Ethel Laul

I tried KimKim out of desperation - three weeks until our departure! All I had were airline tickets, and no real knowledge of how to get the most out of our time in Norway. Ethel provided the basic itinerary in two days! She worked very responsively to my questions and our preferences, and Fenne picked the ball up nicely as our trip approached. The result was awesome…great hotels, great excursions and real time answers to any questions I had.
I would strongly recommend KimKim, Ethel and Fenne to any one looking into travel in Norway. A first class team!!!

Fantastic service!!! Very pleased with all the communication before the trip. We canceled an activity during the trip and Ethel was most helpful in notifying the venue. We were very happy with our accommodations, activities, transportation. It was a great variety of activities. Will definitely use kimkim travel again!

Hotel Review

Dragsvik Fjordhotel

Balestrand

Hotel staff so welcoming, informative, accommodating. The grounds of this family run hotel are spectacular and well kept. Very beautiful and clean place!

Authenticity & Character

Beautifully decorated with family heirlooms

Location

Hotel is a bit away from the town of Balestrand but the bus stops right outside its door

Staff

So very helpful!! And friendly!!!

Cleanliness & Comfort

We loved our deluxe room and sitting on the balcony enjoying the view of the water

Activity Reviews

Gondola Ride in Voss

Voss

We took the gondola up and decided to hike down. Views were beautiful and fun to watch the paraglides. Hike down was nice, a little steeper than we thought, but we certainly enjoyed the views and the cows on the trail!!!

Quality of Experience

Transport

Summer RIB boat Safari Local Taste of Undredal

Flåm

Guide was very knowledgeable and friendly. Loved the tour of the fjords. Only wish I had a little more time to explore Undredal

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I went from being stressed about planning my first trip to Norway with my wife, to finding KimKim who made it very easy and enjoyable. Everything was well planned and easy to follow, and they made very nice choices for us. I would strongly recommend using KimKim to anyone!

Hotel Reviews

Brekkestranda Fjordhotel

Brekke

We really loved this place, but we also like to stay in cabins which this reminded us of. The bed was very comfortable, and the staff were great. We could not stay for breakfast so they made us something to go. The food a night was one of the best meals we had on the trip. Great place to stay!

Authenticity & Character

Grass roof, cabin like rooms. It's what you want in Norway.

Location

Not sure this is the perfect spot for everyone, but if you want a nice, quiet place to stay, it's perfect. We loved it!

Staff

Very friendly and nice to work with.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Best bed during our week in Norway (and none were bad).

Quality Hotel Ålesund

Ålesund

Location was fine and the breakfast was very good. The room was average, and you could hear the music from the lobby until about 11PM.

Authenticity & Character

Room was noisy from music downstairs

Location

Staff

Not very friendly. Hotel was mostly empty, and they could have put us in a room that was higher up, away from the noise. Also, no view at all from the room other than the rooms directly across from us.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Union Geiranger Bad & Spa

Geiranger

Really enjoyed staying here. The view from the hotel is amazing, and the room, food and staff were really great.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Everyone was very friendly and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Thon Hotel Jølster

Jølster

Room was stale and the dinner was not good at all. Breakfast was fine.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Fretheim Hotel

Flåm

Very nice hotel and convenient.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Kayak tour to the "Seven sisters" in Geiranger

Geiranger

It rained the entire time, and we still really enjoyed this trip. Ott was our guide and did a very nice job explaining things and making it enjoyable. It's a great way to see a fjord!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Ott was a very good guide!

Transport

Summer and Autumn Fjord Safari on a RIB boat

Flåm

Loved this trip and the beautiful views. The ride was a lot of fun. Do not be intimidated by what they ask you to wear - you will be dry and warm!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

most memorable was Breton and the FJords

Hotel Reviews

Fleischer's Hotel

Voss

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Scandic Torget

Bergen

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Dragsvik Fjordhotel

Balestrand

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Fretheim Hotel

Flåm

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotell Bondeheimen

Oslo

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Gondola Ride in Voss

Voss

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fjordcruise to Hardanger

Bergen

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Ride the Ulriken Cable Car

Bergen

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Day trip to Fjærland

Norway

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Summer RIB boat Safari Local Taste of Undredal

Flåm

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

A Norwegian evening on the fjord

Oslo

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We were able to have a very comprehensive driving holiday thorough Norway. Our intent was to travel as many of the historic roads as possible over mountains and down to fjords. The views were impressive and the routes did not disappoint. In planning we got good advice on the travel distances (and time it would take) and were told when we were being too ambitious in what we wanted to do in one day. We were booked into some really great accommodation that met our style of travel and we appreciated having someone to phone for their thoughts when small travel troubles came up. Norway is an impressive country and Kim Kim helped made our trip very memorable.

