Svolvær – Anker Brygge cottages    

Gamla Stan, Stockholm

Gamla Stan, Stockholm

Central Square, Gamla Stan

Central Square, Gamla Stan

Grand Hotel, Stockholm

Grand Hotel, Stockholm

Canoes on the river in Tromsø

Canoes on the river in Tromsø

Lunch on the river in Tromsø

Lunch on the river in Tromsø

Fjord between Tromsø and Svolvær

Fjord between Tromsø
and Svolvær

Tromsø to Svolvær

Tromsø to Svolvær

Hurtigruten boat entering Svolvær harbor

Hurtigruten boat entering
Svolvær harbor

Cruise – view from the suite

Cruise – view from suite

Don in gear for RIB excursion

Don in gear for RIB excursion

Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim

Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim

Bergen from the mountaintop

Bergen from the mountaintop

Bergen waterfront buildings

Bergen waterfront buildings

Old Bergen fish warehouse

Old Bergen fish warehouse

Tentative Itinerary
Dates TBD

Day 1

  • Depart U.S. for Stockholm.

Day 2

  • Arrive in Stockholm in the afternoon.
  • Transfer to Grand Hotel.
  • Dinner on your own.

Day 3

  • Morning bus/boat tour of the city.
  • Visit the National Museum, next to our hotel.
  • Lunch included.
  • Afternoon visit to the Vasa Museum to see the warship Vasa that sank on her maiden voyage in 1628.
  • Late afternoon time to rest or walk.
  • Dinner included at Den Gylden Freden, a restaurant since 1792, in Gamla Stan, the oldest part of Stockholm.

Day 4

  • Morning visit by ferry to Skansen Open Air Museum.
  • Lunch on your own.
  • Afternoon free for sightseeing or shopping.
  • Dinner included at a fish restaurant.

Day 5

  • Fly to Tromsø, Norway, above the Arctic Circle.
  • Lunch on the flight to Tromsø.
  • Transfer to Rica Ishavshotel overlooking the fjord and harbor.
  • Dinner included at Emma's Dream Kitchen.

Day 6

  • Morning canoe trip down an inland river surrounded by mountains and glaciers.
  • Lunch included along the river.
  • Return to Tromsø in time to stroll through the town.
  • Dinner on your own.

Day 7

  • Drive to Svolvær, following the rugged and beautiful fjords of Northern Norway.
  • Stop for a picnic lunch amidst the peaks and glaciers overlooking
    a fjord.
  • Late afternoon arrival at the Anker Brygge cottages on a tiny island in Svolvær in the middle of the harbor.
  • Dinner included at Bolsen Restaurant, a short walk from our hotel.

Day 8

  • Morning RIB (inflatable pontoon boat) excursion to the beautiful Trollfjorden and visits to several island fishing villages with lunch included in Henningsvær, a charming village in the fjord.
  • Afternoon return to Svolvær. (We will keep one of our cottages to allow us to store our luggage and relax before our evening departure on the Hurtigruten cruise.)
  • Board the cruise ship in the early evening to begin our three-day cruise across the Arctic Circle and through some of Norway's most spectacular fjords.
  • All meals included on board the ship.

Days 9 and 10

  • Aboard the cruise ship. Excursions are available to purchase separately if you wish. Or enjoy time to relax, read and enjoy the scenery. There is time in several villages and in the city of Trondheim—the capital of Norway during the Viking Age—to wander around.

Day 11

  • Morning aboard the cruise ship.
  • Lunch included on board.
  • Afternoon arrival in Bergen.
  • Transfer to Radisson Blu Hotel Norge, in the center of this
    charming city.
  • Time to walk around Bergen.
  • Dinner included.

Day 12

  • Morning tour of Bergen.
  • Lunch included.
  • Afternoon free to sightsee, shop, or hike (or take the funicular)
    to the top of one of Bergen's famous seven mountains.
  • Dinner on your own.

Day 13

  • Morning flight to Oslo.
  • Transfer to the Continental Hotel.
  • Bus tour of Oslo to see the highlights.
  • Lunch included.
  • Afternoon visit to the Viking Ship Museum.
  • Dinner on your own.

Day 14

  • Day of sightseeing including the Norwegian Folk Museum.
  • Lunch included.
  • Closing dinner at Engebret Café, Oslo's oldest restaurant.

Day 15

  • Transfer to airport for flights home.

 

A note about hotels: We have visited all the hotels we will use on this trip and have selected the ones we think are the best because of their location, ambience, or quality compared to the other hotels available. Sweden and Norway do not have true five-star hotels, except for the Grand in Stockholm and the Continental in Oslo, both of which we are using. Our other hotels will be the best available.

The cruise: The Hurtigruten Line (the mail boat) is iconic in Norway, a cargo/ferry fleet that includes a superb cruise business as well. The boats are the lifeline for villages along the fjords of Northern Norway, so include many stops throughout the day and night. We will book whichever ship fits our schedule, but all have excellent food and service.

The cabins are very small, but, for the price of half an Escada jacket, you can upgrade to three nights in a suite, which we strongly recommend. The suites are large, comfortable and a wonderful place to relax and watch the magnificent fjords and mountains glide by. The cabins are fine, but you will be spending your time on the comfortable public decks and lounges—which are quite crowded—instead of in your own space. We believe you will enjoy the cruise more if you have a suite.

And now, a note on costs: Sweden and Norway are the most expensive countries we have ever visited. Very ordinary hotel rooms cost $350 to $400 and a pizza will cost $30 to $40. So, this trip is our most expensive ever. We will not have a firm price until we know how many people will travel with us (no more than twelve) and get the pricing for 2012. But, we estimate that the cost will be in the range of $14,000 (including suites on the cruise) per person for ten people—not including us—and depending on the value of the dollar against the Swedish and Norwegian currencies. If fewer people sign up, the cost will be higher.

International airfare is not included. Breakfasts are included at all hotels. Most lunches and dinners are included, as detailed in the itinerary. Tipping is included (i.e., drivers, guides, servers), except for special services someone provides for you personally. All guides, entry fees, excursions, transfers, internal transportation and internal flights are included. Water will be provided on buses, but extra water you want to purchase is not included. Alcoholic beverages are not included and will be billed at the end of the trip after we return home. Incidentals such as laundry, phone calls and internet access fees are not included.

 

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