A Fjord Adventure in Norway

The capital of Norway beautifully blends its modernity with a rich history, nestled amid a stunning natural landscape. With its picturesque waterfront set along the Oslofjord, the city has numerous architectural marvels such as the Oslo Opera House and the historic Akershus Fortress. Visitors can stroll along Oslo's Karl Johans gate lined with cafes and shops set next to imposing landmarks like the Royal Palace. Oslo is also home to about 50 fantastic museums, including the Munch Museum, dedicated to the works of Norwegian painter Edvard Munch, and Fearnley Museum, which houses contemporary art. A visit to Oslo is incomplete without a trip to Aker Brygge, the lively waterfront area filled with restaurants and shops, where locals and travelers gather.

Welcome to Norway! An assistant will greet your group inside the arrivals hall of Oslo's Gardermoen Airport and lead it to a private coach, which will take you directly to your hotel in Oslo. Should your group arrive before the hotel's official check-in time (generally 3:00 pm), please feel free to store baggage with the reception staff so that you can begin visiting this wonderful city. As it is your arrival day and you are most likely still adjusting to the time change, we have left this day fairly free. However, if you feel up to it, we suggest you get out there and begin your sightseeing in Oslo! Consider a stroll through the harbor, or pay a visit to one of the many excellent museums located on Oslo's Bygdoy peninsula. We recommend either touring the Viking Ship Museum, which houses the world's best-preserved Viking vessels, or visiting the open-air Norsk Folk museum, whose impressive collection of historical and cultural structures includes the 800-year-old Gol Stave Church. This evening there will be a group welcome dinner in the hotel's restaurant.

After breakfast and check-out, a local guide will lead your group on a panoramic city tour to see the main sights of Oslo including the Akershus Fortress, the City Hall, the Royal Palace, Parliament and the Opera House. You will then travel west of the city to visit the Vigeland Sculpture Park, which is home to over 200 stone, bronze and cast-iron figural sculptures made by the Norwegian artist Gustav Vigeland. During your tour you will also travel up to the Holmenkollen Ski Jump to visit the Ski Museum. At the end of the tour, your group will depart Oslo and travel north to the cozy resort town of Lillehammer, which hosted the Winter Olympics in 1994. Upon arrival to the hotel in Lillehammer, check-in and enjoy the remainder of the day at leisure.

After breakfast and checkout, your group will travel east by private coach to Mosfellsdalur to visit Gljufrasteinn, the home of Icelandic writer Halldor Laxness. Laxness, who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1955, resided here for more than fifty years, and today his home is a state museum. After breakfast and check-out, your group will board its private coach and drive north through the Gudbrandsdalen Valley, past fast-flowing rivers and scenic waterfalls to the town of Dombas. Prepare yourself for a real treat as you board Norway's famed Rauma Railway, whose 70-mile route takes 1 hour and 40 minutes. Enjoy this unique opportunity to experience one of the most spectacularly-scenic landscapes in Norway. After arriving to the town of Andalsnes, travel along the "Trollstigen" road to the seaside town of Alesund. This steep mountain road, with its series of hairpin bends, takes its name from the ancient Norwegian sagas and today is one of Norway's most popular tourist attractions. Upon arrival to the hotel in Alesund, check-in and enjoy an evening at leisure.

After breakfast and check-out, your group will board its private coach and travel south to the port of Hellesylt to embark on a 2-hour fjord cruise to the Geirangerfjord. An official UNESCO World Heritage Natural Site, the Geiranger Fjord is considered to be the most beautiful fjord in Norway (if not the world). During the cruise you will see several spectacular waterfalls, including the Seven Sisters and the Bridal Veil. From there your group will continue to the Briksdal Glacier, which forms part of the Jostedalsbreen Glacier National Park; the home of the largest glacier in continental Europe. After visiting the park, your group will proceed to tonight's hotel located in the nearby village of Skei. After check-in and time to freshen up, you and your fellow group members will dine together in the hotel's restaurant.

After breakfast and check-out, your group will board its private coach and travel past Fjaerland and Laerdal to Sognefjord, the largest fjord in Norway. In the village of Flaam (also spelled Flam) your group will board the world-famous Flam Railway. This scenic Norwegian railway represents a remarkable feat of engineering. Prepare yourself for some out-of-this-world views of the Flam Valley complemented by the sound of tumbling waterfalls. After arriving to Myrdal Station, your group will change trains, drive to Voss, re-board the private coach and continue to Bergen, the second-largest city in Norway. Upon arrival to the hotel in Bergen, check-in and enjoy an evening at leisure.

After breakfast and check-out, a local guide will meet your group in the lobby and lead it on a city tour of Bergen by private coach beginning with a visit inside Troldhaugen, the home of Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg. Afterwards return to the city center for the walking portion of the tour which will feature Bryggen Wharf, a row of vibrant, wooden buildings that formed a merchant district during the Middle Ages, when Bergen was a trading post of the Hanseatic League. Today Bergen's Old Wharf is an official UNESCO World Heritage Site. After visiting this historic Norwegian quay, your group will catch the Floyen Funicular (Floibanen) to travel to the summit of Mount Floien (also spelled "Floyen"), one of the seven mountains of Bergen. Once you reach the top, enjoy superb views of the city below. After returning to Bergen's city center, re-board your coach and head east along the beautiful Hardangerfjord, the second-largest fjord in Norway. This region has been dubbed the "orchard of Norway" because of its abundance of fruit trees. Tonight your group will have dinner and sleep at a hotel in the scenic village of Ulvik.

The capital of Norway beautifully blends its modernity with a rich history, nestled amid a stunning natural landscape. With its picturesque waterfront set along the Oslofjord, the city has numerous architectural marvels such as the Oslo Opera House and the historic Akershus Fortress. Visitors can stroll along Oslo's Karl Johans gate lined with cafes and shops set next to imposing landmarks like the Royal Palace. Oslo is also home to about 50 fantastic museums, including the Munch Museum, dedicated to the works of Norwegian painter Edvard Munch, and Fearnley Museum, which houses contemporary art. A visit to Oslo is incomplete without a trip to Aker Brygge, the lively waterfront area filled with restaurants and shops, where locals and travelers gather.