Kimkim Trip Reviews for Norway

We took quite an independent approach- limited guides (just one morning in Bergen with John who was great). However it was really good knowing Mathia was “there” ready to respond immediately to any queries or to communicate ahead for us such as when one of our scheduled buses was late. We stayed in really lovely hotels, saw amazing scenery, did some big hikes and had a fabulous time. We’re confident travellers but it was so good having initial ideas and guidance from Kim Kim in planning the trip. I’d definitely recommend the service

Mathia was fantastic. He found places and recommendations we would not of known on our own and each one was perfect. His level of service was outstanding. He was proactive and responsive. Everywhere we turned was another beautiful view and friendly face. I can't wait to come back and discovery more of Norway.

Mar and fenne were excellent in quickly putting together a jam packed active vacation. After weeks of trying to plan it on my own, in frustration I turned to Kimkim especially after seeing the WSJ approval. Our agent put together 2 plan options complete with costs and schedules. We chose one then changed one or two things. They had a detailed itinerary, addresses, phone numbers, confirmation numbers, emergency contact numbers…It was brilliant. I will definitely use this service again. Thank you Mar and Fenne

Hotel Reviews

Fleischer's Hotel

Voss

Beautiful woodwork, patio and views. Loads of charm.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Easy stroll to town, the gondola, right at the train station, near the mountain bike rental

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Tyssedal Hotel

Tyssedal

Amazing view. The industry near the waterfront was a bit loud as we like to sleep with the windows open. Dinner menu was good and slightly more affordable than others. Near enough to town if you have a car.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Got stuck in a quad with our grown sons. Wasn’t too bad as there was an extra toilet across the hall. We enjoyed our stay very much. Most of our time was spent outside hiking.

Loen Apartments

Loen Apartments Fjordvegen

Clean large space. Nice balcony and views.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Cleanliness & Comfort

Best Western Hotel Lægreid

Sogndal

Clean, spacious. Easy parking.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Kviknes Hotel

Balestrand

Views, space, right in town.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Quality Hotel Ålesund

Ålesund

Really nothing wrong with this hotel but it was our least favorite of our trip. The rooms were small. Not really much of a view from our rooms. The very young woman at the front desk seemed new and lacked warmth as well as critical knowledge which made our interactions and stay a bit too much work, and a bit less pleasant. The slightly older woman at the front desk seemed top notch. The view from g to be patio bar was tremendous. No parking so you must fend for a spot.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Small rooms

Scandic Neptun

Bergen

Comfortable clean. Great location and view

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Guided Hike to Trolltunga

Odda

Jostin our guide was fantastic. The hike the views the stories…we loved it. Definitely a trip highlight. We also had no crowds no lines and brilliant weather.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Jostin was top notch

Transport

Deep Sea Fishing Excursion

Balestrand

Loved being out on the fjord. Had a great time with our captain Mons. Caught a blue ling, a sea pike and a dogfish.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Mons had a great sense of humor, was kind, patient, very knowledgeable. He shared some interesting stories about living in the fjords.

Transport

Art Nouveau Kayaking in Ålesund

Ålesund

Nice to get out on the water and see the city from a different perspective. Got lucky on the weather and the never ending twilight.

Quality of Experience

Our guide Daniel was great.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Daniel was professional and kind. He shared interesting stories about the history of the city as well as insight into Scandinavian culture and traditions. He recommended a good place to eat as well.

Transport

Fjord Safari by RIB (Summer/Fall)

Flåm

Beautiful scenery.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

I do not remember the young man’s name that gave the tour but he captained with Maya. He was great. He had interesting quirky stories and facts. He was funny and worked to keep all ages engaged.

Transport

Smooth

E-Mountain Bike Guided Tour

Voss

Amazing what the e mountain bikes can get up and over. Different than traditional mountain biking but still a heck of a work out and fun.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our Nepali guide whose name meant sunflower (sumann??) was great. Kind patient supportive I’d highly recommend him

My wife and I recently traveled to Norway for our Honeymoon and had the most incredible experience. We had a rough idea of the type of trip we wanted, but the thought of trying to create an itinerary from scratch in a country we had never been to before was a bit overwhelming. After being put in touch with our local specialist, Christina, and providing our preferences of what we were looking for, we were able to gradually craft a travel plan that suited our needs.

