Scenic Scandinavia in 17 days

You’ll start in Stockholm, making your way through Copenhagen and on to Norway by train and cruise. We’ll take care of accommodation and transport along the route – all you need to do is show up, look out the window, and let Scandinavia do the rest.

Then Bergen. That’s where the road trip begins.

Pick up the rental car and head out into the fjords, mountain passes and coastal scenery at whatever pace suits you. We’ll have your rental car, accommodation, coastal cruise and any planned activities sorted in advance – so the transition from train & cruise traveller to road tripper is seamless.

Throughout both legs, your personalised itinerary will keep you pointed in the right direction – hand-picked highlights, insider tips, and everything worth knowing along the way.

And if you need us? Our 24/7 helpline is always just a call away.

To find out which dates you can start your trip on, navigate to the "Find your price" section on the tour's page. Under "Tour start date", you'll see a calendar symbol. Select this and you'll see all the available dates to start your tour.

If you can't select a certain day, this means there are no departures available then. In that situation, please get in touch and one of our travel consultants will look into the options for you.

Yes, we highly recommend adding optional activities and extra nights to enhance your tour. This way you can customise your trip with what you want to see and do most.

We recommend adding them now to secure your spot, as popular excursions often sell out. And we suggest booking no more than one additional activity per day for the best experience. You can also add up to 3 extra nights at the beginning or end of your tour.

You can add optional activities and extra nights to your tour in the booking steps.

If you’d prefer extra nights in the countryside or other locations, please speak with one of our Travel Consultants who can recommend the best itinerary to suit your needs.

Yes, you can customise this tour online. During the booking process, you can add extra nights to your itinerary as well as optional day trips, excursions and upgrades. 

If you have something specific in mind, please let your travel consultant know at the time of booking. They'll see what they can do to accommodate you. 

Please wait to book flights to Scandinavia until we can confirm your desired travel dates for this tour. This is due to varying availabilities on services included in this package. 

After making a booking with Nordic Visitor, it might take a few weeks to confirm your travel arrangements. We recommend booking your flights once your personal travel consultant gets in touch to confirm your itinerary.

If you have any questions about your flights and itinerary, please contact us for more details.

So when do you check in? And what can you expect when you land in Sweden?

After picking up your luggage, you’ll make your way to your accommodation. Public transport is easy to access and convenient in Stockholm. Or you could catch a taxi.

Check-in times vary between hotels and guesthouses, but it normally starts between 2–4 PM.

You are welcome to request an early check-in for an additional fee. Although this isn’t always available, you’ll be able to store your luggage at the hotel until check-in. Please contact your travel consultant well in advance of your trip if you’d like an early check-in.

You’ll make this leg of the journey by train – a comfortable 5 to 5.5-hour ride through the Swedish countryside, finishing up by crossing the Øresund Bridge. Eight kilometres of road and rail connecting Sweden to Denmark, with open water on both sides. It’s worth looking up from your book for.

Your seat is reserved, and there’s usually a café car on board for snacks and drinks. That said, we’d recommend packing a little water and a light lunch too – just in case.

Prefer to fly? No problem at all. Select the flight option when booking, or mention it to your travel consultant. Just bear in mind that switching may come with an additional charge.

One thing to be aware of: during summer months, train companies sometimes carry out track maintenance that can affect the route or journey time. If that looks likely for your dates, your travel consultant will keep you in the loop.

Yes, you can fly to Copenhagen instead of taking the train, if you’d prefer. To do this, select the relevant optional extra during the booking process, or contact your travel consultant.

Your travel consultant will select the flights that make the most sense with your itinerary timings.

Please note that this service will come with an additional charge.

After your stay in Copenhagen, you’ll travel to Oslo on an overnight cruise. You’ll depart in the mid-afternoon and arrive in Norway the following morning.

We’ll book you a private cabin with ensuite facilities and a small window. In the morning before docking in Oslo, your breakfast is included.

There are 2 ships operating the route, Nordic Pearl and Nordic Crown. On board both, you will find facilities such as lounges, restaurants, bars and a viewing deck. There are also daily activities and entertainment to enjoy. 

This tour includes the famous Sognefjord in a Nutshell tour from Oslo to Bergen. This is one of Norway’s most iconic journeys. You’ll travel by train and boat, passing beautiful landscapes along the way. Expect monumental mountains, frosty waterfalls, shimmering fjords, charming villages and scenic coastlines.

The first leg of the journey takes you from Oslo to Balestrand, and the second from Balestrand to Bergen. The journey is split across 2 days, the travel time for each being around 6 hours. 

You’ll connections will be clearly explained in your travel documents. You’ll receive a ticket with all the information about transfer points and timings with your final travel documents.

