Kristiina Taukul

I usually do my own bookings and planing for trips but given that my time was short I booked with Kimkim. For the most part it was quite good. I would add suggestions on where to eat and info on how to get from hotels to transportation hubs.
I had specifically asked for rooms with tubs and the two hotels where there was not a tub I was told that they were not booked.
We had the glacier and cider tour out of Bergen. We were confused as there was no cider anywhere. The long trip to the glacier ended with a tiny museum and a short walk out to see a glacier pool. This was after hours on a bus and then several more hours on a tiny, cold ferry with not enough seating. The bus driver was very good-we really enjoyed him. The next day was a similar experience Norway in a Nutmeg. Long bus drive (rude driver this time) Then the fiord ferry ride which was excellent followed by another 7 hours on trains. We wished we had just flown to Oslo despite the fact that we would have missed the fiord. Your staff was great, but especially the last day was miserable-there was a lot of complaining on that bus and train for sure

Kristiina the Oslo guide was wonderful and very helpful
There a lot more sites to visit in Oslo than Bergen and it would have been nice to have more days there rather
than Bergen but both were very good
Enjoyed the train from Oslo to Bergen--saw scenery at multipel altitudes both below and above tree line
The Fjord cruise in Bergen, Rib boat in Flam, Sea Kayak in Geranger/Glacier tour in Balestrand, and the cable care in Bergen were all wonderful. Hiking in Balestrand was a challenge but the views were great. It is amazing that people could live and farm on the steep cliffs years ago. The Cornelius dinner was amazing. Getting back at 11 pm and having to get up at 3 AM was not great planning but the meal was worth it.
We were very fortunate to have clear weather for the Sea Kayak! The waterfalls after it rained were wonderful
The scenery was fantastic
Car rental and driving was interesting. The Bergen self service rental has no one to talk to. We found another Hertz
location on the road and got an introduction to the car. Our taxi driver from the hotel drove past the location and I
had to tell him where to go! Every time I put gas in the vehicle we were double charged large amounts on my credit card--These are still pending as of today. Driving on the roads was an experience--the tunnels were unbelievable-how in the world did they do them!!! More switchbacks than I have ever seen and done
The airport transfer did not show up for the flight home--we had to take a taxi.. Hoping that can be refunded
All in all a wonderful trip and may well use Kim Kim again

Hotel Reviews

Bergen Børs Hotel

Bergen

great bar and dining area Bath had a shower with only curtains--presume for person in wheelchair Large room

Location

near wharf

Staff

front desk helpful when airport ride didn't show up

Cleanliness & Comfort

again the bath

Hotell Utsikten

Geiranger

Great views closing for season the day we left Nice lounge area no elevator/ on 3rd floor very tiny rooms

Authenticity & Character

Location

view

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

very tiny room and bath

Hotel Aurlandsfjord

Aurland

great views No elevator and we wer on 4th floor/ a hike

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Norge by Scandic

Bergen

modern hotel not as much character

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Bristol

Oslo

wonderful staff delightful hotel with shower and bath and terry cloth robes Breakfast amazing my favorite hotel

Authenticity & Character

see above

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

see above

Activity Reviews

Fjord Cruise & Seafood Dining Experience

Bergen

Quality of Experience

Dinner was amazing culinary triumph

Guides, Drivers and Staff

waitress Anna was delightful, Owner was there and talked to every group

Transport

Fjærlandsfjord Cruise & Bøyabreen Glacier Visit

Balestrand

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fjord Safari by RIB

Flåm

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Waterfall Kayaking Excursion

Geiranger

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

not applicable

Mostraumen Fjord Cruise

Bergen

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private City Walk

Oslo

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

walking in the rain actually fun-- "No bad weather--just bad clothing possible" per our guide

