Kimkim Trip Reviews for Norway

Turning to KimKim to help plan this trip was the best decision we could have made. Anna did a great job listening and understanding what we wanted to get out of our trip and created and edited a great itinerary. When traveling, things are bound to go wrong, but any issues that arose were quickly taken care of and resolved. This eased any stress of being in a new country for the first time.

Krista was our initial planner and then other planners came into the mix. I did not like that process as information was not always transmitted accurately and at one point we had a big snafu regarding one of our destinations. It did not work for me to have probably 4-5 different trip planners working with me On the trip. I will say that Meree, the last planner we worked with, was most responsive and very empathic to the challenges we faced with our lodging.
I am not sure I would work with KimKim again. I have planned all
Of our prior European travels but decided to get professional help with this trip due to my time constraints. I have to say that for all the money we paid, we did not get very much for the money spent. Furthermore there were real problems with two of our accommodations (the best place we stayed in Norway was found by me!), and given that the primary request was around comfortable accommodations, I would
Say KimKim failed miserably. To their credit, we were later refunded some
Of Our money which I did appreciate, however that still did not truly
Compensate for our disappointment in where we stayed. I was
Clear with Krista that two of our foursome were 80 years old, and I am not sure she truly took that into consideration when making some of our arrangements. For example, the fjord safari out of Flam was totally inappropriate for the older couple traveling
With us, so they did not go. "Farm tours" were not truly "farms" so I felt a bit misled. We liked the fjord ferry to Rosendhal and that was a highlight. KimKim also neglected to give us some important transit info (eg how to get to the ferry, etc), but when I asked, they were pretty immediately responsive.
All in all, I would not use KimKim again. While some of the planners (especially Meree) were great and tuned in, I am not sure
Others were. While we made the best out of the inconveniences, I think I will go back to
Planning for myself. On balance this was an expensive lesson to learn.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Norge by Scandic

Bergen

We had received a. "Upgrade " at this hotel But when we arrived we were told that our prepaid rooms were given away. And then told we were given a "better " room. They were small, cramped, loud (practically at street Level) and the attitude of the staff was "too Bad". Very unpleasant stay

Location

Near the museums. Loved that

Staff

Being taken more seriously given their mistake in giving away our rooms

Cleanliness & Comfort

Flåmsbrygga Hotel

Flåm

Loud and not well appointed at all. No one told us that getting food after 7:30, unless reservations were made well in advance. Abd our fjord safari did not return til 8. So no dinner for us that pm

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Terribly loud, especially from the upstairs room. We did not sleep Well that nitht

Thon Hotel Rosenkrantz

Bergen

Comfortable and spacious. Nice breakfast

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

29|2 Aurland

Aurland

We loved being at the farm and the staff, especially sjorg and Anders who were fantastic. The rooms we stayed in were small but lovely, but required climbing a treacherous ladder that was quite dangerous for us and our companions who were 80. We never should have been in those rooms. That step ladder is a Lawsuit waiting to happen. Minimally no one over 50 Should be climbing up those "steps" and a railing should be installed. Apart from that , the farm Is a special place and the meals were very good.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean but hard to navigate our rooms. See above

Activity Reviews

Summer Fjord RIB Safari & Undredal Cheese Tasting

Flåm

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Experience Aurland with a Local Guide

Aurland

No real tasting of any food so a bit of a misrepresentation

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Anders was a wonderful Guide

Transport

Fjord Cruise to Rosendal

Bergen

Lovely place to visit

Quality of Experience

Transport

Anna did an excellent job in planning our 11-day trip to Norway. Listening to our interest in hiking and exploring fjords and the coast, she designed a custom trip that exceeded our expectations. It was a great adventure for my wife and me.

We had a great time. The quality of the hotels and transport was great. We liked how the hotels were close to the train stations or boat docking area (I will admit that 1 km from the dock to the hotel in Geiranger did not sound too bad, but it was all up a very steep hill). We did not end up going on the day trip to Runde Island to see the birds. We were tired and the transport looked kind of tricky, so we skipped it and walked around Alesund.

