Kimkim Trip Reviews for Norway

It all went very well. Meree was good, but unfortunately fell ill(?). Julia took over and was equally responsive.
A few misunderstandings were quickly fixed (hotel booking, change of dates on boat etc.
So it was all good, enjoyable and well done to the team!

Hotel Reviews

Anker Brygge

Svolvær

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Reine Rorbuer

Reine

Great room, but service was non existent. Admittedly it was Easter but….NO breakfast, path to room was unwalkable with snow and ice. Nearly fell over several times. Called the number and simply got an answering service . Terrible

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bergen Børs Hotel

Bergen

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Thief

Oslo

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Radisson Blu Hotel

Tromsø

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Northern Lights Hunt by Bus

Tromsø

No northern lights….no-one to blame other than the clouds!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fjellheisen Cable Car Ticket

Tromsø

Quality of Experience

Norway in a Nutshell Tour

Norway

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

It was my first time using KimKim and I would definitely do it again! My travel advisor, Tricia, was fantastic! She was super responsive and made planning our first trip to Norway so easy and enjoyable! With a little information from me, Tricia put together a fantastic tour that took us from Oslo to Flam to Bergen. Our hotels were fantastic! Even with a little blip in the plan in Oslo, she easily changed our hotel to The Thief which was wonderful. Our tour guide in Oslo, Stig, made Oslo come to life (and the city was closed due to the Easter holiday!). The train to Flam was stunning! Tricia took care of our tickets for everything - it was 5 star from beginning to end!

Thank you Tricia!

This was an amazing trip, and I am so grateful with the help in planning. That said, the booking process was a little rocky. It was hard not clear along the way what was booked, and one hotel we were booked into ended up being closed for the season. When problems did arise during the trip, Julia was on point to fix things right away. So I would give 5 stars to Julia for help during the trip and Marie for her help planning, but ultimately I could have done better booking the hotels and excursions on my own.

Hotel Reviews

Radisson Blu Airport Hotel, Oslo Gardemoen

Gardemoen

Great for an airport hotel!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Grand Hotel Oslo

Oslo

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Fretheim Hotel

Flåm

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Scandic Bergen City

Bergen

Closed for the season.

Activity Reviews

Ægir Viking Meal Experience

Norway

Cool building, good beer. Food was ok.

Fjord RIB Safari & Undredal Cheese Tasting

Norway

Gorgeous!!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Floating Sauna Experience - Aurland

Aurland

This is a must-do activity for Norway. So much fun.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Food & Culture Walk

Bergen

The guide was super knowledgeable, but the tour could have been paced a little better. Food was delicious!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Ulriken Cable Car

Bergen

Amazing view of the entire area!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Check this one off the bucket list! My wife and I have wanted to get to Scandinavia for a while - hunt for the Aurora Borealis, see Reindeer, stay at an Ice Hotel, be a 'musher' on a Dog Sled, etc . This trip to Norway, with the help of KimKim / Ezdi exceeded all expectations. All the things we wanted to do, we did... and more! Oslo was beautiful; we stayed at a 5-Start hotel: The Thief - for our 1st few days in Norway. The staff was MAGNIFICENT …. the dining SUPERB! The area is on a man made island and includes museums, galleries, businesses, restaurants, shops and more. Everything you need is within walking distance. .. even the Nobel Peace Center, the HQ for Helly Hansen, and the Royal Palace - residence to the King and Queen of Norway.

Then, we head north, inside the Arctic Circle - an hour and 45 minute flight to Tromso. After landing, we took a 10 minute bus ride through the mountains via a tunnel to Tromso city and our hotel: Scandic Ishavshotel - right at the marina. Views were spectacular. Tromso is a cute 'village' with wonderful and ample shopping, restaurants, site seeing, and, oh yes, The Troll Museum!! We used the Scandic as sort of our 'home base' as we ventured out on day and overnight trips to places like Camp Tamok for a night stay in the Tromso Ice Domes (Brrrrrr), snow shoeing, dig sledding, and hunting (WITH SUCCESS) the Northern Lights... and a night stay at Lyngen North and their Glass Igloos - this time with heat and unparalleled views of the Lyngen Fjord and Lyngen Alps through our floor to ceiling AND ceiling windows! Also, another beautiful night to soak in the Northern Lights! The staff at both Camp Tamok and Lyngen North were wonderful! ... Oh, I can't forget the reindeer we saw at Camp Tamok and the moose at Lyngen North.

