Our new range, Nordic Journeys, comes from the heart. With pride, we offer a small group tour with great local hotels, all conveniently located. We use trains, buses, ferries and express boats to get around. A local tour leader is with you all the way to assist and make the journey smooth.

The highlights of this tour include travelling by express boats along the Norwegian coast, the ability to stop along the Atlantic (coastal) Road as well as the Norwegian Fjords and coastal islands. With only 16 people in your group, you have the flexibility to make the most of Norway's nature.

Norway is breathtakingly beautiful and this is the perfect trip to enjoy it.

Countries visited

• Norway

Places visited

• Oslo
• Tromsø
• Geiranger
• Trondheim

Transportation

Local minibus, train, boat, ferry and the postal boat, Hurtigruten.

Included In Price

• Hotel accommodation in shared twin/double room with shower/WC
• Overnight boats in twin outside cabin with window, toilet & shower
• Scandinavian breakfast buffet every day at hotels, and on board the boats
• All trains, buses and ferry crossings as per itinerary
• Transfer to/from railway stations/ports to hotel (except arrival and departure transfer at start and end of trip)
• City passes/cards each valid for 48 hours in all capital cities (plus Bergen) visited in the itinerary (Helsinki, Stockholm, Oslo, Bergen and Copenhagen)
• Local English speaking tour leader

Meals Included

This tour includes 14 meals; 14 breakfasts

Not Included In Price

• Arrival and departure transfer at the start and end of the trip
• Meals not specified in the itinerary
• Gratitudes and items of personal nature
• Domestic or international flights
• Travel insurance

Important Information

This tour is a combination of other connecting tours and can be shortened or lengthened.

Day 1: Arrive Oslo

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Arrive in Oslo any time this day as no activities are planned. Make your own way to the starting point hotel. Your tour leader will meet you in the lobby of the hotel at 18:00 for a pre tour briefing.

Accommodation

Rica Hotel Bygdo Alle or similar located near the city centre.

Meals Included

none

Day 2: Explore Oslo

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Oslo has been Norway’s capital from more than 700 years. The history of Oslo dates back to the middle ages, and the first constructions date back to the year 1000. Oslo is located at the end of the Oslo fjord, and the city is surrounded by forest.

We have included an Oslo Card valid for 48 hours. The easiest way to appreciate Oslo is by the Oslo card – with the card you can benefit with free entrance to the museums and enjoy free public transportation and so much more.

This morning our leader will take you visiting some of the Oslo highlights, including the Viking Ship, Kontiki & Fram museums, the Vigeland Sculpture Park and the Holmenkollen Ski Jump and Museum. A walk around the centre of town to view the Parliament, the Castle and the Harbour area is well worth it. We also have time to admire the view from the top of the new Oslo Opera designed by famous Norwegian architects ‘Snøhetta’, who also designed the beautiful Library in Alexandria (Egypt).

Accommodation

Rica Hotel Bygdo Alle or similar located near the city centre.

Meals Included

1 x Breakfasts

Day 3: Norway in a Nutshell

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After breakfast we depart by train towards Bergen. Today you will experience Norway’s most popular short trip; Norway in a Nutshell. The excursion takes you through some of the most beautiful scenery in Norway's fjord region. The Flåm Railway will take you through wild and beautiful mountain scenery with waterfalls and steep mountain sides reaching a height of 900 metres and down to the Sognefjord. There is no other adhesion railway in the world running on normal tracks that are so steep over a long distance.

From Flåm you continue by boat on the Nærøyfjord, Europe’s narrowest fjord, to Gudvangen. From here you go by coach up the steep and spectacular hairpin bends of Stalheimskleiva, before arriving in Voss where you will board a train for the last stretch of the journey to Bergen. Your arrival in Bergen is in the evening.

Accommodation

Grand Hotel Terminus or similar located in the city centre.

Meals Included

1 x Breakfasts

Day 4: Bergen

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Breakfast at the hotel and enjoy a day to explore Bergen, the capital of the fjords. Bergen offers many attractions and sights - many within walking distance. Recommended sights of interests are the Hanseatic harbour Bryggen, Fløibanen Funicular, Troldhaugen, the Fish and Flower market, Bergen Aquarium and Gamle Bergen (Old Bergen Open Air Museum).

We have included a Bergen card – Valid for 48 hours. The Bergen Card gives you free entrance to the cities museums, free public transportation, free parking and so much more.

Accommodation

Grand Hotel Terminus or similar located in the city centre.

Meals Included

1 x Breakfasts

Day 5: Express boat along Norwegian Coast

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This morning we will catch the early morning express boat from Bergen north along the Norwegian coast to the township of Måløy. This is a great way to see the Norwegian coast with the many islands and the backdrop of the Norwegian mountains.

On arrival in Måløy we disembark and are picked up by our private minibus for the journey to the UNESCO World Heritage listed Geiranger. After check in at our hotel we go for a stroll in the township of Geiranger to make ourselves acquainted.

Accommodation

Hotel Union or similar located in the village centre.

Meals Included

1 x Breakfasts

Day 6: Geiranger – a day at the fjord

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We have a full day at our disposal in Geiranger and there are numerous optional activities and excursions to choose from. Rent a kayak and paddle across the Geiranger fjord to climb up to one of the deserted mountain farms found high up on the steep hillside. You can also take a more leisurely boat trip on the fjord or go for walk up the hills for some beautiful views of this picture postcard area of Norway.

Accommodation

Hotel Union or similar located in the village centre.

Meals Included

1 x Breakfasts

Day 7 & 8: Cruise to Ålesund

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We travel by Norwegian Postal boat to Ålesund. Leaving Geiranger after lunch, the cruise will take just over 4 hours. Waterfalls cascade down into the fjord, high mountain huts to marvel at and spectacular scenery will make for an amazing day.

The city of Ålesund is known for its architecture in Art Nouveau style, its surrounding fjords and the high peaks of the Sunnmøre Alps. It is the perfect stop on our way north. There will be opportunities to walk and visit the surrounding area.

Accommodation

Hotel Scandinavie or similar located in the city centre.

Meals Included

2 x Breakfasts

Day 9: The Atlantic Road & Trondheim

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The Atlantic Road zigzags across low bridges that jut out over the sea, linking the islands between Molde and Kristiansund in the western fjords. The Hustadvika is an infamous stretch of ocean and when in storm it is truly dramatic. In calmer weather you might spot whales and seals.

Chosen as "Norway's construction of the century", the road links together small coastal communities. From the town of Kristiansund, the Atlantic Road is only a 30-minute drive through the Atlantic Ocean Tunnel. After passing the tunnel you cross the island of Averøy with Kvernes Stave Church, the very scenic west side of the island, and the incredible coastline out towards Hustadvika.

In the evening we arrive Trondheim - a lively and historical university town, and home to the famous Nidarosdomen Cathedral.

Accommodation

Hotel Britannia or similar located in the city centre.

Meals Included

1 x Breakfasts

Day 10: Trondheim, and overnight train to Bodø

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We have a full day to explore the city of Trondheim, and we will certainly include a visit to Nidarosdomen. The cathedral is the national sanctuary of Norway, built over the grave of St. Olav. We also visit the Archbishop's Palace in Trondheim - one of the best preserved building complexes of its kind in Europe. It is the oldest secular building in Scandinavia.

In the late evening we board our overnight train along the province of Nordland to Bodø above the Arctic Circle.

Accommodation

Overnight train in 2 or 4 bed compartments.

Meals Included

1 x Breakfasts

Day 11: The Nordland Coast, arrive in Lofoten

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On arrival in Bodø in the morning we transfer directly to the ferry taking us across the Vestfjord to Svolvær in the Lofoten archipelago. These islands are renowned for their small, picturesque fishing villages with their bohemian atmosphere surrounded by majestic granite cliffs and white sandy beaches.

Upon arrival in Svolvær we are transferred to the picturesque town for check in at Svinøya Rorbuer (Fisherman’s Cottages) for a 3 night stay.

Accommodation

Svinøya Rorbuer (Fisherman’s Cottages) – quad share in 2 bedroom (4 bed) cabins. All of the 30 original or newly built rorbu cabins maintain high standard. Each cabin has from one to three double bedrooms, a well-equipped kitchenette in conjunction with the living room, and a modern bathroom with shower and toilet. All the cabins are winter insulated. Considerable emphasis has been placed on maintaining the authenticity of the rorbu cabins. Time-honoured craftsmanship and timber have been preserved in order to provide a feeling of what a rorbu cabin was like in the days when the fishermen harvested the seas of Lofoten on boats with only oars and sails.

Meals Included

none

Day 12 & 13: The Lofoten Archipelago

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Enjoy two full days in the stunningly beautiful Lofoten archipelago. The Lofoten Islands offer some of the most breath-taking scenery in the country with towering, pointed mountain peaks rising majestically from the sea to a height of almost 1000 meters. Many of the island interiors are swathed in emerald greens, and the shorelines are fringed with white sandy beaches.

On purpose, and because everyone has different tastes, we have not packed your stay in Lofoten full of pre-arranged activities. The reason being there is simply so much to see and do while in Lofoten and it should be your choice to pick your activities. Our recommended excursions are; • Cruise along the scenic Trollfjord on the MF Gamle Lofotferga (subject to availability)
• Visit to the impressive Lofotr Viking Museum
• Kayaks provide a fantastic opportunity to explore all of Lofotens small and large islands, islets and reefs
• Join an Ocean rafting trip in a rib boat
• Rent a bicycle and cycle to remote fishing villages
• Join a wildlife safari and spot a Sea Eagle or a Puffin
• Join a traditional fishing boat and try your luck
• Just laze around your Rorbu and enjoy the exotic smell of dried cod
• And there is more, but the list would be too long

Accommodation

Svinøya Rorbuer (Fisherman’s Cottages)

Meals Included

2 x Breakfasts

Day 14 & 15: Boat along the coast toTromsø

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In the morning take the local bus to Harstad (4 hours) to catch the express boat to Tromsø (3 hours). The boat travels in between islands along the Norwegian coast and is a great way to get to Tromsø quickly while admiring the spectacular coastline.

Upon arrival in Tromsø check in at Rica Ishavshotel in the centre for the city. Thereafter, enjoy a 2 hour Arctic City Walk with your leader including a visit to the Polar Museum.

The next day is a full free day in Tromsø, often called the Paris of the north. Tromsø is the main town in northern Norway and home to the Polar Institute, which is Norway’s national institution for polar research. The Polar Museum, also located in Tromsø, is well worth a visit. Another great morning activity is taking the cable car up the mountains above Tromsø and go for either a long walk or short walk to enjoy the views.

Tromsø is a charming and intimate old town with the largest number of wooden houses in Norway - the oldest one from 1789. The landmark of Tromsø is the Arctic Cathedral (Ishavskatedralen), which stands tall and proud on the mainland at the bridgehead going out to the island on which Tromsø is situated.

Accommodation

Rica Grand Hotel or similar in the city centre

Meals Included

2 x Breakfasts

Day 16: Tour ends Tromsø

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Our tour ends after breakfast in Tromsø. There are direct flights from Tromsø to Oslo for your flights home.

Meals Included

1 x Breakfasts