Kimkim Trip Reviews for Norway

Kimkim planned our trip to Norway for us as it was our first trip there. They chose great cities and amazing excursions. We had a wonderful time. We were very impressed with the itinerary, including the hotels and events. We ran into a hiccup with a hotel and Kimkim was very responsive in addressing the issues. We highly recommend Kimkim for your travel needs.

Activity Reviews

Finnafjord Safari by RIB

Balestrand

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Mostraumen Fjord Safari by Premium RIB

Bergen

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Kayaking & Hiking Excursion

Ålesund

Quality of Experience

Food

We loved our guide.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Floating Sauna Experience in Ålesund

Ålesund

Quality of Experience

The trip was memorable and adventurous in every way. The detail timing of the taxis, cruises, and tours was perfect for us to have personal time as well. Taylor was accommodating and helpful in choices to make our tailor-made trip perfect. Aselund in the Lofoten Islands was the highlight of the Norwegian region with the majestic mountains, lakes, rivers and Fjords. The city tours in each region were helpful and educational to understand the history and culture of Norwegian heritage.
One Negative...The "Norway In A Nutshell" day tour was a disaster with the distance that had to partake to get to the Fjord over 12 hours in trains (3), busses, and a ferry. The day in Flam was a tourist trap with souvenir shops everywhere. However, we captured a waterfall hike in Flam that overshadowed the transportation distance to get there.
The Norwegian trip overall was a bucket list expedition of nature, cultural presence, adventurous Fjords that will be memorable forever.
KimKim will be used in future regions that we are not familiar in travels going forward. Thank you for your knowledge, experience, and support to make this a comfortable, relaxing, adventurous holiday for our 45th Anniversary celebration!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel 1904

Ålesund

Historical Elevator is very small. Breakfast is great. People were hospitable.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bergen Børs Hotel

Bergen

The room is not comfortable as it was 2 levels with an upper bedroom loft with stairways, a living area with crossing wooden beams throughout the room that we hit repeatedly and one small window looking out to the courtyard and market. We asked for another room but they said they were fully booked and did not accommodate us.

Authenticity & Character

Accessibility

Location

In Old Town where all the action was in the city

Staff

Very cold appearance when we arrived with no alternative to change room. The temperature of room was cold and room heaters had to be brought in.

Cleanliness & Comfort

With multiple step down levels, crossing wooden roof beams, stairs to bedroom, no heat, bathroom was open shower with no tub (requested), etc

Grand Hotel Oslo

Oslo

Excellent location to Old Town, Galma Stand of Stockholm. Nostalgic hotel by the waterside with immediate access to Palace, ferries, and activities.

Authenticity & Character

Everything...the room was fabulous with 3 bay windows facing water.

Location

close to Galma Stand, Old Town.

Staff

Great people who were accommodating to our needs.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Large spacious room

Nordis Suites

Svolvær

Views looking out were fabulous. Cleanliness good but service poor as this is an apartment complex.

Authenticity & Character

Service

Location

Staff

To have service....This was an apartment so they did not have immediate service attendents.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Door glass to balcony shattered...more shelving for luggage.

Activity Reviews

Geirangerfjord Cruise & Day Trip

Norway

It was the best Fjord we saw! No changes to God's world.

Quality of Experience

Fjord Cruise to Rosendal

Bergen

We never went as we were Fjorded out!

Private Lofoten Sightseeing Trip

Svolvær

He was excellent to take us to the majestic mountains of the Lofoten region. His knowledge and experience on the island was very good to give us a pleasurable time seeing nature at its best.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Norway in a Nutshell Day Trip

Bergen

I should get a credit on this trip as it was too long in distance with 3 trains, 1 bus, and cruise over 12 hours. Refer to clients next time private tour to the same cruise.

Quality of Experience

Oslofjord Sightseeing Cruise by Traditional Boat

Oslo

Excellent tour of the entire area.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private City Walk

Oslo

Good, personable, knowledgeable, kind.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Self-Guided Svolvær Exploration

Norway

We did this on our own.