A Holiday of a lifetime!

Cristina was the best, always attentive to our needs.

Fantastic trip from start to finish! Oslo is a beautiful walking city with such focus on history and art. Tromso a must see and highly recommend overnights to Tromso Ice Domes and Lyngen North Glass Igloos. People of Norway are amazing! Friendly, helpful and very welcoming!

Meree was incredibly patient and a wealth of information. We were trying to meet long-lost family AND keep up with my daughter's surprisingly fluid (their itinerary kept changing) school mission trip. Meree was able to make suggestions according to what we thought we wanted and what we ended up needing and we wouldn't hesitate to recommend her.

Activity Review

Return to Oslo, Explore

Oslo

We returned to Oslo from Stockholm towards the evening just before shops closed and there wasn't much to do other than go to our hotel and get ready for our return flight. We booked our flight to Stockholm and back and chose a later flight on purpose so not a reflection on Meree or the Kimkim team at all.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We reserved our own flights to Norway and then within Norway and to Sweden. We booked the flexible/refundable tickets which came in handy as we ended up rescheduling once. They are a bit pricey but worth it if you at all think you might need to make adjustments along the way. Also learned that the less expensive tickets increase in price substantially about 2 weeks out from the date you want to fly.

Julia was absolutely terrific - very helpful, very responsive, and very interested in our overall experience. She was a pleasure to work with and really helped us focus the itinerary for our trip on the areas we were most interested in. We spent a wonderful night in a glass igloo, during which we saw the Northern Lights, had a wonderful time exploring the Lofoten islands, and spent just the right amount of time in Bergen. Our trip had a couple of hiccups (Tromso hotel inadvertently double-charged us), but Julia responded immediately and corrected the issues. All in all, we had a wonderful trip to Norway and I look forward to returning in warmer weather for hiking.

Julia was so wonderful! Both before the trip and during the trip, she was so communicative and could help with anything I asked. Even when I got sick during the trip, she was so helpful with where to go for help. Could not have asked for a better local specialist!!! She truly helped plan a perfect trip, catered to us! The only thing I would change (not really specific to Julia) is not booking things in advance that didn't necessarily need to be booked in advance to save the spot if you're someone who might change things (for ex. the bus ticket to the airport if you might end up taking a taxi). I understand booking them in advance so you have the ticket available, if you're someone that sticks to a plan! Otherwise, would do this exact trip all again!

It was such a pleasure to work with Christina to plan a winter wonderland trip to Norway. We had one rainy day and one gloriously sunny day in Oslo, but loved walking all over the city. Our trip then took us to Sommarøy - I had never heard of it, but Christina put it on our itinerary and it was awesome. Our room had a balcony with an amazing view and we could see the Northern Lights from there. We also went to a Northern Lights Park where we watched the Northern Lights for hours - a true once in a lifetime experience. We then continued on to Svolvær (after a lovely day in Tromsø) where the snow interrupted our plans, but we still had a good time walking around in the snow and enjoying the beauty there. Thank you for the trip!

What a terrific trip for myself and my family up through Sweden and back down through Norway. Tom was an exceptional guide, answering any questions promptly (including ones concerning events outside our Kim Kim trip). Tom even followed our train movements online to make sure we got to our destinations safely. I can't recommend Kim Kim highly enough.

