Scandinavia Explorer

About this trip

Exactly what you do each day, where you sleep, and how it flows — written by us, from the real itinerary.

1. 1
   Day 1 · OsloOslo

   You arrive in Oslo for a welcome meeting at 6 pm with your group leader and fellow travellers. Before that, you might visit the Munch Museum to see The Scream, learn about Norwegian WWII history at the Resistance Museum, sail the Oslofjord, or wander the Vigeland sculpture park. Dinner with the group follows.

2. 2
   Day 2 · OsloOslo

   Start with an orientation walk through Oslo, then have free time to explore. You could island hop on the Oslofjord, visit the Astrup Fearnley Museum of Modern Art on the harbourfront, eat at the Vulkan food hall, explore Akershus Fortress, or browse shops in Grunerlokka. Your leader can suggest what to do.

3. 3
   Day 3 · OsloBergen

   

   Take the train across the Fjell region to Bergen, one of Europe's highest and most scenic rail routes. The line crosses the Hardangervidda Plateau with views of valleys, villages, mountains and lakes. You'll arrive late, so grab seafood dinner with the group rather than trying to sightsee.

4. 4
   Day 4 · BergenBergen

   Ride the Floibanen funicular up 350 metres above Bergen in seven minutes for views over the city and sea. Afterwards you're free to explore—possibly the UNESCO-listed Bryggen with its reconstructed medieval homes and warehouses, or the Hanseatic Museum in the old port district.

5. 5
   Day 5 · BergenNorwegian Fjords

   Travel by bus from Bergen through epic landscapes to the fjord region. Stay in typical Norwegian huts near Gudvangen, surrounded by steep cliffs with views of the Kjelsfossen waterfall cascading down the fjord face. You're here for two nights.

6. 6
   Day 6 · NaeroyfjordNorwegian Fjords

   Take a boat trip through Naeroyfjord, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The narrow 18 km fjord—only 250 metres wide at its tightest—is ringed by 1400-metre peaks with waterfalls crashing down sheer faces. The cruise ends in the fishing village of Flam, where you can optionally ride the steep famous railway to Myrdal.

7. 7
   Day 7 · LillehammerLillehammer

   Drive to Lillehammer through remote valleys and the Laerrdal Tunnel, the world's longest road tunnel at 24.5 km. The tunnel's mountain caves and special lighting create the illusion of daylight to help driver focus. Lillehammer, host of the 1994 Winter Olympics, sits on Lake Mjøsa. Join an orientation walk through the 19th-century town centre.

8. 8
   Day 8 · LillehammerLillehammer

   Visit the Maihaugen Open Air Museum, which includes the Garmo Stave Church and spans 300 years of Gudbrandsdalen Valley life through farms, a town and residential areas. The afternoon is free—you might hike the misty mountains, visit the Olympic Museum, or arrange other outdoor activities with your leader.

9. 9
   Day 9 · SiljanVikarbyn

   Cross into Sweden by private bus to Rattvik, a laidback lakeside town on Lake Siljan in Dalarna County. Rattvik is famous for the Dala wooden horse, a Swedish national symbol. You'll stay 7 km outside town in a peaceful spot.

10. 10
    Day 10 · SiljanVikarbyn

    Join a guided village safari led by local experts to learn the history and traditions of Lake Siljan's villages and local way of life. The afternoon is free to explore—take a boat trip across the lake, fish, hike, or browse shops selling artisanal wares.

11. 11
    Day 11 · StockholmStockholm

    

    Train to Stockholm, often called the 'Venice of the North'. After an orientation walk, explore independently. You might ride the Tunnelbana subway, which features artwork from over 140 artists across its 100 stations, or wander the narrow cobblestone streets and colourful merchant houses.

12. 12
    Day 12 · StockholmStockholm

    Visit the Vasa Museum on Djurgarden to see the 17th-century warship that sank in 1628 on its first voyage and was recovered in 1961. The afternoon is free—cruise Stockholm's waterways past islets, do a self-guided Millennium Trilogy Walking Tour, visit the Abba Museum, or explore elsewhere.

