Norway Winter Tour to Norway 2 - Itinerary
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Day 1: Bergen: Arrivals On your arrival at the Bergen International Airport, you will be met by our chauffeur for your private transfer to your upscale hotel, situated along the picturesque harbor in the heart of the city of Bergen. After check-in, you can relax and rest after your journey here or, depending on your arrival time, begin exploring Bergen’s charming Old Town. The nearby highlights include the historic Bryggen, with its colorful wooden houses and rich Hanseatic history, as well as the bustling waterfront lined with shops, cafés, and local markets. In the evening, we will gather for our introductory meeting, followed by a festive welcome dinner, celebrating the beginning of the Nordic adventures that await us. Day 2: Bergen City Tour Founded more than 900 years ago, Bergen has its roots in the Viking Era. As one of the ports of the Hanseatic League, for several hundred years Bergen was the center of prosperous trade between Norway and the rest of Europe. Bryggen, or the Hanseatic Wharf, with its colorful wooden houses is the most obvious remnant from that time, and this is where many of the city’s restaurants, pubs, craft shops and historical museums are located. Today, we'll enjoy a guided tour of the city, starting with the Fløibanen funicular ride to the top of Mount Fløyen for great views of this sailors' town, then visiting Bergen's salty Fish Market, strolling along the Bryggen Wharf, and seeing the 16th century Bergenhus Fortress. After lunch, the afternoon will be free, to further enjoy the urban explorations at leisure. Day 3: Norway in a Nutshell Today, we'll take a full day "Norway in a Nutshell" excursion, through some of the most magnificent scenery in Norway. In the morning, we'll board a train to Myrdal to ride the Bergen Railway, a high altitude rail route through the wild and wonderful mountain scenery. In Myrdal, we'll take the heart-stopping Flåm Railway, one of the steepest railways in the world and a masterpiece of engineering. The 12 mile ride through the towering mountains offers panoramic views of some of the wildest and most magnificent Norwegian mountain scenery, including the famous Kjosfossen Waterfall. On arrival in Flåm, a charming village surrounded by steep mountainsides, cascading waterfalls and narrow valleys, we'll ascend the Stegastein Viewpoint, for 360° views of the fjords and snow-capped mountains, then enjoy a relaxing lunch with views over the Aurlandsfjord. Afterwards, we'll take a two hour cruise through the narrow Nærøyfjord and the famous Aurlandsfjord to Gudvangen, where our journey will continue, as we traverse a landscape of breathtaking fjords, mountains, waterfalls and past tiny settlements, coming back to Bergen in the evening. Day 4: Bergen to Tromso via Trondheim This morning, we'll check out of the hotel and transfer to Bergen Airport for our flight to Trondheim, Norway’s first capital, founded in 997 by Viking King Olav Tryggvason and the city occupies a very special place in Norwegian culture and history. After breakfast today, we'll board a short flight to Trondheim to spend the day exploring this beautiful place. Today's tour of Trondheim will be a journey through Norway's 1,100-year history, taking in its foreboding monastery, impressive wooden buildings lining the Nidelva River, colorful wharves, a beautiful red-painted city bridge dating back to 1861, and it will culminate at the impressive Nidaros Cathedral, where three Norwegian queens and seven kings have been crowned. Built over the burial place of St. Olav, the patron saint of Norway, this enormous building, with its intricate details and decorations, dates back to 1070. After touring Trondheim, we'll board our flight to Tromsø, above the Arctic Circle. After checking into our stylish hotel, we'll share our experiences from the the day's adventures, over a chef's dinner at the hotel's restaurant. Day 5: Husky Safari, Aurora Dinner Cruise A dog sled is one of the oldest modes of transport in human history and it is still used by the indigenous Sámi people of Scandinavia. Today, we'll have a chance to follow in the footsteps of the Norwegian explorers, Amundsen and Nansen, and experience the thrill of dog sled riding and mushing during a husky safari outside Tromsø. After getting instruction on mushing, we'll dress up in Arctic gear, meet our teams of dogs which will pull us through the snowy Tamokdalen Valley, stopping for photos at the most scenic spots. On return to the camp, we'll be greeted with hot drinks and Norwegian snacks, before returning to the city. In the evening, we'll have a chance