Nordic Explorer Tour

Helsinki, Stockholm, Copenhagen & Norway-in-a-Nutshell

Day 1 Arrive in Helsinki
Today we arrive in Helsinki and transfer to our hotel.

Overnight in Helsinki.
Included Meal(s): Dinner

Day 2 Helsinki: City Tour
Affectionately known as the 'Daughter of the Baltic', Helsinki is sited at the arrowhead of a peninsula, surrounded by an archipelago of 315 islands, perfectly placed between its two great trading cousins, Stockholm and Moscow. In a European perspective, Helsinki is relatively young (450 years), yet it is Finland's sixth-oldest town. The Swedes, who extended their empire into Finland in 1155, founded the city of 'Helsingfors' (the name still used by the Swedes) in 1550 when King Gustav Vasa needed a site for a strategic, competitively placed trading port. It languished as a coastal backwater until Imperialist Russia invaded in 1809.

Today we will enjoy a comprehensive walking tour taking in the most important and interesting parts of Helsinki, such as the historical centre and the diplomatic quarters, the Presidential Palace, City Hall, the Parliament building, Finlandia Hall and the Opera House. We stop at Senate Square, and, if possible, Temppeliaukio Church.

During the afternoon you can explore the busy market place or the many souvenir shops close to the harbour. Fans of modern architecture and/or libraries may enjoy a visit to the Oodi Helsinki Library, which occupies a hugely significant site in central Helsinki: facing the steps of the Finnish parliament building. The upper surface of the canopy structure has been used to create a large public terrace, from which one can look directly over the square to the steps and main entrance of parliament. The terrace doubles the amount of public outdoor space provided for library visitors and creates a new destination where people can meet and observe the city below.

Overnight in Helsinki.
Included Meal(s): Breakfast and Dinner

Day 3 Free time in Helsinki / Ferry to Sweden
Today you will have a free day to explore Helsinki. Helsinki is small and intimate; lively but not bustling. Its size makes it easy to walk around and cafes, markets, and the nearby islands are just a few of its summer delights.

This evening we will board our overnight ferry to Stockholm. Our overnight ferries feature modern facilities, restaurants, duty-free shopping, and cozy cabins with low beds (ie not bunks) and en-suite washroom.

Overnight ferry.
Included Meal(s): Breakfast and Dinner

Day 4 Stockholm: City Tour
Welcome to Sweden!

After our morning arrival we check into our hotel before commencing with our walking tour of the Old City. With its location on the east coast of Sweden at the mouth of Lake Malaren, by the Stockholm archipelago, it is widely renowned for its beauty. Three islands make up the oldest part of Stockholm -- Riddarholmen, Staden and Helgeandsholmen -- the whole history-riddled mass a cluster of seventeenth- and eighteen-century Renaissance buildings backed by narrow medieval alleys. 
 
It takes only a matter of seconds to cross the bridge onto Riddarholm, where the Riddarholmskyrkan Church is located. Originally a Franciscan monastery, for over six centuries the church has been the burial place of Swedish royalty. 
 
Our walk around the island will take us to the back of the church for stunning views of Stadshuset, the City Hall and Lake Malaren. Nearby is the island Langholmen where in the winter people skate and even take their dogs for walks on the ice, as the water freezes solid right up to the bridges and beyond.
 
We will continue to the City Hall, where we will view both the controversial Blue Hall and the Golden Chamber with its 18 million mosaic tiles, known to the entire world from the annual traditional Nobel Prize banquets.

Overnight in Stockholm.
Included Meal(s): Breakfast and Dinner

Day 5 Stockholm: Boat Tour & Vasa Ship Museum
This morning we enjoy a sightseeing tour by boat (50 minutes) on which we discover the history of Stockholm. The tour starts at the City Hall and takes us around the second largest island in the city, Kungsholmen. We also pass the historical islands of Långholmen and Reimersholme. Travelling through narrow canals, past leafy shorelines, and many interesting buildings, you will learn all about the history of this beautiful city and its development from early industrial to modern times.

After our cruise we'll visit the Vasa Ship Museum. The Vasa warship left the pier by the Old Town in 1628 for her maiden voyage, but sank right in the harbour of Stockholm after just a few minutes of sailing. In 1961, after 333 years at the bottom of the sea the ship was salvaged, and the museum was established.

The balance of your day is free day in Stockholm. Stockholm is, without doubt, one of the most beautiful national capitals in the world. The Old Town is particularly spectacular, and walking around the city's waterways and parks is a glorious way to spend your afternoon.

Overnight in Stockholm.
Included Meal(s): Breakfast and Dinner

Day 6 Stockholm, Sweden - Fly to Copenhagen, Denmark
Today we fly to Copenhagen. Welcome to Denmark!

