ARCTIC CIRCLE & HURTIGRUTEN CRUISE
Day 1 - (Fri.) Board your overnight transatlantic flight. Day 2 - Arrival in Copenhagen, Denmark. (Sat.) Time to rest or start exploring Denmark's capital. At 6 pm, meet your Tour Director and traveling companions for a welcome dinner at the hotel. (D) Day 3 - Copenhagen. (Sun.) Sightseeing with a Local Guide features the Church of Our Savior and the Stock Exchange on the way to Christiansborg Palace, where you visit the ROYAL RECEPTION ROOMS. Also admire Amalienborg Palace and the LITTLE MERMAID statue. Tonight, visit TIVOLI GARDENS, the city's colorful amusement park. (B) Day 4 - Copenhagen'Stockholm, Sweden. (Mon.) From Elsinore beneath Hamlet's Kronborg Castle take a FERRY to Helsingborg. Then, motor through the Swedish Lake District to Stockholm. (B) Day 5 - Stockholm - Helsinki, Finland. Overnight Cruise. (Tue.) Sightseeing features the Royal Palace, Riddarholm Church, and the festive blue and gold chambers in the CITY HALL. In the late afternoon, board your luxurious ship for the overnight BALTIC SEA CRUISE to Finland. (B,D) Day 6 - Helsinki. (Wed.) A Local Guide shows you the City Hall and Parliament House, the Presidential Palace, the monumental railroad station, and the great LUTHERAN CATHEDRAL. Drive to the Olympic Stadium and the SIBELIUS MONUMENT, and stop at the HELSINKI OPEN-AIR MARKET. (B) Day 7 - Helsinki - Lahti - Kuopio. (Thu.) Today, pass Järvenpää, Sibelius" hometown, on your way to the international ski resort of Lahti and its three enormous ski jumps. Then, via the magnificent lake area to Kuopio. The main attractions here are the sweeping panorama from PUIJO TOWER and a pretty market square. (B,D) Day 8 - Kuopio - Oulu - Rovaniemi. (Fri.) North, via the university town of Oulu to modern Rovaniemi, the "Gateway to Lapland." Upon arrival, enjoy an orientation drive featuring Lappia Hall, the Library, the Town Hall and a guided visit to the interesting ARCTIC CENTER. (B,D) Day 9 - Rovaniemi - Ivalo. (Sat.) As you cross the Arctic Circle (66°31-N), you are in incomparable, unspoiled Lapland. For four days you will be in the "Land of the Midnight Sun." If you are up at midnight and the sky is clear, you can see the midnight sun shining over the horizon. Stop at the SANTA CLAUS WORKSHOP with a chance to meet Father Christmas himself. North to Sodankylä to see the charming Vanha Kirkko, Lapland's oldest wooden church, dating back to the 17th century, before arriving in Ivalo. (B,D) Day 10 - Ivalo - Kirkenes, Norway (Embarkation). (Sun.) A scenic drive to Kirkeness, where you will board your ship for the world's most beautiful sea voyage: the HURTIGRUTEN CRUISE. (B,L,D) Day 11 - Cruising. (Mon. to Wed.) (B,L,D) Day 12 - Cruising. (Mon. to Wed.) (B,L,D) Day 13 - Cruising. (Mon. to Wed.) (B,L,D) Day 14 - Trondheim (Disembarkation)"Lillehammer. (Thu.) Arrive in Trondheim and enjoy a visit to NIDAROS CATHEDRAL, where Norway's kings were crowned. Continue to Lillehammer, proud host of the 1994 Winter Olympics, where a Local Guide will take you to the MAIHAUGEN OPEN-AIR MUSEUM (mid-May to mid-Oct.). (B,D) Day 15 - Lillehammer - Hamar - Oslo. (Fri.) On your way to Oslo, you will see the impressive Olympic ice rink in the shape of a Viking ship in Hamar. In Oslo, afternoon sightseeing with a Local Guide features the National Theater, Parliament, and the Royal Palace. Stroll through magnificent FROGNER PARK with Gustav Vigeland's sculptures and visit the modern CITY HALL. (B) Day 16 - At Leisure in Oslo. (Sat.) A whole day at leisure to relax or to shop for sweaters! You may wish to join an optional excursion to see relics of Norway's glorious seafaring past: elegant Viking ships, Thor Heyerdal's Kon-Tiki raft, and more. Tonight, enjoy a farewell dinner at your hotel. (B,D) Day 17 - Oslo. (Sun.) Your homebound flight arrives the same day. (B) |
