Nordic Adventure (5 Countries)

specialIntriguing Scandinavia welcomes you to enjoy its heritage, culture and its breathtaking landscapes. On this tour, you see 5 countries in the way they were meant to be seen. You travel by car, by boat and by train. Begin your trip in Iceland and head north where only the more adventurous travelers go. Visit the waterfalls of the gods. From Bergen take the Flam railway through the fjord-side of its community. Norway in May offers you a chance to see the Children’s Parade, filled with marching bands and locals in traditional dress. Learn about the Viking history in Copenhagen. Take an overnight boat from Stockholm to Helsinki. Nordic Adventure is that trip of a lifetime!

ITINERARY

(Departures from May – September)

Day 1 – Arrive Reykjavik
Arrive at the Keflavik International Airport around midnight local time. Private transfer to 101 Hotel in Reykjavik’s city center. Overnight at Hotel

Day 2 – Reykjavik
Breakfast at hotel. City sightseeing with private guide features visits to the Perlan, Hallgrimskirkja and the presidential residence at Bessastadir. Balance of day free in Reykjavik. Overnight at Hotel

Day 3 Reykjavik/Akureyri
Breakfast at hotel. Meet your private guide and depart for North Iceland. After leaving Reykjavík, explore Hraunfossar, a series of waterfalls pouring from beneath a long row of lava fields into the River Hvítá. Barnafoss “the Children’s fall” is nearby, with its own tragic tale. Then visit Europe’s most powerful hot spring and climb the Grábrók volcano crater in West Iceland. Experience some of Iceland’s past with a visit the Glaumbær Turf Farm Museum before travelling along fjords and over mountains to Akureyri – the capital of North Iceland, your base for the next four nights. Overnight at Hotel

Day 4 – Akureyri/Hrísey Island
Breakfast at hotel. In the morning, you will have a guided walk to explore Akureyri, which has a charming city center and a fine botanical garden. The afternoon, ferry to Hrísey Island, which is located in the middle of Iceland’s longest fjord and is home to thousands of sea birds. Return to Akureyri in the evening for overnight at hotel.

Day 5 – Geological Wonders of Lake Mývatn
Breakfast at hotel. We will explore Goðafoss, the Waterfall of the Gods before continuing to Lake Mývatn, known for its rich bird life and extraordinary volcanic lava landscapes. We will visit pseudo craters, walk in the lava field of Dimmuborgir, climb up to the rim of the ash crater, Hverfjall, and see the hot springs and bubbling mud pools of Námaskarð. We will also travel to see the crater lake of Víti situated in the geothermal field around Krafla. Return to Akureyri for overnight at hotel.

Day 6 – Akureyri/Reykjavik
Breakfast at hotel. We will travel through the heart of Iceland today – travelling along the Kjölur Trail, passing between the glaciers of Langjökull and Hofsjökull. We will stop at the hot springs of Hveravellir, where you could enjoy a soak in a natural hot pool. This region is shrouded in mystery, with folktales of ghosts, giants and outlaws. You will experience one of Europe’s last wildernesses! Your private tour ends today when we return to Reykjavík in the evening. Overnight at Hotel

Day 7 – Reykjavik/Bergen
Breakfast at hotel. Private transfer to Keflavik Airport. Private transfer from Bergen’s Flesland Airport to the city center. En route, enjoy a city sightseeing tour featuring the historic Hanseatic Wharf and Troldhaugen, home of Norway’s famous composer, the late Edvard Grieg. Overnight at Hotel

Day 8 – Bergen
Breakfast at hotel. Day free for explorations in Bergen. Overnight at Hotel

Day 9 – Bergen/Flåm
Breakfast at hotel. Transfer via taxi (hotel can make arrangements) for train station. Depart Bergen on the Oslo/Bergen Railway to Myrdal. Here you will change to the Flåm Railway, ranked as one of the top 20 train rides in Europe. Descend 2800 feet within 13 miles through the wild Flåm Valley to the fjord-side community of Flåm. Short walk to the your hotel. Balance of day free to explore the surrounding countryside or just relax by the water.

Optional accommodation: Overnight at Fjord Retreat. Enjoy an authentic Norwegian adventure as you marvel at the breathtaking views of the Aurlandfjord just steps away from this vacation home

Day 10 – Flåm
Breakfast at hotel. Morning cruise on the Aurlandfjord and Nærøyfjord from Flåm to Gudvangen. Meet your driver in Gudvangen and return via Undredal, home to the smallest church in Norway. Although Undredal is only home to about 80 people, it has nearly 500 goats, thus goat cheese is a very important part of their local economy. Overnight at Hotel

Day 11 – Flåm/Oslo
Private transfer to the Flåm train station for departure to Oslo. Arrive in Oslo and transfer to the hotel via taxi (located outside the train station). Balance of day free to explore Oslo’s city center.

