Kimkim Trip Reviews for Norway

Our adventure to Norway was driven by us wanting to see the northern lights . When we started researching how to do this , we came upon a cruise option that was quite pricey and we weren’t sure in November if that was the best way to travel given the increased nighttime hours and colder temps . We found Kimkim and sent them the cruise itinerary we were entertaining. Our specialist Christina took the cruise itinerary and curated a trip for us based on our desire to see the northern lights and what were the best things to do in Norway in November . And the cost ended up being a couple thousand dollars less per person than the cruise. She ended up going on maternity leave prior to our trip and we were then assigned to work with Katie who was amazing!!!
When our trip finally came … Katie called us a couple weeks before and went over everything we would be doing and how to get around. She also recommended popular highlights in each city and booked us for extra activities and a porter to help with luggage from Oslo to Bergen … which was well worth the money!
This trip was literally planes , trains and automobiles lol. We were on the move every 1-2 nights
She basically created the road map for our trip and we followed it . She was always available on the app to answer questions and kimkim has an emergency number also to help while on the trip . This trip was absolutely epic !!! The hotels were amazing. The local tour guides were amesome . We saw the lights not once but twice. King crab fishing, sea eagle expedition, fjord cruises, historic cities … you name it …we did it !!
Our trip however, was not without complications. We did have some weather that forced us to reroute one part of the itinerary. Katie was there immediately to help us with that. She was on the phone with us, guiding us as to how we can reroute and what our options were. She was absolutely awesome.
We also got a flight cancellation leaving Kirkenes because of a snowstorm. She was on the phone with us, helping us find the best options.
Even though we had the roadmap of the trip to do it on our own, she was always there with us to help us guide us along the way.
I can’t say enough amazing things about the Kim Kim team.
Thank you Katie for helping us have an unbelievable trip!!! We will never forget it !!!
Highly recommend kimkim for future vacations!!!!

Kadri and Fenne helped plan and booked all of the excursions for a trip to Norway. Both of them were the best to work with. I had never been to Norway and they were able to book experiences and activities so that we could see the country and have experiences that I would have never known how to schedule. Both Kadri and Fenne responded to all of my questions before the trip and gave detailed information to questions that I had. We were able to take boat rides through the Fjords, take trains and busses through the country, experience dog sledding, and feeding reindeer. I would highly recommend working with both of them if you are looking to book a trip to Norway.

Sorry for responding late but we had a wonderful time in Norway! The Kim Kim team was very thorough and helpful throughout our trip. The only minor glitch we had was at Tromso airport where we were not met by anyone upon arrival. But within few minutes of speaking with your office, our ride arrived. We really appreciate the ability to connect on WhatsApp and the prompt responses every time! We found everyone at Kim Kim extremely friendly, polite and helpful to deal with. The hotels were fantastic and our guide in Oslo was prompt, informative and friendly. Unfortunately our guided tour in Bergen got cancelled due to bad weather and we were unable to do both the funicular in Bergen and the cable ride in Tromso, but overall it was an extremely well planned itinarary & great service. Thank you all for making our trip so fun, & convenient! We will definitely reach out to Kim Kim for any trips in the future.

Hotel Review

Radisson Blu Airport Hotel, Oslo Gardemoen

Gardemoen

A great hotel! Clean and comfortable rooms! Friendly staff. Fantastic food! And can’t beat the convenience of being right across from the airport! So glad that it was suggested for our stay!

Authenticity & Character

Location

The convenience

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private Floating Sauna Experience

Norway

It was an amazing experience to enjoy the warmth of the suana and take a refreshing dip in the beautiful fjord that stretches out before you! A must do activity on your travel to Norway!

Quality of Experience

Fjord Safari by RIB (Summer/Fall)

Flåm

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Oslo private tour

Oslo

Norway in a Nutshell Tour

Norway

Quality of Experience

Transport

Northern Lights Dinner Cruise

Tromsø

Quality of Experience

Fjord Cruise & Seafood Dining Experince

Bergen

Private Transfer

Tromsø

Northern Lights Hunt by Minibus with Photographer & Campfire Dinner

Tromsø

Wow! Wow! Wow! What can I say? We were disappointed to see overcast skies upon landing in Tromso, but they drove us across to Finland in search of clear skies to view this amazing phenomenon! It is a spectacular display by Mother Nature! The best part was enjoying a warm meal around the campfire in the freezing arctic temperatures with the Northern Lights dancing all around us! What an amazing experience!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Whale Watching Excursion by Electric Ship

Tromsø

Awesome scenery! And 100s of Orcas!!

Alex helped me organize my trip to Norway, which was amazing! He (and Carina) absolutely nailed it!

November isn't necessarily the most popular time to travel through Norway, but Alex prepared me with what to expect with the weather and limited availability for activities. With his knowledge of the areas, he led me in the perfect direction for what I should and shouldn't do, and where I should and shouldn't stay. I wouldn't hesitate to go back in November again - it wasn't too cold and was nice and quiet : ).

I explored Bergen, Aurland, Ålesund, and Svlovær! My local guides were incredible (Eric and Leif!) and were very flexible with our plans. We ended up getting to explore more than I expected - Leif showed me the hidden gems of Aurland, Gudvangen, and Flam and Eric showed me all around the Lofoten Islands, he even took me to his own village to see how they live.