From the onset, communication with Christina was seamless and she provided us with detailed travel plans to review so that we can could provide feedback along the way. Christina was extremely responsive to our questions, and we always felt comfortable reaching out to her for any type of inquiry (even minor ones). Every level of detail was accounted for in the planning of the trip- lodging accommodations, transportation, and activities. On days where we were not sure if we wanted a formal planned activity, Christina would leave plenty of detailed options for us to review and consider.

Additionally, once we arrived in Norway, it was comforting to know that we had Christina as a resource to reach out to in case anything went wrong during our travels.

We had the best time and would definitely use this platform again when planning our next adventure!

Krista and Fenne helped us prepare a plan that suits my family. The booking arrangements were flawless despite several changes. Many thanks!

Interaction with Julia during the trip was really fast and helpful. It gave us comfort in a new place especially when language is barrier. I really appreciate it.

Our stay at Balestrand was memorable. It is a peaceful and extremely beautiful place with sea view, mountain view with still unmelted ice and a small village. The trip to Geiranger by ferry and back by bus was also very memorable. This trip captured the fjords as well as the beautiful road with mountain view. Truly amazing views.

The travel team was wonderful. The fjord tour in flam was fantastic. pulpit rock as an excursion was fantastic. the skipper in Senja was wonderful.

Anna listened to what we hoped to see and do, and wrapped our wishes into a beautiful vacation

Hotel Reviews

Thon Hotel Spectrum

Oslo

Great location for the train station and inner city attractions

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Alexandra

The scenery in this town is amazing. The room was very comfortable and the bed was very good. We had both Saturday night supper and Sunday morning breakfast there. Both were amazing buffets.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Knutholmen

Kalvåg

Room was very well decorated, and classy. the fresh fish at the restaurant was excellent. Service and staff were excellent.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Scandic Ørnen

Bergen

Great location. Excellent breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Scandic Voss

Voss

location right next to the train station was great. The restaurant was excellent, both for dinner and breakfast

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Sauna Knutholmen

Kalvåg

the sauna was super warm, and after we were in for a bit we jumped into the ocean. Very refreshing

Bike rental

Kalvåg

A Taste of Norway's Culture and Cuisine

Oslo

Very good culture tour, with a very knowledgeable guide who knew a lot about the city, country and history of Norway. The food part of the tour was a little light.

Tom planned an amazing itinerary for us in Norway. Words can’t describe how well it went for us. From the modes of transportation, hotels, and activities he selected all were wonderful. Vilde in Bergen gave us a great tour and provided the best restaurant recommendation. Tom really listened to what we were looking to do and our preferences when he planned out our itinerary. Thank you for planning a perfect dream vacation for my siblings and I to take with our Mom!

Activity Reviews

Fjordsafari

Norway

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

People were so nice and helpful!

Transport

Bergen Walking Tour With a Local Guide

Bergen

Having a local guide take us around Bergen was great. It was a wonderful experience to walk around with somebody local to see and hear a more personalized view and history of the city.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Vilde was great!

Flor & Fjære Garden Cruise

Stavanger

Flor & Fjaere was so unexpectedly amazing. We weren’t sure what to expect when we picked the activity, but we were in awe of the gardens and scenery. The venue and the meal was a one of a kind experience that would be very difficult to duplicate anywhere else.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We enjoyed the trip put together by KimKim. All the transfers were easy to understand and having our e-tickets in pdf ahead of time made it all very easy. We enjoyed all the accommodations. And trip planning with Edzi before our trip was easy and communication was very good.

Our KimKim specialist in Norway, Tricia, was amazing from start to finish. We had a medical emergency while on our trip and had to change a lot of our plans. Tricia really stepped up and helped us out in our hour of need!

I would absolutely use KimKim again for any future international trips.

