Kimkim Trip Reviews for Norway

The food tour in Copenhagen with Theresa was great. It was so much more than just food — history, culture, lifestyle and because it was only the two of us on the tour, it was conversational. Nice to talk to a local. The choice of food stops were carefully chosen. Each one was delicious!!

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Lilla Rådmannen

Stockholm

Authenticity & Character

Clean. Well maintained

Location

15 min walk to train station

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Scandic Webers

Vesterbrogade 11B

Conveniently located near train station. Room was standard and clean. Shower drain was slow but they offered us a new room immediately. Great breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Bjørvika Apartments - Sørenga

Oslo

Authenticity & Character

New apartment building. Everything we needed

Location

15 minutes to restaurants and activities. Safe neighborhood. Secure building

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

New. Bright. Good condition

Ole Bull, Best Western Signature Collection

Bergen

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Copenhagen: A Food Tour of Past & Present

Copenhagen

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Sauna Experience

Oslo

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Oslofjord Dinner Cruise

Oslo

Quality of Experience

Quality of meal. Servers were friendly and polite but rushed. Little knowledge/interest in food

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

We definitely got a true feel for Norway and its unique culture. The tour guides were all amazing; knowledgeable, thoughtful and fun!
The hotels were very authentic and full of history. The transfers between locations were varied and always clean and punctual. A very memorable trip that I would suggest to anyone interested in visiting Norway!

I was daunted by the idea of planning my first international trip to Norway with our 4 year old and 5-month old sons, so we reached out to KimKim for help. I am SO glad I did! Katie planned the perfect trip that balanced the needs of our kids with our wishlist of things to see. Everything was seamless on the trip and I'm so glad I didn't have to spend my energy managing logistics and could enjoy our time as a family instead. When our hotel forgot to deliver a crib, Katie had it resolved right away while we unpacked. I would absolutely work with KimKim again!

KimKim was easy to work with and very responsive during the trip to any inquiries that we had. We loved the trip to Norway. The hotels were all good and the activities were fun. Our favorite stop was in Balestrand as it was less to touristy, and quieter than other places we visited, but still stunningly beautiful.

Hotel Reviews

Opus XVI

Bergen

Great hotel in a great location. This was the nicest hotel we stayed in while traveling ion Norway.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Kviknes Hotel

Balestrand

Beautiful exterior. Our room was in the newer wing (built in the 1960s). Although the hotel lobby and dining room were stunning, our room was very bland and functional. The room was clean. We did have a balcony and supposedly a water view, but it was hard to see the water from our room. Good breakfast.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Fretheim Hotel

Flåm

Great lobby. Great location. Room was nice. Bathroom was a bit small. Breakfast was good.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Karl Johan Hotel

Oslo

Great location. We were able to walk everywhere from the hotel. Our favorite breakfast of our trip to Norway. The room was very nice (and modern). The staff was very helpful in suggesting neighborhoods to explore.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Food & Culture Walk

Bergen

It was an enjoyable tour. The tour guide was fine (not spectacular). In the past, most food tours had too much food so I left stuffed. This food tour had a much smaller amount of food, but I was still OK with that.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Fjord RIB Safari & Undredal Cheese Tasting

Norway

We really enjoyed this activity. The cheese tasting was enjoyable. The best part of the activity was being on the smaller fjords on a smaller boat. The guide was very knowledgeable and personable. We highly recommend this tour.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Waterfall Hike & Stegastein Viewpoint Experience

Norway

While you can do this activity on your own, our guide (Irvin) was great and we learned a lot about Norway. Irvin was the best guide of our entire trip to Norway.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Private City Walk

Oslo

We loved this walking tour. We learned a lot about Norway and Oslo. OUr guide was great.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Oslofjord Dinner Cruise

Oslo

Food was delicious. Very nice scenery. No guide. You just ate dinner, talked to your companions and enjoyed the view.

Quality of Experience

Food

Thank you to Katie and KimKim for a great unstressful trip to Norway. The private transfer vehicles were always on time. All the drivers/guides were very pleasant and knowledgeable. I think the fjord cruise and the farm tour were my favorite experiences. I loved the apartment in Aurland! I could have stayed longer. I wish I had booked a sauna experience. Next trip!