Hotel Reviews

Scandic Ishavshotel

Tromsø

Great location. Lovely staff. Terrific breakfasts.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sørheim Brygge

Lyngseidet

Lovely owners. Great location.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bergen Børs Hotel

Bergen

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Bergen Walking Tour With a Local Guide

Bergen

Brilliant experience and a lovely, knowledgeable guide. I would recommend this to anyone visiting Bergen - a beautiful city.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Snowmobile Safari Adventures

Norway

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Husky Safari: Dog Sledding in Lyngen

Norway

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We just finished our 9 day trip to Norway for our family of 9 (5 adults and 4 kids) and had such an amazing time. Julia was so helpful in every part of the planning. Even when we had questions alon gthe way she was always so responsive. We loved the experiences in Kierkenes at the Snow hotel - the husky sled ride, king crab hunting, northern lights spotting and overnight stay in the snow hotel was so memorable. Oslo, Flam and Bergen were also awesome. Just such an amazing time. Thank you KimKim (and Julia) for helping with this trip! Memories for a lifetime!

WOW. We just got back from our honeymoon of a lifetime! Since my husband and I started dating, I always told him of the cold wonders of Norway - the sparkling snow, sharp mountains, and crystal blue ice water of the fjords - and was so excited when we decided to go for our honeymoon. Knowing I would also be planning a wedding, there was no way I would have planned a successful 2-week trip around the beautiful country and that's why I'm so overjoyed I found KimKim. Being able to have a local specialist with such great knowledge - of both the country and what we were looking for in a vacation - Tricia gave us memories we never would have thought to ask for.
Tricia's kindness and willingness to work with us really made all the difference when planning. She was able to take our initial ideas, such as enjoying ice fishing, food, and beer, and give us things like a Viking dinner at a microbrewery, a walking food tour of Oslo (loved Stig!!), and getting us to see so much more of the country than we had anticipated.
If I could do it all over again, the things I would say you absolutely could not miss would be having an amazing dinner at the Bergen Bors hotel in Bergen, a sleddog ride in Lyngen, and a walking beer tour in Tromso.
We cannot thank Tricia enough for putting together such a wonderful adventure, and Norway for being so awe-inspiring and full of the best people.

Hotel Reviews

Comfort Hotel Karl Johan

Oslo

The hotel staff was very kind, the breakfast was incredible, and it is very centrally located. The room was quite small but I think having the charming character and decor while also being a few minutes from the train make this a great place to stay.

Authenticity & Character

Very cute and quirky!

Location

Very easy walk from the train station

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bergen Børs Hotel

Bergen

If you have the chance to stay here, DO. This amazing hotel was nothing short of incredible - very kind and professional staff, the food was delicious, and the building is so beautiful.

Authenticity & Character

Location

The view from our room overlooked the harbor and was about a 10 minute walk from the train station.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Lyngen North Glass Igloo

Lyngen

The Lyngen North hotel is such a unique and incredible experience. You cannot beat the view out into the fjord, and you absolutely cannot beat the talent of the chef there. Out of our vacation across Norway, the dinners at Lyngen North were hands down some of the best food we've ever had. The atmosphere is very calm and clean and the other staff are more than happy to help at any time.

Authenticity & Character

Although the main attraction is the glass igloo, we adored the main hotel area. It was a very modern and tranquil area to relax in.

Location

LOVED the view, but it is very out of the way and would be difficult to do anything outside of your scheduled activities.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

A Taste of Oslo's Culture and Cuisine

Oslo

We loved our tour with Stig! We had a great time walking around and learning about the city's history and culture.

Dogsledding Evening Tour

Lyngen

Out of two weeks worth of Norwegian adventure, this tour was our favorite! Riding along with the dogs was so easy and it was an absolute joy to see their excitement for running. The trail we went on was perfectly worn in so the dogs did all the work! We were able to have fish soup and coffee by the fire to warm up and really enjoyed the company of the guides.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

So kind and funny!

We had a fantastic trip! It was an experiment travelling with both my kids, and my ex-husband. But it worked out really well. Tricia (my 'secret weapon'!) was a great help organizing and booking everything, suggesting wonderful places to stay, and giving inside advice to help us navigate along the way. I particularly appreciated the in-country support both from Tricia, and from Tom when Tricia was away.

Hotel Reviews

Thon Hotel Terminus

Oslo

The most amazing breakfast ever! The staff at the hotel were very friendly and helpful, and the rooms bright and colourful. There was tea and coffee in the reception area at any time.