Hotel Reviews

Opus XVI

Bergen

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Alexandra

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Brosundet

Ålesund

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Exploration of Ålesund's Surrounding Islands

Ålesund

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We did not understand that KimKim was just booking things for us and not a tour guide. We thought she was picking us up and and taking us from one event to the next. We had 2people in their 80’s and one in late 70’s the other 3 were in their late 50s. We didn’t know until we sent deposit that we were on our on to get to tours, and would never meet anyone from KimKim. She never ask our ages and anything about us. We have traveled we so many travel groups that pick us up from airport and take care of us. We would never travel with this kinda of service again. It was terrible. We had to walk long distances with heavy suitcases and find our on way to each tour are train. This is very hard on a 88 year old person. All KimKim did was book 2 site seeing tours in Oslo ( which were a long walk to get to) 2 hotels, a train ride ( which we had to find our way too, ) and a lift up a mountain in Bergen. All of the tours were lovely but it was very hard on us old people to find our way and manage our on luggage.. This has never been the way we have traveled before. And it will never be the way we do it again

Hotel Reviews

Camillas Hus

Oslo

It was lovely and the breakfast was wonderful

Staff

Everything

Cleanliness & Comfort

Fretheim Hotel

Flåm

Authenticity & Character

Location

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Panoramic Bus Trip

Oslo

We would have enjoyed it more if it could have been totally in English

Fløibanen Funicular Experience

Bergen

Loved it

Christina was great to work with on our trip planning and the emergency line was very responsive when we had issues with our luggage which required us to adjust our travel plans in real time. We appreciated Christina providing driving directions and links along with a schedule which included departure times to make it to our destinations. We had great experiences with the travel guides that were booked and would highly recommend both Fjaerland Guiding and Trolltunga Active.

Christina was the absolute best travel agent I’ve ever interacted with. She was clear in her comms, quick to respond and on top of things when there were (small) changes to the itinerary. She’s the sole reason I’d book through KimKim again.

A BIG thank you to Christina!

Best,
Nickel

FYI-I don’t like starred reviews-We would give a four and half, so don’t look at 4 as 80%.
Some closer attention to details as hotel and transportation location and name(Ex: we had a confusion about the Scandic Hotel in Alesund indicated on our plan, and the phone number was no longer working. We had a confusion about our second shuttle, not sure if that could’ve been avoided because the bus company Norway’s Best didn’t use their regular shuttle. They were using the shuttle to Stegastein ). Any problems we encountered were addressed in a timely manner as best possible by the team with a phone call.
We had no idea there was an indoor terminal to wait for the Hurtigruten coastal boat, also the info « deck » as our overnight accommodation led us to believe we were outside. There is no obvious information regarding that on the Hurtigruten website either, so that would have been relevant information. It was a welcome surprise that we had a fine comfortable space indoors on the seventh floor of the ship. There was also a hot tub on deck and it’s a good thing we had bathing suits with us because we were able to enjoy were able to enjoy it. So, in the future, it would be good to know to a bit more about the ship facilities.
We think it would be great if smaller family hotels were used instead of chains when possible. I know we asked for more economical lodging, so maybe we shouldn’t expect a room with a view. I didn’t think much about that myself in planning. In a country, with so many beautiful views, and with daylight for so long, it’s nice to have some kind of view.
Our experience at the Midtnes in Balestrand was so wonderful. We decided to go to Vik before leaving for Aurland and the owner had breakfast ready early and also brought us to the boat dock( and met our boat when we arrived). He also was full of information. We enjoyed the wonderful dinners at the Aurland Fjord Hotel, we kind of forgot they were in the plan -so it was a nice surprise :)
The guide (Toon?)for our hike in Balestrand was wonderful and we did hike to a higher view, he also brought coffee and Norwegian snacks for us. But we needed to meet him at the trailhead, not the tourist info- not sure what happened there- it was fine, we got his phone number and were able to start no problem.
We had a fantastic trip and it was great that all the necessary booking was done and we had enough free time to add lots to our trip on our own. We are providing details here only to help improve the experience. It was great to have the Kim Kim team on hand to call when needed.
Hester & Maria

We and our children and grandchildren just returned from a fabulous 11-day trip to Bergen and the Western Fjords. Our travel specialist, Linda Verasdal, did an impeccable job of crafting the perfect itinerary tailored to our interests and needs. What memories we made!