Most of all we liked how Meree listened to us and made the trip for us. The pre-booking of the trains, tours, and hotels made it very easy and took a lot of the stress out of getting around. The pace and variety of travel was great. Both this trip and our past trip to Nepal were very well done. I would recommend you to anyone.

Thanks
Brent

Hotel Review

Hotell Bondeheimen

Oslo

Great location and our number one breakfast hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Panoramic Bus Trip

Oslo

Good tour. 3 hours was just right.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Wow what an amazing experience Anna designed for us to discover the breathtakingly beautiful Norwegian landscape. We had a wonderful time discovering the stunning Fjords, towns and villages between Oslo and Bergen. Flåm is truly the gateway to the Fjords. The Fjord Safari and Tasting experience was fantastic and you felt the majestic power yet tranquil and peaceful presence of the Fjords, water and waterfalls. The Ferry to Bergen was very relaxing and comfortable and took as through the longest Fjord. Bergen is a beautiful and buzzing city with its harbour, mountain views and lovely old town. Our trip to Rosendal was again stunning through the Hardinger Fjord onto the pretty village of Rosendal. The train trip between Oslo and Flåm and Bergen back to Oslo including the Flåm Railway had spectacular views and was very comfortable. A great and highly recommended experience all round. Anna was a delightful to work with to organise the trip she did an amazing job together with the team at KimKim. Thank you for a very memorable experience for our family.

Hotel Reviews

Fretheim Hotel

Flåm

Great place for an overnight in Flåm. Very help and stunning views.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Ole Bull Hotel & Apartment

Bergen

The hotel was on a great location on Ole Bulls Plass, however the hotel was run down and under renovation. Many things did not work in the apartment with limited facilities. The shower head in the bathroom was broken and there was not much to use to make coffee or other amenities for our stay. Our first night as a Saturday and there are many clubs around including in the building with partying all night. We appreciate that sometimes this happens, but the combination of the noise and the apartment being cramped and tiny made it hard to enjoy. The only saving grace were the wonderful staff who were lovely and very hospitable - they were trying to make a difficult situation as pleasurable as they could.. Not a place I would recommend.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Explore Oslo's Hidden Gems with a Local Expert

Oslo

Stig was amazing and really gave us a local feel for Oslo. He was a great Guide and would highly recommend.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

It was walking which is the best way on a beautiful sunny day

Fjord Safari Taste

Norway

Great experience

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore Hardangerfjord

Bergen

Great trip to Rosendal and HardangerFjord. Beautiful stunning day.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The planning process was done well in advance with Eline. She was open to our requests and made the changes to adjust the program according to our preferences.
However, a few things could be improved which worth to be mentioned in favor of future travelers.
1. The lodging in Flam was sold out at the time of our planning, back in April, therefore we were booked in a Gudvangen hotel, 20 km away from Flam by road. After about a 7-hour (amazing) train journey, we realized would have to travel to the hotel, check-in and return the morning after to Flam to board the fjord cruise before 9:00 am. Then, sailing to... Gudvangen and back to Flam where the cruise ended. Now what? Take the bus to return once again to Gudvangen hotel and back to Flam in the morning. Five times doing the travelling between both sites, twice by boat, three more by road.
Thanks to Julia, the "emergency girl", who found a (tiny) accommodation for 2 nights in Flam, a last minute and very welcomed option to the original plan.
2. We were not given the option to fly from Bergen to Oslo (50') instead of 7 hs by train. It was our last day in Norway, what means we missed half day we could use in Oslo. A point to be considered as well.
Otherwise, everything worked to perfection. Tickets, reservations, suggestions, places, not a single problem arise.
All in all, we are happy we have planned this trip with The Kim Kim team.

Hotel Review

Bergen Børs Hotel

Bergen

A past home to the Bergen Stock Exchange, beautiful building, nice rooms, spotless clean, wonderful staff and the best location in town. A place to return in the future.

