Alex Mottler

Day-1: After meeting up with our driver Luca Borrini at the airport, the drive to the hotel was smooth. Mr Borrini was polite and a good driver. Hotel Kraft-the reception desk personnel were warm and welcoming. The rooms were spacious and nicely appointed. The hotel has a gym, a heated pool on the top floor & a roof top Restaurant Tarrazza Rossini with a beautiful view. The morning restaurant Manager's name is Roberto was warm, welcoming, and fun for our stay. We took pictures with him on the last day with our yellow cups to post on NBC Sunday Today Show. The evening restaurant Manager is Serafino. Serafino is a sommelier, and assisted us with pairing the foods with the special wines (Florentine & Super Tuscans). We received a lesson on the wines in the region. Serafino and his staff made it nice place to finish our evenings with a desert or night cap. For the evening we had dinner at Trattoriail Brindellone. The food was amazing, staff friendly and they advised us on the portions with the meal courses. Walking back to our hotel it was so nice to see the city lights and people out enjoying themselves.
Day-2 Shopping-We visited & purchased from Vintage Shop Momo's, and Mmega. Both store owners were friendly. On the central side close to the train station, we shopped at Barone Firenze Leather Shop. The 2 gentlemen were nice, and took the time to make sure all of the clothes fit. We shopped at Sephora at the train station and had our 1st run in with paying to use the restroom. We experienced our 1st pizza in Italy at TAV 65 and it was good. We went to dinner at Restaurant Santo Bevitore. The food was excellent and the staff was friendly.
Day-3: Morning culinary discovery walk: The tour was great with Diliana. The small groups were nice. The 97 year old female baker was nice to meet and try her food, the family business with the balsamic vinegar, the gentlemen conducting the wine tasting, the pastry shop, and the gelato were all great. The 2nd part of the day, we missed the scheduled cooking class because we had the old schedule. However, we did recover with a nice evening at our hotel restaurant.
Day 4: Day trip to Cinque Terre & Pisa: Another great tour with Gabriele from Towns of Italy. Gabriele is well informed on the history and the locations visited. We started in Manarola. There is a nice coffee shop next to the church. if you make a purchase you can use the restroom. The coffee and food were good. We went on a elevated path looking down on the village and water with beautiful views. On the path I would recommend not leaning on the wood railing because at some spots it has aged. There is a restroom near the building holding the cooking class that requires 1 euro to use. We did not have small bills or coins so we purchase a bottle of wine (white) to use the restroom before getting on the ferry to Vernazza. We ate launch at Ristorante Pizzeria Vulnetia sas, had gelato, did some shopping and sat on the stone seating next to the water. Vernazza is beautiful. Just before leaving we did not have any coins for the restroom. This time it was a bottle of red wine for use of the rest room. We traveled to Pisa and enjoyed the sights. There were a lot of people. The bathrooms are located behind the church and you can pay with card. We finished the day with a nice dinner at our hotel restaurant.
Day 5: Private San Gimignano & Siena Day Trip-another great tour with Mattea from Liv Tours. Mattea is well informed and was a lot of fun. The trip to Siena & the mid evil village visit was good with the sights, history and shopping. However, the prize of the day was the winery with the breathtaking views, the wine, the food and gentlemen conducting the tasting named Matteo. We did purchase wine & olive oil to be shipped home. it was a very enjoyable outing. After returning to the city, we went to Cafe Concerto Paszkowski which was recommended the restaurant manager. There is covered outdoor seating and well appointed wood work on the inside of the restaurant. There is live music and a really nice and comfortable way to enjoy the evening. We finished off the night with a night cap at our hotel restaurant.
Day 6: Nice breakfast, said our good byes to the staff and made our way to the airport. The transfer was smooth. The airport was crowded down stairs, but were able to secure a spot to eat & relax before boarding. We loved this trip, and already thinking when we can return. Thank you for working with me to make this happen for my family. Until the next time.

My wife and I have just returned from our 13 day trip to Norway. It was wonderful! All of the kimkim-organized activities, hotels, and transportation went off without a hitch. Of particular note were:
1. Norway is a spectacularly beautiful country. Our boat rides and train voyages (particularly the ride from Bergen to Oslo), allowed us to appreciate the jaw dropping beauty of cities, fjords, waterfalls, and farmland.
2. Each city we visited was beautiful, with impressive old and new architecture. We had great walking tours of Tromso (led by Jurgen), Oslo (led by Björn, a retired architect) and Bergen. The guides were knowledgeable and open with personal observations about their lives in Norway.
3. The hotels were all very nice, located in the center of each city. Breakfasts were ample and delicious. Rooms were small, but comfortable.
4. We loved having a car for a couple of days to tour the Lofoten Islands. Gorgeous!
5. We took multiple flights from airports large and small. A beautiful way to get around the country, with no delays or connection problems.
6. Norway has a multitude of fascinating museums: historical, cultural and artistic. The few we visited in Tromso and Bergen were great, as was a brand new one outside of Svolvaer dealing with the cod fishery!
Thanks, kimkim, for designing a great vacation customized to our interests, and paced just right for us.