Oslofjord Dinner Cruise

Oslo

It was the same cruise area region we did earlier in the day. We did not like the food quality and service. Taylor was adamant on doing this tour after I told her we prefer personal foodie restaurants.

Quality of Experience

Quality and Service of Food; No selection of wines.

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Lofoten Floating Sauna Experience

Svolvær

Excellent Experience especially when diving into the cold 46 degree Farenheit water temps.

Quality of Experience

Explore Ålesund

Norway

Quality of Experience

Cultural Walk with a Local

Bergen

Somewhat knowledgeable.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Evening Kayaking Excursion

Svolvær

Excellent tour guide and experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Depart Norway

Norway

Too early to airport as it was a very small airport and waited 3.5 hours.

Mathia provided knowledgable and professional consultation and coordination to create a customized itinerary for our trip to Stavanger to experience the fjords in this area. He arranged our hotel and tours and provided valuable recommendations for restaurants and things to do. Mathia was very responsive and attentive to our needs and interests. He checked in during our trip and was extremely helpful in making last minute adjustments we requested to ensure our holiday was all we dreamed it to be. We would be very happy to work with Mathia again in the future.

Anders put together a wonderful trip that included Denmark, Sweden and Norway!
We had a lot of questions about lodging, tours, transportation, and the most spectacular things to visit.
Anders answered every one of them.
Transportation in Scandinavia is clean, on-time, and reliable.
We loved the combination of old historic architecture and new innovative architecture.
The highlights were the fjord cruises, Flam, Alesund and Oslo.
But truly, everything was great.
Everything and everyone is green and earth-friendly. The water in Scandinavia is great!

We feel like we saw all of the must-see places and we look forward to visiting again!
Thanks Anders!

Hotel Reviews

Amerikalinjen

Oslo

great location wonderful room!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Fretheim Hotel

Flåm

wonderful meals

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Axel Guldsmeden

Copenhagen

wonderful breakfasts

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Quality Hotel Ålesund

Ålesund

wonderful view!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Njardarheimr Viking Village Day Trip with Nærøyfjord Cruise & Bus Transfer

Norway

tour guide was authentic!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Flåm Railway Round-Trip Experience

Norway

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

My dad worked with Katie to plan this trip, and it turned out great! I really appreciated the balance between guided/scheduled events and free time. It gave us the freedom to explore while also participating in some extremely interesting tours. At one point, we had a small issue with our tour guide not showing up. Mathia at KimKim, however, was able to rebook us for a tour for later in the day. It is really nice to know that KimKim has someone available if anything goes wrong! This trip was also a great balance between city and nature. Bergen and Balestrand were the perfect places to stay. I would definitely recommend this trip!

From a planning and booking standpoint Katie did a great job taking my family's feedback into account and suggesting options for activities based on that combined with her knowledge of Norway. We had a group of six with ages ranging from 11 to 70, and everyone had a great time! There was a minor hiccup when our guide for a walking tour of Bergen did not arrive on time, but that got worked out in short order after I posted a message in the Kim Kim app. Delaying that activity to the afternoon actually ended up being better for us because the weather improved and we got an awesome guide named Thomas. We particularly enjoyed our time in Balestrand in the middle of the trip with the highlight being a private sightseeing tour via boat of the surrounding fjords. Our guide, Thor, did an amazing job tailoring that experience so everyone in our family found it enjoyable despite the "hyper-nature" conditions (it rained most of the time). For the most part, everything related to transportation and lodging went smoothly. I will certainly consider engaging Kim Kim again for trips in the future.

Hotel Reviews

Zander K Hotel

Bergen

Everything seemed cramped throughout the hotel with rooms and bathrooms being extremely tight on space. It was tolerable, though, considering we only stayed for one night.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Grand Hotel Terminus

Bergen

This hotel is easy to get to when taking the light rail from the airport, and it's within walking distance of the shops and restaurants surrounding the harbor. Rooms are nice, clean, and spacious. Bathrooms are a bit tight with tub/shower entry/exit requiring a bit of athleticism. Restaurant menu wasn't child-friendly but the single dinner we had there was excellent. I would stay here again in the future.

Authenticity & Character

Charming with ornate woodwork.

