Norway’s Spirit Tour: Beauty, Culture & History

Welcome to Norway! We will meet our guide at our hotel to start our journey with an Oslo City Tour via motorcoach. In addition to an orientation to the city, we will learn about the history and daily life in Norway’s capital city. Stops will include Holmenkollen Hill, Vigeland Sculpture Park, and a visit to the Grini Museum.

After the visit, we will be dropped off at our hotel for a chance to freshen up before gathering for a welcome dinner at the hotel.

Overnight at Radisson Blu Plaza or similar

Breakfast at the hotel.

This morning, we will be picked up by our guide for a tour of Norway’s Resistance Museum. Then we will make the quick trip to Bygdøy peninsula for a tour of the Oslo Folk Museum including the Gol Stave Church, a 12th century partially reconstructed stave church from the Hallingdal region.

In the afternoon we have several activity options:

• Museum Exploration: Further explore additional museums independently in the area. Bygdøy is home to many of Oslo’s museums, including Norwegian Maritime Museum, The Kon-Tiki Museum, Fram Museum of Polar Exploration, and the Holocaust Center.
• Akerselva River Walk and Food Hall: Explore Oslo like a local! You will meet your guide in central Oslo for a quick train ride to Maridalen Lake to walk along the Akerselva river, passing both through industrial areas and scenic waterfalls. Explore the picturesque areas of Damstredet & Telthusbakken and then onto the vibrant Vulkan district where you will end your tour with a food tasting at Mathallen Food Hall. $135 per person.
• Munch Museum Visit: Enjoy an afternoon in one of Oslo’s newest and coolest museums, home of the Munch collection and other contemporary art. $38 per person.

Overnight at Radisson Blu Plaza or similar

Breakfast at the hotel. Collect your items and check out.

This morning, we will depart for Notodden Telemark for a visit to the Heddal Stave Church. This is one of the largest of the remaining stave churches, dating from the 13th century, and is still in operation today. After visiting Heddal, we will have lunch in a local restaurant in Notodden.

After lunch, we will stop at the Giant Sun Mirrors in Rjukan, a unique innovation to bring the sun deep into the shady valley. Next, we will check into the hotel and enjoy a relaxing afternoon taking in the mountain views.

Check into the hotel and enjoy relaxing and the mountain views.

Tonight’s group dinner will be quite a memorable experience! You will be served a 3-course dinner in the old broadcasting room inside Gaustatoppen, one of Norway’s most secret military defense facilities. Along with dinner, you will hear captivating stories, bringing the Cold War to life.

Overnight at Gaustablikk Fjellresort

Breakfast at the hotel. Collect your items and check out.

This morning, we will start the day with a tour of the Norwegian Industrial Workers Museum and the Heavy Water Cellar and learn about the important history of this area and how it was instrumental in preventing Germans from developing atomic weapons. This former industrial complex is now recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Lunch is included this afternoon before the trip to Flåm.

We will have a chance for a brief stop in Geilo to stretch our legs and a stop at the iconic Stegastein Viewpoint before checking into our hotel and enjoying a buffet dinner.

Overnight at Fretheim Hotel

Breakfast at the hotel.

This morning, enjoy a cruise through the beautiful Nærøyfjord from Flåm to Gudvangen. We will visit the Viking Village Njardarheimr to experience the history and culture of the Viking Age and have a Viking Style lunch at Viking Valley.

In the afternoon we will ride the famous Flåmsbana up to the mountain station of Myrdal and back. We will witness spectacular scenery including mountainsides, tiny, charming villages, foaming waterfalls, and tunnels.

Dinner is included tonight at the hotel.

Overnight at Fretheim Hotel

Breakfast at the hotel. Collect your items and check out.

This morning, we will head to Borgund for a tour of the Borgund Stave Church, and exceptionally well preserved and most distinctive stave church in Norway. We will arrive in Balestrand in the afternoon where lunch can be arranged independently.

Take in the sights of the Sognefjord at the historic Kviknes Hotel and enjoy some of the the best of fjord views that Norway has to offer.

Optional Balestrand tours:

• RIB Boat to Finnabotn: Enjoy the thrill of a RIB boat as you have the chance to visit the Finnafjord, the most secluded arm of the Sognefjord. the most secluded arm of the Sognefjord. (Private tour minimum of 12 or 24.) $218 per person.
• Bike Rental: Rent a bicycle in Balestrand and cycle around the Esefjord to Dragsvik and back. $82 per person.
• Kayaking Rental: Join a kayaking tour in Balestrand to explore the Sognefjord and sheltered Esefjord. You will hear about life in the village and enjoy a stop on land. $125 per person.

Tonight, the group will have the opportunity to learn about the long tradition of making cider in the area with a Cider Program tasting and dinner.

Overnight at Kviknes Hotel

Breakfast at the hotel. Collect your items and check out.

Depart this morning from Balestrand to Bergen with a first stop at Tvindefossen waterfall. With a height of 380 feet, legends say the water is filled with magical properties and thus nicknamed “the Fountain of Youth”. Our next stop is in Voss with a tour and lunch at the Sylvsmidja Silversmith, Norway’s largest jewelry workshop and the world’s leading artisan of Norwegian Bunad silver.

Departing Voss, the group will stop for a tour of the Oleana Économusée, an award-winning Norwegian factory and design studio on the outskirts of Bergen.

Our evening is free to explore Bergen and dine on our own.

Overnight at Clarion Hotel Admiral – Bergen

Breakfast at the hotel.

Today, we will gather for a fun and informative Food & Culture Walking Tour. Take in the city’s highlights on a guided walking tour and discover culinary specialties along the way. Explore the historic wharf, visit the local fish market, and learn about popular Norwegian foods as we stop to sample delicious regional delicacies as our included lunch.

We will have some free time in the afternoon to explore Bergen’s many museums or ride the Fløibanen Funicular up to the top of Mount Fløyen for stunning views over Bergen and the fjord. Or hop a taxi to Troldhaugen, the Edvard Grieg Museum!

In the evening, we will gather at the hotel for the short walk to Bryggeloftet for a farewell to Norway dining experience steeped in 100 years of heritage and tradition.

Overnight at Clarion Hotel Admiral – Bergen

Breakfast at the hotel. Collect your items and check out.

For those who will depart Bergen today, one morning transfer will be scheduled for your return flight to the US.

For those who would like assistance with a heritage extension, a customized extension itinerary will be arranged and provided