Hotel Reviews

Thon Hotel Rosenkrantz

Bergen

Clean, comfortable, small rooms. Excellent breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Quality Hotel Ålesund

Ålesund

Clean, comfortable. Excellent breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Scandic Svolvær

Svolvær

Clean, comfortable, small rooms. Paid parking several blocks away. Excellent breakfast

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Scandic Ishavshotel

Tromsø

Clean, comfortable, small rooms. Excellent breakfast. No

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Karl Johan Hotel

Oslo

Lovely hotel, great location, delicious breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Right in the middle of town, walking distance to all activities.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Explore Ålesund

Norway

Yet another lovely waterfront city, with great Art Nouveau architecture. Home of the Geirangerfjord cruise up the fjord which was spectacular.

Quality of Experience

Self-Guided Svolvær Exploration

Svolvær

Nice waterfront town. Worked as a base for our time driving around the Lofoten Islands. We enjoyed the nearby SKREI museum — an art gallery, explanation of the cod fishery, and an aquarium.

Quality of Experience

Northern Lights Dinner Cruise

Tromsø

Nice outing on the water, good meal. We did not see the Northern Lights on our cloudy night.

Quality of Experience

Self-Guided Oslo Exploration

Oslo

Bustling, attractive city with compact walkable downtown and waterfront. Beautiful old and new architecture.

Quality of Experience

Self-Guided Bergen Exploration

Bergen

Beautiful historic city, UNESCO heritage site. Downtown easily walkable.

Quality of Experience

Welcome to Tromsø

Tromsø

Lovely Arctic town, easily walkable. Interesting museums.

Quality of Experience

Visit Henningsvær

Svolvær

Very pretty town.

Quality of Experience

Depart Norway

Norway

Our limo driver to the airport was prompt, helpful, friendly and informative.

Quality of Experience

Norway in a Nutshell Day Trip

Bergen

Beautiful scenery throughout. Only downside: this is obviously a very popular experience and even in September, it was quite crowded. At one point, we had to wait at the bus stop in the rain to make our last connection.

Quality of Experience

Oslofjord Evening Cruise with Prawn Buffet

Oslo

This is the one activity which we found disappointing. It was a nice boat ride around the harbor and islands adjacent to Oslo, but there was no commentary or information about what we were seeing. (one could get some information on an app). The dinner consisted of a buffet of peel – yourself shrimp, bread, and lettuce. Drinks were available for purchase.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

No commentary

Transport

Pretty sailboat, but of course we did not sail.

Fløibanen Funicular Ride (Tickets not included)

Bergen

Gorgeous view from the top. There are restaurants, kids playground, and hiking trails at the top as well.

Quality of Experience

Spectacular view.

Food & Culture Walk

Bergen

Four of us and a guide walked through the center of Bergen, trying some typical snacks and also having a light soup lunch. The highlight of the walk was exploring the UNESCO historic area, the site of.the Hanseatic League trading activities.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Geirangerfjord Cruise & Day Trip

Norway

This cruise through Geirangefjord was very comfortable and the scenery. Unbelievable. The crew provided helpful commentary throughout the trip. Town of Geiranger is basically a tourist locale, which didn’t interest us too much, except for a very cool walk up along the waterfall at the edge of town. There are longer hikes available in the area.

Quality of Experience

Driving the Lofoten Islands: Nature Stops Along the Way

Norway

Wow! As was promised, the Lofoten Islands are spectacularly beautiful. And although the roads are narrow, we did not find driving difficult.

Quality of Experience

Beautiful!

City & Polar History Walk

Tromsø

Jürgen, our guide and lifelong Tromso resident, was totally open, sharing his thoughts about his life and his city. He took us through the Arctic Explorer and the Sami museums. This tour was a highlight of our visit.

Quality of Experience

Interesting town, excellent guide.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Excellent guide

Private City Walk

Oslo

Our guide Bjorn, a retired architect, was knowledgeable, friendly, and open to a wide ranging discussion about the city. This tour was a high point of our trip.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide was delightful.

