This 21-day tour is the ultimate road trip in Scandinavia. These three weeks leads you to some of the most breathtaking nature and urban oases across Norway, Sweden and Denmark. Starting and ending in Stockholm, you will get to explore the capital cities, along with unrivaled fjord scenery, wondrous waterfalls and time in the beautiful cities of Bergen and Lillehammer in Norway, and countryside towns like Kalmar and Ystad in Sweden.
Just a few of the majestic sights you’ll take in during your trip.
A day-by-day plan to guide your journey.
When you arrive at Stockholm Arlanda Airport, pick up your rental car. Then drive to Stockholm city centre. 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.
Spend the night in Stockholm.
Driving distance: 40 km / 25 miles
Estimated driving duration: 40 minutes (without stops)
Today you kick off your road trip by driving to the south of Sweden. First you will stop by the picturesque town of Söderköping before reaching the city of Kalmar, a medieval city with a rich history, making it a perfect stop for history buffs. The town features well-preserved 17th and 18th century buildings and you can visit the Kalmar Castle, which dates back over 800 years.
Spend the night in Kalmar.
Driving distance: 410 km / 255 miles
Estimated driving duration: 4 hours and 45 minutes (without stops)
Today you will explore Öland, a region that has sandy beaches along a beautiful coastline, and a vast landscape where you can enjoy the scenery and bask in the solitude. After crossing the bridge, we recommend a visit to the historical site of Borgholm Castle, followed by a stop at Solliden Palace, the summer residence of the Swedish royal family. Next, visit the southern part of the island, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Stora Alvaret, which is a giant limestone plateau that has a unique biodiversity and history.
Spend the night in Kalmar.
Driving distance: Driving distance: 141 km / 88 miles
Estimated driving duration: 2 hours and 23 minutes (without stops)
From Kalmar, drive south along the coast of Blekinge, where you find the naval city of Karlskrona which is a World Heritage site. Continue to Skåne, the most southern part of Sweden, where we recommend a visit to Kiviks Musteri and the apple orchards or you can stop for coffee in the picturesque town of Simrishamn. You could visit to the fortress of Glimmingehus which dates back to the Middle Ages or continue your drive to the charming town of Ystad.
Spend the night in Ystad.
Driving distance: 290 km / 180 mi
Estimated driving duration: 4 hours (without stops)
From Ystad, drive to Smygehuk, the southernmost point in Sweden where you will find cosy cafés, eclectic craft shops and traditional fish smokeries. Continue along the south coast to the old towns of Skanör and Falsterbo, located on the Falsterbo peninsula, where you will see long stretches of white sand beaches. Next, cross the famous Öresund Bridge and arrive in the charming capital city of Copenhagen. You can explore the beautiful harbour area of Nyhavn and have fun at the amusement park Tivoli Gardens.
Spend the night in Copenhagen.
Driving distance: 130 km / 80 mi
Estimated driving duration: 2 hours and 20 min (without stops)
Spend the morning touring Copenhagen by foot, visiting landmarks including Amalienborg Palace, Christiansborg Palace, and the famous Little Mermaid statue. An optional boat tour 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.
In the early afternoon, it’s time to drive to the harbour and board your cruise to Oslo. 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 in one of the ship’s comfortable cabins.
Sailing up the scenic Oslo Fjord, you will reach the Norwegian capital in the morning. After you disembark from the ship, get ready for a day of adventure in Oslo. We recommend exploring Oslo by foot, spending the afternoon at sights including the historical Royal Palace and the mighty Akershus Fortress, along with the modern Oslo Opera House, and the Aker Brygge area along the harbour.
Spend the night in Oslo.
This morning have an early start to explore the Norwegian capital at your own pace. Highlights include driving to the beautiful Vigeland Sculpture Park, and the Holmenkollen ski jump which played a large role in the 1952 winter Olympics in the city.
