Kimkim Trip Reviews for Norway

What an amazing trip! Tricia’s itinerary was spot on and more importantly she was always there to help us along the way. When SAS cancelled our flight to Svolvaer, Tricia found a solution that kept us on schedule so we would not miss a single minute of this beautiful country, kudos to Tricia and the Kim Kim team!
Peter

Tricia was absolutely incredible! From the beginning, Tricia listened to and checked off everything I asked for making my Norwegian bucket list adventure come true! She was amazing in helping us with flight changes due to SAS being on strike, was able to extend our car rental and get us last minute accommodations because of the strike. My dream vacation would not have happened if it weren't for her. Thank you for the most memorable, awesome, amazing, dream vacation of a lifetime!!!!

They say that there are always two trips you take “the trip that you plan and the trip that you take”.
This certainly was the case for our trip to Norway. Plans were initially made in 2020 with KimKim. However, as happened to so many people, our trip was postponed for two years due to Covid. The long awaited trip finally took place this year. KimKim did a great job in making all of our reservations for us in Oslo, Flamm, Bergen and on our Hurtigruten cruise ending in Kirkenes, Norway. All of the accommodations were superb. The layover in Flamm was one of my favorite parts of the entire trip - with I would have stayed there longer. The folks at the Skandic in Kirkenes were most helpful when we were detained there due to the SAS Airways pilots strike. Linda (from KimKim) recommended staying there until we were able to get a flight home, which we were able to thanks to a tourist company in Kirkenes, who provided transportation and recommendations of a flight home via Helsinki. We could not have managed the stress of our situation without all of the kind people we met. Thank you, Linda, for your support during those trying times.

Hotel Reviews

Grand Hotel Terminus

Bergen

Old historic hotel, convenient to train station and pleasant walk to center city.

Location

Staff

Fretheim Hotel

Flåm

Small room but very clean with nice view of garden. Delicious buffet breakfast and very helpful staff.

Location

Staff

MS Nordnorge

Tromsø

Very small but pleasant accommodations.

Staff

Very helpful to our needs

Snowhotel Kirkenes

Excellent food and lovely accommodations in one of their cabins.

Authenticity & Character

Staff were very personable

Location

Not convenient to the town of Kirkenes without a taxi

Staff

Delightful little private cabin

Cleanliness & Comfort

Scandic Byporten

Oslo

Very clean and comfortable and perfect location by railroad and center city. Surprisingly very quiet.

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Embark Hurtigruten

Norway

Quality of Experience

Programs or entertainment in evenings, tour guides when time available in ports.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Explore Kirkenes and Depart Norway

Kirkenes

Information should have been made available about upcoming SAS pilot strike so that we could have started to make plans before leaving the ship. Apparently the staff was aware of this but we did not know until leaving the ship in Kirkenes, which had no other way to leave, other than SAS Airways which we needed to take us to Oslo for our flight home. There is no travel agent in this town and we had to glean information from anyone else who would know. This was very stressful. TV service in our room did not provide any information which would have been a great way to notify passengers of potential problem.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I absolutely loved it! We saw many wonderful places and the detailed planning especially regarding transportation was impressively done. Everyone I communicated with was very helpful esp Tricia and Hild earlier on as this has been a trip long in making.
Trolltunga and Lofoten were our favorites!

Activity Review

Midnight Kayaking in Svolvær

Norway

We missed the experience because we were not notified to meet at 930 instead of 10pm. Disappointing.

I cannot recall how I became aware of KimKim but I am thrilled beyond belief that I used this company. Both Meree and Sonia helped me plan a 2&1/2 week vacation to Norway. My husband and I started in Oslo and traveled as far north to Geiranger in the Geiranger Fjord and Alesund. We traveled via train, ferry, bus and a one night stay on the famous Hurtigruten. The itinerary was a nice pace and gave us plenty of time in each destination. The tickets and scheduling we all done for us. And best of all, we had local travel planners sending us to places where they like to visit, spend time and take their personal visitors. I will most certainly use KimKim in the future. Thank you Meree and Sonia!

Hotel Review

Hotel Union Geiranger Bad & Spa

Geiranger

This is an amazing hotel and spa located next to the UNESCO heritage museum for Geiranger Fjord. Right outside this hotel is a rushing river and several waterfalls so imagine having your windows open and being lulled to sleep by the sound of rushing water. So soothing and peaceful. And the lobby, bar and restaurant are elegant and serve delicious food. My only regret is that I did not have more time to spend here, both to enjoy this beautiful hotel and its location but to also have time to do some exploring and hiking of the surrounding area.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to the harbor but not right in the middle and it sits up higher above the fjord so the view is stunning

Staff

Very polite, helpful and kind

Cleanliness & Comfort

Plush bathrobes and large, comfortable room

Activity Reviews

Summer and Autumn Fjord Safari on a RIB boat

Flåm

This is an excellent way to see a Fjord up close and personal in a small group and learn about the history and lore from the local guide. A lot of fun and offers excellent photo opportunities.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide is very knowledgeable about the area and has a lot of fun facts

Flåm - Ferry to Balestrand

Balestrand

I highly recommend traveling by Ferry as much as possible. The scenery is breathtaking. I felt like I was on a movie set. Train travel may be faster but because of the mountains, there are a lot of tunnels. A ferry lets one see the country side along the fjords. And many of the ferries offer commentary over the speaker. There is plenty of room upon boarding the ferry to store your luggage before finding a seat. And there are small concessions available for purchase on board.

