Kimkim Trip Reviews for Norway

Mathia was the incredibly helpful and answered all questions and addresses all concerns very quickly. Our trip with all the activities was amazing. Thank you!

Hotel Review

Grande Fjordhotel

Geiranger

The best hotel we stayed in Norway - location , staff, rooms, food - everything was perfect

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Oslo Dinner Cruise

Oslo

Explore Oslo's Hidden Gems with a Local Expert

Oslo

Exploration of Ålesund's Surrounding Islands

Ålesund

Guided Hike to Mundal Farm Village

Norway

Mostraumen Fjord Cruise from Bergen

Bergen

Bergen Walking Tour With a Local Guide

Bergen

River Kayaking

Voss

White Water Rafting

Geilo

We had a very enjoyable visit to Norway. We had a rough idea of where we wanted to go and some of the hotels we wished to stay in. Mathia helped us fine-tune our suggested itinerary and suggested several adjustments. He was in touch with us several times during and after our trip. Thank you! Walks to Preikestolen and the glacier at Buerbreen, stave churches at Røldal and Ørness, and the many waterfalls were highlights of the trip. We also enjoyed our two nights in Bergen and our stay at Walaker Hotell in Solvorn. Our first visit to Norway but definitely not the last

Julia did a great job on our 11-day tour. The highlight was our time on the Fjords in Ballestrand and Fjærland. Fishing with Tor on his boat was wonderful. The Rib boat was spectacular and the people were a joy. Norway was beautiful and Julia was always helpful and kind.

This was our second Kim Kim organized trip of this year and it was great. Travel logistics worked out quite well and we loved each of the venues. The only aspect that could have been better was in Bergen. That hotel, the Zander K was immediately adjacent to the train station (making arrival easy) but at least 10-15 minutes walk from any of the sights in the city. We would have preferred a hotel closer to the ‘action’. Also, we ended up canceling our final boat excursion. There was no need for two consecutive boat trips and the final one would have been an all day experience without much for the kids to do. We also never used the bus tickets to the airport given how inconvenient the times were of their availability (and the info for Saturday travel was different that what was shared with us).

But, not to belabor the Bergen issues, the rest of the trip was excellent…well conceived and extremely enjoyable. We added the sauna in Flam and suggest you offer that to other travelers.

This was our first time using kim kim and will not be our last. It really took the burden of the planning and logistics off our plate (hard part of planning trips)! Having our local specialist, Mathia, make suggestions, provide feedback, and answer questions was invaluable. His trip itinerary was a near perfect fit for our family of 5. Also having someone available during the trip to answer questions and handle any travel emergencies was also key. There was a mix up with one of our scheduled bus pickups. Mathia and kimkim responded immediately and took care of everything at no added expense.

Merée was just incredible at organising everything and very patient with us. We changed ideas a few times and Merée was so understanding and really receptive to any feedback we had. We had an awesome time on our trip to Norway and everything was organised perfectly

Hotel Reviews

Heimen Hotel

Bergen

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close walk to anything in the city

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Fleischer's Hotel

Voss

Authenticity & Character

Location

Right on the water, easy parking

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rosendal Turist hotel

Kvinnherad

Authenticity & Character

Location

Kind of random town - not much near

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Trolltunga Hotel

Odda

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Lilland Brewery Hotel

Strand

Cute hotel but in a random location

Authenticity & Character

Location

Right next to a strip of supermarkets and stores and just not near anything

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Thon Hotel Maritim

Stavanger

Authenticity & Character

Location

Right near centre of town

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Whitewater rafting (Voss)

Voss

This is just SUCH a great experience - highly highly recommend for anyone, even with no rafting experience

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Blue Ice Hike in Juklavass Glacier

Norway

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Guided Hike to Trolltunga

Odda

Michelle was AMAZING! Day was amazing!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Michelle was just awesome

Transport

Kjerag Hike & Lysefjord Cruise Day Trip

Stavanger

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Had an excellent experience using KimKim. Maria tailored a wonderful trip catered to my interests and requests. The whole team was very responsive at all times throughout my trip. The overall journey was very comfortable and seamless. I am so happy I finally got to see the regions of Norway I hadn’t visited yet and hope to do another trip like this one in the near future!

