Mathia Pacenti

The trip to Norway was an amazing success. Having a personal contact from the country to help discuss options, plan and book the trip, as well as answer any questions that we had during our trip helped us have the best time with minimal stress.

All of our guides, hotels, and transit bookings were exactly what we were looking for and all of the information/tickets were easily available within the KimKim itenerary page.

Thank you Mathia, Stig, Ute and everyone else who helped us see the beautiful country of Norway.

Activity Reviews

Explore Oslo's Hidden Gems with a Local Expert

Oslo

Stig was an awesome tour guide with so much knowledge of Oslo and Norway as a whole. He has been around the world and you can easily see his passion for history, art, and people.

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Guides, Drivers and Staff

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Visit Stegastein Viewpoint

Norway

By far the best viewpoint of an incredible fjord.

Quality of Experience

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Fjordcruise on UNESCO Nærøyfjord

Norway

Extremely serene and cozy way to see the Næroyfjords, a must do if you are in this part of the country.

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Bergen Walking Tour With a Local Guide

Bergen

Great way to see and learn about Bergen. There is a lot of preserved history within the cityscape and the cobblestone streets are incredible places to walk.

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My friend and I had a wonderful experience in Norway. Our travel specialist, Mathia Pacenti, was easy to communicate with and very responsive. He ensured that we were well-informed by sending us detailed itineraries in advance. The choice of hotel locations was excellent as they were conveniently situated and easily accessible.

What impressed me the most was how he regularly checked in on us when we reached each new place. It made us feel well taken care of and ensured a smooth transition between destinations.

The two local walking tours provided a fantastic opportunity for us to delve deeper into the culture and history of the two places we visited. A big thanks to our guides, Stig Frislid Torset and John Grahl-Madsen, for making the tours enjoyable.

We are glad to have booked through kimkim and will definitely book with them again in the future!

Activity Reviews

Explore Oslo's Hidden Gems with a Local Expert

Oslo

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

A big thanks to our guide, Stig Frislid Torset for showing us around!

Bergen Walking Tour With a Local Guide

Bergen

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

A big thanks to our guide, John Grahl-Madsen for showing us around!

Thanks to Mathia's help we enjoyed a little bit of everything that Norway has to offer. From Bergen to Oslo we saw an abundance of majestic scenery, experienced small village life, and loved the energy in Oslo and the people we met. Our trip began with two nights in Bergen at the Bergen Bors Hotel. The hotel was steps away from the harbor, restaurants, and quaint neighborhoods. The rooms were very clean and comfortable. The breakfast at the hotel was very good and the restaurant has a classic feel (it was an old stock exchange building from the 1800's). While in Bergen we did a private historical walking tour with John. The tour was supposed to be 3 hours, but John spent 4 lovely hours with him. If we were willing to walk (in the rain), he was willing to keep showing us around and sharing stories. Later that same day we took the Mostraumen Fjord Cruise (3 hours). We were lucky that the rain stopped! When in Norway, a fjord cruise is a must! Our last day in Bergen, we explored on our own. We took the Floibanen funicular to the Floyen (top of the mountain) for a great panoramic view of the city, mountains and fjords. If you like to walk, I recommend buying a one way ticket and walking back on the very well marked trail back to the city center. It's a very active area with lots of families and people enjoying the outdoors. Our next stop was Balestrand, a tiny town population 1,200 located in a beautiful fjord. We stayed in the Kvikness Hotel which takes you back in time. It reminded me a lot of The Balsams Wilderness in Dixville Notch, New Hampshire. We took a private scenic fjord boat trip with Captain Tor. We had a unique trip weather wise which made even better in my eyes. Captain Tor was in his element (rain or shine) and took good care of us. Seeing the area through the eyes of a true local was unique. The hotel had a very nice buffet style breakfast. We chose to eat dinner at Peter's Plass a quaint tiny Ukrainian restaurant. Note: Aside from the hotel this was the only restaurant open as everything was "closed for the season". On our way to Aurland by ferry we got to see more of the beauty of the fjords. In Aurland, we stayed three nights at 29/2 Aurland an organic farm "off the beaten path". Our accommodations were in a rustic old fisherman's cabin but very comfortable and unique. There was main (modern rustic) building that all of the guests had their meals and afternoon coffee/tea & homemade baked goods. The breakfast was buffet style. The dinner was a three course meal (with a wine pairing option). Dinner was the chefs choice, all organic, and local ingredients. Small "masterpieces" were served each night. We are willing to try new foods, but we are not true "foodies". Note: The food was wonderful, but there are not "options"/the menu is set. While there we rode (the free) bikes down to the village (population 800) and around the fjord. The next two days rained a lot...a lovely employee Madara at 29/2 found my husband a pair of waterproof hiking boots and a rain coat that saved the day! We were able to hike the nearby waterfall (Turlidfossen) despite the extremely muddy trail. It was an adventure and beautiful! We lucked out and had clear skies and a little sun for our excursion to the Stegastein Viewpoint. The "road" to the viewpoint was very narrow and curvy. I'm glad we left the driving to the professionals! While I truly loved our experience at 29/2, for this trip, I would have opted for 2 nights (instead 3) and added an extra night to our next stop in Geilo. On our way to Geilo, we went through Flam. The fjords heading from Aurland to Flam were our favorite - majestic overload! In Flam we took the scenic railway to Geilo for one night. Geilo is a small ski town. We stayed at the Vestilia Resort. The accommodations were modern and very spacious. This is a family friendly resort with options for adult only areas. The breakfast spread was amazing and the dinner we had in the restaurant was top notch. All of the employees were super friendly and helpful. We entertained ourselves with a 6-7 mile walk around the lake and explored the base area ski shops. If you are a skier, you'll appreciate this little ski village. Final stop: Oslo! The night we arrived we saw Luke Combs in concert at the Spektrum Center. It was an awesome experience. The venue was the perfect size, the acoustics were great, and the crowd was full of energy! Singing "Sweet Caroline" before the concert started with a bunch of Norwegians was so much fun! I was surprised how much I liked Oslo. I didn't expect it to be as warm and friendly as it was. On the last day of our trip we walked 12 miles on a all around Oslo. It was the nicest day (weather wise) that we had in Norway. Highlights of our walk: city center, residential areas on our way to the Royal Palace, Vigeland Sculpure Park (so unique), the waterfront activity (coffee shops, ice cream, floating saunas, the Salt salsa dancing, the Opera House, and Olivia's Italian restaurant. We stayed at the Thon Opera Hotel. This is a very modern hotel located right next to the train station and in walking distance to the Spektrum Center. The room was comfortable and clean. The breakfast was also good. It was a much busier environment than our other accommodations. Getting a taxi from our hotel to the airport at 4am was super easy. Overall our trip was a success!
We saw a lot and we felt like we got a great feel for the people and the culture of this beautiful county. I would highly recommend working with Mathia. He took our input and planned a seamless trip for us.

