What languages are spoken?

Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish are mutually intelligible — a Dane, a Norwegian, and a Swede can understand each other with effort. English is spoken fluently by virtually all Scandinavians under 50. Your private guides speak English; your drivers speak English in all three countries.

What happens after I request this trip?

You'll complete a short planning form. A specialist responds within one business day with a personalised proposal and exact pricing. No obligation.

12-Day Private Package Journey

Essence of Scandinavia

Copenhagen, Oslo, the Nærøyfjord, Bergen, and Stockholm — the three kingdoms in twelve days.

Available as Private Semi-Private Self-Guided

From €5,490 per person 12 days / 11 nights

View Itinerary

Tour Overview

12 days across Scandinavia.

The three Scandinavian kingdoms share a family of languages, a design aesthetic, and a political tradition of social democracy that has produced the world's highest quality of life rankings for four consecutive decades — but they are unmistakably different countries with different characters. Denmark is small, flat, gastronomically serious, and historically more Continental European than its neighbours. Norway is dramatic, wealthy from oil since 1969, and geologically extraordinary in a way that no other European country can match. Sweden is the largest, most industrialised, and culturally most influential — the country of ABBA, IKEA, Ingmar Bergman, and the Vasa warship that sank 1,300 metres from the dock in 1628. This twelve-day private journey covers the essential circuit: Copenhagen and North Zealand, Oslo and the Viking ships, the Flåm Railway and the Sognefjord and Bergen, Stockholm and Drottningholm. The journey moves from Copenhagen to Oslo by night ferry — the same route the Danes, Norwegians, and Vikings have been travelling for a thousand years — and from Bergen to Stockholm by flight, covering the 1,400-kilometre spine of Scandinavia in a single arc.

Detailed Itinerary

Your journey, day by day.

Every day is designed with breathing room. Sleep in, take a detour, linger at lunch — the itinerary flexes around you, not the other way around.

Day 1

Arrival in Copenhagen

The most liveable capital in the world.

Your private driver meets you at Copenhagen Airport. Nyhavn in the afternoon — the 17th-century canal of coloured merchants' houses where Hans Christian Andersen lived. Tivoli Gardens, the 1843 amusement park that inspired Walt Disney. Welcome dinner at a Copenhagen restaurant representing the New Nordic kitchen.

Private airport transfer to Copenhagen
Nyhavn canal — the most photographed scene in Denmark
Tivoli Gardens — the 1843 park that inspired Disneyland
Welcome dinner in the New Nordic tradition

4–5★ hotel, Copenhagen city centre

Day 2

Copenhagen in Depth

Palaces, design museums, and the Little Mermaid.

Christiansborg Palace — the seat of the Danish parliament — and the Great Hall's fifteen Bjørn Nørgaard tapestries depicting ten centuries of Danish history. Rosenborg Castle: the Dutch Renaissance 1606 castle of Christian IV with the crown jewels in the treasury. The Little Mermaid on the Langelinie promenade. The Designmuseum Danmark in the Bredgade: the collection that traces the principles of Danish Modernism. Freetown Christiania — the self-declared autonomous community in the Christianshavn neighbourhood, founded in 1971 in a former military barracks, whose 850 residents have been governing themselves under negotiated agreements with the Danish state for over fifty years.

Christiansborg Palace and the Nørgaard tapestries
Rosenborg Castle and the Danish crown jewels
The Little Mermaid — the most visited monument in Denmark
Designmuseum Danmark — the principles of Danish Modernism

Meals: Breakfast 4–5★ hotel, Copenhagen

Day 3

North Zealand and the Night Ferry to Oslo

Louisiana, Kronborg, and the overnight crossing.

Louisiana Museum of Modern Art at Humlebæk — the finest modern art museum in Scandinavia, whose glass corridors connect white pavilions extending into a sculpture garden above the Øresund. Kronborg Castle at Helsingør: the UNESCO World Heritage fortress that Shakespeare used as the setting for Hamlet. The night ferry from Copenhagen to Oslo: the DFDS cruise ferry that departs Copenhagen in the evening and arrives in Oslo the following morning — an overnight cabin crossing through the Øresund and Kattegat that is the authentic Scandinavian way to cross from Denmark to Norway.