Location

It's close to a stop on the light rail, the train station is right across the street, attractions in the city center are within walking distance.

Staff

Everyone was friendly and helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Kviknes Hotel

Balestrand

Beautiful hotel located in a beautiful area and a charming town.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Scenic Boat Trip to Fjærland

Norway

Thor made this a great experience for our family despite the "hyper-nature" conditions (it rained almost the entire time).

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Øvre-Eide Gård Farm Visit

Bergen

This was a hit with the kids! They got to brush and ride a horse, cuddle sheep and rabbits, hold a chicken, and eat some tasty treats.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

It was a bit difficult for taxi drivers to find.

Viking Heritage Walk with a Local

Bergen

There was some sort of misunderstanding between Kim Kim and the local provider of the service which resulted in no guide showing up at our hotel at the designated time. Upon posting a message in the Kim Kim chat to report that, someone from Kim Kim worked with the local provider to arrange a meetup later in the day. That ended up working out better in the end because the weather was better in the afternoon than it was in the morning. Thomas was a great guide and we really enjoyed the history, knowledge, and cultural insights that he shared.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Although there were a couple mixups in the booking process, our trip was flawless. Roy gave me sightseeing options I would never have thought of doing myself, such as the Flam rail tour which was one of the highlights of our trip. Jacob covered our itinerary changes and mixups very conscientiously and professionally. Our food tour in Oslo was wonderful . Having luggage transported from hotel in Bergen to Oslo hotel was a life saver.

The only thing I would offer to have made this trip planning go a bit smoother is to have booking and planning be more simultaneous during the extremely busy tourist season. We would be going with one plan and later find out the hotel or transportation was not available. This was an experience that I encountered during a Kimkim trip to Croatia also, so is not unique to this tour company.

All in all, we had a fabulous trip and it was made much better by booking with Kimkim rather than the plans I had originally made on my own.

Hotel Reviews

Comfort Hotel Bergen

Bergen

Our first introduction to the fact that hotels in Norway are very efficient, not big on space, and have fabulous breakfasts included. This hotel was very clean, everything was in working order and the checkin/check out process went very smoothly.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Good location near all the sights we ere hoping to see

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Flåmsbrygga Hotel

Flåm

Beautiful furnishings and comfortable beds. It's definitely a nice hotel but I'd never pay the going rate (thank you Kimkim for covering this)

Authenticity & Character

Beautiful furnishings

Location

Located right by the train station in the heart of Flam

Staff

very helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

beds and bedding were top notch. There was a terrible smell coming from the shower drain but once we took a shower, it faded a bit

Comfort Hotel Karl Johan

Oslo

Location, meals, cleanliness and staff were very excellent

Authenticity & Character

Typical Comfort Hotel. Clean, efficient and friendly staff

Location

Short walk from train station was much appreciated. Not too far to walk to ferries, restaurants, and sightseeing

Staff

Always happy to please, never too busy

Cleanliness & Comfort

Radisson RED Hotel, Oslo Airport

Ullensaker

We were only in this hotel one short night and I can barely remember it being anything but very nice

Authenticity & Character

Nicely decorated

Location

Easy walk from train and airport. We had a family visit and it was an convenient pickup and drop-off with their car.

Staff

friendly and helpful staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean and comfortable like all hotels we were booked in.

Activity Reviews

Nærøyfjord Round-Trip: Fjord Cruise & Scenic Shuttle

Flåm

I'm not sure what the scenic shuttle is all about. We never found the bus we were supposed to get on but a driver who thought we needed a shuttle to our hotel found us and drove us to the Viking Village. That ride is mostly through tunnels so it's not very scenic. The Viking Village is very interesting but we didn't really need that much time there, so I got a tattoo from the tattoo artist in residence. The Fjord cruise was wonderful. It's a very comfortable boat and the scenery is spectacular. We were very lucky with the weather being clear and relatively warm.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The driver that was hired to take us to the hotel that we no longer needed was very informative, efficient and friendly.

