Kimkim Trip Reviews for Norway

I was very happy with how things worked out with the entire Kim Kim team. Willing to work with me and make adjustments as needed and asked. They were very responsive to questions and requests that were made.

If I can make a suggestion, perhaps offering some options to choose from would be helpful. For example, options for hotels in a given location that might affect the price overall. Or for the hike to Kjeragbolt, going over the various hike options (all in one day, overnight, etc). And my least favorite thing was the Bergen to Flam to Bergen because of how long it took. I admit this was my fault for not looking at the details in advance but other options might have been helpful. One other suggestion would be greater assistance with traveling to the various locations.

Please understand, the trip was fabulous and the help that you all provided was outstanding. The above are just suggestions to make things even better.

Again, thank you for all of your help and support!
Joel Chesler

Activity Review

Bergen to Flam "The King of Fjords" Round-Trip Cruise

Bergen

While scenic, this was very long trip. It was around 12 hours of which 10 hours were on board the ship

This is my 3rd time using KimKim. Maria, Julia and Fenne helped plan a 7 day trip to Bergen, Flam and Oslo. They were fantastic to work with and suggested / booked really top notch and different excursions for us. Our hotel in Bergen and the kayaking outside of Bergen was super awesome (great guide, super location). Our train to Flam was the best time for good viewing and a good time to arrive in Flam. Lovely accommodations in Flam. They made excellent suggestions for things to do/see in Oslo as well. Would highly recommend this organization. They continue to impress.

Hotel Reviews

Fretheim Hotel

Flåm

A very pretty property. Beautiful grounds. Most rooms, including ours, had a lovely Mountain View. The staff in the restaurant were very lovely - front desk was ok. The property was a short 5 min walk to the Norwegian sauna we experienced. Awesome.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Zander K Hotel

Bergen

Great location, quiet, super and friendly staff, comfy beds. A newer hotel with a very good vibe that was full of guests from every part of the world.

Authenticity & Character

Great vibe

Location

Directly across from the main train station - super convenient!

Staff

Thomas was so helpful and friendly.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Øygarden Kayaking Excursion with Island Lunch

Bergen

Our guide picked us up in downtown Bergen. We were a group of 6. The location was spectacular and the equipment was clean and in excellent condition. We enjoyed a delicious and simple lunch on a tiny island and just had a great time exploring nature. Our guide was very knowledgeable about the area, nature, weather and more.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Oslofjord Sightseeing Cruise by Traditional Boat

Oslo

Nice ship and relaxing experience. This provided a good way to enjoy the scenes of Oslo from a very different perspective.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Floating Sauna Experience

Norway

So fun! A very short walk from our hotel. The sauna was super private and just gorgeous. Practically brand new! The views were to die for when comparing to other saunas in more populated areas. A must do.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Good accommodations - excellent connections with variety of transportation, all reachable within walking distances - quality guide in select location. Norway , Stockholm and Helsinki masterfully combined in a fun and unforgettable tour.

Hotel Reviews

Scandic Voss

Voss

Fantastic sauna.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Scandic Torget

Bergen

Authenticity & Character

Location

central location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Brakanes Hotel

Ulvik

Authenticity & Character

Location

Superb view of the fjord - close to boat terminal.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotell Bondeheimen

Oslo

Authenticity & Character

Location

central location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Nordic Light Hotel

Stockholm

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Overnight Boat

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Home Hotel Jugend

Helsinki

Great service and breakfast. Wonderful sauna.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Gudvangen Fjordtell

Gudvangen

Authenticity & Character

Location

In the heart of a fjord , UNESCO heritage.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private tour to Royal Palace & Drottningholm Palace

Stockholm

Knowledgeable guide for very enjoyable tour.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Stockholm Private Panoramic Tour

Stockholm

Great and fun guide.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit Löyly Sauna

Helsinki

Great full , authentic sauna experience.

