Norway, Lofoten and Arctic Circle

We fly from London Heathrow to Oslo, transferring to a local restaurant for dinner on arrival and checking into our hotel.

• Dinner

Our day begins with a guided tour as we meet our guide at the avant-garde opera house, where you can access the roof for some of the best views in the city across Oslo fjord, before continuing to the Akershus Fortress, a medieval castle that's protected the city for much of the last millennium, and 'Kvadraturen' - the oldest existing district in Oslo. With free time in the afternoon, you may like to visit some of the city's renowned museums, such as the Viking or Fram museums, or watch the changing of the guard at the Royal Palace.

• Breakfast

We journey to Trondheim today, travelling by train along the Dovre Line. Nicknamed 'the trail of the trolls', this railway meanders through Norway's inland countryside, passing broad farmlands, expansive lakes, babbling rivers, rich deep forests, narrow valleys and high mountain passes. Continuing north, we enter the valley of Gudbrandsdalen, known for its unique landscapes and vibrant local communities, reaching the highest point of our journey at Hjerkinn. Finally, the approach to Trondheim takes us beneath Snøhetta, the highest mountain in the Dovrefjell.

• Breakfast, 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

We transfer to Trondheim's port to begin a four-night cruise aboard our Havila ship. Featuring plush bedrooms, restaurants, a café, Jacuzzi on deck and shopping facilities, these brand-new ships are one of the most relaxing and comfortable ways to explore the northernmost part of Norway. Heading into open water in the afternoon, we pass the Kjeungskjær Lighthouse, a bright red octagonal structure situated at the meeting point of Trondheimsfjord and the North Sea, before navigating the narrow strait of Stokksund on our way to the coastal town of Rørvik.

• Breakfast, Dinner

Continuing northwards, we cross the 66.5 degrees northerly latitude, celebrating as we enter the Arctic Circle. We reach Ørnes and drop anchor. With a choice of optional excursions available, you could visit Bodø's Salmon Centre for a guided tour to learn about one of Norway's most important industries. Back on board afterwards, we catch our first glimpse of the steep granite cliffs and silvery beaches of the Lofoten Islands. Described as Europe's most dramatic and spectacular isles, the Lofoten Islands are tethered to mainland Norway by a series of bridges that resemble spiky teeth. Home to small fishing communities, their houses built on timber piles with seawater under the floorboards, and imposing cliffs, we sail the strait of Raftsundet before reaching the sapphire waters of tapering Trollfjord.

• Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Gliding past Risøyhamn, Harstad and Finnsnes, enjoy the sight of everyday life in the Arctic before we disembark in Tromsø, the largest city in northern Norway. Here you can make the most of more optional excursions, including a tour of the Arctic capital that takes you on a cable car ride up one of the surrounding mountains or time at Tromsø's unique modern cathedral. Re-boarding our ship, we cruise through bountiful waters home to orcas, humpback whales and lots of different Arctic birds.

• Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Today takes us to Norway's North Cape, where the icy waters of the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans mix. During summer we may chance upon herds of reindeer as the northernmost strip of land here is dotted with settlements of indigenous Sami people whose main sources of livelihood are reindeer herding and fishing. We disembark at Havøysund to visit the world's most northerly fishing village as well as the North Cape Plateau before continuing to Honningsvåg. Here, you could join an optional guided tour of the Northern Cape, including time at the Northern Cape Hall visitor centre, ahead of our sailing to Kjøllefjord to learn about the traditional way of life of the Sami people. If you are travelling between middle of May and end of July, we may even have the right conditions to admire the full beauty of the Midnight sun'.

• Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Our cruise ends in Kirkenes, a city situated on the Finnish-Russian border. We're met by a local guide for a coach tour of the area that takes us to the scenic shores of Langfjorden as well as to the Svanhovd Botanical Gardens, a place where the diversity of life this side of the Arctic Circle can be fully appreciated. After a three-course lunch enjoyed in a replica of a traditional Viking longhouse, we continue to a nearby husky kennel to meet these hard-working creatures and learn about how vital they still are to life in this part of the world.

• Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Transferring to the airport, we board our flight to London Heathrow, travelling via Oslo. Touching down in the UK, our holiday comes to an end.

• Breakfast