Authenticity & Character

loved the colours!

Location

just a few minutes walk from the central train station, bus and tram lines

Staff

very helpful with directions and using public transport system

Cleanliness & Comfort

beds were really comfortable

Grand Hotel Terminus

Bergen

Excellent location, helpful staff, very comfortable beds, full of character, a little dark. We left very early in the morning to catch a flight, and they provided us a packed breakfast - unfortunately this included bottles of orange juice which didn't make it through security :-(

Authenticity & Character

very grand, vintage hotel, grand piano (very out of tune!) on one floor, interesting artwork

Location

a few steps from the main station (just go under the arch and you're there)

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

super comfortable beds

Havila Cruise

Fosnavåg

A relatively new cruise ship - so new that there were no signs at the harbour in Bodo, so we were a little confused as to where we should wait/embark [it comes in to the Hurtigruten quay]. We only went from Bodo to Tromso, but it was quite an experience to get a little taste of what life on cruise is like. The ship itself was beautiful, the cabins were bright, clean and comfortable, there was plenty of deck space to wander and to enjoy the scenery from. There was an interesting film about the Northern Lights, and interesting information panels about the history of Havila, fishing in the area, the Sami women's lives etc. There was even a sauna and jacuzzi on the top deck that anyone could use! The food was very good, though the portions a little small for a 6ft 3" 15 year old boy [we were allowed to order several breakfasts :-) ]

Authenticity & Character

We passed a southbound Havila ship outside Svolvaer and there was great excitement - fog horn blaring, sweeping search lights, and lots of people on deck waving flags and shouting!

Location

Incredible scenery especially the Lofoten Islands (unfortunately, being winter it was dark), and the narrow passage through the islands to Tromso

Staff

Very welcoming, friendly and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

The cabins and the observation lounges, everything really

Sommarøy Arctic Hotel

Sommarøy

Stunning location looking out across a beach, over the bay, towards the mountains, with a row of windmills along a ridge on one side. The beach house we stayed in was huge, with unobstructed views from giant windows. The main bedroom was amazing with cathedral windows (the other two were are little small and cramped). The food was beautifully prepared and very delicious. There was a superb breakfast. We were very appreciative of a place to charge an electric car (which we had), which meant that it could charge overnight and we didn't have to spend time during the day to charge it.

Authenticity & Character

It seemed too fancy for us, but I'm so glad we ended up spending a night there. It was quite high-end, with a very elegant dining room, waited on by very attentive staff. There was breakfast right over the water, a sauna and outdoor jacuzzi (and we were lucky enough to be treated to an amazing display of the Northern Lights from the jacuzzi - I will never forget that experience!)

Location

Not far from Tromso distance-wise, but quiet and surrounded by beautiful countryside and ocean. Also very close to the ferry to Senja with its incredible mountains

Staff

Very patient with all my many questions

Cleanliness & Comfort

The beach house was literally right on the beach. There were a number of others, but the way they were arranged one wasn't aware of the others. It was very well appointed with kitchen and dining area as well as comfortable places to sit, very comfortable beds, nice bathrooms, a deck, and amazing views

Svinøya Rorbuer

Svolvær

Loved this place! It was the first part of Svolvær to be settled (1828) and comprised a whole village of original fishing rorbuers, a telegraph house, a general store filled with everything you could ever want (in the 1800's!) now the reception, and a very atmospheric dining area with beautiful wooden beams, on two levels, with windows looking out over the boats in the harbour and Svolvær beyond. We stayed in the telegraph house with its two comfortable bedrooms, an excellent kitchen space (with appliances/drawers hidden behind elegant panelling), and comfortable chairs/sofa/table. There was an art gallery, but it wasn't open.

Authenticity & Character

Everything! See my main review for specific comments.

Location

Set apart from the main town, over a small bridge, but still very accessible on foot. Amazing views of the harbour and the mountains behind the town.

