Kimkim Trip Reviews for Norway

I loved Katie’s local knowledge which helped to go beyond the beaten path and helped to find unique and hidden gems which made our vacation truly special! We loved the smaller boutique hotels that were tucked in quieter places surrounded by Norways beauty. Will definitely go thru KimKim again!

We had an amazing trip! Mathia was so helpful in planning a great itinerary and we had support in every city we visited.

Hotel Review

Grand Hotel Oslo

Oslo

Lovely hotel located in downtown. Wonderful breakfast selections!

Authenticity & Character

The OG of Oslo hotels

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Explore Oslo's Hidden Gems with a Local Expert

Oslo

Stig was great and very knowledgable. He filled the entire 3 hours with great spots to see and information

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Several long transit days

KimKim Feedback
Working with KimKim really helped me with getting ideas and plans for transitioning to one town to the next on our trip to Norway with 7 people. It was extremely helpful to have someone figuring out the tickets, times, locations, etc. for the hotels, drop off and pickups, activities, etc. My only recommendation is to verify the links you include in the itinerary. A few of the links did not work so I'm glad I verified and asked the questions before we left.
Here are a few reviews of the things we did.
Oslo
• We had a pickup scheduled from the airport to our first hotel in Oslo, but the driver cancelled. I contacted KimKim and they quickly arranged a different ride.
• The Grand Hotel Oslo was beautiful! We loved the rooms and the morning breakfast was amazing. The French president, Emmanuel Macron, even stopped by the hotel as we were there. The location was perfect for seeing all the common sights in Oslo.
• The 3 hour Private City Walk was okay. We ended up taking a ferry to the Fram museum. The guide was excellent at providing us with some background and history regarding the Fram. It was very interesting, and the museum was excellent and I highly recommend it. Once we were at the Fram, we wanted to stay there and look around but our time with the guide was up so she left and we stayed at the museum. I’m just not sure if the guide was really that useful, but without her we may not have attended the museum so we are thankful for that. The time may have been better spend walking around Oslo and getting the history and background about the palace, opera house, etc. from the guide and then doing the Fram on our own.
• We took scooters to the Mathallen Food Court which we all really enjoyed. We also shopped around that area which had lots of unique boutiques and secondhand stores. Very fun to see a variety in shopping areas. Downtown Oslo has lots of “chain” stores, but since we are not from Norway, they were all fairly new to us as well. Very fun shopping.

Stavanger
• Took the train to Stavanger. The train was fabulous - quiet and a great way to see the scenery.
• The second hotel, Scandic Stavanger Park, was fine. Not bad, not great – very standard. It was on a very busy street, so it was loud when the windows were open which we did because our room was hot. I personally would not recommend this hotel.
• The kids did the hike to Pulpit Rock which became the highlight of the entire trip.
• I loved looking at Old Stavanger and the buildings, as well as shopping around Ovre Holmegate in all the boutiques. I love to shop and look at goods so this was excellent for me.
• My husband and I went to the Petroleum Museum also – which I highly recommend. It was very well done and informative.
• The art all around the city is very fun. It would be fun to do a “scavenger hunt” for the art.
• Several of the hotels allowed umbrella checkout. We didn’t use it because we had raincoats, but I thought it was a great thing and worth mentioning to people you are planning trips for.
Bergen
• Took a Fjordline “ferry” to Bergen. This was more like a cruise ship. Very comfortable and beautiful. We loved this way of traveling. Highly recommend.
• The hotel, Radisson Blu Royal Hotel, was very nice and in a very central location. The only drawback is that there is a nightclub right by it, so it got loud at night.
• We did the Fjord Cruise & Seafood Dining Experience. I would not recommend this. It was fine, but our service was extremely slow and the food was okay. Not worth the money or time in my opinion.
• The Norway in a Nutshell was a great way to see a lot of things in a short time, but there was very little time to explore the places that we visited. We would barely get off the boat/train/bus and would have to get in line to catch the next boat/train/bus. It would be nice to have 1-2 hours at each stop.
• We did love seeing the fjords and mountains as we traveled. Stunning views!!!
• In hindsight, we should have stayed in Flam or Voss a few nights. My kids love “doing” things like hiking/biking and there were lots of opportunities for this in those smaller villages.
• The Catch and Cook Fishing Excursion was fun. It was rainy, but they had tons of clothes to outfit all of us so we were not miserable. My husband and sons are avid fisherman so to them it was a bit “touristy” and not real fishing, but it was an activity versus more sight-seeing so they liked it because we were doing something. We did catch some fish and enjoyed the cooking of it. Our guide, Iris, was great. I would recommend as an activity to do with the understanding that this is not for the serious fisherman.
• The Fløibanen funicular was good. Excellent views of Bergen, and a fun park. We could not get into the restaurant because we did not have a reservation so I would recommend this as something to consider to your clients when doing this activity.
• One activity we looked up and did on or own was the “Magic Ice” bar. I heard it was a bit gimmicky and expensive – which it was – but fun to experience and see it nonetheless.

