Norway Custom Winter Tours & Trips

Here is a brief and honest opinion of our Norway sojourn with Kimkim. Oslo and Bergen, although nice, were not special. However, we did get to hear the Oslo Philharmonic. My husband and I were especially impressed with the Lofoten area of Norway. Seeing those gorgeous snow-capped mountains and the surrounding landscape was indeed amazing. The apartment (Nordis Suite) in Svolvaer was spectacular! The view from those floor to ceiling windows of the harbor and the mountains was simply magical. Unfortunately, my biggest yearning was not fulfilled: the weather was not cooperative and we missed seeing the Aurora. We were booked for a photographer's hunt for the Aurora in Svolvaer which never happened. But our snowmobiling north of Tromso was really exciting. We enjoyed most of the local guides who helped make the towns and cities come alive with history. We stayed at the Oslo Grand Hotel, which was a nice 5-star hotel, but the rooms were certainly not "grand." The concierge service was wonderful, however. They went out of their way to try to respond to our needs. The Bergen Bors hotel, a so-called 4-star hotel, was not as good. Word of caution: Do not make a reservation for the Loft Suite. The low beams are hazardous. The bathroom is downstairs but the loft-like bedroom is up a long flight of stairs. Using the bathroom at night would have been challenging so we changed our room. In general, the hotel rooms were rather small compared to those in the US. The AERA Lodge near Tromso was quite "rustic" and is only for those who enjoy roughing it a bit. Kimkim was excellent in helping us plan our trip and was there every step of the way. Our local specialist at Kimkim, Taylor, went above and beyond. We couldn't have done it without her careful and expert guidance. I highly recommend Kimkim as a travel agency that really cares about its clients.

This was our fifth trip trip booked through Kimkim, and once again, it did not disappoint! Kimkim has done a fabulous job coordinating trips around the world with well-qualified local tour companies. For Norway, we worked with NORD DMC. Jacob, Ethel, Riccardo and the whole team were fantastic in planning out a tailored itinerary that met our travel needs and interests. They also made themselves readily available when we had questions along the way, ensuring that our trip to Norway was a memorable one and went as smoothly as possible.

Our trip entailed seven nights in the northern region of Norway. The first night was spent in Bodo where we went on a late night small-group tour in a van up into the mountains to see the Northern Lights which were magical (as it was our first time seeing them). The next three nights were spent in Svolvaer in the center of the Lofoten Islands. What a beautiful place! We did another small-group van tour through the snow covered islands, taking many pictures along the way. The highlight was stopping in Reine which was picturesque! We definitely recommend lunch at Anita'sd Seafood. Best fish soup ever! Svolvaer where we stayed was also a very walkable charming town. Our two go-to restaurants were Nordis and Bacalao. Great selections of quality food! Afterwards, a couple of Norwegian beers at the Telegrafen Pub were enjoyable while we chatted with locals and tourists. During the day, we did a couple of easy hikes outside of town, taking in the beautiful countryside, and ending the day doing the floating sauna and jumping into the harbor to cool off! The final day in Svolvaer was spent in a zodiak-style boat jetting around the fjords and enjoying the sights while the captain threw fish to the eagles that flew aroud us! A great experience!

We then flew to Alta where we spent the next three nights. We stayed in a cabin at the Flatmoen Natur Lodge where we had a glass ceiling to watch the Northern Lights from our bed! We visited the Sorrisniva Igloo Hotel (great for taking photos at, but too cold to sleep there -- glad we were at Flatmoen!). In addition to a side excursion one day to go cross-country skiing (which was a lot of fun!), the highlights in Alta were doing an evening dog-sledding excursion from the Trasti & Trine lodge (where we had delicious elk stew for dinner) and then a reindeer sledding excursion and Sami experience at the Sami Siida Restaurant where we enjoyed the local delicious salmon!

All along the way, the NORD DMC team were readily available to address all our logistical questions (it took some coordination to make sure we made the flight connections with the small planes between cities). As with our prior trips through Kimkim, my wife and I were very comfortable that we were always in good hands!

Norway is a beautiful country for both its scenery and its people! We really enjoyed experiencing it and the many outdoor adventures in the wintertime. My wife and I both agreed that we will be back another time during the summer to experience it once again in warmer weather!

It took me a little long to write, but all i have to say are nice things. Helpful, good planers, problem solvers...all perfect on our trip. Tks!!