Norwegian Splendor With Copenhagen

After arriving in the anish capital today, this evening we meet our fellow travelers and Odysseys Unlimited Tour irector at a briefing about the journey ahead and enjoy a welcome dinner at festive Tivoli Gardens. D

A half-day tour introduces us to this most livable of cosmopolitan cities. We visit Christiansborg Palace, seat of the Danish Parliament; visit the popular Little Mermaid statue; and stroll along the narrow, historic streets of downtown to City Hall Square. The remainder of the day is free to explore independently with dinner on our own. B

We embark this morning on a full-day excursion, first to Elsinore (Helsinger in Danish), site of Kronborg Castle – the infamous setting of Shakespeare’s Hamlet – where our tour includes the Royal Chambers and Ballroom. Dramatically set on a spit of land between Denmark and Sweden, Kronborg (c. 1585), a UNESCO site, was widely renowned during the Renaissance.  We then pass by Fredensborg Palace, the grand spring and autumn residence of the Danish royal family.  This afternoon we visit the Karen Blixen House and Museum in coastal Rungsted. Save for her years in Africa, the writer known as Isak Dinesen (Out of Africa) spent most of her life here where she was born in 1885. The house boasts its original furniture and décor; the site itself comprises the house, a museum, bird sanctuary, and park. B,L

Today we set off for the cozy fishing village of Dragor, with its historic buildings and cobblestone streets, and where we visit Rosenborg Castle housing the dazzling crown jewels. Later we board the overnight DFDS ferry to Oslo, settling in our private outside cabins and enjoying dinner on board. B,D

Upon disembarkation this morning, we board our coach for the journey north to ski country. We stop along the way in Lillehammer (site of the 1994 Winter Olympics) to visit the open-air museum at Maihaugen, among Norway’s most visited cultural attractions, with some 200 original historic buildings reconstructed on the site, farm implements, and everyday objects.  Through the structures and artifacts, Maihaugen recounts everyday life here from the Middle Ages to modern times. Mid-afternoon we depart for the village of Gaala and our ski lodge hotel. B,L,D

A day of beautiful scenery is in store as we travel from Gaala to Geiranger, en route negotiating hairpin bends to the summit of Mount Dalsnibba (alt. 4,900 feet) for stunning views of Geirangerfjord and the mountains, lakes, and waterfalls beyond. We reach the popular village of Geiranger mid-afternoon and get our first up-close look at Norway’s most dramatic fjord. A UNESCO site, Geiranger measures 10 miles long and 960 feet deep, and is lined with forested rock walls towering more than 6,000 feet above sea level. Formed over a million years ago during the Ice Age when the ice cap burrowed deep into mountain riverbeds, Norway’s fjords are among the deepest and most striking in the world. B,D

Today’s excursion on Eagle Road to Herdalssetra promises abundant thrills as we ride along 11 hairpin turns through mountain passes, catching glimpses of the dramatic fjord along the way. We visit a local farm for lunch then return to Geiranger mid-afternoon. Before dinner at our hotel tonight, we enjoy a reception there to view a private vintage car collection. B,L,D

We can expect scenic overload on our full-day journey to Bergen from Geiranger. A series of ferry rides takes us across Geirangerfjord, past tiny villages and tumbling waterfalls, and amid steep mountains plunging into the fjord’s placid waters. Then, we cross stunning Sognefjord, a 125-mile-long waterway (and UNESCO World Heritage site) that reaches halfway across Norway.  Upon arrival in Bergen this evening, we enjoy dinner together. B,D

We see the highlights of this beautiful city (Norway’s second largest) on a morning tour that takes us through the old warehouse district of ryggen. This UNESCO World Heritage Site boasts colorful houses packed tightly together, where Hanseatic merchants toiled in the 14th and 15th centuries. We also pass the city’s colorful fish and flower markets. Some of ergen’s architecture dates to the 12th century, and we pass some of the town’s most venerable buildings, including 13th-century Hakonshallen fortress; the Maria Church – the city’s oldest building – dating to 1100; 16th-century ergenhus fortress; and Old City Hall. We also visit Troldhaugen, the country home of composer Edvard Grieg, which overlooks lovely Nordaas Lake. The afternoon is free to enjoy ergen as we wish. B

On today’s journey to Lofthus, we travel through the breathtaking scenery of Norway’s Western Fjord District. Along the way, we stop to see the 150-foot Steindal Waterfall then at a floating salmon farm in this premier fish farm region. Last, we visit Steinstoe, one of the country’s largest orchards, where we enjoy a tour led by the family of the owner then get to know them over cake and coffee. Mid-day we reach our hotel, with the remainder of the afternoon at leisure. Dinner tonight is at our hotel. B,D

It’s a day of extreme beauty and diverse transportation as we travel by coach to Gudvangen, where we board a ferry for Flåm, traversing stunning Naeroyfjord, a UNESCO site. After free time in Flåm, we embark the storied Flåm Railway for a thrilling hour-long, 12-mile route ascending the 2,900-foot-deep Flåm Valley. A masterpiece of engineering along precipitous mountainsides, the railway took nearly 20 years to construct – and as we will see, it was worth the effort. We pass through 20 tunnels that spiral in and out of mountains, curve around 21 hairpin bends, pass the mighty Kjosfossen Waterfall, and cross the Flåm River three different times. Our exhilarating excursion ends in Myrdal, where we board another train for the brief trip to Voss. Here we meet our coach for the return journey to our hotel via the 4,600-foot Hardanger Bridge, one of the world’s longest suspension bridges. B,L,D

En route to Oslo, we stop in Eidfjord to tour the Hardanger Nature Center showcasing the natural and cultural worlds of fjord country. Later we stop for photos at Voeringfoss Waterfall, considered Norway’s most beautiful, with a vertical drop of nearly 600 feet. Then we begin our route across the wild and barren Hardangervidda, Europe’s largest mountain plateau, which provides grazing lands for reindeer herds. We pass the resort town of Geilo, travel through the farm-dotted landscape of Hallingdal Valley, and proceed along Lake Kroederen, arriving in Oslo early evening. B

This morning we visit the Museum of Cultural History, Norway’s largest collection of cultural artifacts, featuring fascinating Viking Age exhibitions, as well as Egyptian mummies and several ethnographic displays. We also tour the nearby Kon-Tiki Museum, with the original vessels and artifacts from Thor Heyerdahl’s 1947 voyage across the Pacific. This afternoon is free for independent exploration. B

Our panoramic morning tour introduces Oslo’s highlights, including the Royal Palace, built in the early 19th century; imposing Askershus Fortress and Castle, around which Oslo was planned; and Akerbrygge, the redeveloped harbor area. We visit Gustav Vigeland’s renowned bronze sculptures of human figures at Frogner Park; and the esteemed Munch Museum, dedicated to the life and work of Norwegian artist Edvard Munch. The museum contains at least one print of every painting that Munch created throughout his life, and more than half of his original creations. Then this afternoon is free to explore on our own; tonight we gather for a farewell dinner at our hotel. B,D

We transfer to the airport this morning for our return flight to the U.S. B

B = Breakfast included L = Lunch included D = Dinner included