Fenne was my main contact and very helpful. Our itinerary enabled us to move smoothly from one space to another. We felt confident with the instructions. Hotels were very good. Well done, KimKim! Thank you

Visiting Norway in April/May is a wonderful time. It was warm enough to be comfortable (6 to 20 C) with light sweaters but cool enough to avoid the summer crowds. Some days were rainy, but it rains a lot in Norway in late spring or summer too. Popular sites were nearly empty, so we had them all to ourselves. The views were spectacular! And the local people and guides well very kind and friendly. We are very likely to be repeat visitors.

Activity Reviews

Embark Hurtigruten

Norway

The room was quite clean and new. We wish we had been on the boat for more hours... from 1:20 AM to 8:10 AM is not long enough for even a good sleep. A 12 to 16 h trip would be more reasonable.

Ferry from {{start_location}} to {{end_location}} via Florø

Norway

Extremely beautiful trip lasting only 4 hrs... wish it were longer. But unfortunately we took only 2 photos!

Quality of Experience

Some very narrow passages with steep walls or with nice rocks and forest.

Transport

High quality clean fast boat.

Sauna Knutholmen

Kalvåg

We never had a Sauna before. Liked it much more than we thought we would. I would like to do it more often!!

Full Day Geiranger Fjord Cruise

Ålesund

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Everyone strived to give us personalized experience.

Waterfall Hike & Stegastein Viewpoint

Norway

Our most rainy day, but still well worth the time outside. But even on this day some sunshine.

The trip was really nice. I would not recommend using Chiang as a guide in Bergen as he is Taiwanese and has only lived in Bergen for a couple of years and his English was poor. Hotels were great. Cruises were great. Dinner at the island exceeded our expectations. For the cable car, you should let people know that they need to convert their ticket to a real ticket at the botton and not try to get through the automated gates with the paper ticket or phone QR code. I would definitely recommend first class car for train. About half the seats face backwards so if it is possible to get a train car layout we would have preferred facing forward.

We would definitely use you guys again for other trips and we have recommended you to a couple of our friends.

Hotel Reviews

Grand Hotel Oslo

Oslo

Great hotel in a great location. Restaurant was very good.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Opus XVI

Bergen

Great hotel in great location. Lots of history.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Private City Walk

Oslo

The guide was very experienced and his English was excellent.

Mostraumen Fjord Cruise

Bergen

Enjoyed the cruise.

Oslofjord Dinner Cruise

Oslo

Nice way to spend our first night. Food was good for the circumstances of being on a boat where the food is pre prepared.

Cultural Walk with a Local

Bergen

Guides English was poor and he was relatively new to Bergen. I would not recommend using the same guide.

Ulriken Cable Car & Lunch with a View

Bergen

One of the highlights. Meal and cider tasting was very good and it was in an exclusive area that was quiet and great views.

Fjord Cruise & Seafood Dining Experience

Bergen

Food was excellent and the excursion exceeded our expectations. It was a nice way to end our stay in Bergen.

Our friend did all the planning throu Kim Kim so we're not certain what criteria he selected (standard /premium, etc....) but everything was very well done.....no hicups and the overall quality of each and every accomodation was excellent. A good mix of experiences as well. Overall we're impressed with the level of expertise and planning that Kim Kim provided and are considering using the services again.

Hotel Reviews

DFDS overnight cruise

Great cabin with ample space. Food was Ok, not exceptional. Access to the prvate lounge was nice but there were no views from the lounge....a little unfortunate. Overall a great experience.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Karl Johan Hotel

Oslo

Great staff and the quality of the facitiy was excellent. Location does not get any better.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clarion Hotel Admiral

Bergen

Great location and excellent food both breakfast and dinner. The rooms and hallways were a little tired / worn looking. Our room was quite small (no room for 2 bags) as oposed to our traveling partners who has sufficient room for the four of us to sit together.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Flåm Marina

Flåm

For one, you can't beat the location. Having the extra sitting area in the room was very well appreciated. Breakfast selection was OK but the dinner was excellent. Walking through the houskeeping service area to get to the room as a litle awkward. The staff was cordial ovreall but not as welcoming as other placed we visited in Norway.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Overnight Cruise