Staff

Very helpful and accommodating. If they didn't have someone else coming into the rooms we were in, they would have let us hold onto them until the evening when our boat left. They told us about an excellent hike that we went on (one of the best of the trip). They let us leave our bags in the general store, and didn't seem too upset when we totally repacked at the end of the day!

Cleanliness & Comfort

MS Trollfjord

Tromsø

I think that we were spoiled with our trip on a Havila boat. Hurtigruten was also very nice, but older, and darker, and felt a bit more claustrophobic. There was less outside deck space, but there was an outside jacuzzi, though we didn't use it. I can't comment on the cabins since we travelled deck class, but we did find some long, cushioned window seats outside the dining room, so actually got some good sleep before we disembarked at Bodø at 2:30am. This was probably a lot more comfortable than the deck class lounge on Havila which looked like it only had reclining chairs.

Authenticity & Character

Location

A good way to get from place to place without flying, and with getting to see a different perspective of this beautiful country.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Jacuzzi and Sauna

Sommarøy

Fortunately we were the only people to use it that night, so we had the place to ourselves. It felt very indulgent, and we were able to change the time that we went. It was nice that use of the jacuzzi and sauna were included in the price of the hotel. The best bit was that we got to see an incredible showing of the Northern Lights from the jacuzzi!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very flexible with timing, and helpful with setting up the sauna and the jacuzzi

Trollfjord Cruise

Norway

The Trollfjord was beautiful, as was the whole trip along the Lofoten Islands. We saw lots of White Tailed Eagles, and even an eagle nest. Our guide pointed out other interesting things along the way (including a llama!). I appreciated how long we spent in the Trollfjord and how quite it was with the electric motor.

Quality of Experience

Incredible scenery

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was a marine biologist from Italy. She studies orcas and was very knowledgeable, and interesting.

Transport

The boat was very comfortable and the windows were large. We enjoyed being on deck, but eventually it got too cold, but you could get a good view from the inside too. There was good food on board, but we also brought sandwiches.

Tricia planned an amazing trip for our family. We had very specific things on our wish list that she was able to work into a plan. Tricia chatted with all of us and listened carefully to our priorities. She offered us a few different plans. She also worked with us to keep the cost down and work within our budget. I have to say, I was at first nervous about engaging KimKim. I had never used them before and randomly picked them from the internet because of the reviews. We travel extensively and have used many other agencies. I would definitely recommend KimKim and Tricia to others who like assistance in planning the trip and details. Our trip was very complicated with many tickets, boats, trains, planes, guides and drivers and it felt seamless. They even include all walking directions to activities.
We had a few questions along the way and the team was very responsive. We had one tight connection and they checked in with us and reminded us of our options if we needed to modify the day. This was all extremely helpful and comforting. If you are planning on going to Norway, don't hesitate to use KimKim.

Activity Reviews

Northern Lights Watch at the Hamn i Senja Lighthouse

Senja

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Remote Ski Tour in Senja

Senja

Our guide, Kjell, was amazing. We had very different levels of skiers and he made it fun and manageable for all.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Winter Snowshoe Hike

Norway

This was our first time snow shoeing and I have to say I was not disappointed . I love hiking and the scenery was breathtaking.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Dogsledding in Senja

Senja

This was a bucket list experience. When we signed up for this activity, I thought there would be a guide taking us on a dog sled. Much to our surprise, we each had our own sled with our own dogs. At first, this was a bit intimidating but that quickly passed once we got started. This activity was a lot of fun! The dogs are so happy and excited to go for a run. They are super friendly.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Northern Lights Sailing Cruise

Tromsø

This is a great choice for a night cruise on a fjord. The night was cloudy and there was a very small chance of seeing the lights. Halfway through, the captain of the boat starts yelling that there is a sighting and everyone ran up on deck and we were lucky enough to see the lights. His reaction to the lights was contagious. It was though it was his first time too. He was so excited that we were getting this experience. The boat holds 12 people and feels very intimate. They serve a Reindeer stew or a vegetarian soup for dinner which was good. They also have a hot tub on deck. I think I would have preferred it to be 3 hours instead, especially being cloudy.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We loved the activities in Tromso: a northern lights chase, dog sledding and a Sami reindeer experience. Tromso is magical!