Overall our trip was outstanding and it was nice to have so much of the planning done and executed well. The app was an excellent resource for all necessary information. Drivers were on time and easy to find. Having arrangements booked and tickets in hand all worked well. We were happy with the hotels, particularly in Balestrand. Good locations for local touring and reaching transportation. We particularly enjoyed the Fram/Arctic Exploration museum in Oslo. Our kayak leader in Flåm was fun and enthusiastic particularly as it was her last day of the season. The sauna/cold plunge in Aurland was quite nice. Hotel in Aurland was nice, meals were ok. We took the 500 step waterfall hike in Flåm as we had to wait quite a while for the ferry to Balestrand and Flåm was getting dense with tourists. The Inkvenes Hotel was elegant and very impressive. Note that many of the other restaurants in town were closed, for the season I guess. The fjord cruise and glacier museum were very enjoyable and informative, unfortunately the glacier has receded so much there was no hiking involved as we had hoped and planned for. For whatever reason we had thought of it as a glacier hike. Bergen was a charming city, took the funicular up and hiked down through interesting old neighborhoods. Lofoten Islands were quite unexpected in both the beautifully rugged terrain and the amount of development. Thought Svolvær was going to be a little village like Aurland. The hotel was just in the right place however with a view of the harbor yet easily walkable to everything. In fact, had we stayed in the red fisherman’s huts it would have been inconvenient to drive into “town” for meals and activities. Renting a car and driving around Lofoten was quite easy and rewarding. The little town of Heannisfor (sp) was quite charming, we took some hikes and were impressed with the surprisingly nice golf course. One of the highlights, for me at least, was the fishing trip. Small group, nice to be on the water, Cindy and I caught a number of fish including a 12.5 lb cod. We were given the fish and hoped to get it prepared but our hotel didn’t do that and we didn’t really know how that process worked but found out later that a certain restaurant would do it. But still very fun. Could have spent another day there.
We were quite happy with the work that Alex did. It was thoughtful and very thorough. We were somewhat disappointed to discover that much of the early parts of the tour was essentially the Norway in a Nutshell tour, as we were following the same group of tourists around. We understand that as first timers it probably gave us a good view of the country’s highlights, but it did seem less than customized. But as we didn’t know the country well and had not given specific input it was fine. Next time I think that we should research, or you could suggest, some off the path alternatives. Overall however KimKim made it a wonderfully pleasant experience.

Our trip was beyond outstanding! Everything was planned to perfection. The excursions were well-curated, and the coordination of the car service to all locations made life so easy. When we had an unexpected delay in our travels, the local agent, Diliana was very quick to help us change our train reservation, without any delay. The app was simple to navigate and the team was very responsive and receptive. We loved all of the hotels we stayed at, and we know that without a doubt, we will be using kimkim for future travels! Would recommend without hesitation!

Hotel Reviews

Eitch Borromini Palazzo Pamphilj

Rome

We were only there briefly (26 hours) but the time we were there, we appreciated that this is a very nice hotel, with all of the amenities, and outstanding service. Would highly recommend!

Authenticity & Character

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Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Grand Hotel Excelsior Vittoria

Sorrento

The most amazing hotel we have ever stayed in! Service was exceptional, the views were unparalleled, the breakfast was outstanding, and this place cannot be beat. The live music at sunset and breakfast added to the joy at every turn. The pool was also a fun and beautiful place to spend the day!

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Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Oltrarno Splendid

Florence

Amazing and unique hotel. Amazing staff. Yummy breakfast. Loved the living room area. Amazing location. Would go back!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Welcome to Italy

Italy

Quality of Experience

Evening Trastevere & Jewish Ghetto Culinary Walk

Rome

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Free Evening in Florence

Florence

Quality of Experience

Day Trip to Positano & Amalfi by Boat

Sorrento

A fun afternoon seeing the Amalfi coast from the water! The best way to avoid the crowds but still get the scenery!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Depart Italy

Italy

Quality of Experience

Seafood Cooking Experience

Sorrento

A fun afternoon cooking and eating local seafood!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day Trip to Capri Island by Boat

Sorrento

A perfect way to experience Capri - from the water, with swimming, but then also heading up to Anacapri and Capri for drinks with a view!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day Trip to Three Tuscan Wineries with Lunch

Florence

Such a fun way to see Tuscany! The variety at the vineyards made for a truly memorable afternoon!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private City Walk with Michelangelo's David

Florence

The perfect walking tour, complete with just the right amount of information and history, and time to experience Florence.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

If I could give KimKim 10 stars (instead of 5) I would. Seamless trip planning from start to finish. Every private transfer, tour, and experience were amazing and all of the people we interacted with both at KimKim and on the ground during our trip were fantastic. The choice of hotels was impeccable, meeting our desire for small boutique options and 5 star luxury throughout our trip. We had a travel delay due to weather and the team helped us rebook train tickets twice in the same day… all I had to do was send them a text. Cannot recommend KimKim highly enough.

