Here is our planned itinerary, as it was distributed to our travelers, for The Traveling Professor's small group tour to Copenhagen, Norway, and Iceland:
Day 1: Arrival Copenhagen
After a long overseas flight, check in at the top-rated, centrally located Copenhagen Admiral Hotel. Perfectly located, it is close to the Nyhavn Canal and just a short walk to The Little Mermaid, Royal Danish Playhouse, harbor, and most of the attractions in the city. We’ll start out tour in the late afternoon with a relaxing canal cruise. Let’s plan on meeting in the lobby at 430 pm (1630 in European time).
Day 2: Copenhagen
So much to see and do - start the first full day with a professionally guided tour of the city. The remainder of the day is on your own with a personal “key to the city” – 24 hours of free public transportation and VIP admission to nearly every attraction in Copenhagen. In the evening we’ll meet for dinner at the hotel lobby at 7 pm if you care to join us.
Day 3: Copenhagen
After a free morning in Copenhagen we’ll embark on a scenic overnight Commodore-class ferry cruise to Oslo. Meet at 200 pm (1400) in the hotel lobby, cab it over to the port, and get checked in. There is passport control and a security check. There are several dinner options on the cruise (on your own) and we suggest making a reservation as the first order of business after getting checked into your cabin. Persoanlly, I stay away from the dinner buffet option as it is crowded and noisy. We recommend having room service breakfast (included) in your stateroom. It is a rather large ferry (not a cruise ship) and it looks like it will be full.
Day 4: Arrival in Oslo
Scheduled arrival time in Oslo is 0945. It might be a little hectic getting off the ferry, so let’s set a meeting point to the right of the doors outside of the exit of the main building. It is a short walk (15 minutes) to the hotel or you can grab a taxi. We won’t be able to check in until about 2pm (1400) but they will store luggage. Let’s jump on the tram to the Vigeland Sculpture Park. Even if you don’t like sculpture, I’ll bet you will like this. Lunch is available (on your own). We will go back to the hotel, check in, meet at 345 (1545) in the lobby for our 3 hour city walking tour. We take the #12 tram to/from the park. We have dinner reservations at Stormkjokkenet if you care to join us.
Day 5: Oslo
Free admission to all 30 major and GOOD attractions such as Munch Museum, Ibsen Museum, Holocaust Center, Historical Museum, National Gallery, Museum of Decorative Arts & Design, National Museum of Architecture, National Museum of Contemporary Art, Norwegian Folk Museum, Nobel Peace Center, Natural History Museum, Kon-Tiki Museum, Viking Ship Museum. In addition to free attraction admission, all Oslo city public transportation (bus, tram, metro, boat) is included as provided by the Oslo Pass. Oslo is an extremely interesting city. It is clean, uncrowded compared to other European cities, and will remind you of US cities like Chicago. Oslo very easy to get around and we encourage you to go on your own and explore. Let’s plan on meeting at about 7 pm if you want to join us for dinner. The places we highly recommend are the Kon-Tiki/Norwegian Maritime Museum, Viking Ship Museum, Norsk Folkmuseum, and the National Gallery (best place for Munch paintings). For a full description of the sites on your Oslo Card, click HERE.
Day 6: Myrdal and Flam
At 1120 am will depart the hotel for a 1203 pm departure on the reserved seating high-speed train from Oslo to Myrdal. The train number is #601 and will indicate a final stop as Bergen although we will disembark at Myrdal. We are all in Coach #3. In case we get separated at the train station, meet under the clock at the arrival/departure board. We recommend purchasing a sandwich/drink/snacks before boarding the train at the hotel or train station. The 4 hour, 45 minute train trip is relaxing, winding through lakes, forests, and mountains of Norway. We transfer in Myrdal for the most beautiful train ride in the world from the mountaintop to sea level at the Sognefjord in Flam on the open seating Flamsbana Railway departing at 515 pm (1715). Check-in is at about 615 pm (1815) at the outstanding Fretheim Hotel just steps from the train station. We’ll meet in the fireplace-lit atrium to help plan the next full day in Flam then enjoy an authentic Norwegian buffet in the dining room. Fretheim Hotel in Flam.
Day 7: Flam
For those joining us on the 10K hike, meet in the lobby at 0800. Bring water, snack, and rain gear. There are no toilets on the hike. The train departs PROMPTLY at 0830. We should be back at 1230 or so. Make a reservation for a time of your preference for a buffet dinner (included with this tour) presented this evening in the dining room. The afternoon activities all begin at 3 pm (1500). According to what you previously chose, you will be taking the bus to Gudvagen for a fjord cruise back to Flam or the Fjord Safari. Both activities start about 250 yards or less from the hotel. Steve and Linda will get you started so let’s meet in the lobby at 230 pm (1430).
Day 8: Departure for Bergen
Train departs Flam for the 1 hour trip to Myrdal at 1105 (open seating). Let’s meet in the lobby, ready to leave the hotel at 1030 sharp. We will have about 45-50 minutes in Myrdal before catching the 101 pm (1301) #61 reserved seat train to Bergen. We are in Coach 6. Light snacks are available in Myrdal to bring on the train. Arrive in Bergen at 3 pm (1500). The Grand Terminus Hotel is steps from the train station. Our guide meets us at about 430 pm (1630) for a 3-hour city tour. Please be ready to go 10 minutes beforehand.
Day 9: Bergen
Enjoy a full day on your own visiting markets or the other attractions of Bergen. Museum admission is provided as well as city-wide unlimited public transportation as provided by the Bergen Card.
Day 10: Iceland
Departure for Iceland. Everyone has a 1 pm (1300) flight. We will taxi it to the airport at 10 am sharp. Pre-printed boarding passes expedite the check-in process. There is a passport and security check. Upon arrival in Iceland, we have transportation arranged to the hotel. Check in at Reykjavik Hotel Holt. We have a 7 pm (1900) dinner reservation at Café Solon in Reykjavik. Please join us.
Day 11: Iceland
Guided 11 hour tour of the South Coast departs hotel at 0800. We visit glaciers, waterfalls, and lava beaches. We’ll see the famous Eyjafjallajökull volcano, the 60 meter high Skógafoss waterfall, and the narrow Seljalandsfoss waterfall. We take a lunch break while on this tour.
Day 12: Iceland
Guided 9 hour tour of the Golden Circle departs at 9 am from the hotel returning about 6 pm (1800). The Gullfoss double waterfall, geyser hot springs, and the ancient Viking Parliament area of Thingvellir National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We take a lunch break while on this tour. This is a national holiday in Iceland and expect the city to be crowded. It might be a good idea to make a dinner reservation on Day 10 or 11.
Day 13: Departure
Departure from Iceland. Depending upon your departure time, we will help arrange taxi or shared van transportation back to the airport. It is a one hour ride to the airport and we recommend being there at least 2.5 hours beforehand.