Day trip to Fjærland

Norway

This was a ferry trip first and then a bus with the ultimate destination a National Park with one of the many icebergs in the country. We also visited a museum along the way that helped educate on icebergs and climate change. We also experienced yet another beautiful fjord. The views just never cease to amaze.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We loved having Thomas and Emmy as our guides.

Hotel Reviews

Trolltunga Hotel

Odda

Hotel was good but make a reservation for dinner

Authenticity & Character

Location

Location/view

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Trolltunga Camp Sunset Sunrise

TYSSEDAL

Very cold. Please warn tourist on weather delays and cold days and nights , even in July.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Flåm Marina

Flåm

We were bone tired so it didn’t matter a lot but we didn’t find people there so friendly or helpful.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Guided Overnight Hike to Trolltunga for Sunset/Sunrise

Norway

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Buses to run all day and not close 2-3 hours for lunch.

Flåm Railway and Cycling Adventure

Norway

Biking not for everyone bc the first part is very steep and on gravel but it was beautiful.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

When we were planning our trip in 2020, we were delighted to find KimKim and Julia Plaschke to help us with our questions and refine our itinerary. Unfortunately COVID necessitated our cancellation of the trip in 2020. We were very pleased that Julia was able to re book us for 2022. Her itinerary suggestions were very helpful and we greatly appreciated the zoom calls to get our questions answered. We were surprised when our trip was handed over to Sonia.

Most memorable places were the Lofoten Islands ( loved the sea eagle and kayaking experiences), several hikes we took, Nes Gard Farmhouse B&B and the experiences there, stave churches, waterfalls, Rose Church, And of course, the beautiful fjords.

Things we liked about working with KimKim:
1. The itinerary suggestions Julia made during our initial conversations, and those sent by Sonia before our trip.
2. The Zoom calls we had with Julia as we got further into the planning.
3. Most of our hotels
4. Sonia’s response time when contacted her while on our trip. Very quick response!
5. Most of our experiences ( there were some issues with the Midnight kayak)
6. Sonia’s quick response (before we left) to our question about who we contact if we have a problem while in Norway – she gave us her phone number.
7. Sonia’s willingness to help us find Gary’s lost bag. Though we got it before she could make contact w/ Iceland Air, we very much appreciated knowing she was working on it.

Things we we were unhappy with KimKim:
1. Upon our arrival at 3 hotels ( Bodø, Reine and Bergen) we were told we would have to pay. We contacted Sonia and this was resolved in each case, but we wish we hadn’t had to deal with that when we were tired from long journeys) Sonia was apologetic each time, which we appreciated. We were surprised that after it happened once, the payment for others was not confirmed before we got to those hotels.

2. We understand that the two weeks before the trip others were traveling and they had needs, too. However, we confirmed that we were going on this trip this year with Julia in February – more than 4 months before we left. That said, we were not pleased that it took so long for us to receive the documents we needed, and that we needed to request them so often. We did not get our Ferry voucher until just before and it was for the afternoon ferry, not the morning one we had planned. We did not get our train tickets until the day before we travelled – two of the 4 tickets were together – the other 2 were both aisle seats – one in a train car that was two cars away from the other 3 of us! We can’t help but think that these reservations were not made sufficiently in advance of our travels.

I would be very happy to provide a detailed review of the experiences (especially the sea kayaking at midnight), hotels and itinerary upon request. We have some suggestions for you to add to the itinerary for others that we found along the way. We believe this detail would help you in planning for others.

Christina really helped me come up with an amazing itinerary for my summer trip to Norway. She was completely upfront with me from the start about where to put my focus on, and what I would need to leave for another trip. She helped me narrow down all of the places that I would be able to see on an 8 full day trip plan which included Bodø, Hamnøy, Reine, Svolvær, Festvågtind/ Henningsvær, and Tromso. It was jam packed, but I was able to see quite a bit. I also had amazing views on the hikes that were recommended of northern Norway. I also had a few guided tours and hikes, and even the guides commented that Christina did a great job in recommending some activities that many tourists don't know about. I would certainly utilize Kim Kim again on another trip.

Hotel Reviews

Eliassen Rorbuer

Moskenes

A great placed to stay if you are in Hamnøy. Beautiful scenery, clean cabin, and peaceful environment.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Comfy, cozy room. Incredible views of mountains, fjords, the different colored cabins. Proximity to other nearby towns like Reine.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Thon hotel Polar

Tromsø

Room seems a bit dated. Also found 2 2 liter Coca Cola bottles not left by me underneath the bed.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Central location.

Staff

Friendly staff at the front desk.

Cleanliness & Comfort

They need to thoroughly clean. As I mentioned above, there were 2 empty bottles of Coca Cola seen underneath the bed from guests previously in the room. Just make sure to not forget to check for garbage underneath the bed.

Thon Hotel Nordlys

Bodø

The room was nice and tidy. Hotel breakfast also amazing.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Right next the the ships and water. Nice scenery.

Staff

Cindy at the front desk was very nice and courteous, and answered a lot of my questions promptly.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean and tidy. Probably the best Thon hotel I stayed at during my time in the arctic.