We started and ended our trip in Bergen. Must-do’s: Take a walking tour of the harbor area with a local guide to learn about historic Bryggen and tour its colorful, ancient wooden buildings; ride the funicular up Mt. Floyen for amazing views of the city, harbor, and surrounding mountains; then, hike back down to town. Take the light rail to visit an impressive stave church. Eat dockside at Fish Me or lunch as we did at Egon.

We then traveled into the Hardangerfjord region via private transport, stopping at the Jondal ski resort where we snowshoed up to the glacier! Exhilarating!

As we toured the fjord region, we spent two nights in each of these small villages: Lofhus, Ulvik, and Flam/Aurland. Highlights and faves: taking scenic cruises on the fjords on while counting the numerous waterfalls (!!) and taking in the breathtaking beauty, tasting the local apple cider at farms where the trees were in full bloom, kayaking, hiking, getting our thrill on a wild rib boat safari, and taking walking tours with local guides who told us about the area.

In the tiny town of Gudvangen, we took a private tour of the authentically reproduced Viking village of Njardarheimr where our excellent guide Cory debunked the myths and explained what life was really like in the Viking era. Craftspeople demonstrated traditional trades. Faves: trying archery and axe-throwing, meeting the Chieftain of the village, and being introduced to the ancient chess-like board game Hnefatafl. (No, we can't pronounce it!)

After a relaxing cruise on the beautiful Naeroyfjord to Flam, we feasted on the Viking Plank Dinner of local ingredients and brews at the Aegir Brewpub.

We finished our trip with two wonderful days in modern cabins right on the fjord in tiny Aurland. Lastly, we took the famed Flamsbana railway from the bottom of the Aurlandsfjord to the mountains in Myrdal, stopping midway at the powerful Kjosfossen waterfall.

What an experience!

Hotel Reviews

Vangsgaarden Gjestgiveri

Aurland

We stayed in the cabins with decks overlooking the fjord where we soaked in the peace and quiet as we took in the gorgeous views in all directions. We also very much enjoyed dining at the gastropub at this hotel.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Ullensvang

Lofthus Hardanger

We requested rooms facing the fjord and were glad we did. The rooms were spacious and updated. The hotel itself is large and offers many amenities including multiple pools, historic buildings, a dock with seating, a large restaurant, and a bar downstairs for after dinner .

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Grand Hotel Terminus

Bergen

Hotel Terminus is ideally located opposite the train station, making it easy to catch a train to the airport. The hotel is a renovated older building, but could use more refurbishment. The breakfast served at the hotel restaurant is excellent, however, the lack of a consistently open evening restaurant was a minor inconvenience. However, the location is very walkable, being a few blocks from downtown Bergen.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Brakanes Hotel

Ulvik

Brakanes Hotel was a good experience. The location is absolutely stunning, with cabins right on the fjord. Despite undergoing an ownership change, the hotel remains a great place to stay.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Blue Glacier Hike in Jondal

Norway

Great experience with guide Wilde who was very friendly, accommodating, and attentive to each person's needs in our group with a wide age range.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bergen Walking Tour With a Local Guide

Bergen

Ana gave us a full tour of downtown Bergen and the Bryggen area. She provided extensive information about the history of the area and offered suggestions for restaurants and shopping.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

RIB Fjord Safari

Norway

Driver Richard was great! He had a good sense of humor and gave our grandsons a thrilling ride in the speedy rib boat while not overdoing it. Loved it when he spun a yarn about how getting we in a waterfall with give you a longer life and then nudging the boat up to a waterfall at the fjord's edge so our grandsons could catch the spray! Only time will tell on the veracity of his yarn...

