Scandinavian Discovery

Welcome to Stockholm, Sweden's elegant capital located on the south-east coast, on the Baltic Sea. Spread across 14 islands of distinctly different character and connected by 57 bridges, the city exudes charm and is just begging to be explored. Stockholm is regarded as one of the most beautiful capitals in the world, resplendent with stunning architecture, abundant waterways and pristine green spaces.

Home to a number of UNESCO World Heritage-listed sites including the majestic Royal Palace Drottningholm and the serene Skogskyrkogården, Stockholm effortlessly blends combines historical grandeur with modern sophistication.

We don’t want you to miss out on any aspect of your small group tour. To ensure that you don’t, we recommend you arrive at your hotel by 5.30pm.
You will meet your fellow travellers and Tour Director for a welcome drink this evening.

This morning we'll take a panoramic tour of Stockholm including Parliament House, the Opera House, the Royal Palace and the green island of Djurgården, as well as a tour of City Hall. We'll also discover the quaint cobblestone streets of beautiful Gamla Stan (Old Town) on a walking tour. After some free time for lunch, we'll explore the Vasa Museum.

The Vasa Museum is home to the only preserved 17th century ship in the world, the 64-gun warship Vasa. She has been painstakingly restored to her former glory after sinking on her maiden journey and spending more than three centuries at the bottom of Stockholm Harbour. Tonight, we'll enjoy a group welcome dinner at a local restaurant.

Enjoy the morning at leisure to discover more of Stockholm at your own pace. With an abundance of palaces and museums, there's a lot to do in the city. If you're an ABBA fan, why not visit their very own museum where the legendary Swedish pop group comes to life! This afternoon we'll have some time to explore Hötorget or the Haymarket, a bustling square in the heart of Stockholm, known for its vibrant atmosphere, historic buildings, and thriving shopping scene.

We'll have some time to explore the square, it's market stalls and the surrounding buildings. As we stroll through the market we'll stop and try some of the various products on offer. Later this afternoon we'll transfer to the ferry terminal to board our overnight ferry to Helsinki.

Nestled on the southern coast of Finland, Helsinki is a captivating city famed for its ground-breaking design and vibrant culture. Its picturesque location along the Baltic Sea, surrounded by islands and lush greenery, offers a stunning backdrop for exploring its architectural wonders. From the iconic neoclassical design of Helsinki Cathedral to the cutting-edge architecture of modern landmarks like Finlandia Hall, Helsinki is a city where tradition meets contemporary innovation.

Beyond its architectural splendours, Helsinki boasts a thriving arts scene, a diverse culinary landscape and a commitment to sustainable living, making it a destination that effortlessly captures the hearts of explorers. Our sightseeing today includes a drive past the Senate Square, Uspenski Cathedral, Parliament House, Finlandia Hall, Sibelius Park & Monument and the Underground Temple. The unique Temple Church is built directly into solid rock in the heart of Helsinki. After exploring this architectural marvel we'll visit a local market and have some free time for lunch before making our way to the hotel. Enjoy the remainder of the day at leisure.

Set on a cluster of islands connected by bridges, this morning we visit the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Suomenlinna. A maritime fortress and base for the Archipelago Fleet built in the 1700s by Sweden and known at the time as Viapori, it was then under the rule of the Russian Imperial Government in the 1800s.

In 1917 Finland gained independence from Russia and in 1918 they renamed the site Suomenlinna, or ‘Castle of Finland', to reflect their new independence. Today, it is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Finland and provides breathtaking views of the Baltic Sea and Helsinki's skyline. Enjoy the afternoon at leisure to explore more of Helsinki. Why not immerse yourself in the Finnish culture? Seek warmth in one of the thousand saunas dotted around the capital or walk to the nearest bakery and try lingonberry pie.

Today we'll travel north into the region of Lapland. We transfer to the airport for our flight to Ivalo and then take a short drive to Inari. Lapland, the arctic region of Finland, is renowned for its unique natural wonders and is where you will find the phenomenon of the midnight sun in summer and the northern lights in winter.

Inari itself is a huge, yet sparsely populated, municipality and is a great base for exploring some of the incredible sights and natural scenery of the region. On arrival at the hotel, you'll be able to kick back and relax in your in-room Finnish Sauna, an important part of Finnish culture in this region.

This morning we visit a husky farm where we will meet artic sled dogs. The farm is one of only two certified husky farms in Finland. Every one of these majestic animals has a special story, which the musher will share with us. After lunch we then make our way to the Siida Museum and Nature Centre to learn more about the Sámi people, the indigenous inhabitants of Sápmi, which spans across the northern regions of Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Russia's Kola Peninsula.

The informative indoor and outdoor exhibitions give a glimpse into the indigenous people of Lapland, their origin, culture, ethnic background and lifestyle in the past and present. Later this afternoon we'll visit a reindeer farm. Reindeers have played an important role in Finnish history and are believed to have been domesticated during the Bronze and Iron Ages. Reindeers have been herded by the Sámi people for centuries and their meat and fur are still used to this day.

Today we cross the border into Norway, exploring the tiny township of Karasjok and visiting Sápmi Park, a Sámi cultural centre. Here Sámi culture is explained and demonstrated in an entertaining and informative way. It's also a great place to pick up some duodji, or Sámi handicrafts. We'll then venture further north to Honningsvåg, the northernmost city of Norway.

The North Cape is a cliff more than 300 metres high and has a large plateau where we can look out across the Barents Sea to the north. The North Cape Hall offers a host of facilities including a café, souvenir shop and even a post office. Don't forget to send postcards home to prove that you really reached 71° North! Post your cards in one of the red letterboxes and they will be post-marked Honningsvåg. We will enjoy dinner with a view before returning to our hotel.

Special Experience: Enjoy dinner in the Gallery at North Cape, Europe's northernmost point, and the perfect place to experience the phenomenon of the 'Midnight Sun'.

Late this morning we wind our way through stunning mountainous scenery on our way to Alta. Alta is home to the largest concentration of rock art in northern Europe. The UNESCO World Heritage-listed rock paintings and carvings here were made between 7,000 and 2,000 years ago. On arrival in the town, we visit the Alta Museum, home to these rock carvings depicting the practices of our prehistoric ancestors. This evening we will walk in the 'Midnight Sun' up to Mt Komsa to enjoy the stunning views over Alta and the surrounding mountains.

Continuing south, we make our way through the breathtaking archipelago to Tromsø, the ‘Arctic Capital'. Tromsø lies 350 kilometres north of the Arctic Circle and is one of the best places in the world to view the Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights) during the winter months. This is the land of the 'Midnight Sun' from late May to late July, but you can experience the extra-long twilights in April and August too.

Surrounded by fjords and snow-capped peaks, the island of Tromsø showcases a stunning blend of centuries-old wooden architecture and modern design and is a beautiful place to explore. This evening we'll take a cable car ride to the top of Mount Storsteinen to enjoy the magnificent vistas over the city and the surrounding islands.

Our morning sightseeing tour begins with a visit to the Arctic Cathedral, Tromsø's most famous landmark designed by architect Jan Inge Hovig. Built in 1965 mainly of concrete, it is commonly referred to as ‘The Opera House of Norway' referencing Australia's own Sydney Opera House. We'll also visit the Tromsø Museum, a university museum that houses the world's northernmost botanical garden - an Arctic-alpine botanic garden.

Special Experience: Enjoy a drink at an ice bar and gallery where everything, including the glasses, is made of crystal-clear ice from Norway. Enjoy the afternoon at leisure.

This morning we transfer to the airport for our flight to Norway's capital, Oslo. Established around 1000 AD, Oslo is a comparably young city in European terms and was destroyed several times by fire. This and the fact that the city was not named capital of Norway until the 1800s has meant that most of the city's landmarks, such as the Royal Palace and Stortinget (the Parliament), were not built until the 19th century.

Renowned for offering an exceptional quality of life, Oslo ranks as one of Europe's most desirable cities. The city is nestled at the northernmost point of the Oslofjord and is surrounded by verdant hills and mountains. It is spread across quite a large area and as such has many parks and open areas that give the city an airy feel. We arrive in Oslo in the afternoon, with the rest of the day free to enjoy at leisure. You may wish to experience the nature of Oslo by visiting a famous park.

This morning we begin our city tour outside the award-winning Oslo Opera House. Built in 2007 this impressive piece of modern architecture is home to the Norwegian Opera and Ballet. Its surrounding terraces offer some fantastic viewing platforms from which to take in Oslo and its surrounding fjord. We then pass by the Royal Palace to the main street, Karl Johan's gate. The main street was named in honour of King Charles III John who was also King of Sweden as Charles XIV John. It is a kilometre long and connects Oslo Central Station with the Royal Palace.

