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Scandinavian Escape
Summary
This brand new Expat Explore tour for 2017 covers all three Scandinavian countries - Denmark, Norway and Sweden, allowing you to explore all the highlights of this unique part of Europe, accompanied all the way with an experienced tour leader.
Travelling between each destination on a modern, air conditioned tour bus, this tour is the perfect way to take in the dramatic and stunning natural landscapes of this region, as you witness the change from emerald green landscapes to cobalt blue fjords to white snow-clad mountains. When we reach the cities, you'll have the opportunity to experience the vibrant and varied cultures of northern Europe.
Starting from the Danish capital Copenhagen, you will visit all the must-see destinations in Scandinavia. You will be delighted when you arrive in Norway as you explore the vibrant capital Oslo, stunning Bergen with its historic waterfront, and the iconic Norwegian fjords. This Expat Explore itinerary includes two night stays in Copenhagen, Bergen and Stockholm, which provides you with plenty of time to explore these unmissable destinations in-depth.
Like all Expat Explore bus tours, this itinerary is a guaranteed departure, and you will be accompanied for the duration by an experienced and passionate tour leader. Our tour buses are modern, comfortable and air-conditioned, and at each hotel we include free wi-fi in your tour package so you can stay connected and share all your incredible photos and memories with your friends and family while on tour!
Photos of the Tour
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@timthetourmansayerWhy this Trip
- All tour dates are guaranteed to depart.
- No minimum numbers required.
- FREE Wi-Fi in hotels.
- Services of your Expat Explore tour leader.
- Only 10% deposit or minimum $110.00 required and no booking fees.
Itinerary PrintView full Itinerary here
DAY 1: Arrive in Copenhagen
Welcome to the start of your Scandinavian adventure! Your tour leader will be waiting for you at our starting hotel in Copenhagen during the afternoon. After everyone's checked in, we'll meet up with an expert local guide who will show you the highlights of the Danish capital on a driving and walking tour, including the famous Nyhavn waterfront, Rosenborg castle and the famous little mermaid statue. To round off the first day of the tour we'll enjoy an included dinner, where you can get to know your fellow travellers and learn a bit more from your tour leader about what incredible experiences the next 11 days will bring!
DAY 2: Copenhagen - Free day
Enjoy a free day to explore Copenhagen at your own pace. Options include the Tivoli Gardens, a famous amusement park and pleasure garden, and the Rundetaarn, an astronomical observatory that offers fantastic views of the city, and is known worldwide for its unique equestrian staircase leading to the top. You could also return to Nyhavn and enjoy a drink on the canal side, and visit Freetown Christiania, a commune in the east of the city that was established by squatters in 1971 and attracts nonconformists from around the world.
DAY 3: Odense - Skagen - Frederikshavn
Make sure you prepare your camera this morning, because you’ll be witnessing some absolutely stunning Danish countryside! Our first stop today is Odense, where we’ll enjoy an orientation tour of the home town of prolific author and fairy tale writer Hans Christian Andersen. We’ll then make our way to the town of Skagen, where you’ll have the chance to walk to the tip of the Grenen sandbar peninsular, the northmost point of Denmark. After a full day of exploring we’ll head to Frederikshavn for a relaxing dinner at our hotel!
DAY 4: Frederikshavn - Oslo
Today we’ll take a ferry and then make our way through southern Norway to Oslo. On arrival in the Norwegian capital tonight we’ll enjoy a walking tour with an expert local guide, who will show you sights including Akershus Castle, Oslo Opera House, the Parliament building and the Royal Palace.
DAY 5: Oslo - Bergen
As we travel from Oslo to the west coast we’ll journey through the heart of Norway, witnessing the incredible scenery changing from emerald green landscapes to cobalt blue fjords to white snow-clad mountains. Along the way we'll make a quick stop at Vøringfossen, which is probably the most famous waterfall in the country and has a total drop of 182 meters.
This evening we’ll arrive in Bergen, Norway’s second-largest city and known as “the city among the seven mountains”. The beautiful Unesco World Heritage-listed Bryggen quay is the highlight, while Norway’s famous fjords are just a short journey away. Upon arrival, your Expat Explore tour leader will take you on an orientation walking tour of Bergen, introducing you to the highlights of Norway’s first capital and former seat of royalty, including the old Hanseatic wharf Bryggen, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and Bergen Fortress.
DAY 6: Bergen - Free day
Enjoy a free day to explore the beautiful Norwegian city of Bergen and the surrounding area. You could take the Fløibanen, the Bergen funicular railway which will hoist you one thousand feet up Floyen mountain for amazing views of the city, or return to Bryggen to spend some more time exploring the classic medieval architecture, markets and warehouses. You can also choose to take our optional seafood buffet cruise around Bergen harbour, which offers a variety of delicious fresh seafood including locally-caught salmon, gravlax, crab, sushi, sashimi and langoustine.
DAY 7: Norwegian Fjords - Lillehammer
There are more than a thousand fjords in Norway, with most concentrated on the west coast, so we’ll be perfectly located today as we explore the scenic heartland of Norway on our way to Lillehammer. We’ll take a stop off along the way in Gudvangen, a village located at the end of Nærøyfjord, arguably Norway’s most famous fjord. You’ll have the option to visit a viking village, and then take a cruise along the Nærøyfjord and Aurlandsfjorden fjords to Flam - still blue water is framed by towering cliffs and dramatic waterfalls - the easiest picture-postcard photo’s you will ever take. Late evening we'll arrive in Lillehammer, a ski resort town in southern Norway, where we'll enjoy an included dinner.
DAY 8: Lillehammer - Dalarna area
Today we’ll continue on our journey and cross into Sweden, where the stunning natural landscapes keep coming as we take a scenic drive through the mountains and deep forests to the Dalarna area in central Sweden - keep an eye out for elk and moose! Dalarna is famous for the Dalecarlian horse, a traditional Swedish hand-painted wooden horse statuette painted in bright colours. We'll visit a workshop that produces these iconic ornaments, which uses wood from the slow-growing pine forests around the nearby Lake Siljan.
DAY 9: Dalarna - Uppsala - Stockholm
As we make our way through the Swedish countryside, we'll take a lunch stop in Uppsala. Sweden's fourth largest city is the seat of the Archbishop of the Church of Sweden, and home to Scandinavia's largest cathedral - the striking Uppsala Cathedral. On arrival in Stockholm we’ll enjoy a walking tour with an expert local guide. You’ll be introduced to the highlights of Sweden’s capital including the Royal Palace, Gamla Stan (the old town and heart of the city) and the AF Chapman ship. This evening enjoy an included dinner.
DAY 10: Stockholm - Free day
Enjoy the day exploring more of Stockholm! Gamla Stan is the old town, comprised of red, orange and terracotta-coloured buildings overlooking narrow cobblestone streets. The numerous islands that make up the town offer fascinating walks, especially through the Djurgården, where you can visit Skansen, the open-air Swedish history museum.
DAY 11: Stockholm - Copenhagen
Today you are on the final leg of your Scandinavian tour, look out for lakes, forests and rolling fields as we drive through the Swedish countryside. Just before we get to Copenhagen, we will stop at the town of Helsingør. This town is home to Kronborg Castle, known to many as 'Elsinore' and the setting for Shakespeare's 'Hamlet'. We'll see the castle from the water as we take a short ferry from Sweden back to Denmark.
DAY 12: End of tour
Today, our tour concludes after breakfast. Be sure to share your contact details with your fellow travellers. We hope you've enjoyed your Scandinavia Escape tour as much as we have!
What's Included
- 11 nights' accommodation in twin rooms with private en-suite facilities. Single travellers have the option to pay a single supplement to ensure a private room.
- Services of your Expat tour leader, who will be on hand with advice and tips to ensure that you get the most from your trip. You can also book any of the optional excursions available during your tour with your tour leader – please see the 'Essential Information' tab for more details.
- 11 breakfasts, 4 dinners
- All taxes and fees
- Any public transport used as part of the tour (excludes free days)
- Modern air conditioned coach with reclining seats, TV for showing DVDs, and toilet.
- 11 Experiences (including guided walking tours, orientation walks, driving tours of cities plus other exciting experiences)
- Free Expat Explore tour souvenir – a memorable gift of your once in a lifetime trip.
Optional Excursions
Optional excursions are payable in cash currency to your tour leader whilst on tour.- Sandormen tractor to the tip of Grenen
- Viking Village and Norwegian Fjords Cruise
- Best of Copenhagen
- Bergen Seafood Buffet Cruise
- Best of Stockholm
Return customers get 10% off!
If you have traveled with us before you qualify for a 10% rebate. To claim your rebate, simply type your previous Booking Number in the "Special Notes" box at the final Payment step of the checkout.
Save - without compromising on quality - by booking directly with the leading tour operator
How we make awesome trips affordable
- No intermediary: You book directly from the tour operator so you don't have to pay any travel agent.
- As a Europe leading bus tour operator we have 11 years of experience finding the best hotels for your budget and continuously optimizing our selection based on customer feedback.
- We book our hotels well in advance so we get great value rates that we can pass on to you!
- Thanks to the great number of people who travel with us each year, we can negotiate great deals that would be quite impossible for you to find on your own.
Detailed Info Pack
- Tour start & end points
- Pre-departure information
- Pre-tour accommodation
For more information on, starting points & times, emergency contact details, budgeting for your tour & much more you can download our information pack here.
Helpful Pre-Trip Info
Visa
Certain nationalities may require a visa(s) for this tour. Please see our visas page for more information. It is your responsibility to contact the relevant embassies to confirm your visa requirements. We provide support documentation upon request. Simply contact us.
On tour costs
Please refer to the tour itinerary for full details of what activities are included, which meals are included and what is excluded. We would recommend budgeting €25-€40 per day (this excludes optional excursions).
Room Sharing
Please note, by default all rooms are twin bed rooms.
- Partners: When you book for more than one person, we will by default group you together in a room (unless you specifically request us not to). If you are unequal numbers (3, 5, 7 etc.) and we are unable to secure a triple room then the the remaining traveler will be roomed with another passenger of the same gender.
- Single Travelers: If you are travelling alone there is no compulsory charge - you will share a twin room with another passenger of the same gender. There is an optional single supplement/private room upgrade available for single travellers who wish to have a private room. This can be added at the time of booking or by contacting our customer services team. Please note that the room provided may be a single room with a single bed.
- Triple Room requests: We can generally provide a triple room on request; however it is not guaranteed to be available in every destination. Please contact our customer services team to request a triple room. Please note that in some hotels, the triple may be a double and a single bed, or the third bed may be a pull-out or bunk-bed. Where we cannot provide a triple room the rooming will consist of one twin room and the third passenger sharing with another single traveller of the same gender.
Free-time
In some destinations you will have a full free day, where you can choose to join our optional excursions or explore on your own.
Meeting Point
This tour starts and finishes in Copenhagen. Please have a look at our essential tour information page for detailed information.
Passport
This should be valid for at least six months after you have returned home from your trip. You should also have several blank pages as Visas and entry/exit stamps can take up a whole page.