Upon arrival we'll visit the Carlsberg Glyptotek Art Museum. This is one of Copenhagen's most important museums, thanks to its exquisite antiquities, Gauguins and Rodins. Surrounding its lush indoor garden, a series of nooks and chambers houses works by Degas and other Impressionists, plus an extensive assemblage of Egyptian, Greek, Roman, and French sculpture, not to mention the best collection of Etruscan art outside Italy and Europe's finest collection of Roman portraits. After a brief orientation, you will be free to explore on your own.

Overnight in Copenhagen.
Included Meal(s): Breakfast and Dinner

Day 7 Copenhagen: City Tour
Today we kick off our Copenhagen touring with a one-hour historical canal boat tour, which provides an excellent introduction to our day. The trip includes a visit to the statue of the Little Mermaid on the Angelina promenade. The 1913 statue commemorates Hans Christian Anderson's lovelorn creation, and is the subject of hundreds of travel posters. Donated to the city by Carl Jacobsen, the son of the founder of Carlsberg Breweries, the innocent waif has also been the subject of some cruel practical jokes, including decapitation and the loss of an arm, but she is currently in one piece.
  
After lunch we start our walking tour of Copenhagen, first to Rosenborg Castle, the home of the builder-king Christian the Fourth. We pass through some beautiful gardens en route and see a statue of Hans Christian Anderson. At Rosenborg Castle there are three floors to visit, as well as a basement vault where the Danish Crown Jewels are kept.
 
NOTE: The order of Copenhagen sightseeing may depending on weather and other logistical considerations.
 
Overnight in Copenhagen.
Included Meal(s): Breakfast and Dinner

Day 8 Copenhagen: City Tour - Overnight Ferry to Oslo
Today we continue our tour of historic Copenhagen and visit Christianborg Castle. Surrounded by canals on three sides, the massive granite castle is where the queen officially received guests. Even though the first two castles on the site were burned, Christiansborg remains an impressive Baroque compound, even by European standards.

If time permits prior to our ferry, you may choose to visit the National Museum, with its permanent collections pertaining to Danish history as well as several very good ethnological rooms.

This evening we board our evening ferry for the overnight journey to Oslo. Our route takes us along the coast of Denmark and the body of water that separates the North Sea from the Baltic and into Norwegian waters. Our cabins are small but comfortable with ensuite facilities. These vessels are large and well appointed with amenities that include restaurants, shops, maybe even a cinema and swimming pool.
 
Overnight ferry.
Included Meal(s): Breakfast and Dinner

Day 9 Arrival in Oslo: City Walking Tour
In the early morning we will enter the Oslo Fjord and the last 1.5 hours before arrival should be enjoyed on deck with cameras ready to go. The scenery is enchanting, with the old fortress at Droebak and the scattered islands full of summer homes enjoyed by the Norwegians. The ship will dock right down town and a bus/guide will be waiting to commence our sightseeing program.*

Upon disembarkation, our guide will conduct a walking tour of Oslo’s centre. Our tour includes a visit to the Opera House, where our the guide can point out the Munch Museum, which you can visit on your own this afternoon. We visit the Akershus Fortress for some nice views of Oslo, and the City Hall primarily to view the paintings inside. From City Hall the guide will also point out the National Museum -- 'the best new art gallery in Scandinavia' -- and definitely a place where you could spend the better part of your free time after the formal guided part of today's program.

The balance of the day is yours to spend at leisure, visiting the museums mentioned above and possibly strolling down the main street of Carl Johan, enjoying the activity in a city that comes alive during the summer months.

* Please note that our Oslo hotel rooms may NOT be ready for us this early in the day. Your large baggage will be securely stored; you might want to prepare your daypack ahead of time.

Overnight in Oslo.
Included Meal(s): Breakfast and Dinner

Day 10 Oslo: Area Sightseeing
Today we'll visit one of Oslo's most celebrated and popular cultural targets, the Vigelandsparken, an open-air sculpture park which, along with the Vigeland Museum, commemorates a modern Norwegian sculptor of world renown, Gustav Vigeland (1869-1943).

Next is the Viking Ship Museum (please note that this museum has been intermittently closed for renovations and may not be available at the time of our tour), housing the three ships found buried along the Oslo Fjord, all of them nearly 1,200 years old, followed by a visit to the Norwegian Folk Museum, where a collection of city homes, farm buildings, one of the famous Stave Churches give you a overview of Norway, its culture, and history.

We also visit the Fram and Kon-Tiki museums, the latter of which houses the balsa raft used by Thor Heyerdal and his international crew in 1962. They sailed from Peru to Polynesia to confirm his theory that the first Polynesians originally came from Peru. The Fram Museum Museum tells the story of Norwegian polar exploration.