Thon Hotel

Svolvær

Great location. It's next to public transit, the ferry, the Hurigruten cruise line, supermarkets, and great restaurants.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Location is everything here. Very central.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clean rooms.

Activity Review

Explore Reine and the Surroundings

Reine

The hike to Reinebringen is incredible. A must do if you are physically capable. The stone steps that were installed in recent years made this hike a real pleasure to do. I didn't summit Reinebringen, but got up to 1,542 ft vistapoint that most people see those incredible views from. Festvågtind in the Henningsvær region of the islands probably had the best views of some of the Lofoten islands, even though that hike wasn't as pleasant to do. It sure was memorable and goes down as the most difficult hike I've completed.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

I used public transportation. While it is a significant saving as opposed to renting a car in Norway, you are at the mercy of when the last bus leaves. You could be in an area for hours since buses can be infrequent. If you don't want that over your head, then rent a car. I got around just fine, but also remember that you might not see as much. So plan accordingly.

Linda did an absolutely wonderful job planning and organizing our Norway trip. She always promptly and pleasantly responded to the logistical questions we had prior to the trip. Our Bergen city tour guide did a wonderful job giving us a great overview of the city. Our water taxi captain Tor gave us a fun s as fun informative ride to our hotel. Our Fjaerland hiking guide took us on a beautiful hike to a secluded overlook over the fjord. Elin on Vaerlandet was so kind and a wonderful host for our island adventure. We loved being able to be so active with this itinerary. Our kids loved the diversity of activity this itinerary provided as well.

Hotel Reviews

Bergen Børs Hotel

Bergen

Very quiet rooms and the family room provided ample room for a family of 4 with 3 beds. The buffet breakfast was the largest spread we had in Norway!

Authenticity & Character

Such a cool old but beautifully updated building

Location

So close to Bryggen, the ferry, and the fish market.

Staff

Always professional, pleasant, and kind

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean

Fjærland Fjordstove Hotel

Fjærland

Sitting right in the fjord, this hotel is a true Norwegian experience. The food is locally sourced and amazing! Breakfast buffet was delicious and the evening dinners were mouth watering. Our son called dessert the best dessert he has ever had… we would agree!

Authenticity & Character

Takes you back in time… in an amazing way. Old world charm.

Location

Right on the fjord—-amazing beautiful!

Staff

All staff were so friendly and accommodating doing their best to ensure we had a good stay.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean and beds were very comfortable.

Quality Hotel Florø

Florø

Very clean, very quiet modern hotel. Breakfast buffet had many offerings. Loved that it was so close to the ferry terminal.

Authenticity & Character

Right on the harbor

Location

Close to the ferry made it very convenient

Staff

Very pleasant and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Very clean, very quiet

Værlandet Havhotell

Hamna

Absolutely amazing and stunning hotel. Loved having a kitchenette. Views were spectacular! Having bike rentals the whole stay made it so easy to get around the islands. Elin was the most kind and gracious host ever! Highly recommend staying here!

Authenticity & Character

Loved the fact that this was so near the boat harbor but felt like you were in a very quiet and secluded location!

Location

The view was so amazingly spectacular

Staff

From pick up off the ferry from the time we left, Elin took such wonderful care of us!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Extremely clean, comfortable beds, and a nice complete kitchenette

Activity Reviews

Bergen - Fjordcruise to Fjærland

Norway

Captain Tor has such a deep understanding of the Balestrand area that it made for a wonderful experience.

Quality of Experience

Loved having the boat all to ourselves and the ability to ask questions

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Friendly and pleasant— he has great stories and a firm understanding of the history and area of Balestrand

Transport

Loved the boat ride

Explore Bergen with a Local

Bergen

Fartein was a wonderful and fun tour guide. He did a good job answering questions and our kids enjoyed his perspective!

Quality of Experience

Great city overview… fun tour guide

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Friendly and knowledgeable

Transport

We had been looking for some time to do a family trip to Norway in the summer but didn't have the time to do all the detailed planning that we would historically have done. We are a family of four with children ages 11 and 9.

We had a rough idea as to the places we wanted to visit (Bergen, Lofoten Islands, Tromso, and Oslo).

After a few, but not too many, iterations Meree was able to construct an itinerary that worked. She sorted out a reasonable sequence of destinations, hotels that met our requirements, activities we wanted to do, and a logistics plan to get to/from each place. She booked activities that required advance reservation but otherwise left our days open to spending how we wanted while giving well-curated short lists of ideas for each day. After completing the visit and seeing the alternatives, we were comfortable that she had done a good job optimizing our experience while giving us the freedom to do some unexpected things. While it rained (as explained in advance to be likely), we dressed for it and the weather was pleasant for us. The scenery was spectacular - almost better than we thought we would experience.

The fish was fresh and excellent everywhere we went. However one of our group was a child and a vegetarian. While we were never in want of food, this limited our restaurant choices to a narrower subset of what was available as restaurants are considerably less flexible than in other countries on these dimensions. Also, it was generally easy to get same-day restaurant reservations in each location except Svolvaer (including the hotel where we were staying which was 'sold out' for dinner). If we had known that, we would have reserved there the day before, but we didn't know. In retrospect, a short list of restaurants in each city and a heads up that day before reservations are needed in Svolvar would have been appreciated.

