Kimkim Trip Reviews for Norway

We had a great trip to a magical place.

Hotel Reviews

Stalheim Hotel

Voss

Stalheim Hotel was the pinnacle of our hotel stays. The setting is incredibly beautiful, with breathtaking views and excellent service. The food was great, and the overall atmosphere of the hotel was very luxurious. We even discovered that our room, number 324, was featured in Conde Nast magazine for having one of the best hotel room views in the world! This was definitely one of the highlights of our accommodation experiences on this trip.

Rødseter Gjestegård

Mundal, Sogndal

Staying at Rødseter Gjestegård was a unique experience. The guesthouse is located in a very picturesque valley, and it feels quite secluded, which was peaceful. However, we arrived around 6:30 PM and found that there were no food options available as we were the only guests. We had to drive to a nearby hotel to get dinner, which was a bit of a scramble. It would have been helpful to know in advance to bring our own food or eat before arriving. The guesthouse itself was charming, and the staff were very nice, but future travelers should be prepared for the lack of nearby dining options.

Activity Reviews

Half-Day Kayaking Trip

Norway

Despite the weather being cold and rainy (around 5 degrees Celsius), the half-day kayaking trip was a memorable experience. Our guide was really friendly and ensured we had all the necessary waterproof clothing to keep us warm and dry. Even with the less-than-ideal weather, we had a great time paddling through the serene waters. The guide's enthusiasm and preparedness made the trip enjoyable despite the rain.

Short Blue Ice Hike

Norway

The glacier walk was absolutely the highlight of our trip. The scenery was stunning, and the experience of walking on the glacier was both exhilarating and awe-inspiring. Everything about this activity was top-notch, from the guides to the equipment provided. It was an unforgettable adventure that I would highly recommend to anyone visiting the area.

Overall we enjoyed our trip very much. The location of the lodgings were all very good and the Farm Stay in Aurland was outstanding. The activities were for the most part good, adequately described and what my granddaughter enjoyed.

What needs improvement:
1. I had to open an internet browser on my phone to get to the itinerary multiple times every day. The links to tickets sent me to a pdf that I could not open. When I was in Portugal through KimKim I had an easy to use app that allowed me to access everything.
2. The details about transitions could have been better. For example information about how to get to our farmstay from Aurland. And clearer instructions about where to find scheduled buses and shuttles, trains etc.
3. I didn't like that I couldn't change train and bus tickets. Flexibility is key when I travel and I was told that I couldn't change a train ticket or a bus ticket several times, so just lost money on that booking and had to rebook myself. For example we were late arriving, the airline delayed our luggage by two days so I had to change our train ticket to Geillo and pay for it. Then once there we we had to get a taxi because we missed our connection. Lots of extra expense because of the inflexibility. This happened several times.
4. We didn't know the Farmstead in Aurland prepared gourmet meals at night as part of the booking. While this was a nice surprise, we would have missed one of the dinners due to a late booking for the Rib Boat tour. Luckily the Farmstay agreed to delay our dinner until we returned. Also luckily they had bikes we could ride back and forth to Aurland-which KimKim did not mention.
5. Had to get a taxi to and from the horseback riding and figure that out ourselves.
6. We enjoyed the rib boat ride, the horseback riding, and the whitewater rafting. The zip lining was a disappointment and didn't seem very safe, and the mountain biking was likewise less than safe. My daughter who is a good bike rider fell and injured her knee and hand.

We loved our trip (despite being sick on 7/11 and missing Fjaerland). We particularly enjoyed the ferry and train trips! Great service and everything runs on time. Very impressive.
We loved Bergen (so much to see and do) and had fun in Balestrand and Flam. The hotels and breakfasts were very good. We found it interesting that you can not adjust the heat in each room…it’s done by management for each floor.
Thank you for your planning and answering our questions before the trip. Great service.
We hope to travel with you again. Win & Cinda Johnson

To plan our Norway trip we worked mostly with Maria (and some with Fenne), both of whom were very helpful in figuring out the best itinerary for us. We had a few things we wanted to do and they helped plan the rest of the trip around them. We had an amazing time in Norway. Most of our outdoor activities had fantastic weather. We also greatly appreciated our private airport transfers. The highlights of the trip were Bergen, Trolltunga hike, kayaking, fjord sauna, e-bikes, and seeing endless waterfalls.