My accommodations, transportation (private and shared transfers as well as flights), and activities were all organized seamlessly. I wasn't able to do the Northern Lights tour, but all of the local guides in the area had to cancel due to the weather. They offered me the next day, but the weather was quite heavy that night too; this is something that Alex prepared me for - it's dependant on the weather. I was able to enjoy my floating sauna a bit longer since I then didn't have to head out for the tour. I'll definitely be back to Norway!

Hotel Reviews

Clarion Hotel

Bergen

This hotel was perfect for what I was looking for! It even had a sauna and fitness center, which was a nice surprise. It is located on the historic Bryggen, which is a UNESCO site in Bergen! It was so nice being able to step out of my quiet hotel and be right near shops, cafes, and the fish market.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Located on Bryggen, the UNESCO World Heritage site in Bergen with all of the cute buildings on the water!

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Quiet hotel even though it's in the center of town

Wangen Apartments by Fjord Resort

Aurland

I loved this aparthotel! It is right on the fjord, with not a single thing in your view. Most Aurland businesses are closed in November, which Alex had told me, but it is so close to Flåm that I loved the idea of being a bit outside of the crowds. This aparthotel has a full kitchen and a grocery store next door, so I was able to make my own meals which was a really nice change of pace during traveling!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Right on the fjord! Floating sauna outside too that you can reserve a session at (and jump into the fjord)

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Everything was stocked in the kitchen and was very clean!

Clarion Hotel Admiral

Bergen

This hotel has an incredible breakfast and view of Bryggen! I suggest waking up early, while still dark, and seeing Bryggen. It was all lit up and the water was still, creating an amazing mirrored image! My specific room left a bit to be desired, but it was due to my choice of a standard room. I was still quite happy with the amenities and location though! With the location and amenities, it's a great choice - I'd just suggest upgrading to a top-tier room that will be more updated and with a balcony.

Authenticity & Character

My room was fairly outdated compared to other rooms I saw when walking past. It sounds like the updated rooms with balconies facing Byrggen are the deluxe and above rooms.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Svinøya Rorbuer

Svolvær

This place is a must if you can! It is so quaint, with amazing views, and incredible dinners! It has a kitchen which was nice, given that my daylight was short. I was able to go to the store and grab some things and enjoy my cozy place after my activities. The only con of this place is that it is across the bridge, so if it's raining, you just have to walk about 10-15m to get to the shops, but the hotel had a large umbrella in my room, so this wasn't a problem for me. The floating sauna in Svlovær is also part of this property, so I loved having just a quick 2-minute walk from my room to the sauna (the views from this sauna are unreal.. highly suggest!)

Authenticity & Character

This feels like exactly what I would expect in the Lofoten Islands! It has that mountain and fishing village charm!

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Radisson Hotel & Conference Centre Oslo Airport

Gardermoen

This is right out of the airport (about a 5-10m walk) and was exactly what I wanted since I was only staying one night in Oslo to catch my flight the next day back to the US. This is a bigger hotel, but was very clean, quiet, and had an incredible breakfast, which opens early. I'm an early riser, so I really appreciated being able to get some nice coffee early!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Right outside of the airport (about a 5-10m walk)

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Quality Hotel Ålesund

Ålesund

This hotel is right on the water and on the edge of the main street with shops, cafes, and restaurants in Ålesund! When I checked in, since I was early, I asked if I'd get a better room in the same tier if I were to wait to check in - they said yes. They suggested I waited a few hours and I could probably get a room with a view to the water. This is exactly what I did and exactly what I got. I just dropped my luggage in their luggage room and explored for a bit, then got back and enjoyed my room. This hotel has a great breakfast and a restaurant for dinner. They also have a small menu that they offer 24/7 with paninis, pizzas, and such. This was so nice for me, getting in and just wanting something quick.

Authenticity & Character

Location

This hotel is right on the water and on the edge of the main street with shops, cafes, and restaurants in Ålesund!

Staff

The staff was very helpful here! They also helped with calling taxis for me anytime I needed which was a nice little "extra."

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean and cozy room

Activity Reviews

Food & Culture Walk

Bergen

Very cool experience! Marianne, my guide, was born in Bergen and knew so many ins and outs! The pace of this tour was perfect, we saw (and tasted) quite a bit, but it didn't feel rushed. We went all through Bryggen, the fish market, and even to the first coffee shop in Bergen (the owner is still working the cafe and making the baked goods and coffee). There were many things that I would've just walked right past if it weren't for this tour. Great experience!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I actually didn't have transport, I met my guide at the fish market and we walked from there.

Walk up to Aksla Viewpoint

Ålesund

This is a must if in Alesund! It's a short walk right in town (lots of steps, but plenty of spots to take a break). I suggest doing it during the daylight and again in the evening if you can - it's cool to see the lights at night!