Louisiana Museum — the sculpture garden above the Øresund
Kronborg Castle — Hamlet's fortress at Helsingør
Copenhagen evening and DFDS night ferry departure
Overnight cabin crossing to Oslo

Meals: Breakfast DFDS night ferry Copenhagen to Oslo (cabin included)

Day 4

Oslo — Viking Ships and The Scream

Arrival in Norway and the essential Oslo museums.

The night ferry arrives at Oslo Vippetangen harbour in the morning. Your private driver meets you at the terminal. The Viking Ship Museum on Bygdøy: the Oseberg ship (834 AD) and the Gokstad ship (890 AD) — the two best-preserved Viking longships in the world. The National Museum: the new 2022 Scandinavian landmark building housing Munch's The Scream and the national collection. The Vigeland Sculpture Park: 212 bronze and granite figures by Gustav Vigeland in Frogner Park. The Oslo Opera House on the harbour and Aker Brygge for the evening.

Night ferry arrival at Oslo harbour
Viking Ship Museum — Oseberg and Gokstad longships
National Museum — Munch's The Scream in the new building
Vigeland Sculpture Park

Meals: Breakfast 4–5★ hotel, Oslo city centre

Day 5

Oslo — The Holmenkollen and the City

The national ski monument and the Norwegian capital in depth.

Holmenkollen ski jump — the national monument of Norwegian sport, rebuilt for its fifteenth time in 2010, whose observation deck gives the best panoramic view of Oslo and the Oslofjord. The Munch Museum: the dedicated museum for the world's most comprehensive collection of Edvard Munch's work — 1,100 paintings, 4,500 drawings, and 18,000 prints including three versions of The Scream and the complete Frieze of Life series. The Akershus Fortress: the medieval castle and fortress on the Oslo harbour whose foundations date to 1299, whose walls are the oldest standing structure in Oslo, and whose Great Hall was the coronation site of the Norwegian medieval kings. Dinner in Oslo.

Holmenkollen ski jump — the Norwegian national monument
Munch Museum — 1,100 paintings, the complete Frieze of Life
Akershus Fortress — the 1299 castle on Oslo harbour
Oslo Aker Brygge waterfront evening

Meals: Breakfast 4–5★ hotel, Oslo

Day 6

The Flåm Railway

The Bergen Railway over the plateau and the world's steepest descent.

The Bergen Railway from Oslo to Myrdal crosses the Hardangervidda plateau at 1,237 metres — the highest mainline railway in northern Europe, through the sub-Arctic landscape where the Empire Strikes Back Hoth sequences were filmed. The Flåm Railway at Myrdal: 864 metres of descent in 20 kilometres through 20 tunnels to the Aurlandsfjord. The Kjosfossen waterfall stop. Flåm village at the innermost point of the fjord: the mountains rising to 1,400 metres behind 350 people and one hotel.

Bergen Railway over the Hardangervidda — 1,237 metres above sea level
Flåm Railway — the steepest standard-gauge descent in the world
Kjosfossen waterfall from the train platform
Flåm evening at the Aurlandsfjord head

Meals: Breakfast 4★ hotel, Flåm fjordside

Day 7

Nærøyfjord Cruise to Bergen

The UNESCO fjord and the Hanseatic city.

The Nærøyfjord cruise: 250 metres wide, walls of 1,700 metres, UNESCO World Heritage. Gudvangen and the Stalheimskleiva road — 13 hairpin bends and the panoramic view of the fjord valley below. Bergen by evening: the Hanseatic trading city of Bryggen wharf, the fish market, and the Fløibanen funicular to Mount Fløyen.

Nærøyfjord cruise — the narrowest navigable fjord in Europe
Stalheimskleiva — the panoramic hairpin road
Bergen Bryggen — UNESCO Hanseatic wharf
Fløibanen funicular to Mount Fløyen

Meals: Breakfast 4–5★ hotel, Bergen

Day 8

Bergen and Flight to Stockholm

The fish market, the Hardangerfjord, and the Swedish capital.

Bergen in the morning: the Bryggen Hanseatic Museum, the fish market, and the Kode art museums with the finest Munch collection outside Oslo. The flight from Bergen to Stockholm Arlanda takes 1 hour 45 minutes. Stockholm by evening: the city on fourteen islands at the Baltic gate, whose Gamla Stan medieval island is visible from the flight approach.