Ethel pulled together a fantastic trip in a short time—spot on first draft for our week there. Easy and responsive from start to finish. Julia was booking and on the ground support. We are mightily impressed s d will use them again!

We really enjoyed Balestrand and the cider house and the hotel we were at. Beautiful! Also really enjoyed the train from Flam to Myrdal, despite the rain. Kayaking was amazing in Flam. We weren’t especially impressed with the 5 course dinner at Cornelius, took too long and we were tired, just too much seafood for us ( others seemed to really enjoy it though) overall, a great trip

Hotel Reviews

Flåm Marina

Flåm

Beautiful views, great restaurant

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Kviknes Hotel

Balestrand

Loved this hotel with the amazing views and beautiful artwork

Authenticity & Character

Location

The views of the fjord from our room

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Oslo Pass

Oslo

Never got this. We walked everywhere and since we did not prepay, it was totally fine. This was our choice, we love walking in cities

Summer Kayaking Tour

Flåm

Loved this. Great guide, fun experience

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Bike Rental Balestrand

Balestrand

We somehow missed this. Our schedule said to get there at 5:45, but we found it was closed. Not a big deal, since we hadn’t prepaid

Quality of Experience

Orchard Tour & Cider Tasting

Balestrand

Loved this! The lunch and cider was amazing and , since I love to garden and grow things, I found the tour really informative

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Boat Trip and Dinner at Cornelius Seafood Restaurant

Bergen

This seemed to be enjoyed by others, but for us, it was just too long between courses and a little too much seafood

From the start, Ethel and Fenne did a great job working out the details of our trip, translating our wishlist of activities into a great itinerary; it was easy to work with them and make revisions during the planning process. Before we committed by making a deposit we did some comparative pricing of other packages and felt we were getting good value for the cost of the trip. Plus, this was a trip customized to what we wanted to do, and when we wanted to do it. Just before the trip, Meree joined the team and sent us all of our confirmations and instructions.

It was easy to work with them by email, and we did have one zoom call with Ethel early on to review the plan for the trip before we put a deposit on it.

We spent 3 nights in Oslo, 1 in Ballestrand, 2 in Bergen, 2 on Hurtigruten, and 2 in Trondheim. We had a great time, seeing and experiencing much in our 11 or so days. The hotels the Kim Kim team chose were perfect for us logistically, located near what we wanted to see and experience, and well located for making connections to get to our next stop. There is much more to see and do in Norway than time permitted and perhaps some day we will enlist Kim Kim to help us return to Norway. But as a result of this trip we will not hesitate to consider Kim Kim for future trips.

Hotel Reviews

Hurtigruten

Bergen

Not a hotel, but a small cruise ship. Clean. Staff VERY friendly and helpful. Small but usable shower. Cabin was generally too warm. The two single beds were VERY uncomfortable however. One bed had a railing for safety(?) which was VERY inconvenient. Hurtigruten needs to have more cabins configured for queen sized beds.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Thon hotel Nidaros

Trondheim

Clean. Small but usable shower. Friendly staff. Room was too warm. Good location for getting from Trondheim to airport. Of all the hotels we stayed at - probably the best breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Scandic Bergen city

Bergen

Clean. Small but usable shower. Friendly staff. Room was too warm.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Kviknes Hotel

Balestrand

Charming hotel in a fjord village. Clean. Small but usable shower. Friendly staff. Room was too warm.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Scandic Byporten

Oslo

Clean. Small but usable shower. Friendly staff. Room was too warm.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Mountain Bike at Mount Fløyen - Bergen

Bergen

If you are an experienced mountain biker, this would likely be fun. However, the gravel trails were rather steep and crowded with families walking around, enjoying the scenery. This made it impossible to safely bike the trails, and somewhat dangerous. The person who was staffing the mountain biking concession thought we might not want to do it. Fortunately, we were able to get a refund. Again, if you like mountain biking, steep gravel trails, etc., this is an activity for you.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Bergen: A Walk Through Past and Present

Bergen

Nice walking tour; good guide.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Kayaking in Sognefjord

Balestrand

Lots of prep for this activity. In the end it was worth it.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Oslofjord Sightseeing Cruise

Oslo

Good overview of Oslo.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Everything went great. It was so well organized. Easy access to all of our confirmation numbers and passes for the planned activities. The recommended activities were all amazing. The weather prevented our helicopter experience in Ålesund which was unfortunate, but the team was great in getting us a refund. The same with switching hotels. We are so grateful for the help planning. It saved us a bunch of time upfront and gave is peace of mind throughout the trip.