Quality of Experience

Anna did a great job planning a 17 day trip for our first time in Norway. She was responsive and easy to communicate with, and was on top of (most) everything. Overall we give her 4.5*’s and are very happy, but will list a few of the things we wish had been different just to help others with their trip planning. We loved the Flor and Fjaere gardens and dinner, and the fjord-side floating sauna, and the unique accommodations at Aurland and Fjaerland. Anna kindly called and changed our rental car pickup time for us when we determined we’d need to leave earlier due to ferry schedules, and helped us change hotel nights a couple of times when our plans changed and upgrade hotel rooms once requested. 90% of the stops, hotels and activities were spot on. We could have used a bit more guidance on the rental car situation in Stavanger with our early start needed on a Monday morning due to ferry times (should have rented from downtown instead of the airport at the least or asked if they could deliver the car, which our hotel concierge checked on once we arrived, due to needing to leave early and rental agency being closed on Sunday). Also, our train from Dombas to Trondheim had been replaced by a bus – not at the last minute it appears – and this journey then took 3 hours longer than expected, which it would have been good to know about in advance so we could adjust our dinner reservation. Scheduling a kayak excursion on the morning of a departure isn’t recommended… we were already checked out and would have been wet and salty with no way to take a shower before getting on the road. Given that we wanted to hike, it would have been nice to have Anna mention some of the more famous and/or better hikes (like Trolltunga and Aurlandsdalen) so that we could stay at a place more convenient and/or schedule those hikes (we had a 5am wakeup call for Trolltunga, AND the reserved parking was gone by the time we checked this, plus The Rosendal hotel is tired and the meal there was the worst of our trip, and our day in Aurland had a much milder hike/bike tour scheduled that was too easy for us, though meeting our guide Anders was great). We would have changed the stay in Alesund to Geiranger so that we could do a proper hike and get away from the hordes of cruise ship crowds both in Alesund and Geiranger. The train ride from Andalsnes to Dombas is one the prettiest we’ve ever been on; we would come back to explore this area and hike there. Norway gets a 5+ and KimKim/Anna a 4.5 – very happy with our trip. Thank you!

Hotel Reviews

The Thief

Oslo

Great location, great room service for the night we stayed in, surprised there was no luggage assistance for this level of hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Britannia

Trondheim

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Brosundet

Ålesund

Authenticity & Character

loved the fireplace - cozy!

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Fjærland Fjordstove Hotell & Restaurant

Fjærland

This is historic and charming hotel with a lovely 'story' behind keeping this small town alive, but you have to know that the comfort suffers a bit. The highlights here are the staff (especially Inna and the chef), the food and, of course, the spectacular location with a gorgeous sun room to relax looking out onto the fjord. Fjaerland Guiding, just two docks down on the fjord, has a spectacular floating sauna experience that we loved, and a darling local young woman who hiked with us one (rainy) day. The breakfast was fantastic. The rooms are small and cramped with leaky shower/tub, and the beds/mattresses need to be upgraded. Glad we came, but wouldn't need to come back.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

29|2 Aurland

Aurland

Love this family-owned and run sustainable property. Just know you're getting a place with character which isn't always convenient or the most comfortable... low ceilings, small, leaning stairway, small room and bathroom. But.. everything else about the property makes it worth staying at.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bergen Børs Hotel

Bergen

we had a nice room here and it's a very good central location, but there's no parking, even to unload your bags, and as i was sick, my husband left the car for 10 minutes to take the bags up before going to the parking garage, and got a ticket. Hotel staff should make more of an effort to facilitate this process for guests.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rosendal Fjordhotel

Rosendal

This is a tired hotel and the restaurant meal was really mediocre (actually the steak was inedible, but the sauteed veggies were yummy). They did make us a nice packed lunch and had it ready for our very early hiking start.