13. 13
    Day 13 · StockholmStockholm / Overnight Ferry

    Spend your final day exploring Stockholm's remaining sites. In the evening, board an overnight ferry to Helsinki, Finland.

14. 14
    Day 14 · HelsinkiHelsinki

    

    Arrive in Helsinki's port in the morning and travel by public transport to your hotel. Join your leader for an orientation walk through Helsinki's historical sites and food scene, then explore freely. Visit the cathedral, Design Museum, waterfront market, Old Market Hall, or take a ferry to the UNESCO-listed Suomenlinna sea fortress.

15. 15
    Day 15 · HelsinkiHelsinki

    Your trip ends after breakfast. No further activities are planned, though you can contact your booking agent beforehand to arrange additional accommodation if you wish to stay longer in Helsinki.

What's included

• Guide: All group trips are accompanied by one of our group leader or local representative. The aim of the group leader or local representative is to take the hassle out of your travels and to help you have the best trip possible. Intrepid endeavours to provide the services of an experienced group leader or local representative however, due to the seasonality of travel, rare situations may arise where your group leader or local representative is new to a particular region or training other group leader or local representative. Your group leader or local representative will provide information on the places you are travelling through, offer suggestions for things to do and see, recommend great local eating venues and introduce you to our local friends. While not being guides in the traditional sense, you can expect them to have a broad general knowledge of the places visited on the trip, including historical, cultural, religious, and social aspects. At Intrepid we aim to support local guides who have specialised knowledge of the regions we visit. If you are interested in delving deeper into the local culture at a specific site or location then your group leader or local representative can recommend a local guide service in most of the main destinations of your trip. , EUROPEAN LEADERS: Intrepid trips in Europe are accompanied by one of our local European group leaders. ’Local’ in this context means a leader who is European or lives in Europe. We also aim to support local guides in the individual cities or locations we travel to. If you are interested in delving deeper into the local culture at a specific site or location then your leader can recommend an optional local guide service in most of the main destinations of your trip.
• Meals: 12 breakfasts, 1 lunch, 1 dinner
• Activities: Oslo - Leader-led orientation walk Bergen - Floy Mountain Funicular round trip Gudvangen - Naeroyfjord Boat Cruise to Flam (one way) Lillehammer - Maihaugen Open Air Museum Lake Siljan - Cultural Village tour with picnic lunch Stockholm - Orientation Walk Stockholm - 3 day public transport pass Stockholm - Vasa Museum Helsinki - Orientation Walk
• Transport: TRANSPORT IN EUROPE: Half the fun of travel is the travelling itself, that's why we like to travel the local way – whether that means mingling with commuters on a local train, watching the scenery roll by from the window of a long distance bus, arriving on a high speed train in the city centre of your next destination, or navigating each city's public transport system. In Europe, you are guaranteed to travel by genuine local public transport wherever possible, which puts you right in the centre of the action. Train, Public bus, Overnight ferry, Private vehicle, Tram, Metro
• Accommodation: The style of accommodation indicated in the day-to-day itinerary is a guideline only and may change. On some occasions, alternative arrangements may need to be made due to the lack of availability of rooms in our preferred accommodation. In these cases, we will use a similar standard of accommodation. Throughout the trip, we request that our properties prepare rooms in time for our arrival, especially if we're arriving prior to normal check-in time. However, this isn't always possible which means we won't be able to check-in immediately on arrival at some hotels. Instead, we can store our luggage and explore our new destination or on some trips, have use of shared day rooms until all rooms are available., On this trip, we use a range of small, locally run hotels that reflect the character of the destinations we visit. In Northern Europe, air conditioning isn’t always common as buildings are designed to retain heat during long, colder seasons and summer temperatures are typically mild. As a result, some properties may not have Air conditioning, and rooms can feel warm during hotter periods. While windows can sometimes be opened, this may bring in street or city noise. Room sizes may also be more compact than you might be used to. If you’re travelling in summer, we recommend keeping this in mind to help you prepare for a comfortable stay. Hotel (9 Nights), Cabin (2 nights), Bed and Breakfast (2 nights), Overnight ferry (1 night)

How travellers rate it

Your free day in Oslo

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