Bergen

Small cabin but had a nice view. Food was great. As was the common area seating. Felt like a commuter ship as things were being cleaned while we were boarding / sailing / disembarking.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Norsk Folkemuseum - The Open Air Museum (museum tickets included)

Oslo

Quality of Experience

Transport

Viking Day in Gudvangen

Gudvangen

Learned a lot of details about viking life and culture. Good hands on demostarations but all were not staffed at the time of our visit.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Nærøyfjord Cruise by Electric Boat (one way)

Gudvangen

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Past & Present City Walk

Bergen

Eirik did an excellent job....being a lifetime resident with a great understanding of the history and culture.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fløibanen Funicular Experience (tickets included)

Bergen

Tons of hiking opportunities at the top. Food in the cafe is limited and not very satisfying, We did not try the restaraunt but it looked amazing, as did the bar.

Quality of Experience

Overall an excellent vacation to Norway. Eliise and Fenne did a great job coordinating the travel plans with the hotels and other travel partners. Everything was exactly as presented with no issues checking into the hotels or activities. We really enjoyed the Havila cruise although we where on the ship only from Bergen to Trondheim. Response times from Kim Kim were good both during the planning and actual trip stages. I would highly recommend KIm Kim to anyone looking for a Norway experience.

Victor Alfirevic
USA

Hotel Reviews

Britannia Hotel

Trondheim

Staff

Bergen Børs Hotel

Bergen

Great location close to main attractions. Also a 2 minute walk to Clean Kokos a self service laundry.

Location

Cleanliness & Comfort

Flåmsbrygga Hotel

Flåm

The hotel in Flåm was fine given the limited options. With only two main hotels I was aware of, it met my expectations. The beer and food were good, and I would give it four stars. It's a small place, but it worked for us visiting in April when it wasn't crowded.

Hotel Bristol

Oslo

The Hotel Bristol in Oslo was fine. We had a slight issue with the original booking due to Easter, but the problem was handled well, with us being accommodated at Hotel Bristol. The breakfasts were good, and overall, it was a good experience staying there.

Activity Reviews

Oslo Opera House Backstage Experience

Oslo

Excellent facility and worth a tour.

Quality of Experience

Transport

Transit to Airport at 3:30 AM was punctual.

Trondheim City Walking Tour

Trondheim

Very worthwhile. A visit to the Cathedral is a must, We were fortunate to experience the pipe organ playing which was superb.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide was enthusiastic about explaining Trondheim's history.

Private Floating Sauna Experience - Aurland

Aurland

Fun experience, recommended.

Food & Culture Walk

Bergen

Quality of Experience

Plenty of food unique to Norway. Last stop was the oldest bar in Bergen.

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guide was a bit inexperienced and not as knowledgeable as a couple other of our guides.

Norway in a Nutshell Tour

Norway

Signage could be improved,

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Local knowledge including flora.

Oslofjord Dinner Cruise

Oslo

Nice start to a trip to Oslo.

Waterfall Hike & Stegastein Viewpoint Experience

Norway

Guide was fantastic. Local knowledge including flora.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Fjord Cruise & Seafood Dining Experience

Bergen

Definitely a unique experience. Highly recommended for foodies. Could cut the overall time down by 30 minutes as we got back to hotel quite late.

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Mostraumen Fjord Cruise

Bergen

Nice trip to see more fjords.

Quality of Experience

Transport

Ship is clean and very comfortable.

Fløibanen Funicular Ride

Bergen

The Fløibanen Funicular was highly recommended. It's a beautiful place to hike with lovely views, and there's a restaurant at the top where you can relax. We had a sunny day to enjoy it, and it was spectacular.