Quality of Experience

Winter Kayaking & Floating Sauna

Ålesund

I thought I was going to be chillllllly on this (winter kayaking?!), but in fact, I was quite warm - who knew?! It was the perfect amount of effort (moderate, and the guide was flexible with going slower or faster, depending on what you wanted) and we had suits on that kept us dry and cozy. We did a loop around the island and then ended at the floating sauna (where you can jump into the water too!). This was a fun experience!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private Lofoten Sightseeing Trip

Svolvær

Eric, my guide, feels like my new best friend! I specifically chose a private experience to get a flexible/personalized experience. Right when I met my guide, he asked if there was anything specifically that I wanted to see/visit. I didn't know much of the area and trusted his judgment. We drove all around, stopping at hidden gems as well as some popular sites (Henningsvær soccer field, Haukland Beach...). This was a really cool time to visit these spots since they can get busy in peak season - I feel like I got the private showing of the hot spots. Eric also drove me through his village (11 houses, 13 residents) and showed how the locals live. Very cool and authentic experience with a knowledgeable guide! This is a must-do if in the Lofoten Islands and just wanting to make the most of your time there!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lofoten Floating Sauna Experience

Svolvær

This floating sauna is unreal - the views are amazing! Highly suggest trying to do the sauna during daylight (to appreciate the views even more) and jumping off of the roof into the water!

Quality of Experience

I did the sauna in the evening, after sunset, so it was dark. Although still a great experience, I would've liked to do in the daylight to appreciate the views, my schedule just didn't allow for it.

I am a very type A person who likes to be in control so I was hesitant to use an agency to plan a trip for me. I have to say Kimkim far exceeded my expectations! Ana helped plan and then fine-tune the trip based on our interests and was very knowledgeable with her recommendations. We went from Oslo to Bergen to Tromso. When she was out for vacation someone else stepped in to make sure I knew they were here to help me and everyone as so communicative and transparent (shoutout to Tom and Tricia). They were on top of things even when it was too early to book something they had alarms on when new dates were released to make sure we got to do everything we wanted to do. The way the itinerary , booking confirmations, and tickets were delivered to us was so organized. it came with a lot of extras like how to use public transportation and an ethical travel guide. One thing I didn't realize before the trip that all of the excursions that were booked were with ethical and sustainable agencies and a few run by the indigenous Sami people of Norway. I really liked that aspect!

During the trip we did have one part of an excursion get canceled because of the lack of snow and Tom messaged us 2 days before to let us know and gave us options to rectify the situation. There was another time where there was an issue with one of our excursions when we got there and we messaged and Tom jumped on it right away and figured out the issue so we didn't have to waste any time of our trip figuring out logistics.

Overall I would definitely recommend Kimkim's services!

Hotel Reviews

Amerikalinjen

Oslo

This hotel was so easy to get to from the train station and was super cute! The architecture and décor was great and the breakfast had a lot of variety and was very good. Of the 3 hotels we stayed in on our trip this was our favorite one. It was the nicest as well. This was the only hotel of the 3 that acknowledged our honeymoon and had laid out a cute fruit and chocolate plate with a very nice note!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

the bathroom was great and the bed was nice.

Hotel Norge by Scandic

Bergen

This hotel was centrally located and walkable from the train station which was a big plus! Staff was helpful with our questions and the breakfast was very good with lots of variety. The room itself I would describe as fine. It wasn't bad by any means but it was also nothing to write home about. It was comfortable for our 2 night stay.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Scandic Ishavshotel

Tromsø

The location of this hotel is the selling point for me. The bus to and from the airport stops right in front of it and multiple excursions use this hotel as a meeting point. If you have a room facing the correct side you would have a great view. We unfortunately did not have a nice view in our room. The staff were very nice and helpful but the room left a little something to be desired. I liked that they are sustainable so there was little notes around about how to conserve water, and you need to use keycard to work the electricity so you aren't wasting it while you aren't in the room. They also don't clean your room unless you sign up for it which I think is a good system. However, our room didn't seem like it was cleaned well before we got there because we found numerous pieces of trash around the room including a candy wrapper and empty water bottle. The first time I tried to shower the drain was so clogged the water immediately started overflowing. I had to get re-dressed and go downstairs. To their credit someone came immediately up and cleaned the drain out but it was an inconvenience. This hotel was the only one of 3 that we stayed in that didn't provide body lotion and had only a 2in1 shampoo/conditioner combo which is terrible for my hair. This hotel is located in a place that had the harshest weather so not having lotion was horrible on my skin. I didn't pack any because I was traveling from out of the country trying to pack light with little liquids. It didn't seem worth it to go out any buy lotion either since we stayed here at the tail end of our trip and would have had to throw it aw which would have been wasteful. Of the 3 hotels we stayed at this was my least favorite. Maybe I wouldn't have been so critical if I didn't have the other two recent comparisons because it was a fine stay but that is my honest review. This hotel did have the biggest breakfast of any of the 3 and it was good!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Brunch on the Fjord

Oslo

This was our favorite thing we did in Oslo. Views were amazing! The food was good and the bar on board was nice as well. It was nice to relax in a warm boat while still because able to see the scenery.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Experience Bergen from the Fjord

Bergen

We showed up early and the captain never showed up so we wasted about an hour of time just standing around in the rain. That being said, when we got in touch with the captain he was very apologetic and said our booking had slipped through the cracks and offered to immediately rig up the boat but we declined because by then we had already ventured on to do something else. We got a full refund for this excursion. We did see the boat and it looked nice and like it would be afun time.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Silent Whale Watching