Bergen:

We started in Bergen at the Clarion Collection Hotel Havnekontoret. The hotel was nice, and in a great location to the city center. The staff were very friendly and helpful. Our room (and bathroom) was quite small, however, which made it tricky with larger suitcases. At the end of our trip we stayed here for one night and had a larger, upgraded room which would have been nicer to begin the trip with. The breakfast each morning was great, with a vast abundance of choices and options.

Since we needed to kill time before checking in, the cable car in Bergen was suggested. We enjoyed that since it was a clear sunny day. However, we did not know that there was a bus from the city center, so we ended up paying for an expensive taxi. We found the bus ride to the center back though.

Our city walking tour the next day was very informative about the history of the city. Our guide Kristina was excellent, whose suggestions on local eateries were great. The funicular up the mountainside to see other city views was fun, and there we were able to do a short trail walk around a pond, and say hello to the local wildlife.

We had a very unique dinner at Cornelius Seafood Restaurant. The food was great, and adventurous for us, which was fun. Our we loved our waitress, and the stories the owner told us all during our time there. The restaurant was very cool and we are glad it was suggested.

The trip to Rosendal on the Hardangerfjord Express was nice. We did a small hike to Hattebergfossen which we enjoyed very much. Then we had some lunch and it was time to return on the ferry. It was a nice day trip.

Odda:

Our drive to Odda (via rental) was fantastic. Once we figured out the light rail in Bergen and found where to pick it up, we were able to use it to get to the airport and get our rental car. And it was much cheaper than doing a taxi. It was a hassle, but in the end worth it for the scenery while driving, and the ability to stop at any point. The weather and the views on the day of our drive were AMAZING. We had to take a car ferry with was so easy. We didn’t need to worry about tickets or paying, it was just billed as a toll to the rental car company and it was only 60-70 NOK. On the car ferry we met a local who suggested we “go left” after the ferry instead of right (which is what the GPS wanted us to do). Going right was all tunnels, he said, while going left was all fjords (but longer). Since we had a lot of time it was worth it!

The Trolltunga hotel was much nicer than we both expected. We expected it to be pretty rustic, but the room was VERY nice (I honestly liked it more than our previous hotel). We got a great view, and the breakfast also had lots of options (but not quite as many as at Clarion in Bergen). It was great. Since we were doing the hike to Trolltunga the next day, we both bought meal vouchers, which allowed us to make some sandwiches while at breakfast, and get a bottle of water, apple, and chocolate. I don’t find that the cost of the lunch voucher was worth it. We didn’t need a bottle of water, and we already had plenty of snacks. The ability to make a sandwich was nice, but there were not many options other than ham and cheese. We probably could have just made a couple sandwiches at breakfast even if we didn’t have the lunch voucher.

Our hike to trolltunga was GREAT. It was a challenging hike mostly in the sense of time and distance. The up-hill portions were not impossible. We saw lots of people under 15, and even lots of dogs. We had a small private group with a guide, Hanna. She was new but she was great. She kept a quick pace but allowed for many stops for rest, snacks, and water. We loved her. We had a great time doing this hike as it was on our bucket list for this trip. It did not disappoint. The views were out of this world.

Flåm:

From Odda we drove to Flåm, which also provided us with spectacular views and wild tunnels (including the world’s longest land tunnel!). Our hotel in Aurland (Hotel Aurlandfjord) was very nice, and the room was very nice too. Breakfast was great, with lots of options. It was nice staying outside of Flåm, but it was a bit of a hassle getting to and from the city. There are only a handful of busses going back and forth, so you don’t have a lot of options if you have things scheduled for specific times in Flam. Figuring out the busses was tricky. You definitely have to get to the bus stop early, and they can also be late. Sometimes the busses are big, sometimes they were small and we barely were able to get on with the other people waiting or already on there. We didn’t have any issues, but we saw people that did.

Kayaking in Flåm was a lot of fun, and the weather was great. After kayaking we did the private fjord sauna, which was AWESOME. This was GREAT. We are so glad we did it and so glad we booked a private one. This was a great way to unwind after a recent long hike.

E-bikes in Flåm was also a GREAT idea. It was our first time on them and we had so much fun conquering hills. We were able to see things we definitely would not have without the e-bikes. We explored a waterfall, (Brekkefossen), and rode along Flåmsdalsvegan taking pictures of waterfalls and mountains.