Other options include visits to the Kon-Tiki Museum and Fram Polar Ship Museum, as well as strolling the popular Karl Johans Street. You will then have the rest of the day to explore at your own leisure.
Spend the night in Oslo.
After breakfast in Oslo, we recommend visiting the town of Gol which is known for its stave church, Viking village and the Hahaug trolls cave. Next, continue to Geilo, where you could visit Geilojordet, an idyllic area with ancient buildings from the 1700-1800's and a lovely place to spend some time exploring.
Spend the night in Geilo.
Driving distance: 220 km / 136 mi
Estimated driving duration: 3 hours and 17 minutes (without stops)
From Geilo, you will embark on a scenic drive along Eidfjord and the dramatic, narrow Måbødalen valley, pass the impressive waterfall, Vøringfossen – the highest in Norway with a 182-metre cascade. The striking scenery continues as you drive past Hardangervidda National Park, a region of great natural beauty, along Hardangerfjord on the way to Bergen. Spend the afternoon exploring Bergen and dining at one of the charming restaurants in city centre.
Spend the night in Bergen.
Driving distance: 244 km / 151 mi
Estimated driving duration: 4 hours and 10 minutes (without stops)
Spend the day exploring lovely Bergen. 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. We recommend riding the Fløibanen Funicular to Mount Fløyen to enjoy stunning 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.
For those after some culture, Bergen is known for its museums that cover the city’s history, architecture, music and art and we recommend visiting the Edvard Grieg Museum and the KODE art museum, which is Scandinavia’s largest museum for art and music.
Spend the night in Bergen.
Today you will head to Norway’s adventure capital, Voss, which is home to the beautiful Tvindefossen waterfall. Your journey will then continue to Sogndal along the Sognefjord taking in sights including the towns of Stalheim, before reaching the beautiful Aurlandsfjord and the town of Flåm. We recommend stopping in Flåm and riding the renowned Flåmsbana railway, a steep train ride between Flåm and Myrdal. You could also stop at the Stegastein viewpoint to enjoy a panoramic view of Aurlandsfjord. You will then take a short ferry ride before driving towards Sogndal, where you will spend the night.
Spend the night in Sogndal.
Driving distance: 237 km / 148 miles
Estimated driving duration: 4 hours (without stops)
Today is full of scenic fjord sightseeing. Start your day with an optional visit to the Norwegian Glacier Museum in Fjærland before continuing north along Jostedal glacier, mainland Europe’s largest ice cap. Next, drive the Fjærland Road until you reach lovely Loen. We recommend an optional activity boarding the magnificent Loen Skylift, a cable car to the altitude of 1,011 metres with amazing views of the fjord.
Spend the night in Loen.
Today your journey will take you to the UNESCO-protected Geirangerfjord. Board the 65-minute ferry from Hellesylt to Geiranger. Along the way you'll learn about the deep history and diverse geology of the Geirangerfjord. Make sure to keep an eye out for its wondrous waterfalls, the Seven Sisters and Bridal Veil. You sure to have spectacular views during the ferry ride, as the ferry captain navigates the deep fjord. With its fairytale landscape, Geiranger has a lot to offer nature lovers like snow-covered mountain tops, delicate waterfalls like the Seven Sisters and Bridal Veil, lush green vegetation and the deep blue fjord. For panoramic views of the fjord, we recommend driving up to Flydalsjuvet.
Spend the night in Geiranger.
Driving distance: 61 km / 38 mi
Estimated driving duration: 2 hours and 30 minutes (without stops and including ferry)
Spend the day exploring the beautiful Geirangerfjord. For those who would like to explore on their own there are several hiking trails you can follow, but for others we offer exciting optional activities such as a rib boat safari, kayaking tour and guided hiking and kayak tour. For those after some pampering, the nearby spa at Hotel Union is ideal to relax and get a treatment or two, followed by a trip to the chocolate factory in town for a little more indulgence.
Spend the night in Geiranger.