Julia at KimKim was so helpful throughout our trip. She answered our questions right away and helped us whenever we needed. I was very pleased.

Hotel Review

Heimen Hotel

Bergen

Lovely place with charm and style. Great breakfast. Perfect location.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Northern Lights Hunt by Bus

Tromsø

I almost stayed home because the weather forecast was snowy and very cloudy all night. But we went and we did see the northern lights! It was worth the time spent on the bus. Do it!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We inherited this trip from a family member who did the initial planning. Im sure that part of the process was great. Once we were on the ground in norway, we found our specialists unresponsive, and we repeatedly ran into problems because none of the destinations had us in their systems, we were not sent transit tickets that had been prepaid… most of our requests for info or assistance were completely ignored.

We've always planned our own vacations, but this time decided to get help with Tricia and Kimkim. It was one of the best decisions we could have made. The vacation that Tricia planned for us was tailor made for us and was truly the trip of a lifetime. Everything we did felt like a personal experience, the guides and folks that we met were amazing. The adventures and experiences we had were things we couldn't have done without Tricia's help. It was a trip that we won't ever forget.

Hotel Reviews

Trasti & Trine´s Lodge

Alta

This is the most personal and amazing dog sled trip that you'll ever find. Here you aren't just a number, you're a friend and a fellow traveler.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

GLØD Aurora Canvas Dome

Alta

Want to glamp under the northern lights while eating 5 star meals? This is your place.

Activity Review

Northern Lights Sailing Cruise

Tromsø

You can tell a lot about a captain by his boat, and this is one of the most well maintained vessels I've ever seen. You won't find a better boat or a more experienced captain in Norway.

I'm so glad I found Kimkim and got to know Tom. He's such a lovely person, planned our trip and tailored it to my liking. Because we planned it very last minute, it was a little rushed but Tom was able to accommodate to my last minute changes such as the dates etc. Our accommodation and activities were booked by Tom so it was really convenient and easy for us, and he got back to me really quick whenever there were issues I needed help with.

We visited Tromsø, Lyngen and Alta. It was freezing cold as we visited in late December, but it was one of the best experiences of our lives! We got to go on a northern lights cruise, see reindeers, went husky sledding and try local cuisine. We were quite lucky on this trip, as we saw northern lights nearly everyday. Overall, would recommend this platform to anyone looking to plan a trip to anywhere, not just Norway 😊

Hotel Reviews

Scandic Ishavshotel

Tromsø

Comfortable rooms with good view and the breakfast is really good too!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Quite in the centre so everything you need is close by

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Lyngen North: Lyngenfjord House

Rotsund

Really homey accommodation, had all 3 meals here during my stay here and it was lovely. Lovely staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sorrisniva Arctic Wilderness Lodge

Alta

The place is stunning with an igloo hotel and rooms are amazing. The only downside was they kept messing up my meal reservations.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Northern Lights Sailing Cruise

Tromsø

Such a cosy cruise with the lovely Sachi and Kenneth. Had reindeer stew on board and saw northern lights.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Snowmobiling Tour

Lyngen

Worth every penny, nice guides who are serious about their work and also want visitors to have an amazing time.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Reindeer and Sami Experience

Alta

Wish there was more to it

Husky Sledding Experience Along The Alta River

Alta

I personally loved it, such a unique experience. Was a little scary at first to drive the sled but it's fun once you get the hang of it.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kimkim Review

Dear Tricia and Christina,

We had a wonderful time in Norway! Everything went smoothly, all the guides were most personable and the cooking class was fantastic.

To make my response more precise, I am going to organize my comments in accordance with our daily schedule

Days 1 & 2, Oslo: We took a taxi from the airport to the hotel, as recommended, and all went well. The Thief is a lovely hotel with an amazingly good brunch. Best gravlax we ate on the entire trip! Stig met us at the hotel as anticipated and we planned the next day. Our time on Day #2 at the folk museum was well spent. After several hours walking around, we ate at their restaurant and then walked along the Oslo harbor while I took photographs. Stig was a very knowledgeable and enjoyable guide.

