The Nordic Countries Classic

When you arrive at Stockholm-Arlanda Airport, make your way to Stockholm city centre. Many travellers opt to take the express train to Stockholm Central Station, but we also offer direct private transfers. After settling in at your hotel, spend the day exploring the beautiful city. Stroll the well-known street Drottninggatan where you can shop and feel the vibe of the capital city. Go for a walk in the surrounding area of Östermalm, where you will find interesting shops, cafés, and restaurants for a perfect introduction to Scandinavian culture. It could be fun to pick a cafe and experience Swedish „fika“, an afternoon tea or coffee.

Spend the night in Stockholm.

Today you will explore the heart of scenic Stockholm. We recommend exploring the capital by foot, visiting attractions such as the Old Town (Gamla Stan), where you will find the Royal Palace, the parliament, old churces, beautiful cobble stone streets and medieval houses.

After some time at Gamla Stan, you can take a short ferry ride to the nearby island Djurgården, a cultural oasis with something for everyone. Here you will find the kitschy Abba Museum, the Nordic Museum, the Gröna Lund amusement park, and the Skansen open-air museum. It is ideal to spend the afternoon here, exploring the grounds and many attractions.

Spend the night in Stockholm.

Today you will take a short flight to Copenhagen. After settling in at your hotel, go for a walk along the enchanting old harbour area of Nyhavn, where you will see colourful houses and lively restaurants among the docked boats. Walk the narrow side streets, visit some shops and try out the traditional Danish open-faced sandwich, Smørrebrød. In the evening, visit the amusement park Tivoli Gardens, which has something for everyone. It’s a lovely place to admire the architecture and gardens and to enjoy some carnival rides.

Spend the night in Copenhagen.

*For those interested, we offer the option of travelling by train instead of flight between Stockholm and Denmark. For more details click the optional activities.

You have the whole day to explore Copenhagen. We recommend seeing the city by foot, visiting landmarks including Amalienborg Palace, Christiansborg Palace, and the famous Little Mermaid statue. An optional cruise from the harbour is also highly recommended as you can appreciate the architecture and beauty of the city by water. Next, stroll Ströget street for some shopping and grab something to eat at Torvehallerne food hall.

Spend the night in Copenhagen.

Spend the morning touring Copenhagen. Some interesting attractions include the observatory of The Round Tower, the most famous church in Copenhagen, Church of Our Saviour, as well as the impeccable King’s Garden, and the regal Rosenborg Castle. In the early afternoon, it’s time to board your cruise to Oslo, which sails gently up the Kattegat Sund on its way to Norway’s capital city. You can enjoy dinner in one of the restaurants, check out the entertainment on board or just relax and watch the sunset from the deck.

Spend the night on the cruise.

After the ship docks, get ready to see the best of Oslo. The city is quite walkable, and we recommend exploring by foot and taking advantage of the convenience of public transport. Notable attractions include the beautiful Vigeland Sculpture Park, Fram Polar Ship Museum and spending some time along the beautiful harbour area. Other interesting stops include the Munch Museum, Royal Palace, Akershus Fortress, and Oslo City Hall.

Spend the night in Oslo.

This morning you will head out early to Oslo Central Station to board the half-day (6.5-hour) journey aboard the Dovrebanen train. The train route passes over the Dovre mountain plateau through historic towns and nature preservations and includes great variations in terrain and altitude. The journey concludes with a steep, curvy descent down to the lowlands where Trondheim is located.

Spend the afternoon discovering Trondheim, including Bakklandet, an idyllic neighbourhood full of history and culture, Nidaros Catherdral, as well as other attractions such as the Ringve museum and gardens, Munkholmen and the Old town bridge.

Spend the night in Trondheim.

Today, you will embark on a cruise that will have you discovering the maritime beauty of Norway. You will head to the Trondheim harbour to board a Hurtigruten cruise ship for the Norwegian Coastal Voyage. It will then set sail along the Trondheim Fjord and past Hitra Island.

Later in the evening, the boat will dock at the city of Kristiansund and the town of Molde. This journey passes through some breathtaking coastal landscapes, and the final port of the day is a brief stop in Ålesund, after midnight.

Spend the night on board Hurtigruten.

During the night, the ship calls at Torvik, Maløy, and Florø as the journey weaves through islets and stunning landscapes before coming within view of its final destination—Bergen. Here you will disembark early in the afternoon to enjoy some leisure time as you wish. Despite being an international city, Bergen, “The Capital of the Fjords”, has all the charms of a small town. Here you’ll find Bryggen, a UNESCO World Heritage site, along with remarkably preserved old houses, a lively fish and flower market, cable cars offering stunning views, great museums and more.

Spend the night in Bergen.

Today you will board the famous Norway in a Nutshell tour towards Flåm with return to Bergen in the evening. Starting your journey from Bergen you will travel by rail up the Raundal Valley to the remote Myrdal station, where you will switch to the Flåm Railway, the steepest line in Northern Europe, and descend to the village of Flåm, stopping at Kjosfossen on the way.

From Flam, you will go on a fjord cruise through the UNESCO World Heritage areas of Aurlandsfjord and Nærøyfjord to the town to Gudvangen. From Gudvangen you will board a bus to Voss, where you will take the train back to Bergen.

Spend another night in Bergen.

Continue to explore beautiful Bergen today. We recommend riding the Fløibanen Funicular to Mount Fløyen to enjoy panoramic views over the city or to take a cable car up Mt. Ulriken. Bergen is surrounded by 7 mountains so this is an ideal place for hiking. Bergen is also known for its museums that cover the city’s history, architecture, music and art. We recommend visiting the Edvard Grieg museum and the KODE art museum, which is Scandinavia’s largest museum for art and music. If you wish to explore the fjords further, optional fjord cruises are available.

