Merée Ruzits

Thank You Meree for planning our Norway trip. Apart from the fact that we fell ill largely due to the harsh cold winter, we had great fun and enjoyed our vacation. Very happy that we managed to catch the highlight of our trip which was the northern lights.

Thank you once again and looking forward to engaging your services again in the near future. read more

Thank You Meree for planning our Norway trip. Apart from the fact that we fell ill largely due to the harsh cold winter, we had great fun and enjoyed our vacation. Very happy that we managed to catch the highlight of our trip which was the northern lights.

Thank you once again and looking forward to engaging your services again in the near future.

Hotel Reviews

Thon Hotel Cecil

Oslo

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Scandic Torget

Bergen

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Scandic Ishavshotel

Tromsø

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clarion Hotel The Hub

Oslo

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Transfer to the Ice domes

Tromsø

Quality of Experience

Food

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Spend the morning in the ice domes and transfer back to the city

Tromsø

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Northern Lights Chase

Tromsø

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

From Bergen to Oslo scenic train route - Bergensbanen

Norway

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Mostraumen Cruise

Bergen

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Luggage Transfer Service

Norway

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

We had just completed a 15 days trip to northern Norway (Bodø, Reine, Svolvær and Tromsø) with kimkim. It was the first time we engaged kimkim's services. We wanted a seamless experience in planning a 2 weeks long vacation trip without too much effort. In the past, we did all the research, planning, and booking and it took a lot of effort and time. Our primary objective for this northern Norway trip was to catch the northern lights, as we did not manage to catch it the last time we went to... read more

We had just completed a 15 days trip to northern Norway (Bodø, Reine, Svolvær and Tromsø) with kimkim. It was the first time we engaged kimkim's services. We wanted a seamless experience in planning a 2 weeks long vacation trip without too much effort. In the past, we did all the research, planning, and booking and it took a lot of effort and time. Our primary objective for this northern Norway trip was to catch the northern lights, as we did not manage to catch it the last time we went to Iceland! The other secondary objectives was to tour the beautiful scenic country along with other winter activities. This trip certainly did not disappoint!

We read about the reviews of other customers who engaged kimkim's services in planning and booking for their trip and decided to try it out too. Merée, our assigned specialist did not disappointed! She tailored the itinerary to our requirements, going back and forth countless times with the places, timeline, activities and accommodations. It is due to Merée's recommendation and patience with us that we decided to commit to booking the trip via kimkim.

A trip this long is bound to run into some hiccups. The crucial difference is that kimkim also provided emergency contact during the trip to help address any issues. And indeed we did needed that service! Merée went above and beyond in supporting us with last minute on the fly suggestions and recommendations (places to go, restaurants, sauna!), management of planned activities (postponement / cancellation due to weather) and other minor stuff (hotels check in/out, parking).

We not only met our primary objective where we caught the spectacular northern lights a couple of times, but also met and interacted with wonderful people, from friendly locals to fellow travelers from around the world with the same objective (northern lights!). A worthy mention is Odd, the northern light chase activity guide in Svolvær who was supposed to bring us out but due to the unfortunate timing of the weather (snow storm!), first recommended we postpone if possible to the next night, and then further came down to explain and recommend that we cancel (and refunded us) the next night as the odds of catching the northern lights will be very low. He further advised us that the weather will be cleared up the next day and we should be able to catch the northern lights from where we will be going!

We are really glad that we went with kimkim and thoroughly enjoyed the full northern Norway winter experience! It was a very memorable trip from the northern light chases, the scenic and breath taking drive from Tromsø to the Lofoten islands, to the other activities: Icelandic horse riding in Lofoten, traveling via Hurtigruten cruise along the coast, reindeer sledding & overnight in a Lavvu tent, dog sledding with huskies and whale watching!

It's the people that make the biggest difference in everything we do and we are glad we worked with Merée, and met all the wonderful people along the trip!

Meree was great at listening to what I wanted to see and do and updating the itinerary accordingly. Julia was helpful while traveling as well. read more

Meree was great at listening to what I wanted to see and do and updating the itinerary accordingly. Julia was helpful while traveling as well.

