Scandinavian Capitals and Fjord Wonders - 9 Days

On arrival in Copenhagen, we’ll transfer you to your hotel. The rest of the day is free – time to settle in. In the afternoon, please check the information boards at hotel reception for details about the start of your tour. Please note: This tour may have travellers joining or departing at various points along the route, meaning group composition can change during the tour. Please also be aware that depending on group composition, guiding may be in additional languages as well as English.

This morning we join a local guide for a panoramic tour of Copenhagen – Scandinavia’s largest city – taking in Tivoli Gardens, Christiansborg Palace, the terrace-lined waterfront of Nyhavn and the Little Mermaid. Late morning we travel to Jutland – crossing a 20 km bridge over the sea – and stop in Odense to see the Gothic cathedral and H.C. Andersen’s House. We then continue to Aarhus, where you have free time on arrival.

We travel to Hirtshals to board the ferry across the North Sea to Norway – a crossing of around three hours – arriving in Kristiansand. From here we follow the south coast, pausing in the small town of Flekkefjord, before continuing to Stavanger, a town with a busy port on the fjord. Ferry timetables vary by month – you will usually have time for lunch on board.

Leaving Stavanger, we pause at the Swords in Rock monument – a tribute to the Viking era – before continuing along Norway’s fjord coast via tunnels, bridges and short sections by boat. One of the undersea tunnels on this route is the deepest in the world. Two boat trips make this stretch both relaxing and spectacular. We arrive in Bergen around lunchtime and ride the cable car up Mount Fløyen for panoramic views over the city and its fjord. Afterwards, you’ll have leisure time to explore the capital city of fjords.

We leave Bergen for a day of striking Norwegian scenery – fjords, glaciers, lakes and forests – travelling towards Sognefjord, the country’s largest fjord. On the way we stop at the Tvindefossen waterfall, then board a cruise from Gudvangen to Aurland for an hour and a half of fjord views. We suggest having lunch on board.

Back on land, we continue through high, often snow covered landscapes and pass through the Aurland Tunnel – the longest in the world. We make a brief stop to view the exterior of Borgund Stave Church, considered the best preserved medieval wooden church in Norway, before arriving in Oslo. On arrival, you’ll have free time to explore the port, the main streets and the artwork in Frogner Park.

This morning we take a panoramic tour of Oslo with a local guide – a city that blends striking modern architecture with classical buildings, dramatic scenery and expansive sculpture parks – and has been named a European Green Capital. After the tour, you have free time to explore at your own pace.

We then depart for Sweden, travelling through landscapes of forests and lakes. We pause in Örebro, a historic town on a beautiful lake with a castle and a charming old quarter – you have time for a short stroll – before continuing to Stockholm, where we arrive in the evening.

Today we take a panoramic tour of Stockholm, a capital built on 14 interconnected islands. We explore Gamla Stan – also known as the city between bridges – visiting landmarks such as the Nobel Prize Museum beside Stortorget, which honours Nobel Prize winners, the Cathedral and the Royal Palace. When possible, we pause at the Fjällgatan viewpoint for sweeping city views. The rest of the day is free – you can continue exploring, visit museums and parks, or, optionally, visit City Hall and the Vasa Museum.

We head south from Stockholm, stopping in Helsingborg for some free time. In the early afternoon we take the ferry across the Øresund to Helsingør in Denmark. In Helsingør – Hamlet’s hometown – you have time to see the impressive Kronborg Castle before we continue to Copenhagen, arriving in the evening.

After breakfast, we conclude our journey in Copenhagen. Our services end here – we hope you leave with lasting memories.