From Flåm we took the 5+ hour ferry back to Bergen, which was nice, but it was cloudy a bit dark most of the way so we didn’t get the weather we were hoping for.

Hotel Reviews

Aurland Fjordhotel

Aurland

Hotel Aurlandfjord was very nice, and the room was very nice too with a great view. Breakfast was great, with lots of hot and cold options. Dinners were set menus and generally very delicious, with very polite wait staff. It was nice staying outside of Flåm, but it was a bit of a hassle getting to and from the city. There are only a handful of busses going back and forth, so you don’t have a lot of options if you have things scheduled for specific times in Flåm. However, it was nice staying in a less tourist-congested area. There only a service elevator for luggage (not people). Our room had a small balcony, and no TV, which we enjoyed.

Authenticity & Character

Nestled in a smaller, quieter town than its neighboring Flåm, this hotel felt more immersed in the local culture, while still sitting just above the fjord with great views over the houses below.

Location

The town felt more authentic than the more touristy Flåm, but it mean needing transportation back and forth for activities.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The whole hotel (lobby, restaurant, room/bathroom) was spotless.

Clarion Collection Hotel Havnekontoret

Bergen

The hotel was nice, and in a great location to the city center. The staff were very friendly and helpful. Our room (and bathroom) was quite small, however, which made it tricky with larger suitcases. At the end of our trip we stayed here for one night and had a larger, upgraded room which would have been nicer to begin the trip with. The breakfast each morning was great, with a vast abundance of choices and options.

Authenticity & Character

Location

right next to the Bryggen houses in the city center; easy to walk everywhere

Staff

Very polite and courteous, willing to assist with any needs or questions

Cleanliness & Comfort

Trolltunga Hotel

Odda

The Trolltunga hotel was much nicer than we both expected. We expected it to be pretty rustic, but the room was VERY nice (I honestly liked it more than our previous hotel). We got a great view, and the breakfast also has lots of hot and cold options. It was great. Since we were doing the hike to Trolltunga the next day, we both bought lunch vouchers, which allowed us to make some sandwiches while at breakfast, and get a bottle of water, apple, and chocolate.

Authenticity & Character

The furniture and decor was definitely appropriate for its location. It felt like just an extension of the surrounding nature while still having the comforts of a luxury hotel.

Location

quiet, great views, and just a short drive or bus ride to the Trolltunga starting point

Staff

Very friendly and accommodating to guests and patrons.

Cleanliness & Comfort

very clean, well kept hotel and rooms. Everything was spotless.

Activity Reviews

Private Fjord Sauna experience

Norway

we did the private fjord sauna, which was AWESOME. This was GREAT. We are so glad we did it and so glad we booked a private one. This was a great way to unwind after a recent long hike.

Quality of Experience

The sauna was very luxurious inside and out.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Rental Bikes in Flåm

Flåm

E-bikes in Flåm was also a GREAT idea. It was our first time on them and we had so much fun conquering hills. We were able to see things we definitely would not have without the e-bikes. We explored a waterfall, (Brekkefossen), and rode along Flåmsdalsvegan taking pictures of waterfalls and mountains.

Quality of Experience

the e-bikes are definitely a must for the hills!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Only takes 5 minutes to get a bike and head out. Super easy.

Summer Kayaking Tour

Flåm

This was a lot of fun. There are tandem kayaks with foot pedals for steering, which are way easier to maneuver the kayak. We saw waterfalls, goats, and heard stories and history of the area. Our guide Victor was great.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Trolltunga Summer Hike

Norway

Absolutely incredible. It was a challenging hike mostly in the sense of time and distance. The up-hill portions were not impossible. We saw lots of people under 15, and even lots of dogs. We had a small private group with a guide, Hanna. She was new but she was great. She kept a quick pace but allowed for many stops for rest, snacks, and water. We loved her. We had a great time doing this hike as it was on our bucket list for this trip. It did not disappoint. The views were out of this world. There is paid parking at the Trolltunga starting point but it fills up FAST.

Quality of Experience

The challenge of a longer hike and having a small group and guide was fun. The views along the way and at the tongue were amazing. And the weather was absolutely perfect.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

our guide Hanna was so great, we loved her!

Transport

Ride the Ulriken Cable Car

Bergen

Great views when the weather is great, and plenty to explore at the top, including a zip line. If you have time to kill (before checking in to your hotel, for example) there is also a restaurant at the top which provides great views to the city below.

