Maria Shephard

The trip was great! The chosen activities were all good and I was very glad to have used Kimkim for the most part. I don’t like giving up control so much (control freak, obviously), but I only truly regretted it twice and kind of rolled my eyes once. They were not quick enough on getting us train tickets and we lost the opportunity for the original timing altogether (which I ended up being really glad for) and still weren’t able to get us seats together on the later time (which was not pleasant- not only was it annoying to not be next to my family, but also none of us had windows). The second thing I regretted was the first hotel- but it’s hard to say if I could have done significantly better - I did do way better on the last hotel 😮‍💨. That said- without them I would have likely not done three things that were the true highlight of the trip: one was a cruising sauna (in the end I booked this outside the Kim Kim portion of my trip myself, because due to the train timing issue they had to cancel the floating sauna they had intended for us- but I wouldn’t have booked at all probably without them putting it in my itinerary originally! The second was the Flåm train ride- what a treat! And thanks to the awful seats on the first leg of the train journey, we ended up having probably the best seats in this ‘free seating’ portion- so that worked out and was a true treat. The third was the fjord safari- super highly recommend!! It was wonderful, and we ended up having a private tour which was great. The one activity that was eye roll worthy and I regret on so many levels was the ‘dinner cruise’ in Bergen. For one, I’m sure it was unnecessarily expensive, two: at this point we had seen the fjord several times and it is definitely way prettier by Flåm and Balestrand, and three: the meal was waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too long. My 16yo was jumping out of his skin and frankly so was I- it’s just that as an adult I could hide it better. Even my husband, who does like relaxing in beautiful scenery way longer than us, was not pleased with the overly drawn out meal. I wish I had asked more about this, I would have likely taken it out. To me, dinner cruise means you’re on a boat that has food- so it was also a case of wrong interpretation by me. Overall- the trip was amazing and I’m glad I used Kimkim, but I will ask more questions next time.

Hotel Reviews

Flåmsbrygga Apartments

Flåm

Super spacious! Very clean, lots of doors to open (important because I could not turn off the heat). However- the birds are LOUD, so theres a downside to open doors. Despite the great amount of space there aren’t enough surfaces for luggage. They have maybe one that is supposedly for luggage, but it’s so narrow we couldn’t even successfully use it for backpacks, let alone carry-on size luggage. So then we used the chairs to open up our backpacks, because the couch needed to be opened for our third person (our son), so then we had nowhere to sit. Thus, despite the huge size of this place, it was not comfortable to hang out in. This extended to the ginormous ballroom size bathroom which contained one of those ridiculously tiny round door showers. Good luck washing your feet without fancy acrobatics or opening the round doors thus creating an even bigger mess of water. They could have simply strung a curtain in a larger area and it would have likely been cheaper (presumably why they used the round doors instead of actual glass that created a bigger footprint). They have shelves, but are the cheap, plastic, wobbly kind, so you can’t use them for anything other than their towels. At least the sink counter is spacious though. All in all- I was very pleased with how clean and well kept it was, but wow what a waste of space that ultimately made it exactly as comfortable as a cramped hotel room.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Theres no staff- but check in and out were easy

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean yes! Comfort- half yes half no per review

Hotell Bondeheimen

Oslo

It was ok- pretty cramped (we were three, so our chair bed was opened), very hot (zero control over temperature- can’t even ‘turn it off’). However, very well located and the staff were very friendly- they got us two fans to help with the heat. The shower is open- the glass that is there doesn’t even reach the floor, so water goes everywhere, very literally everywhere. Important to note that most European hotels have zero A/C (although I can usually at least turn off the heat!), are usually tiny, and the showers tend to be tiny and uncomfortable- so the downsides here weren’t exactly abnormal, but with careful researching I’ve successfully avoided all of these in the past, and did so in Bergen. Last thing- the breakfast was amazing! And again: the staff is outstanding and delivered good service despite an ongoing strike that affected their staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean yes! Comfort so-so

Activity Reviews

Fjord Safari by RIB

Flåm

It was an amazing way to experience the fjords up close and personal! Our driver/tour guide , Anton I believe, was great- caring, entertaining and friendly. I would highly recommend this!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fjord Cruise & Seafood Dining Experience

Bergen

Ok- it wasn’t- it just wasn’t worth it for us. We had come to Bergen by ferry from Balestrand- so a nice four hour tour of the fjords. Zero upside to the boat ride required to get to the restaurant. The dinner itself was three long hours long- waaaaaaaaaay too long. It was solidly good, but nothing out of this world and because it’s strictly seafood, people who don’t love seafood won’t have as great a time. Also- I’m sure it was ridiculously expensive in a city area where you can get great fresh seafood without even trying. The location is very nice with a great view of the water, and the service is excellent. So again: not bad, just not worth it IMO. For us it was a waste of five hours for something we could have accomplished in one anf slept earlier 😂 but it may very well be something you love if you love spending hours on dinner and want to feel extra fancy.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Past & Present City Walk