Day 3, Sigdal: We met Einar as planned and he drove us out to Sigdal where we met with our prearranged contacts. Again, we found Einar a very pleasant companion for the day and I’m sure he’s very knowledgable re: hiking expeditions. We enjoyed a nice lunch together and he found a place where we could buy needed umbrellas (as well as some fun socks for gifts that said things like, on the bottom of one foot “The wife is always right” and on the bottom of the other, “The husband is always wrong” . . in Norwegian.) He was very patient with my photographic needs.

Days 4 & 5 Oslo to Bergen: The train ride was beautiful and I imagine it’s even nicer in the summer. John met us at the station and helped us to our hotel. Again, John was an exceptionally nice guide and showed us around the city - commenting on its history and directing us to the best reindeer sausage in Bergen. The weather was not good so we didn’t do the Funicular. The hotel was very interesting although we missed the extravagance of the buffet in Oslo.

Day 6, Bergen to Bekkjarvek: John was so kind - he came down to help us take our luggage to the ferry. We enjoyed the ferry very much - even though the seas were a bit rough. A driver from the hotel was waiting for us when the ferry landed and we were pleased to have the opportunity to see the island. The hotel at Bekkjarvek has a quasi-museum in it, as well as stores and a library - so it was really fun to walk around. The cooking class went well beyond our expectation. The chefs were extremely nice and we sipped on white wine while we watched them cook and learned about life in the kitchen. Ken even got to do a bit of the chopping himself. Afterwards, during dinner, we were invited back to watch as each separate course was prepared. Needless to say the food was delicious and the entire experience was really fun. Highly recommend this for future guests - especially once Chef Johanssen’s new facility is completed.

Day 7: Bekkjarvek to Tromso: The ferry stop is right outside the hotel - so convenient - and the bus was waiting at the conclusion of the ride to take us to the airport. Again, it was an easy transition for us to navigate. We took a taxi to the Edge - a most wonderful hotel - and then had a lovely evening on the sailing cruise. In all honesty, we could have used a bit more food on board the ship i.e. I’d recommend they serve cheese and bread with their soup. We were able to see a bit of Northern Lights but the cloud cover was substantial. The captain and his crew were very congenial - we really enjoyed talking with them and the other guests.

Day 8, Tromso: Bernard, our guide in Tromso, was extremely knowledgeable about the city and answered all of our questions in detail. He took us to some interesting shops and showed us the Sami market. I enjoyed talking with him very much. That evening we went Northern Light hunting with Dan - who did his best to find a break in the clouds so we could get photographs. We drove 3 hours into Finland, where he prepared a camp fire and served us stew. He then took pictures of us under the Northern Lights and processed all of them that night (impressive since we didn’t get back until after 1 AM). He wanted us to be able to see the photos when we woke up the next morning. Again, I think he is a top pro at what he does.

Day 9: Tromso: The breakfast buffet at The Edge (thanks to Marcus Samuelsson - the world renowned chef) was the best I have ever had anywhere. (The gravlax was not quite as good as that at The Thief - although the scrambled eggs were better). We loved being able to try the incredibly wide variety of offerings. We spent the day at the reindeer races, the art museum and buying presents to take home. We wished we had more time to see the other museums as well.

Day 10: Back to Oslo where we enjoyed returning to the Thief and walking around the harbor. Had a nice (although expensive) dinner at a nearby restaurant and packed up to head out very early in the morning for our flight home.

In summary; 1) All beds were very comfortable, 2) All guides were most congenial, 3). All transitions occurred smoothly, and 4). We had a great time! Thank you for all your work in putting this together for us. We are recommending you to all of our friends.

Moving on - do you offer a similar service for Iceland? We’d love to visit Iceland this September. Particular interests include photographing fishing villages and sheep round-ups. Also, we are trying to convince Ken’s brother and his wife (who is of Norwegian descent) to join us in Norway in late spring or early summer of 2024. When should we start working on that trip?

Best regards,

Robin and Ken