Kimkim Trip Reviews for Norway

As in all trips there were a few bumps along the way. Our first hiccup was the lodging at Svolvaer. Apparently there was a mix up in the confirmation and billing process and we were required to pay for the room. We got in touch with KimKim and Julia responded promptly and efficiently and the problem was resolved. We would rate the accommodation (Scandic Svolvaer) as over priced and mediocre. The room was so small that my husband could almost touch opposite walls in both directions with arms outstretched. Certainly would not recommend it to anyone.

In Geringer we were scheduled for a RIB boat. We had the tickets but unfortunately our itinerary didn't indicate which company it was with. Karolina had indicated to us that the tours are all day and you just show up for one any hour starting at 10. Once we found the correct company we were told that our slot was 10 only. Thankfully they had an opening at 4:00 and we were able to go.

In Faerland we were scheduled for a mountain hike. Our "guide" was a 19 year old who knew very little about the area and said almost nothing the entire hike. He seemed more interested in getting it over so he could home and play video games. We are in very good shape but felt that he had no clue that people 3 1/2 times his age might want to stop once in a while just to enjoy the scenery and rest. The highlight of the hike was when his cousin appeared at the summit and we had a chance to talk with him. He was foraging for mushrooms and told us a lot about the forest in the area and what to look for.

In Aurland our lodging (Vangsgaarden Gjestgiveri) was disappointing.
Our room was large and clean but was on a busy corner with a lot of traffic and had very thin shades that did not block out the glaring streetlight. We asked for another room but were told that they were all like that. We were confirmed for three days in Aurland which was a huge mistake. We departed the second day and booked a room at Fossli Hotel which was absolutely wonderful! It was not busy, served excellent food and the service and staff were very welcoming. The room was recently remodeled and was immaculate and comfortable. All of the windows and and balcony door in our room had blackout shades. It was a lovely stay with a beautiful view and great history. When we looking we were given some options in Eidfjord by Meree and we appreciated that. However once we got to Eidfjord and saw the cruise ships we were relieved that we found Fossli Hotel rather than one in a very touristy town.

The Naerøyfjord boat tour was ok. After our road trip viewing some of the most beautiful scenery of fjords and mountains and small farms dotting the countryside it was a let down. Too many tourists and certainly not the most beautiful scenery in Norway.

Looking at the plan now, we would have avoided Flam...cruise ships and wandering tourists everywhere. The train ride to the top was ok. We did the bike ride down however and that was great!
Three days in Aurland was a mistake as well.
Bergen was ok but also very touristy.

In reviewing our trip we feel that we did most of the work. We planned the route, secured our rental cars, booked all of our flights and found most of the lodging. In our initial conversation with Karolina we emphasized that we don't like "touristy" places and we are always searching for unique lodging when we travel. She gave us a few good suggestions but attention to detail and understanding our kind of travel was lacking. Many of the details were not tended to and our last few messages with questions and requests were not answered.

We have traveled extensively and are always looking for out of the way spots, unique lodging and a chance to get to know the culture and people of each country that we visit. "Canned" travel on cruise ships, "nutshell itineraries" and whirlwind travel to see everything is not what we want.
We had a great trip despite the bumps but will most likely opt to plan our own adventures in the future.

We had an absolutely amazing time in Norway thanks to our trip planner Linda. Every place we visited was more magical than the last, and the lesser known towns she sent us to were our favorites. We never could have had this trip without her. My only regret is that we didn't have more time to explore these magical places.

We only had to reach out to KimKim once while we were away to get some advice on timing with the ferries. Linda was off that day, but her team member figured out exactly where we were based on our shaky directions from inside a tunnel, as was able to calculate our travel times and and give us advice on our next move. I was shocked at the level of customer service.

The tour guides Linda matched us up with here so kind and knowledgeable, it felt like walking around with our new Norwegian friends rather than being on a tour. Special shoutout to our inn keeper in Værlandet, who gave us food out of her own freezer when we arrived after the grocery store had closed. Above and beyond!

I had a spectacular trip through the country of Norway. Tusen Takk Tricia!!! You made my first international (solo) trip everything it could be and more! The route worked out perfectly and the activities were spot on for what I was looking to see and do. The trip plan went so well and removed much of the stress that may happen, for me at least, with planning everything myself. Tricia's knowledge of Norway and recommendations all came together to make for a smooth, easy to navigate itinerary. I couldn't have asked for more. She checked in to make sure I was well on my way and was super supportive and responsive if/when I did call for help. I can't recommend using kimkim, and Tricia enough and will tell everyone and anyone the same.