Bergen

Excellent tour- Erik was a great guide and quite entertaining. We learned a lot and had a lovely walk around the city, surely we wouod have missed some things if it hadn’t been for this tour!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

The purpose of my trip was aurora photography hunting in small group (5-6 people). I expect the local specialist can arrange as I have explained at the beginning. In fact she arranged 2 (two) session aurora chasing which very similar and it's not a photography session. It's just for tourist who want to see aurora. However, to be fair, the hotel was good, other excursions also good, apart of sudden cancelation of an excursion from the operator.

thanks to the team we have enjoyed an outstanding experience. the specialist were always ready to answer question, and to assists and support. furthermore more, both le location that have been selected and the initiatives proposed has been consistent with our high expectations. a particular mention to the Oslo guided tour, that, thanks to the assistance and contribution of our fantastic guide (Lina) we enjoyed a very lively and interesting morning. we definitely plan to use kim kim service again and again.

thank you so much

The whole experience from planning with Maria and then traveling with the help of the rest of the team was absolutely perfect. We felt completely supported throughout the trip. We made a few last minute changes and the team was there for us every step of the way. It’s so relaxing to have that kind of immediate help while traveling. We didn’t have to worry about anything. We just got to enjoy the incredible beauty of Norway.

And I will add that the experiences that Maria chose for us were customized for our pace and our interests. And we were very happy with the accommodations that were booked for us. So overall, I would highly recommend Kimkim for making your trip to Norway memorable!

Hotel Reviews

Thon Hotel Kirkenes

Kirkenes

Great views of the harbor. Good food. Comfortable rooms.

Scandic Royal Stavanger

Stavanger

It’s a little far from the center of town but quiet. No views. But comfortable.

Radisson Blu Royal Hotel

Bergen

Perfect location. Quiet. Spacious rooms. A great base camp for exploring downtown Bergen.

Heimly Pensjonat

Flåm

The rooms are very small without a lot of room to put your stuff. But the view is incredible, the service is awesome and the meals were great!

Amerikalinjen

Oslo

Located right in the center of town, the hotel has a great history and character. Service was awesome, especially the bartender where you will have some amazing unusual cocktail!

Activity Review

Private City Walk

Oslo

There is nothing like a local to share their understanding of a place. And our guide gave us tips to explore things we never would have been able to do on our own!

Contrary to previous experiences with KimKim, this trip was full of missed details and frustrating, last minute, expensive scrambles for transfers. It was very different from my previous trip to Turkey, where everything was impeccably planned and the communication was flawless. On the bright side, Norway was beautiful and the people were lovely and so kind. It’s just a shame that the overall quality of the trip was diminished by the poor planning and communication.

This was our third trip using Kim Kim, and generally speaking we have always received outstanding service, which was why working with Maria was so shockingly disappointing. From the start, Maria was not responsive to our requests and there were an alarming amount of details there were not addressed. For example, in previous trips, all of our transfers were scheduled and included as part of our package, where as with this trip, no transfers had been set up and no transfers were included as part of the package - something we did not realize until late in the planning process. One of the reasons we use Kim Kim is because of the seamlessness and peace of mind knowing that all of the details have been taken care of. When we inquired about one of the major transfers in our trip, Maria suggested we rent a car, at a huge additional expense, which would have been a 9 hour drive, through mountainous, winter conditions. I find this to be ludicrous for a travel expert to suggest. Due to the last minute planning of these details, we ended up having to take 3 flights to reach our destination. At one point during our trip, we had inquired about canceling an excursion. Our local guides never checked in to ask why we wanted to cancel or if there was something going on that we needed help with. It turns out the excursion ended up being canceled by the tour company (who ended up contacting us directly) and it took Kim Kim more than 3 hours to inform us of this cancellation. Before, during, and after our trip, Maria never reached out once to check in and see how things were going. Again, this has not been our previous experience with Kim Kim. The draw of using Kim Kim, who uses local experts, would imply useful information and tips for the areas and destination, and that was completely absent in this trip. For example, that it was recommended we walk from the train station to our hotel in downtown Oslo rather than being over charged by a local Taxi driver. I can go on and on. Additionally, we had an issue with checking into one of the hotels where the clerk had questions about charging the credit card on file. We tried to reach out to Kim Kim and the emergency line and could not get through. On the bright side, we loved Norway as a destination. The excursions were fantastic and fun. We had requested to stay at Sorrisniva, the Holman Husky Lodge, as well as take the Havila Capilla and they certainly did not disappoint, We would highly recommend each of these stays/experiences. The dog sledding with Trasti & Trine, was a particular highlight and an amazing experience. All in all, despite the unexpected challenges working with Maria presented, we loved our time in Norway, and found the local people to be friendly and kind. Sadly, if this had been my first and only experience with Kim Kim, I probably would never use this company again, as in this case, there was no added value.