Our highlights included the ferry to rosendal castle/fjord, sea eagle rib boat trip, the whale watching boat trip, driving and hiking in the Lofoten Islands, live glass blowing in the Lofoten Islands, hiking at the top of the cable car in Tromso including summer snowfight, and numerous well-designed kid-friendly educational museums in every city we visited.

Logistically we had one issue relating to confusion around a pre-payment for a hotel which was resolved shortly after being flagged. Otherwise, we really didn't need to avail of any live support from the team during the trip.

Hotel Reviews

Thon hotel Andrikken

Andenes

Reasonable location. Reasonable rooms. Reasonable option. Modest walk to the ferry and/or the whale watching experiences. Ample parking. Nothing fancy. Helpful staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Blackout shades were somewhat limited in comparison to other hotels on our trip (i.e., gaps)

Radisson Blu Hotel

Tromsø

Great location. Nice rooms. Friendly staff. Good breakfast. Could benefit from a bit more TLC on room maintenance.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bergen Børs Hotel

Bergen

The hotel was well situated in a nice part of town. Much of what you would want to do is very nearby in walking distance. The rooms are nicely designed, well maintained but cozy. It is best to plan your day outside of the room as opposed to in the room. The lobby was tight with limited seating, normally occupied by guests. The restaurants are excellent and the ground floor restaurant has a very special high ceiling and uniquely designed layout which is really special. We did have one observation around the front desk staff.: some were familiar with the town and had helpful suggestions, whereas others were not and relied on google.

Authenticity & Character

Ground floor restaurant

Location

Central location

Staff

Friendly and helpful

Cleanliness & Comfort

Thon Hotel

Svolvær

Bang in the center of the port and center of town. Great location. Helpful staff. We had a corner room with a truly amazing view of the harbor - it was the highlight of the hotel experience. During our stay, it was intermittently frequented by large tour groups so the restaurant can oscillate between a ghost town and being jam-packed without any availability - best to reserve the day before. The hotel does have a limited number of parking spots in an indoor garage, bet to arrange in advance if you need it.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Trollfjord and The White-Tailed Sea Eagles

Svolvær

One of the top 3 experiences for our kids on this trip. It did rain during the experience. We all managed through it and the gear was set up for it, but not for those who don't want that. The boat driver was excellent in engaging with the kids through use of often personal stories at various stopping points. The views were spectacular. While the sea eagles were nice, the rest of the nature was interesting.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fjordcruise to Hardanger

Bergen

The ferry ride had nice views and was pleasant and smooth. The walk around town was interesting. We went to the old castle and enjoyed the house tour. The lunch starts about 30 min later than ideal if you want to take the later ferry back and have time for a bit more in town. The rock garden was worth a visit due to its novelty value.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Limited interactions, more transactional. House tour was good.

Transport

Whale Watching Safari

Andenes

We are glad we did it. It was sunny. The waves were reportedly modest. The museum tour was a helpful build-up. The boat was well organized. They give each speech in three languages which is helpful if you speak one of those languages,. They tried for more, but in the end, we saw killer whales and none of the rarer finds. We made the most of it and enjoyed it nevertheless.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

The trip overall was great. The hotels and itinerary were very good. The plan was well thought out, allowing me to really see many of the highlights of Norway The value was good, but not great. I could have saved money booking it myself. However, there were many glitches. Two of the hotels had the wrong information about my stays, and the email trail showed that KimKim made the mistake, not the hotel. In some cases I was forced to pay after already paying for the entire trip up front. I had to consistently inquire about tickets and how to get from point to point. In some cases I was not given any information on how I was getting to the next point until the day of departure. This is what I thought I was paying for! In addition, I had to lay out bus fare which I still haven't been reimbursed for. So, although the trip was very good, KimKim made errors that should have been avoided. I was willing to forgive the first large mistake, as mistakes happen. But, as nearly each day arrived with a new problem I must conclude this was the result of incompetence.

Travelers beware, we experienced many issues using KimKim some of which we have not yet resolved, including refunds.

Background

Our trip to Denmark, Faroe Islands and Noway was over two years in the making. Covid delayed our trip from 2021 to 2022. In 2020 we worked with Julia who was very helpful in designing our overall trip. In April of 2022 (our trip took place in June/July), Julia handed the trip details over to Sonia. We did not hear from Julia again, despite numerous attempts to call her using the call button on the website.

Below is a list of issues we encountered:

We never received a complete itinerary with all trip details including hotel addresses, rental car information or names of the businesses for our activities. Instead, we had to work off of three incomplete documents that often had incorrect information. This happened despite repeated asks all the way to the day prior to our departure (and multiple promises the weeks prior to the trip saying we would have it)

We have yet to receive refunds for activities planned by KimKim that did not happen or were not what was promised. We even spoke directly to some of the businesses who said they would refund us via our travel agent.

In the Faroe Islands our rental car was organized by KimKim. We received no detailed information about which rental car agency it was or how to find the car. We ended up getting help by a gentleman at the airport. To this date we don’t know if we had the right car.

Activities were on our itinerary that were never booked or were canceled.

The hotel booked for us in Svolvaer was booked with no parking privileges – resulting in a long walk to the hotel the first night. As a result we incurred extra expense we weren’t planning on.