Hotel Reviews

Bergen Børs Hotel

Bergen

Upscale, busy popular hotel. The location doesn't get much better than this. Beds were comfortable and the room was quiet from all sides. This is classic Bergen in all it's history.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Thon Hotel Terminus

Oslo

Great location, enormous breakfast buffet, comfortable bed. A little noisy into the night but not too bad. Jet lag had me up anyway. I did change my room to the 2nd floor with a window which happen to be on a bus route. The 1st room on the 6th floor would've been much quieter but the view was non-existent.

Authenticity & Character

It was a typical hotel which was all I needed here.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Vangsgaarden Gjestgiveri

Aurland

Quaint, unbelievably quiet, comfortable bed, nice breakfast and functional room with an unchanged classic charming style. Cool place to stay in this old sleepy town. Close to trails and good access to Flam. Good restaurant on the grounds too and the view of the fjord was awesome!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Bergen Walking Tour With a Local Guide

Bergen

I so very much enjoyed this walking tour with John. I think we covered the whole city in a matter of 2-3 hours! He imparted his vast knowledge of his hometown everywhere we went with great suggestions to take in all of Bergen following the tour. I love Bergen, Norway!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

A Taste of Norway's Culture and Cuisine

Oslo

I enjoyed this tour around the city eating some local foods Oslo is known for. Walking and talking with Stig through his favorite parts of his hometown, eating the local treats along the way was truly a good time. Go Liverpool! :)

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fjord Safari Taste

Norway

This unique experience was fun. Our guide, Erick (apologize for any misspelling here) was awesome on this tour. Zooming around the fjords, learning interesting, sometimes fascinating things about the history of the people who settled in and around the area.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Thank you Kim Kim for planning our wondeful 8 days trip to Norway.
The orgainzatin could not be better.
Communicating with Meree was quick, easy and professional.
Meree responded to all our needs and she was ready to make all possible changes that we suggested.
Activities great. The kayaking in Flam was really good. The person responsible excellent. (I think her name was Rea). The RIP boat person was also excellent.
The only thing is that the hotel booking in Oslo was not good. I know I have asked Meree for a hotel in Oslo in a reasonable price, but this was very different from all the hotels we stayed.
We went our for a brekfast since the breakfast hall was so poor and smelly.
But overall it was a wondeful week million thanks to Meree and Kim Kim.
Lena and Filippos

Hotel Reviews

Thon Hotel Astoria

Oslo

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Thon Hotel Ålesund

Ålesund

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Grand Hotel Terminus

Bergen

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Fretheim Hotel

Flåm

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Union

Geiranger

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Fjord Kayaking

Flåm

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Geraingerfjord Safari by RIB

Geiranger

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tom was infinitely helpful in planning our trekking trip in Norway! All of our hytte & hotel bookings went perfectly when we arrived, and everything was well organized for us before our trip. Tom even went the extra mile and helped us find a laundromat for after our trek. We never would've been able to do all of these bookings with confidence ourselves from the US, we are beyond grateful that Kimkim made this trip possible for us. Thank you for organizing the trip of a lifetime!

Flawless execution of every step of the trip. Everything just worked. I showed up where the itinerary said to at the time and everything worked great. Recommendations for self exploration days were great. Hotels were located in the exact right location. 5/5 trip, would absolutely use KimKim again.

Thanks for an amazing trip

Really good suggestions and organisation. Picked venues I would never have chosen and activities that were all top rate. Would definitely recommend.

Julia planned my 14 day trip to fjords in Norway. She did a superb job and my trip was amazing. I visited Flam, Balestrand, Bergen, Geiranger, Alesund, and Oslo. Every place was charming with a beauty of its own. As I was a solo traveller Julia had planned most of my excursions and given me enough options for my free time. It was indeed travel made easy and enjoyable! Thanks Julia and KimKim!

We have wanted to go to Norway for a long time to see the Fjords.We got great advise , where to go what to do from Tom. the planning stage was extensive with multiple revision to my itinerary.
The trip was planned and executed to perfection by Tom. It was personalised to my taste and liking. Tom even figured out a way for me to drive a Porsche 911 GTS , which was an absolute pleasure for me. All the hotels chosen were to my liking and beyond. From when we landed till we left Tom was in touch constantly to help me with my every whims and fancy, it was like have him as friend along with me in the trip. We are planning a trip in winter soon. My friends and relatives who saw the pictures want to come and wanted Toms contacts.
we had an amazing experience in food , places we went , the tours everything.
Cheers!
Thanks Tom