Tromsø

This was our favorite excursion of the whole trip. Not only was it incredible to travel next to a pod of orcas for a little over and hour but the views to and from port are incredible! The staff are very knowledgeable about the sea life and they even put on some presentation via slide shows on the tvs and verbal audio over the loudspeaker about whales, orcas, birds, etc. That was a fun extra. The snacks on board were great too. Boat was warm and comfortable.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Reindeer Sledding & Northern Lights Experience

Tromsø

Unfortunately we didn't get to do the sledding part of this activity because of a lack of snow but the rest of it was great! Feeding the reindeer was so fun and I loved learning about the Sami culture. The transportation was great and so easy with clear meeting points in town.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Northern Lights Adventure in Tromsø

Tromsø

The owner/tour guide really went above and beyond driving all the way to Finland to find clear skies to see the northern lights! The excursion went longer than expected to make sure we all got a chance to see the lights and take pictures with them. Guide was very knowledgeable and a talent photographer. Bus was brand new and cozy as well. The guide also shared cultural stories on the ride too and is a Sami indigenous person herself. She was very funny and entertaining as well. Meeting place was easy and convenient.

Quality of Experience

Transport

They were not informing us of cancelations in Tromso and they were not helpful in plannng The Blue Lagoon and didn't advise us of darkness. Hotels were excellent that bthey booked for us. The 24 hour emergency line person in Tromso was completely useless and seemed annoyed when we called.

We are just back from a fabulous two weeks in Sweden and Norway , of which 9 days in Norway were planned and booked with KIMKIM.

I am happy to award more than full marks to KIMKIM for understanding what we wanted from our trip, and designing a custom itinerary perfectly tailored to our special interests, needs and preferences.
Thereafter, they were prompt and always available for several months for queries and consultations about details of how-tos, inclusions, alternatives available etc.

We started Kimkim's tour planned for us in Narvik, went from there to Lofoten and stayed 3 nights at a charming Rorbu - as 2 couples sharing the 2- bedroom fishermen's cottage. The nightly tours to see and photograph Northern Lights were highly successful - largely due to the quality of the local guides KIMKIM arranged for us.
A brilliant idea from KIMKIM thereafter was to take the Hurtigruten overnight sail to Tromso , affording an out-of-this-world experience of auroras over the sea as the ship sailed through fjords.

To satisfy our desire for nature with un-touristy private accomodation KIMKIM booked us a 2- bedroom sea cabin right on the fjord in Lyngen Alps, where we had the mountains, sea and the gulls pretty much to ourselves for 3 days, while the restaurant served up delicious Norwegian seafood at breakfasts and dinners. Two whales paid a visit in our cabin- front sea at lunchtime - NOT organised by Kimkim, but WONDERFUL!
Thank you Sondre , Fenne , Rufo - and anyone else at Kimkim or Nord DMC who served our planned trip - you were top class operators, and a LOT more than well worth our money

We'll love to come back to you for future trips.
Cheers
Nilanjana Mukherjee
INDIA

Date of experience: November 14, 2024

The trip to Norway is wonderful and unforgettable. We are four to go on 23 October 2024. We enjoy Bergen but I think too long to stay there. Bergen is a lovely city. We also love Flam , Bodo but Bodo stay 1 night is not enough. Most of all we love more Lofoten. The view there is beautiful. All the trip and activity were all managed well. Your local specialist Krista and Fenne and the 24 customer care is very helpfull. The respond is quick when we need help. Hotel all good and very near to ferry, train station, Unluckily our Aurora hunting was cancelled twice due to bad weather in Lofoten.
But luckily the last day in Bodo we got a very good local guide Mr. Ivar. He is very good, patient, very experience, high responsibility. Actually we already hopeless because the weather is very bad in Bodo. Is raining and snowing. But Mr. Ivar
convince us that we can still see the Northern Lights if we are willing to drive about 6 hours in return to the east. Then we told him we willing. He is very experience tour guide and also driver. AS he said finally we can see the very beautiful Northern Lights. He also help us to take many nice photos. Thanks very much to Kimkim and Mr.Ivar. The car also very nice car include drink and snack. Will introduce Kimkim to my friends

Activity Review

Northern Lights Tour

Bodø

Excellent. Your tour guide Is very good and experience. Without him we were impossible to se the Northern Lights. We thanks Mr. Ivar

Quality of Experience

private transfer, hotel, activity,

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Family trip to Norway!

I reached out to kimkim to get an idea on how to plan our trip. I was put in contact with Eliise, one of kimkim’s local specialists. She was always quick to respond and came up with several options on excursions for my group. It took us several months to finalize our trip and Eliise was there to guide us from beginning to end. She was open to our suggestions for hotels too.

Fenne was great to work with as well. Always quick to follow up and respond. Rufo the local emergency contact was amazing. He was extremely patient and quickly to follow up with questions and suggestions.

Thank you all. We definitely could not have planned this trip without your assistance and guidance.

Our trip started with a few hiccups all related to KLM which had nothing to do with kimkim. We arrived into Oslo spent a night there and started our train ride to Bergen early the next way. Best idea. Although the trip started early in the dark we enjoyed a lovely local breakfast on the train. The attendant in the cafe was friendly and helpful. As the sun rose and the beautiful scenery came to view we were all left speechless. The colors, the clear water had us escaping from Houston. We changed trains in Flam and enjoyed more scenic rides all the way to Voss. Unbelievable is all we can say.