Kristiina was very helpful and knowledgeable, paid close attention to the kind of trip we were looking for in Norway, and did not disappoint! The itinerary was well planned out and detailed, so helpful to refer to during our trip. Fenne did a fantastic job making our reservations and making edits when we had questions or concerns. We were affected by the global IT outage and had our flight to Oslo disrupted as well as lost our baggage, but the emergency text line and Rufo were amazing! They were able to find us a hotel in Amsterdam at a lower price, notify our hotel in Oslo that we would be missing the first night and arriving very late the next day, as well as direct us to places to purchase clothing. They also switched the dates of our reservations for a kayak trip when we noticed that it was going to rain that day. Can't say thank you enough to them for their on-the-spot support! Highly recommend KimKim to any travelers, they are very professional and kind :)

Kristiina was very responsive and helped put a trip together that worked well for our family. The emergency support contact while we were in Norway was also extremely responsive and helpful. The tour guide we were connected with in Bergen was also super helpful and provided all sorts of helpful information about restaurants and places to avoid.

Overall the trip was good and kimkim did a fine job making planning a 10 day trip super easy. There are some items we would have done differently and a couple of misses, but hind-sight is 20/20. We had an issue with some of our tickets not downloading properly (expired link), but they were able to solve it quickly on the fly by sending us the needed documents via Whatsapp.

I'm not sure we would say we got the "insider's" guide to Norway and no real spots off the beaten path, but we had a good time and it was incredibly beautiful. Quick review of hotels we stayed at: Hotel Bondheim in Oslo was mixed--one room we had was very nice and the other was quite dumpy. Scandic Torget in Bergen is probably nice if you have a view of the water, but we didn't and the rooms were pretty small. Great breakfast though. Very busy part of town, which is good and bad. Kringsjå Hotel in Balestrand was our favorite. Not super nice rooms, but had great balconies off the rooms, great views, and an extensive lounge area and game area that was awesome for our kid. Also not crowded at all. Finally, the hotel manager there is the nicest man ever.

Hotel Reviews

Kringsjå Hotel

Balestrand

Decor hasn't been updated in a while, but charming hotel nevertheless. Hotel manager was amazing.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Beds weren't amazing, but good enough.

Scandic Torget

Bergen

In a very busy part of town--could be loud depending on which direction you are facing. Hotel layout is a bit unusual (historic building) and some rooms are quite small. Breakfast room was impressive!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotell Bondeheimen

Oslo

One room is very nice and the other was quite dumpy. Very small elevators, but somewhat typical for Norway.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Norway in a Nutshell Tour

Norway

Amazing tour, but a lot to fit into one day, particularly for younger kids.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Oslofjord Evening Cruise with Prawn Buffet

Oslo

Loved the tour, but food was pretty mediocre and drinks were quite expensive.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Luggage Transfer Service

Norway

Finnafjord Safari by RIB

Balestrand

This was a very nice tour and the folks running it were knowledgeable and very nice. I thought I read that we were supposed to bring layers for this tour, but they provided a whole insulated waterproof suit to wear--so all those layers I brought were not needed. My 6-year old was scared by the suits and the prospect of going really fast, so she and my wife had to bail. I'd suggest 8 years old may be the min age you might want to consider taking on this trip, depending on how adventurous your kid is. The boats go 40-50 mph and the water was pretty choppy on the day we went, so a fair amount of bumps, but nothing crazy. The seats are tall and her feet would not have touched the ground, which would have been okay, just adds a bit to the uncertainty factor. Some 6-year olds would probably have a blast--but not for all.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private Hardangerfjord & Waterfalls Day Trip

Bergen

We would have appreciated less driving and more walking while at each site. We spent most of the day in the car, which seemed like too much given all the prior travel we had just done. It turned out to be okay because it was raining most of the day and being in the car was probably better than being outside, but still too much car time. Our guide Arne was really top notch though and very engaging, particularly with our kid, which helped keep her engaged in the trip. The gondola ride was cool and the food at the top was quite good. Maybe would have been better if the weather were nicer and we could have hiked around at the top, but mostly felt like we were being shuttled from spot to spot.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fløibanen Funicular Ticket

Bergen

This was a great activity, especially with kids. Lots of awesome playgrounds at the top and hiking trails. Really cool spot.

