Itinerary Norway May 10 - 19, 2011
$2,895 per person
Double Occupancy
Syttende Mai in Oslo, Norway
Day 1: Bergen
Our group will arrive in Bergen by air from Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Our private motor coach will be there to arrange the transfer into the city. Check in at your hotel, relax and get accustomed to the time change. Evening free to relax or the city of Bergen.
Overnight at your hotel.
http://www.visitbergen.com/en/
Day 2: Bergen
Buffet breakfast at your hotel.
Tour includes roundtrip tickets to ride the Floibanen Funicular to the top of Mount Floien. The views of Bergen and the harbor below are spectacular and the hiking trails are well marked and interesting.
Tour includes tickets to the Rosenkranz Tårnet and Håkonshallen Fortress.
Afternoon free to tour the many historical buildings on Bryggen Wharf and the Torget (market) on Fish Square at Vågen Harbor.
Overnight at your hotel.
Day 3: Bergen - Flåm.
Buffet breakfast at your hotel.
This morning our private motor coach will meet us at the hotel at 7am for a very short ride to the wharf of Bergen where we will board the catamaran (fast boat) that will take us on a 5 hr cruise of the fjords including the majestic Sognefjord. In the afternoon, the boat will dock in Flåm where we will board our private motor coach for a very short ride to the Fretheim hotel.
Check in at the hotel.
Afternoon free to relax or explore Flåm.
Overnight with dinner included at the Fretheim Hotel, Flåm
http://www.visitflam.no/default.asp
Day 4: Flåm -Lillehammer.
Buffet breakfast at your hotel.
This morning we will continue the tour by coach along the Aurlandsfjord and through the world's longest tunnel (24.5 kms) to Laerdal and up along the river to Borgund for an inside visit to the Borgund Stave Church dating back to the 12th century.
After visiting Borgund Stave Church, the tour will continue by private motor coach over the Filefjell Mountain to Gjøvik. Then along the lake Mjøsa to Lillehammer.
Check in at your hotel in the center of town. Evening free to relax and savor the local cuisine at one of Lillehammer’s many nearby restaurants.
http://www.lillehammer.com/
Overnight at your hotel
Day 5: Lillehammer
Buffet breakfast at your hotel.
Spend the day exploring the sites of the 1994 Winter Olympics. Climb the stairs or take chair lift to top of Olympic ski jump and enjoy a panoramic view of Lillehammer, Lake Mjøsa and the hill’s amphitheater. There is an alpine downhill and bobsleigh simulator on the landing area of the ski jumping hill. Charge down the downhill course at Kvitfjell, or take a trip in a virtual bobsleigh down the Bobsleigh and Luge Track – all in safe and comfortable surroundings.
If folklore history is your interest, take a tour Maihaugen Museum. Maihaugen ranks as the largest open-air museum in Europe and houses 185 buildings plus more than 40000 objects. Maihaugen presents a rural society through churches, homes, farm yards and tools from the Gudbrandsdalen valley which extends north from Lillehammer. Traditional farming methods and handicrafts are also on show.
The centre of Lillehammer -- with its award-winning pedestrian street Storgata at its hub - is famous around the world. Charming and historically important buildings serve as the backdrop for a modern and bustling shopping environment with a number of specialist shops and an excellent range of products to choose from. Shopping on the charming main street – Storgata
Overnight at your hotel.
Day 6: Lillehammer-Oslo.
Buffet breakfast at your hotel.
Our private motor coach will meet at the hotel for transfer to Oslo.
The group leave Lillehammer this morning and travel along the shores of Lake Mjøsa past the town of Hamar to Eidsvoll where we will stop for a guided tour of the Eidsvoll building. Eidsvoll is the site where the Norwegian Constitution was signed 17th of May 1814.
In the afternoon we will arrive in Oslo where we will check in at our hotel.
Evening free to relax or explore Oslo.
Overnight at your hotel.
Day 7: Oslo
Buffet breakfast at your hotel.
Syttende Mai in Oslo is special. Explore the city. We will go watch the Syttende Mai parade with all its festivities on Oslo's main street Karl Johans Gate. The parade will ass the Royal Palace at the end of Karl Johans Gate. Here the parade is greeted by the Royal family of Norway. You will treasure the sounds, music and sights. This is a once in a lifetime experiences
Evening free to relax or explore Oslo’s nightlife. Night clubs, bars, jazz and blues clubs, pubs and cafes’ – to classical music and theatre. Oslo has a little bit of everything.
Overnight and dinner at your hotel.
http://www.visitoslo.com/en/
Day 8: Oslo
Buffet breakfast at your hotel.
Walking tour of Oslo – your hosts will lead a private walking tour of Oslo. Our walking tour will include both historic and cultural sights of Oslo.
Oslo is the biggest city in Norway, and has been the country's capital since 1814. The Goverment and Parliament are located here, and at the end of Oslo's main street, Karl Johans Gate, you’ll find the Royal Palace. Just a short walk away is the Akershus Castle and fortress.
Evening free to relax or explore Oslo’s nightlife. Night clubs, bars, jazz and blues clubs, pubs and cafes’ – to classical music and theatre. Oslo has a little bit of everything.
Overnight at your hotel.
Day 9: Oslo - Gardermoen Airport - Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Buffet breakfast at your hotel.
Leave Oslo this morning for a short train ride to Gardermoen Airport for departure to Minneapolis, Minnesota.