Majestic Fjords of Norway

Day 1 : Depart the USA

We board our flight for a relaxing journey across the Atlantic.

Day 2 : Arrive in Norway

Arrive in Oslo, Norway’s capital. We meet our English-speaking European guide and check in for two nights at a comfortable hotel, centrally located in the heart of the city. The remainder of the day is at leisure.

Day 3 : Oslo

Begin the day with breakfast at our hotel. A local guide joins us for a tour of Oslo. Major sightseeing destinations include the Royal Palace, Vigeland Sculpture Park, Akershus Fortress, the Norwegian National Opera & Ballet, and the Bygdoy museums. Later we visit the Fram Museum, dedicated to Norway’s history of arctic exploration and the Kon-Tiki Museum, home to the legendary balsa wood raft which Thor Heyerdahl used to cross the Pacific Ocean in 1951. Tonight we get to know our fellow traveling companions at an included Holiday Vacations Welcome Dinner.

Day 4 : Lillehammer

After breakfast we depart Oslo and travel to Lillehammer, located in a picturesque setting overlooking the northern end of Lake Mjosa. Home to the 1994 Winter Olympics, it remains a popular ski resort today. Tour Maihaugen, one of Norway’s greatest open-air museums, and learn what life was like from the Middle Ages to today. Maihaugen resembles a small inland village and features nearly 200 buildings including turf-topped houses, a railway station, school, post office, fishing cabins, and barns. Also on display is a stave church from Garmo. We have the afternoon at our leisure. You may want to visit the Lillehammer Art Museum, the Norwegian Olympic Museum, or Fabrikken, a creative and cultural arts center.

Day 5 : Geirangerfjord

Today we travel westward through spectacular scenery to Norway’s fjordlands. On our way we drive through Gudbrandsdalen, a traditional region of Norway best recognized by its bucolic farmland. We stop in Lom and visit the Lom Stave Church, one of Norway’s largest stave churches with a history that goes back to the 12th century. From Geiranger we take a ferry through the UNESCO-listed Geirangerfjord to Hellesylt and enjoy some of Norway’s most beautiful vistas. A short drive takes us to the village of Loen where we check-in to our hotel for two nights.

Day 6 : Briksdal Glacier

Today we enter Jostedalsbreen National Park to experience the mighty Briksdal Glacier, arriving after an exciting ride on an open-air off-road vehicle called a Troll Car. Briksdal Glacier is one of Norway’s most famous glaciers due to the spectacular waterfalls and mountain peaks that surround it. Later, take the Loen Skylift to the top of Mount Hoven for panoramic views of Loen, the Nordfjord, and the surrounding peaks.

Day 7 : Scenic Flam Railway

Travel by motorcoach south to Leikanger on the shores of the Sognefjord. Known as the King of the Fjords, the Sognefjord is Norway’s longest and deepest inlet. Take a scenic 2 ½-hour ferry ride to the village of Flam, then take in a breathtaking journey on the Flam Railway to Voss by way of Myrdal, featuring towering mountains, plummeting waterfalls, and lush valleys. We arrive in Bergen by motorcoach and check in to our hotel for two nights.

Day 8 : Bergen

Bergen is Norway’s second largest city and is nicknamed the City of Seven Mountains. Following a scrumptious breakfast, a local guide boards our motorcoach and leads our tour of Bergen. Highlights include Bergenhus Fortress, Rosenkrantz Tower, and Bryggen, the city’s medieval wharf district and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Tour Troldhaugen, home to the famous composer Edvard Grieg, and explore its museum and the luxurious villa which Grieg himself described as his “best opus so far.” Following a funicular ride up Mount Fløyen, we celebrate our Norwegian vacation with our traveling companions at a Farewell Dinner at Folkerestaurant with outstanding views of the city and the sea beyond.

Day 9 : Fly Home