Quality of Experience

The weather!

I was introduced to Tom Christer with Ethical Travel in Norway through KimKim. Tom was responsive, knowledgable, willing to express his own opinion when asked, and flexible to our travel requests. Highlights of our stay included Stavanger and climbing Pulpit Rock, Aurland via ferry and rail, Alesand via overnight ferry, and Oslo. Tom arranged local guides for us both for the Pulpit Rock climb and a 3 hour walking city tour of Oslo. Both were excellent.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Brosundet

Ålesund

Best hotel in Alesand. It is just charming and one can easily just hang out in the lobby by the fire or at the spa when not experiencing the town. Rooms are a little small but appointed very nicely. Food is excellent. Overall, it is a first class hotel.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Amerikalinjen

Oslo

Loved everything about this hotel. Ideally located, super friendly and helpful staff, fantastic breakfast, comfy bar, and beautiful large rooms.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Vangsgaarden Gjestgiveri

Aurland

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Staff was very nice but did not have as much knowledge of the local attractions that you would normally expect from a larger hotel conciegre.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hurtigruten

Bergen

Older ship. We had an outward facing room, but the window view was fully obstructed by a life boat. Also, our room was very very small. For three people we would have gladly paid for a nicer and larger room if that option had been presented and explained to us. The boat is old, but well maintained and comfortable.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel No13

Bergen

Super location, very welcoming staff, art deco rooms, quiet. Not a 5-Star hotel, but nice and pleasant for a short stay in Bergen.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Victoria

Stavanger

Authenticity & Character

Charming.

Location

Ideally located close to shops and restaurants.

Staff

Very helpful. They even arranged breakfast bags for us as we had to leave at 5:30 am for an early morning ferry.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Pulpit Rock Classic Summer Hike

Norway

Our guide picked us up and returned us to the hotel as well as accompanied us on the hike. She was wonderful, sticking with the slower hikers and allowing those that wanted to go faster hike at their own pace. We were concerned that the weather would prevent us from making it to the top as it was raining hard and quite windy when we left the parking lot. Fortunately, it calmed down after the first few minutes and even cleared up enough at the top for us to see the fjord. This is a definite bucket list item.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fjordcruise on UNESCO Nærøyfjord

Norway

Quality of Experience

In addition to the phenomenal views, our trip was made even more special as a traveling teenage choir from the United States was on our boat and we stopped in the middle of the trip for them to sign a song. Very cool!

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Very nice modern boat with lots of outdoor viewing space.

Transit Between Stavanger and Fjord Line Terminal

Stavanger

Right on time. Clean van and a good driver.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Visit Stegastein Viewpoint

Norway

An amazing view.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Viking Dinner at Ægir BryggeriPub

Norway

Even though this experience is commercialized and designed for tourists, we really enjoyed it. The food was excellent and we enjoyed trying all the items on the plank.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Transfer from Flåm to Aurland

Norway

Driver ran a few minutes late as he got tied up on another ride, but he was super nice and told us a lot about the area.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Embark Hurtigruten

Norway

An older boat. Our cabin for 3 was extremely small. We had an outside view, but our window looked directly into a life boat. Would have paid for a larger and nicer cabin if given the choice. Food was good but nothing special.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Explore Oslo's Hidden Gems with a Local Expert

Oslo

A great introduction to Oslo. We did this on our first afternoon in the City.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Would recommend Stig to anyone. He is local to Oslo and loves the City.

My sincere apologies for the delay in responding to your invitation to review our KimKim-organized trip to Norway of June 24-July 7. The truth is that there is little I can add to the glowing and comprehensive account Robin submitted. The experience made me regret that – and wonder why – I had delayed so long in visiting Norway, having always wanted to.

The country was even more beautiful than I had anticipated (I was particularly struck by the abundance of flowers, both wild and cultivated, everywhere we visited), but more striking still was the unfailing friendliness, warmth, efficiency and readiness to be of help of everyone with whom we came into contact, from hotel staffs to guides to taxi and transfer service drivers, all of whom were knowledgeable, personable, flexible and utterly dependable. (In my case they courteously fielded requests for assistance that I’m sure a less technologically-challenged guest would not have troubled them with – I came away with a deeper appreciation for the achievements of Scandinavian bathroom-fixture and lighting design, and renewed chagrin at my dim-wittedness in mastering its use!)

