Day 3: July 20: Copenhagen – Bergen
Today we will finish our tour of Copenhagen and then take a flight to Bergen, located in the middle of the Norwegian Fjords. Our flight will eliminate the equivalent two 10 hour days of driving. You will have a free afternoon to explore this wonderful city and it’s port. We will spend two days enjoying and experiencing the beauty of the Fjords of Norway.
Day 4: July 21: Bergen, Fjords & the Flam Railway
Today will be one of your highlight days as we take the tour “Norway in a Nut shell” – this is what is included:
Norway in a Nutshell® takes you through some of Norway's most beautiful fjord scenery. You can experience the scenic Bergen Railway, the breathtaking Flåm Railway, the Aurlandsfjord, the narrow Naeroyfjord (now included on UNESCO's World Heritage List) and the steep hairpin bends of Stalheimskleiva.
The Bergen Railway
The Bergen Railway is a unique experience on Northern Europe's highest-altitude railway line. One of the greatest challenges is the harsh and changeable weather. The line is exposed to deep low-pressure centres from the west, which can mean strong winds and heavy snow for part of the year. Keeping the railway open demands great effort and technical expertise. Today, skilled workers, effective equipment, tunnels and snow tunnels make the Bergen Railway one of the safest and most comfortable ways of travelling between Oslo and Bergen. The line was voted one of the 20 best railway experiences in the world in 1999.
The Flåm Railway
The journey on the Flåm Railway is regarded as one of the highlights of the Norway in a nutshell® tour. The 20-km-long train journey from the mountain station of Myrdal down to Flåm, down beside the fjord, takes around 55 minutes. On the journey, you have views of some of the most magnificent mountain scenery in Norway with an ever-changing panorama of tall mountains and cascading waterfalls. The train moves slowly or stops at the best views.
Splendid Norwegian fjords - on UNESCO's World Heritage List!
Down at the picturesque village of Flåm, there is time to eat and to wander around before continuing your journey by boat. The boat sails out the Aurlandsfjord and into the Naeroyfjord, one of the narrowest fjords in Europe. The Naeroyfjord is included on UNESCO's famous World Heritage List. Surrounded by towering mountains up to 1,800 metres high, this branch of the Sognefjord is amazingly beautiful. On the journey, you have excellent views of small traditional farms. If you are lucky, you will see goats grazing right beside the fjord and seals basking on rocks before the boat moors at Gudvangen.
Stalheimskleiva
The journey continues by coach up the steep and spectacular hairpin bends of Stalheimskleiva*. The road up to Stalheim Hotel has 13 steep bends. After enjoying the wonderful views of the Stalheimsfossen and Sivlefossen waterfalls we continue the journey on to Voss and further, by train, to Bergen.
Day 5: July 22: Bergen – Oslo
You will have a free day to enjoy Bergen before we take our short flight to Oslo Norway. This flight will avoid a 10 hour drive to Oslo. We overnight Oslo.
Day 6: July 23: Oslo - karlstad
We will spend the day visiting the Viking Museum and the famous outdoor museum. The outdoor museum gives you life as it was hundreds of years ago in Norway. Late in the afternoon we will head into the countryside of Norway and into the Swedish countryside. We will overnight in Karlstad.
Day 7: July 24: Karlstad - Stockholm
You will have the morning free to enjoy Karlstad before departing for Stockholm. We will drive through the Swedish Countryside, arriving into Stockholm in the late afternoon. Overnight Stockholm.
Day 8: July 25: Stockholm – Ship
We will have a full day tour of Stockholm that will include the fantastic Vasa Museum. The Vasa is the world’s only surviving 17th-century ship and one of the foremost tourist sights in the world. The ship is displayed in a purpose-built museum in Stockholm. We will also enjoy a city tour before we head to the port. Late this afternoon we will board our overnight ferry to Helsinki. Each cabin will sleep two with it’s own bathroom.
Day 9: July 26: Helsinki
This morning early we arrive into Helsinki. We will spend the day visiting the Finish countryside, including the charming old wooden town of Porvoo. From the red warehouses nestled on the riverbanks to the delightful old town, you'll discover a tranquil village with a rich seafaring and trading past. Porvoo retains its town plan from the Middle Ages, with small wooden houses, picturesque gardens and narrow streets. We will return in the afternoon for a tour of Helsinki before checking into our hotel.
Day 10: July 27: Helsinki – Tallinn Estonia – Helsinki
This morning early we will take an all day tour to Tallinn Estonia. We will travel by ferry to Tallinn, one of the best kept secrets in Europe. Tallinn has a small, charming old town center with an architectural style reminiscent of frosted cakes, fairy tales and Teutonic knights. It’s surrounded by medieval walls and is full of windy cobblestone streets and colorful houses, many of which date back to the Hanseatic League (13th century) and the Middle Ages. At the end of the day we will take a ferry back to Helsinki where we overnight.
Day 11: July 28: Helsinki – St. Petersburg Russia
This morning early we will head to the border of Finland and Russia. After crossing the border we will board our Russian buses for St. Petersburg. We will spend the next three days touring St. Petersburg and the surrounding countryside filled with beauty and palaces. We will do a city tour of St. Petersburg before going to our hotel. Overnight St. Petersburg.
Day 12 & 13: July 29 & 30: St. Petersburg Russia
Here is a partial list of all that you will see and experience with us in St. Petersburg: Peterhof Palace & grounds – built to rival Versailles, St. Catherine’s Palace, Hermitage Museum – one of the worlds premier art collections, Peter & Paul Fortress, St. Isaac’s Cathedral, city tour and a lot more. Late in the evening of the 30th of July we will travel by overnight train to Moscow. The cabins on the train will sleep two or 4 per cabin. We will get as many cabins for two as possible.
Day 14, 15 & 16: July 31, August 01 & August 02: Moscow
We will arrive around 6am into Moscow. We will start touring right after your arrival in the morning of July 31st. You will have three full days of touring Moscow. Here is a partial list of all that you will see: Red Square, Lenin’s Tomb, The Kremlin, The Armory, Novodevichy Convent, Museums and the Underground Metro. The best shopping is at a market where everyone buys from in Russia (and sometimes re-sell goods in St. Petersburg and other cities)! We will spend several hours in this market that covers approx. 2 city blocks. This will be your best shopping on the tour at the best prices. We will spend three nights in the 5 star luxury Moscow Marriott Royal Aurora Hotel. This fantastic hotel sales for around $600 per night including tax and is located down town within easy walking distance of Red Square.
Day 17: August 03: Moscow – Fly Home
This morning we head to the airport for your flight back to the US and home.