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided kayak in Ulvik

Ulvik

Our guide Christophe was genial and attentive to the widely varying abilities of our group. (Yes, I did bring up the rear!) He took us all across the bay at the end of the fjord where Ulvik is situated and then across the fjord. We stopped on an island where Christophe demonstrated how to start a fire using a rustic flint knife and a steel. Our grandsons were thrilled when he helped each of them to start a fire of birch bark and scraped tinder bits. He then made a fire on a portable grill and brewed us tea and coffee! Great experience!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fjordcruise on UNESCO Nærøyfjord

Norway

This was a leisurely tour of Naeroyfjord after our tour of Viking Village in Gudvangen and ending in Flam. Beautiful scenery and ore waterfalls!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Experience in Undredal

Norway

Louis, our guide, picked us up in a shuttle van and took us around the end of the fjord in Flam to Undredal on the other side. He took us on a walking tour of the tiny town while he explained the history of the area. We then visited the tiny stave church in town, which was an inspiration for the Disney movie Frozen. We admired the ancient painting on the wooden staves and ceiling inside the church and marveled at the two drawings dating from the Viking era, which were carved into small squares on the walls. We lunched on goat at a restaurant fjord-side where we tasted various kinds of goat cheese. The whole valley is famous for its goat herds and the cheesemaking.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit Osafjellet and the Tunnel

Ulvik

The visit to Osafjellet and the Tunnel was interesting, but the guide spent too long on a PowerPoint presentation at the beginning, which was a bit dry. The tunnels themselves were fascinating, but the uneven, wet footing was a challenge, and the lack of provided lighting made it potentially dangerous. The overall experience was okay, but some aspects could have been better planned

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore a Cider Farm in Hardanger

Ulvik

The cider farm tour was a great experience, but there were some issues with communication regarding the amount of walking involved. The tour included a lot of walking, which was a challenge for some members of the group. The cider tasting was done back at the hotel rather than at the farms, which was a bit of a disappointment.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Wonderful honeymoon in Norway! Definitely recommend Flam and the bike ride from Myrdal. Would love to go back!

Hotel Review

Flåmsbrygga Hotel

Flåm

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Cycling Adventure en route from Oslo via Flåm Railway

Norway

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ferry Transfers through Hardangerfjord

Norway

Kimkim team was very helpful on planning our Lofoten Islands trip to Norway. We had provided information on what we wanted to do while on our trip there, and they helped put together a detailed itinerary on the excursions and accommodations. They also provided us helpful information on places to check out on any down time that we had and were very responsive on communicating with us along the way if we had any questions. I would highly recommend and use KimKim again for future travels

Hotel Reviews

Scandic Havet

Bodø

Beautiful views of the water from the room! May have had the best breakfast buffet in Norway. walking distance to a lot of the local shops and restaurants. were able to take advantage of a sauna/polar plunge experience, which was in walking distance - would definitely go back again

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Reine Rorbuer

Reine

beautiful views of the water and mountains from our cabin - walking distance to one of the best hikes in Norway, Reinebringen, as well as local convenience store and restaurant, which stayed open until midnight while we were there. staff very friendly and accommodating with any questions we had. great breakfast buffet. cabins were very clean. would highly recommend and visit again!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Scandic Svolvær

Svolvær

beautiful views of the water and mountains from our hotel - if you are into hiking, close to the Djevelporten and Floya hike. walking distance to a number of restaurants, shops , and excursions - staff was very friendly and accommodating

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

HATTVIKA LODGE

Ballstad

Great hotel - we were there for a short period of time, so didnt get a chance to use the amenities (sauna) as much as would have liked, but the cabins were great. friendly staff as well. if we were able to plan with more time at the lodge, we definitely would in the future

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Arctic Horseriding Trip

Norway

First time ever attempting horseback riding and the instructors did an amazing job at making me feel comfortable with it. Were able to enjoy a number of different views and walk along the local beaches. Enjoyable experience I would recommend to anyone.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Summer Kayaking Excursion

Reine

Kim was our guide for and she was great! made us feel very comfortable on our kayaking experience, offered great conversation, making you feel like you were hanging out with a friend

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Trollfjord and The White-Tailed Sea Eagles

Svolvær

Guide was great at providing information on the fjords in the area, as well as the sea eagles - saw many sea eagles, so you wont be disappointed!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

From a delightful walking tour of Oslo, to kayaking the Aurlandsfjord and ferrying along the Sognefjord, to discovering how much we love Balestrand, our first time in Norway was rich with beautiful experiences. Merée's expertise ensured smooth transportation, varied excursions, comfortable stays in historic hotels, and solid guidance on a good route for exploring the beautiful southern fjordlands in the time we had available (11 days).