Day 12 – Oslo
Breakfast at hotel. Today is Norway’s Constitution Day! If you travel in May, you can capture the spirit of Norway as you watch the Children’s Parade filled with marching bands, local children and adults dressed in bunads (the traditional costume of Norway) and thousands of people gathered from all over the world. Overnight at Hotel

Day 13 – Oslo/Copenhagen
Breakfast at the hotel. Morning sightseeing tour of Oslo with a private guide. Visit the beautiful Frogner Park with the lifetime work of Gustav Vigeland, Norway’s greatest sculptor. Proceed to the island of Bygdøy, home to the impressive Viking Ship Museum, featuring authentic 1,000-year old Viking ships and archeological finds. In the afternoon, transfer via taxi (which can be arranged by the hotel) to the pier for 5:00pm departure onboard a DFDS Seaways overnight cruise to Copenhagen (boarding begins at 4:00pm). Dinner and overnight on board in outside cabin.

Day 14 – Copenhagen
Breakfast on board. Arrive in Copenhagen at 9:15am. Following disembarkation, private transfer to hotel. En route to your hotel, enjoy a city sightseeing tour including the noon-time guard change at Amalienborg Palace, the winter residence of the Royal Family and the famous statue of the Little Mermaid. Balance of day free. Time to browse the world’s longest shopping street, Strøget. Opportunity to shop at Royal Copenhagen or experience the magic of Tivoli Gardens where you will find amusements, concerts and restaurants to tempt your palate along with an abundance of flowers, trees and thousands of glittering lights. Dinner on own. Overnight at Hotel

Day 15 – Excursion in area
Breakfast at hotel. Private tour begins with a drive towards Northern Zealand, the area north of Copenhagen, known for its scenic landscapes and fascinating history. It’s also the home of a number of famous artists. We will tour one of Europe’s most beautiful renaissance-style castles, Kronborg, famous as the setting for Shakespeare’s Hamlet, and explore the charming, medieval merchant city of Elsinore. As we make our way along the beautiful scenic road out of Copenhagen, we will pass a number of fine residences, fishing villages and stunning coastal views of the Northern Zealand shoreline. Return to Copenhagen in the evening for overnight at hotel.

Day 16 – Copenhagen/Stockholm
Breakfast at hotel. In the morning, transfer to the train station via taxi (hotel can make arrangements) for departure by train to Stockholm. Considered to be one of the world’s most beautiful cities, Stockholm is positioned on 14 islands separated by wide bays, broad channels and narrow waterways. Upon arrival, transfer via taxi (located outside the train station) to the Hotel for overnight.

Day 17 – Stockholm
Breakfast at hotel. Meet your guide for a private sightseeing tour of Stockholm featuring the City Hall, site of the annual Nobel Prize banquet, the Royal Palace, and the famous Vasa Museum, home of the 17th century warship which sank on her maiden voyage. Afternoon and evening free to explore Stockholm including Old Town (Gamla Stan) with its narrow cobbled streets and old merchants’ houses. Dinner on own. Overnight at Hotel

Day 18 – Stockholm/Helsinki
Breakfast at hotel. Morning free in Stockholm. In the afternoon, transfer by taxi (hotel can make arrangements) to the quay for an overnight Silja Line cruise across the Baltic Sea to Finland. Boarding begins at 4:00pm with departure at 5:00pm. Dinner and overnight on board in outside cabin.

DAY 19 Helsinki
Breakfast on board. Morning arrival in Helsinki, an architecturally rich city with an eclectic mix of Eastern and Western influences. Following disembarkation, meet your private guide for a tour of Helsinki. During this sightseeing tour you will visit the most important historic landmarks within the city center as well as the beautiful coastline. Continuing with a guided walk through the old town center, you begin to understand why the city, founded in the 16th century, blossomed under the rule of Russian Czar Alexander II. Balance of day free to enjoy a variety of sights around Helsinki including the neoclassical Senate Square, Sibelius Park, the Temppeliaukio Rock Church and the colorful market square. Overnight at Hotel

DAY 20 Helsinki
Breakfast at hotel. Day free in Helsinki for independent explorations. Overnight at Hotel

DAY 21 Depart Helsinki
You will be met at your hotel and driven to the airport for your flight homebound. (Private transfer)

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