We return to the city and the Norwegian Folk Museum, where a collection of city homes, farm buildings, one of the famous Stave Churches give you a overview of Norway, its culture, and history.

Overnight in Oslo.
Included Meal(s): Breakfast and Dinner

Day 11 Oslo - Flamsbana Railway - Gudvangen - Stalheim
An early departure takes us to Oslo's train station where we will catch a +/- 08:00 departure to Flam via Myrdal where we connect to the Famous Flamsbana, the Flam Railway, one of the world's most spectacular rail journeys.

In 1923 work was started on the separate railway line from Myrdal down sheer cliffs to Flam. Since the tunnels were done by hand, the first of the track wasn't put down until autumn 1936. By 1940 the line was opened and run first by steam engines. Electric engines took over in 1944. It takes about an hour to cover 20 km (12 miles) of track on the Flamsbana train. Eighteen of the 20 tunnels were chiseled out by hand which took one month of hard labour for each meter excavated. To avoid risk from avalanches, the railway criss-crosses the river and the bottom of the valley three times. Then, instead of building bridges, the river was routed through a tunnel under the railway line. Nowhere else in the world do adhesion rail cars on normal tracks have a steeper journey. Almost 80% of the railway line has a gradient of 5.5% (1:18).

At the bottom, we will enjoy the scenic landscape of the Flam Valley and admire the lovely Aurlandfjord, an offshoot of the Sognefjord, the longest in the world.

We will enjoy a break for lunch in Flam and then board a leisurely 2-hour cruise along the narrowest arm of Sognefjord and Aurland fjords. Here we are surrounded by the dramatic West Coast fjord landscape of steep snow-capped mountains (up to 1800 m /6,000 ft) and tumbling waterfalls, sheltered hamlets, and high mountain farms. After this journey we will catch a bus at Gudvangen and continue on to Stalheim, located at the very heart of Western Norway's beautiful fjord region.

Overnight in Stalheim.
Included Meal(s): Breakfast and Dinner

Day 12 Stalheim - Bergen
Before departing Stalheim we'll visit the Stalheim Folkemuseum, which features exhibits of traditional crafts and rustic objects as well as 30 log buildings laid out as a traditional farm.

Departing Stalheim, we travel by windy mountain road to the train station at Voss. From Voss we journey by rail once again via the famous Bergen/Oslo railway line arriving in Bergen followed by a bus transfer to our hotel.

Bergen is widely regarded as one of the more beautiful cities of Norway, and is an ancient city that looms large in Viking sagas. Until the 14th century, it was the seat of the medieval kingdom of Norway. Later the Hanseatic merchants established a major trading post here, holding sway until the 18th century, when the locals reclaimed their trading rights. Bergen has survived many disasters, including several fires and the explosion of a Nazi ship during World War II. It is a town with important traditions in shipping, banking, and insurance, and its modern industries are expanding rapidly. The oldest part of town overlooks the busy harbour; along the harbour's edge are myriad shops, boutiques and the famous open-air fish market.

On arrival we travel to the suburbs of Bergen by coach to Troldhaugen, beloved local composer Edward Grieg's home, before returning to town for dinner and overnight.

Overnight in Bergen.
Included Meal(s): Breakfast and Dinner

Day 13 Bergen: City Tour
Our tour starts in the center of town at Torget, also called Fisketorget or the fish market, where fishermen and farmers deal their goods. Next we walk over to Bryggen, the wharf on the northeast side of Bergen's harbour. The gabled wood warehouses lining the docks mark the site of the city's original settlement. We take time to walk the narrow passageways between buildings; shops and galleries are hidden among the wooden facades.

Our walk continues down the wharf, past the historic buildings to the end of the Holmen promontory and to Bergenhus festning (Bergenhus Fort), which dates from the 13th century; the nearby Rosenkrantztarnet is a 16th century tower residence. Bergen's oldest cathedral is located behind the fort, the 12th century church called Mariakirken. Walking around the back of the church down four blocks to Floybanen, the funicular that runs up and down Floyen, one of the city's most popular hiking mountains -- the view is like no other. At the base of the funicular is an area of crooked streets and hodgepodge architecture where you'll find most of Bergen's antiques shops.

A midday stop at the Fish Market where you can enjoy fresh caught prawns right of the fishing boats, sit down on the quay and enjoy them like the locals do -- peel and load them onto fresh bread, add a bit of lemon and locally made mayonnaise.

Overnight in Bergen.
Included Meal(s): Breakfast and Dinner

Day 14 Depart
Today we depart from Bergen.

BON VOYAGE!
Included Meal(s): Breakfast