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Rick Steves’ Best of Scandinavia, Day by Day
Scandinavia is Europe's most prosperous, pristine, and progressive corner. Starting in Sweden, our Best of Scandinavia in 14 Days Tour will treat you to the region's top sights, including Stockholm's impressive Vasa Ship Museum, Sweden's west coast archipelago, Copenhagen's fun-loving pedestrian center, Denmark's charming island of Ærø, Oslo's proud maritime museums and whimsical Frogner Park sculpture garden, a nostalgic Norwegian open-air folk museum, and a waterfall-filled fjord cruise — all ending with a harbor-side walking tour of ruddy-cheeked Bergen. Let's go!
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Day 1: Welcome to Sweden
We'll meet at our Stockholm hotel for a "Välkomna till Skandinavia" get-together, followed by dinner and an orientation walk around our neighborhood.
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Day 2: Stockholm's Old City and the Vasa
This morning we'll enjoy a walking tour through the cobbled alleyways of Stockholm's Gamla Stan (Old City), learning about its historic Stortorget Square, cathedral, and Royal Palace. We'll then board a boat and cross the harbor to visit the Vasa Museum, where we'll marvel at the remains of the 200-foot warship Vasa, which sank here on her maiden voyage nearly 400 years ago. You're free this afternoon to grab lunch and explore more of this cosmopolitan city.
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Day 3: Modern Stockholm and Copenhagen
This morning we'll stop by Stockholm's City Hall (when available), home of the Nobel Prize banquet and striking mosaic murals celebrating humanism and the ideal of people working together in community. Then, we'll board a train at the Stockholm Central Station and make our way to Copenhagen. After crossing the awe-inspiring five-mile Öresund bridge and tunnel that connects Sweden and Denmark, we'll check into our hotel and get oriented to our neighborhood as we stroll up to the lively Strøget pedestrian center, where we'll enjoy dinner together.
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Day 4: Playful and Progressive Copenhagen
This morning we'll dive into the sights and sounds of Copenhagen's historical center on a walking tour with a local guide. The rest of your day is free to enjoy Europe's best people-watching on the Strøget, tour the National Museum, visit the fanciful Tivoli Gardens, or experience the counterculture of Christiania.
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Day 5: Rosenborg Castle and Treasury
Today, we'll step back in time and visit Rosenborg, the 17th-century Dutch Renaissance-style castle built as a summer residence for King Christian IV. Housing 500 years of royal knickknacks, we'll tour the finely furnished rooms, Danish crown jewels, and one of the best treasury collections in Europe. The rest of the day is yours to stroll around the royal gardens surrounding the castle, explore more of the city, and discover dinner on your own in the "restaurant capital of the Nordics."
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Day 6: Viking Ships and Ærø Island Charms
After breakfast we'll drive to Roskilde to prowl through the evocative Viking Ship Museum, where we'll learn about the rough-and-tumble, yet surprisingly sophisticated Viking culture of a thousand years ago. We'll have free time for lunch in town and see Roskilde Cathedral (when available), the resting place of 38 kings and queens of Denmark and the first Gothic church ever built of brick. Then a scenic ferry ride will take us to the nostalgic little island of Ærø and the old windjammer port of Ærøskøbing. Tonight we'll enjoy an orientation to the old town and a traditional Danish feast together.
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Day 7: All Day to Explore Ærø Island
You'll have the morning free to relax and savor this epitome of small-town Denmark, or get Ærø-dynamic and pedal a rented bike past thatched cottages, tidy farms, and windswept bluffs. We'll regroup this afternoon for a bus tour of the island. We'll return to Ærøskøbing, where you'll be free for dinner and the rest of the evening. The pub by the harbor is a fun place to meet the locals.
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Day 8: Coastal Sweden
Today we'll sail off the island of Ærø and drive up the Swedish coastline to Varberg. Along the way, we'll stop for lunch in the salty Danish town of Helsingør, home to Kronborg castle, famous for its tenuous ties to Shakespeare's Hamlet. Then we'll say farvel to Denmark and settle into our quaint Swedish home for the night, the seaside resort of Varberg. Your guide will provide a neighborhood orientation and then set you free for dinner on your own.
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Day 9: Sweden's Archipelago and Artistic Oslo
Our final destination today is Norway and its capitol, Oslo. Along the way, we'll stop at charming 19th-century boathouse and take a boat ride through the Swedish west coast archipelago to commune with the sea and local fishermen. We'll have a light seafood lunch together before continuing our journey to Oslo. After arrival, we'll visit Frogner Park, home to Gustav Vigeland's whimsical, lifelike sculptures before we enjoy a "Welcome to Oslo" dinner together.
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Day 10: Historic Oslo and Norway's Seafaring Past
This morning we will take a walking tour around the harbor and through the heart of Oslo, learning about Norway's history and politics along the way. With your digital Oslo Pass (giving you free admission to most museums and public transportation), you'll have plenty of free time to visit the Norwegian Resistance Museum or your choice of the city's other fine museums. Your guide will also orient you to the short boat ride to Bygdøy peninsula where you will find a treasure trove of nautical history, such as the Fram Museum, Maritime Museum, and Kon-Tiki Museum. The evening is free to explore even more of the city and its nightlife.
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Day 11: Norwegian Traditions and Scenic Mountains
Driving out of Oslo, today we'll learn about daily Norwegian life and traditions. We'll tour a Norwegian Open-Air Folk Museum, including its array of sod-roofed farmhouses and village storefronts. After a scenic afternoon drive through farmland and forests, we'll settle into our cozy mountain hotel, and share a traditional dinner together.
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Day 12: Fjord Country and Bergen
Make sure your camera is ready: Today is scenery day! We'll drive past a mountain panorama of glittering snow and unforgettable natural beauty as we head to Norway's longest and deepest fjord, Sognefjord. We'll hop aboard a boat for a 2-hour scenic Sognefjord cruise between cliffs and waterfalls. After lunch, we're back aboard our bus for one more scenic stretch of highway before you're free for dinner and the rest of the evening in Bergen.
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Day 13: All Day in Charming Bergen
This morning our guide will walk us through the salty history of this seafaring town, including the enchanting old Hanseatic wharf area, where wooden warehouses lean together and recall their glory days as a center of North Atlantic trade. To cap off our morning, we'll ride the funicular to the top of Mount Fløyen for thrilling views of Bergen, islands, and fjords. The rest of your afternoon is free to do some hiking, explore more of Bergen, or buy one of those hand-knit wool sweaters that caught your eye back at the wharf. This evening we'll gather for a hearty Norwegian feast to share travel memories and toast new friends. Skål!
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Day 14: Tour Over After Breakfast
Those returning home can catch a short flight from Bergen to Copenhagen, London, or other European cities for your direct flight home.
Ready to experience a little hygge? Learn more about the Best of Scandinavia in 14 Days tour.