Street Food Tour Oslo

Oslo

This tour involves a lot of walking in a somewhat out of the way area, so we saw a bit of Oslo that we would not have otherwise seen. The group size was a reasonable size, it didn't feel like we were being herded around. The food samples were interesting, delicious and generous. As a side note, Jay Ternaven of JayWay Travel, was taking this tour with us, considering it as an offering for his tours. So the guide was probably trying very hard to impress.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

knowledgeable, answered all questions politely, considerate of special diets in each location

Transport

It was a walking tour and everyone walked quite well

Luggage Transfer Service

Norway

This was SOOOO helpful. We were in Norway for a wedding in Oslo and had brought a gift that required a large piece of luggage. There was no way we could have managed it on the Flam Railway. I had put the wrong hotel name on our paperwork (Karl Johan Hotel instead of Comfort Hotel at Karl Johan). They got it right and I was so happy to see it when we arrived Oslo.

Quality of Experience

We didn't have to be responsible for our luggage.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Never met them but they got the hotel name changed to the correct one

Transport

It arrived at the right location!!!!!

Dinner recommendation: Olivia Tjuvholmen

Oslo

We didn't get there

Our trip to Norway, organized by Taylor, was fantastic. The logistics were flawless, which I have come to expect from KimKim (our second trip organized by them). The recommended itinerary had us see essential Oslo, the beautiful train to Myrdal and then down to Flam. We then spent a few days on ships in the fjords with the Kvikness Hotel in Balestrand as our base camp (which was lovely - by the way the views from the mountain facing rooms are just as beautiful if not more so than the Fjord facing ones). After that we took the ferry to Bergen and enjoyed a couple of days enjoying the local culture, crafts and learning about its history. All told a great trip. Thanks Taylor!

My KimKim team to Norway was comprised of Taylor (my initial contact and overall trip designer) and Maria and Nick (who promptly addressed my questions, my issues and any changes I needed). It was comforting to know I had such an efficient team.
It's hard for me to say which aspect of the trip was most memorable. Was it seeing in person the World Heritage fjords (something I had on my bucket list) or was it the experience of driving Lofoten where I had no prior vision of how spectacular that actually was. Or, was it the architecture of Alesund and their 148 steps vista. Norway is just one visual gift after another.

Hotel Reviews

Home Hotel Bryggen

Bergen

Ideally located within walking distance of everything you want to see.

Authenticity & Character

While an historic building, it amenities were sufficiently upgraded

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Heimly Pensjonat

Flåm

Of all the hotels I stayed in during this trip, I was least impressed by this guesthouse.

Authenticity & Character

I suspect the reason for KimKim chosing this guesthouse was its view of the fjord. However, that view is somewhat blocked by trees.

Location

Getting to it was both confusing and uphill.. both from the dock and then the steep driveway and staircase you needed to climb. With 2 suitcases, this 78 year old was not happy. Given there is a hotel close to where you dock, I would have appreciated that convenience. Also, the hotel provides dinner, but it does not provide choices.

Staff

Having to ring a bell in order to have someone assist or answer questions, is just not classy

Cleanliness & Comfort

I felt like I was in a dormitory room.

Thon Hotel Opera

Oslo

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Scandic Svolvær

Svolvær

At this point I had a rental car; however, the hotel did not provide parking nor any assistance in explaining how to pay for parking. I managed to figure it out, but that fact tainted my feeling about the hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Fine but nothing special.

Location

This was my first exposure to Lofoten and I was so impressed by how nature surrounded the area.

Staff

When you're in a foreign place you want greater assistance regarding unfamilar things ie: paying for parking.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Tide Rorbuer

Sørvågen

This hotel was a little confusing, as I was assigned a cabin instead of a room. Finding this cabin was not clearly explained, but eventually I did. But this was after a day's drive, so it added a level of frustration to what was an amazing area. The cabin was ok, but I didn't need a kitchenette as I was not planning on making my own meals. I would have requested a change if I had known this was the choice KimKim made. Would recommend KimKim explain the options before booking.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

As a solo traveler I am keenly aware of how I am treated by hotels and restaurants. I felt I was not particularly appreciated as a guest - especially in their restaurant.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Quality Hotel Ålesund

Ålesund

I loved everything about Alesund including this hotel. The rooms were uniquely laid out. Their restaurant was full service. Their staff was both knowledgeable and helpful.

