DAY 1 - DEPART THE U.S.
This evening depart from the U.S. on your trans-atlantic flight on SAS.
DAY 2 - ARRIVE IN BERGEN - D
Late-morning arrival at Bergen Airport. You are met by your tour
director. Transfer by private motorcoach to your hotel. The rest of
the day is at your leisure. Enjoy a Welcome Dinner at a local
restaurant.
DAY 3 - BERGEN - B
Buffet breakfast at the hotel. Meet your local English- speaking guide
at the hotel and visit the colorful Fish and Flower Market. Then start
your guided walking tour of the Bryggen Wharf area. Visit the
Hanseatic Museum, giving you an intimate picture of merchant life
during the Hanseatic Period. Board your motorcoach for an in-depth
sightseeing tour of Bergen and surroundings, including Grieg's home
and studio. The rest of the day is free. Dinner on your own.
DAY 4 - HARDANGERFJORD -
B,L,D
Breakfast at the hotel. Leave Bergen, drive along the shores of
Soerfjord before ascending the Kvamskogen Mountain Plateau, then
descend through the magnificent wild gorge of Tokagjelet Ravine with
its tunnels, roaring rivers, and waterfalls. Continue through the
Steinsdal Valley to Steinsdalfoss Waterfall and then on to the scenic
fjord village of Norheimsund. Proceed along the northern shore of the
majestic Hardangerfjord. Experience the awesome beauty of the steep
mountains, waterfalls cascading into the crystal-clear fjord, and
colorful green hillsides dotted with lush fruit orchards. Sail by
ferry to Loefallstrand and then arrive in the fjord village of
Rosendal, surrounded by the impressive mountains and beautiful
scenery. Visit the Barony Rosendal, where you'll also have lunch.
After lunch, make a visit to Kvinnherad church, built in a.d. 1250.
Continue to nearby Mauranger and Aenes, surrounded by steep
mountainsides and green fertile valleys. Then drive through the new
tunnel underneath the Folgefonn Glacier to the village of Lofthus with
thousands of fruit trees. Dinner and overnight.
DAY 5 - HARDANGERFJORD/SOGNEFJORD
- B,D
Leave Lofthus after breakfast and drive past the fjord village of
Kinsarvik. Sail by ferry and drive past the thundering Skjervet
Waterfall to the resort town of Voss for a train ride on the scenic
Bergen Railway to Myrdal and Flam. In the afternoon enjoy a two-hour
cruise on the impressive Sognefjord, the deepest and longest fjord in
the world. Sail past cascading waterfalls, isolated hamlets, and steep
mountainsides. Continue to the lovely fjord village of Balestrand.
Overnight at the traditional Kvikne's Hotel.
DAY 6 - SOGNEFJORD/EMBARKATION
- B,D
Breakfast at the hotel. Morning at leisure. After lunch on your own,
leave Balestrand by motorcoach. Sail by ferry to Vangsnes and the
fjord village of Vik, where you will visit the 12th-century Hopperstad
Stave Church. Then ascend the scenic Vikafjell Mountain Road. Drive
past the thundering Tvindefossen Waterfalls back to Voss and Bergen.
Board your Coastal ship. Your tour director will accompany you on your
journey to Kirkenes.
DAYS 7-11 - NORWEGIAN COASTAL
VOYAGE - B,L,D
On the Norwegian Coastal Voyage you'll experience the breathtaking
scenery along the coast, crossing the Arctic Circle on your way to
Kirkenes, close to the Russian border. Highlights of this voyage
include the Art Nouveau architecture of Alesund, the scenic
Geirangerfjord (April 1-September 30), the 1,000-year-old city of
Trondheim, the magnificent Lofoten Islands, and the lively university
town of Tromso.
DAY 12 - DISEMBARKATION/OSLO
- B
Morning arrival in Kirkenes. Transfer to the airport for your flight
to Oslo. Transfer by deluxe motorcoach to your hotel. The rest of the
day at leisure. Dinner on your own.
DAY 13 - OSLO - B,D
Buffet breakfast at your hotel. Morning departure by private
motorcoach and local English-speaking guide for a sightseeing tour of
Oslo, including beautiful Vigeland Park with its renowned sculptures;
the famous Holmenkollen Ski Jump, the impressive Viking Ships Museum,
where you'll discover a wonderful collection of ornate sleds and
carriages, and a variety of tools and artifacts of the Viking era.
Drive by the medieval Akershus Fortress, the Royal Palace, and the
busy port with the Town Hall. The tour ends at your hotel. The
afternoon is at leisure. Farewell Dinner at the hotel.
DAY 14 - DEPART OSLO/ARRIVE
IN THE U.S. - B
Buffet breakfast at the hotel. Transfer to Oslo Airport for your
return flight back to the U.S. on SAS.