Our family of 4 (parents and 2 boys ages 9 and 7) had a terrific week in Norway. We covered a lot of ground and saw many sights. Starting our trip with the floating sauna in the Oslo harbor was a great first day activity when we were fighting jet lag. My husband and I both jumped right into the frigid water from the diving board. Woke us right up! The next day we really enjoyed seeing the colorful summer cottages and hiking through the harbor islands with Astrid.
Then the Norway in a Nutshell tour was breathtaking in terms of the Flam railway through the mountains and fjord cruise.
I was also particularly intrigued when the train stopped in Finse, a polar wonderland for skiing and expedition training not accessible by road. I’ll have to come back to Finse and get off the train the next time. So unique.
We enjoyed learning about the city of Bergen with Chao and then taking the funicular to the top to take in the views. The next day, the helicopter ride was just incredible. Our pilot was Jan Gunnar. Flying over the tops of the mountain peaks, seeing the remote cabins above the treeline, and viewing a glacier was just spectacular and so special.
We then spent a few days in Tromsø, which we loved. The dogsled ride and the Sami reindeer experience were really fun and full of learning. I have a son who has a fear of dogs but the dogsled was organized well and he managed to warm up to the dogs enough to pet a few of them, which was a real breakthrough. We also enjoyed Polaria, the aquarium, where we saw the seal feeding, and the troll museum, which highly entertaining for young boys. The city itself is stunningly beautiful and we felt like we were in a winter wonderland in late April. One day we got 4 inches of snow. Our hotel, the Scandic Ishavshotel, was right on the harbor and we spent hours watching boats go by. We would have loved to do some ski touring or snowmobiling outside the city in the surrounding mountains, but we ran out of time. We all agreed we need to come back!

We all loved many things about our trip and wished we had more than just a week in Norway. Everything was so delightful - the people, the culture, the food, the experiences. We came home changed and enlightened by the experience, with many new ideas to pursue. Our first night home we cooked Norwegian fish soup!

Traveling in Norway with kids this age was no problem at all. We had virtually zero language barriers because English is so widely spoken, and Norwegians are particularly friendly to children. We even got invited into the old fire station in Bergen so our kids could see them preparing the antique first engines for National Day coming up. So cool! We would highly recommend this trip.

Mar did a great job listening and then setting up the perfect itinerary.
The activities and hotels were all wonderful.
We will definitely use Kimkim again for trips that require local knowledge.

Hotel Reviews

DFDS overnight cruise

Room was nice and a good location on the ship

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Karl Johan Hotel

Oslo

Great location, clean and modern.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Flåm Marina

Flåm

Absolutely the best location on the waterfront. The only downside was that our room had an interior bedroom. With no windows and no ventilation, the room was too warm. Restaurant was nice. The included breakfast was great. We had a nice dinner there as well

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Rooms need ventilation. Some of the furnishings were a little dated.

Clarion Hotel Admiral

Bergen

Great location The breakfast and dinner was outstanding.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Our dinner waiter was wonderful and I interesting to talk to.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Overnight Cruise

Bergen

Room was on the small side. The angle of the wall made it very difficult for a tall person to move around.

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Nærøyfjord Cruise by Electric Boat (one way)

Gudvangen

Norsk Folkemuseum - The Open Air Museum (museum tickets included)

Oslo

Viking Day in Gudvangen

Gudvangen

Great, authentic feeling experience

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Past & Present City Walk

Bergen

Wonderful, knowledgable guide

Fløibanen Funicular Experience (tickets included)

Bergen

Thank you Mar for the amazing adventure to Norway. We explored Oslo, then headed into the fjords and stayed in Flam and Balestrand. Hiking the fjords was a dream. Our final destination was Bergan. The city was a dream. The funicular above the city is a must do. We will certainly use KimKim again to plan our next adventure.

A 5 star scale is not sufficient to rate my experience planning a trip to Norway with Mathia! I sought an off-the-beaten path, stunning, relaxing, reinvigorating adventure with my teenage son. After being told by Norwegians and American friends who had traveled to the quieter Northern regions that our desire to explore up there in a relatively short trip was ambitious and that the weather would be risky, But Mathia inspired me to trust his love for the region and orchestrated an itinerary that captured exactly what we were seeking...and more! Of course it's impossible to see everything that this otherworldly country has to offer, but I know we used every day well, without having to skim through a landscape that must not be rushed. When I made a mistake in booking a flight, Mathia heroically and selflessly adjusted the plan at the 11.9th hour and we didn't miss a beat. I have ZERO regrets about how we spent our time. We felt well taken care of by innkeepers and adventure guides known to Mathia. We tasted the local flavors. We fell into the rhythms of the midnight sun. I will forever be grateful for Mathia for making this dream trip possible and would trust him again in a heartbeat!

This is our third trip with Kimkim. We absolutely had a wonderful time traveling by car in Norway. We couldn’t have done it without our Kimkim consultant, Kadri, booking agent, Fenne, and 24/7 assistance agent, David. It was a beautifully smooth operation they run as a team. Kadri listened to what we wanted: slower pace, and accommodations (boutique hotel, cottage or cabin) with beautiful views and balcony or deck when possible. She met our wish to perfection! You cannot imagine how much we enjoyed staying at each hotel, cottage or cabin with absolutely gorgeous views!! Fenne did all the bookings perfectly (which is not as easy as you think based on our experience), and she was always quick to communicate with us like Kadri. Lastly, but not least, David. We knew that there are a team of people on the other side of WhatsApp messages and calls, but we happened to get help from David most of the time. Norway is a large country with so many roads and ferries. There were some road closures as well due to snow David was always there to help us navigate our way. Just for a few of many examples, we once changed our itinerary at the last moment by going to Kvitnes to stay over night, rather than driving to Hennningsvaer directly as originally planned. We thought we just had to plug in the driving route with google maps, but it showed 2 ferry rides. So, we talked to David and he found a solution by plugging in 2 towns in between, that made it shorter routes without ferry rides. We couldn’t have done it, but he could do it quickly with his local knowledge. When our flight was delayed, he informed the hotel of our late arrival as well as arranging for our dinner. We loved the seamless team efforts to make our Norway experience just so superb beyond our imagination! Thank you for everything. We loved our Norway trip and will cherish the beautiful memory forever.

Anders was amazing at setting up my trip. He answered all my many questions and helped design a wonderful itinerary.
Jacob was there everyday when I emailed . and was always so helpful and encouraging!

Hotel Reviews

Quality Hotel Ålesund

Ålesund

Lovely hotel. Right there in town. Great breakfast buffet. Very helpful staff.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Scandic Torget

Bergen

Perfect location! Comfy bed!

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Art Nouveau and Maritime History Tour

Ålesund

Lucas our guide was warm and personable and had great knowledge about the history of Alesund.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Fløibanen Funicular Experience (tickets included)

Bergen

Quality of Experience

Thanks to Katie, we had such an amazing trip that we will remember forever. My mom always wanted to see Norway, her father’s home, and Katie made it possible. She created a plan that accommodated our different ages, needs and desires for the trip. We had a busy season prior to the trip and I would not have had the time or knowledge to plan this myself. Communication was great and the process was collaborative, in that we were asked about our preference every step of the way. We received a detailed plan, including ready-to-print/save tickets, itineraries, and essential information. Everything went smoothly and we really enjoyed all of the activities planned as well as the selected accommodations. It was also nice knowing that there was a local contact person in case something went wrong. We are grateful to Katie and KimKim for such an unforgettable experience.

The private city OSLO walk with Bjorn our tour guide, was amazing. His in-depth knowledge of not only of the Oslo architecture, but of all Norway kept us intrigued for the entire walk. He is so easy to talk to and learn all aspects of Norwegian customs and traditions. It was a little disappointing that the Oslo Street food tour was cancelled. We were delighted with almost every aspect of the itinerary provided by Kimkim, including all of the hotel accommodations, the cruises, and transfers. In hindsight, we wished Kinkim could have provided more information on the public transportation bus and subway routes around Oslo as we had to rely on the more-expensive Uber services to get to the various scheduled activities. Also, in hindsight, we wish Kinkim offered a walking tour of Bergen as well. The weather was perfect: 40 - 50 degrees with sunny sky's. Otherwise, we were most pleased with our trip and look forward to working with your expert specialists the next time we travel.

Katie and all who had a hand in our adventure....