Authenticity & Character

needs an upgrade

Location

depends what you're looking for... it's a pretty spot at the end of a fjord, but there's not much other than a hike here, and it was not convenient for the Trolltunga hike.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

it was clean but very basic

Eilert Smith Hotel

Stavanger

Really really fantastic staff, so solicitous and helpful with recommendations and arrangements.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Guided Hike to Neshaugen with a Glacier View

Fjærland

Our guide, (Sigrid?) was adorable and did a good job. We got some rain off/on and only a few minutes of seeing the view with the clouds moving in/out at the top, but it was still gorgeous. The down however was extremely treacherous, very steep and slippery, and wouldn't be recommended for most on a wet day.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guided Waterfall Hike

Norway

it was rainy the day we were scheduled for this, so we didn't do the bike ride and didn't do much hiking at all. BUT, our guide Anders was really really great and we learned a lot and would hike with him again in better circumstances.

Full Day Geiranger Fjord Cruise

Ålesund

The only thing that could have made this better would have been to stay in Geiranger instead of Alesund so we could aovid the cruise crowds and go do a longer hike in this stunning area. Geiranger is a must-see in Norway

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Floating Sauna

Norway

One of our favorite things - sauna/jump in freezing fjord... repeat several times. Love!

Quality of Experience

Fjord Cruise & Pulpit Rock Hike

Stavanger

Sooooo crowded... but so worth it.. given that it was our first spectacular iconic Norwegian 'top of the mountain' view. Knowing what we know now, we'd find an alternate, harder to get to/harder to hike, hike, so there wouldn't be so many people. but glad we did it at the time.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Flor & Fjære Garden Cruise

Stavanger

One of our favorite activities in Norway!!!! so gorgeous and extensive and exotic and well done, and the meal was really good; tour and service were outstanding. Best fish soup we had (and that's a high mark) on our entire trip. Highly recommend.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We really enjoyed Balestrand and the cider house and the hotel we were at. Beautiful! Also really enjoyed the train from Flam to Myrdal, despite the rain. Kayaking was amazing in Flam. We weren’t especially impressed with the 5 course dinner at Cornelius, took too long and we were tired, just too much seafood for us ( others seemed to really enjoy it though) overall, a great trip

Hotel Reviews

Flåm Marina

Flåm

Beautiful views, great restaurant

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Kviknes Hotel

Balestrand

Loved this hotel with the amazing views and beautiful artwork

Authenticity & Character

Location

The views of the fjord from our room

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Summer Kayaking Excursion

Norway

Loved this. Great guide, fun experience

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Oslo Pass

Oslo

Never got this. We walked everywhere and since we did not prepay, it was totally fine. This was our choice, we love walking in cities

Bike Rental Balestrand

Balestrand

We somehow missed this. Our schedule said to get there at 5:45, but we found it was closed. Not a big deal, since we hadn’t prepaid

Quality of Experience

Orchard Tour & Cider Tasting

Balestrand

Loved this! The lunch and cider was amazing and , since I love to garden and grow things, I found the tour really informative

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Fjord Cruise & Seafood Dining Experience

Bergen

This seemed to be enjoyed by others, but for us, it was just too long between courses and a little too much seafood

When we decided to visit Norway, we searched the web for a travel agency knowledgeable about Norway. KimKim had the best reviews, so KimKim it was. Christina, a Norwegian, was our travel planner, and, from the start she was knowledgeable, extremely responsive, dependabke, cheerful, offered great suggestions, and just delightful to work with. While we were there, a big storm hit Norway (the worst since 1938!), and caused our travel itinerary to be interrupted for 5 days. Trains and buses weren't moving. We were stuck. We reached out to Christina for help, and did she ever! We felt supported and sincerely cared for. We never felt alone or stranded, not once! She even got her boss involved to wire us cash because we were getting desperatly low (our bankcard had been stolen).
Christina, and KimKim, are truly exceptional! We cannot say enough positives to express our satisfaction and appreciation for the tremendous travel expert and travel company that both Christina and KimKim are!

Hotel Reviews

Nes Gard

Høyheimsvik

WOW!! Absolutely first rate inside and out. This former farmhouse and large barn were artfully and cleverly renovated (you've got to stay here just to experience his unique wine cellar!). It's amazing what the owner/manager Anders has done to make this the most beautiful stay for us while in Norway. Situated along Norway's longest fjord, the buildings and their location are stunning!