Authenticity & Character

Location

As it turned out, they were exactly where I wanted them to be in relation to resturants and sites.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Radisson Blu Airport Hotel, Oslo Gardemoen

Gardemoen

For someone needing to catch an early morning flight, you couldn't have chosen a better hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Explore Ålesund

Norway

See my earlier comments re Alesund. I loved it.

Self-Guided Flåm Exploration

Flåm

There's a wonderful walking/biking path that leads you along the fjord.

Walk up to Aksla Viewpoint

Ålesund

Self-Guided Oslo Exploration

Oslo

Self-Guided Bergen Exploration

Bergen

Cultural Walk with a Local

Bergen

The guide was genuine, knowledgeable and flexible. I felt like I was walking around with a friend.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

This was a walking tour.

Visit the Gol Stave Church (Norwegian Museum of Cultural History)

Oslo

For me, architecture is important, so this visit may be more personal than necessary for most. However, getting to the church required a short ferry ride which added a pleasant element to the experience.

Quality of Experience

Driving the Lofoten Islands: Nature Stops Along the Way

Norway

Lofoten is one amazing site after another. Even with the summer traffic that gave me more reasons to stop and take in the views.

Quality of Experience

Reinebringen Hike

Norway

This is not a hike for the faint of heart. The steps are huge chunks of rock requiring much effort everytime. The climb is very vertical, so if you have any fear of heights, you might want to reconsider this choice. There is no railing (and there are sections where a misstep could be serious). The climb up is the climb down, so crowds going both ways can be a challenge. In retrospect, I wondered if I had made a bad choice (but the view WAS spectacular and no point in crying over spilt milk!) Although my 78 year old body had a very different point of view.

Quality of Experience

Although the reward is spectacular, I was more scared descending than going up.

Visit Henningsvær

Svolvær

Since the drive from Solvaer to Reine is relatively short, I enjoyed getting off the main road and visiting as many of the towns along the way (Henningsvaer being one). Each is uniquely placed, so each offers a different view. What I also found, is this helped slow me down vs racing to Reine.

Quality of Experience

Geirangerfjord Cruise & Day Trip

Norway

The boat ride took special care to slow down (and in some instances, stop altogether) to explain what we were seeing and provide anecdotal stories related to the series of waterfalls. Time at the end of the fjord was just long enough to let you refresh, eat lunch or just walk around. It was an extremely pleasant day.

Quality of Experience

Depart Norway

Norway

Fjord RIB Safari & Undredal Cheese Tasting

Norway

The speed boat ride was the experience, but the stop to taste the local cheese was a nice touch.

Edvard Munch Museum in Oslo (Tickets not included)

Oslo

Enjoyed learning more about Munch than just his 'The Scream". That said, the museum has a dedicated room for the 3 versions of The Scream.

Self-Guided Svolvær Exploration

Norway

Solvaer is the great place to start the Lofoten experience. While stunningly beautiful, it just keeps getting better as you drive away from it.

Self-Drive Exploration of Moskenesøya

Norway

We had a great trip to Norway and the help with knowing where to go and where to stay - was amazing. I took parents in their 80s and my teenagers on a family trip and I am not sure we could have pulled off a trip that was exciting for everyone without KimKim.

Hotel Reviews

Flåm Marina

Flåm

Our favorite hotel was Flåm Marina in Flåm. The location was perfect, slightly out of the main town, which meant we avoided the large crowds when cruise ships were in town. The hotel overlooked the water and was beautiful. The location and setting made it our top choice.

Thon Hotel Rosenkrantz

Bergen

Thon Hotel Rosenkrantz in Bergen was great and very well located in the middle of the tourist area, which was perfect for us as tourists. The hotel was nice and convenient for exploring the city.

Karl Johan Hotel

Oslo

Karl Johan Hotel in Oslo was well located right on the main street, which was very convenient. The only minor issue was that the walk from the Oslo train station to the hotel was bit of a walk with luggage, which could be challenging for some travelers, but it was manageable for us.