Our connection at the airport was great!
We felt the Fram day long, with many line ups, rushing crowd's and to many connections. The train going straight through from Oslo to Bergen would have been a better choice! Sort of redundant as we were cruising the coast of Norway

Hotel Review

Radisson Blu Scandinavia Hotel, Oslo

Oslo

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Electric fjord cruise on the Oslofjord

Oslo

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Norway in a Nutshell Tour

Norway

Quality of Experience

Luggage Transfer Service

Norway

Hello, I will be honest in my review, and hopefully not too critical.
Overall our trip was fine but not outstanding. Part of that may be that we have always been fit and healthy, and now in our mid 70's we not as energetic or willing to accept annoyances.
Hotels....the 3 hotels we stayed in were nice hotels in general, and all had friendly, professional, and helpful staff. All breakfasts were good as well.
Our first hotel experience though, was challenging. Our assigned room at the Norge was the smallest room I can ever remember, and we were there for 5 nights. Our only other choice, which we opted for, was a much larger room with a pleasant view. This was in a handicap accessible wing on the ground floor with wide hallways which were used to store extra furniture. This, combined with food smells from the restaurant, and the stained carpet made for a less than appealing sense of arrival each time we came to our room. In addition, we had to pay $470 CAD extra to the hotel for the room.
It seems that all our hotels in Norway used the same company for interior room design. All were minimalist, with zero or only one drawer for clothes. This is unacceptable for stays of several days....no place for socks, underwear, PJ's, dirty clothes etc. It ends up with shoes and clothes strewn all over the place.
Regarding the guided tours, we were pleased,
Although we recognize much of Norway is about the water, we spent too much time on boats, even considering the one we missed. The ferry from Bergen to Stavanger was very nice. We went to the oil and gas museum in Stavanger, which was very interesting.
regarding you contact people, we started with Kristina, then over to Fenne, then to Rufo. Rufo was helpful in last-minute rescheduling of our Cornelius dinner.
I sent 2 messages requesting light bedding in our rooms. None of the hotels had the requests on file when we checked in, so we had to deal with that in various ways. The bedding issue was important to us, especially sing none of the hotel have air conditioning.
Thank you,
Randy Byrne

Activity Reviews

Full-Day Private City Excursion

Oslo

Mariann was very good

Private Oslofjord Island Hopping Nature Walk

Oslo

Oslofjord Dinner Cruise

Oslo

Fjord Cruise & Seafood Dining Experience

Bergen

Great Summer Waterfall and Fjord Tour

Bergen

A bit too long

Food & Culture Walk

Bergen

Nina is very good

Our visit to Norway was beyond our expectations. The original itinerary appeared to be amazing. However, due to Joseph’s special needs, changes were necessary. Thanks to Fenne, we had a wheelchair available at both hotels and needed to change hotels in Bergen. The Scandic Torget Bergen was in a perfect spot as the two bus tours started across the street. Both bus drivers were exceptional. The cider tour and fjord cruise to Flåm were highlights of our trip. We also enjoyed dinner at Engebret Cafe which was on the list of places to eat that you provided. We had no problem with all the tickets for the various events. We were also impressed how responsive team members were to our questions. Overall, we are very pleased. Thank you. Joseph & Patrick

Hotel Reviews

Scandic Torget

Bergen

Here we had an accessibility room which did not offer adequate space for luggage — no dresser. Beds and chairs were comfortable. Shower did not have hand bars for safety, did not keep water in shower area and offered no face cloths. The temperature of the room was good. Here too the breakfasts were great! Enjoyed the fire pit in the lobby.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Friendliness and helpfulness

Cleanliness & Comfort

The beds were cozy.

Hotell Bondeheimen

Oslo

We had a deluxe room so it was roomy with windows on two sides. The most amazing feature though was the breakfast — so many choices! On the negative side, the shower had no hand bars for safety, did not limit water to shower area, and the shampoo pump was difficult. There are no hand towels and the bath towels barely wrap around one’s body. The air in the room was still and warm and barely improved with oscillating desk fan.

