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Deluxe Denmark & Norway
May
2007
Day 1 Depart USA
Depart at 2:45 pm from Baltimore on Icelandair flight 642. Sit back,
relax, and enjoy your comfortable jet aircraft. A delicious dinner will be
served during your trans-Atlantic flight.
Day 2 Arrival
Copenhagen
Early this morning, you will arrive at Keflavik Airport in Reykjavik.
Board your Icelandair flight to Copenhagen, and after your arrival, you
will be met and assisted by your tour director. You will depart directly
for an orientation tour of Copenhagen as you drive down Hans Christian
Andersen Boulevard, which runs past Tivoli, the famous amusement park,
where you will enjoy everything imaginable. See Kongens Nytorv with its
Royal Theater, the home of the Royal Danish Ballet, and continue to Nyhavn,
a street well known for the variety of its nightlife. Your tour will then
drive along the Langeline Promenade where all of Copenhagen meets on
Sunday afternoon. About halfway along the Promenade, the Little Mermaid of
Hans Christian Andersen's famous fairytale perches on a rock by the
water's edge and gazes wistfully across the harbor. Then proceed to your
hotel for check-in and time to relax. There will be a welcome drink and
dinner at your hotel. Overnight tonight at the HOTEL ADMIRAL.
Day 3 In
Copenhagen
After breakfast at your hotel, depart this morning from the hotel by
private motorcoach and meet a local city guide for a 3-hour city tour of
Copenhagen. Drive down Hans Christian Andersen Boulevard, which runs past
Tivoli, the Ny Carlsberg Glyptolik, with its incredible collection of
works of art, and on past the National Museum. Cross the picturesque canal
and arrive at Christiansborg Palace, the seat of the Danish Parliament.
Pass by the beautiful old Stock Exchange, which was built in the 17th
century, and continue past the Naval Church where many grand Royal events
take place. Pass Amalienborg Palace, the Queens residence and we'll make a
visit to Vor Frues Kirke (the Church of Our Lady) which has been
Copenhagen's Cathedral since 1924. Bishop Absalon is believed to have
built a chapel here in the early 13th century. Ravaged by fire in 1728 and
hit during Lord Nelson's bombardment in 1807, it was rebuilt in stern
neo-Classical style in the early19th century. The ruins of the first
church can be seen in the basement. After this visit, you will be
transferred back to your hotel. This afternoon is free to explore
Copenhagen's busy shopping district, which rivals the shops and boutiques
of London and Paris. Take a walk down "Stroeget," Copenhagen's
most famous walking street. Enjoy a delicious Danish welcome dinner at the
Restaurant Divan II. After dinner, you will have time to explore the world
famous Tivoli Gardens on your own. Started in 1843, this twenty-acre
garden, set in the center of Copenhagen, was created for the young at
heart. Tivoli has everything - fountains and lakes, the Tivoli Boy Guards,
a concert hall, restaurants, brass bands, rides, and amusement arcades.
Here you can stroll among the beautiful flowers, listen to the music, or
have fun on the rides and attractions. Overnight at the luxurious HOTEL
ADMIRAL.
Day 4 Copenhagen/
Seaways/ Oslo
After a wonderful breakfast at your hotel, you will depart for an
excursion to North Zealand. Your tour takes you first through the Danish
countryside, where you will pass by the famous "Dyrehaven" Royal
Deer Park with its hundreds of deer and 300 year old Beech forest. You
will then proceed to Helsingoer (Elsinore), one of the oldest towns in
Denmark. The town has many medieval houses and commercial buildings dating
from the 14th and 15th century. Whole streets of restored and well-
preserved houses retain the atmosphere of this centuries-old provincial
town. After lunch on your own at a local Danish Inn, continue to one of
the world's most famous castles, the Kronborg Castle. Set on the cliffs of
Elsinore above the Baltic shore, Kronborg is the legendary home of Hamlet,
Shakespeare's Prince of Denmark. You will stroll the courtyard and visit
the outside grounds. Your next stop is Frederiksberg Castle. This
remarkable building, with its image reflected in the lake on which it
stands, was built by King Christian IV in the early 17th century. It
contains the National History Museum with its many treasures of paintings,
tapestries, porcelain, silver and furniture.The tour will end at the pier
where you will board the overnight ship to Oslo. This modern ship has
everything to make your journey a special one. Enjoy a sumptuous buffet
dinner before retiring to your cabin on the DFDS Seaways.
Day 5 Arrive In
Oslo
Enjoy breakfast on board the ship as you sail up the Oslo Fjord past
charming towns and small islands. A local English-speaking city guide will
meet you for a morning city tour of Oslo. The tour will include a stop at
beautiful Frogner Park with its world-renowned Vigeland Sculptures and the
famous Holmenkollen Ski Jump. From the ski jump you have a unique view
over Oslo and it's surroundings. Also visit the impressive Viking Ships
Museum. The 1000 year old Viking Ships make history come alive. Here you
will also discover an impressive collection of ornate sledges, carriages
and a variety of tools and artifacts of the Viking era. The afternoon is
free in Oslo. Perhaps take a harbor cruise, experience the Resistance
Museum where history comes alive or visit Munch Museum housing the
collection of Norway's most famous artist. Take a stroll along the main
street, and enjoy the beauty of the "Studenterlunden" in the
center of town, nestled between the National Theater and the "Storting,"
Norway's Parliament. Take a short walk to the Royal Palace or ride on the
clean, modern subways. Dinner and overnight are at the HOTEL BRISTOL.