I would find it difficult to single out any particular guides for praise, but was most grateful for the unflagging energy and enthusiasm of Ole in showing us the highlights of Hamar and Lillehammer (from the glorious sunlit morning exploring the Domkirkeodden to displaying the view from the apartment he has had purchased atop the “world’s tallest wooden building” Mjøstårnet – where he also showed us a video introducing us to the Norwegian comedy team Ylvis – to plying us with delectable jordbær and cream), as well as for Randi’s astuteness, aplomb and adaptability during our damp but delightful short stay in Ålesund. She is certainly someone I would keep on your short list of guides for anyone visiting that area.

In brief, it was hard to return home (and would have been hard even had “home” not been as unsettled a place as many of us now find it). I can only hope I will be granted enough years to make another trip over, in which I can see some of the things we had insufficient time to get to in the two weeks we were there – e.g., to see more of the three great open-air museums (the Norsk Folkemuseum, Maihaugen, and Sunnmøre) we were introduced to, and to visit the sites associated with great Norwegians that we noted in passing but couldn’t include in our schedule, such as the homes of Ibsen, Kirsten Flagstad, Sigrid Undset, Grieg and Ole Bull, among others.

You and your colleagues surely merit the highest praise (and quite possibly canonization) for your patience and professionalism in putting together a travel plan that met such a complex set of requests, and for dealing so promptly and capably with such small emergencies as arose while we were there. I would be only too happy to recommend your services to anyone I knew who might be hoping to visit Norway.

With many thanks and sincere best wishes,

Jennifer Boger

My husband and I had an amazing holiday with Kim-Kim. Maria planned the trip very well, accommodating all our needs. All the last minute changes were well sorted out by Fenne and her team.
The best part of the trip was Balestrand, it's a very peaceful and beautiful town.
everything was well planned, just a few mornings we had to start early, missed breakfasts. All worth it.
Our guide at pulpit rock was really good, we had a super hike with lots of picturesque stops.
Our trip covered all the lovely places and good time to hike 3 beautiful places.
Thanks KimKim

Eliise came up with a great itinerary for us and Fenne did a wonderful job booking hotels, ferries, etc. This was our first experience with kimkim and we were extremely satisfied with the service. We will certainly work with them in the future with other travel adventures!

We hired kimkim to book a last-minute trip to Norway, with about a month's notice. That's a tall order and we were very grateful to have someone else manage all the details that we couldn't have done ourselves in that short amount of time. Overall, they did well listening to our needs and offering suggestions, and Kadri was very patient explaining the options. The hotels were mostly wonderful. We loved The Bergen Bors Hotel - they have the best breakfast buffet (abundant and varied and high quality) of any European or American hotel I've ever stayed at, and the staff were exceptionally helpful with our questions. It was also perfectly located. The Brosundet Hotel in Alesund was in a great location but the rooms we stayed in (on the fifth floor) had deep, odd roof angles and we had to bend over when walking around the bed so as not to smash our heads on the sharp corners. Which happened anyway.

When we were in the planning phase, kimkim suggested a variety of different itineraries but did seem to stick to certain routes. For example, when we were booking activities in Bergen the cable car experience was recommended. Luckily, I had read various reviews online and it seemed to be the consensus that the funicular gave more bang for the buck - that is, it is much more convenient to find and has an equally stunning view. Not sure why kimkim still recommends the cable car but we were very happy to have asked them to book the funicular instead. There was also one mistake, where kimkim booked a sauna experience with several particulars promised, but those particulars were not at the sauna when we used it. kimkim was very responsive and refunded our money for that experience, which I very much appreciated, as it was quite a disappointing experience.

Some of our truly amazing experiences were activities that I had discovered through my own research, as opposed to some of the typical tourist suggestions offered by kimkim. In that sense, if I'd had the right amount of planning time I think I could have planned an equally good trip myself. On the other hand, they had great suggestions for hotels and some of the activities. You do pay a premium to use kimkim, but in our case, in the end it was worth it because of the time crunch.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Union Øye

Norangsfjorden

Hotel Union Øye was fantastic and definitely my favorite part of the trip. This was one hotel I specifically requested, and it did not disappoint. The area was beautiful, and I wish we could have stayed there longer to explore more.