All in all – it was an excellent trip. I loved seeing all that we did. Knowing what I know now, I should have done more activities versus sightseeing, but now I know for our next trip.
The kimkim app was very helpful to have all our tickets and information in one spot. I hope you continue to use and improve it.

Thank you!

Hotel Reviews

Radisson Blu Royal Hotel

Bergen

Nice hotel and excellent location to Bergen,

Authenticity & Character

It's pretty and clean.

Location

Very central location to get around Bergen

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The cleanliness and comfort of the hotel is great. The only issue is that it is close to a night club so it got loud at night.

Scandic Stavanger Park

Stavanger

This hotel is fine, but I would not recommend. It was on a busy street so it was loud in our room. Our room was on the top floor and it got hot. They brought us a fan, which helped, but we could not adjust the temperature. The breakfast was included and was very good.

Authenticity & Character

Not bad, not great. Just not memorable.

Location

We were able to walk to central Stavanger

Staff

Several times staff was not available at the front desk or there was only 1 person so it took time to get help.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The hotel is on a very busy street so it was loud. Our room was hot and we could not adjust the temperature. They gave us a fan, which helped.

Grand Hotel Oslo

Oslo

This hotel is beautiful and is in a great location to the central Oslo. The breakfast buffet was amazing and become a food highlight of the trip. I highly recommend this hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Very central

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Mathallen Food Court Visit

Oslo

Fun to see and experience some food.

Private City Walk

Oslo

The 3 hour Private City Walk was okay. We ended up taking a ferry to the Fram museum. The guide was excellent at providing us with some background and history regarding the Fram. It was very interesting, and the museum was excellent and I highly recommend it. Once we were at the Fram, we wanted to stay there and look around but our time with the guide was up so she left and we stayed at the museum. I’m just not sure if the guide was really that useful, but without her we may not have attended the museum so we are thankful for that. The time may have been better spent walking around Oslo and getting the history and background about the palace, opera house, etc. from the guide and then doing the Fram on our own.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Self-Guided Pulpit Rock Hike

Stavanger

The kids in our group did this activity and it was their absolute favorite.

Quality of Experience

Mathia planned an amazing trip for 11 of us incorporating all that we wanted to see and do in Norway. He was attentive, informative and efficient the whole way through. All the hotels were excellent, the tours were wonderful and all transportation was perfect. We could not have navigated this ourselves. Mathia is a professional with intimate knowledge of Norway. We all highly recommend Kim Kim and Mathia.

Linda was an amazing vacation coordinator! She suggested many activities that I never would have found on my own. It was so easy to have transportation and accommodations arranged in advance. Our favorite activities were the fjord safari and floating sauna in Flam and our stay at Bestebakken.

Krista did a great job coordinating everything for us; wonderful ideas and and reservation selection. Your 24-hour support team was super helpful along the way...that is a great service. its almost impossible to get ahold of anyone these days, and that service was top notch.

Thank you!
Keith and Sydney

The organisation & planning of the trip was great & the guides excellent
My only critique would be that apart from Oslo the hotel rooms were very small although the hotel staff everywhere were excellent

Activity Reviews

Explore Oslo's Hidden Gems with a Local Expert

Oslo

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Ko

Transport

Oslo Dinner Cruise

Oslo

Quality of Experience

Food

Transport

Waterfall Hike & Stegastein Viewpoint

Norway

The guide was great the weather very poor

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Fjord Safari Taste

Norway

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Scenic Boat Trip to Fjærland

Norway

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bergen Walking Tour With a Local Guide

Bergen

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Alex and Nick planned a great trip. Communication was easy, timely, and useful. Only minor hiccups, but they were handled quickly. The next time I need travel booking help, I will use kimkim.