Authenticity & Character

The owner/manager, Anders, is super friendly, helpful and extremely generous. His staff is fortunate to have him as their boss. He hired right....his staff were excellent. Anders and his group were some of the nicest, most helpful people we met in Norway!

Location

NES Gatd is right along Norway's longest fjord. This location is magnificent!

Staff

Anders, Anders, Anders! Hans, and the two young women who drove my husband to and from a hike.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Squeaky clean and super comfy. Loved the crisp, white sheets!

Tuva Turisthytte

Geilo

Tuva is a 4th generation run mountain hiking building. It's beautiful, cozy, clean and well maintained. The best part of Tuva was Siggie, the owner/manager.

Authenticity & Character

Location

It's one of the many mountain hits to sleep in as you hike this part of Norway's mountains.

Staff

Siggie, owner/manager, is a tremendous guy. He's kind hearted, generous, helpful, easy to talk to and fun! His staff were similar. They're fortunate to have his as their boss.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Every public room (living room, dining areas, bathrooms and showers), as well as our private sleeping room, were spotless, clean, cozy and extremely comfortable. Inside and out, everything was well maintained and lovely!

Hotell Bondeheimen

Oslo

Beautiful Oslo hotel from 1915, totally renovated, centrally located, great location. Yummy breakfast buffet.

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful and comfortable rooms!

Location

Within walking distance to metro train and downtown interests.

Staff

The staff were THE BEST we've ever experienced. When we had our credit cards and passports stolen our first day, they went out of their way to help us....allowed us to use their cell phone for hours, and gave us a complimentary glass of wine and dinner! Isabel was especially amazing. She went above and beyond to have us feel supported and cared. She's a magnificent young woman. The hotel is very fortunate to have her as an employee.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Absolutely clean and well maintained. Love the crisp, white sheets!

Activity Review

Bergen Walking Tour With a Local Guide

Bergen

John, a Bergen native, was very knowledgeable. We learned so much in the 3 hours doing the walking tour with him. It was fun, too.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Christina with KimKim Travel is A+++++!!!

Transport

Ezdi followed our directions for a 5 day Bergen and Norway in a Nutshell trip for two 80 year ladies. Although arduous at times it was a trip of a lifetime. After nine days with family and friends in Stavanger we took the ferry to Bergen, which is a lovely trip. The cable ride, Hardangerfjord trips were wonderful. Our hotels were very adequate with sumptuous breakfasts each morning. Since this was the tourist season it was no surprise that there were not enough buses in Voss to take us to Gudvangen. We were lucky to get the last two seats that two men vacated for us. The scenery on our fjord boat trip took our breaths away. And, the Flam train trip took us through some of the most majestic scenery I have ever seen. Moving our luggage on this train was difficult but we had help from other passengers. Unless travelers are interested in souvenir shops, we found the 3+ hour layover in Flam too long. All in all, KimKim put together a trip that covered a lot of territory and wonderful scenery. Thank you, KimKim and Ezdi.

We are two first-time visitors who wanted to see Norway’s spectacular fjords, historic towns like Bergen, Oslo, and Trondheim, and more. A friend suggested kimkim to help plan that trip and find out if we could drive the Atlantic Road (inspired by a travel article.) kimkim’s Tom Christer was quick to offer a good plan for us to travel from Trondheim to Oslo for 7-8 days including hotels and transportation along the way. Tom was quick to answer questions, adjust the plan, and develop alternatives before we traveled. Once we were on the trip, Tom helped with schedule changes, found individual guides and drivers when we needed them, and had perfect timing to get us on a shuttle to a scenic viewpoint when we thought it was sold out. Without Tom, we would not have experienced two of our favorite spots on the trip: staying on Håholmen island along the Atlantic Road and Aurland with its quiet magnificence. kimkim and Tom Christer provided great value and support.