You can book an optional luggage transfer for the journey. If you do this, you’ll want to keep a backpack for your daily and overnight essentials. Your luggage will be waiting for you at your destination.

If you do not book a luggage transfer, you will have to carry your bags between the trains and boat. All connections will be within easy reach and there will be storage available for your luggage during each leg of the journey.

The transfers between your hotel and train stations or cruise ports are not included with this package. Usually your accommodation will be within short walking distance. You could also get a taxi from your hotel if you prefer.

You’ll collect your rental car from the city centre office in Bergen for the day you drive out to the countryside. Then you’ll return it to the same spot at the end of your road trip.

Transfers between your hotel and the rental office aren’t included, but we’ll do our best to book you accommodation within 3 kilometres (1.9 miles) of it. Close enough to walk, if you’re feeling fresh. Or ask reception to call a taxi – it won’t be a long drive.

Driving in Norway might be slightly different than what you’re used to. For this reason, you’ll want to make yourself aware of local driving laws and potential road hazards, such as:

• We drive on the right-hand side of the road
• Low-beam headlights should be on at all times
• Speed limits are posted in kilometres per hour (km/h)
• Speed and traffic violations have steep fines
• There are over 900 tunnels in Norway, especially in the western fjords
• Mountain passes can be narrow and winding
• Tolls are automatically registered to your AutoPass, for roads and ferries

And finally, with all the beautiful scenery, you’ll want to take it slow and enjoy the drive!

For more information, we strongly recommend taking a few minutes to read through our guide to driving in Norway. You’ll also receive more guidance ahead of your arrival in the Norway Travel Guide.

On this tour, you will hop aboard a coastal cruise, provided by either Hurtigruten or Havila Voyages, along the Norwegian west coast. You’ll be staying in your own cabin with private facilities.

Hurtigruten and Havila Voyages operate along the same route on different days. Your personal travel consultant will book the cruise on your behalf in light of your tour’s start date and the rest of your itinerary.

If you are travelling on a Hurtigruten cruise:
Hurtigruten ships offer a classic Norwegian experience, with cosy cabins furnished with either twin or double beds. Your room will be between 8-11 square metres (86-118 square feet) and will always include a port hole, but please note that a view from the window cannot be guaranteed.

Instead, Hurtigruten ships all offer comfortable viewing decks, dining areas and lounges. This way, you can spend your mornings and evenings relaxing with incredible views of the passing Norwegian coastline.

If you are travelling on a Havila Voyages cruise:
Havila Voyages ships are the newer cruise liners on the block. Their modern cabins are furnished with either twin or double beds and are all around 15 square metres (161 feet). Your room will have a port hole and a small sofa so you can watch the views of ocean or coastline go past. Or, head up to the lounge, restaurant or viewing deck to see more of the passing fjords.

On your Scandinavian adventure, you’ll stay in accommodation that’s been hand-picked by our travel experts. We’ve partnered with local businesses and selected hotels and guesthouses based on excellent ratings, comfort and our personal experience.

During the booking process, you can select whether you want Comfort Plus or Superior accommodation. Comfort Plus usually consists of standard rooms in good quality and comfortable 3-star hotels. Superior is standard rooms in 4-star hotels combined with superior rooms in premium 3-star hotels.

You will also be able to choose between single, double or triple rooms. Please note that in the Nordic countries room types are based on European standard sizes, which means they are smaller than in North America.

For example, a double bed often consists of 2 single beds pushed together. Twin rooms are 2 separate single beds. Triple rooms include a double bed along with an extra single bed, rollaway or sofa bed. And single rooms are often smaller than the standard double.

If you have anything specific in mind, please contact us to discuss customising your accommodation options.

Travelling with your kids? No problem! You'll be able to enter your children's ages during the booking process. This lets us know whether to arrange either a baby cot or roll-away bed for your trip.

If you'd like us to arrange for a car seat to be provided for your trip, please let us know ahead of time. It's also possible to book this directly with the car rental agency. This will incur a small, extra cost.

Your safety and comfort are incredibly important to us, and we're happy to help with your dietary needs.

Since breakfast is included in your booking, please leave a comment about any allergies or dietary requirements during the booking process. We'll forward these details to your accommodation. Breakfast buffets typically include baked goods, cheese, jam, yogurt, cereal, fresh fruit, juice and coffee.

For other meals during your stay, most restaurants offer various options to suit different dietary needs. You can simply inform the waiting staff of your requirements and discuss your options.   

In most major Scandinavian cities and towns you will be able to find coin-operated launderettes, with self-service facilities, and dry cleaners. Most hotels on your trip will also offer a laundry or dry cleaning service for an additional cost.

