Highlights of Scandinavia

You’re in for a whole lot of hygge when you hit the colorful, character-filled streets of Copenhagen, kick-starting your journey across Scandinavia. This cool capital manages to mix fairy tale with function as you’ll come to discover. Spend your day soaking up the atmosphere in 17th century Nyhavn or rubbing shoulders with the fun-loving locals in Tivoli Gardens, Europe’s second oldest amusement park. Later, meet your Travel Director and fellow travelers for dinner at your hotel.

Discover why Copenhagen earns its status as one of the world’s most liveable cities – a place where work and play are perfectly balanced. Your Local Specialist will take you on a sightseeing tour to the heart of the city, through lively streets, squares and along canals, revealing many of the city’s highlights, from the Royal Amalienborg Palace to Carlsberg Glyptotek. Snap a selfie with Copenhagen’s demure Little Mermaid then spend the rest of the day exploring Copenhagen your way or join an Optional Experience to the Danish Riviera past ancient fishing villages to the 17th century Frederiksborg Castle. This evening, join a visit to the village of Dragør with its tiny thatched cottages.

The next leg of your journey is filled with eye-catching landscapes that demand to be captured on camera. Your scenic drive from Denmark to Norway will see you cross the Øresund by ferry, then skirt the Swedish coastline north past glittering blue bays and lush pine and spruce forests. Continue your journey past Gothenburg bound for Oslo, the Norwegian capital. Norway wears its pioneering past with subtlety. This city could claim great Viking victories. Instead, you’ll encounter a modest, waterfront Oslo, where contemporary meets comfortable and the Norwegian philosophy of friluftsliv is palpable in its lush parks, flower-lined boulevards and bustling waterways.

Your Local Specialist will reveal all the highlights of Oslo this morning, including the medieval Akershus fortress, the City Hall and the Royal Palace. Visit the bronze, granite and cast iron fantasy-land left behind by Norwegian sculptor Gustav Vigeland in Frogner Park, home to the world’s largest sculpture exhibition by a single artist. Later, take the chance to explore Oslo at leisure before we travel to Norway’s Telemark region, renowned for its distinctive skiing technique. Tonight, join your travel companions for dinner at your hotel.

Witness Mother Nature’s magic touch on Norway as you wind your way through spectacular mountains and past Hardangerfjord, the 'Queen of the Fjords', to Bergen. The city’s Hanseatic heritage is only second to the spectacular natural landscape that surrounds this enchanting coastal city, which is famously fringed by seven hills and seven fjords. The former capital of Norway has been a trading center since the 13th century as you will come to discover on your orientation tour of the city's highlights, including the fish market and the 13th-century Haakon's Hall, a former Royal residence.

Nowhere is Norway’s seafaring heritage more apparent than in Bergen, which was once the cod capital of the world and a lively port for traders seeking to spread its salty delights across Europe. You’ll have some time to explore the harbor and the colorful wooden warehouses of UNESCO-listed Bryggen, the center of Bergen’s Hanseatic trade for centuries. Consider joining an Optional Experience to visit the villa of famous composer Edvard Grieg and see where he was inspired to compose his masterworks. You could also choose to delve into Norway’s World War II history during a visit to the lost village of Telavåg, whose ties to the resistance saw it destroyed by German forces.

Norway's fjord country takes center stage today as you head to the 'King of the Fjords', Sognefjord. Your scenic drive will pass Tvindefossen waterfall before arriving at the world's longest and deepest fjord. You'll have a rare opportunity as part of an Optional Experience to journey on the world-famous Flåm Railway. After, for nature lovers, there's an Optional Experience to board a cruise on the UNESCO-listed Nærøyfjord, whose stunning landscape has inspired painters for centuries. Tonight, join your travel companions for dinner at your hotel.

Enjoy a scenic drive through the mountains to Lillehammer, in the heart of Norway. You’ll discover what’s great about the great outdoors as you see how this Norwegian ski jumping center turned Winter Olympics hub has become popular amongst adrenalin junkies.

Travel through Norway’s lush forest landscapes, through the cottage countryside of Sweden bound for Lake Vänern, to visit Karlstad, surrounded by forests, fields and lakes. Take a deep breath and embrace the simplicity of your surroundings before continuing to the lively university town of Örebro, where you’ll stay tonight. View the 13th-century castle on the banks of the Svartån River during your orientation.

Continue to stylish Stockholm, which locals refer to as 'beauty on water'. The beautiful blue jostles for your attention amidst lush green parks and a modern city where style and substance coexist effortlessly. Get your bearings and explore Stockholm your way or take a cruise across the harbor and the beautiful Djurgården canal on our Optional Experience which continues on to explore the huge public art gallery that is the Stockholm metro.

Let this elegant city capture your heart as you explore this morning with a Local Specialist. View the medieval Storkyrkan, the Swedish Parliament and the Royal Palace. An Optional Experience could see you visit Stockholm’s City Hall and delve into the story of the Vasa, a 17th century warship that sank on her maiden voyage. In the afternoon, get your cameras ready for a 'pano' worthy of framing when you head to Sodermalm on an Optional Experience which includes a visit to the world’s first Ice Bar. Say skål in glasses made of pure river ice, then join your fellow travelers later for dinner to celebrate the end of your Scandinavian adventure.

Your epic journey worthy of a Viking voyage has sadly come to an end. Say a fond farväl  to new friends and close the curtain on a holiday filled with Scandinavian style, the majesty of 'Mother Nature' and a whole lot of lek as you prepare to return home. Find out more about your available transfers at costsavertour.com/transfers.