Christina was amazing with all aspects of our Norway trip preparation, itinerary, local guides and transfers. She was able to help us right away when our train was cancelled due to Hans and book us on a flight to Ålesund. All hotel recommendations were great. We couldn’t have asked for a better travel planner. Thank you!

I found kimkim when I was thinking about how to plan my family’s trip to Norway. Knowing very little about the country and not wanting an itinerary created by a U.S.-based travel agent who knew similarly little but would just farm it out to a Norwegian agency, the prospect of getting connected to a Norwegian agency directly through kimkim was very appealing. And what a good decision.

I can’t say enough about Christina and Ethical Travel, the Norwegian travel company kimkim connected me with. She worked tirelessly and so patiently with me, answering my innumerable questions, tweaking the itinerary and creating a trip that seven of us will never forget. “No” was not in Christina’s vocabulary.

Further, once we were in Norway and there were a couple of weather-related changes that needed to be made, Christina was absolutely “on it”! She smoothed out all wrinkled and we did not skip a beat.

And Christina made superb choices in terms to f accommodations and guides that left us feeling that we received great value for money. She was an absolute dream. I would plan any trip with her again.

I am two for two with kimkim, having had a similarly excellent experience with a trip to Portugal this spring. I look forward to using kimkim again.

Kimkim did an excellent job advising us of places to stay in Norway and booking the accomodations. We were very happy with the hotels they booked us at. Krista and Fenne were also helpful on transportation tips, ferry schedules and getting around. We really enjoyed our trip and recommend Kimkim to other Norway visitors.

It's taken me 2 weeks to think about how to summarize this trip to Norway for this review, and I still don't think I can. It was the trip of a lifetime. Christina took all the ideas I had, bridging 3 generations from mobility-challenged to athlete, the niche requests, and brought them together into a wonderful itinerary with the most detailed plan possible. We were going to take grandparents and grandkids to visit Norwegian relatives. She even found local transport to take us by boat to an island where my dad's family had lived, and so we could visit the house where his grandfather had been born. It was wonderful to have the travel agency at quick reply, and truly, we couldn't have asked for me. We loved Norway, and we were thrilled to use KimKim to create our trip!

Activity Review

Flåm Valley Zipline & Cycle

Norway

Incredible experience. We had a blast! Felt very safe, and was the perfect way to see the Flam valley.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Veronika is incredible! I couldn’t have asked for better. Such attention to detail. She perfectly planned out a challenging trip for me and my dog. I was incredibly impressed by her for many reasons. She was very knowledgeable and thoughtful in the planning of our trip. I can’t thank her enough. I would use her over and over. This has been an incredible experience because of Veronika.

Hotel Reviews

Radisson Blu Royal Hotel

Bergen

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Christiania Teater

Oslo

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

I

Cleanliness & Comfort

Thon Hotel Lofoten

Svolvær

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Scandic Ishavshotel

Tromsø

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Ice Bar in Tromso

Tromsø

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Scenic Oslofjord Sightseeing Cruise

Oslo

Incredible!!!!! One of my favorite parts of the trip

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Arctic Panorama: The Cable Car Experience

Tromsø

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Oslo European Green Capital Tour & Food Tasting

Oslo

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Mathia did a great job planning us exactly the trip we wanted. He was responsive and easy to communicate with, and was on top of everything. He was also a great resource during our trip, as there was a huge storm which disrupted our plans. He was ahead of the game and quickly took care of changing our rental car reservation and getting refunds for things we had to miss. He also helped us change hotels on short notice when we arrived at one hotel that was not what we expected, and dealt with that hotel on getting us a refund. Overall he gets an A+ and we would absolutely do a trip with Mathia again in the future.

We had some challenges during our trip due to the flooding and train cancellations. The backup support by Julia was fabulous. So responsive and helpful. Otherwise everything was smooth and well organized. Thank you.

Our Kimkim Norway Trip!
Amazing job by Christina - couldn't have asked for anything more. She took us all over the country, we were able to see and do so much more than we had just booked a cruise. We were able to experience different parts of that wonderful country to know where we want to go back and visit next time! Hotel selections were great, all of the details were worked out for us. Kimkim and Christina made our trip very easy to follow and stress free for us. I have told everyone about Kimkim and will use them again!