When you travel with Nordic Visitor, breakfast at your accommodation is always included. For the rest of your meals, the amount of spending money you need will depend on the country you're in and the standard of restaurants you decide to go to.

In Helsinki and Tallinn, we recommend budgeting between 15–20 euros for lunch per person, each day. Dinner at casual restaurants might cost between €25–€40 for a main course. Meanwhile at upscale restaurants, you might expect to spend €70–€100 per person or more.

In Sweden, we recommend budgeting between 150–250 SEK for lunch per person, each day. Dinner at casual restaurants might cost between 300–500 SEK for a main course. Meanwhile at upscale restaurants, you might expect to spend at least 500–800 SEK per person.

In Copenhagen, these numbers will be closer to 150–250 DKK for lunch, 250–450 DKK for casual dinners and upwards of 600 DKK for upscale dining.

For Norway, you’ll want to budget 200–400 NOK per person per lunch. Dinners will be between 400–700 NOK for a main course, and upscale restaurants might charge upwards of 700–1,500 NOK.

These general budgeting tips do not include the cost of alcoholic beverages.

Scandinavia is a beautiful destination all year long. But it’s good to be aware of a few things before picking the best time to visit for you.

During the summer months, June to August, you’ll have the warmest temperatures and longest daylight hours of the year. This is ideal for outdoor excursions and taking full advantage of your days for sightseeing.

If you’d like to experience the top attractions with fewer visitors around, then you could book a summer itinerary in May or September. These shoulder season months generally have more tour and attraction availability.

Independent tours of Scandinavia are also available during the rest of the year. But please be advised that if you are travelling in late March, April, late September or October, the weather is much milder, especially in Sweden and Norway. That said, there will still be more sunlight at this time of year than in winter.

Choose to travel in winter, November to February, and you’ll benefit from an itinerary of quieter towns and attractions. You can also expect fewer daylight hours, and the addition of snow-dusted mountains as a backdrop. It’s good to remember that in Scandinavia, northern lights can only really be seen from Northern Norway, Iceland, and Lapland.

Christmastime is another magical time of year to visit Scandinavia, with Christmas markets galore. But please note that there are limited opening hours during the holiday season.

The capitals of Scandinavia are located quite far north in Europe so you can expect long daylight hours in summer.

In Helsinki, Finland, and Stockholm, Sweden, you can expect between 16 and 19 hours of daylight depending on how close you are to the solstice. Copenhagen in Denmark is slightly more south, so you’ll enjoy 14-17 daylight hours.

In Norway, Oslo, Bergen and Stavanger are relatively south, so you’ll experience 15–20 hours of daylight. If you visit the north, including locations such as Tromsø and Kirkenes, you can expect 20–24 hours of daylight.

The region’s long summer days give you plenty of time to explore. That said, you may want to pack a sleeping mask if you are a light sleeper or tend to wake up at dawn.

Find out more about time zones and daylight in this guide to time and daylight in Scandinavia.

During the summer months, you can expect fairly stable weather across Scandinavia.

The months of June, July and August boast the warmest weather of the year. In Stockholm, Copenhagen and Oslo you can expect average temperatures between 17–20°C (61–68°F). This gets cooler in Bergen and then up the north coast of Norway. For example, Tromsø has average summer temperatures around 10°C (41–50°F).

In May and September, you can also expect milder conditions. Pack for temperatures closer to 11–14°C (52–57°F).

All that said, it’s good to know that weather conditions are often changeable in Northern Europe, so you should come ready for sun, rain and wind. For more information on the local climate, read the page Scandinavian weather conditions.

Please note that sightseeing is dependent on weather and road conditions. This means that your itinerary might need to be altered if these conditions are not favourable during your visit.

Summer has most stable weather of the year across Scandinavia, especially in the south of the region. That said, you should still be ready to experience all seasons in one day. Especially if you will be spending a lot of time outdoors, you’ll want to pack for a combination of weather conditions.

Bring lighter clothes for the warmer, sunny days. And don’t forget extra layers for chilly nights in the mountains or for taking in the view from cruise ship decks.

Here is an essential summer packing list for your trip to Scandinavia:
• Shorts and trousers
• T-shirts and long sleeve tops
• At least one warm jumper or fleece
• Waterproof jacket and trousers
• Light gloves, hat and scarf
• Comfortable walking or hiking shoes
• Sunglasses, sun hat and sunscreen
• Eye mask to sleep despite the long daylight hours
• Electronic gear such as smartphone, external powerpack, and travel adapters
• A backpack for easy access to daily essentials
• Reusable water bottle (to refill as you go) and reusable shopping bag
• and don’t forget your camera!