Fantastic planning from the Kimkim team. They are responsive and able to plan the itinerary around your wishes and needs. The team also checked in with us regularly during the trip to make sure all is in order. I was particularly impressed with how they were able to quickly rectify last-minute hotel issues we raised. They also helped us with taxi booking when we had trouble getting out of Gudvangen to Flåm - this was a real life-saver!

The trip to Norway was truly unforgettable, and breathtaking in so many ways. There was a balance of urban (architecture, museums) and natural (Trolltunga, glaciers, waterfalls) landscapes in this bespoke itinerary. The people in Norway were affable, especially the guides who brought us up Pulpit Rock (Preikestolen) and Trolltunga. Everything was rather pricey in the country though (the locals complain about this too! haha), so plan your budget accordingly.

All in all, a trip that rates an easy 6 star out of 5, made possible by the wonderful team at kimkim (shout out to Julia, Fenne, Maria). We could not have planned such a comprehensive itinerary ourselves. I hope to visit Norway again cos there's still so much more to see!

Activity Review

Overnight Hike to Trolltunga

Odda

Friendly, knowledgeable guides (Truls <follow him on IG @trulsoutdoors> and Sunny) and a group of fun-loving hikers made this an amazing experience. The hike is specially timed so that you are at Trolltunga when the crowd is thin (less queuing for your photo op!). The overnight stay at the heated domes added a special touch. I appreciated the quiet moments in the early morning when I could be alone with nature.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

It was the first time me and my travel buddy were visiting Norway and we were keen to engage the local experts through Kimkim. The booking process was fuss free and the preparation phase was characterised by timely responses and attentive listening by our team comprising of Maria, Julia and Fenne. As Norway is a big country with so much to see and do, the team was respectful in advising us on many of our "wishlist attractions". After 3-4 rounds of changes we ended up with an itinerary we were excited about.
The team kept in touch with us, especially close to the trip to ensure all was in good order and even gave personal tips and food recommendations when requested.
We were very reassured to be able to contact the team via WhatsApp (as opposed to phone calls on an international number) and that they were contactable 24/7 with very prompt response time.
There were minor hiccups along the way as with any trip (such as issues with transportation from one location and a wrong check-out date that we overlooked prior). These were resolved expediently by the team and allowed us to continue to enjoy our trip without worry.
The trip was well balanced with nature and physical activities, which was our primary interest, as well as time to explore the towns and other cultural attractions. There was adequate time to rest in between more physically demanding activities.
Most memorable for me was the overnight hike to Trolltunga. The opportunity to spend time with fellow travellers with a love for nature in the tranquil environment was precious. It was restful and energising.
I was pleasantly surprised by the waterfalls that I encountered along the way. I am a self-professed waterfall fanatic and the detailed itinerary did not mention that we would be encountering waterfalls along the drive and especially during the Flam railway. The unexpected spectacles were awe-inspiring.
I will definitely be engaging their services again the next time I visit Norway with friends and family, and I highly recommend that you do too!

Hotel Reviews

Gudvangen Fjordtell

Gudvangen

Very spacious apartment with the most amazing view of the waterfalls. Interior design was simple but place felt homely.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Scandic Bergen City

Bergen

There are 2 wings to the hotel. We were assigned a room in what appeared to be an older wing. The suite we were assigned to had no air-conditioning and the windows in the bedroom could not be opened. It was very stuffy despite a small fan that was provided. This was contributed by the unusually hot weather we experienced during our time there. The staff were kind enough to relocate us to another room with much better ventilation. The overall standard did pale in comparison to other Scandic hotels we had been to.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Trolltunga Hotel

Odda

The room was a bit small and interior design was simpler. But the views were exceptional. Have to drive about 5 min to the nearest shops/supermarkets. Located close to an amazing waterfall (by driving).

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Scandic Stavanger City

Stavanger

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Scandic Kristiansand Bystranda

Kristiansand

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotell Bondeheimen

Oslo

Great location. Helpful front desk staff. Clean and nicely decorated interiors. Excellent breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Flåm Bike Experience

Flåm

We didn't have much time to enjoy this and weather was also not the best.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Glacier Kayaking Excursion

Norway

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Overnight Hike to Trolltunga

Odda

The most memorable highlight of my trip. Definitely recommended.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Pulpit Rock Hike with Lunch

Stavanger

Excellent guide who doubled up as photographer. He ensured we had great photos at the main highlight.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We had a fantastic 2 week trip through Norway with an end in Stockholm. Christina was a delight to work with throughout. She helped planning the trip and suggesting siffer my options until we landed on a plan. And throughout the trip there were the inevitable questions and glitches - she responded immediately and thoroughly. She set us up with wonderful guides and suggested some amazing hikes. I highly recommend Christina if you are going to Norway!

Activity Reviews

Orchard Tour & Cider Tasting

Balestrand

We did the tour led by the grown son. It was fun to hear about the creation of the business and then try the different ciders. We ended up making a reservation for dinner which was amazing (set menu with a theme and a vegetarian optio ) Beautiful views and delicious food and cider

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Scenic Boat Trip to Fjærland

Norway

Thor was a fascinating guide and we loved being on the boat with him. It was pretty magical to be on the water in the fjords. Thor pointed out places he had been as a child - so interesting to hear about the history from someone who has lived it. We loved this experience!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bergen Walking Tour With a Local Guide

Bergen

John grew up in Bergen and provided a very fun and engaging walking tour through the city. It was very much tailored to our interests. And we got to see the building where he grew up. Wonderful guide!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Walking in Bergen is an excellent way to see the city. Be prepared for rain

Mathia was the best. He was always available and kept up up to date on any changes we needed to be aware of! He listened to what was important to us and gave a great Scandinavian experience! I highly recommend Mathia and KimKim and we plan on using them on our next trip!

I booked an 11 day trip to Norway with KimKim with my 18 year old daughter for her graduation gift. I didn’t want to do a group tour, yet I needed help with planning, and the KimKim approach was perfect. We went back and forth a couple of times to land on the right itinerary. I felt that my local contacts, Maria and Femme really listened to what I wanted to do and adjusted accordingly. Ultimately, Maria and Femme planned a great itinerary that balanced the activities we wanted to do with travel time and also some downtime. Some days, we had scheduled activities, and other days, we had a list of recommendations to do at our leisure. Our trip consisted of 5 different hotel stays and an overnight hike/camp outing. Our activities included hiking, kayaking, biking, a sauna boat (awesome!) and a local cider tasting. They also recommended local restaurants. As to be expected for such a long trip, not everything went according to plan. However, Maria was always reachable and immediately addressed my questions. The best example of this was a rock slide that closed a tunnel and the only route to one of our overnight accommodations. Maria quickly found an alternative accommodation and dealt with the original hotel separately. It was seamless for my daughter and I. I highly recommend KimKim and will book with them again in the future!

Tricia did an awesome job. And the whole team was available when a mud slide meant that we had to take a ferry rather than get picked up. We especially loved our day spent kayaking, hiking and rappelling in Lofoton and our glacier hike in Tromso. Both were EPIC!

Activity Review

Full day Combo Tour: Kayak, Trek and Rappel

Norway

EPIC!!!! Guide was awesome. Great group of 8. Kayaked to a beautiful island, had a bbq before hiking up to a cliff which we the rappelled down! Then hiked some more and rappelled again. Awesome!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Our trip was amazing! One of the best things about the trip was how smooth the transportation went and how close the hotels were to public transportation. This allowed us to maximize our time at each destination. All the guides were prompt and very informative. They went out of their way to help us find the best local restaurants for our meals. The people were extremely friendly and all the views were spectacular! If you haven’t visited a Scandinavian country put it on your bucket list!

Hotel Reviews

Scandic Byporten

Oslo

The hotel has a very interesting location connected to the train station and also part of a mall. Location is very convenient! Staff was very helpful!

Authenticity & Character

The hotel is very modern.

Location

Convenient to transportation and in the heart of the city.

Staff

This hotel had plenty of staff and they were very helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

This hotel maximizes the space it has.

Kviknes Hotel

Balestrand

This is a wonderful hotel. The accommodations were perfect complete with a balcony for optimum views. The restaurants in the hotel were very good. There is plenty of outside seating at the hotel to enjoy all the views of the Sognefjord. I hope to come back….

Authenticity & Character

The hotel has been around for hundreds of years. The furnishings and pictures were amazing!