Hotel Brosundet

Ålesund

Our stay at Hotel Brosundet was our least favorite. We had two rooms, and both had strange slanted ceilings with awkward angles, making it hard to move around without hitting our heads. It was quite uncomfortable, especially considering the price. However, the location was great, and the service was fine

Bergen Børs Hotel

Bergen

The Bergen Børs Hotel had excellent service, and the staff were really helpful. The breakfasts there were amazing. However, the rooms were small, and there wasn't anywhere to put clothes, so we had to live out of our suitcases, which was a bit inconvenient. Despite that, I would go back because the staff made our stay pleasant, the breakfast and the location.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Easy access to everything.

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Storage for clothing

Kviknes Hotel

Balestrand

Quirky in a good way. Great location on the fjord.

Authenticity & Character

The old parts of the hotel are fun. Feels like you’ve gone back in time.

Location

On the fjord is fantastic. But not a lot to do in the town.

Staff

Competent front desk, but not overly helpful or friendly.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Bergen: A Walk Through Past and Present

Bergen

Great guide with excellent information , vast historical knowledge and stories. Very worth it.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Didn’t use transport

Fløibanen

Bergen

Loved the funicular and plenty of places up top to hike. Wish we’d had more time to be able to do that.

Quality of Experience

Really fun, though crowded up top

Welcome to Hotel Union Øye

Norway

Fantastic hotel, super friendly and helpful staff. Food amazing, location phenomenal.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Nothing about the hotel, but there is a lot of windy roads get there

Boat trip with a local guide

Øye

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Floating sauna in Ålesund

Ålesund

We were booked for a sauna that had cool water barrels to dip into. Apparently there was a mixup and we were scheduled at the wrong sauna. Dirty harbor water, so no jumping in to cool off. On top of that, we learned that the hotel we were staying at had their own sauna which was free and we didn’t even need to book something separate. I sent an email to Kim Kim right away about our disappointment and they refunded all our money for that activity, which I really appreciated.

Quality of Experience

See above

Fjordcruise Ålesund - Geiranger (Return)

Norway

We ended up canceling this the day before due to seasickness, but kimkim would not refund our money..

Very smooth organization by Ethel and great recommendations. Everything was booked ahead of time, which made the trip very seamless. We loved Bergen and the treehouse outside Oslo as well as the amazingly beautiful scenery throughout.

The guide was very good , guided us through the whole trip , from places to restaurants.
The country is beautiful and had a wonderful time driving around and seeing some stunning places .
My 4 star is based on few -
I could have planned it slightly better as felt one or two places were a repetition and could be avoided ( maybe Kritiansund )
Some hotels did not have any lift which meant we had to carry suitcases at least for 2-3 flights of stairs , not ideal when we have 2 suitcases close to 20kgs , avoidable .
Overall fantastic country and trip and our advisor / guide Mathia was very good

Kristiina was very responsive and helped put a trip together that worked well for our family. The emergency support contact while we were in Norway was also extremely responsive and helpful. The tour guide we were connected with in Bergen was also super helpful and provided all sorts of helpful information about restaurants and places to avoid.

Overall the trip was good and kimkim did a fine job making planning a 10 day trip super easy. There are some items we would have done differently and a couple of misses, but hind-sight is 20/20. We had an issue with some of our tickets not downloading properly (expired link), but they were able to solve it quickly on the fly by sending us the needed documents via Whatsapp.

I'm not sure we would say we got the "insider's" guide to Norway and no real spots off the beaten path, but we had a good time and it was incredibly beautiful. Quick review of hotels we stayed at: Hotel Bondheim in Oslo was mixed--one room we had was very nice and the other was quite dumpy. Scandic Torget in Bergen is probably nice if you have a view of the water, but we didn't and the rooms were pretty small. Great breakfast though. Very busy part of town, which is good and bad. Kringsjå Hotel in Balestrand was our favorite. Not super nice rooms, but had great balconies off the rooms, great views, and an extensive lounge area and game area that was awesome for our kid. Also not crowded at all. Finally, the hotel manager there is the nicest man ever.

Hotel Reviews

Hotell Bondeheimen

Oslo

One room is very nice and the other was quite dumpy. Very small elevators, but somewhat typical for Norway.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Scandic Torget

Bergen

In a very busy part of town--could be loud depending on which direction you are facing. Hotel layout is a bit unusual (historic building) and some rooms are quite small. Breakfast room was impressive!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Kringsjå Hotel

Balestrand

Decor hasn't been updated in a while, but charming hotel nevertheless. Hotel manager was amazing.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Beds weren't amazing, but good enough.