to see the mesmerizing Northern Lights, as we board the Aurora dinner cruise, to sail in complete silence around the Arctic capital and enjoy the city of Tromso from the sea while experiencing the tastes of the North onboard the electric catamaran. Day 6: Tromso City Tour, Northern Light Chase This morning, we'll tour the polar city of Tromso, known as the "Gateway to the Arctic." The city's rich cultural scene is evident in its lively streets, lined with colorful wooden houses, trendy cafes, and lively pubs. We'll start with Tromso's Arctic Cathedral, a daring piece of architecture inspired by the arctic nature and featuring distinctive peaked roof and soaring stained-glass windows. We'll take the Fjellheisen cable car up to Storsetinen Mountain for a spectacular panoramic view of Tromso, with an almost endless view of islands, fjords, mountains, and the sea, as well as the iconic Blue Bridge. We'll conclude our city tour with lunch at a local restaurant. After some time for individual exploration of Tromso, we'll meet again in the evening. Tonight, we'll be in for a very special experience, as we set out for the Northern Lights Chase, accompanied by experienced local guides. Here, above the Arctic Circle, we'll have the best chance of experiencing this magic color show, as the night sky explodes into a light show of green, white, pink, blue and violet. Day 7: Arctic Ice Domes, the Sami Culture, and Reindeer Sledding Today, we'll venture out into the Arctic Wilderness, where we'll get to experience some of the most memorable highlights of this trip. We'll start with a tour of the famous Tromso Ice Domes, a fairytale seasonal structure built entirely of snow and ice, including its surreal Ice Bar. Afterwards, we'll meet with the Sámi, the indigenous people of the Arctic, and their reindeer, the true heroes of the Arctic, who have been living with the Sami for centuries. We'll join our Sami guides on a reindeer sledding safari, while we'll learn the Sámi secrets of surviving in the Arctic and see the traditional Sami culture artifacts and treasures, before enjoying traditional Sami snacks, while keeping our eyes on the sky, for the unearthly beauty of the Aurora Borealis, the Northern Lights, which frequently flicker silently across the Arctic sky, mesmerizing all who see them. After returning to the city, we'll end the day with dinner at a traditional Norwegian restaurant. Day 8: Tromso to Oslo, National Museum of Norway This morning, we’ll check out of our Tromso hotel and transfer to Tromso Airport for our flight to Oslo. After arriving in Norway's capital city and checking into our beautiful hotel in the city center, we'll have some time to rest, before meeting in the afternoon for a tour of the National Museum of Norway. The visit is an inspiring journey through Norwegian art and design, including the National Romantic period and its most renowned painters and iconic works like Edvard Munch’s The Scream. In the evening, we'll celebrate our Nordic adventures with dinner at one of the city's celebrated restaurants. Day 9: Oslo City Tour We'll spend our last day in Norway enjoying the smorgasbord of Oslo's highlights and historical sights. We'll take a panoramic tour of the city, seeing the Munch Museum, the Norwegian Parliament, and the stunning Royal Palace along the way. We'll stop to visit the Vigeland Sculpture Park, the world’s largest outdoor sculpture park, where we'll marvel at Gustav Vigeland’s unique lifelike creations of the human form. Afterwards, we will visit the Bygdoy Peninsula, a beautiful area known for its museums and scenic views over the Oslo Fjord. Here, we’ll tour the Fram Museum and the Maritime Museum, before returning to the city center and its Aker Brygge waterfront, filled with quaint cafes, galleries and modern art exhibits. The afternoon will be at leisure to enjoy the city’s lively atmosphere and shopping in Aker Brygge or to see the Nobel Peace Prize Center and Oslo’s City Hall in close walking distance from Aker Brygge. In the evening, we'll celebrate our Nordic adventure and the new friends we made on this journey with a farewell dinner at an elegant Oslo restaurant. Day 10: Departures Today, we’ll have to say good-bye to Norway, as we travel back home and take with us the memories of the Nordic landscapes and adventures, fascinating history, great food, and many laughs we have shared during our time here. Depending on your flight departure time, you may have some time this morning to enjoy a leisurely stroll through the vibrant streets of Oslo, before your private airport transfer in accordance with your flight departure time.
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