Start your winter tour of Norway in Oslo, travel on the Bergen- & Flåm Railway through the Norwegian winter scenery, enjoy a fjord cruise and embark on a 10-day cruise with Hurtigruten along the coast of Norway from Bergen – Kirkenes - Trondheim. Unspecified cabin category and half board included during the cruise. Return to Oslo by train across the Dovre Mountain.
Day 01: Arrival in Oslo
Arrival in Oslo according to your own itinerary. The Norwegian capital is beautifully situated at the head of the Oslo Fjord and surrounded by forested ridges. Oslo offers many well known sights such as the Vigeland Sculpture Park, the Viking Ship Museum, the Munch Museum and Oslo Opera House. With the hop-on/hop-off Oslo cruise you can easily go from the city of Oslo to Bygdøy peninsula where the Kon-tiki and Fram Polar Museum is located (please see add-ons for further details). Accommodation in Oslo.
Day 02: Travel with the Bergen- & Flåm Railway
Breakfast at the hotel. Departure from Oslo by train. The 5-hour train journey from Oslo to Myrdal is part of the Bergen Railway, classed as one of the finest train journeys in the world. The train journey will bring you across Hardangervidda Mountain Plateau, with Finse as the highest train station at 1222 meters above sea level. During wintertime the scenery is quite spectacular with its pure white snow, colourful skiers and perhaps even with clear blue sky. In Myrdal you will change to the Flåm Railway, connecting the Bergen Line to the Sognefjord. You will pass through wild and beautiful mountain scenery with waterfalls and steep mountain sides before reaching the fjord village of Flåm. Flåm is Norway's only fjord village with train connection. Accommodation in Flåm.
Day 03: Fjord cruise; by bus & train to Bergen
Breakfast at the hotel. Today you have the opportunity to experience the tranquility of the spectacular Norwegian fjord region outside the main tourist season. The morning is at your own leisure in Flåm before you will depart on a 2-hour fjord cruise on the Nærøyfjord to Gudvangen. The Nærøyfjord is the narrowest fjord channel in Europe, and has recently been added to UNESCO’s World Heritage List. During the winter the boat sometimes has to break its way through the ice; the cracking of the ice makes this an even more magical experience. From Gudvangen the journey continues by bus through Nærøyfjord Valley to Voss, where you will continue by train to Bergen. Bergen is Norway’s second largest city and the world’s only city surrounded by 7 mountains and 7 fjords. Accommodation in Bergen.
Day 04: Bergen – evening cruise departure
Breakfast at the hotel. This day is at your own leisure in Bergen. Take a stroll along Bryggen Wharf before heading to Mount Fløyen with Fløibanen funicular for a spectacular view of the city. Other sights of interest include Edvard Grieg's home Troldhaugen, the Fish and Flower market, Bergen Aquarium and Gamle Bergen (Old Bergen Open Air Museum). Your winter cruise with Hurtigruten begins in the late evening from Bergen, heading north along the western coastline of Norway to Kirkenes. During the cruise you will experience everyday life along the coast, and the mix of tourists, local travelers and transported goods make this a unique experience. Breakfast buffet and 3-course dinner are included during the entire cruise. In addition you can choose between a wide selection of optional shore excursions (please see Add-ons for further information and prices). Accommodation in an unspecified cabin category.
Day 05: Cruise to Ålesund – Norway’s only Art Nouveau city
Morning cruise arrival in the city of Ålesund, where you will have three hours at leisure. Ålesund burnt down in 1904 and was rebuilt in Art Nouveau style. Most of these buildings are well preserved and make Ålesund unique in terms of architecture in Norway. Possibility to join a sightseeing tour before your cruise continues to the heart of Romsdalen with its dramatic Romsdal Alps.
Day 06: Cruise to Trondheim – Norway’s first capital
Today you will arrive in Trondheim, Norway’s third largest city. The city was founded by Viking King Olav Tryggvason in 997 BC, and occupies a special place in Norwegian culture and history. Trondheim was Norway’s first capital and continues to be the coronation city where Norway's Kings from Harald Hårfagre (10th century BC) to King Harald V (1991 -) have been crowned and blessed. During wintertime Hurtigruten will dock in Trondheim for six hours. We recommend a visit at the Nidaros Cathedral, built over the grave of St. Olav. Next to the cathedral you will find the Archbishop’s Palace, the oldest secular building in Scandinavia. In Trondheim you have the possibility to join an optional sightseeing tour. The winter cruise then continues along the Helgeland coastline.