Hotel Reviews

Bergen Børs Hotel

Bergen

Authenticity & Character

An old stock exchange building....with an old world feel.

Location

In the heart of the city center.

Staff

Very nice and professional

Cleanliness & Comfort

Kviknes Hotel

Balestrand

The setting is beautiful. It takes you back in time....

Authenticity & Character

Location

The view from our room was lovely. You can walk from the ferry to the hotel. You are in walking distance to the center of this tiny village.

Staff

The receptionist (a 25-30 year old female) was very short with us. Not helpful with our basic questions. She appeared to be annoyed that we didn't know we were visiting "off season". She informed us that there were NO restaurants (other than the hotel) open in the off season. However, we did find Peter's Plass a Ukrainian restaurant and we had a great meal. We were surprised by her attitude, because everyone we had encountered thus far was very friendly.

Cleanliness & Comfort

29|2 Aurland

Aurland

This is a unique place. It is remote and a bit rustic with partially shared accommodations. The "fisherman" house we stayed in had very tiny bedrooms (each with a small private bathroom) with small common areas (sitting room and kitchen). There were working wood stoves.

Authenticity & Character

I loved the history....a farm that has been passed down many generations.

Location

Being remote is what makes this place unique. The village is a 2 mile walk. There are free bikes for guests to use. If you are unable to walk, they will drive you to town for 500 krone (roughly $46 dollars one way). We like to walk and bike and we got lucky that it wasn't pouring when we needed to walk into the village.

Staff

The hiking guides (we didn't use them, but picked their brains) were super friendly and clearly enjoy showing people around. They were very helpful. The staff overall was warm and very gracious. Madara went above and beyond and helped us with some rain gear.

Cleanliness & Comfort

I loved the quaint rustic cozy quarters.

Vestlia Resort

Geilo

A great ski lodge rustic spa feeling

Authenticity & Character

We are skiers so I loved the lodge feeling - the Norwegian touches was awesome

Location

In walking distance of the trails around the lake

Staff

Everyone was very helpful. We especially had great service at dinner.

Cleanliness & Comfort

We had a one bedroom apartment. Plenty of space and modern decor.

Thon Hotel Opera

Oslo

Modern hotel with all of the amenities.

Authenticity & Character

Clean, typical modern hotel in a city

Location

Walking distance to the train station, city center, Spektrum center, and waterfront

Staff

The receptionist were great.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Viking Heritage & Historical Walk with a Local

Bergen

John our guide was great. He spent 4 hours with us (tour was supposed to be 3). He was not in a rush. He wanted to show us as much as possible while making sure we were ok with all of the walking (and rain).

