Original
Explorer
Scandinavia Explorer
4.8
Excellent
47 reviews
15 days
Start
Oslo, Norway
Finish
Helsinki, Finland
Trip Code
BMSH
Min Age
15
Trip Size
1 - 12
Physical Rating
Meals
12 breakfasts, 1 lunch, 1 dinner
Transport
Train, Public bus, Overnight ferry, Private vehicle, Tram, Metro
Accommodation
Hotel (9 Nights), Cabin (2 nights), Bed and Breakfast (2 nights), Overnight ferry (1 night)
From £4,725(15 days)
Trip Informations
Why you’ll love this trip
Norway's fjords feature some of the most stunning scenery on Earth. Cruise past waterfalls and snow-capped peaks through the narrow Naeroyfjord.
Visit Dalarna County, nestled in middle Sweden and often referred as “Sweden in miniature” for the abundance of lakes, forests, and local traditions.
Follow your local guide along the narrow, winding roads through genuine villages, past the typical red painted cottages and explore unique sights around Siljan lake rural settlements. You'll even get a chance to meet and mingle with the locals living in these villages.
Discover Stockholm's maritime history at the Vasa Museum, which houses an original wooden war ship from 1628. This impressive vessel gives you a rare glimpse into the naval power Sweden was once famous for.
Wind up your adventure in Helsinki for a Scandinavian culture binge. Senate Square, the market hall, the sea fortress of Suomenlinna and the Design Museum are just some of the highlights of this amazing city.
Is this trip right for you?
The areas visited on this trip can be very cold at night throughout the year, especially at the start and end of the season. Please bring appropriate clothing for adverse weather conditions, including base layers, hat, gloves, scarf, coat and anything else that will keep you cosy.
Scandinavia can be an expensive destination in many ways, from museum entrance fees to optional activities, but especially in terms of eating out. Your leader will be able to advise on how to have the best value holiday in Scandinavia.
Space is at a premium in Europe and your hotel is no exception. Rooms are often small, but usually the central location makes up for that. For those travelling as a duo, hotels often don't have double beds, but rather two single beds that can be pushed together. Occasionally bathrooms will be shared with other guests.
This trip is designed to give you a fair amount of free time so you can explore each destination at your own pace. We will, however, take you on regular orientation walks, so you'll be on your feet quite a lot. While this may be tiring for some, it’s the best way to get your head around a place and to set yourself up for further discoveries.
On this trip we predominantly travel by public transport therefore we recommend packing light and smart as you'll be required to carry your own luggage between train stations, ferry ports and hotels, which can include going up and down multiple flights of stairs, and across cobblestones. Train stations often don’t have lifts available.
If you have more time to explore the region you can extend your trip by combining it with our 'Baltic Experience' trip, travelling from Helsinki through the Baltic States, and ending in Vilnius. Alternatively, you could start the trip in Copenhagen by combining it with our 'Taste of Scandinavia' trip.
The areas visited on this trip can be very cold at night throughout the year, especially at the start and end of the season. Please bring appropriate clothing for adverse weather conditions, including base layers, hat, gloves, scarf, coat and anything else that will keep you cosy.
Scandinavia can be an expensive destination in many ways, from museum entrance fees to optional activities, but especially in terms of eating out. Your leader will be able to advise on how to have the best value holiday in Scandinavia.
Space is at a premium in Europe and your hotel is no exception. Rooms are often small, but usually the central location makes up for that. For those travelling as a duo, hotels often don't have double beds, but rather two single beds that can be pushed together. Occasionally bathrooms will be shared with other guests.
This trip is designed to give you a fair amount of free time so you can explore each destination at your own pace. We will, however, take you on regular orientation walks, so you'll be on your feet quite a lot. While this may be tiring for some, it’s the best way to get your head around a place and to set yourself up for further discoveries.
On this trip we predominantly travel by public transport therefore we recommend packing light and smart as you'll be required to carry your own luggage between train stations, ferry ports and hotels, which can include going up and down multiple flights of stairs, and across cobblestones. Train stations often don’t have lifts available.
If you have more time to explore the region you can extend your trip by combining it with our 'Baltic Experience' trip, travelling from Helsinki through the Baltic States, and ending in Vilnius. Alternatively, you could start the trip in Copenhagen by combining it with our 'Taste of Scandinavia' trip.
Itinerary
Tour Scandinavia on a trip through Norway, Sweden and Finland
Tour Scandinavia and discover the many charms and delights on this two-week adventure through Norway, Sweden and Finland. Travel through some of Europe's most stylish capitals and be wowed by some of the world's biggest fjords. Visit Norway's uber-cool Oslo, travel to Sweden's vibrant Stockholm and explore Finland's hip Helsinki. Along the way, uncover a Viking past, learn of maritime heritage and get swept up in Olympic fever and embrace the Swedish “lagom” lifestyle away from hustle and bustle in the idyllic countryside. Whether it's walking along charming streets in Bergen or sailing through vast fjords, you'll undoubtedly be left with a multitude of memories from this once-in-a-lifetime Scandinavian adventure.
Inclusions
Meals
12 breakfasts, 1 lunch, 1 dinner
Transport
Train, Public bus, Overnight ferry, Private vehicle, Tram, Metro
Accommodation
Hotel (9 Nights), Cabin (2 nights), Bed and Breakfast (2 nights), Overnight ferry (1 night)
Included activities
Oslo - Leader-led orientation walk
Bergen - Floy Mountain Funicular round trip
Gudvangen - Naeroyfjord Boat Cruise to Flam (one way)
Lillehammer - Maihaugen Open Air Museum
Lake Siljan - Cultural Village tour with picnic lunch
Stockholm - Orientation Walk
Stockholm - Vasa Museum
Helsinki - Orientation Walk
Optional activities
Oslo - Holmenkollen Museum - NOK195
Oslo - Fram Museum - NOK180
Oslo - Akershus Castle & Fortress - NOK100
Oslo - Island Hopping on Oslofjord - NOK130
Oslo - Museum Edvard Munch - NOK180
Oslo - Resistance Museum - NOK100
Oslo - 24 hour Transport and Sightseeing Pass - NOK550
Oslo - The Norwegian Museum of Cultural History - NOK195
Bergen - Mt Ulriken Cable Car & Shuttle - NOK310
Bergen - Vidden Trail Hike - Free
Bergen - Bergenhus Fortress - Free
Bergen - Aquarium - NOK370
Bergen - Rosenkrantz Tower - NOK170
Bergen - Hakons Hall - NOK120
Gudvangen - Bike Hire - NOK350
Gudvangen - Kayak Hire - Half Day - NOK650
Flam - Gauge Railway - NOK730
Flam - Stegastein Lookout - NOK470
Flam - Railway Museum - Free
Gudvangen - Hiking Options - Free
Lillehammer - Sigrid Undset's Home at Bjerkebæk - NOK160
Lillehammer - Hiking Options - Free
Lillehammer - Olympic Museum - NOK225
Lake Siljan – Historic boat trip - SEK250
Lake Siljan – Canoe or SUP rental - SEK150
Stockholm - Millennium Books Tour - SEK450
Stockholm - Drottningholm Palace - SEK150
Stockholm - Skansen Open Air Museum - SEK285
Stockholm - Abba Museum - SEK299
Stockholm - Fotografiska (Photography Museum) - SEK220
Stockholm - City Hall - SEK150
Stockholm - Nobel Prize Museum - SEK150
Stockholm - Nordic Museum - SEK170
Stockholm - Gröna Lund Amusement Park - SEK130
Stockholm - The Royal Palace - SEK200
Helsinki - National Museum of Finland - EUR20
Helsinki - Cathedral - EUR10
Helsinki - City Museum - Free
Helsinki - Suomenlinna Sea Fortress - EUR7
Helsinki - Design Museum - EUR20
Helsinki - Open-Air Museum Seurasaari - EUR18
Helsinki - Mannerheim Museum - EUR14
Helsinki - Kiasma Contemporary Art Museum - EUR22
Helsinki - Rock Church - EUR8
Dates and availability
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Important notes
1. A single supplement is available on this trip, subject to availability. Please contact your sales agent if you would like to book this. The single supplement excludes Days 9 and 10, where you will be in shared accommodation.
2. Please provide your full name exactly as per passport at the time of booking (including any middle names listed on your passport) for ferry tickets. Fees may apply for adding or amending details within 45 days of departure, and in some cases you will be required to cover the cost of issuing a new ticket.
Reviews (46)
5 stars
37
4 stars
8
3 stars
1
Yvette
Aug 13, 2025
An excellent option for a first time visit to Scandinavia well balanced between cities and nature. It’s the middle leg of a longer tour. Expensive to travel, eat and be a tourist there but worth the lifetime of amazing scenery and memories. Highly recommend Flam zipline and bikeride! Decent hotel breakfasts too.
Steven
Aug 12, 2025
Vali was an excellent guide for us on our Scandinavia Explorer trip! There was a good mix of things to do and see and good times were had by all. Norway was particularly spectacular!
Lisa
Jul 29, 2025
I am a solo traveler. It was nice to travel with a group of like-minded people who I could spend as much or little time with as I wanted and still meet up for dinner at the end of the day to compare experiences.
Jane
Jul 24, 2025
We have just completed the Scandinavia explorer . Found it to be an excellent trip with a wide variety mix of urban and natural attractions. Particularly loved the Norwegian fjords and boat ride . There was lots of free time. Appreciated the small group of 9 people . Experienced a variety of transport and packing light is necessary.
Anne
Jul 20, 2025
Fantastic itinerary to explore some of the highlights of the Nordics. Great mix of city and nature time. You will be especially lucky if Ruth is your leader!
Kevin
Jul 18, 2025
Excellent itinerary with a nice mix of settings and activities—both city and countryside. Great way to learn about this part of the world and its history. Our guide Ruth was the best!
Paul
Jun 29, 2025
We really enjoyed the Scandinavia Explorer trip in conjunction with A Taste of Scandinavia and covered all the Scandinavian cities and Norway fjord and lots in between. We got to learn the history of the region. We also got to try all the local foods from the area and the photos we took are postcards like. Highly recommended.
Maxine
Jun 29, 2025
We had a wonderful trip which was a good mixture of cities and countryside. Loved the fjords, the camp huts and the B&B accommodation.
Janne
Jun 14, 2025
Complete Scandinavia was wonderful way to discover Copenhagen, Olso, Bergen, Stockholm, Helsinki & the beautiful country & coast in between. We had so much fun along the way, learnt so much & our guide was fabulous - I would do it all again if there weren’t so many other wonderful things to see 😎
Rosemary
Jun 10, 2025
An excellent trip with Intrepid. It covers all the main highlights in Norway and Sweden (I left in Stockholm as I had already visited Helsinki in 2019). It is good that you have a lot of free time as it keeps the cost of the Intrepid tour down yet gives flexibility for travellers to pick and choose what they want to see. Thank you Noah - I really enjoyed travelling with you.
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