Hotel Reviews

Scandic Kirkenes

Kirkenes

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Holmen Husky Lodge

Alta

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Sorrisniva Arctic Wilderness Lodge

Alta

Simply amazing hotel! Everything about our experience exceeding our expectations.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Dogsledding Day Trip

Alta

This was the most amazing experience of our entire trip. The dogsledding was such an authentic experience. The owners of the company took us out themselves and we had such an enjoyable conversation with them about their own 'professional' competitive experiences dogsledding. Truly amazing. We would do this again in a heart beat. Highly recommend. To top it off, the owners are a Michelin Star chef and provide lunch of the trip. They have their own restaurant and bar on site. Amazing.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

King Crab Safari from Kirkenes during Winter

Kirkenes

This was the most disappointing excursion we experienced on our trip. Not necessarily the fault of the tour company. The weather was too warm, and the ice was not frozen enough for us to actually get to experience the king crab fishing ourselves. We had to stand at a far off distance, while the staff went and picked up the king crabs. Of course, we still enjoyed a lovely dinner of the fresh crabs.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Sorry for responding late but we had a wonderful time in Norway! The Kim Kim team was very thorough and helpful throughout our trip. The only minor glitch we had was at Tromso airport where we were not met by anyone upon arrival. But within few minutes of speaking with your office, our ride arrived. We really appreciate the ability to connect on WhatsApp and the prompt responses every time! We found everyone at Kim Kim extremely friendly, polite and helpful to deal with. The hotels were fantastic and our guide in Oslo was prompt, informative and friendly. Unfortunately our guided tour in Bergen got cancelled due to bad weather and we were unable to do both the funicular in Bergen and the cable ride in Tromso, but overall it was an extremely well planned itinarary & great service. Thank you all for making our trip so fun, & convenient! We will definitely reach out to Kim Kim for any trips in the future.

Hotel Review

Radisson Blu Airport Hotel, Oslo Gardemoen

Gardemoen

A great hotel! Clean and comfortable rooms! Friendly staff. Fantastic food! And can’t beat the convenience of being right across from the airport! So glad that it was suggested for our stay!

Authenticity & Character

Location

The convenience

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Whale Watching Excursion by Electric Ship

Tromsø

Awesome scenery! And 100s of Orcas!!

Northern Lights Hunt by Minibus with Photographer & Campfire Dinner

Tromsø

Wow! Wow! Wow! What can I say? We were disappointed to see overcast skies upon landing in Tromso, but they drove us across to Finland in search of clear skies to view this amazing phenomenon! It is a spectacular display by Mother Nature! The best part was enjoying a warm meal around the campfire in the freezing arctic temperatures with the Northern Lights dancing all around us! What an amazing experience!

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Private Transfer

Tromsø

Fjord Cruise & Seafood Dining Experience

Bergen

Northern Lights Dinner Cruise

Tromsø

Quality of Experience

Norway in a Nutshell Tour

Norway

Quality of Experience

Transport

Oslo private tour

Oslo

Fjord Safari by RIB

Flåm

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private Floating Sauna Experience

Norway

It was an amazing experience to enjoy the warmth of the suana and take a refreshing dip in the beautiful fjord that stretches out before you! A must do activity on your travel to Norway!

Quality of Experience

I usually plan all my travel by myself but was feeling a bit overwhelmed with figuring out where to go and what to do in Norway. Maria did a wonderful job tailoring the trip to our interests. We loved our kayak and hiking tour with Mads in Alesund. Kayaking in Geiranger was also a highlight. The accommodations were great and the distance between towns was perfect and allowed us to see breathtaking vistas but not have to drive all day. The entire trip went smoothly and we wouldn’t hesitate to use Kimkim again.

Maria, Fenne , David, Rufo from team kimkim put together an amazing oslo to Stavanger to ODDA to Bergen n then back to oslo,a trip of about 10days.
The whole trip was a mix of slow paced delightful fjord cruise, medium paced city tours and adrenaline oozing challenging treks. We enjoyed to our hearts content n departed hoping to come back again with the same company .Norway is like utopia,every inch is so beautiful n the local people even more beautiful n helpful.
Thank you again
Jessy and Vidya
With love from India

Activity Review

Kjerag Hike with Lunch

Stavanger

Though it was amazing,I feel it is suicidal to jump on that boulder. Please please do some safety precautions before we lose some precious lives. The trek up n down is challenging enough. Such a heavenly place should not be traumatic.hope there has been no casauties so far but should we wait for one??God forbid.

Quality of Experience

All plans suited us

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Very friendly n helpful

Transport