Hotel Reviews

Radisson Hotel & Conference Centre Oslo Airport

Gardermoen

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Grand Hotel Bellevue

ÅNDALSNES

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Brosundet

Ålesund

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Union Geiranger Bad & Spa

Geiranger

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ms Nordkapp

Tromsø

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clarion Collection Hotel Havnekontoret

Bergen

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Scandic Voss

Voss

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Tyssedal Hotel

Tyssedal

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Continental

Oslo

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Naturpark (Via Ferrata & Zipline) Geiranger

Geiranger

So pretty. Straight forward. Not overly challenging. Great to self guide most of it and control your own pace.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Romsdalsstigen Via Ferrata - West Wall

Åndalsnes

Such a great experience. Recommended highly if you have the physical strength to do it. Safe. Beautiful

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Hot Tubs at Voss Rafting

Norway

Nice place but not overly special. Hot tubs in a beautiful area but water temperature not hot enough.

Quality of Experience

Whitewater Rafting in Raundal River

Voss

Beautiful river with great guides

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

E-Mountain Bike Guided Tour

Voss

More advanced downhill than expected but beautiful and way fun.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guided Hike to Trolltunga

Odda

An adventure worth doing.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

A friend recommended Kimkim to us. They had used the company for years and couldn't say enough by way of praise. We told Ethel at Kimkim we would go first to Normandy France to
Meet up with our daughter, then to Norway and back home to Oregon. We asked Ethel for help planning a trip that would take us to small towns and the fjords. We wanted to hike and enjoy the outdoors. She planned a fantastic itinerary and booked us into beautiful hotels with lovely views and hiking nearby.
Just before we arrived I had a fall from a bike and was then not able to hike. No problem for Ethel. She revised our plan, suggested activities I could do. Small boats and ferries, the famous Flam railway. We asked about renting a car. No problem for Ethel. We drove to Balestrad and stayed in a charming hotel on the waterfront. When I couldn't walk to the large hotel which provided the breakfast for that smaller hotel, Ethel switched us instantly. Whenever she suggested an activity we weren't sure we wanted, within a few moments she had wonderful alternatives to suggest. She was always personally available, always cheerful. I can't imagine a travel company that could do more or better. I have complete confidence in Kimkim and Ethel and recommend her without hesitation.

I highly recommend KimKim if you are planning a trip to Norway! I typically do a lot of research on my own and plan my own travel. However, pressed for planning time and wanting to really maximize our 7 days in Norway, I came across KimKim and decided to give it a try. I am so happy I did! It was so easy to correspond electronically, our dedicated specialist quickly put together an itinerary based on our profile and interests and then modified it slightly after our review based on our input. Ethel coordinated our transportation (trains, boats, and car service!), accommodations (and it was not a problem that we had already booked our Oslo hotel) and many excursions (tours, fishing, museums etc). I was also provided the 24 hour contact person of someone in Norway for emergencies/last minute questions. Norway was amazing and KimKim was a delight to work with and well worth the small fee.

Hotel Review

Kviknes Hotel

Balestrand

Amazing location, loads of history, comfortable and very clean rooms, a bit dated but lovely stay overall and appeared to be the best place to stay in the area.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Day trip to Fjærland

Norway

Boat trip was a lot of fun, gorgeous views of the fjords and villages, friendly and knowledgeable tour guides. The glacier museum is a must see! And getting up close to the glacier was a very cool experience.

Quality of Experience

L

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Deep Sea Fishing Excursion

Balestrand

Our fishing guide was absolutely wonderful! Excellent gear, very knowledgeable, very patient and stunning views from the water. And we caught a great diversity of fish!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Oslo private tour

Oslo

Christina was very friendly and knowledgeable! The tour was definitely a highlight.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff