DAY 1 - ARRIVAL IN OSLO Fly to Oslo and check-in to the modern four-star Scandic Byporten Hotel with breakfast, ideally located right in the centre of the city. The reception is welcoming and bright with a lobby bar where you can relax with a well-earned drink after a hard day’s sightseeing and enjoy views of city life through the panoramic windows. The light, modern rooms are furnished in typically Scandinavian calm, neutral tones and are well-appointed.
DAY 2 - OSLO Norway’s small capital city is a beguiling mix of old and new, featuring world-class museums, cutting- edge contemporary architecture and beautiful open spaces. On our short city tour we’ll see the National Gallery which houses the original of Edward Munch’s ‘The Scream’, the imposing Royal Palace, the Ibsen Museum and the famed Vigeland sculpture park. We then reach the peninsula of Bygdøy and Oslo’s most popular attraction - the Viking Ship Museum. This houses two incredible 1000-year old oak Viking longships in a remarkable state of preservation. From here you may walk to see the Kon-Tiki Museum housing the actual reed and balsawood craft used by Norwegian adventurer Thor Heyerdahl on his landmark expeditions to recreate ancient man’s theoretical voyages in the 1950s. Next door is the Polar exploration ship Fram, used by Roald Amundsen on his journey to Antarctica. The rest of the day is free to explore this charming city with the use of the Oslo Pass, which allows free entry to the city’s museums and galleries, plus unrestricted travel on public transport.
DAY 3 - TELEMARK Today begins with a journey west to the picturesque Telemark region made famous by the Norwegian resistance, whose heroic actions between 1942–44 helped prevent the occupying German forces from developing the ‘heavy water’ needed to further their atomic bomb-making capabilities. We visit the site of the processing plant at Rjukan that was destroyed by a team of Norwegian saboteurs in February 1943, then travel to Lake Tinnsjø. It was from here that the Germans planned to transport their remaining stocks of processed ‘heavy water’ back to Germany but the ‘Heroes of Telemark’ as they became known (you have probably seen the film of the same name) blew up and sank the steam ferry carrying the heavy water. We travel back through this stunning landscape finishing with a visit to the country’s largest ‘stave’ Church at Heddal, a spectacular 13th century wooden structure that looks like something straight out of a fairytale and return to our hotel in Oslo.
DAY 4 - BERGEN RAILWAY Today, you experience one of the world’s most scenic rail journeys, between Oslo and Bergen. This is the highest line between any two cities in Europe, peaking at 1,222m. One moment you are speeding alongside lakes and forests stretching as far as the eye can see and then, as the tracks climb higher, you are past the tree line and on to the barren Hardangervidda plateau where snow lingers well into July. Just over 5hrs later you arrive at the mountain resort of Voss, where you check into the historic four-star Fleischer’s Hotel for two nights with breakfast and dinner. This beautiful, classic hotel, dates back to the 19th century and is still owned by the fourth generation Fleischer family! You will be assured a warm welcome on arrival into the reception area with its lovely wooden paneling, furnished with comfortable leather chairs and sofas in rich, relaxing colours. Dine in style in the elegant restaurant before retiring to the cosy bar for a digestif. Enjoy stunning lake and mountain views from the large terrace or take a swim in the indoor pool. The rooms are classically decorated in warm tones and
offer all the facilities you would expect in a hotel of this quality.
DAY 5 - FLÅM RAILWAY There’s a real treat in store today – a trip on the world-famous Flåm Railway. From Voss we head to Myrdal, where we change trains for Flåm, a 20km journey that sees us descend 865m on one of the world’s steepest railways, deemed ‘the world’s best train ride’. You will marvel at the engineering feat of 20 tunnels carved through sheer mountainsides, you will be left speechless at the beauty of the sheer cliffs and cascading waterfalls and you will be in awe as you eventually reach the mouth of one of Norway’s most spectacular fjords, Aurlandsfjord. From Flåm, you board a ferry for Gudvangen across the UNESCO-listed Naerøyfjord and its jaw- dropping vistas. From Gudvangen you take a coach for the return journey to Voss.
DAY 6 - VØRINGFOSSEN & FJORD CRUISE We leave Voss crossing Norway’s longest suspension bridge over Hardangerfjord, the country’s second longest fjord. We continue inland to Vøringfossen, Norway’s most renowned and dramatic waterfall. As it falls 182m into the sheer-sided gorge below, you may be lucky enough to see its amazing rainbow. We head back to the waters of Hardangerfjord for a cruise along the fjord, passing by some charming tiny villages, before continuing on by coach to Bergen, where you’ll stay for two nights at the historic Grand Hotel Terminus where dinner is included tonight. This beautifully renovated, classic Art Deco hotel dates back to 1928. Relax in the atmospheric oak-paneled bar, serving speciality whiskeys. All the rooms have been tastefully and sympathetically furnished.
DAY 7 - BERGEN Bergen has a long fishing heritage and we will walk around its fish market before strolling along the colourful wooden houses that make up the UNESCO site of the Bryggen Hanseatic Wharf. Built in the 14th century for German merchants trading out of the city, these beautiful waterside buildings have been converted into characterful shops and restaurants that evoke Bergen’s medieval past. The afternoon is spent at your leisure. Sightseeing opportunities include the house of composer Edvard Grieg, or a ride on the Fløibanen funicular for a breathtaking view of the city. Or perhaps simply stroll around the narrow, cobbled streets before settling down in a café or restaurant to order a plate of fruits de mer. They are guaranteed to be as fresh as the air, water and panoramas that you have experienced over the past six days that make Norway so wonderfully invigorating and unique.
DAY 8 - RETURN FLIGHT Fly home.
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