Most noteworthy is Norway's clean air and delicious water, the well-run ferry service, and of course the awesome impression of one of the world's unique landscapes. We also came to appreciate the care taken to keep alive and thriving the various historic hotels of the region. Outside of the Nordic countries one hears much about Danish and Swedish baking... but it was our experience that Norway's kanelboller (cinnamon buns) and various seed breads are second to none!

From our hearts, thank you to Merée, Fenne, and Julia for such a memorable and well-run trip.

Hotel Reviews

Opus XVI

Bergen

Grand hotel, elegant and well cared-for throughout. Breakfasts were done in such a way as to minimize food waste... instead of a buffet, one orders from a menu. Brava!

Authenticity & Character

A doubly intriguing background as both a former national bank building and an homage to the composer Edvard Grieg.

Location

Well-sited near Vågen harbor and the super-historic Bryggen.

Staff

The front-desk staff and housekeeping were warm, kind, and engaging.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Our room was sumptuous, elegant, and luxurious. Spotlessly clean, thoughtfully laid out, bed and chaise both plush for lounging. Bath and coffee amenities of high quality.

Hotel Christiania Teater

Oslo

Good location for easy walking around Oslo. A beautiful building, well-kept, with engaging artworks throughout. Very nice variety and preparation of breakfast foods.

Authenticity & Character

Lovely blend of history and comfortable modernity. We enjoyed the art throughout. Serves a plentiful and traditional breakfast buffet of good quality.

Location

Good proximity to interesting points such as the National Theater, the university, and walks along the waterfront. A reasonable walk to the wonderful Deichman public library and the exciting opera house. If you have a lot of (or heavy) luggage, be prepared for a 10-15 minute walk from the train station with a mild incline along the way.

Staff

Staff was kind and friendly.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Beds were comfortable - firm underneath with top padding. Room and hotel spotless.

Fretheim Hotel

Flåm

Authenticity & Character

A charming old hotel that was very approachable. The oldest section is being renovated and will likely be very lovely when complete.

Location

Flåm is very small so it's hard to go wrong here, but the Fretheim was both close to the wharf and a bit set back from the bustle.

Staff

Staff were all very nice whenever we talked with them. Once you had their attention, everyone was lovely and warm.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rooms and common spaces were clean and in good working order. Beds were comfortable. It was very helpful and convenient that the hotel had a small laundry room with do-it-yourself washer and 2 dryers.

Kviknes Hotel

Balestrand

A grand dame of an historic hotel. Stunning views, comfortable rooms. The buffet dinner and the breakfasts were delicious and great quality.

Authenticity & Character

Explore the older building - stunning view of the Sognefjord from the picture windows, and furniture with 'dragon style' carvings in the Høyviksalen (Høyvik Hall). The 'old reception' is very charming. The newer building has modern conveniences and engaging views to the mountains and village.

Location

Right at the harbor where you arrive by ferry. Easy walking to most points of this small, charming village and walkable to the trail heads.

Staff

The majority of staff were welcoming, kind, warm, and competent. The maître d'hôtel was very friendly and jokey with guests, but unfortunately overbearing and condescending to at least some of the wait staff and bussing staff, which was a bad look for such an elegant hotel.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Room and all common spaces spotlessly clean and well cared-for. Buffet dinner elegantly presented, of quality, and well kept up.

Activity Reviews

Ulriken Cable Car

Bergen

Although the day we rode this was a foggy one, the experience is top notch. It's a fantastic view of the storied city of Bergen and gives access to unique and awe-inspiring hiking atop Mt. Ulriken.

Quality of Experience

Mt. Ulriken is a stunning alpine landscape, and what a way to access it! (via a swift, clean, well cared-for conveyance)

Transport

The cable car and launching/landing points were clean and well kept.

Fjord Kayaking

Flåm

Aurlandsfjord is best enjoyed in the water! I could happily spend all my remaining days kayaking in the southern fjords.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was passionate about the environment and friendly. He took some time at the beginning to go over technique and help with kayak adjustments but needed to spend a little longer with each person to ensure details such as the foot pedal distance was correct for everyone. This would help beginners have a more enjoyable experience.

Transport

For me, kayaking is second only to walking! So for me this form of transport was most enjoyable.

Fjordcruise in the Nærøyfjord

Flåm

The Nærøyfjord is beautiful and scenic, and the "Future of the Fjords" all-electric catamaran was an EXCELLENT conveyance to cruise it!

Quality of Experience

Food

We did not partake of the offerings on board, but there were several choices, and the quality looked reasonable for a captive audience in a touristic area.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The crew of the Future of the Fjords catamaran were all kind and competent. The lead crew member stayed for a long while once we were back in Flåm making sure the vessel was ship shape before leaving for the day.

Transport

In general, we are awed and glad to see so many electric vehicles in Norway, and having an all-electric catamaran to get to such a sensitive ecological area allows one to truly enjoy. Air emissions are obviously nonexistent, but there is still some noise pollution, particularly for underwater life. The catamaran was very well cared-for, clean, and beautifully appointed for comfort and great views as you go along.

Visit the Viking Valley

Norway

We did not visit the viking village. It looked too touristic for us, and a woman we met while hiking confirmed that it felt that way to her, too, when she did go inside. Besides the pay-entry viking village there is little else available in Gudvangen. There were perhaps two restaurants (cafeterias, both, I think) and a convenience shop for sundries. The best thing we did with our time was to walk away from the viking valley along an old road on the Nærøyfjord - a beautiful and peaceful walk. We likely would have had a wonderful time had we booked a day-long kayak excursion, as it's a beautiful fjord and we enjoyed kayaking the Aurlandsfjord so much.

Stegastein Viewpoint by Bus

Norway

Everything about this excursion was scenic, from the drive up, to the aesthetic viewing platform, to the inspiring view of the Aurlandsfjord itself. Aurlands is a charming-looking hillside town with a few smallholdings and various traditional and newer-style homes.

Quality of Experience

The Sognefjord and the mouth of the Aurlandsfjord are gorgeous.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our driver was highly competent, and kind and engaging throughout the short drive.

Transport

Another opportunity to take an electric conveyance in this marvelous country. Van was adequately comfortable and driver was competent and friendly.

Oslo private tour

Oslo

Our guide was a dapper architect who shared key moments and aspects of Norway's history as we walked through Oslo's streets, military bases, and city parks. We will always remember "the blue, the green, and the city between..." - a city planning framework he shared with us throughout this charming, very walkable city.

Quality of Experience

A local's perspective is generally a good way to go, and this was no exception.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was dapper, knowledgeable, friendly, and amenable to include our interests folded into his original tour plan.

Transport

This is a walking tour, and Oslo is a very walkable city.

Mathia and team had planned our Norway trip very well. The team was very detailed and planned all our activites for Norway. We had so much fun and Norway was lovely. I will definitely recommend Mathia and team if you are planning a trip to Norway. Special mention to John who took us around Bergen .We saw a lot of places and local gems which we wouldnt have known had we done it alone. Highly recommended

Christina and the Kim Kim team were there for us every step of the way. Christina was so helpful in planning and logistics - we appreciated her pespective, suggestions and helpful tips! When we arrived in Norway, we had a few uncontrollable mishaps along the way and were thrilled that the Kim Kim team were so responsive to our questions and needs.

Kim Kim contracted a few different outfitters/guides for hiking and kayaking activities - all the guides were fantastic, they paced the activity to our level and shared so much rich Norwegian history as well.

Thank you Christina and Kim Kim for making this dream trip come true!