Day 1 – Thurs., July 7 – Minneapolis/St. Paul – Oslo

Depart Minneapolis/St. Paul on your transatlantic flight or request space from your home city upon registration.

Day 2 – Fri., July 8 – Oslo

Arrive at Oslo Airport Gardermoen. Transfer to the classic Grand Hotel in city center. Balance of day free to relax and adjust to time change. Welcome dinner.  D

Day 3 – Sat., July 9 – Oslo

Breakfast at hotel. Depart on a 3-hour city sightseeing tour of Oslo with local English-speaking guide. The tour includes the beautiful Frogner Park with the lifetime work of Gustav Vigeland, Norway’s greatest sculptor. Drive past the medieval fortress of Akershus, the Royal Palace, the City Hall and the busy Oslo harbor. Tour continues to the island of Bygdøy. Tour the impressive Viking Ship Museum, where you will find authentic 1,000-year-old Viking ships and archeological finds from Viking times, and the Kon-Tiki Museum, which houses the raft on which Thor Heyerdahl drifted across the Pacific Ocean from Peru to Polynesia. Tour concludes at your hotel. Afternoon and evening free for shopping and independent explorations.  Overnight at Grand Hotel.  B

Day 4 – Sun., July 10 – Oslo – Lofthus

Breakfast at hotel. Travel through the beautiful Hallingdal Valley. Cross the Hardanger Mountain Plateau and descend the wild Måbødal Canyon with a stop at the Vøring Waterfall plunging 600 feet into a narrow rock basin. Proceed along the Eid Fjord to Lofthus, located in Hardanger, the heart of Norway’s cherry, apple and pear orchards. Dinner and overnight at the exquisite Ullensvang Hotel (photo above) with a spectacular view of the Sør Fjord.  B,D

Day 5 – Mon., July 11 – Lofthus – Bergen

Breakfast at hotel. Tour and shopping at Hardanger Tinn, a pewter factory. Ferry from Kinsarvik to Kvanndal. Drive along the beautiful Hardanger Fjord via Øystese to Norheimsund. Opportunity to walk under the Steinsdal Waterfall on the 13-foot wide shelf between the fall and the mountain wall. Proceed to Bergen, Norway’s second largest city. Evening visit to Fana Folklore, a country festival featuring folk music, folk dancing and traditional Norwegian food. Overnight at Clarion Admiral Hotel (photo left).  B,D

Day 6 – Tues., July 12 – Bergen – Voss

Breakfast at hotel. Morning sightseeing tour of Bergen includes a visit to Troldhaugen, home of Norway’s renowned musician, the late Edvard Grieg. Afternoon at leisure for a stroll through the colorful Fish Market, shopping or independent explorations. Proceed to Voss for dinner and overnight at the charming Fleischer’s Hotel.  B,D

Day 7 - Wed., July 13 - Voss - Flåm - Skei

Breakfast at hotel. Depart Voss by train on the famous Oslo/Bergen Railway. At Myrdal change to the Flåm Line, deemed by some as the most fantastic train ride in Europe. Within 15 miles descend the Flåm Valley 2800 feet to the idyllic fjord community of Flåm. Drive through the world’s longest tunnel (15.22 miles) from Aurland to Lærdal. Visit Borgund Stave Church, one of Norway’s most interesting and best preserved of the remaining stave churches. Ferry across the mighty Sognefjord, the deepest and longest fjord in the world, from Fodnes to Mannheller. Drive to Sogndal and continue on the Fjærland road to Skei.  Dinner and overnight at Skei Hotel. B,D

Day 8 – Thurs., July 14 – Skei – Geiranger

Breakfast at hotel. Opportunity to purchase quality crafts and woven products at Audhild Viken’s Weaving Workshop prior to our departure for Geiranger. At Olden, enjoy an excursion to the sparkling Briksdal Glacier. Proceed to Hellesylt. Enjoy the beautiful Bridal Veil and Seven Sisters waterfalls while cruising on the renowned Geiranger Fjord to Geiranger. Dinner and overnight at the Union Hotel in Geiranger.  B,D

Day 9 – Fri., July 15 – Geiranger – Åndalsnes – Lillehammer

Breakfast at hotel. Travel the “Golden Route” climbing the Eagle Road to Eidsdal and continuing on the breathtaking Troll’s Path with its steep and narrow hairpin bends to Åndalsnes. Drive the Romsdal and Gudbrandsdal Valleys to the Olympic village of Lillehammer, nestled along the shores of Norway’s largest lake, Lake Mjøsa.  Dinner and overnight at Radisson SAS Lillehammer Hotel.  B,D

Day 10 – Sat., July 16 – Lillehammer – Oslo

Breakfast at hotel. View the sites of the 1994 Winter Olympics. Time on own for shopping and/or independent explorations prior to a festive farewell dinner at a local farm. Return to Oslo Airport Gardermoen for overnight at Radisson SAS Airport Hotel.  B,D

Day 11 – Sun., July 17 – Oslo-Minneapolis/St. Paul

Tour ends following breakfast. Proceed to airport for return flight. Longer stays may be requested upon registration for an additional charge of $30.