We finally made it Bergen. Checked into Scandic Byparken. Hotel was ok. Apparently they have an old section and a new section. Some of my group ended in the new section which were bigger and better rooms. I would definitely pick another option for the hotel. Breakfast was good though. We took the Fjord cruise. Spectacular doesn’t even describe our experience. The stories of the trolls 😀 and the views were unbelievable. We returned and enjoyed an amazing meal at the wharf near Bergen Brygge. The freshest seafood I have had in a long time. Even tried the local fish soup. Very tasty.

We took the tram to the Seven Mountains. It was quite windy up there but again spectacular views if the city. Completely surreal.

Next day we took a flight to Tromso. The Paris of Norway. Radisson Blu was a great hotel.

First stop was Magic Ice. It was a cool experience, but you could tell it was a common tourist attraction. Nothing very impressive. There were some pretty nice sculptures.

At the recommendation of staff at Magic Ice we went to dinner at La Famiglia. Do not go there. The food was extremely salty and very basic flavors. The best item was their reindeer burger. Everything else was subpar. Not worth the money we spent.

We were scheduled for the Winter Fjord Cruise on a yacht but had yo cancel. Half our group got sick due to food poisoning. It sounded like a great trip.

Our next excursion was the Aurora Dinner Cruise. Going into the cruise we were informed that there is a low chance we would see the Northern Lights since it’s been a cloudy day so our hopes were not too high. Meal was good and the tour guide was really entertaining. The cruise staff took good care of us. About an hour into our trip the captain spotted the special clouds. We all went upper deck and to our surprise got the opportunity for some light Northern Lights. After a few minutes they were amazing. We were so happy to have experienced the Northern Lights. We returned back after completing our meal.

Next morning was our trip to feed the reindeer and get to know more about the Sami culture. Tried the reindeer soup. Different. Needed some flavor very bland. Our local tour was great. Loved the stories he shared.

We came back to the hotel and rested to prepare for our Northern Lights chase. We drove for about 2 hours out of Tromso and made our first stop. Again concerns with the weather preventing us from finding the Northern Lights. Our first stop we waited around and saw some lights, beautiful but not spectacular. The crew was waiting to hear from other team members if they were finding anything. Unfortunately they hadn’t had any luck. After enjoying a local warm drink of Ribena and cookies our tour guides decided to head towards Finland. We were about 1 1/2 hours away from Finland. We got there and watched the sky. After about 20 minutes what we saw left us speechless. The dancing of the lights across the clear skies and it was beyond imaginable. We were able to check off an item off our bucket list. I can still feel what I was experiencing when I saw the lights. No words can describe that feeling. You just have to experience it. And it was time to head back after enjoying the lights dance around us after a couple of hours.

We started our morning leisurely the next day. Took the taxi and rode the cable car up the mountains. It was cold!!! We enjoyed a light snack in the cafe and headed out to look at the amazing views. Tromso did not fail either. We came back down and visited the local cathedral. It’s a beautiful church. That evening we had scheduled a trip to the sauna and did the arctic plunge. What an exhilarating feeling and experience. You should do it once.

We found a restaurant close by and enjoyed some tasty tapas.

Unfortunately our last day in Tromso we had scheduled the whale safari. The trip was cancelled due to weather. Thankfully kimkim issued a full refund on the excursion. We ended up having a free day and spent our time shopping and exploring the city. We went to the oldest pub in Tromso and enjoyed some good ale and tried Aquavit.

We had dinner at Mathallen. Amazing experience. Food was fresh and flavorful. Make reservations early. Seating is limited.

It was time to return back to Oslo and head back to Houston.

Overall it was a great experience. Thank you kimkim for the memorable experience. Will definitely work with you for our future adventures.

Next time we plan a trip we will be more mindful of the early activities. It was a vacation for us so doing things a bit more leisurely would have been nice. We felt we were on a tight schedule.

Hotel Reviews

Scandic Byparken

Bergen

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotell Bondeheimen

Oslo

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Norway in a Nutshell Tour

Norway

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Mostraumen Fjord Cruise

Bergen

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fløibanen Funicular Experience

Bergen

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ice Gallery Experience

Tromsø

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Winter Fjord Cruise in Tromso

Tromsø

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Northern Lights Dinner Cruise

Tromsø

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Key goal - see the Northern Lights, unfortunately we didn't see them as we had hoped with swirling shapes of color and only saw a weak light through our camera lens on 21 Oct 2024. Seems that we missed a great light show on the day we arrived in Tromso, 19 Oct but we didn't have anything scheduled that night. The rest of the trip had cloudy nights with poor sightings. Even though our goal had been the Northern Lights, Norway and it's people definitely made up for it with the country's beauty and the people's hospitality

The following are snapshot reviews by category to help future travelers, especially seniors like us

City Tours -
Private tours are very helpful to adjust endurance as needed. Our guide Lena in Oslo did that because the weather wasn't good for walking and we bought tram tickets to a location where she was able to show us non-touristy areas which is what we requested. There was some confusion with our guide in Bergen, itinerary listed Synnove and when I texted her to confirm, she said she wasn't scheduled but she did get back with us and told us Thomas would be our guide. He met us at our apt but was puzzled as to why we would start our 2 hr walking tour in the outskirts of town when he usually started them in city center. We ended up having to buy tram tickets to get to the city center where Thomas started the tour which of course was less than the two hours but Thomas was very good and actually stayed a little longer. If outskirt accommodations are scheduled, notify travelers and guide to have a plan for transportation and sights prior to starting the tour. Private city tour in Tromso was ample time

Scheduled Tours -
Nutshell Tour - our favorite. Due to the length of time to do it in one day, staying overnight in Flam was a great idea and we think you should recommend it to all travelers. As for the luggage transfer to the hotel in Bergen, the luggage transfer did work but the problem was it not being delivered on time at the Bergen Apt due to logistics issues.