Hotel Reviews

Eitch Borromini Palazzo Pamphilj

Rome

Spacious room, excellent location. Great spot and very walkable to most of the big sites.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Grand Hotel Excelsior Vittoria

Sorrento

True luxury. If you have been to a 5 star hotel in the US, this is easily a 6!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Oltrarno Splendid

Florence

Authenticity & Character

Location

Loved the more quiet but still lively and lovely Oltrarno neighborhood

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Welcome to Italy

Italy

Quality of Experience

Evening Trastevere & Jewish Ghetto Culinary Walk

Rome

Essentially a 5 course progressive meal. Beer, wine, and gelato included. What could be better?

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Free Evening in Florence

Florence

Quality of Experience

Day Trip to Positano & Amalfi by Boat

Sorrento

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Depart Italy

Italy

Quality of Experience

Seafood Cooking Experience

Sorrento

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day Trip to Capri Island by Boat

Sorrento

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day Trip to Three Tuscan Wineries with Lunch

Florence

3 vineyards, each offering something different from the others. Great day trip with a small group who quickly became good friends.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private City Walk with Michelangelo's David

Florence

Knowledgeable guide, great pace. Wonderful introduction to Florence on our first day there.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Alex Maria Nick Coraima and Lea have all been superb with constant communication and attention to detail. I thank you all so very much for helping to make my first trip to Europe and Norway so amazing! We enjoyed every activity and the flights/hotels were all convenient.

We had a great time on our trip to Norway. Our local specialist Alex was wonderful with planning the trip. He was very accessible and easy to work with. He was especially helpful when a last minute emergency required us to adjust some of our plans during the trip.

Our guides in Oslo (Kathleen), Flam (Bjorn) and Bergen (Kori) were wonderful.

If you're thinking about a trip abroad and would like assistance in planning a successful experience, Kimkim is the way to go!

Hotel Reviews

Scandic Torget

Bergen

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Flåm Marina

Flåm

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Hotell Bondeheimen

Oslo

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Depart Norway

Norway

Quality of Experience

Food & Culture Walk

Bergen

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Waterfall Hike & Stegastein Viewpoint Experience

Norway

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private City Walk

Oslo

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide in Oslo was very knowledgeable and fun to be with. She provided a very good overview of the history and places to visit. This was helpful when we spent our last full day there.
The hike outside of Stavanger was beautiful but too difficult for me. Unfortunately I held up the other people on the hike. The guide was very nice but not as helpful for me.
The food walking tour in Bergen was great! The guide was knowledgeable and a lot of fun!
We really enjoyed the cider tasting in Balestrand!! The ciders were great along with the food, and the guide was very quirky in an amusing sort of way. The orchard was so beautiful. Great fun!!
We loved the ferry ride up the fjord to the glacier. The guide was great!!
We particularly loved everything about Flam!! The hotel was a nice spacious break from smaller hotel rooms. Our guide for the kayak tour made the trip lovely. My absolute favorite part about the entire trip was the RIB excursion. It was surreal!! And the guide; he couldn’t have been better. I was a bit tentative about the zip line trip, but it was the most exhilarating one minute I’ve ever spent.
All in all the trip exceeded our expectations!

Hotel Reviews

Flåm Marina

Flåm

Loved the fact that the hotel was a little bit away from the harbor. The extra space made it feel like a small apartment which was nice to be able to spread out. It’s close to a small farm with a restaurant which was very nice.

Authenticity & Character

Location

The view from the small deck was fantastic.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Kviknes Hotel

Balestrand

I was overwhelmed with the beauty of the hotel as soon as we arrived. The staff couldn’t have been nicer. We enjoyed having a glass of wine in the afternoon and taking in the incredible scenery from the deck!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Radisson Blu Royal Hotel

Bergen

Terrific location! Particularly lovely bar with great casual dining.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Victoria

Stavanger

Very pretty and great location! Wonderful staff and the breakfast was so good’

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clarion Hotel The Hub

Oslo

Perfect location! The most amazing breakfast ever! Only minor issue is the room was a bit small and no ventilation.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Perfect

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Sør-Hidle Island Gardens Visit & Dinner

Stavanger

We were overwhelmed with the beauty of the gardens. The food was delicious

Fløibanen Funicular Ride

Bergen

This is a must!!

Oslofjord Dinner Cruise

Oslo

It was very nice to see the city from the water at night all lit up with lights. The food was just ok.