Bergen Fish Market and Bryggen final morning
Bergen to Stockholm flight — over Scandinavia
Stockholm arrival — the city on fourteen islands
Gamla Stan and the Royal Palace evening walk

Meals: Breakfast 4–5★ hotel, Stockholm

Day 9

Stockholm — The Vasa Museum and Gamla Stan

The warship that sank in 1628 and the medieval island city.

The Vasa Museum on Djurgården: the only complete 17th-century warship in the world, raised from Stockholm harbour in 1961 after 333 years on the seabed. Skansen open-air museum on the same island. The ABBA Museum. Gamla Stan in the afternoon: the medieval Old Town of Stortorget, the Royal Palace, and the Nobel Museum. Södermalm for dinner — Stockholm's most vibrant food neighbourhood.

Vasa Museum — the only complete 17th-century warship
ABBA Museum and Skansen open-air museum
Gamla Stan — the medieval island and the Stortorget
Södermalm dinner — Stockholm's creative food district

Meals: Breakfast 4–5★ hotel, Stockholm

Day 10

Drottningholm and Swedish Design

The royal palace on Lake Mälaren and the design capital.

Drottningholm Palace by boat on Lake Mälaren: the UNESCO World Heritage royal residence, the 1766 court theatre, and the baroque gardens. Stockholm's design district in the afternoon: Fotografiska on Södermalm, the Design House Stockholm, and the Nationalmuseum — the national museum of art and design that reopened in 2018 after a major renovation as the finest museum building in Sweden.

Drottningholm Palace by boat — the UNESCO royal estate
Drottningholm Court Theatre — 1766, still used for 18th-century opera
Fotografiska — the world's largest photography museum
Nationalmuseum — Swedish art and design reopened 2018

Meals: Breakfast 4–5★ hotel, Stockholm

Day 11

Stockholm — Uppsala and the City at Leisure

Scandinavia's oldest university and the Stockholm archipelago.

Uppsala: Scandinavia's oldest university (1477), the largest cathedral in Scandinavia, and the Gamla Uppsala burial mounds of the Svear kings. The Stockholm archipelago in the afternoon: the 30,000 islands, skerries, and rocks that stretch 80 kilometres east of the city into the Baltic, accessible by the Waxholmsbolaget ferry network from the city centre. The archipelago in summer is the Swedish summer — a landscape of red painted summer cottages, sailing boats, and the specific quality of Baltic light that Swedish landscape painters have been trying to capture since the 18th century.

Uppsala Cathedral — the largest church in Scandinavia
Uppsala University — Scandinavia's oldest, founded 1477
Gamla Uppsala burial mounds — the 6th-century Svear kings
Stockholm archipelago ferry — the 30,000 islands

Meals: Breakfast 4–5★ hotel, Stockholm

Day 12

Departure from Stockholm

Three kingdoms in twelve days.

Stockholm in the final morning: the Östermalms Saluhall covered market (1888) for Swedish cured meats, cheeses, and the pickled herring in its twelve varieties. The Moderna Museet on Skeppsholmen island — the modern art museum whose collection includes Dalí, Picasso, and the complete archive of the Swedish Modernist school. Your private driver transfers you to Stockholm Arlanda Airport at the agreed time.

Östermalms Saluhall — the 1888 covered food market
Moderna Museet — Dalí and Picasso on the Baltic island
Private transfer to Stockholm Arlanda Airport

Meals: Breakfast

Where You'll Stay

Hand-picked hotels, every night.

We choose properties for character, location, and the kind of service that makes you feel looked after — not just checked in. Every hotel can be swapped for an alternative if you prefer.

Copenhagen

2 nights

4–5★ hotel

City centre or Nyhavn

Two nights allows both Copenhagen days before the North Zealand excursion

DFDS night ferry

1 night

Cabin on DFDS Seaways ferry

Copenhagen to Oslo

En-suite cabin included — the ferry is a comfortable cruise ship with restaurants and entertainment

Oslo

2 nights

4–5★ hotel

City centre or Aker Brygge

Two nights for the Viking Museum day and the Holmenkollen/Munch day

Flåm

1 night

4★ hotel

Fjordside

The Fretheim Hotel is the classic fjordside property

Bergen

1 night

4–5★ hotel

Bryggen or city centre

One night for the Bergen programme before the Stockholm flight

Stockholm

4 nights

4–5★ hotel

City centre or Gamla Stan

Four nights allows both Stockholm museum days, Drottningholm, Uppsala, and the archipelago

Hotels shown are indicative of the standard we book. Upon request, we will provide a detailed itinerary with specific hotel options tailored to your preferences and budget.

