Optional Stockholm & Oslo
October 4–8, 2023
Itinerary
After arrival in Stockholm, Sweden transfer to the hotel.
Afternoon tour of the city through the picturesque, cobble-stone streets of Gamla Stan, the old town, before an evening at leisure. (B)
Full day at leisure in Stockholm to take in the sights of the "Venice of the north". You may wish to visit the Vasa Museum, home to an ancient warship that sank in 1628 on its maiden voyage and was raised to the surface only in 1961, or Skansen Open-Air Museum, beautifully located on Royal Djurgården and where 150 farms and dwellings from different parts of the country were disassembled and transported. (B)
Today travel from Sweden to Norway by train. Departing Stockholm, the route, mostly flat, passes beautiful lakes, chief among them the spectacular Lake Vänern, the largest in the European Union, and lush landscapes dotted with traditional wooden houses, many painted bright red. More than half the total land area of Sweden is covered in forest, and especially on the approach to Norway, you will pass farmland and woodland that give an idea of why "friluftsliv" (outdoor life), is a cornerstone of the Scandinavian lifestyle. Afternoon arrival in Oslo, Norway. (B)
Morning tour of Oslo including Akershus Fortress, dating from 1299, the Nobel Peace Centre and the striking opera house.
Afternoon at leisure to further explore the Viking capital or perhaps visit the Vigeland Sculpture Park – the life work of Gustav Vigeland with more than 200 sculptures in bronze, granite and cast iron. You may also take a ferry to Thor Heyerdahl's Kon-Tiki Museum, or to the Norwegian Museum of Cultural History. (B)
Transfer to Oslo Airport for your flight(s) home. (B)