Day 07: Cruise across the Arctic Circle to Lofoten Islands
In the morning you will cross the Arctic Circle, entering the Land of the Northern Light. In Bodø you will have 2,5 hours at leisure before the journey continues across the Vestfjord to the Lofoten Islands. Lofoten stretches like a wall of mountains to the southwest in the sea. The archipelago consists of mountains and peaks, wide open ocean, sheltered inlets, stretches of seashore and large virgin areas. For centuries, catching cod and drying them has been a way of life and Lofoten’s largest industry. Two of the most recognizable sights are therefore the fishermen’s cabins and the Stockfish which is cod that has been hung to dry on a wooden frame. This evening you have the opportunity to join a Viking Feast on the Lofoten Islands.
Day 08: Cruise via Vesterålen Islands to Tromsø
Your cruise will continue during the night and morning, passing Vesterålen Islands before arriving in Tromsø in the early afternoon. In Tromsø you will have four hours at leisure, or you can join one of the shore excursions; dog sledding or sightseeing in Tromsø. The arctic city of Tromsø is the world’s most northern university town and the largest city in the Nordic countries north of the Arctic Circle. The city lies between the sharp craggy peaks of the Lyngen Alps, and combines wild scenery with urban life. Due to Tromsø's location right in the middle of the planet’s Northern Light’s belt, the city offers the world’s best chances of spotting the Northern Lights. Sights of interest include the Polar Museum, Northern Light Planetarium and Tromsø Museum. Your Norwegian coastal cruise continues in the evening from Tromsø.
Day 09: Cruise to Honningsvåg/Optional North Cape Excursion
This morning you will spend at sea before arriving in Honningsvåg around noon, where you have 3 hours at leisure. Excursion possibility to the North Cape Plateau where you can admire the panoramic view of the open wide expanse of the Arctic Ocean. Entrance to the North Cape Hall with viewing platform, souvenir shops, cinema, cafeteria and restaurant, is included in the excursion. The cruise continues in the afternoon towards Kirkenes.
Day 10: Cruise arrival/departure in Kirkenes
While you sleep, the ship continues sailing east along the Varanger peninsula, past Båtsfjord and Vardø. At breakfast time, you will pass by Vadsø, the administrative centre of Finnmark. It was from here that the Arctic explorers Roald Amundsen and Lincoln Ellsworth began their flights over the North Pole in the airship, Norge. At 10 am you will arrive in Kirkenes, the last stop on the northbound journey with Hurtigruten. The town lies between two time lines, Helsinki and Moscow. Here you have the opportunity to choose between several shore excursions. Departure from Kirkenes for the southbound journey around noon.
Day 11: Southbound cruise: Hammerfest - Tromsø
Cruise arrival in Hammerfest, the first town in Norway to have electric street lighting. As early as 1891, residents could enjoy fully lit streets during the winter darkness. The journey continues south-west towards Tromsø, where you arrive late in the evening.
Day 12: Cruise via Harstad and Lofoten Islands
Morning arrival in Harstad, where you can join the optional shore excursion, A Taste of Vesterålen, where you will discover Viking history, breathtaking scenery and wonderful sights. While you are on the excursion Hurtigruten cruises along Vesterålen Islands to Lofoten Islands. When choosing the excursion, you will be brought to Sortland by bus, where you will rejoin Hurtigruten. Before arriving in Svolvær you can join a 2-hour sea eagle safari, where you may observe up to five or six majestic birds within an hour. Arrival in Svolvær before dinnertime. Svolvær, the undisputed capital of the Lofoten Islands, is easily identified by the towering Svolværgeita Mountain. Spend the hour-long stop exploring the quays. Our last stop for the day is Stamsund, a fishing station built into the rock, almost in defiance of nature. It is now one of the largest fishing stations in Lofoten.
Day 13: Cruise along the Helgeland Coast
Cruise along the Helgeland coastline. Numerous legends and stories are associated with this coastline. One such story is about the Seven Sisters and Torghatten Mountain and how they came to be such unusual shapes. A myth about the beautiful sisters tells of how they ran away from their father, Suliskongen, and danced naked in the waters of the fjord. Unfortunately, the sisters forgot that when the sun rose they would all be turned into stone. Now they stand there, all in a row, as captivating and lovely as ever before. You spend the day at sea and can enjoy the spectacular views of this cruise in one of the cafés, restaurants or panorama lounges. To get the real winter feeling you should put on your winter clothes and go outside to the sundeck. From there you can admire the wildlife of the Norwegian coast.
Day 14: Cruise arrival in Trondheim
Early morning arrival in Trondheim. The day is at your own leisure. We recommend a stroll in Bakklandet, located on the east bank of the river Nid. Here you will find old wooden buildings which were formerly worker’s dwellings but are now partly restored as homes or charming shops and restaurants. Accommodation in Trondheim.
Day 15: Travel by train to Oslo
Breakfast at the hotel. Morning departure by train from Trondheim to Oslo. During the 7-hour train ride you will travel on the Dovre Railway, which brings you across the Dovre Mountain and through the Gudbrandsdal Valley to Oslo. Accommodation in Oslo.