Authenticity & Character

Location

It seemed to be in the middle of centre city — only blocks up from City Hall and piers and a stroll along Karl Johans gate.

Staff

Friendliness and helpfulness

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Nærøyfjord Cruise, Flåm & Stegastein Day Trip

Bergen

Stunningly beautiful — blessed to have had good weather. Bus driver was outstanding.

Quality of Experience

Have to credit bus driver, not only his enthusiasm but above & beyond our expectations.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

See comment above

Transport

Ulriken Cable Car

Bergen

Beautiful!! Stunning!!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Cidery Tour To Balestrand By The Sognefjord

Bergen

Knowledgeable and rewarding — learned a lot about cider. Presentation was professional and cider sampling paired with good was excellent.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kristiina did a great job planning our 15 day itinerary! She was attentive to our personal interests, likes and dislikes.
Fenne also did a wonderful job booking all the tours, excursions, hotels, and modes of transportation. Two of the four hotels we stayed at could have been nicer however, the room at one of the hotels had the loveliest view of any place we’ve ever stayed in all of our travels. Everything worked like clockwork without a problem. Julia was our 24 hour contact while traveling in Norway. We only needed to use her assistance once and she immediately took care of the issue.
We spent several days in Oslo. What a beautiful city! We then flew to Alesund, a lovely small city along the coast where we took excursions to Geirangerfjord (breathtaking), an e-bike tour, and a bus tour of surrounding islands. We then flew to Bergen where we did a guided kayak tour, a guided tour along the fjords including a boat trip down Hardangerfjord (magnificent). We then took a lovely ferry ride to Stavanger where we hiked to Pulpits Rock one day and went on a fjord RIB Safari. A relaxing train ride back to Oslo then gave us the final day to visit the Kon-Tiki and Fram museums which were wonderful.
All of the cities were very walkable and easy to navigate.
The Norwegian people couldn’t have been nicer. Very friendly and helpful.

Hotel Reviews

Scandic Stavanger City

Stavanger

Not a great location. Our room looked out on an alley type road with nondescript buildings.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Zander K Hotel

Bergen

Dark and tired looking. Not a great location. Poor view from room. Looking at a big office type building not far from our window. Eating area very dark. The walls were black.

Authenticity & Character

Rugs were old and worn. Eating area dark.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Thon Hotel Ålesund

Ålesund

Great location. On the water.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clarion Hotel The Hub

Oslo

Great location!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Øygarden Kayaking Excursion with Island Lunch

Bergen

Leisurely kayaking around low lying islands. Nothing strenuous. Guide was friendly and informative. Lunch was very good. One of the local fisherman cooked up a fresh fish meal. Yum!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Lysefjord RIB Safari from Stavanger

Stavanger

Enjoyable. A bit jolting at times. Got to see Pulpit Rock from the water.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Pulpit Rock Hike with Lunch

Stavanger

Our guide was super nice and engaging. Unfortunately, we couldn’t see anything as it was foggy the whole time. But we got some good exercise.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Hardangerfjord Tour: Voss Gondol & Mt. Hanguren Panorama

Norway

Our guide Arne was great!! He even brought a drone. Stopped at a few waterfalls. One was spectacular. The fjord trip was great. Gorgeous scenery.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit the Viking Islands of Giske & Godøy

Ålesund

Leisurely bus tour around the surrounding islands with visit to a church and lighthouse.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Geirangerfjord Cruise & Day Trip

Norway

We were on a boat with a group of other people who had park service guides. The guides gave interesting commentary about the surroundings which made the ride more interesting .

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Art Nouveau Discovery by E-Bike

Ålesund

Our guide was friendly. We rode out of the city to an adjoining island which was lovely. From the Art Nouveau name of the tour we thought we’d be learning about the architecture.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

No transport was involved

Oslo private tour

Oslo

Our guide was great!

Quality of Experience