Karen, Chris and I thoroughly enjoyed our two-week odyssey from one end of Norway to the other. While I was not involved in the planning of the trip, I commend you for the selections of hotels and travel arrangements throughout. Well-situated for our purposes, clean... and the laundry facilities in Bergen a real plus! I personally appreciate your extra effort to add this 3rd traveler in an efficient and economically viable program. The detailed itinerary you prepared was VERY essential to the smooth transitions from one locale to the next (and for accessing travel tickets AND local bus/museum pass in Oslo!); we referred to it daily. The suggested restaurants were spot on for those we tried - as much for a taste of the local culture as for a wide range of food options. The couple who welcomed us on Senia, John and Stiig were all as personally engaging as they were knowledgeable about their cities... and also honest about recommendations about how to use our remaining time in Bergen and Oslo, respectively. Plus.... we got a real feel for each city with the walking we did.... a joy! The extras.... a short snowshoe test, the aurora cabin experience, a floating sauna with dip into a fjord, and the open-air fjord tour in Senia (replete with a short hailstorm) allowed us to experience the real environment of Norway, replete with sea eagle sitings while hunting and nesting. Grateful for the dry suits provided for this expedition.... fun! Finally, my gratitude for the pre-trip conference call to review and finalize details of the trip shortly before departure. The nuances of your scheduling after we hung up were icing on the cake. And it was credit card ONLY throughout the trip.... (with exception of tips to the guides) just as you said. Many, many thanks for excellent service throughout.

A couple of personal observations and a question:
1. It would be helpful if all the information re each step of the itinerary (hotel, tour guides, schedule (arrival/departure) and transportation logistics, city background info, suggested sites to visit) info could be summarized chronologically for easier referral. We got lost in looking for info in a city as pieces appeared in different sections of the itinerary.
2. In Senia... it would have been helpful to know about the dry suits in advance. We dressed in layers for the anticipated cold .... and it took time to remove all the clothes to suit up as others waited for us to finish. Might also avoid packing unnecessary clothing.
3. A single guest is often assigned a room no bigger than a closet.... with a bed to match the dimensions. Almost like sleeping in a coffin. I encourage you to do all you can to ensure that this does not happen to one of your clients. It was miserable in Oslo in particular.

And my question:
I was felled by a virus upon our arrival in Senia. I missed the Northern Lights tour (and never had a chance to see them again as I was still sick as we moved to the second location in Senia). Is it possible I could receive a reimbursement for this activity due to my illness? Such a disappointment to miss this AND to lose my day of outside exploration before traveling to Bergen.

Hotel Review

Grand Hotel Terminus

Bergen

The hotel is very well located for easy movement around Bergen, especially of traveling by train. The hotel was clean, the staff friendly and accommodating, and the availability of coffee and tea in the reception area a welcome gift after hours of touring. A special kudos to the hotel for making laundry facilities available - at no cost to guests - on a 24/7 basis. Customer-friendly doesn't get better! The restaurant facilities are very nice and the ability to use this space outside of formal service hours was a plus..... especially due to the small size of the single guest room (a little bigger than a coffin). My only complaint is that while people around us received a generous glass of wine when ordered, we received a MUCH smaller quantity in the same size glass. NOT an optical illusion. I reported this at the reception desk as we departed... it was noticeable and questionable.

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

As a single guest, I was assigned to a very, very small room. Almost a coffin. Very uncofortable.

Activity Review

Arctic Boat Safari in Senja

Senja

I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to experience Norway up close through this time on the open water. The provision of the dry suits was unexpected and MUCH appreciated.... made this tip entirely do-able. The boat's captain was an experienced sailor and kept a watchful eye at all times for any opportunity to see wildlife in air or in the water. The only "needs improving" for this event would be more guidance regarding what we are seeing or stories about the area as we are passing through it for the entire group. The tour manager spoke to smaller groups at times, but there was no real tour information provided at any time during the excursion.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

As noted, the boat's captain kept a watchful eye out for any opportunity to see wildlife throughout the cruise. He made the difference.

Transport

I appreciated the opportunity to be able to remain outside throughout the excursion, even when water was choppy or weather uncooperative.

kimkim organized a memorable Norway experience for my teen and me. So many great moments to highlight, from snowshoeing above Aurlandsfjord with our wonderful guide Irvin, to exploring the same fjord in a small boat, to discovering Oslo by bike with our very knowledgeable guide Patrick, to snowmobiling above the 69th parallel north near Tromsø in a small group. Our only regret is not spending more than a week in such a mindblowingly beautiful country.