What was great:

Julia picked out some areas of Northern Norway we would have not easily thought to go, including towns, lodging and activities.

The delays in getting back to us, mistakes in scheduling, lack of follow-through, and incomplete itineraries created a large amount of stress and anxiety before and during our trip. We were told a few times that Covid and a busy tourist season were to blame. Given the amount of lead-time planning our trip, the fact we asked for no major changes prior to our trip, and that we had already paid in full a year prior to departing, we think it’s important that anyone planning on using KimKim is aware of what we encountered.

From experience planning family vacations to different countries comes with the usual stresses - much about the destination is unknown, weather, activites, places of interest, hotels! Typically, Costco Travel is our first choice. Norway is a destination that is not served by Costco, which led me to KimKim. The name was weird to take it seriously initially. However, recommendations from the New York Times, BBC, The National Geographic, etc. sealed the deal.

The KimKim portal is very easy to use and has a lot of features that makes exploring and research easy. The chat, call, and collaboration features make it easy for all family members to be view, contribute and be informed about the planning.

Christina, our travel planner was top notch. She was experienced, patient and was ever willing to adjust and refine the trip plan, which we developed over 2 months. She was readily available for phone calls during US daytime, and made recommendations based on our preferences. She planned the entire trip for us, start to finish, and added relevant activities through the entire vacation. Most importantly, she responded very fast and thoroughly, explaining exactly what our different options were throughout our trip. KimKim and Christina made this vacation planning easy and were key to making this as stress free as possible. Based on this experience, I have no doubts that I will be using KimKim for all our future family vacations.

Why Norway? It's not a popular destination like Italy or France! After our visit to Switzerland in 2016, we started researching if there were any countries that matched it's beauty. Started reading about the fjords and the pictures seemed to indicate that Norway would be gorgeous. Subsequent trips to Italy, London, Scottland and Ireland seemed to confirm my family's bias towards Switzerland. We felt that no place could be more beautiful than Switzerland. How wrong were we? Every single part of Norway was absolutely breathtaking, and our entire family was in awe the entire time.

We started our vacation in Bergen, a cute and beautiful, tourist-filled city with amazing food. Christina arranged a 3-hour walking tour with John, who was very pleasant, patient and extremely helpful. He extended the tour to accomodate a brief visit to the musuem, a short coffee break and a visit to the electronics store to buy adapters. John gave us many insights about Bergen and its history that we would have missed if we were on our own.

The ferry ride to Gudvangen via the Sognefjord was absolutely breathtaking. My teenager sons were intially reluctant to ride in a ferry for 5 1/2 hours! By the end of the ride, the family didn't realize how time went by.

Gudvangen: Gudvangen was an amazing place to visit. It almost felt like it was out of a movie. As soon as we got there, we realized we were surrounded by a circular wall of waterfalls, with a singular opening to the Sognefjord. My sons especially loved this place since they got to zipline off a mountain and then subsequently got on mountain bikes and biked down the Nordic mountains. They both said that it was the best experience of their lives. Also make sure you check out the Flam Railway, branded as one of the most beautiful railways in the world. Christina was kind enough to include a visit to the viking village based on my son's request.

Stryn: Stryn was the highlight of our trip. We had a wonderful view of a river flowing to Lake Lovatnet from our hotel room and we even rode on the steepest cable car in the world in Loen!

Christana added a break from activities in Geiranger that the family appreciated. It was easy going and the family had to opportunity to go kayaking in the fjords.

The hotels were all clean and upscale, though the rooms were small by American standards.

Thank you, Christina, and KimKim for helping us make this a memorable vacation. Norway is now our family's favorite place, edging out Switzerland :).

Hotel Reviews

Zander K Hotel

Bergen

Very good lobby, and great/modern rooms, located in central Bergen so you're a walking distance from most attractions and restaurants.

Authenticity & Character

Good lobby

Location

Very close to the port

Staff

They were nice

Cleanliness & Comfort

Nice and modern rooms

Hotel Utsikten

Geiranger

Was a historic hotel and therefore the kids thought it was dated. The garden view was so-so. The fjord view was great, but with the sun up past midnight, the room was hot. The restaurant was upscale, and the staff were friendly and helpful.

Authenticity & Character

Historic

Location

Great view of the fjord

Staff

Friendly, accommodating and helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Gudvangen Fjordtell & Apartments

Gudvangen

Easily the best hotel in our trip. We had a 2-bedroom cottage that was clean, modern and had amazing views.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Nestled between the mountains - our room's door opened to the view of waterfalls in the mountains!

Staff

Very friendly and helpful.

Cleanliness & Comfort

The rooms were updated and very clean.

Stryn Hotell

Stryn, Sogn og Fjordane

Very modern hotel with beautiful rooms. Balconies overlooking the river was awesome.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Scandic Voss

Voss

Conveniently located near the station and modern. Single room for the family was cramped - especially the second bed!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Conveniently located overlooking the lake and mountains

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Bergen Walking Tour With a Local Guide

Bergen

John was very pleasant, patient and extremely helpful. He extended the tour to accommodate a brief visit to the musuem, a short coffee break and a visit to the electronics store to buy adapters. John gave us many insights about Bergen and its history that we would have missed if we were on our own.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Round Trip on the Flåm Railway: Flåm - Myrdal

Norway

We have had our share of scenic train rides in Switzerland and didn't have much expectations from this ride. Boy, how wrong were we! Breathtaking scenery! The Flam train ride is a must when visiting Norway.

Quality of Experience

Transport

Geirangerfjord Sightseeing Boat Cruise & Independent Fjord Farm Hike

Geiranger

It rained the day of our trip. We had seen much of the fjords when we took the ferry to get to Geiranger. Therefore, this seemed a little redundant, though I understand why people take this ride. We chose to exclude the Fjord Farm Hike because of the rain.

Quality of Experience

Transport

Trolltunga was spectacular.
I liked the variation in accommodations, from the Trolltunga Hotel, to a more modern "chain" at the Scandic Voss, to the family-run Dragsvik Fjordhotel; the combination of experiences at each was a nice variation, although each were unique.
I endorse each of the experiences we had, and thought that driving through Norway was fairly simple.
Overall, great job, Julia and team.

Hotel Reviews

Zander K Hotel

Bergen

Modern and well appointed. Best for those who travel by train as it's right at the station. Close enough to downtown to make walking easy.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Trolltunga Hotel

Odda

great views; a little far from town but not a big deal as we were driving.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Scandic Voss

Voss

great for our family of five as we could stay in one room. Modern, clean, and wonderful staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Dragsvik Fjordhotel

Balestrand

wonderful staff; this is clearly a labor of love for this family. It was comfortable, quaint, but with all the services you'd want.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clarion Hotel Bergen Airport Terminal

Bergen

very nice that we were offered connecting rooms. Clean, with nice restaurant downstairs and great breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Family Rafting

Voss

this is a very basic float - not much white water. I thought the swimming was a nice break from the usual trip. Nice staff.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Mountain Bike - Voss Forest

Voss

great staff/guide. Wonderful forest trails. A little demanding for little children or those who don't bike much. Our guide was great with varying the experience and I think they could tailor to those who prefer less off-road biking

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Finnafjord RIB Boat Tour

Balestrand

guide was great; clearly knowledgeable. Appropriate length. Liked the storytelling.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We are so incredibly grateful to Linda for planning us an AMAZING 18 day itinerary through Norway.
She really gave us incredible diversity along our travels- allowing us to see the country from so many points of view!
We came home with so many memories we will cherish forever- and it was so thoughtful how Linda checked in with us along our journey.
Since we went North to South through the country, I thought I would share my favourite stops along the way:
- Honningsvag and Nordkapp: being that North was something we will never forget. Being at Nordkapp on the summer solstice Instantly became a core memory. The midnight sun and the driving were epic!! We would have loved another night here. Our hotel in Honningsvag had a beautiful rooftop terrace.
- The Sami culture park in Karasjok is worth a visit we loved to learn about the culture and driving here we saw SOO many reindeer! We also got to feed some at the nature park right beside our hotel. Be aware that the park is closed on Sundays if you travel there over a weekend. The restaurant there beside the Scandic hotel was one of our favourites of the entire trip!
- Tromso was a lively incredible city with amazing views everywhere you look. The cable car for the midnight sun is a must. We spent quite a bit of time up there. The views were beautiful. Our hotel- Clarion the Edge had the most comfortable bed of the entire trip and I slept so well here.
- Fjaerland: this was HANDS DOWN our absolute FAVOURITE part of our trip! This small village should be visited by anyone going to Norway. Kayaking in the fjord, the floating sauna, the glacier museum and having lunch in front of the glacier left us speechless. We were in love with every minute of being here. 2 nights was the perfect amount of time to see the village and do some activities. A MUST visit for anyone. Fjaerland Fjorstove hotel had the most amazing and friendly staff, the food was great and better yet- learning about the village from the locals was so fantastic.
- Vaerlandet: The next top stop for us on our journey- we enjoyed the island life thoroughly and the hotel was INCREDIBLE. Vaerlandet Havhotell- Elin was Incredible. She was SO nice and accommodating, even letting us do a load of laundry during our visit! The view from our terrace allowed us to fully enjoy sunsets, the breakfast delivered right to your door was great and climbing Alden mountain with a private boat transfer was also a core memory from our trip!
-Flam Railway: an incredible trip not to miss up the mountain with so much beautiful scenery and waterfalls!
-Oslo: We really enjoyed the city vibe of Oslo. There were so many great shops and restaurants here, but we truly wouldn’t have enjoyed Oslo as much if we didn’t have a guided walking tour with our guide STIG! He was AMAZING! Such a cool, laid back guy, who loved being off the beaten path and really made us fall in love with his city. The stories and history he shared made our visit to Oslo so special. Thanks Stig!!!
The opera house is the ideal place to watch the sunset each night and the vintage shops were my favourite!

Thank you Linda and Kimkim for an incredible trip we will never forget. We really felt like we could reach out to Linda for anything- having the best support along our travels. Once again, we are so grateful for you!
We have been telling everyone we know about the incredible service and look forward to using it again in the future!

Love, Natalie & Tyler

Hotel Reviews

Scandic Alta

Alta

This hotel had the most elaborate breakfast spread of any hotel on our trip! We loved the fresh food options, we slept well here and they even allowed us to do laundry for free! Would highly recommend this hotel- service, location and amenities were great!

Authenticity & Character

Location

In the Center of the city amenities

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Scandic Karasjok

Karasjok

Loved the Sauna, the staff were so nice and helpful, and the restaurant next door was our favourite of our whole trip!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Close to everything- including the reindeer at the nature park! We could see them from our window

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The View Hotel

Nordkapp

The rooms were really nice, the anytime drink machine was great (the choco milk here was my favourite) and the rooftop terrace is stunning!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Incredible views! Living up to its name!

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clarion Hotel the Edge

Tromsø

This hotel had the most comfortable beds and I slept the best here of any hotel on our trip! The breakfast was great and the staff were very friendly. It’s also so close to a lot of great restaurants and shops!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bergen Børs Hotel

Bergen

The hotel was super nice, the staff was great here- and being that we couldn’t make breakfast either time we stayed here they prepared us a breakfast box and it was delicious. The restaurant is booked super far in advance but luckily the location is great in the centre of town so there are many great restaurant choices around, and even a grocery store right across the street.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Each time we stayed here the staff brought a kettle to my room for me which I appreciated SO much!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Fjærland Fjordstove Hotel

Fjærland

This was hands down my favourite village we visited on our trip. The staff at this hotel are incredible. The terrace and the room we stayed in had AMAZING views of the fjord and glacier. We would absolutely come back to Norway just to visit here again. We loved the story time about the village before dinner and appreciated the local cuisine!

Authenticity & Character

Loved the old world charm like a bed and breakfast

Location

You will not beat these views!

Staff

SO friendly and we enjoyed hearing about the village from them!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Værlandet Havhotell

Hamna

This hotel is an absolute GEM! Our terrace allowed us to enjoy the sunset fully each night, we loved the breakfast delivered to our door each morning and most importantly- ELIN was SOO nice and accommodating, even letting us do a load of laundry! We were SO grateful to stay here.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Elin you rock! Thank you for your kindness and generosity!

Cleanliness & Comfort

Amerikalinjen

Oslo

The rooms here are BEAUTIFUL! The additional touches of robes, slippers, the tech of the digital lights, music syncing, etc made it feel very luxurious. I would absolutely stay here again in Oslo. The breakfast was hands down the best of our trip, with eggs Benedict, omelettes, etc. the location also could not have been any better so close to the train station and we enjoyed hearing live music in the square in front of the hotel most nights!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Oslo City Walk with a Local

Oslo

STIG!!! He was THE BEST! We truly enjoyed our walking tour with Stig so much- it was one of the highlights of our trip. He is such a cool, laid back person with a love for his city that was infectious. We thoroughly enjoyed learning about the history, the great tips on bars, restaurants and shops and just the company of this amazing human. We truly would not have discovered so many of the places Stig took us if it weren’t for our tour. Thank you Stig for your time, your company, your love for what you do and for making us fall in Love with Oslo! Xo

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kayak in Fjærlandsfjord

Norway

This experience was one of the highlights of our entire 18-day trip. Our guide was incredible, and we enjoyed hearing about the village during our time together. It almost feels surreal on the water- everywhere you look you feel like you are in a postcard or painting. When we turned around to go back- the moment of seeing the glacier and the view change was so beautiful. Thank you for such a lovely experience- we will cherish that forever!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Our guide (I’m so sorry I forget your name!) was incredible and told us such cool history and information about the village!

Transport

We walked 2 minutes from our hotel to get there! :)

Floating Sauna

Norway

WOW this experience was amazing. You just cannot beat the peace you feel from feeling relaxed in there and seeing the gorgeous views. Omg the glass was so clean my pictures turned out amazing from here! We jumped into the fjord to cool down- and it was COLD! The water was 8 degrees haha but it felt fantastic. This is a MUST DO activity!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

After three years of KimKim correspondence, two false starts due to Covid, it finally happened, and it was more than worth waiting for! Beginning with a challenging but spectacular hike to Trolltunga led by our excellent guide Linda, this set the tone for more spectacular experiences to come including an amazing camping and kayaking and camping experience with Much Better Adventures along the Naerfjord and Aurlandsfjord before returning to Bergen via the majestic Flam Railway. The next part of the adventure saw me experience perhaps the jewel in the crown of Norway's majestic fjords, Geiranger, which I also got to experience via a kayak. If all this wasn't enough, before returning home I experienced a walk on the Folgefonna Glacier, which was beautiful.

All transport and accommodation arranged by KimKim as well as the information provided about local public transport was so helpful, enabling me to get out and about where I went including finding some good places to eat and local museums to visit and was always useful to be in contact with KimKim local specialist Christina when unsure about something. What made the whole experience worth waiting for for three years though was that it felt like more than simply a visit to Norway, but I actually go to experience it up close and personal. Seeing the fjords from a kayak, as well as enabling you to see just how steep-sided they are, also put you in touch with the movements and texture of the fjord water, both its calmness and occasional ripples, while the camping gives one an idea as to how the Vikings may have experienced them, as well as inspired them to explore through the curiosity it maybe aroused in them wanting to know where the fjords led, or what was behind the mists that often shroud them. Similarly, the Folgefonna Glacier walk enabled me to experience it's texture as well as take me back to the planet's geological past to the ice age, getting a feel for how the fjords where formed.