Hotel Reviews

Scandic Grand Tromsø

Tromsø

Hotel offered exactly what we needed.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Nordis Suites

Svolvær

Beautiful view of the harbor.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Be sure to have the taxi drop you off near the Nordis restaurant. We were dropped off at the wrong location, but it was only a short walk to the correct place. Building is close to everything in town.

Staff

We did not interact with staff except to call and get our apartment code. It would be helpful if they had What'sApp.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Radisson Blu Airport Hotel, Oslo Gardemoen

Gardemoen

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Welcome to Tromsø

Tromsø

Tromsø is a wonderful small city. Beautiful views. Very easy to each airport bus to city center.

Quality of Experience

Midnight Sun Cruise

Tromsø

Beautiful views. The guide on the boat was really funny and knowledgeable about the local area. She was great.

Quality of Experience

Locals Guide to Svolvær

Svolvær

Small town, but one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen.

Quality of Experience

Husky Puppy Training Visit

Tromsø

So much fun. Really nice facility. Beautiful views on hike.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Self-Guided Arctic Cathedral Visit

Tromsø

Such a beautiful church.

Quality of Experience

Explore Tromsø

Norway

Nice, walkable city.

Quality of Experience

Private Lofoten Floating Sauna Experience

Svolvær

Really nice sauna. Try the polar plunge at least once.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We walked and did not use transport. It is a short walk from the main harbor area.

Trollfjord Cruise by Electric Boat

Svolvær

Incredibly beautiful even though it was raining and cold. Guides were very knowledgeable, friendly, and nice.

Quality of Experience

Our trip to Norway was planned out in steps with Alex who asked us questions and planned a trip tailored to our likes.
The trip was stress free! It was all planned with some down time in between the bigger events.
The app was easy to use and we enjoyed our tour of Norway!
I would highly recommend using KimKim!

The trip was amazing! All pick-ups, train tickets, excursions, worked like clockwork. The city tours were awesome. Both guides were very knowledgeable. The only item I would have changed was the seafood dinner in Bergen. The restaurant offered either a 5-course seafood meal or shellfish extravaganza. If given a choice I would have preferred the shellfish.
Thank you KIMKIM and Alex, Nick, and your whole team.

Hotel Review

Karl Johan Hotel

Oslo

My stay at the last hotel in Oslo was initially concerning due to my claustrophobia and the room's location deep within the hotel. However, the staff was understanding and moved me to a beautiful space with high ceilings and lovely windows near the stairs on the second floor. Despite the initial discomfort, the staff's accommodation merits praise.

Activity Reviews

Explore Bergen

Bergen

The city tour in Bergen was fantastic! The guide, though Australian, had immense knowledge about Bergen's history, such as the thirteen houses and the German influence over centuries. She was entertaining and knowledgeable. Post-tour, her recommendation to take the Fløibanen Funicular was spot on. I loved Bergen and definitely want to return!

Private City Walk

Oslo

Our Private City Walk in Oslo was incredible. Our guide tailored the tour to our interests post visiting the typical sites like the palace and the opera house the day before. I got an outstanding, personalized experience with additional unique sights. She even recommended her favorite ice cream spot. It was an incredibly personal and enriching tour!

Fjord RIB Safari & Undredal Cheese Tasting

Norway

The Flåm Fjord RIB Safari and Undredal Cheese Tasting were amazing! Inga, our tour guide, was fantastic. The tour was quick, fun, and the cheese tasting in Undredal was delightful. It was one of my favorite experiences in Norway.

Our 10-day trip to Norway went really well !
Our local specialist, Mathia, was very professional and responsive, and I highly recommend him !
His choice of hotels and activities, as well as his recommendations, were just perfect.
Many thanks to Mathia & Kimkim !

Both guides, Oslo and Bergen were wonderful. They explained so much about history of Oslo and Bergen

We used KimKim to help us plan a trip for four families. It isn't easy traveling with 16 people all with different needs and interests. We also had some serious allergies to be considered. Anders, Julia and the other KimKim staff we interacted with were all very professional and helpful. They were extremely patient as we worked on the itinerary, even when we made changes back and forth. The trip was a huge success and went very smoothly. The hotels were better than expected and all the tours and activities they helped arrange were great for our group. Everything was very smooth and well arranged! Having a local guide available for questions on the same time zone also came in handy. I would definitely use KimKim again!