Spend the night in Bergen.

This morning, enjoy some last-minute shopping, visit one of Bergen‘s many museums or relax at a café, before heading to Bergen-Flesland Airport for your included flight to Iceland.

On arrival to Keflavik International Airport, you will be greeted by a driver who will take you to your accommodation in Reykjavík. After settling in, the rest of the day is free for you to explore. We recommend strolling the streets of the charming capital city, visiting museums, and exploring landmarks like Hallgrímskirkja and the Sun Voyager.

Spend a night in Reykjavik.

Start the self-drive part of your tour and collect your rental car in the morning. Begin your journey on the classic “Golden Circle” route, home to some of Iceland’s most popular attractions. Start with a visit to the fascinating Þingvellir National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Here, you can walk on a path in the rift valley between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. Next on the route is the Haukadalur geothermal area, where you can see Geysir—the original “geyser”—and its more active neighbour, Strokkur, which spouts water every few minutes. End the circle with visits to the majestic Gullfoss waterfall. 

Spend the night in the Hvolsvöllur area.

Driving distance approx. 230 km / 143 mi.

Head to the fairytale-like Seljalandsfoss waterfall, where you can experience walking right behind the misty cascade, and the gorgeous 60-metre high Skógafoss waterfall just a short drive down the road. Further ahead at Vík, you can make a stop at the black volcanic beach south of the village, from where you can view the rock formations Dyrhólaey and Reynisdrangar. The last stop of the day is to the stunning Fjaðrárgljúfur canyon. You also have a chance today to join an exciting guided excursion by foot or snowmobile on a glacier!  

Spend the night in Kirkjubæjarklaustur/Skaftafell area.

Driving distance approx. 157 km / 97 mi. 

Enjoy Skaftafell, part of the immense Vatnajökull National Park and a place of great natural beauty with many interesting hiking trails, including a short path to the beautiful Svartifoss waterfall. This area is also full of opportunities for more adventurous pursuits, such as guided glacier-walking or ice-climbing excursions. Then, head to the amazing Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon, where you can join a boat ride among the maze of floating icebergs (optional). 

Spend the night in the Höfn or Djúpivogur area. 

Driving distance approx. 208 km / 129 mi.

Your drive along east Iceland today is characterised by spectacular fjords, tranquil fishing villages, rugged tundra and sweeping landscapes. On arrival to the otherworldly Lake Mývatn, you have an abundance of unusual natural wonders to explore, including the Krafla volcano, the curiously-coloured Námaskarð pass, the massive crater of Hverfell and the lunar-like pseudo-craters at Skútustaðir. 

Spend the night in the Lake Mývatn area.

Driving distance approx. 430 km / 267 mi.

Use this day to further explore the surroundings of Lake Mývatn. You can start the day with an optional whale-watching trip from the village of Húsavík, “The Whale Watching Capital of Europe”. Then, drive through Jökulsárgljúfur; part of Vatnajökull National Park, visiting such sights as the horseshoe-shaped Ásbyrgi canyon and the most powerful waterfall in Europe, Dettifoss. End the day by bathing in the relaxing geothermal waters of the Mývatn Nature Baths, where you can experience the soft glow of the midnight sun. 

Spend the night in the Lake Mývatn area.

Spend the first half of the day around Lake Mývatn. We recommend a visit to Goðafoss (The Waterfall of the Gods) on your way to the charming town of Akureyri, where you will find interesting shops and museums as well as a beautiful botanical garden.

After your break in Akureyri, you can either head straight to Skagafjörður or take a detour on the way to Tröllaskagi (The Peninsula of the Trolls), where you can enjoy fantastic scenery of beautiful mountains, cliffs and fjords. Next, continue through Siglufjörður, which was once the centre of Iceland’s herring fleet, and make a stop at Hofsós to relax in the thermal pool (optional) before arriving at Skagfjörður, an area known for its abundance of purebred Icelandic horses.

Spend the night in Northwest Iceland.

Driving distance approx. 301 km / 187 mi.  

Head to the Snæfellsnes Peninsula today. On the way you’ll see the curious mounds of Vatnsdalshólar and the beautiful Þingeyrakirkja church. You can also make stops at the living museum at Eiríksstaðir, home of famous Viking Erik the Red, and the hot geothermal pool of Guðrúnarlaug, or pay a visit to Stykkishólmur, a picture-perfect fishing village overlooking Breiðafjörður Bay. Here, you can take a walk up to the small hill overlooking the harbour, Súgandisey, for a wonderful panoramic view over the town, sea and surrounding mountains. 

Spend the night on Snæfellsnes Peninsula / Borgarfjörður area.

Driving distance approx. 335 km / 208 mi.

Experience the unique Snæfellsjökull National Park, with amazing birdlife, lush valleys and lava fields. It is ideal to drive around the peninsula, exploring Dritvík Cove, Lóndrangar Cliffs as well as Hellnar and Arnarstapi cliffs with its bursting bird-life and the small villages along the coast. You might also wish to test your strength at the large stones of the black volcanic beach of Djúpalónssandur like the sailors did in the old days. 

Spend the night in Reykjavík.

Driving distance approx. 219 km / 136 mi.

On your day of departure, a shuttle bus will collect you from your hotel in Reykjavík and deliver you to Keflavík International Airport ahead of your scheduled flight.

If your flight is in the afternoon, you can fit in a relaxing visit to the Blue Lagoon or even take a short guided tour of the volcanic Reykjanes Peninsula (optional; not included).