Hotel Reviews

Hotell Bondeheimen

Oslo

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Fretheim Hotel

Flåm

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Augustin Hotel

Bergen

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Ullensvang

Lofthus Hardanger

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Fjordcruise in the Nærøyfjord

Flåm

It's extra cold with the wind, so need to factor that in. It was a great experience. It's helpful to follow audio guide to know what's coming up because it goes pretty fast. I missed a waterfall.

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Just finished the fourth trip planned by Kimkim , and the first time working with Merée in Norway. Excellent planning, great selection of hotels and activities. Due to a death in the family one week before our original date we needed to shift the trip out by two weeks. Not a problem for Merée and Sonia, many thanks.
My brother and I loved the Polar Fjord Sea eagle tour from Bodo. Primary focus of the trip was to photograph Northern Lights and we succeeded very well especially in Tromsa... read more

Just finished the fourth trip planned by Kimkim , and the first time working with Merée in Norway. Excellent planning, great selection of hotels and activities. Due to a death in the family one week before our original date we needed to shift the trip out by two weeks. Not a problem for Merée and Sonia, many thanks.
My brother and I loved the Polar Fjord Sea eagle tour from Bodo. Primary focus of the trip was to photograph Northern Lights and we succeeded very well especially in Tromsa with Trini. However the weather is obviously integral to chasing the Northern Lights and I would recommend getting in touch with the tour providers before hand to exchange contact information in case they need to be in touch.

Thank you Kim Kim for planning our wondeful 8 days trip to Norway.
The orgainzatin could not be better.
Communicating with Meree was quick, easy and professional.
Meree responded to all our needs and she was ready to make all possible changes that we suggested.
Activities great. The kayaking in Flam was really good. The person responsible excellent. (I think her name was Rea). The RIP boat person was also excellent.
The only thing is that the hotel booking in Oslo was not good. I know I have... read more

Thank you Kim Kim for planning our wondeful 8 days trip to Norway.
The orgainzatin could not be better.
Communicating with Meree was quick, easy and professional.
Meree responded to all our needs and she was ready to make all possible changes that we suggested.
Activities great. The kayaking in Flam was really good. The person responsible excellent. (I think her name was Rea). The RIP boat person was also excellent.
The only thing is that the hotel booking in Oslo was not good. I know I have asked Meree for a hotel in Oslo in a reasonable price, but this was very different from all the hotels we stayed.
We went our for a brekfast since the breakfast hall was so poor and smelly.
But overall it was a wondeful week million thanks to Meree and Kim Kim.
Lena and Filippos

Hotel Reviews

Thon Hotel Astoria

Oslo

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Thon Hotel Ålesund

Ålesund

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Grand Hotel Terminus

Bergen

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Fretheim Hotel

Flåm

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Union Geiranger Bad & Spa

Geiranger

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Fjord Kayaking

Flåm

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

RIB Boat tour Geiranger

Geiranger

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

A well planned trip. Loved our Norway stops which gave good insight into variations of important coastal towns.

Thank you KimKim for planning our wonderful Norway adventure. Communicating with Meree and Sonia was easy. They both responded back quickly to my questions and made adjustments as requested. Everything you selected for our group was great from the hotels to the activities. The best part of the trip was it was worry free. Everything was scheduled and all we just had to do was show up.

We loved all the hotels we stayed at - Hansatic Hotel in Bergen, Trolltunga Hotel in Odda, Fretheim... read more

Thank you KimKim for planning our wonderful Norway adventure. Communicating with Meree and Sonia was easy. They both responded back quickly to my questions and made adjustments as requested. Everything you selected for our group was great from the hotels to the activities. The best part of the trip was it was worry free. Everything was scheduled and all we just had to do was show up.

We loved all the hotels we stayed at - Hansatic Hotel in Bergen, Trolltunga Hotel in Odda, Fretheim Hotel in Flam and Dragsvik Fjordhotel in Balestran. They each had their own charm and uniqueness.

All of the activities were wonderful. In Bergen we enjoyed the Funicular and the Ulriken Hike. The favorite activity of the whole trip was in Odda with the Trolltunga hike and overnight stay in a dome. The guides Oyvind, Stepan and Jana were great. Also enjoyed meeting Jostein. In Flam the ride on the Flamsbana Train and biking down to the Flam Valley was so much fun. A special treat along the way was interacting with the friendly goats and eating cheese at the Rallarrosa Farm. In Borgund we enjoyed the beauty of the Stave Church. We ended our trip in Balestrand and loved the view of the Fjords from the windows of our Dragsvik Fjordhotel. There is lots to do in Balestrand. We enjoyed kayaking with Jan, taking the rib boat to Finnabotn with Lars, biking around Balestrand village and ending our trip enjoying lunch and cider at Ciderhuset hosted by owners Gard and Tuba

Just driving around in Norway had us in awe. The views are breathtaking. Norway is a very beautiful country.