An umbrella can also come in handy. If you are a wildlife watcher, you may wish to bring binoculars.

For more information, check out this Scandinavian packing list.

If you have a passport from Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia or New Zealand, you won’t need a visa to visit Scandinavia. This visa-free entry is valid for up to 90 days.

Visiting from another country? You might need to apply for a Schengen visa. You can find out whether you require a visa to enter on the Sweden Government website, Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland or the Government of Denmark. You’ll need to apply to the consulate of the country where you will spend the most time, or the first country you will visit.

Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months from your departure from the region. It’s good to check your passport expiry date early in case you need to renew it.

Yes, we highly recommend getting travel insurance for your trip.

There are numerous insurance providers online, offering policies with varying levels of coverage. These will protect your finances in the event of illness or other medical emergencies, lost or damaged luggage, flight cancellation, trip curtailment, theft and much more.

All bookings are billed in Euro (EUR). Prices displayed in other currencies are indicative only and based on the daily exchange rate. This means conversions from EUR to other currencies will fluctuate from day to day.

When you book this tour, we’ll ask for a 10% deposit to secure your spot. Then you’ve got plenty of time – the rest is due 30 days before you arrive.

Here’s a tip: if you pay a 20% deposit instead, we’ll include our cancellation protection at no extra cost. It's there to give you breathing room if your plans need to change.

Booking last minute? If it’s less than 30 days until your trip, we’ll need the full payment upfront.

Want to know more? Check out our payment and cancellation terms or just get in touch – we’re here to help.

Your remaining balance is due 30 days before your arrival date. Apart from the deposit, all remaining payments are managed through our Customer Portal. On this portal, you also have the option to split your payments if preferred.

After booking your tour package online, you will be contacted within 2 business days by your own dedicated travel consultant. They will be your point of contact for all your travel needs before, during and even after your trip. 

We aim to complete bookings within a few weeks. During this time we take care of booking your accommodation, activities, and transport, confirming all parts of your journey. Once this is done, your travel consultant will provide you with all the details of your trip. 

When we get back to you might depend slightly on how far ahead you’ve booked your travels and other tours running at the time. 

If you have any questions before your trip, you can get in touch with our Scandinavian travel experts based in Stockholm. The live chat option is useful for getting a quick reply as someone answers live every day during office hours.

Once you’ve booked, we’ll provide you with a travel guide packed full of local tips and top attractions for your visit. You can also check out our online Scandinavia Travel Guide where we’ve compiled useful information about topics, including:

• Which currency is used in the Scandinavian countries and which credit cards are widely accepted
• What kind of electric adapters or converters you’ll need
• Which languages the locals speak (yes, English is one of them!)
• How to get a refund on tax-free shopping
• As well as tipping, buying snacks, and other useful information

It’s best to book as soon as you can to secure your preferred travel dates. Once you have picked your tour, check the availability calendar to see which months are open for booking. Then, select the date you want and complete your booking.

We recommend waiting for confirmation from your travel consultant to ensure your travel dates are available. You’ll then be able to purchase your flights with confidence.

If you like to plan well ahead of time, you’ll find that it’s possible to book many tours for the following year. And if you have any questions or need advice, you can always contact us.

Once your tour is confirmed, we’ll get to work. Over the following weeks, we’ll put together your itinerary, reserve your accommodation and lock in all your services.

When everything is in place, we’ll send your travel documents by email – so you can read, plan, and get excited for your trip.

Then, when you arrive at your destination, a welcome bag will be waiting for you. Inside: hard copies of your personalised itinerary, our exclusive Travel Guide, and all your service vouchers. Everything you need, right when you need it.

When you depart may depend on the time of your return flight. Check out early if you’re heading to the airport for a morning flight. On the other hand, if you’re flying home later in the day, you might like to enjoy a leisurely day or visit one more attraction.

You will need to check out from your room, but will be able to store your luggage at the hotel reception. Simply return later to collect your bags before catching your transfer to the airport.

By booking with Nordic Visitor, you’ll have peace of mind knowing that there’s always someone there for you throughout your trip.

For support and advice during the day, you can call our office. And if anything unexpected happens outside working hours, you can reach us on our 24/7 helpline. 

During your tour, there will always be a travel expert on call to handle any unforeseen situations, such as unusual weather or events.

No need! Nordic Visitor is already working on offsetting the estimated carbon footprint of your package. We’ve partnered with an environmental fund in Iceland to carbon offset all our tours.

Carbon offsetting your international flights is not included, but we highly recommend you look into possibilities with your airline or directly through a local environment fund.