Hotel Reviews

Vangsgaarden Gjestgiveri

Aurland

Great little cabin on the waterfront!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Eliassen Rorbuer

Moskenes

Exactly what I asked for, a little cabin on the water. If you want water facing, you need to book early. We stayed in a new build cabin, facing the water. Very clean, comfortable. There are three restaurant choices in town, so read the menus and make a reservation.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Nordis Apartments

Svolvær

We actually had a huge 2 bedroom apartment with kitchen. The view is great, you are on the water, it was nice to sit and watch the people and boats. Its a little confusing to get to when you come into town. Because its on the end of the block, you don't drive up to the front door, but we were able to figure it out. Parking underground. Nordis restaurant was good and breakfast included there also.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Right on the water

Staff

All communication was via text, a little confusion about parking spot.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Tyssedal Hotel

Tyssedal

This is the closest hotel to starting point of Trolltunga hike. The room was comfortable, not fancy. It is little noisy, probably due to the building and that most are hikers leaving early in the morning. The restaurant is not fancy, I would choose to go pick someplace in town for dinner options.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bergen Børs Hotel

Bergen

Great location - close walk when getting off the ferry. Right in the city center, close walking distance to shopping, dining choices.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Amerikalinjen

Oslo

Very convenient in Oslo if you are taking the train to the central station. Many restaurant options to walk to and great starting point for a walking tour of the city.

Authenticity & Character

Fabulous building - rooms were comfortable

Location

Walk across the street from Oslo Central train station

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Nice clean rooms and comfortable bedding - great black out shades

Activity Reviews

Trollfjord & Eagle Boat Tour

Norway

Nice way to get back to the Trollfjord and get pictures of Sea Eagles.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bergen Walking Tour With a Local Guide

Bergen

Another 5 mile walk in a couple hours around the city. History of the city and local improvements we wouldn't have found on our own - well worth it.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fjordcruise on UNESCO Nærøyfjord

Norway

The perfect way to go up the fjord!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Waterfall Hike Overlooking Aurland

Aurland

This was a great hike to a hidden waterfall we wouldn't have seen on our own. Our guide was great.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transfer from Flåm to Aurland

Norway

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore Oslo's Hidden Gems with a Local Expert

Oslo

Tour guide was great - we had a nice 5 mile walk around the city and learned more than we would have on our own with a guidebook.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Met us in the lobby

Norway is a spectacular country and the itinerary Anna came up with enabled us to experience the some of the highlights of its Southern region. The hotels were mostly of a high quality and the planned activities and were fun and varied. During our time there, Norway experience its heaviest rain in 25 years, effectively shutting down the Southern road and transport network. Kim Kim checked in on us regularly during this time, suggesting options to us and sourcing a local hotel when we were unable to continue with our journey due to road closures. They promptly refunded the payment for the hotel that had to be cancelled.

From the start, Ethel and Fenne did a great job working out the details of our trip, translating our wishlist of activities into a great itinerary; it was easy to work with them and make revisions during the planning process. Before we committed by making a deposit we did some comparative pricing of other packages and felt we were getting good value for the cost of the trip. Plus, this was a trip customized to what we wanted to do, and when we wanted to do it. Just before the trip, Meree joined the team and sent us all of our confirmations and instructions.

It was easy to work with them by email, and we did have one zoom call with Ethel early on to review the plan for the trip before we put a deposit on it.

We spent 3 nights in Oslo, 1 in Ballestrand, 2 in Bergen, 2 on Hurtigruten, and 2 in Trondheim. We had a great time, seeing and experiencing much in our 11 or so days. The hotels the Kim Kim team chose were perfect for us logistically, located near what we wanted to see and experience, and well located for making connections to get to our next stop. There is much more to see and do in Norway than time permitted and perhaps some day we will enlist Kim Kim to help us return to Norway. But as a result of this trip we will not hesitate to consider Kim Kim for future trips.