First I would like to commend Mathias for putting together a memorable itinerary and seeing to every detail. He was very attentive to incorporating my requests for modifications. He was supportive throughout our trip. He responded to any questions or concerns. If he was not available, he provided us with a back-up rep. The guides (Slig, John, and Wanda) were very knowledgeable and gave us wonderful incites into their areas. Bjorn who took us on the Waterfall Hike was extremely knowledgeable about his about area and made the hike and the viewing really fun.

Hotel Reviews

Amerikalinjen

Oslo

Amerikalinjen was fantastic for our stay in Oslo. Its perfect location just across from the train station was such a convenience, making it easy for us older travelers. The accommodations were comfortable and the breakfast was excellent, providing a wonderful start to each day.

Scandic Nidelven

Trondheim

Scandic Nidelven in Trondheim offered an incredible breakfast experience. It was over the top with a wide variety of delicious options that were more than we could ever consume. The accommodations were superb.

Vangsgaarden Gjestgiveri

Aurland

Vangsgaarden Gjestgiveri in Aurland was a simple yet charming hotel in the countryside. Although the breakfast was not as elaborate as other places, it was perfectly fine and suited the beautiful rural setting. The area was absolutely stunning.

Activity Reviews

Trondheim Walking Tour

Trondheim

The Trondheim Walking Tour was fantastic. Having a private guide made it easy to ask any questions we had and engage deeply with the city's rich history and culture. The guide's expertise made our walk both informative and enjoyable.

Explore Oslo's Hidden Gems with a Local Expert

Oslo

Exploring Oslo with a local expert was an enriching experience. We had the guide to ourselves, which allowed for a personal and engaging conversation. The guide was knowledgeable and shared insights about the city that we wouldn't have gotten otherwise.

Mathia, thank you for helping us plan a wonderful trip. You enhanced our original itinerary and provided great recommendations. Our bookings provided seamless transportation including trains, ferries and a car all in one day! Your prompt reply to questions was appreciated! Thank you for helping us make the memories!
Jim and Louise

Mathia was outstanding in helping us plan an amazing trip with activites and fjord trips. We were on all the major fjords including the UNESCO Geirangerfjord and twice on the Naeroyfjord.

I had no idea there would be so much support DURING our travels. Mathia sent us messages regularly, and when he wasn't working, we were helped by Tom and Katie.

The only thing that I wish was different, would be that the communication wasn't website based. For me, it would be better through texting on WhatsApp or a similar platform. Due to international plans through my cellular carrier, I had disabled email. So I was unaware of chats that were web based early on... Then, when I went to the kim kim web chat portal, getting the web page to refresh properly on my phone led to delays in me seeing messages through the kimkim chat portal.

But everything Mathia suggested and arranged worked wonderfully! I have recommended kimkim to many of my friends.

Hotel Reviews

Strand Fjordhotel

Ulvik

Nice, family owned hotel next to the fjord in the tiny town of Ulvik.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotell Bondeheimen

Oslo

Very pleasant hotel in Oslo. Great location. Excellent restaurant

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Vangsgaarden Gjestgiveri

Aurland

Charming family owned run hotel in beautiful Aurland. We had the best room overlooking the Aurlandsfjord. It was at the top front of the 2nd floor, I believe room 201. Staff and breakfast was great,

Authenticity & Character

The original buildings have been preserved to look authentic, but updated beautifully with an abundance of electrical outlets; great shower; heated bathroom floors and beautiful furnishings.

Location

Aurland is a gorgeous town and the origional hotel site dates back to the 1700s.

Staff

Friendly and interested in talking to us.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Trondheim Walking Tour

Trondheim

Exploring Trondheim on a walking tour with a local guide was an amazing experience. The guide was knowledgeable and took us through the rich history and culture of Trondheim, making it a highlight of our trip.

Bike and Hike Ålesund

Ålesund

The bike and hike trip in Ålesund was fantastic. The equipment provided was top-notch, especially the ebikes which were the best I've ever ridden. The hike to Sukkertoppen was challenging but incredibly rewarding. It was one of my favorite parts of the trip.