Fjordsafari - 2 hr 15 min was too long for us, very cold and windy, would have preferred a one hour tour
Aegir Viking dinner - too bad we didn't catch it in time but neither of us drink beer, so the 5-course beer tasting with the sampler dinner could have been switched to just a traditional dinner but the atmoshpere made up for it

We had requested a longer stay at Voss but once we arrived we were too tired and found out that an earlier train could be taken by requesting it to the conductor on the earlier train. This would be a good note to advise travelers, that based on availability, they could move up their scheduled time

Hardangerford Express in Bergen - enjoyable relaxing cruise, limited eating and shopping locations during off season
Coastal Scenery Safari in Tromso - conflicting notes on where to meet, Radisson or "from Oct @ Bus Terminal Prostneset but this was resolved by checking with KimKim
Northern Lights Expedition in Tromso - 21 Oct, due to rain sat in mini van for over an hour before getting out to go to down to the fire and wait for the lights that didn't happen. The walk down the wet, slippery embankment was a challenge for these seniors but thanks to two wonderful helpful passengers, we were able to go down and back up to the mini van.

Aurora Husky Visit - still no Northern Lights, excellent staff and our favorite meal on the trip. Tour was listed as "Small Group" but it was actually a full bus with about 40 passengers

Private Transfers - all excellent and very helpful to these seniors

Hotels -
Oslo - Hotel Bondeheimen, good location for walking to key sites and public transportation
Flam - Flamsbrygga Hotel - good location
Bergen - Bjorvika Apartments - good accommodations but logistics to receive keys and not in city center was an issue
Tromso - Specialty Stay-Standard Apts - comfortable accommodations but hike up the hill from the reception area was another challenge to these seniors but we made it. Very friendly staff that helped us at check in with out luggage and offered great waffles between 5-7 pm
Alta - Glod Aurora Domes - interesting change to a typical hotel but not in city center and had to order dinner to be delivered from a restaurant because we arrived too late for their dinner. Our disappointment again was no Northern Lights but we felt this area had too many lights from the office area, to the adjoining buildings making it not very dark
to see the lights even without lights in our dome. We found out later that they offered off site Northern Light Expeditions, so maybe notify passengers of this option

Our disappointment of no Northern Lights continued after we left Norway and stopped off in Iceland for 7 days.....hard to believe, but again no Aurora Borealis..... maybe next time. Thanks to all the staff at KimKim for making this a wonderful trip and we'll certainly contact KimKim again once we decide where we want to go on our next adventure

Alicia & Gloria

Mar and Fenne did a superb job on planning our Norway trip and included an itinerary that was perfect for a shorter getaway! They worked with us closely on multiple trip versions due to a last minute switch by us having to move our trip from summer time to the fall, and we were very pleased we went in the season we did. Aside from a couple of weather glitches and the time change affecting some of our planned activities, it was an overall great trip! Thanks Mar and Fenne! We really appreciate your planning efforts and allowing us to have an unforgettable experience in Norway!

Activity Reviews

Waterfall Hike & Stegastein Viewpoint Experience

Flåm

Ervin (aka Wreckless haha) was honestly one of the best tour guides I've ever had, and I do a lot of traveling. He was very down to earth, very in tune with what we wanted to do and talk about, and we both felt very confidant in his abilities and comfortable around him. Me and my friend Christy had an awesome day seeing some amazing views, hiking with him and eating some local treats ("Don't call it a KitKat") lol. Would highly recommend this local tour company, and obviously if they give you Ervin to lead you, definitely a bonus.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Northern Lights Hunt by Minibus

Tromsø

They took us all the way to Finland to see the lights because the weather was bad, and in my opinion that was above and beyond what I was expecting!

Quality of Experience

Me and my friend both lost our dad's a few years ago so we asked my dad to come through as a red color and her dad to come through as yellow based on some of their favorite things before they passed. It was kinda a joke at dinner time before we left to see the lights, and we didn't really think they would come through as those colors...but they did, and I'm still shocked about it because apparently seeing what we did was pretty rare especially with how awful the weather had been all night.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Again, they took us all the way to Finland! Haha I visited two countries for the price of one!

The person in charge of us is Katie. From the veru beginning till the end of the trip, she has been more than kindly, helpful, and personable. She provided detailed information regarding transportation, accommodation and activities. Hence, we did not get confused and lost at all.

The guide/driver for our van trip truly was such a professional, who knew what she was doing. The night was cloudy and rainy, but she somehow led us to the places where the Northern Lights suddenly appeared. She also was extremely kindly to all of us, taking great pictures of us. And she was a very smooth driver.

Hotel Reviews

Amerikalinjen

Oslo

Very well located, nice and clean

Authenticity & Character

Staff was very kindly and helpful.