A memorable trip

I had been to Norway twice before so one may think I had done it all - far from it. Despite my age of 76 I had planned a hiking trip w
trip with Kim-Kim tours. It was an independent tour with Kim-Kim making most of the itinerary, booking guides, gondolas etc and making helpful suggestions
The result being, that despite
a couple problems, that this was an awesome trip and experience. The first 6 days of the 3 week trip I relived past experiences in Oslo, Stavanger and Bergen climbing pulpit's rock, dining on wharf in Bergen, cruising the archipelago in Oslo, etc., but I also had many new adventures like hiring a guide in Oslo (Kim-Kim suggestion) that was fantastic. Kim-Kim gave me an option of mountains to hike at every stop and also options on accomations. I rented a car in Bergen and headed to Kalvag, staying in unforgettable Knutholmen. Unfortunately it had rained all July in Norway so despite sunny weather the ground was saturated and gave way on my hike causing me to have a serious fall and injury. The owner of knutholmen was fantastic in helping me, but my hiking trip was ended. This is where Kim-Kim stepped up and not only saved my trip but made it the best sight seeing trip of my life. Linda, from Kim-Kim, each night provided me with incredible scenic drives and interesting stops and activities along the way. I have seen incredible scenery I would have never seen without her help. Norway turned out to be the most beautiful country I have ever seen. So instead of the fall ruining my trip, it turned it into a fantastic explorative journey that Kim-Kim enhanced with Linda's constant help. For example, Andalnes and route 93 with the Trollstigen drive are indescribable beauty suggested to me by Linda.
It was truly a trip I will never forget !

Activity Review

Oslo City Walk with a Local

Oslo

Quality of Experience

Everything

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Wit and knowledge

Transport

I used my own rental but kim-kim did move my bags once. Each country had excellent transports of busses, trains ferries

We just returned from two weeks in Norway and it was an incredible trip mainly thanks to Julia and her team at KimKim. Julia suggested places to us that we had never heard of loved going to. We would never have gone to them without her suggestions. Also, we had some weather-related travel problems during the trip and Julia worked hard to help find solutions to them.

Hotel Reviews

Opus XVI

Bergen

Beautiful hotel in a great location. Great breakfast. Want to return

Scandic Ishavshotel

Tromsø

Great location and very nice rooms.

Hamn i Senja

Skaland

Fabulous room.

Anker Brygge

Svolvær

29|2 Aurland

Aurland

Very special place. Totally farm to table. Helpful staff. Beautiful grounds

Authenticity & Character

Staff

Hotel Christiania Teater

Oslo

Activity Reviews

Norwegian Forest Hike & Organic Dining at Riverside Farm Lodge

Aurland

loved the goat farm

Ferry to Botnhamn - Explore Senja island

Norway

A ride to a beautiful, peaceful location

Finnafjord Safari by RIB

Balestrand

Beautiful, peaceful,

A well planned trip. Loved our Norway stops which gave good insight into variations of important coastal towns.

Our trip to Norway was amazing! We loved the summer farm in Innerdalen. Our guides were knowledgeable and friendly. The hike to Romsdalseggen was worth the effort because of the views! Our planner, Linda did a fantastic job incorporating our ideas to create a fun and beautiful trip.

Our experience with Kimkim was outstanding. The planning of our trip to Norway (primarily focused on Oslo and Bergen) went well, and we got quick responses to any questions. The itinerary turned out to be a good mix of planned activity and the chance to explore leisurely. The only day that was packed was our Norway in a Nutshell day, traveling between Oslo and Bergen, and we were pretty tired after that. The hotels where we stayed were excellent.

I always felt that if we needed help, we could get it right away from a call to Kimkim. As it turned out, we didn't need help.

We are older travelers and did this trip entirely by public transportation. We are glad we did it and will likely come back to Scandinavia again.

Hotel Reviews

Grand Hotel Oslo

Oslo

It is a very comfortable hotel in a great location. The service was outstanding. I would go back there again.

Authenticity & Character

The feeling of being in a grand old hotel

Location

In the city center close to the harbor (easy walking distance) and museums

Staff

Staff helped us get taxis when needed and were very efficient

Cleanliness & Comfort

It had the level of cleanliness I would have expected from a grand hotel

Hotel Norge by Scandic

Bergen

This renovated hotel is "hopping." There is a great deal of activity going on there, and it has a very contemporary vibe. I liked staying there except that the hallways are dark and the signage is a bit hard to read. Still, I liked staying there and the location is great. It is close to the train station, the KODE art museums, and the university. The harbor is not far away either.

Authenticity & Character

Like a modern international hotel

Location

Close to all the things we wanted to see

Staff

Good service, though our laundry order was mishandled because we weren't informed that there was no service on weekends.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very good housekeeping service

Activity Reviews

Oslofjord Sightseeing Cruise

Oslo

Loved seeing the ships in the harbor and then the islands/peninsulas with houses on them!

Quality of Experience

Fun to talk with other people on the trip

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Nice older ship

Fjord Cruise to Rosendal

Bergen

We enjoyed the cruise and the trip to Rosendal. It was a pleasant day to experience the water and the scenery. We liked Rosendal as well.

Quality of Experience

We particularly liked the cruise on the water. It's fun to look at the houses and also the fisheries (salmon farms).

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very professional

Transport

Very nice ship

Thank you KimKim for planning our wonderful Norway adventure. Communicating with Meree and Sonia was easy. They both responded back quickly to my questions and made adjustments as requested. Everything you selected for our group was great from the hotels to the activities. The best part of the trip was it was worry free. Everything was scheduled and all we just had to do was show up.

We loved all the hotels we stayed at - Hansatic Hotel in Bergen, Trolltunga Hotel in Odda, Fretheim Hotel in Flam and Dragsvik Fjordhotel in Balestran. They each had their own charm and uniqueness.

All of the activities were wonderful. In Bergen we enjoyed the Funicular and the Ulriken Hike. The favorite activity of the whole trip was in Odda with the Trolltunga hike and overnight stay in a dome. The guides Oyvind, Stepan and Jana were great. Also enjoyed meeting Jostein. In Flam the ride on the Flamsbana Train and biking down to the Flam Valley was so much fun. A special treat along the way was interacting with the friendly goats and eating cheese at the Rallarrosa Farm. In Borgund we enjoyed the beauty of the Stave Church. We ended our trip in Balestrand and loved the view of the Fjords from the windows of our Dragsvik Fjordhotel. There is lots to do in Balestrand. We enjoyed kayaking with Jan, taking the rib boat to Finnabotn with Lars, biking around Balestrand village and ending our trip enjoying lunch and cider at Ciderhuset hosted by owners Gard and Tuba

Just driving around in Norway had us in awe. The views are breathtaking. Norway is a very beautiful country.

Hotel Reviews

Hanseatic Hotel

Bergen

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Trolltunga Hotel

Odda

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Fretheim Hotel

Flåm

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Dragsvik Fjordhotell

Balestrand

Authenticity & Character

Location

Views of the Fjords were amazing

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clarion Hotel Bergen Airport Terminal

Bergen

Authenticity & Character

Location

Walking distance to Airport - great for early morning flight

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Orchard Tour & Cider Tasting

Balestrand

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Gard & Tuba were great hosts.

Transport

Overnight Hike to Trolltunga

Odda

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guides - Oyvind, Stepan and Jana were outstanding. Jostein provided informative information about the trip.

Transport

Flåm Railway & Cycling Adventure

Norway

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kayaking Tour

Balestrand

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Jan was awesome

Transport

Finnafjord Safari by RIB

Balestrand

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Enjoyed Lars. He was very knowledgeable about the area.

Transport

Tricia helped create a trip in Norway focused on time in the fjords (including half a day of guide-led kayaking and another going out on a small boat to poke around a second fjord). Both experiences and the hotel we stayed at (the historic Kivknes, which may have one of the best fjord views possible) were amazing. The arrangements she made for train, ferries, hotels, experiences in Oslo, Flam, Balestrand, and the lovely Bergen all worked perfectly. She also, at my request, left us plenty of time to do activites that we planned on our own (sauna and swim in the Bergen fjord for instance). The daytime temperature was usually mid-70s and even the famous summer rain stayed away all but one day. (One minor glitch involving a pullout couch at the initial hotel was worked out very quickly using the KimKim emergency number -- and our own efforts with hotel receptionl.) If Tricia is typical of KimKim we would definitely use KimKim again. Norway was really wonderful

Hotel Reviews

Clarion Hotel The Hub

Oslo

A large hotel in the very downtown port area. Convenient if not that scenic an area. Everyone in the hotel was extremely nice and helpful. And the rooms were comfortable.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Kviknes Hotel

Balestrand

The hotel has an amazing setting in the middle of the fjord in the tiny town of Balestrand. We stayed in the old historic section, which has tremendous character and great balconies with stunning views, but be aware that the rooms are small. No king-sized beds here! Also since this part is "historic" the rooms are decorated in an older style but with all the basic amenitites. We loved the rooms and would happily have stayed longer. The dining room, where an emormous buffet is put on for breakfast, is open and glassy and overlooks the water. You can also dine there. We lunched one day on the long back porch overlooking the water. The activities did -- kayaking, boating, cidering -- were all within a 5 minute walk. There are a couple small restaurants nearby. We saw lots of hikers, but did not do that ourselves.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Norge by Scandic