Hotel Reviews

Hansatic Hotel

Bergen

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Trolltunga Hotel

Odda

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Fretheim Hotel

Flåm

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Dragsvik Fjordhotel

Balestrand

Authenticity & Character

Location

Views of the Fjords were amazing

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Clarion Hotel Bergen Airport Terminal

Bergen

Authenticity & Character

Location

Walking distance to Airport - great for early morning flight

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Reviews

Overnight Hike to Trolltunga

Odda

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Guides - Oyvind, Stepan and Jana were outstanding. Jostein provided informative information about the trip.

Transport

Bike in the Flåm Valley

Norway

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Transport

Kayaking Tour

Balestrand

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Jan was awesome

Transport

Finnabotn Tour

Balestrand

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Enjoyed Lars. He was very knowledgeable about the area.

Transport

Orchard Tour & Cider Tasting in Balestrand

Balestrand

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff

Gard & Tuba were great hosts.

Transport

Itinerary was perfect for us! Meree was exceptionally quick to respond to any requests for minor tweaks. All the hotels were amazing and the hosts completely accommodating. read more

Itinerary was perfect for us! Meree was exceptionally quick to respond to any requests for minor tweaks. All the hotels were amazing and the hosts completely accommodating.

I love researching and planning trips but this year I just did not have the time to do it and as our family wanted to try somewhere new and different I was delighted to find KimKim ! The process of booking our Norway trip was really easy and Merée was able to design a customised itinerary based on a little feedback on our group needs and interests. This included some really enjoyable events that I don't think would have been on our radar had I been researching myself, such as Ciderhuset and... read more

I love researching and planning trips but this year I just did not have the time to do it and as our family wanted to try somewhere new and different I was delighted to find KimKim ! The process of booking our Norway trip was really easy and Merée was able to design a customised itinerary based on a little feedback on our group needs and interests. This included some really enjoyable events that I don't think would have been on our radar had I been researching myself, such as Ciderhuset and Oslo Opera House. The kayaking in Sognefjord was a big hit. We had a nice amount of down time to go find our own experiences and found Oslo and Bergen really easy to get around, with plenty of things to do. The best part of the planning process was how easily we could tweak it before arriving at a final plan. All of our hotels were great and Merée managed to get the best room configurations for our group despite a busy hotel season. The KimKim platform was excellent for the planning process and also while on the trip, and Merée and her colleagues were very quick to respond when I posted enquiries. We really appreciated having them on board as they were very responsive and helpful when we hit issues with the travel delays that are unfortunately an inevitable part of travelling these days! Finally, the weather for our trip was amazing and definitely a big part of its success - although I don't think Merée can take the credit for that!

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... read more

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

Fjord Safari 2:15h

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 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... read more

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

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

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

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

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

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

It has been an amazing experience. Meree and Sonia were really helpful planning the trip and were quickly answering and solving our doubts and requests.
We had a wonderful trip with no issues and their recommendations about what to see during spring allowed us to enjoy the most beautiful parts of South Norway while enjoying an amazing weather.

Definitely we will come back to organise our next trip. read more

It has been an amazing experience. Meree and Sonia were really helpful planning the trip and were quickly answering and solving our doubts and requests.
We had a wonderful trip with no issues and their recommendations about what to see during spring allowed us to enjoy the most beautiful parts of South Norway while enjoying an amazing weather.

Definitely we will come back to organise our next trip.

Hotel Reviews

Hotel Bristol

Oslo

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Thon Hotel Parken

Kristiansand

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Verkshotellet

Strand

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Hotel Ullensvang

Lofthus Hardanger

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

The Hanseatic Hotel

Bergen

Authenticity & Character

Location

Staff

Cleanliness & Comfort

Activity Review

Guided Hike to Trolltunga

Odda

Quality of Experience

Guides, Drivers and Staff