Authenticity & Character

former home to the Stock Exchange, a piece of Bergen history

Location

a couple of minutes away from the fish market and best shopping area

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Nærøyfjord Cruise by Electric Boat

Flåm

Quality of Experience

Transport

Visit the Viking Valley

Norway

We enjoyed every moment of our trip from Bergen to Oslo with stops in Ullensvang and Aurland along the way. Mathia planned every detail of our trip perfectly. It was truly flawless. Highlights included hiking up Mt Floyen and Stoltzekleiven in Bergen, cruising the gorgeous Hardangerfjord to Rosendahl, hopping off and on local buses as we traveled to Ullensvang, hiking the Dronningstein and stopping at the cidery in Loftus on our way down the mountain, more local bus travel and a visit to Aurland before taking the Flåm and Myrdal railways to Oslo for our final weekend. Again, Mathia planned our trip to perfection from the hotels to the travel details, ferry & train tickets, etc. We loved Norway and would happily return. We highly recommend KimKim and will definitely use this company for future travel destinations.

Hotel Reviews

Thon Hotel Rosenkrantz

Bergen

Beautiful superior room. Delicious breakfast buffet. Perfect location

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Ullensvang

Lofthus Hardanger

Loved the location on the fjord (even went swimming) and the various pools and decks. Fabulous view rooms and wonderful breakfast. Very easy to access the shuttle bus to the trailhead of the Dronningstein. Enjoyed visiting the Loftus cidery. Two great dinners in town, one at a pizza restaurant and the second at a Norwegian/Thai restaurant.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Aurlandsfjord

Aurland

Another lovely hotel with a gorgeous review of the fjord. We enjoyed both the breakfast and dinner at the hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Oslo Guldsmeden

Oslo

A nice hotel, good location. The rooms were small, a bit stuffy and noisy. Breakfast was lovely. Received excellent guidance from the hotel staff about things to do and how to get around.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Well located to explore numerous parks, neighbourhoods, museums, harbour front. Quick access to transit in the city and to the airport

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Short Hike with a Local in Bergen

Bergen

Ferry from {{start_location}} to {{end_location}}

Norway

Transfer from Flåm to Aurland

Norway

We took quite an independent approach- limited guides (just one morning in Bergen with John who was great). However it was really good knowing Mathia was “there” ready to respond immediately to any queries or to communicate ahead for us such as when one of our scheduled buses was late. We stayed in really lovely hotels, saw amazing scenery, did some big hikes and had a fabulous time. We’re confident travellers but it was so good having initial ideas and guidance from Kim Kim in planning the trip. I’d definitely recommend the service

Mathia was fantastic. He found places and recommendations we would not of known on our own and each one was perfect. His level of service was outstanding. He was proactive and responsive. Everywhere we turned was another beautiful view and friendly face. I can't wait to come back and discovery more of Norway.

Mar and fenne were excellent in quickly putting together a jam packed active vacation. After weeks of trying to plan it on my own, in frustration I turned to Kimkim especially after seeing the WSJ approval. Our agent put together 2 plan options complete with costs and schedules. We chose one then changed one or two things. They had a detailed itinerary, addresses, phone numbers, confirmation numbers, emergency contact numbers…It was brilliant. I will definitely use this service again. Thank you Mar and Fenne

Hotel Reviews

Fleischer's Hotel

Voss

Beautiful woodwork, patio and views. Loads of charm.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Easy stroll to town, the gondola, right at the train station, near the mountain bike rental

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Tyssedal Hotel

Tyssedal

Amazing view. The industry near the waterfront was a bit loud as we like to sleep with the windows open. Dinner menu was good and slightly more affordable than others. Near enough to town if you have a car.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Got stuck in a quad with our grown sons. Wasn’t too bad as there was an extra toilet across the hall. We enjoyed our stay very much. Most of our time was spent outside hiking.

