Splendor of the Fjords

Welcome! Your exciting tour of Norway starts today! You will transfer from the Oslo Gardermoen Airport to your hotel in connection with your flight arrival. Dinner and accommodations will be at the Thon Hotel Opera, centrally located close to the Karl Johan shopping boulevard and Royal Palace. Your tour escort will meet you at 19.50 hrs in the hotel lobby.

After breakfast you will visit the world-famous Viking Ships. Departure from Oslo,
driving via Hønefoss along the charming Halling Valley to the tourist resort town of
Geilo. Buffet lunch at Bardøla Mountain Hotel. After lunch cross the wild
Hardanger Mountain Plateau to Fossli, stopping to view the thundering Vøringsfoss
Waterfall with a vertical drop of 180 m.
Dinner and accommodation at Brakanes Hotel in Ulvik located at the bank of Hardanger Fjord.

After buffet breakfast, descend the amazing Måbødal Canyon to the idyllic Hardanger Fjord. Cross the Hardanger Bridge. Start of scenic tour along the beautiful Hardanger Fjord, famous for its many fruit orchards, via the towns of Øystese and Norheimsund, arriving in Bergen around midday. Lunch at local restaurant. Afternoon 2 hours tour of Bergen, including a visit to the popular Fish and Flower Market, the famous Bryggen Harbour with its gabled packhouses, and the old Hanseatic Quarter. You will also ride on the funicular to Mt. Fløien, for the best views of the city and fjords way below. 
Accommodation at First Hotel Marin with an excellent location close to the Bryggen Harbour.

After breakfast this morning, we will depart from Bergen and drive via Dale to the town of Voss. You will board the train in Voss for a ride on the beautiful Bergen Railway to the mountain station of Myrdal. From Myrdal, we will ride on the amazing Flåm Railway, a masterpiece of engineering descending 2.838 feet in less than one hour. The descent to the fjord side village of Flåm offers opportunities to take photos of exciting waterfalls and mountain scenery. After a short rest in Flåm, an approximate two hour cruise will take place by boat along the narrow Aurlands and Nærøy Fjords, both branches of the Sogn Fjord, the longest and deepest fjord in the world. Enjoy the spectacular scenery of cascading waterfalls, sheer mountain cliffs, snow-clad peaks, and a variety of wildlife. After disembarking in Gudvangen at the head of the Nærøy Fjord, we continue by coach through the amazing Stalheim Canyon and Nærøy Valley, across the Vika Mountains to Vangsnes, for the short ferry crossing to the beautiful resort of Balestrand. Dinner and accommodations tonight will be at the Kvikne’s Hotel, superbly located on the banks of the fjord and surrounded by mountains.

You have a free day today in Balestrand, giving you the opportunity to enjoy the outstanding beauty and nature of the fjords. The day starts with a traditional Norwegian buffet breakfast in the hotel’s elegant dining room. You may want to spend the morning relaxing on the hotel terrace, breathing in the fresh mountain air, or enjoying the spectacular views. We can also recommend a visit to the local aquarium and art gallery, or you may prefer to rent a bike or row boat from the hotel, or even go on foot up to the nearest mountains. A walking tour of the village of Balestrand, with its historic buildings and other noteworthy sites can also be arranged. Dinner and accommodations will be at the Kvikne’s Hotel.

After breakfast this morning, we will depart from the hotel by ferry from Dragsvik to Hella, followed by a scenic tour along the northern side of the Sogn Fjord to Sogndal. The tour continues by road to Fjærland, passing under the Jostedal Glacier (the largest in Europe) to the village of Skei at the northern end of beautiful Lake Jølster. We will descend to the Nord Fjord, making a detour at Olden to visit the worldfamous Briksdal Glacier. The journey up to the glacier will be made in open cars to give you the best views. Lunch will be served in a nearby mountain restaurant facing the glacier. After lunch the tour continues around the Nord Fjord via Loen and Stryn, to the picturesque village of Hellesylt. From here you will board the ferry for a one hour cruise along the spectacular Geiranger Fjord, possibly the most impressive of all the Norwegian fjords. During the cruise you will pass close by some magnificent waterfalls, such as the Bridal Veil and the Seven Sisters. Dinner and accommodations will be at the excellent Union Hotel, overlooking the Geiranger Fjord.

From the top of the famous Serpentine Road, you have the opportunity to digest some amazing views of the fjord today before crossing the rugged Grotli Mountains to Lom, well known for its 14th century stave church. The tour continues via Lake Vågå before descending the magnificent Gudbrands Valley to the popular tourist town of Lillehammer. We will stop for lunch in Lillehammer. After lunch, the journey will continue alongside Lake Mjøsa, Norway’s largest lake, back to Oslo. Dinner and accommodations will take place later tonight at the Thon Hotel Opera, centrally located close the the Karl Johan shopping boulevard and Royal Palace. 

For guests on the seven night Scandinavia tour from Oslo - Oslo, this ends after breakfast, with transfers to Oslo Gardermoen Airport to connect with individual flight departures. We hope you've enjoyed your trip!