Ultimate Scandinavia and The Polar Express

After meeting at London St Pancras, we take the Eurostar to Brussels, continuing to Bremen for the night.

• Dinner
• Eurostar Meal

We complete our journey to Denmark today, boarding a train for Hamburg then continuing to Copenhagen for two nights.

• Breakfast, Dinner

Our morning sightseeing tour features the magnificent Amalienborg Palace, a large octagonal mansion surrounded by four identical Rococo palaces. One of these is home to the reigning monarch of Denmark, Queen Margrethe II. We also visit the famous Little Mermaid statue be-fore taking a cruise through the colourful canal area of Nyhavn, once a maritime hub where sailors from around the world frequented the many bars. Your afternoon is free to continue exploring this lively capital.

• Breakfast

We take the train to Sweden's capital today, transferring to our hotel for two nights on arrival.

• Breakfast, Dinner

One of Europe's most beautiful capital cities, built across 14 islands connected by no fewer than 57 bridges, Stockholm has over 750 years of history and cultural which we set out to explore on a guided sightseeing tour. Our first stop is City Hall, where there's time to admire panoramic views, the Royal Palace, Östermalm, Långholm, the Royal Djurgården and the Old Town. Also known as Gamla Stan, this area is home to one of the best preserved medieval centres in the world. Afterwards, we enjoy a well-deserved, traditional Swedish 'fika', or coffee break, relaxing over a hot drink and slice of home-made cake. The rest of your afternoon is free.

• Breakfast

We board an InterCity train to Östersund for the night, a city set on the shores of Storsjön Lake, Sweden's fifth largest lake. As the only town of any size in the vicinity, it is a major cultural and transportation centre while also nurturing an enduring legend about the lake's rarely-sighted monster. Storsjöodjuret ('the great lake monster') reportedly emerged from the chilly waters into the town in 1635, and has been spotted infrequently ever since. Generally described as serpentine with multiple humps, it's yet to be caught on camera, but for a time had a law ensuring its protection!

• Breakfast

Travelling towards the untamed wilderness of Swedish Lapland, the Inlandsbanan takes us ever closer to the 'Land of the Midnight Sun' through a landscape of pine and birch forests. Enjoy the chance to spot some local wildlife, including moose and reindeer, as we listen to commentary about the sights passing by our window. We arrive in Sorsele, visiting the Inslandsbanan Museum after disembarking before making our way to a nearby Sami village to learn about the lives of Scandinavia's indigenous people.

Please Note: Departures before the end of June, and after August will travel by coach to the Sami Village, rather than on the Inlandsbanan train

• Breakfast, Dinner

We travel around the lakes and forests of Swedish Lapland by coach today, making our way to Jokkmokk. Along the way, we cross the Arctic Circle into the 'Land of the Midnight Sun', marking the occasion with a small celebration enroute.

• Breakfast, Dinner

Boarding the Ofoten Railway to Narvik, the views that accompany our journey are spectacular; deep, dark fjords, wild and rugged mountain terrain and barren plateaus line the route, showing just how remote these far northern reaches really are. On arrival, we check into our hotel for a two-night stay.

• Breakfast, Dinner

An ice-free seaport located 250 miles north of the Arctic Circle, Narvik was a key battleground in WWII. With free time to explore it could be worth a visit to the Ofoten Museum, which features exhibits relating to local history and the construction of the Ofoten Railway.

• Breakfast

We meet at the station to for a journey along the Nordland Railway, also known as the 'Polar Express'. This spellbinding trip is rightly one of the world's most famous, with seemingly inaccessible landscapes stretching for as far as the eye can see. From our comfortable and cosy carriage, we watch as sparkling fjords and even the spectacular Svartisen Glacier roll by our window. In high summer, the sun may illuminate our entire journey, giving us the spectacular experience of nearly 24-hour daytime. From Verdal, we transfer to Stiklestad for the night.

Please Note - For departure 21/07/2024 you will stay at the Thon Backlund Hotel.

• Breakfast, Dinner

We enjoy a tour of Stiklestad this morning, the site of King Olav's death in 1030 during one of Norway's most famous and hard-fought battles. Afterwards, our coach takes us to the popular Viking city of Trondheim, our base for two nights.

• Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Discovering the history of Trondheim on today's guided tour, we see the Old Quarter and the colourful waterfront houses of Bakklandet as well the Gothic architecture of Nidaros Cathedral with its magnificent rose window. We also make a stop at the sumptuous Royal Residence, the largest wooden building in Northern Europe with up to 140 different rooms. The rest of your day is free to continue sightseeing at your own pace. Amongst the city's broad avenues, old warehouses and pretty timber dwellings, there are a number of attractions waiting to be explored, such as the Ringve Music Museum and the Archbishop's Palace Museum - a treasure trove of local archaeological finds.

• Breakfast

Joining the 71-mile-long Rauma Railway to Åndalsnes, we enjoy a spectacular journey through magnificent and contrasting landscapes. Following the same course as the emerald waters of the River Rauma most of the way, the train winds its way elegantly around the surrounding hillsides as we make our approach past the insurmountable 'Troll Wall' to the banks of the peaceful Romsdal Fjord. Stepping off the train into the fresh, crisp air, we continue by coach to Geiranger for two nights.

• Breakfast, Dinner

Our day includes a relaxing fjord cruise across Geirangerfjord, a UNESCO World Heritage site thanks to its unique setting. A nine-mile-long branch of the Storfjord (meaning 'Great Fjord'), the magnificent Geirangerfjord boasts towering walls that overlook some of Europe's finest scenery. As we sail, a number of high waterfalls - including the Seven Sisters and the Suitor - plunge straight from the forested cliff edge above to the smooth waters below. 

• Breakfast, Dinner

Leaving Geiranger by coach, we continue our scenic travels through Norway's incredible fjord country, stopping off at the jaw-dropping Dalsnibba viewing point as well as Kaupanger's unique stave church along the way. The largest of its kind in Vestland county, the church's wooden architecture is also unique. Created entirely from pine trees grown within Kaupanger forest, it has fewer engravings which only goes to enhance the feeling of vastness once you step inside.

• Breakfast, Dinner

We take a superb excursion aboard the iconic Flåm Railway. Our route cuts a path through Norway's rocky terrain via 11 ¼ miles of tunnels which delve through mountainsides, as well as trailing past the edges of Tyrifjorden lakeside. The train twists and turns as it takes us ever higher along one of the steepest lines in the world, stopping beside the powerful Kjosfossen Falls before reaching the high-altitude station at Myrdal and making the return journey back to Flåm. Driving to Gudvangen, we set sail aboard a luxury eco ship for a cruise across Sognefjord afterwards, continuing to Bergen by coach.

• Breakfast

We set off on a guided walking tour of Bergen this morning, a harbour city surrounded by seven striking mountains and known for the wonderfully-preserved medieval buildings of its Bergenhus district. Part of the old Hanseatic Wharf, this area is now UNESCO listed and protected. On the other side of the harbour is the Klosteret area, which has beautiful 18th-century wooden houses and charming alleys, where you can take a stroll out to the Nordnes peninsula. The city centre extends from the main square (Torget) to the Nygård area, where most of the shops and restaurants can be found.

• Breakfast, Lunch

We board the train to Oslo, travelling along Northern Europe's highest railway line, the Bergen Railway. Sights to look out for as we travel include the pretty Hallingdal Valley, through which the Hallingdalselva River flows to Lake Krøderen, the mountain of Norefjell and the Hardangerjøkule Glacier. On arrival, we check into our hotel for the night.

• Breakfast, Dinner

We set out to explore the city with a local guide, visiting some of its most beloved sights. These include the incredible opera house, with its unusual yet accessible roof, and the stately Royal Palace, where we see the changing of the guards. Make the most some free time afterwards to discover the city's array of world-class museums, galleries and attractions, many of which can be found in Bygdøy, a peninsula not far from the Frogner district. The Munch Museum hosts a unique collection of more than 1,100 of Munch's paintings, including his most famous work, the Scream, while the Viking Ship Museum presents great Viking ship discoveries from Gokstad, Oseberg and Tune, as well as other finds from Viking tombs around the Oslo Fjord. Later in the day, we transfer to the port to catch the overnight ferry to Kiel.

*Please note: your luggage will travel on the ferry with you, as opposed to via our luggage service.

• Breakfast, Dinner

On arrival in Kiel this morning, we board the train to Hamburg for an overnight stay.

• Breakfast, Dinner

After checking out of our hotel, we take the train to Brussels, travelling via Cologne, where we join the Eurostar to London St Pancras. Here, our epic Scandinavian adventure comes to an end.

• Breakfast
• Eurostar Meal