Location

Next to the train station and center city

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bergen Børs Hotel

Bergen

Very well located. Nice and clean. They pillow was too soft for us though.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Scandic Ishavshotel

Tromsø

Good location, convenient. Too crowded.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Aurora Dinner Cruise

Tromsø

Nice and clean. Food was good even if the fish was a bit too cold in some parts.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Northern Lights Adventure in Tromsø

Tromsø

The guide was excellent, she knows how to find Northern Lights. Her driving skill was also great.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

One of the most incredible trips we’ve ever had the privilege of taking. Every day and place was just stunning, from Preikestolen and Lysefjord to Lofoten (our favorite, but doesn’t diminish the beauty of the rest of the country) followed by the Lyngenfjord Alps, whale/orca safari and the northern lights. One of the most beautiful countries with wonderful people. We will definitely return. Thank you for all the help you gave in making it such a memorable and beautiful experience 🙏

Hotel Reviews

The Bolder

Forsand

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

No contact with the staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

HATTVIKA LODGE

Ballstad

An incredible place with great staff and access to outdoor activities from heaven! Additionally, the restaurant there, Fangst, is seriously good! The owner Kristian and his team there do an incredible job (while living somewhere pretty close to heaven at least for me :)

Authenticity & Character

Location

Everything. Lofoten is amazing!

Staff

Kristian, Maria, Tim and Jennie

Cleanliness & Comfort

Glass Igloo Lyngen North

Lyngen

Staying at the Glass Igloo Lyngen North was an indredible experience. Lying in a glass hut, watching the Northern Lights was just outrageous. It’s hard to put the experience into words, but everything about our stay here was perfect. I couldn’t imagine a more unique way to experience Norway.

Scandic Ishavshotel

Tromsø

The Scandic Ishavshotel was just a large chain hotel without much character. We stayed only about eight hours, so it was fine for a brief rest, but certainly didn’t stand out like other unique accommodations on our trip.

Activity Reviews

Kayak Tour on the Reinefjord

Norway

Quality of Experience

LLP

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Kristian was a great guide

Transport

Northern Lights Sailing Cruise

Tromsø

The Northern Lights Sailing Cruise was a wonderful experience despite the rain. Sitting in a hot tub on the Norwegian Sea was crazy, though we didn’t see the Northern Lights. The crew was fantastic, and we still had a great time.

Our trip to Norway was organized with care and quality. We had to make a number of changes and KImKim was always incredibly helpful, efficient and understood exactly what we were looking for. thank you to KimKim for an unforgettable experience!

Activity Reviews

Private Floating Sauna Experience

Norway

Quality of Experience

Fjord Cruise & Seafood Dining Experince

Bergen

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

At the Cornelius the staff was fabulous

Transport

Mar designed our itinerary perfectly! The hotels were great and in best locations. She promptly responded to my questions and concerns.

The emergency contacts thru whatsapp were also available for my questions during the trip.

A very memorable trip!

First, while Christina is credited with organizing our trip, she did indeed take the first significant stab -- hotels, guides, schedule, etc. -- much of the details were handled by Katie, who was helpful, patient and accommodating. She advised us on practical issues -- the cost of taxis, how best to get to various places, how to orient our guides -- and was gracious throughout. Our guides were good, knowledgeable, willing to focus on our interests. The fjord trips were, of course, a highlight; so much beautiful scenery! Bergen was a lovely city, and we had 2 1/2 days to visit Bryggen, other old sections of the city, the Kode Museum and the Bryggen Museum. The Stegastein Viewpoint also was a highlight.The threatened rain fell only a couple of days.

Hotel Review

Kviknes Hotel

Balestrand

Truly a gem. Large, inviting, full of history. Our room was in the old section and overlooked the fjord. Just magnificent. Breakfast was great; lots of choices, and the staff was very friendly and helpful

Authenticity & Character

Location

It was right on the fjord and near the historical walk and the pier

Staff

The maitre d'

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Fjordcruise on UNESCO Nærøyfjord

Norway

Breathtaking. A magnificent tour of a Unesco World Heritage Site. So compelling to see the mountains dive directly into the fjords.

Scenic Boat Trip to Fjærland

Norway

Good thing our guide provided warm weather gear! It was cold but beautiful. Although our itinerary called for a three-hour tour, our guide insisted we were owed two hours. Just as well as it was getting pretty cold by the time we got back. No complaints though. The scenery was breathtaking.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bergen Walking Tour With a Local Guide

Bergen

John was knowledgeable and showed us the highlights of downtown Bergen. He also advised us on how to spend the rest of our time in Bergen, taking the funicular to the mountaintop, visiting the Bryggen Museum and seeing other parts of the city.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Kimkim planned the perfect trip for us based on our interests. All of the excursions and guides were excellent and informative. Accommodations were close to everywhere we needed to be. We would definitely recommend using this company

Everything was so perfect. The details were all taken care of from transfers to dinners. Our hotels were exactly to the level we wanted- nice but not over the top. Our local contact was easy to communicate with. Our tours were awesome and just like we wanted. It was nice to have a travel agent they actually listened to what we wanted! Thank you!

