Scandinavia
Copenhagen, Oslo, Flam, Stockholm, and Tallin
Day 1: After arriving in Copenhagen, tour the historic and lovely Rosenborg Castle. In the evening, walk the Stroget and Nyhavn before turning in for the night. Day 2: Get up early and take public transportation to the wonderfully preserved Frederiksborg Castle . If you’re traveling in warmer months, the gardens are also worth a visit. Then travel back to Copenhagen for a canal boat tour and a quick visit to the National Museum. That evening, take the overnight ferry to Oslo, Norway. Day 3: Arrive in Oslo and pick up your rental car for the beautiful, but somewhat long drive to the fjord town of Flam. In summer months, you will probably go to bed before it gets dark. Day 4: After breakfast, board the ferry for one of the most gorgeous boat rides you have ever taken. As you ride from Flam to picturesque Gudvangen and back, you will snap many pictures attempting to capture the waterfalls and glacier carved landscape. Drive back to Oslo where you will stay the night. Day 5: In the morning, visit the Bygdoy area to tour some fantastic museums. First, visit the Kon-Tiki Museum featuring the raft-like vessels that took scientist Thor Heyerdahl across the oceans, proving that voyages in rudimentary vessels was possible for ancient peoples. The next site, the Viking Ship Museum, is home to several large vessels from the Viking era of Norway’s history and houses other precious artifacts from the time period. Spend the reminder of your day at the Norwegian Museum of Cultural History, which has many transplanted traditional Norwegian homes and exhibits demonstrating Norwegian culture. After a full day of museum-hopping, get to the bus station for an overnight bus ride to Stockholm. Day 6: When you arrive in Stockholm in the early morning, leave your belongings in a locker (you can also take advantage of the public showers if you like) and visit Gamla Stan (old town) to watch the changing of the guard, and the Royal Armory, which features suits of armor from many different time periods and precious royal artifacts of Sweden. Then head to your cruise ship for your overnight cruise to Tallin, Estonia. On the way, relax and take in the sunset as the ship makes its way through the maze of islands that make up the Stockholm Archipelago. Day 7: Tour the historic upper and lower towns of Tallin as you stroll through the medieval cobblestone streets. Spend the day getting lost in the quaint shops before returning to your ship for the overnight cruise back to Stockholm. Day 8: Visit the Vasa Museum which was built around the massive seventeenth-century ship that capsized on its maiden voyage. Then tour the nearby Nordic Museum, which boasts the largest collection of Sweden’s cultural history. Spend your last night savoring the beauty of Sweden’s capital. Day 9: Return home. |