Our next stop is the ski jumping arena at Holmenkollbakken which has been hosting competitions since the late 19th century. We'll continue to Bygdøy and explore the Fram Museum, a fascinating museum dedicated to Norweigan polar exploration and the famous polar ship, Fram. Our last stop is the world's largest sculpture park by a single artist – Vigeland Park. There are more than 200 sculptures in bronze, granite and wrought iron on display here.

The town of Lærdal sits at the end of the famous Sognefjord. Situated in the middle of Norway's fjordland, the Sognefjord is the world's longest fjord – it extends 204 kilometres inland and contains some of the wildest and most beautiful scenery in Norway. The fjord has several arms that wind their way between steep mountains to end in small, picturesque villages. Departing Oslo this morning we venture into Norway's spectacular fjordlands. We travel through the traditional region of Hallingdal to the town of Gol, where we'll visit Hemsedal and have some free time for lunch.

This afternoon we continue to Borgund and visit the stave church. A stave church is a medieval wooden structure unique to Norway that actually stemmed from the Viking's interest in boats and home construction from wood carving. Borgund's is the best preserved of Norway's 28 stave churches and provides a glimpse into the architectural history of Norway. Arriving in Lærdal this evening, we enjoy a group dinner at the hotel.

This morning we travel to Flåm through the world’s longest road tunnel, the Lærdal Tunnel. In Flåm we’ll board a first class electric vessel and enjoy a stunning 'silent' cruise along the Nærøyfjord to Gudvangen, a small town located at the end of the Nærøyfjord where the Nærøydalselvi River empties into the fjord. The fjord itself is a UNESCO World Heritage-listed site, due to the exceptional natural beauty stemming from the narrow and steep-sided crystalline rock walls that rise up 1,400 metres from the Norwegian Sea and extend 500 metres below sea level. It is amongst the world’s longest and deepest fjords and has many waterfalls, free-flowing rivers, forests, and glaciers. Here we’ll enjoy the breathtaking abundance of mountain scenery.

After the cruise, we travel to the town of Undredal to indulge in a delicious cheese tasting. Undredal's speciality is a brown goat's cheese known as Geitost, which is still prepared using traditional methods.

Special Experience: Ride the famous Flåm Railway, enjoying some of Norway's most dramatic scenery as you wind your way through mountains and past fjords.

Bergen is Norway's second-largest city and is uniquely positioned on the Byfjorden, one of the many fjords in Norway. The city is surrounded by mountains, lending it the moniker of the ‘City of Seven Mountains'. This morning we take a walking tour through the beautiful Bryggen quarter, famous for its colourful wooden buildings, narrow alleyways and the old Hanseatic quayside that is now listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

We'll see St Mary's Church, visit the fish markets, and tour Troldhaugen, home to the composer Edvard Grieg. A funicular railway ride will then take us up one of the seven mountains that surround Bergen, Mt Fløyen. Enjoy the spectacular views over the city and landscape beyond from the top. Relax and enjoy the rest of your afternoon at leisure.

Today we fly south to Denmark's cosmopolitan capital, Copenhagen – also known as one of the happiest cities in the world! From the impressive mix of ancient and modern architecture to the lively and delicious food scene (there are 14 Michelin star restaurants here), there is plenty to see and do in liveable Copenhagen.

Special Experience: Enjoy a unique experience as you 'Dine with a Dane'. We'll split into groups, visiting homes of local Danish families who will host us for a home-cooked dinner.

This morning we start our day visiting the Tivoli Gardens, the second-oldest operating amusement park in the world. Next, we'll enjoy a guided tour of Cisternerne, a water reservoir that today is an exhibition space for contemporary art. The impressive subterranean chambers were forgotten for decades but have now been revived into a unique art and event space.

In the afternoon we'll take a panoramic city tour that includes City Hall Square, Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, the National Museum, the Old Stock Exchange, the Naval Church, Kings New Square and the picturesque canal area of Nyhavn. We also see Gefion Fountain and stop for a photo opportunity at the Amalienborg Palace, home to the Danish Royal Family. Next, we visit one of Copenhagen's most loved monuments, the statue of the Little Mermaid. To complete our day of sightseeing we'll enjoy a cruise on Stromma Canal, allowing us to see Copenhagen from a different perspective. We then enjoy a group farewell dinner at a local restaurant.

Our tour concludes after breakfast this morning. We hope you leave with fantastic memories!