We really appreciated how Anna and Tom were quick to respond to all our inquiries.
Having all the accommodation and travel requirements in place on the App made registration at hotels really easy. Where showing tickets for journeys was required the ease of their retrieval through the App made that simple.
Anna and Tom were super responsive to all our queries and requested adjustments, so a big thank you to them.
Accommodation was varied in style which we loved. Just bear in mind that some accommodation may not suit oldies like the four of us. Any issues were quickly resolved.
Norway is a treasure and magnificent in its awe inspiring land and seascape.
It is a place that lived up to all my expectations and more. The suggestions on things to do and places to go were brilliantly thought out by Anna. Her suggestions made our self guided tour as good as we could hope for. We saw almost every aspect of Norway’s wonderful people and landscape over 18 days.
Thank you Tom and Anna.
Anna, we hope motherhood is treating you well.
With thanks,
Mike, Elizabeth, Carol, and Tom

Hotel Review

Valldal Fjordhotell

Valldal

The stay in Valldal Fjordhotell was not as comfortable as we had hoped. All four of us were booked into one cabin, which posed a significant problem as two of us would have needed to sleep upstairs where there was limited headroom and a steep ladder to climb. This setup was not practical given our needs.

Activity Reviews

Dog Sledding with Carts

Tromsø

Dog sledding with carts was a very fun experience! The dogs were eager and happy, constantly ready to go. Despite being hard work, it was a lot of fun and memorable.

Round Trip on the Flåm Railway: Flåm - Myrdal

Norway

Our trip on the Flåm Railway was somewhat enjoyable but felt a bit too commercialized for our liking. While the ride itself is lovely, Flåm as a location seems overly focused on tourism.

Cruise the fjords and arrive Tromsø

Norway

The cruise along the fjords up to Tromsø was lovely, even though much of it occurred at night. The Hurtigruten cruise provides a pleasant and leisurely experience, primarily catering to moving tourists along Norway's captivating coastline.

After some hiccups my program for Norway and Sweden was set. Silvia helped me set up my bookings for various places in Norway – Oslo, Flam, Bergen and Trondheim, and Stockholm in Sweden. My challenging trip involved booking hotels, trains and a short cruise and she met them all. I had an idea of what I wanted to do and she enhanced the trip by making some suggestions, which I took and enjoyed! All in all, my trip was successful and it was great to have all the tickets and bookings done before I went to the countries. The walking maps, places to see and where to eat Silvia provided helped me to see the city. In three key places my room had excellent views. I don’t think I would have been able to do that myself. I took the day tours she recommended, and they were all great. I look forward to working with Silvia again sometime (if she will work with me – LOL) to see Iceland and Denmark.

Hotel Reviews

Comfort Hotel Karl Johan

Oslo

The location is the best part of this hotel. It is near the Central Station and it was super easy to go everywhere from there. Rooms were comfortable and staff was ready to help with anything. The only thing I missed having was a hot water kettle to have tea in my room. Breakfast was a bit boring. Same thing everyday (I stayed 5 nights).

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Room and bathroom were all clean and in good condition.

Fretheim Hotel

Flåm

I think this hotel is a bit overrated. It was just like any other 3 star hotel. The room was okay, my view was in the front so yes, it was great. Flam is really small and this hotel was just a 1 min walk to the station. The bathroom was clean, bed was comfortable. Wifi was fine. The breakfast was boring and not much choice for vegetarians despite the huge spread. Even the hash browns were dry and hard.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Scandic Torget

Bergen

The hotel was about a 12-15 min walk from the station but the location was excellent. It was right in the historic district of Bergen. I was lucky to have a room on the 6th floor with a great view. The location was superb. I could walk to all the buses, tourist places, grocery store and visitor center. I completely enjoyed that. The hot water kettle really helped as I am tea drinker. Room and bathroom were both great. Breakfast was okay.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

MS Vesterålen

Tromsø

This was the short 2 night, 1 day cruise from Bergen to Trondheim. The room, wifi, bathroom - all were good, although I was almost in the bowels of the ship. I did have a peephole to look out. This was quite expensive cruise. It was kind of cheap of them to not provide meals for everyone who stays the night. They did not even provide breakfast. There were plenty of places to sit and view the scenery. And there were some eating places to buy food. They could have had more evening programs to engage passengers.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Thon hotel Nidaros

Trondheim

The room that was booked for me was the single room. It was good size. All was good - the room, the bathroom, the hot water kettle, the wifi. The best part was the food - breakfast and the "light" dinner was great. The light dinner was not so light. For me it was a full meal. The breakfast was also great. The only thing was that they did not have the dinner on the weekends...why? The location was fantastic.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Queen's Hotel

Stockholm

The location was a little far from the central station, but otherwise it was okay. I had to walk a bit to get to the buses and trains. But the walking was okay - it was all through the shopping area, so fun to look around. I did not like that they did not have an elevator for the first floor. Carrying luggage up and down is never fun. Room was comfortable. Breakfast was quite boring...same old bread and eggs.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Stockholm Archipelago Tour with lunch

Stockholm

It was a good tour. Got to see Stockholm and surrounding area. It was wonderful.

Quality of Experience

Food

Everything. I have no idea what I was eating. And I had to pay extra for tea.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Scenic Oslofjord Sightseeing Cruise

Oslo

It was a good tour if one was visiting only Oslo. But since I was going on to see more of the fjords, this trip was not worth it for me. I could have done something else.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport