A wonderful two week tour of the Norwegian fjords and mountains. Visit Stavanger, Bergen and Alesund and discover the stunning scenery of southern Norway. This tour takes you on an amazing journey through historical, cultural and scenic delights. Highlights include visiting the Telemark region, exploring the exquisite towns of Bergen and Alesund, driving some of the world’s most thrilling mountain passes, past breath-taking scenery, and discovering one of the most beautiful countries in the world. Classic Travelling has driven the route to ensure it is scenic and interesting as well as visited each hotel to make certain we have the most pleasant accommodation in the area and they have appropriate standards of comfort and charm, along with suitable parking.
Accommodation
Stay in some delightful hotels, including wonderful wooden Gothic hotels, mountain log cabins, a converted wharf-side warehouse, and stylish city hotels. All the accommodation is individual and unique and of a high standard. Due to the nature and age of these hotels, rooms vary from charmingly comfortable to the utmost luxury.
We have hand-picked each hotel for its unique atmosphere and style. All accommodation includes breakfast. Suitable parking is, of course, a feature of each hotel, but it is rarely under cover.
Itinerary
Day One
Depart from Newcastle on the DFDS Seaways ferry to Kristiansand in southern Norway. Twin en-suite cabins are booked for your comfort. Dinner is included.
Day Two
Arrive in Kristiansand at 09.15. Spend the morning in Kristiansand, maybe visit the castle and have lunch by the water. Then drive into the Telemark region to Dalen to stay in a historic, wooden hotel. Dinner at the hotel is included.
Day Three
Spend the morning at the small, but excellent, ethnographic museum. Drive through Telemark passing stave churches and old silver mines. Head north into the mountains, through forests and past alpine villages to Hemsedal, to stay at a peaceful and comfortable mountain retreat, in log cabins with traditional grass roofs. Dinner is included.
Day Four
Drive across the roof of Norway to Bergen. Head across the mountains to the fjords and there will be a short ferry journey to cross one of them. The roads hug the edge of the fjords and offer some thrilling driving. Once in Bergen the tour will spend two nights in a fabulous hotel on the waters edge, overlooking the World Heritage-listed, and very picturesque, Bryggen. Evening meals are not included in Bergen as there are many good restaurants to sample.
Day Five
The day is yours to explore the many delights of Bergen. The old town is a fascinating area to explore, with little wooden houses jostled in the smallest of spaces on the hillside overlooking the harbour. Maybe include an Elgar concert at the composer’s home, Troldhaugen.
Day Six
Leave Bergen and drive to Voss and then north for a wonderful drive to Vagsnes. It is then a short ferry trip, across Søgnefjord, Norway’s longest and deepest, to Balestrand, where we shall be staying in a beautiful wooden hotel, Kvikne’s. The evening meal is included.
Day Seven
Wind your way through the fjords and mountains to Stryn and onto �?ye. Stay in one of the world’s most enchanting hotels.
Day Eight
Take the small ferry across the fjord and onto Orsta and then another ferry before arriving in the lovely coastal town of �?lesund. Stay in an old, converted warehouse on the waterfront.
Day Nine
Spend the day in Alesund, exploring the picturesque town. Alesund & Sunnmøre is the perfect place to explore some of Norway’s most famous natural and cultural attractions. Alesund’s beautiful Art Nouveau architecture is known far and wide. The myriad of turrets, spires and beautiful ornamentation that give the town its distinctive character are like something from a fairytale. Sunnmøre’s has a wonderful profusion of fjords, small fishing communities, island gems and majestic mountains to discover.
Day Ten
Leave A
lesund and drive along the coast to Andalsnes, a quaint little town on a lake. Drive up the famous Trollstigen - an awesome road with hairpin bends, a 1:12 gradient and practically one lane all the way. Continue onto Geiranger and down the Eagle’s Highway into the valley. The hotel overlooks the Geirangerfjord, one of the most beautiful. There is also a vintage car museum and the acclaimed Norwegian Fjord Centre to visit. A buffet dinner is included.
Day Eleven
The ascent south from Geiranger is a fabulous road of 37 hairpin bends. Today’s drive includes some sensational mountain passes and breathtaking scenery. Take the old road up to the summer skiing area (there will be a chance to indulge if you wish) at Strynefjell and then over the mountains on some stunning roads to Lom. Stay in a wonderful hotel, in the heart of the beautiful valley of Bøverdalen, which consists of 12 perfectly preserved buildings from the 18th century. The chalets have been lovingly restored with utmost care, while providing modern comfort and amenities. Its excellent cuisine and wine cellar are only some of the reasons to visit this place, situated close to some of Norway’s tallest mountains.
Day Twelve
Drive south to Oslo and stay at a wonderful hotel, located in the hills just above Oslo, with fabulous views over the city centre and the Oslo Fjord. You may even catch a glimpse of elks at sundown, or if you prefer, the attractions of the capital city are just 20 minutes away.
Day Thirteen
Drive into Oslo and explore this lovely city. There are a number of excellent galleries and museums to discover, along with the Bygdøy peninsula.
Day Fourteen
Leave Oslo behind and drive down the coast to Kristiansand. The return ferry leaves at 18.00 and check in is an hour before. Stay overnight on board ship.
Day Fifteen
Arrive in Newcastle at 10am and return home.
Details
Dates
Duration: 14 days - this trip can be taken at any time.
£1,775 per person
What’s included
- Return ferry crossing for 2 people in an en-suite cabin, and a car
- All accommodation for 14 nights, based on 2 people sharing a twin or double room
- Breakfast every morning (except on the ferry)
- Tour book - includes a brief history of Norway and Sweden, basic Norwegian and Swedish dictionaries, emergency details, maps and directions, accommodation information, and a very detailed account of sights and visits for each day. The book eliminates the need for any other guide books.
What’s not included
- Fuel, road tolls and Norwegian domestic ferry crossings
- Lunches & evening meals
- Entry into attractions and activities
- Personal travel and medical insurance are extra
- We strongly suggest and recommend you have European breakdown cover, and ensure you are covered for the countries to be visited
- All drinks are extra to accommodate individual preferences
Requirements
- Each person must have a passport (and any necessary visas for non-EU passport holders) valid for Norway and Sweden.
- All passports must be valid for six months after the end of the tour. You will also need your vehicle registration documents, driving licence (a photo-card licence or international permit is best), and an international insurance green card.
- Please check with your travel and motor insurers that you are covered for travel in the required countries.
- You are also required to carry a warning triangle, first-aid kit, set of replacement bulbs and a national identification sticker.
Booking
Apart from our scheduled, escorted group tours, none of our itineraries are set in stone - after all, this is your holiday - so we can fine-tune any aspect of these tours to meet your wishes. Any of our escorted tours may also be taken as a private, independent tour, at a time to suit you.
We work closely with a number of classic and spots car hire companies across the UK, Europe, and beyond, so we can arrange your car hire for you , too. Please contact us for futher details and the cars we have available.