Activity Reviews

Oslofjord Dinner Cruise

Oslo

The Oslofjord Dinner Cruise on our last night was amazing. It turned out to be perfect for everyone to relax, look around, and enjoy our last evening together. It was a wonderful way to end the trip.

Cultural Walk with a Local

Bergen

The Cultural Walk with a Local in Bergen was interesting, especially for my wife who loved it. However, the teenagers found the history a bit heavy, and some parts of the walks in Bergen and Oslo felt a bit repetitive.

Our Norway trip was a magical adventure. KimKim and Tom Christer specifically made sure that every question was answered and every detail meticulously attended to. I recommend this trip highly!

The railroad from Flam was one of my favorites! Nice surprise to have Nora come out of the waterfall singing. The transportation and hotel arrangements were well organized.

Taylor was awesome. When we’re planning the trip at one point we lost a hotel room for a night she sent us from Flåm to Balestrand and it was one of the best nights we had on the whole trip. Short stay but one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. In addition, she was so attentive to our needs and the hotels were in the perfect location that adventures and tours were set up perfectly. I will definitely definitely use this group again because they know what they’re doing.

Kimkim gave us a great itinerary that closely matched our interests and desired level of activity. They took a lot of the planning burden off of us and made our trip fun and enjoyable.

I will say that the communications when we were on the actual trip were a little uneven. Messaging through the app received no or a delayed response. When I finally figured out we should use WhatsApp we had better responsiveness, which should have been made clear from the beginning.

Our stay at hotel Aurlandfjord was lovely, but we were a little surprised to find dinner had been included and we weren’t asked about that in advance. I think we would have preferred to buy our own dinner and make our own choices.

Anna planned an amazing trip for us! She listened to what we wanted even though we didn't really know what we wanted and planned the perfect trip. Norway was even better than expected and the trip was amazing. Anna planned a few activities and gave us recommendations on things we could do on other days but left us lots of time to go off and explore on our own. We ended up adding a few hikes to our trip which we had not planned on doing when originally booking. We had a great time kayaking in Hamn i Senja with our guide Richard. He was very knowledgeable and had great stories to share. Our favorite places were the Lofoten Islands and Senja. We loved traveling with kimkim. Having everything organized in the app so we knew exactly what we were doing each day and had our tickets saved on there made traveling stress free. We would highly recommend traveling with kimkim!

Hotel Reviews

Hamn i Senja

Skaland

Beautiful location. We loved sitting in the chairs looking over the water at sunset and walking around the property. Richard, the kayak guide was great!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Svinøya Rorbuer

Svolvær

We loved our room and being able to spread out. The whole property was beautiful and we loved being able to walk into town for dinner and to explore.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Midnight Sun Kayak Tour in Bergsfjorden

Senja

The views on this tour were amazing! Our guide, Richard was very knowledgeable and had lots of stories to share about his experiences guiding in many different countries.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We planned the May trip to Norway in March. The communication was so easy and smooth, with the result being a customized 10-day itinerary that was perfect.

The trip included personalized experiences, the best of which was a guided visit to the farm where my great great grandmother was born and raised before emigrating to the US. It was a truly amazing experience.

Christina, our local contact, was wonderful. She messaged us through the app with additional information, like the schedule of activities on Constitution Day in Oslo, and was available to answer questions.

I loved the ease of the app where we found every trip detail and each attached ticket for transportation etc.

Highly recommend Kimkim. Look forward to planning and booking with them again!

Kelly and James, Dallas, TX USA

Hotel Reviews

Scandic Victoria Lillehammer

Lillehammer

Authenticity & Character

Truly, excellent breakfast

Location

Easy to walk everywhere

Thon Hotel Opera

Oslo

Great location steps from the train station, full service, Great view of the library and opera house from our balcony.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Steps from train station, proximity to water, opera house

Staff

Activity Reviews

Fjordcruise on UNESCO Nærøyfjord

Norway

Stunning, breathtaking natural beauty

Quality of Experience

Waterfall Hike & Stegastein Viewpoint

Norway

We loved this experience, a driver and guide took us to lookout, then guided us on a walk to a waterfall. She was delightful, and we lucked put with a private tour as no others booked that day

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Truly wonderful and memorable

Transport

Thanks Taylor and the Kimkim Team. Taylor planned a great trip for us, having spoken with us and heard our needs, likes and dislikes. Also to Nick and Maria who kept in touch when we were there. Communicated all the time, and made us feel really welcome and looked after. Luckily we didn't have any emergencies or need too much looking after, but it was great to know there were people there to call if needed. Anytime. Thank you.

