Viking Village Visit

Gudvangen

Pretty basic tour, certainly couldn’t spend more than an hr there.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Past & Present City Walk

Bergen

Did not get to go into churches or buildings, just stood outside them

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

City Excursion by Bike

Oslo

Booked e-bikes but only got regular bikes. Tour was pretty basic.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide was very personable.

Transport