We had a wonderful time celebrating our 50th wedding anniversary in Norway. Alex planned a perfect trip that included Bergan, Flåm, Geiranger, and Alesund. The Bergen city tour set the stage for our immersion into Norway. We had the right balance of planned and free time each day. We loved the boat ride to Flåm from Gudvagen in a spectacular Fjord, the Flåm tour and the train to Myrdal were highlights. The city of Alesund was a nice surprise with another spectacular fjord cruise to Geiranger. We were able to do many hikes, took a plunge in Alesund and enjoyed our Seafood Tower at the Cornelius Restaurant on our Anniversary. Alex and Nick were ready to lend assistance if needed but everything was planned so well we didn’t need any help. Timing was spot on for connections and next event timing. Thanks for a very memorable experience in Norway.

Activity Reviews

Fløibanen Funicular Ticket

Bergen

We checked the radar to for this activity in. We had a 2 hour break in the clouds which gave us the opportunity to ride the vernicular, hike the area and have a drink at the restaurant on top. If it had been a sunset type of day we may have had dinner, however the sunsets are around 11:00 at night.

Quality of Experience

Cultural Walk with a Local

Bergen

Thomas did a great job explaining the long history of Bergen. The big take away was the number of fires and rebuilds that were done and the power struggles throughout history.

Quality of Experience

Guide was extremely knowledgeable and excited about Bergen’s histort

Explore Bergen

Bergen

We had just arrived from an overnight flight. It was raining. We did the easiest thing and walked to the fish market, had a couple beers and had dinner. We noticed the locals ignored the weather so we did too and just dressed accordingly and carried our umbrella.

The whole experience from planning with Maria and then traveling with the help of the rest of the team was absolutely perfect. We felt completely supported throughout the trip. We made a few last minute changes and the team was there for us every step of the way. It’s so relaxing to have that kind of immediate help while traveling. We didn’t have to worry about anything. We just got to enjoy the incredible beauty of Norway.

And I will add that the experiences that Maria chose for us were customized for our pace and our interests. And we were very happy with the accommodations that were booked for us. So overall, I would highly recommend Kimkim for making your trip to Norway memorable!

Hotel Reviews

Thon Hotel Kirkenes

Kirkenes

Great views of the harbor. Good food. Comfortable rooms.

Scandic Royal Stavanger

Stavanger

It’s a little far from the center of town but quiet. No views. But comfortable.

Radisson Blu Royal Hotel

Bergen

Perfect location. Quiet. Spacious rooms. A great base camp for exploring downtown Bergen.

Heimly Pensjonat

Flåm

The rooms are very small without a lot of room to put your stuff. But the view is incredible, the service is awesome and the meals were great!

Amerikalinjen

Oslo

Located right in the center of town, the hotel has a great history and character. Service was awesome, especially the bartender where you will have some amazing unusual cocktail!

Activity Review

Private City Walk

Oslo

There is nothing like a local to share their understanding of a place. And our guide gave us tips to explore things we never would have been able to do on our own!

Alesund was an amazing town to slowly start the trip. Gorgeous views. Lovely town to walk around in and get rid of jet lag!! We drive to Runde Island for a do it yourself hike. We saw puffins on the hillside in flight and in the water from afar. That was amazing!

A quick trip up the Atlantic Ocean road to Kristiansund was “okay”. The weather was rainy and windy and we more or less missed the highlights bc of weather. We thought the road would be miles and miles of bridges but was actually quite short. The city offered a few areas to walk around and a little hike up in a park area but one night there would have been better skipped and added into Oye (see below) IMO.

Andalsnes the lodging at Rosvang Gard w Otto and Albert was incredible. Food to die for. Again scenery was awesome. We drove over to the Stave church across the fjord. The Golden Train and Gondola were wonderful to see and do! Eating at Eggen was dreamt as well!

Geiranger was a stunning site! Kayaking w Martina (from Argentina) was fantastic. The Four Sisters didn’t disappoint.

Oye was the most perfect pristine town ever. Kayaking with Jorge from Baja was very enjoyable. A lovely quiet fjord to paddle in and a few easier trails to explore the hillside was a great way to wind down the week. Would have loved to be there two nights

Last night near Alesund at Storfjord hotel. Also would have loved two nights there. Or at least a later flight to take in the breakfast there. Oh well!

What a great trip, Katie was beyond helpful from where to go, lunch spots, plus what is special in each of our locations. Overall, KimKim and Katie made our family trip to Norway one that we will remember forever.