Day 16: Departure from Oslo
Breakfast at the hotel. Departure from Oslo according to your own itinerary.
Terms & Conditions
Booking conditions
All bookings, changes, alternations and cancellations must be made in writing.
All rates are quoted in euro (EUR) per person and include taxes and VAT. Authentic
Scandinavia guarantees no changes in the prices of confirmed tours. A detailed list of
all services included in the tour price will be specified under each tour (please see Price
Details). Any extra expenses incurred by the client during the tour, for example use of
telephone, hotel mini-bars, etc. must be paid directly by the client to the hotel or other
provider of such services, prior to departure.
Amendments to confirmed reservations
Changes to confirmed tours will incur a EUR 50 amendment fee. This fee will apply to each
amendment made for the tour.
Refunds and unused services
Travel arrangements cancelled or amended within 24 hours of your departure or once travel
has commenced will not qualify for any refunds, nor can services be substituted for
alternative arrangements. Unused services are non-refundable.
Cancellation
All cancellations must be made in writing to info@authentic-scandinavia.com.
The date of the cancellation shall be when Authentic Scandinavia receives it in writing (our
office hours are Monday-Friday 09:00 – 17:00 hrs, CET).
The following cancellation fees apply on Independent- and Escorted Tours:
Over 30 days prior to departure - Loss of full deposit
Between 30-15 days prior to departure - 50% of total payment
Between 14-0 days prior to departure - 100% of total payment
The following cancellation fees apply on tours including Hurtigruten & Göta Canal:
Over 60 days prior to departure - Loss of full deposit
Between 60-42 days prior to departure - 30% of total payment
Between 41-28 days prior to departure - 60% of total payment
Between 27-0 days prior to departure - 100% of total payment
Passport, visas, customs, currency and health regulations
Every participant is responsible for providing his/her own travel documents (i.e. passport,
visa, vaccination certificates etc). We recommend a careful examination of the customs/duty
regulations and currency regulations for the respective destination(s). Please note that your
passport details are required for all bookings including cruises (overnight cruises, as well as
all cruises with Hurtigruten).
Travel insurance
Authentic Scandinavia recommends that each customer has adequate travel insurance, also
to include cancellation cover.
Authentic Scandinavia can not be held responsible for loss of luggage, or other personal
possessions, for personal injury, accident or illness. In the event of personal injury, accident
or illness, Authentic Scandinavia cannot be required to make any refunds should the tour be
partially cancelled or cancelled.
Cancellation by Authentic Scandinavia
Due to reasons of higher power and reasons beyond our control, Authentic Scandinavia
reserves the right to cancel the tour. Monies paid for services will be refunded, but Authentic
Scandinavia will not be liable for any further claims.
Liability by Authentic Scandinavia
Authentic Scandinavia has the obligation to choose all services carefully, and to prepare the
tour in the best way possible. In the unlikely event that services are not fully carried out due
to an error through Authentic Scandinavia, we reserve the right to provide equivalent
services in compensation. In this case, further damage claims will not be accepted.
Subject to this settlement, in case a breach of contract is committed the direct liability of
Authentic Scandinavia for immediate loss or injury to the client subsists, provided that the
breach was not caused by Force Majeure or the behavior of the client or a tour participant,
and that it is a question of the non-performance of a promised service or an alteration of
services which has less value than the service agreed upon in the original agreement. The
amount of this liability is restricted by the sum of the agreed cost of the tour.
Furthermore the providers of the various services are basically personally liable to the client,
in case the services are not being carried out in a satisfying way or to their full extent,
contrary to the expectations.
The liability of the individual coach, taxi, shipping and other transport companies contracted
by Authentic Scandinavia for the purpose of organizing a tour, depends on the appropriate
laws of the general conditions of business, on the contracts obligations and on common
usage.
Any arising complaints must be directed to Authentic Scandinavia immediately and confirmed
in writing. In case complaints cannot be solved on the spot, they have to be directed to
Authentic Scandinavia in writing within 30 days after the termination of the tour. Later claims
cannot be taken into consideration.
Activities
Some of our tour packages include activities such as dog sledding, and optional activities
such as glacier walks, snowmobile safaris, ice fishing and similar. In this relation Authentic
Scandinavia acts as an agent only for the activity providers, thus Authentic Scandinavia shall
not under any circumstances be held liable for injury, damage, loss or accident caused by
participation in or in connection with such activities.
Acceptance
By paying the deposit/final amount the customer has accepted the general terms and
conditions listed in this document, as a part of the agreement between Authentic Scandinavia
and the customer.