Things we especially liked/that went well:
the app is great. Love having the details to hand, links to different transport we're using (flights, trains, ferries) and name and details of pickups and drivers. So obvious but not always provided by travel companies. Loved it.
The quality and location of the hotels was great. We're a bit spoilt and like the luxe end of the hotel market, but felt that KimKim got it right - the hotels were nice/better than nice AND extremely well places to schlepp ourselves and our bags across to a station, ferry port, etc. It made a huge difference, especially since it was raining a lot of the time.
Suggested activities and guides were great. Sven in Oslo and Sandra in Bergen were fab. Informative and easy to be with.
We loved the apple cider tasting in Balestrand, and the buffet at the Kviknes Hotel was the best buffet we've encountered for a very long time. We ate there both nights of our stay in Balestrand. Loved the oldy-worldy feel and it didn't feel overwhelmed by the large number of tour parties who were there too.
Oslo - two highlights - the Public Library is very special. It's a workspace for everyone, filled with books for everyone. Also the National Museum is fabulous. The feel, the curation of the exhbits - great. And you get a good taste for Munch from their smaller collection. (vs. a major feast (if it's to your taste) in the Munch Museum across the river.
The train to Flam on the Flam Railway was lovely. A bit of a tussle to get a window seat (which we didn't manage) - but still a fun, beautiful ride. The most surprising bit was a fabulous plate of fish and chips at the Flaam Bistro (Canteed). Don't miss it. Another couple we met said the Viking lunch at the PUB in Flaam was great too.

What was less great:
TBH, nothing.
We'd have liked it if it rained less, but it's Norway (and Bergen is renowned for rain :-)). And it didn't stop us doing anything.

The ferries were a bit of a bun fight - understandably as it's peak tourist season. If you are on a ferry - get there early. You won't be the first in the line but you'll get a decent seat and sit together. Ditto the Flaam Train. But if you go in peak season, you have to be chill and roll with it. There are a lot of people wanting to experience the beauty of Norway. It's so worth it.

Thank you Kimkim for creating a great trip. We had a lot of fun and got a real taste for Norway.
We'll be back to book another Kimkim adventure.

Noeleen & John

Everything was great and stress free. Would absolutely work with Mathia again if we come back to Norway in the future, which we intend to do. Accommodations were good, transportation was easy. Could not have gone better.

Hotel Reviews

Heimen Hotel

Bergen

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Thon Hotel Terminus

Oslo

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Vestlia Resort

Geilo

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Kviknes Hotel

Balestrand

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Train to Flåm -> Ferry to Balestrand

Norway

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Finnabotn RIB Tour

Balestrand

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bergen Walking Tour With a Local Guide

Bergen

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Overall, I was very happy with the Norway trip organized for us by KimKim. The hotels were comfortable and the locations made it easy to explore the area right out my door. The guides organized by KimKim were knowledgeable, friendly and worked at a pace comfortable for the whole group. The experiences were nicely tailored to the highlights of each area we visited. A very memorable experience for sure!

Mathia was a huge help in planning my two weeks in Norway. First he helped me book just the exact right cruise out of Bergen on Havila when I was struggling to figure out how to do only part of the coastal route. When only an interior cabin was available, he monitored the bookings and secured a newly available cabin with window with no prompting from me.

Then he re-routed our rental car pickup in Lofoten to be there when we disembarked, saving us from expensive taxi rides.

And finally, he showed us around his home island of Vesterhålen when we realized how close we were. It was a treat to meet him after so much electronic correspondence, and even better to get a personal guide for a bit.

I would recommend Mathia to anyone planning a trip to Norway!