Activity Reviews

Fløibanen

Bergen

This was a great activity, especially with kids. Lots of awesome playgrounds at the top and hiking trails. Really cool spot.

Private day tour to Hardangerfjord, incl Voss Gondol & Four Great Waterfalls

Bergen

We would have appreciated less driving and more walking while at each site. We spent most of the day in the car, which seemed like too much given all the prior travel we had just done. It turned out to be okay because it was raining most of the day and being in the car was probably better than being outside, but still too much car time. Our guide Arne was really top notch though and very engaging, particularly with our kid, which helped keep her engaged in the trip. The gondola ride was cool and the food at the top was quite good. Maybe would have been better if the weather were nicer and we could have hiked around at the top, but mostly felt like we were being shuttled from spot to spot.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Finnafjord RIB Boat Tour

Balestrand

This was a very nice tour and the folks running it were knowledgeable and very nice. I thought I read that we were supposed to bring layers for this tour, but they provided a whole insulated waterproof suit to wear--so all those layers I brought were not needed. My 6-year old was scared by the suits and the prospect of going really fast, so she and my wife had to bail. I'd suggest 8 years old may be the min age you might want to consider taking on this trip, depending on how adventurous your kid is. The boats go 40-50 mph and the water was pretty choppy on the day we went, so a fair amount of bumps, but nothing crazy. The seats are tall and her feet would not have touched the ground, which would have been okay, just adds a bit to the uncertainty factor. Some 6-year olds would probably have a blast--but not for all.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Luggage Transfer Service

Norway

A Norwegian evening on the fjord

Oslo

Loved the tour, but food was pretty mediocre and drinks were quite expensive.

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Norway in a Nutshell Tour

Norway

Amazing tour, but a lot to fit into one day, particularly for younger kids.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Absolutely wonderful trip thanks to kimkim’s assistance. Krista was wonderful, very accommodating and patiently answered hundreds of questions for weeks. She assisted with w everything from driving directions to detailed hotel preferences to restaurant suggestions and touristy highlights. We printed her daily itinerary, confirmation numbers, reservations and driving directions as back up in case we couldn’t get online. It was so helpful we ended up using it daily as reference.

Everything went very smoothly without any problems. We received assistance during a minor emergency in the middle of the night.

Thank you Krista and Kimkim. Will definitely use again and highly recommended.

Mathias was incredibly responsive. So grateful for that. Norway is gorgeous. Some truly unique small hotels. Food exceeded expectations! .

Out Oslo guide was listless, unengaged, and minimally informative. We were a group and each person felt this was one of our worst guide experiences.

Activity Reviews

Explore Oslo's Hidden Gems with a Local Expert

Oslo

Maybe our guide was having a bad day. There were some slivers of humor and some information. But, generally he seemed uninterested and just walked us past stuff with minimal information. We even asked him questions and told him what we would like from him. But, no luck. Such a shame

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guided Kayak Tour

Sandane

Loved Ingrid and Stine! They went above and beyond

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Mar planned a wonderful itinerary, allowing us to see and experience many wonderful things in northern Norway. The information she provided was very helpful and well laid out, and she was always very responsive to our questions and needs. Thanks to her and also to Fenne, who was very helpful with the bookings and all related questions.

Mar and Fenne were very responsive in the planning process and our trip went pretty well. Some details that we discussed in the planning process were missed and not provided during the trip. We were supposed to have a private bus during one excursion for our group of 10 travelers and that was not arranged. We asked for a sauna cruise and were booked for a standing sauna. We were told that we will be refunded the difference but I have not received any refund as of yet. We did not have assigned seats on one leg of our train travel which caused a great deal of last minute stress and need to contact the emergency Kim Kim number. When we received our seat assignments, some were double booked with other passengers on the train. KimKim emergency help told me to contact Fjordtours, the company that orchestrates Norway in a Nutshell, which KimKim booked for us. This was surprising as I thought KimKim would contact them with any issues that arose. I would recommend flying from Oslo to Bergen and taking the train back to Oslo from Flam rather than taking the train both ways. It would have been helpful for our travel planners to suggest different options and the pros and cons of each. Overall, Norway is an amazingly picturesque country and we enjoyed the trip despite the hiccups.