Location

Convenience to the ferry and the wonderful views it has to offer.

Staff

Very helpful and friendly.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rooms are clean and very well laid out to maximize space and comfort.

Activity Reviews

Orchard Tour & Cider Tasting

Balestrand

This was one of my favorite activities. It is a family run cider house that was started by his grandfather. Everything was interesting from how they grow the apple trees to how they pair the cider with food.

Quality of Experience

The amazing thing was how much the taste of the cider changed with the food pairings.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The love for what they are doing!

Kayaking Tour

Balestrand

Our guide was very patient and helped everyone have a good time. Our group was very large with different skill levels.

Quality of Experience

Our guide did a great job lining up the kayaks for fun group pictures.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was very laid back and took many fun pictures .

Oslo private tour

Oslo

Bjorn was very knowledgeable. He did not overload us with facts and threw in some amusing stories.

Quality of Experience

Guide did a great job getting us on and off transport so we were able to move around quickly.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide went out of his way to show us good lunch and dinner spots!

Transport

Our guide was an expert on all the “ways” to get around the city.

Private tour Copenhagen walking tour

Copenhagen

Ilsa was a wealth of knowledge. She knew so many “folklore” stories! Put on your walking shoes because there is much to see and much ground to cover.

Quality of Experience

Guides knowledge and willing to work with us.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We arrived late and she was able to accommodate us.

Our Norway adventure was absolutely amazing! We could not have enjoyed the experience without the knowledgeable planning and excellent support from the KimKim team.

My experience with all of the staff, Gaia, Meree, Fenne, and Julia was fabulous. They were very responsive to our needs in setting up the trip we wanted, and in helping us as we travelled. The Lofoten Islands are special. Because of KimKim we were able to experience the beauty of the geography and the people. We were able to feel the history, and participate in life today on several of the islands. My personal goal was to go by boat to an isolated area where my Grandmother was born. Though not being used today as a summer home, it was there. I would not have been able to do this without the help of KimKim staff.
Thank You!

Hotel Reviews

Bensvik Brygge

Værøy

Truly a favorite place for us. Great owners, they became like family. We cannot say enough about the comfort, view, and overall ambiance.

Authenticity & Character

The building and view are very authentic . The inside of the apartment has been renovated so we had a modern kitchen and bathroom.

Location

On the water and easy walking to restaurants and Coop.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Narnia Lodge Lofoten

Gimsøy

This was a home not a hotel. We did like staying in a sparsely populated community but this home was very unsatisfactory. The stairway to the bedrooms was extremely steep, and only ourselves, without belongings, could maneuver up. There were plenty of beds but one did need to walk through one bedroom to reach another one. The only bathroom was downstairs. The shower was not used by us, simply uninviting with a mop against the side and a wet rug hanging on the shower curtain pole. The washer was running with towels inside, which we ended up hanging up to dry. We did have clean towels put out for us. Clean sheets were available but we did need to make our own beds.

Anker Brygge

Svolvær

Simply a lovely place with the ambiance of a fishing village. Great staff and terrific breakfast buffets.

Specialty accomodation Skrovahuset Lofoten

Skrova

This was a home not a hotel. We were informed breakfast would be included but it was not. We arrived late on a Saturday night with a summer festival happening. It was great. The only store, Coop was closed until Monday morning so no shopping. Fortunately, the one restaurant opened at 11am for waffles and 12-9 for meals ...we didn't starve. The stairway to the bedrooms was very steep so we left our bags downstairs which was convenient since the bathroom was there. The view was lovely and we had a wonderful time but not recommended for individuals not able to manage the steps.

Veversmauet Apartments

Bergen

Once we found the apartment and our way around Bergen it was great for walking to everything.

Hotell Bondeheimen

Oslo

Certainly met our needs: easy to the train station the next morning after a wonderful breakfast buffet.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Scandic Oslo Airport

Gardermoen

Met our needs for the very brief time we were in between flights.

Flåm Marina

Flåm

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Eliassen Rorbuer

Moskenes

Activity Review

Private RIB boat tour

Svolvær

Gunnar was fabulous in researching the location we wanted to visit, gearing us up for safety, and leading the trip. We were given so much information about the fjord area, historical living along the shores, White Tailed Sea Eagles, and the Trollfjord. He made our experience much more than we anticipated. Through him we were able to achieve the main goal of our trip, to find the home where my Grandmother was born.

