Best of Scandinavia & Finland Cruise - Winter

When you arrive at Helsinki Airport, make your way to city centre. Many travellers opt to take public transportation, but we also offer direct private transfers. Take advantage of this first day on your own to discover this Nordic gem at your own pace, and eat at one of the many delicious restaurants. We recommend visiting Senate Square, Uspenski Cathedral (closed Mondays) and the Old Market Hall (closed Sundays) to become acquainted with Finnish history and culture. 

Spend the night in Helsinki.

Spend the early part of the day continuing to see Helsinki before boarding a cruise to Stockholm. Helsinki is known for its creativity and, in 2012, the city was awarded the UNESCO “City of Design” title, boasting its very own Design District and “design tram route” (Line 6). Some notable city landmarks to visit include Sibelius Park, Finlandia Hall, the Finnish National Opera House, and Parliament House. In the afternoon, you will board the cruise to Stockholm, Sweden’s capital. During your time at sea, take full advantage of the on-board amenities including cafes, restaurants, and shops and spend the night in one of the cruises’ comfortable cabins.

Spend the night on the cruise.

Savour the maritime scenery during breakfast as the ship navigates through Sweden’s Archipelago, a collection of over 30,000 islands and inlets. Upon your arrival in Stockholm, make your way to the hotel and then enjoy some time exploring the city centre. We recommend, enjoying some shopping on the well-known pedestrian street Drottninggatan and taking a stroll in the surrounding area of Östermalm. There you will find numerous shops, cafés, and restaurants for a perfect introduction to Swedish culture.

Spend the night in Stockholm.

Today you will explore the heart of scenic Stockholm. We recommend exploring the capital by foot, visiting attractions such as the Old Town (Gamla Stan), where you will find the Royal Palace, the parliament, old churces, beautiful cobble stone streets and medieval houses.

After some time at Gamla Stan, you can take a short ferry ride to the nearby island Djurgården, a cultural oasis with something for everyone. Here you will find the kitschy Abba Museum, the Nordic Museum, the Vasa Museum and the Skansen open-air museum. It is ideal to spend the afternoon here, exploring the grounds and many attractions.

Spend the night in Stockholm.

Today you will take a short flight to Copenhagen. After settling in at your hotel, go for a walk along the enchanting old harbour area of Nyhavn, where you will see colourful houses and lively restaurants among the docked boats. Walk the narrow side streets, visit some shops and try out the traditional Danish open-faced sandwich, Smørrebrød.

Spend the night in Copenhagen.

*For those interested, we offer the option of travelling by train instead of flight between Stockholm and Denmark. For more details click the optional activities.

You have the whole day to explore Copenhagen. We recommend seeing the city by foot, visiting landmarks like Amalienborg Palace, Christiansborg Palace (both closed on Mondays), and the famous Little Mermaid statue. An optional cruise from the harbour is also highly recommended as you can appreciate the architecture and beauty of the city by water. Next, stroll Ströget street for some shopping and grab something to eat at Torvehallerne food hall.

Spend the night in Copenhagen.

Spend the morning touring Copenhagen. Some interesting attractions include The Round Tower, the King’s Garden, and the bohemian district of Christiania. In the early afternoon, it’s time to board the ferry to Oslo, which cruises gently up the Kattegat Sund on its way to Norway’s capital city. You can enjoy dinner in one of the restaurants, check out the entertainment on board or just relax and watch the sunset from the deck.

Spend the night on the cruise.

After the ship docks, get ready to see the best of Oslo. The city is quite walkable and we recommend exploring by foot and the convenience of public transport. Notable attractions include the beautiful Munch Museum, Fram Polar Ship Museum and spending some time along the beautiful harbour area. Other highlights include the beautiful Vigeland Sculpture Park, the Royal Palace, Akershus fortress, Oslo City Hall, and Karl Johans street.

Spend the night in Oslo.

Get an early start and head to Oslo Central Station, where you’ll begin the Norway in a Nutshell® railway journey towards Bergen, with an overnight stop in Flåm. This train ride takes you over Norway’s “mountainous rooftops”, through charming villages like Gol and Geilo.

In Myrdal, you’ll switch trains to the famous Flåm Railway (Flåmsbana) for an incredible ride to the beautiful village of Flåm. Enjoy a relaxing day in Flåm, where you can stroll around the village, or participate in an optional activity.

Spend the night in Flåm.

We recommend booking luggage transfer for the travel between Oslo and Bergen.

In the morning, you’ll board a boat to sail through Aurlandsfjord into the World Heritage-listed Nærøyfjord, the narrowest fjord in all of Europe. This is perhaps the most beautiful arm of Sognefjord, with its mighty waterfalls and small farms clinging to the steep mountainsides, which is especially beautiful in the winter months. The boat docks in Gudvangen, and from there the journey continues by bus through Nærøydalen, with its charming villages and scenic winter landscape. The bus will arrive in Voss, where you continue the tour by train on the Bergen Railway to Bergen.

Spend the night in Bergen.

Despite being an international city, Bergen, “The Capital of the Fjords”, has all the charms of a small town. Here you’ll find Bryggen, a UNESCO World Heritage site, along with remarkably preserved old houses, a lively fish and flower market, cable cars offering stunning views, great museums and more. We recommend riding the Fløibanen Funicular to Mount Fløyen to enjoy the panoramic view of the city or a cable car up Mt. Ulriken. Bergen is also known for its museums dedicated to history within trade and fisheries, architecture, musical art and contemporary art.

Spend another night in Bergen.

When it’s time for your trip to come to an end, make your way to Bergen-Flesland Airport. You can either take the airport bus from one of the many departure points in the Bergen city centre or you can take a taxi directly from your hotel to Bergen-Flesland Airport. If your flight is in the afternoon, you can choose to enjoy some last-minute shopping, visit one of Bergen‘s many museums or relax at a café, enjoying the last few moments of this amazing journey.

For those departing from Oslo, we offer direct train transfer back to Oslo. Please keep in mind you might need to book an additional night if your flight is early during the day.