Privacy policy
We ask for personal information in the booking request section. This information is necessary
to ensure that we are able to make and confirm your booking. This information will not be
used for any other purpose, and will not be shared with any other outside parties except for
necessary information given to our suppliers involved in your reservation (hotels etc.).
The personal information will not be sold or shared, and your e-mail address will not be
forwarded to outside parties.
Booking & Payment Procedure
1) Reservations
All reservations will be on request; you will not receive an immediate online confirmation.
2) Confirmation of services
You will receive a confirmation by e-mail as soon as all services (hotels, trains etc.) included
in the selected package tour are confirmed. The confirmation will be sent to you between 24-
48 hours after the reservation has been made (Monday-Friday).
3) Payment
Information about payment procedures will be sent to you by e-mail simultaneously with the
confirmation of all services.
We offer the following methods of payment:
- Secure online payment by credit card
- By credit card through our office terminal (credit card details must be sent by fax)
- Bank transfer
The following credit cards are accepted: VISA and MasterCard
4) Deposit
A deposit of EUR 100 per person is due within 10 days of receiving our confirmation.
For package tours including Göta Canal and longer voyages with Hurtigruten, as well as for Escorted Coach Tours and Partly Escorted tours, a deposit of 10% of the total booking price is due within 10 days of receiving our confirmation. The deposit is non-refundable.
By longer cruises with Hurtigruten we refer to cruises of 3 nights and more.
5) Additional add-ons
Once we have received your deposit you can book additional add-ons, including sightseeing,
city cards etc. Further information will be sent in a separate e-mail as soon as we have
received your deposit.
Should any of the additional add-ons be essential for your to commit to the reservation,
please kindly specify the required add-ons in the remarks field when submitting your
reservation (step 3 in the booking process). Examples of such add-ons may be dog-sledding,
overnight at ice hotel etc.
6) Final payment
Final payment is due 45 days prior to travel. For package tours including Hurtigruten and Göta Canal the final payment is due 65 days prior to travel.
7) Last minute bookings
Bookings made less than 45 days prior to travel must be paid in full as soon as you receive
our written confirmation.
8) Failure to complete payment
Automatic cancellation of your booking will occur if payment has not been received by the
specified date.
9) Travel Documents
The travel documents will be sent to you by e-mail after we have received your final payment.
The documents will be sent no later than 2 weeks before the start of your tour.
About the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis)
If you are outdoors one evening during wintertime you might catch a glimpse of some
flickering curtains of lights, apparently dancing across the dark sky. This is Northern Lights -
Nature's own firework.
Facts about Northern Lights:
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The Northern Lights are particles that are hurled into space after storms on the sun’s
surface. They are attracted by the magnetic North Pole (and South Pole) and enter
the atmosphere in a ring-like zone around the poles.
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The best places to see the Northern Lights are above the arctic circle, making
Northern Scandinavia ideal for Northern Lights observations.
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The Northern Lights are visible between November and March when the sky is dark
and clear, depending on the Northern Lights activity.
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The best chances of spotting the Northern Lights are away from the lights of the city
centres.
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The greatest frequency is between 6 pm and 2 am.
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Patience and dedication will pay off. The Northern Lights may be visible for a couple
of minutes or most of the evening.
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Most of the Northern Lights outbursts visible in Northern Scandinavia are green, but
large outbursts can also include other colors.
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Northern Lights observations are never guaranteed.
How to increase your chances of experiencing the Northern Lights:
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Go on a Northern Lights visit to a dark place away from the city lights. Our Northern
Lights hosts provide a lavvo (traditional Saami tent) with an open fire, a hot drink and
a slice of cake while you are waiting for the Northern Lights to appear.
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Participate in an evening activity like dog sledding, a sleigh ride, a trip with reindeer
and sled, snowshoeing or a cross-country skiing course. This way, you can enjoy a
fun winter activity whilst at the same time wait for the Northern Lights to appear.
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When in Tromsø take bus 37 to Tromsø Museum and take a long stroll along Tromsø
Island’s dark western side. Use a couple of hours strolling to the bus terminal at
Giæverbukta, from where there are frequent departures to the city centre right up until
11:30pm.
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Hire cross-country skis at Sportshuset in Tromsø. Go on a long ski trip in the floodlit
ski tracks above the city. Good exercise, fresh air, great views and maybe the
appearance of the Northern Lights as well. There are also good floodlit ski tracks
across the bridge in Tromsdalen.
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Go on the popular excursion, departing Tromsø by bus at 4pm and arriving in
Skjervøy in time to return to Tromsø on the Costal Express Steamer (Hurtigruten).
The ship travels through utter darkness and has excellent viewing lounges, which
makes it possible to sit inside without missing out on the possibility to see the
Northern Lights. It is possible to check the weather forecast and book this tour at the
Visitors’ Centre right up until an hour before departure.