Tricia created an exceptional trip for us that we enjoyed immensely. It was a remarkable trip for the following reasons:

1). We saw a variety of the ways in which contemporary Norwegian society functions - from the sunbathers (a lot of them!) and commuters on the Aker Brygge to the shoppers in central Oslo to the residents of Hamar, Lillehammer, Bergen and Alesund as they went about their daily lives. This immersion into Norwegian life helped us go beyond stereotypes and experience a social climate quite different from what we have in the States, (especially right now).

2). We had numerous opportunities to learn about Norwegian history. The outdoor museums - from the Norse Folk Museum in Oslo to the Maihaugen in Lillehammer and the Sunnmore in Alesund - were all very impressive and well done.

3). Our guides were fantastic! Stig, Ole, John and Randi - each one very enjoyable and knowledgeable. They added so much to our experience of place.

4). We had surprises at each location. The ethereal singing of the guide in the Domkirkeodden in Hamar might have been the most magical moment in the trip for me. We also enjoyed Ole taking us to the wooden hotel, the “Norwegian Stonehenge”, and the ski jump from the Olympics. Randi’s walk about Alesund, pointing out the Art Nouveau buildings was very informative. After seeing the Schotstuene (Hanseatic League building) and the Bergenhus Fortress in Bergen, John walked us to the University where we saw the beautiful botanical gardens and the Maritime Museum. Our trip to the Fram and KonTiki Museums and to the Norse Folkermuseum with Stig far surpassed our expectations.

5). The seamless transition from place to place with taxis arriving/waiting as necessary made us feel well cared for. It was also instructive to travel by both train and bus - another aspect of the immersion experience. We very much also enjoyed our night onboard the Havila Capella from Bergen to Alesund. It’s too bad the weather was rainy because I can only imagine how fantastic the view would have been under other conditions.

Food wise:
- The Venti Venti in Oslo was a lot of fun and we enjoyed the great people watching.
- The breakfast buffets at all of the hotels were excellent except at the Raddison Blu Airport Hotel where it was terrible.
- Eating at the Bro in Alesund was another fun experience. We had gone to the Fishery Museum earlier that day so I tried the dried cod dish because I thought the pairing (of the historical information and cuisine) would be interesting. The dessert - 3 kinds of ice cream - was among the best food we had on the entire trip.

So - in summary - we went from south (85’ heat) to north (55’); from urban to small city to rural; from plane to bus, train, taxi and ship - with 4 wonderfully informed and friendly guides enjoying lovely breakfast buffets that lasted us through the day and seeing many interesting sights. I can’t imagine a better time then than!

We had an amazing trip - 14 people with different needs , like rooms accommodations or dietary restrictions- and mathia was patient, always courteous, and ready to fix things when needed. We all loved him - and i bet he loved us back 😊
Great trip and great memories.

Activity Reviews

Explore Oslo's Hidden Gems with a Local Expert

Oslo

Our guide was the worst. Please do not hire him again. 1- did not introduce himself 2- did not ask about our name 3- did not show us any map 4- we did not know where we were going 5- did not build a stop in a 4 hours walk 6- we got exhausted and did not learn a thing 7- he had a monotone voice when he spoke

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

RIB Fjord Safari

Norway

Lots of fun

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Flåm Railway and Cycling Adventure

Norway

It was fun and would redo it, yet the first 2 km were steep and we came off the bike at each switchback

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guided Kayak Tour

Sandane

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We were supposed to do this trip in 2020 so over the years I have dealt with a number of Kimkim people. All have been excellent and Tom was no exception. I found Kimkim online and had never heard of them. I normally plan our trips but Norway just seemed like a bridge too far. The 14 night trip was a perfect match for our kind of travel. Be warned though Norway is a big country!! Lofoten is crowded but a must see. Highly recommend utilizing Kimkim for your next holiday

In short, Mathia helped us plan the perfect trip suited just for us. We wanted to do a self-driving trip thru portions of Arctic Norway. He recommended wonderful and special places to stay and sights to see. We had some issues with weather that cancelled some of our activities and he immediately contacted us and responded with possible alternatives. He was not intrusive at all on our vacation, but you always knew he was behind the scenes and making sure all was ok. The best part is that during the planning of this trip we made several changes from the original itinerary and Mathia was so patient and willing to do whatever it took to try and make this trip special to us. If you work with Mathia please know you are in very good hands. We would 100% work with Mathia and KimKim again in the future.