Bergen

I'm giving this 5 stars because we had 2 rooms on the top floor with amazing balconies overlooking a very scenic part of the center of town. The hotel is very convenient, very helpful and has great beds. They arranged a pullout couch in one room that I'd love to find for my own house. Really comfortable. The hotel has a great location for walking around Bergen, which is a very pretty cobblestone-y city.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Kayaking in Balestrand

Balestrand

We had a guided kayak tours from the town of Balestrand which is so fantastic. A reason to visit again. Our guide "JT" was wonderful, helpful and just fun to kayak with. We were experienced kayakers and so he responded to that, but he often takes out people with no experience and clearly is a great teacher. There were 3 of us (adults) on this excursion and we all thought this was a highlight of our time in Norway.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Scenic Boat Trip to Fjærland

Norway

This was a private trip for just 3 of us with a captain --Tor -- whose family hails from Balestrand for generations. As a result he was a wealth of info throughout the trip about places and people. Tor was really fun and intersting, slowing at certain places to talk or let us drink from a waterfall (without leaving the boat or getting wet--very impressive). Extra info: he has great warm jumpsuits for all his clients. He also does fishing trips, though we did not do that part.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Balestrand Orchard Walk & Cider Tasting

Balestrand

Fun to hear about and see how cider is made. And then taste some of the ciders afterward.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Bergen Walking Tour With a Local Guide

Bergen

John was our guide and despite having to walk in a downpour a lot of the time he was humorous, interesting about places and the history of those places and led us gently around the whole, mostly cobblestoned city.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Depart Norway

Norway

A huge shout out to Tricia Cantlon and her team for making my family’s three week trip to Norway an experience of a life time. My 11 year old son and I were travelling with my 90 year old mother on this family adventure. Putting an itinerary together that would work for all of us required something different and Tricia’s work on pace, variety and activity selection really worked. We appreciated the opportunity to experience the character of Oslo, Stavanger and Bergen but were REALLY blown away by the beauty of the Fjords on our 10 day road trip out of Bergen. Having the flexibility to experience the fjords at our own pace for this portion of our trip was great. Tricia’s attentiveness to us while we were in Norway was also really helpful. She and her team were always super responsive and helpful when I had questions or concerns. They continued to gently guide us through the entire trip and this contributed to a sense of ease along the way that was lovely.

Loved our experience with KimKim and Tricia. She was so adaptive to our needs, and she went above and beyond to make sure everything was set up perfectly. Made for an actually enjoyable holiday, not stressing our about all the details!

Hotel Reviews

Thon Hotel Cecil

Oslo

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Gudvangen Fjordtell

Gudvangen

Basic accommodations in a beautiful setting. Limited dining options.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Thon Hotel Rosenkrantz

Bergen

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Preikestolen Fjellstue / Preikestolen BaseCamp

Jørpeland

Excellent base camp hotel for hiking. Dinner was fabulous! Rooms are basic but comfortable. Shower/bathroom combo is a little weird and messy but again, functional. Beautiful setting.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Loved all the pillows!

Activity Review

Ferry from Bergen to Stavanger

Norway

Great experience!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I started to plan this trip before contacting Kimkim. So we already had our flights and the first night in Oslo booked. Then I came in contact with Christina, and everything started to flow magically. I had an idea of combining city and nature impressions on the journey including some physical activity as well. Christina was able to come up with this perfectly. So in the end of the day we had our city walks as well as fjords tours - hiking, on boats, on trains and on kayaks, all of which orchestrated skillfully together with transfers and hotel bookings. We only had to adjust the alarm clock and follow the detailed instructions in the itinerary.
We visited four different destinations - Oslo, Aurland/Flåm, Bergen and Ålesund - each of the with their own special flair. In Bergen and Oslo we had a 3 hour informal walk with a local guide, both of them really charming, professionally skilled and in love with their respective cities.
The hotels were up to our expectations and very well located. We haven't missed a chance to relax in the Spa! And after the rainy and chilly day in Bergen the sauna was quite what we needed.
These were very memorable 9 days which we enjoyed so much thanks to Chritina and team!
I'm pretty sure this will not be our last trip with them ;)
Leon & Laura

Itinerary was perfect for us! Meree was exceptionally quick to respond to any requests for minor tweaks. All the hotels were amazing and the hosts completely accommodating.