What's in the Price

Included

11 nights including 4–5★ hotels, fjordside lodge, and DFDS night ferry cabin
Daily breakfast at each property
Private airport transfer at Copenhagen
Private vehicle and driver in each country
Copenhagen guided visits — Christiansborg, Rosenborg, Nyhavn, Louisiana, Kronborg
DFDS Copenhagen–Oslo night ferry cabin
Oslo guided visits — Viking Ship Museum, National Museum, Vigeland Park, Holmenkollen, Munch Museum
Bergen Railway and Flåm Railway tickets
Nærøyfjord UNESCO cruise
Bergen guided visits — Bryggen, Fish Market, Fløibanen
Internal flight Bergen to Stockholm
Stockholm guided visits — Gamla Stan, Vasa Museum, ABBA Museum, Drottningholm
Uppsala guided visit
Stockholm archipelago ferry
All entrance fees for guided visits
24/7 travel specialist support
Hamilton & Chase digital travel booklet

Not Included

International flights to Copenhagen / from Stockholm
Travel insurance (required — we can arrange on request)
Meals not listed
Personal expenses
Gratuities for guides and drivers
City tax (collected by hotels)

Good to Know

This tour operates May–September when the fjord cruises are fully operational. Winter variations are available but require significant programme changes.
The DFDS night ferry departs Copenhagen at 16:30 and arrives Oslo at 09:30 — an overnight crossing in en-suite cabin. The ferry includes a restaurant and entertainment.
Three currencies: Danish krone in Denmark, Norwegian krone in Norway, Swedish krona in Sweden. Credit cards are accepted everywhere in all three countries.
Tivoli Gardens operates May–September and a Christmas market in November–December. Hamilton & Chase confirms the schedule in advance.

Make It Yours

Optional add-ons & upgrades.

Every trip is different. These extras can be woven into your itinerary — just let your travel specialist know what catches your eye.

Hardangerfjord detour

A half-day on the Hardangerfjord — the second longest fjord in the world with apple orchards in blossom (May) and the Vøringsfossen waterfall. Can be added to the Bergen day.

From €125 pp

Stockholm archipelago overnight

An overnight on one of the Stockholm archipelago islands — the summer experience that Stockholmers consider the essential counterpart to the city. Requires one additional night.

From €245 pp

New Nordic tasting menu

A tasting menu dinner at a Michelin-starred restaurant in Copenhagen or Stockholm — Hamilton & Chase manages the reservation, which often requires booking months in advance.

From €195 pp

Fjord kayaking at Flåm

A guided kayak session on the Aurlandsfjord — two hours at the level of the fjord walls, suitable for beginners.

From €95 pp

"The night ferry was the best decision of the trip — waking up in Oslo after crossing from Copenhagen on the ship the Vikings would recognise. The Flåm Railway the next day, then the Nærøyfjord the day after, then Stockholm's Vasa Museum — three completely different countries, each extraordinary. Hamilton & Chase made twelve days feel like they covered everything essential without missing anything important."

Sophie & Laurent B.

Paris, France · Essence of Scandinavia, June 2025

Common Questions

Questions about this trip.

Why the night ferry rather than flying from Copenhagen to Oslo?

The night ferry covers a journey that would require a half-day otherwise, uses the overnight hours instead of a daytime flight, gives the experience of crossing the Øresund and Kattegat by sea (the route the Scandinavian kingdoms have always used), and arrives directly in central Oslo. It is also significantly more characterful than a domestic flight. Hamilton & Chase books the best available cabin category.

Is three days in Bergen/Norway enough?

For the essential Norwegian experience — the Flåm Railway and the Nærøyfjord — yes. The dedicated Norway tours (Essence of Norway 7 days, Epic Norway 11 days) give more time in the fjords for guests who want Norway as the focus. This tour treats Norway as one of three equal destinations.

Private Package Journey

Essence of Scandinavia

12 days / 11 nights

From €5,490

per person

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