Hotel Reviews

Hurtigruten

Bergen

Not a hotel, but a small cruise ship. Clean. Staff VERY friendly and helpful. Small but usable shower. Cabin was generally too warm. The two single beds were VERY uncomfortable however. One bed had a railing for safety(?) which was VERY inconvenient. Hurtigruten needs to have more cabins configured for queen sized beds.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Thon hotel Nidaros

Trondheim

Clean. Small but usable shower. Friendly staff. Room was too warm. Good location for getting from Trondheim to airport. Of all the hotels we stayed at - probably the best breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Scandic Bergen City

Bergen

Clean. Small but usable shower. Friendly staff. Room was too warm.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Scandic Byporten

Oslo

Clean. Small but usable shower. Friendly staff. Room was too warm.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Kviknes Hotel

Balestrand

Charming hotel in a fjord village. Clean. Small but usable shower. Friendly staff. Room was too warm.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Mount Fløyen by Mountain Bike

Bergen

If you are an experienced mountain biker, this would likely be fun. However, the gravel trails were rather steep and crowded with families walking around, enjoying the scenery. This made it impossible to safely bike the trails, and somewhat dangerous. The person who was staffing the mountain biking concession thought we might not want to do it. Fortunately, we were able to get a refund. Again, if you like mountain biking, steep gravel trails, etc., this is an activity for you.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Kayaking in Sognefjord

Balestrand

Lots of prep for this activity. In the end it was worth it.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Oslofjord Sightseeing Cruise by Traditional Boat

Oslo

Good overview of Oslo.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Past & Present City Walk

Bergen

Nice walking tour; good guide.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

I planned this trip VERY last minute, and Maria was very responsive and helpful with a nice itinerary that took into account somewhat limited availability due to high-season. The final itinerary was terrific. But, alas, the day before we arrived there were torrential rains and flooding that knocked our bridges and highways, so our journey to Bergen on the railroad was cancelled. Flights were already fully booked, but Maria offered the option of renting a car, or staying in Oslo for a longer period. As a Californian, driving was not appealing, so we opted to stay in Oslo for a full week. What a great choice! We had an absolutely wonderful time, and while we hope to come back to see Bergen and points north, this really couldn't have been a more splendid trip. While in-country Fenne and Meree provided amazing on the ground support, responding almost instantly to our questions and helping us roll with the punches. Also, having missed the Bergen portion of our trip, Meree was able to refund us the costs associated with that component. Above and beyond!

Overall the trip was great, and good activity suggestions from our KimKim specialist. Going to, and staying in Odda was a highlight. The one thing I would change was the itinerary for Bergen: there were 2 cable car / funicular rides up the mountains above the town with activities suggested for the top. I believe it should have been 1 such activity, and let us choose during the trip design phase. One was a bike ride at the top (Floibanen), the other would have been hikes/ walks at the top (Ulriken).

Hotel Reviews

Scandic Torget

Bergen

Great location, very busy in the lobby but it was peak tourist season.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Room was a little small, but comfortable.

Trolltunga Hotel

Odda

Good hotel, great location.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Scandic Stavanger Park

Stavanger

Good location and good breakfast. Our room itself was nice but was on the 3rd floor which had a pedestrian walkway just outside so window curtains had to be closed most of the time. Also, room temperature was a little too warm.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Scandic Kristiansand Bystranda

Kristiansand

Nice room and great breakfast

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Ulriken Cable Car

Bergen

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Mount Fløyen by Mountain Bike

Bergen

Could have been good but it rained so we did not bike.

Quality of Experience

Transport

Glacier Kayaking Excursion

Norway

Good guide and experience. The 1 hour of self driving up the mountain to get to the kayaking was long and unexpected.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Have the tour company provide transport. We had to drive up th mountain ourselves.

Lysefjord Cruise by Electric Boat

Stavanger

Great hike, fantastic views at the top. Very crowded. We went at around 2 pm and I think that was one of the best times to go from a crowd standpoint.

Quality of Experience