Quality of Experience

There was not a single negative

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Gunnar is an extremely nice person with a load of knowledge on the environment, history, and people.

Transport

Great fun!

My husband and I were taking a trip alone after 20 years of work and having kids and put Mathias and Kim Kim in charge of our first journey to Norway, and we absolutely could not have been more pleased with the outcome. We informed Kim Kim of our interest in adventure in combination with nice places to stay to keep both my husband and myself happy, and it couldn’t have been a more beautiful journey. We started off in Oslo, and were directed of exactly where to visit and enjoy, while during our time there, and then, at each destination, we were either on a boat, on a train or in a car or a plane, and it was always a great adventure and completely and totally planned out and completely and totally paid for and taken care of. Our itinerary included Flam, Bergen, Bodo and the Lofton Islands - all spectacular and overwhelmingly gorgeous. We have been on many travel trips and actually had private guides with us, but Mathias, although not physically with us, was with us every single step of the way Via phone contact. He was a thoughtful, respectful of our wishes and kind guide of whom considered all of our desires, and took those to the limit. My husband wants me to include that we had many “special requests” for Mathias and put him to work and he was most gracious about every single one of them. 😃We truly could not be happier, and only wish that Matthias could be our guide on our next adventure, wherever that is in the world. We will 100% most definitely use Kim Kim in the future and already recommended Kim Kim too many friends and we have only been back one week.

Julia's itinerary was perfect - exactly what we hoped for!

Hotel Reviews

Kviknes Hotel

Balestrand

Beautiful from the outside but the rooms were in a separate, concrete bldg (not the wooden 19th century bldg). Rooms were super small with 2 small twin beds. Felt cramped. Very few amenities (no shampoo, conditioner, lotion).

Authenticity & Character

Rooms

Location

Right in center of town

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

29|2 Aurland

Aurland

A gem of a hotel - gorgeous setting, beautiful, comfortable rooms - excellent 5-star dining.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bergen Børs Hotel

Bergen

Hotel was nice - big room, great location. Breakfast buffet was super generous and the food was excellent.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Near bus station, ferries, restaurants - excellent location

Staff

Great service!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Experience Aurland with a Local Guide

Aurland

AnnKaren was so welcoming - we learned all about her process for making goat cheese and she fed us a delicious lunch!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Finnafjord Safari by RIB

Balestrand

So fun! Lars was a great guide - the boat was comfortable and he made sure we all wore giant coveralls to keep us warm! Beautiful scenery.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fjord Cruise & Seafood Dining Experience

Bergen

The boat ride was incredible, esp coming home and seeing the sunset. The staff at the restaurant was incredible, everyone so friendly and they all came out to see us off when the ferry departed.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

This was my first trip using kimkim, and it won’t be my last!

Normally, I prefer to research, plan and book trips on my own. Due to time limitations and the seeming complexity of the transportation involved, I decided to utilize kimkim’s services for a recent trip from Oslo to Bergen, Norway.
And I am very glad I did.

Mar seemed to understand my desires for this trip almost immediately. The trip plan she put together was perfect for me. The transportation (trains, buses and ferries) was smooth, the pace was great, the accommodations much to my liking, and the activities interesting and diverse.

Fenne was a standout in getting everything properly booked. Even more helpful was our call just days before my trip wherein we reviewed the itinerary in great detail. She patiently answered my questions and assuaged any concerns I had. Her personal recommendations were spot-on and much appreciated.

Julia was there during my trip to jump in and smooth over last minute changes to a hotel, to answer navigation issues and to liaise with a hotel after I inadvertently left an open charge on my bill!

The whole team was very responsive, professional, detailed and personable.

As for Norway itself, it was enchanting. The incredible natural beauty will remain with me forever. I would go back in a heartbeat.

For 40 plus years I have been planning and booking my own frequent travels, but I was having difficulty planing and booking an excursion to Flam/Aurland from Bergen in the limited amount of time I had available. KimKim did a great job of taking care of this for me. Very well planned and executed, and they give you an emergency phone number manned 24/7, in case any issues come up. I would fully recommend them.