Christina Wang

first of all, for a short lead time trip - Christina was amazing. Fast to respond, and the itinerary we ended up with was a great mix of self exploration and guided events. Working backwards - Stig in Oslo was a super interesting guide - full of knowledge of Oslo and Norway - and a pleasure to walk around with. Geiringer was out favorite stop. just a beautiful fjord with the 7 sisters falls, and the old abandoned farm up ion the fjord. the hotel Union was lovely - even with all the tour groups in there. We did a night at the Juvent Landscape hotel which is not to be missed - just so cool and a perfect place from which to launch you assault on the Trollstigen. The First two nights at Store hotel Ringheim were also really nice. great food, great people, and the setting was the perfect way to work ourselves into the bucolic Norwegian life. All in all - a great itinerary - not a single hiccup - and everything better than expected.

Hotel Reviews

Amerikalinjen

Oslo

A really nice city hotel located directly across from the train station. Easy access to and from the airport and located in a well renovated historic building (American Line shipping and cruise ships). Interesting art, cool architectural features, and a quick walk to the Munch museum as well as the opera house and lots of other significant monuments. make this hotel an ideal place from which to explore Oslo. they were accommodating of an early checkout (5:30 AM) and provided us with breakfast on the go. Can't ask for more than that.

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Herangtunet Boutique Hotel

Heggenes

Herangtunet (and that's the last time I am going to attempt to spell it) was a lovely stop between Juvet in the north and Oslo in the south. Located in a ski town, it is quiet in the summer. An old farm converted into a hotel with a series of buildings and run by a Dutch woman - who could not have possibly been any nicer. Very authentic farm buildings in a nice setting. The restaurant is run separately with a small menu - but good solid food nice service - and very friendly staff. If you are in this area for whatever reason, I would not hesitate to go back or recommend it. Thankfully, the hotel had 2 electric car chargers located on site. Sure I paid a premium to use them, but the convenience made it more than worthwhile.

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Juvet Landscape Hotel

Valldal Norway

The Juvet is famous - internet famous. Lots of Instagram posts and articles written about the super cool architecture located in the Norwegian wilderness. And all of it is true. the modern glass lodges nestle into a bend in a river and blend in. they are not high end in any way - but comfortable - adequate and fulfill their purpose of allowing you to look at nature - commune with it - from an angle that you would not otherwise do. I thought the architecture was the key to the place. It is what drew me. But I was wrong. The real reason to come to Juvet is for the communal dinners. It is here where the staff shines. And it is here where you get to spend time with your fellow guests. Staying at Juvet doesn't;t eel like stain gin a hotel as much as it feels like staying in Phillips Johnson's Norwegian getaway. Interesting folks from around the world gather around a table for a gourmet meal replete with wine pairings. a nice fire. A comfortable chair. The conversation id all about where you came from, where you are going. What you have seen etc... the bathhouse - spectacular. The river - bracing. the architecture - unique and fun. But it is the communal dinner that I will remember!

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Staff

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Hotel Union

Geiranger

The Hotel Union is the nicest hotel at the head of the nicest fjord we saw in Norway. Which is saying a lot - because every fjord is beautiful. The Union is a bustling place - with tour groups rotating in and out - buffet breakfasts and dinners catering to large crowds. It is not the place to go to get away from it all. That said, it is a historic hotel with a commanding view of the fjord. It is directly across from the waterfall trail, and is well renovated. the pool / hot tub/ spa facilities were all top notch, and our room - in the new wing with a balcony, was comfortable and had a great view. The people were helpful in recommending hikes and a spot for lunch (Westeros farm - I may have gotten the spelling wrong - but it is like the place in Game of Thrones). All in all a great place in a great place. If you could get rid of all the tour groups and cruise ship passengers - this would be paradise. That said - don''t let that deter you. We had a spectacular time - and the hotel handles everything super efficiently.

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Store Ringheim Hotel

Voss

the Store Hotel is a real agritourism spot. Lovely l0ocation on a hillside outside of Voss with a spectacular view over the valley. The people working there are super friendly, and the foot is fantastic. whether you et on the deck, in the dining room, or in the gazebo, the views are lovely - and the quality of food is really high.