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Guides, Drivers and Staff

Mostraumen Fjord Cruise from Bergen

Bergen

Quality of Experience

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Scenic Boat Trip to Fjærland

Norway

A unique private tour with a true local - Captain Tor.

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Visit Stegastein Viewpoint

Norway

Quality of Experience

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Fjordcruise on UNESCO Nærøyfjord

Norway

Quality of Experience

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We travelled to beautiful Norway in September for a special 50th birthday trip. Our destinations were to Oslo, Åndalsnes, Geiranger & Ålesund. After several changes by me, Mathia created an amazing, memorable trip! He was very patient and never made me feel like an inconvenience.
Initially, I was concerned that we would have too much down time, but it ended up being the perfect mix of both activities and self-exploration. We were able to see 4 completely different areas of Norway and stayed in 4 completely different hotels, so we got a little bit of everything, which was awesome. I loved that we were primarily in local hotels rather than big chain hotels. It is so much better to experience the local culture.
As with all vacations there was a small snafu, but Mathia had it corrected and we were on our way within the hour. It is hardly a thought in my mind when remembering the trip.
I was also extremely impressed that there was someone on call over the weekend. Our initial connecting flight was delayed multiple times and finally cancelled because of weather. I notified the on-call person, who was ready to take appropriate action as needed on their end. Luckily, we were able to get a connecting flight out of another city, so were only a day late, so very few changes had to be made.
We missed most of our time in Oslo but were able to make the cruise touring the area and learning about local culture. Our guide, Suzy, was hilarious and made the trip extra enjoyable.
In Åndalsnes, we road the gondola to the top of the mountain, did some hiking and ate at Eggen with beautiful views as the sun went down. We also explored the beach and took some great pictures.
In Geiranger, we got to take a boat ride in the fjords and did the via ferrata & zip line adventure. I was not sure what to expect, but it ended up being one of the best activities of the trip. The staff at the hotel were amazing and the food was spectacular!
Ålesund was my absolute favorite city. It was so beautiful and the trip to the other islands with a hike was amazing! Our guide was great and the lunch provided was wonderful. I would say the Hotel Brosundet in Ålesund was my favorite hotel of all times and would recommend it to anyone!
I highly recommend Kimkim and would definitely use them again for another exploration. I hope to travel to Norway again and see the other parts of this amazing country. This was an incredible trip and will be hard to beat for future travels.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Brosundet

Ålesund

This was my favorite hotel. Beautiful décor and the huge fireplace in the lobby was wonderful to sit around and chat. Staff was great and very accommodating.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Grande Fjordhotel

Geiranger

Fabulous staff, great view and wonderful food!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Silent Oslo Fjord Cruise

Oslo

The tour guide, Suzy, was entertaining and so full of knowledge. Wonderful activity!

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Exploration of Ålesund's Surrounding Islands

Ålesund

Island were beautiful and the hike was a little tough for a beginning, but wonderful to see. Guide was very knowledgeable and very patient.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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Zip Line & Via Ferrata Hiking Experience

Geiranger

I was a little nervous initially because it was a new experience, but definitely one of my favorite adventures.

Quality of Experience

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Norway is amazing!! Mathias did a great job with every place we visited. We started in Oslo, saw the Opera house and the Munch museum. Took an electric boat on Fjords and Susie made waffles with the brunost cheese, delicious! We also went rock climbing and zip lining in Andalsnes across waterfalls and beautiful trees. Enjoyed dinner at EGGEN restaurant at the top of a mountain by way of a gondola and watched a perfect sunset. Wow! We then traveled to Geiranger,a quaint little fishing village with the most beautiful Fjords. Peter was our three hour tour bus guide. He knows a thing or two since he has been doing this for 30 years. We stopped at waterfalls and zipped through the valleys in the mountains. Time really does fly when you are having fun, didn't feel like three hours. He told us about trolls and other legends. Our final destination was Alesund a fairy tale looking island. The architecture was incredible with their cobblestone streets and lighthouses. Antenot was the perfect guide as we hiked eight miles, up a picturesque hillside along with sheep grazing below. Great food and great times with great friends. We had the time of our lives. Thanks Mathias and KIMKIM.

Activity Reviews

Silent Oslo Fjord Cruise

Oslo

Great way to see the saunas on the Fjords and get a closer look at the summer houses. Susie was great!

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Exploration of Ålesund's Surrounding Islands

Ålesund

Antenot was amazing!! Great guide! He was patient and friendly and a real expert at climbing and hiking.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

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Zip Line & Via Ferrata Hiking Experience

Geiranger

Never done anything like this, pleasantly surprised how much fun it was.

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