Loen Apartments

Loen Apartments Fjordvegen

Clean large space. Nice balcony and views.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Cleanliness & Comfort

Best Western Hotel Lægreid

Sogndal

Clean, spacious. Easy parking.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Kviknes Hotel

Balestrand

Views, space, right in town.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Quality Hotel Ålesund

Ålesund

Really nothing wrong with this hotel but it was our least favorite of our trip. The rooms were small. Not really much of a view from our rooms. The very young woman at the front desk seemed new and lacked warmth as well as critical knowledge which made our interactions and stay a bit too much work, and a bit less pleasant. The slightly older woman at the front desk seemed top notch. The view from g to be patio bar was tremendous. No parking so you must fend for a spot.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Small rooms

Scandic Neptun

Bergen

Comfortable clean. Great location and view

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Guided Hike to Trolltunga

Odda

Jostin our guide was fantastic. The hike the views the stories…we loved it. Definitely a trip highlight. We also had no crowds no lines and brilliant weather.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Jostin was top notch

Transport

Deep Sea Fishing Excursion

Balestrand

Loved being out on the fjord. Had a great time with our captain Mons. Caught a blue ling, a sea pike and a dogfish.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Mons had a great sense of humor, was kind, patient, very knowledgeable. He shared some interesting stories about living in the fjords.

Transport

Art Nouveau Kayaking in Ålesund

Ålesund

Nice to get out on the water and see the city from a different perspective. Got lucky on the weather and the never ending twilight.

Quality of Experience

Our guide Daniel was great.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Daniel was professional and kind. He shared interesting stories about the history of the city as well as insight into Scandinavian culture and traditions. He recommended a good place to eat as well.

Transport

Fjord Safari by RIB (Summer/Fall)

Flåm

Beautiful scenery.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

I do not remember the young man’s name that gave the tour but he captained with Maya. He was great. He had interesting quirky stories and facts. He was funny and worked to keep all ages engaged.

Transport

Smooth

E-Mountain Bike Guided Tour

Voss

Amazing what the e mountain bikes can get up and over. Different than traditional mountain biking but still a heck of a work out and fun.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our Nepali guide whose name meant sunflower (sumann??) was great. Kind patient supportive I’d highly recommend him

My wife and I recently traveled to Norway for our Honeymoon and had the most incredible experience. We had a rough idea of the type of trip we wanted, but the thought of trying to create an itinerary from scratch in a country we had never been to before was a bit overwhelming. After being put in touch with our local specialist, Christina, and providing our preferences of what we were looking for, we were able to gradually craft a travel plan that suited our needs.

From the onset, communication with Christina was seamless and she provided us with detailed travel plans to review so that we can could provide feedback along the way. Christina was extremely responsive to our questions, and we always felt comfortable reaching out to her for any type of inquiry (even minor ones). Every level of detail was accounted for in the planning of the trip- lodging accommodations, transportation, and activities. On days where we were not sure if we wanted a formal planned activity, Christina would leave plenty of detailed options for us to review and consider.

Additionally, once we arrived in Norway, it was comforting to know that we had Christina as a resource to reach out to in case anything went wrong during our travels.

We had the best time and would definitely use this platform again when planning our next adventure!

Krista and Fenne helped us prepare a plan that suits my family. The booking arrangements were flawless despite several changes. Many thanks!

Interaction with Julia during the trip was really fast and helpful. It gave us comfort in a new place especially when language is barrier. I really appreciate it.

Our stay at Balestrand was memorable. It is a peaceful and extremely beautiful place with sea view, mountain view with still unmelted ice and a small village. The trip to Geiranger by ferry and back by bus was also very memorable. This trip captured the fjords as well as the beautiful road with mountain view. Truly amazing views.

The travel team was wonderful. The fjord tour in flam was fantastic. pulpit rock as an excursion was fantastic. the skipper in Senja was wonderful.