Authenticity & Character

It is a real farm. you can see the vegetables. The farmhouse is over 100 years old.

Location

Loved the bucolic setting

Staff

All friendly, all helpful. all very well versed in the hotel and the surrounding area. they engage easily.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Everything was clean and comfortable. It is an old building - so some creaking is to be expected from floorboards etc...

Activity Reviews

Explore Oslo's Hidden Gems with a Local Expert

Oslo

Stig was a fantastic guide. As a 50 something guy who has spent his life in and around Oslo and the surrounding area - he is deeply knowledgeable about the city and its environs. He also has enough experience to connect with people on many levels. A lover of music, we talked about different festivals and concerts he had seen over the years - and he showed us a number of venues. His recommendations of restaurants were really good - and he has enough context in terms of world travel (having lived all over South America for example) that he can provide some connections that a younger, less experienced guide might not have made. He was a pleasure to have spent time with.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fjordcruise on UNESCO Nærøyfjord

Norway

Beautiful fjord tour on a very quiet electric boat. No seats up on the top deck - which is likely where you might like to be to fully immerse yourself in nature. the second deck is quite small inside - so get on line early to grab an indoor seat by a window on the first deck - then take numerous trips outside to get the nest views. The viking village at the end is quite cool - and the town of Flam is worthwhile.

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Guides, Drivers and Staff

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Flåm Railway: Flåm - Myrdal

Norway

I'm not sure anyone has anything to add to this trip. The views are spectacular. The show at the waterfall is kitschy - but fun. the crowds in summer are legion. but it is a must do.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Norway was one of those delayed-by-the-pandemic trips for us. We were childless when we first planned to go a few years ago. When we finally got around to going, we had a two-year-old and vastly different ambitions for what we might see and do while in the country. Booking through Kim Kim turned out to be a great way to square our past and present selves. With local expertise from Christina, Katie, and Tom, we still got deep into the country and saw amazing sights -- but weren't burdened by an overly ambitious itinerary that would have burned out our toddler (and us, frankly). They never pressured us to do and add more to our days, which was much appreciated.

Norway is a great place to travel with kids and our son had a great time on the trains, trams, and boats. It was so easy to get around on our own in between scheduled stops and we were never short on ideas for quick things to do, thanks to our guides. We were especially grateful for their help once we were in the country and needed to change one of our accommodations and add an unexpected outing -- and another time when we needed help reaching a taxi driver who didn't arrive to pick us up on time. They were very prompt to reply and put us totally at ease. I highly recommend this group to anyone traveling to 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!!!!

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

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

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

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.

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

Planning our trip to Norway was an incredibly enjoyable experience. It felt easy to communicate with Christina and I felt she really understood my requests and created a really excellent itinerary for us. We also worked with Tricia, Linda and Tom who were very responsive with messages and questions and exceptionally helpful in making bookings and small changes when needed. They all went above and beyond and made our week in Norway so seamless. Will definitely be booking more trips with Kimkim! Thank you so much for everything.

Hotel Review

Thon Hotel Stavanger

Stavanger

Breakfast was amazing! Comfortable rooms, clean, incredibly modern. The snacks and free tea/coffee at reception was very welcome after big days exploring Stavanger and around

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Activity Review

Guided Overnight Hike to Trolltunga for Sunset/Sunrise

Norway

Absolute highlight of our trip! Everything about it was incredible. A must-do!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kimkim helped our group of 2 couples plan an amazing customized trip to Norway! The planning process worked out well with the input of Christina then as the trip got closer her colleagues Tricia and Tom were great help with final details and any questions while on vacation. We ended up with a boat trip in a fjord, kayaking in a fjord, hiking the Trekanten lodge to lodge in Trollheimen and some city time in Oslo. The lodges and hotels were lovely accommodations with incredible breakfasts. Having Kimkim book 7 lodges/hotels, 2 taxis, 1 rental car and 2 trains for us was incredibly helpful. I will be using Kimkim for future trips and would highly recommend them.

Our trip was nothing short of amazing. Everything was coordinated down to little details.