Day 6 Oslo/
Lofthus
Leave Oslo in the morning by private motorcoach and drive along the Oslo
Fjord by the town of Drammen. Proceed to the old mining town of Kongsberg,
called the "Silver Town." Kongsberg's history began in 1623 when
large deposits of silver were discovered in the nearby mountains.
Kongsberg Church, Norway's largest and most beautiful baroque church, was
built during the silver mines "Golden Era" in the18th century.
One entire side of the building is designed so as to comprise the altar,
pulpit, and organ into one great work of art. Visit the 12th century
Heddal Stave Church, Norway's largest stave church. Then ride along Lake
Seljord to the village of Seljord, with its medieval church and wealth of
local traditions. Thereafter, the road passes through the steep valley of
Morgedal, famous as the cradle of modern skiing. Ascend the vast
Hardangervidda Mountain Plaeau to Haukeligrend village, an important road
junction. You will descend through several tunnels to Roeldal, with its
pilgrim church and along Roedal Lake to Breifonn before ascending the
zig-zag road to the Seljestad Mountain Pass and Ravine and make a stop at
the thundering Laatefoss Waterfall, which tumbles down the mountainside in
a double avalanche and gently sprays the road. Our tour continues to the
industrial center of Odda. This district, called Ullensvang, contains more
fruit trees than any other Norwegian community. It also has a medieval
church on a romantic point in the fjord, with waterfalls draping the
cliffs, the Folgefonn glacier capping the mountains across the fjord, and
Edvard Grieg's studio hut. This district is a continuous sweep of orchards
and in the springtime an undulating sea of white and pink blossoms with
snow-capped mountains in the background. You will arrive in the fjord
village of Lofthus, located on the eastern shore of the Soer Fjord, and
check in at one of the best resort hotels in Norway. Buffet dinner and
overnight at the HOTEL ULLENSVANG.
Day 7 Lofthus/Sanderstoelen
After breakfast at your hotel, you will leave Lofthus and drive past the
village of Kinsarvik to Brimnes and sail by ferry across the scenic blue
Hardanger Fjord to Bruravik. Then continue onto the resort town of Voss,
the commercial center of the Hardanger region and the birthplace of Knute
Rockne, the famous Notre Dame coach. Leave Voss and continue past the
Tvindefoss Waterfall and along Lake Oppheim to Stalheim. Then descend the
hairpin curves of the famous Stalheim Canyon Road and drive through the
Naeroydal Valley with its rainbow-dancing waterfalls and sugarloaf
mountains to Gudvangen. Sail from Gudvangen by fjord ferry for a two-hour
cruise on the impressive Naeroy and Aurlands Fjords, both arms of world
famous Sogne Fjord, the longest and deepest fjord in the world. Disembark
at the small fjord village of Flaam. Enjoy lunch at Hotel Fretheim. This
afternoon, depart Flaam by train on the world-famous Flaam Railway, which
is one of the most remarkable pieces of railway engineering in the world.
It is only 12.4 miles long, but it ascends 2,845 feet in less than one
hour from Flaam to Myrdal station. At Gol, your motorcoach will meet you
again and then ascend the Gol Fagernes mountain road for a short drive to
the resort center of Sanderstoelen. Dinner and overnight are at the
SANDERSTOELEN RESORT HOTEL.
Day 8
Sanderstoelen/ USA
After breakfast, you will leave Sanderstoelen and drive across the
Tonaasen Mountain Pass (2500 ft), known for the fierce battle between
German and Norwegian forces during April 1940. Travel past Eidsvoll on the
south end of Lake Mjoesa, Norway's largest lake. Eidsvoll is perhaps the
most resounding name in Norwegian history, for it was here that the
Norwegian Constitution was framed and adopted in mid- May of the year
1814. This event marked Norway's emancipation from Danish rule and gave
her that now-famous Independence Day, the 17th of May, as widely and
enthusiastically celebrated as the American 4th of July. The tour will end
at Gardemoen Airport for check-in, and fly back to Baltimore.
Price: $2332.00
per person in double occupancy
Single Supplement:
$240.00
Price Includes: Round
trip airfare from Baltimore (airfare available nation-wide), first and
superior first class hotels, Scandinavian breakfast and dinner daily, all
transfers, overnight cruise, luggage, handling, sightseeing and entrances
as listed, fully air conditioned motorcoach, fully escorted tour.
Not Included: Tips
and gratuities, air taxes, and transportation to the airport.
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