After breakfast you could head to Dalsnibba to visit the Geiranger Skywalk, Europe’s highest fjord viewpoint by road. From here you will enjoy sweeping views of Geirangerfjord. After the skywalk, continue to the historic village of Lom, driving through twisty roads and beautiful mountain scenery. Along the way you can visit the Lom Stave Church, one of the largest and most beautiful stave churches in Norway.
Continue the drive through the magnificent Gudbransdalen valley, which is surrounded by several national parks like Rondane National Park, Breheimen and Reinheimen, before reaching Lillehammer in the afternoon.
Spend the night in Lillehammer.
Driving distance: 265 km / 165 mi
Estimated driving duration: 4 hours (without stops)
Today you will drive back to Sweden through the thick forests and fells of Norway and Sweden. Along the way, you will pass ski resorts such as Trysil in Norway and Sälen in Sweden before driving along the trail of Vasaloppet, the world’s oldest and biggest cross-country ski race. It has a rich history and tradition; hundreds of thousands of skiers have tackled the 90-km stretch from Sälen to Mora since it began in 1922. Next, you will visit the famous region of Dalarna, which is the third most popular tourist site in Sweden after Stockholm and Gothenburg.
Spend the night in the Lake Siljan area.
Driving distance: 318 km / 198 mi
Estimated driving duration: 4 hours and 27 minutes (without stops)
This morning, in Mora, we recommend visiting the 18th-century home and museum of Anders Zorn, one of Sweden’s most celebrated painters. Next, drive to Rättvik, where you can visit the Rättvik church which has a history that goes back 800 years. Make time to see the old church stables that were used as shelter for people and horses. In this area there are many opportunities for activities such as fishing, horse riding and swimming.
Other options today include visiting the pretty village of Tällberg by Lake Siljan, just 15 km south of Rättvik, or if you prefer to go north, you will find the Styggforsen waterfall and you can take a stroll in the nature reserve and look at the “troll hole” cave located at the foot of the waterfall.
Spend the night in the Lake Siljan area.
For those with Swedish heritage, a stop at the Dössberget Museum in Bjursås, just outside Falun, might be of interest. Even if you don’t have Swedish roots, the great view, atmosphere and lunch makes it well worth a visit. After lunch, continue west to Nusnäs and visit the Grannas Dala Horse Workshop. Here at this family-owned workshop from the 1920s you can see how this popular symbol of Sweden is made. You will end the day back in Stockholm. Return your rental car at the airport then make your way to the city where you’ll spend the evening at your leisure.
Spend the night in Stockholm.
Driving distance: 311 km / 193 mi
Estimated driving duration: 4 hours (without stops)
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 churches, 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.
Enjoy one last Scandinavian breakfast before checking out of your hotel. If you have time, squeeze in some last-minute shopping, go sightseeing, or spend some time relaxing at a café, reflecting on your Scandinavian adventure. Then make your way to the airport in time for your flight home.
Customise your adventure with these Optional Extras.
We recommend adding your extra activities to the tour now for the best booking experience and to secure your spot, as activities are likely to sell out.
Here’s a map of your travel route, to help put things in perspective.
Don’t worry, we’ve got this covered.
These pictures may be small, but Norway’s mountains & fjords are massive.
We don’t like to brag, so we’ll let our happy customers do it for us.
Your employee Juliana is an amazing person. From our first contact with her to actually meeting her in person in Stockholm the day before our trip ended, she provided nothing but friendly and efficient service. Her responses to our many emails before and during the trip were always prompt and thorough. She went over and above anything we would have expected to make this a trip of a lifetime. We combined your Grand Road Trip of Norway, Sweden and Denmark with the Kystriksveien drive in Norway. Juliana was meticulous in making sure our break and then resumption of your itinerary went smoothly. The travel materials, especially the booklet with detailed itinerary and sightseeing suggestions, were very thorough. The maps, already marked with the routes and suggested stops, were very helpful. Even though the car had a good GPS navigation system, we enjoyed seeing where we were on the map.
We had to cancel on the second day because of illness, but we were very happy with the Stockholm accommodation and ease of contacting office staff. Everyone was very helpful.
I am already recommending Nordic Visitor to others. The tour tends to be on the expensive side, but it's worth the comfort of not having to worry about planning, booking, potential issues, etc. In fact, I truly appreciated the fact that Nordic Visitor allowed us to reschedule the trip 1-2 days before we were due to arrive (moving from May to September) - due to my friend getting Covid at the last minute. This would have been impossible without your help!
Sleep soundly, in the accommodation type of your choice, and wake up ready to enjoy another day of exploration.
Enjoy the journey, in the rental car of your choice.
We recommend that all our travellers read through the following information about driving in Scandinavia, what the tour includes, accommodation and other useful information for your travels.
ABOUT OUR SELF-DRIVE TOURS
This is a self-drive tour, which means you will follow a detailed and personalised itinerary during your road trip in Scandinavia. No dedicated driver or tour guide is included. All accommodation, rental vehicle, and other planned activities or added services will be pre-booked by Nordic Visitor (as specified in the itinerary). As this is a self-drive tour, you are welcome to stop when and where you choose on your drive. Except for accommodation and booked activities, other highlights we’ve listed in the itinerary are suggestions based on Nordic Visitor favourites.
For inexperienced drivers who still want to explore and discover Scandinavia, we recommend one of our guided small group tours, where you travel with a local, experienced tour leader.
ACCOMMODATION
Our team of local travel experts carefully select hotels around the country based on excellent ratings, personal experience and comfort. Please note, that in Scandinavia our room types are based on European standard sizes. For instance, a double bed often consists of two single beds pushed together. Triple rooms include a double bed along with an extra bed, a rollaway or a sofa bed, and a single room is often smaller than the standard double.
DFDS CRUISE
The overnight cruise from Copenhagen to Oslo includes cabin accommodation (comfort or quality cabin with windows) with private facilities, car space and breakfast is included. There are two ships operating on the route, Pearl Seaways and Crown Seaways, and each ship can accommodate approximately 1.800 passengers. On board you find restaurants, bars and activities.
DRIVING IN SCANDINAVIA
For information on driving in Scandinavia we recommend that you take a look at our travel guide for driving in Norway. It is very similar for the rest of our Nordic countries. There you will find handy information on tolls, ferry routes, tunnels and more! In general, the roads in Scandinavia are of high standard and are well-maintained. Rural roads are generally two lanes and can be narrow and winding, particularly in mountainous areas. Scandinavians drive on the right side of the road.
PARKING IN THE CAPITALS OF SCANDINAVIA
Parking and overnight parking at hotels (most hotels in small towns and the countryside have free parking), fees for parking meters or parking garages, fines for parking violations or towing charges are not included in the package price. Parking fees in Scandinavia are typically between EUR 10 and EUR 50 per night, depending on the type of parking. We always recommend that you inquire about the best parking option when you check in at your hotels.
CURRENCY RATE
All bookings are charged in Euros (EUR). Prices displayed in other currencies are indicative only and based on the daily exchange rate. Therefore, conversions from EUR to other currencies will fluctuate from day to day.
AFTER BOOKING WITH NORDIC VISITOR
After booking your package with Nordic Visitor, you will be contacted within two working days by one of our travel consultants, who will serve as your dedicated contact person for all your travel needs before, during and even after your holiday. Your travel consultant will provide you with details about your booking and your remaining payment (if not paid in full). You will also receive more information about what to expect during your holiday.
CARBON OFFSETTING YOUR TOUR
Nordic Visitor is working on offsetting the estimated carbon footprint of your package. We’ve partnered with an environmental fund in Iceland to carbon offset all our tours. Carbon offsetting your international flights is not included, but we highly recommend you look into possibilities with your airline or directly through a local environment fund.
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