As well as getting an up and close personal experience of Norway through a series of different activities, hiking, kayaking and camping, I also feel visiting Norway (was my third time in Norway), I get a sense of who I am, much of which was enabled by Christina and KimKim, who never forgot about despite the longer than anticipated wait and so many false starts. A huge thanks to Christine and to KimKim for ensuring I had the best experience I could possibly have had.

Activity Reviews

Glacier hiking at Folgefonna

Bergen

An excellent experience to round off my trip, guide was excellent and gave good tips about where and where not to set foot which made it a comfortable experience.

Quality of Experience

Gaining a feel of the texture of the glacier

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Clear instructions to help give a good experience

Transport

Public transport via bus-ferry-bus was excellent

Guided Hike to Trolltunga

Norway

Was great fun to do it with a good guide, Linda, who made it fun as well as helping you get the best pictures of you standing on the Troll's Tongue.

Quality of Experience

Linda was excellent, really entertaining which helped make it a great day! She really makes the effort to get to know her travellers!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Bus that goes up hairpin bend to start of hike really helps!

Transport

Just have to be aware that certain buses to the start of Trolltunga from Brucehagen/Odda don't run at certain times of the year.

Guided Kayaking to Seven Sisters Waterfall in Geirangerfjord

Geiranger

Can see and access places from a kayak that can't otherwise be accessed, as well as get up close and personal with the majestic Seven Sisters waterfall

Quality of Experience

The experience on the water

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide made sure of quality and safety as well as help with rowing techniques.

Transport

Public transport is limited in Geiranger, kayak base is a fair walk from hotel.

Our trip to Norway was very nice. We had several surprises along the way, from the initial
planning (pre-covid) to the actual trip. At the end of the trip, we were dumbfounded to be
affected by the SAS Airline strike, which resulted in our being stranded in Norway.
I really compliment our Kimkim consultant, Linda, for doing her best to help us. She never
failed to respond to our emails and also helped to research options for us to get out of
Norway. It was very comforting knowing she was there and paying attention to our dilemma..
Kimkim did a very thorough job of planning our trip in meticulous detail, trying hard to
do exactly what we asked. Even with all the many, many changes, cancelations, rebookings
and delays, I must give them kudos. I wouldn't hesitate to use Kimkim again for this type
of trip.

Tricia was very responsive and helpful before and during the trip. It was so nice to have someone “on the inside” help with planning and booking. We loved our trip and all went almost flawlessly. Very grateful!

Hotel Reviews

Scandic Victoria

Oslo

Staff not overly friendly or helpful, rooms small and not clean to my standards

Authenticity & Character

Dining room

Location

Central/walking distance to many attractions

Staff

Friendliness and helpfulness

Cleanliness & Comfort

The bathrooms could be cleaned to a higher standard

Hotel Aurlandsfjord

Aurland

Very lovely, nice, new rooms, good meals.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Lovely views and convenient

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Grand Hotel Terminus

Bergen

Decent location for accessing Bergen attractions, felt historic.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Svinøya Rorbuer

Svolvær

Really lovely cottages on the water, lots of space and amenities, great dining.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Reine Rorbuer

Reine

Beautiful and authentic, best place we stayed! Amazing views.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Super comfy beds/ pillows

Activity Reviews

Fjordsafari Extended

Norway

Personal, adventurous, beautiful!

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Flåm Zipline

Norway

Just a single zip line, but gorgeous and fun.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Short Hike with a Local in Bergen

Bergen

Our guide was lovely and really feel feel we saw things we would not have otherwise happened upon. A very nice experience.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

John was very kind and informative

Transport

Trollfjord Cruise

Svolvær

This was beautiful, but had done another cruise on a smaller boat elsewhere and actually enjoyed the smaller boat experience more.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Midnight Sun Kayak Tour

Norway

The scenery was the highlight here. Our quite was a little scattered and I actually would have liked to paddle to an actual “destination”…but the scenery was undeniably amazing

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Tricia did a fantastic job setting up our 8-day journey in Norway! While we could have spent some more time in the cities, the fjord cruises, hotels, and Trolltunga hike were definitely the highlights. The Flam Railway was also an amazing surprise, as we didn't realize it was not a normal train transfer, and that valley was simply incredible. The Aurlandsfjord Hotel was also a terrific place to stay and gave us gorgeous views of that particular fjord. Trolltunga Active is a high quality and professional outfitter that led our Trolltunga hike, and their camping (or glamping) domes are definitely the way to go. We had comfortable sleeping pads and fully catered dinners sitting at benches, and then had the Trolltunga rock formation all to ourselves after the hordes of day hikers had left. All the fjord cruises were incredible and the waterfalls and cliff faces were everywhere and around every corner. Simply a gorgeous country!

Norway is indescribable. The amazing scenery and abundance of natural beauty were stunning. Our trip included travel by rail, auto, ship, public transport, and of course walking and hiking. Along the way, we sampled the abundance of food and drink that Norway offers. The midnight sun kept us up longer than we're used to but gave us opportunities to experience the scenery at any time of day. There were a few glitches and Sonia was ready and available to help with an unanticipated schedule change or a missed ferry ride.

I would love to return in the dark light of winter and experience a whole different side of this wonderful place.