Anna listened to what we hoped to see and do, and wrapped our wishes into a beautiful vacation

Hotel Reviews

Thon Hotel Spectrum

Oslo

Great location for the train station and inner city attractions

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Alexandra

The scenery in this town is amazing. The room was very comfortable and the bed was very good. We had both Saturday night supper and Sunday morning breakfast there. Both were amazing buffets.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Knutholmen

Kalvåg

Room was very well decorated, and classy. the fresh fish at the restaurant was excellent. Service and staff were excellent.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Scandic Ørnen

Bergen

Great location. Excellent breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Scandic Voss

Voss

location right next to the train station was great. The restaurant was excellent, both for dinner and breakfast

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Sauna Knutholmen

Kalvåg

the sauna was super warm, and after we were in for a bit we jumped into the ocean. Very refreshing

Bike rental

Kalvåg

A Taste of Norway's Culture and Cuisine

Oslo

Very good culture tour, with a very knowledgeable guide who knew a lot about the city, country and history of Norway. The food part of the tour was a little light.

Tom planned an amazing itinerary for us in Norway. Words can’t describe how well it went for us. From the modes of transportation, hotels, and activities he selected all were wonderful. Vilde in Bergen gave us a great tour and provided the best restaurant recommendation. Tom really listened to what we were looking to do and our preferences when he planned out our itinerary. Thank you for planning a perfect dream vacation for my siblings and I to take with our Mom!

Activity Reviews

Fjordsafari

Norway

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

People were so nice and helpful!

Transport

Bergen Walking Tour With a Local Guide

Bergen

Having a local guide take us around Bergen was great. It was a wonderful experience to walk around with somebody local to see and hear a more personalized view and history of the city.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Vilde was great!

Flor & Fjære Garden Cruise

Stavanger

Flor & Fjaere was so unexpectedly amazing. We weren’t sure what to expect when we picked the activity, but we were in awe of the gardens and scenery. The venue and the meal was a one of a kind experience that would be very difficult to duplicate anywhere else.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We enjoyed the trip put together by KimKim. All the transfers were easy to understand and having our e-tickets in pdf ahead of time made it all very easy. We enjoyed all the accommodations. And trip planning with Edzi before our trip was easy and communication was very good.

Our KimKim specialist in Norway, Tricia, was amazing from start to finish. We had a medical emergency while on our trip and had to change a lot of our plans. Tricia really stepped up and helped us out in our hour of need!

I would absolutely use KimKim again for any future international trips.

Hotel Reviews

Opus XVI

Bergen

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Alexandra

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Brosundet

Ålesund

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Exploration of Ålesund's Surrounding Islands

Ålesund

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We did not understand that KimKim was just booking things for us and not a tour guide. We thought she was picking us up and and taking us from one event to the next. We had 2people in their 80’s and one in late 70’s the other 3 were in their late 50s. We didn’t know until we sent deposit that we were on our on to get to tours, and would never meet anyone from KimKim. She never ask our ages and anything about us. We have traveled we so many travel groups that pick us up from airport and take care of us. We would never travel with this kinda of service again. It was terrible. We had to walk long distances with heavy suitcases and find our on way to each tour are train. This is very hard on a 88 year old person. All KimKim did was book 2 site seeing tours in Oslo ( which were a long walk to get to) 2 hotels, a train ride ( which we had to find our way too, ) and a lift up a mountain in Bergen. All of the tours were lovely but it was very hard on us old people to find our way and manage our on luggage.. This has never been the way we have traveled before. And it will never be the way we do it again

Hotel Reviews

Camillas Hus

Oslo

It was lovely and the breakfast was wonderful

Staff

Everything

Cleanliness & Comfort

Fretheim Hotel

Flåm

Authenticity & Character

Location

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Panoramic Bus Trip

Oslo

We would have enjoyed it more if it could have been totally in English

Fløibanen Funicular Experience

Bergen

Loved it

Christina was great to work with on our trip planning and the emergency line was very responsive when we had issues with our luggage which required us to adjust our travel plans in real time. We appreciated Christina providing driving directions and links along with a schedule which included departure times to make it to our destinations. We had great experiences with the travel guides that were booked and would highly recommend both Fjaerland Guiding and Trolltunga Active.

Christina was the absolute best travel agent I’ve ever interacted with. She was clear in her comms, quick to respond and on top of things when there were (small) changes to the itinerary. She’s the sole reason I’d book through KimKim again.

A BIG thank you to Christina!

Best,
Nickel