ARCTIC CIRCLE & HURTIGRUTEN CRUISE W/ ICELAND EXTENSION
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 p.m. meet your traveling companions for a welcome drink hosted by your Tour Director. 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. Snap pictures of Amalienborg Palace and of the LITTLE MERMAID statue. Tonight visit TIVOLI GARDENS, the city's colorful amusement park. (FB) 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 past industrial towns like Linköping, Saab headquarters, to Stockholm. (FB) Day 5 - Stockholm. Overnight Cruise to Finland. (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. (FB) 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. (FB,D) 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 and Jyväskylä to Kuopio. The main attractions here are the sweeping panorama from PUIJO TOWER and a pretty market square. (FB,D) Day 8 - Kuopio - Oulu - Rovaniemi. (Fri.) North, past sparkling lakes and dark pine forests via the university town of Oulu and to modern Rovaniemi, the "Gateway to Lapland." Upon arrival enjoy an orientation drive featuring Lappia Hall, the Library, and the Town Hall and a guided visit to the interesting ARCTIC CENTER. (FB,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 for your overnight stay. (FB,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. (FB,L,D) Day 11 - Mehamn - Kjøllefjord - Honningsvåg - Havøysund - Hammerfest"Øksfjord'Skjervøy. (Mon.) After a brief stop at Honningsvåg head out to Havøysund before setting course to the southwest towards Hammerfest, a German fleet base from 1940-1944. Continue along the Sørøysund sound with Norway's fourth-largest island, Sørøya, on the starboard side. People have lived here since the Stone Age. Stop briefly at Øksfjord, then start your journey across Lopphavet. Cross Kvænangsfjorden and dock at Skjervøy, known as the first port of call of the Arctic ship Fram after Nansen's North Pole expedition in 1896. Arrive late in the evening in Tromsø. (FB,L,D) Day 12 - Tromsø"Finnsnes - Harstad - Risøyhamn'Sortland'Stokmarknes'Svolvær'Stamsund. (Tue.) After docking in Finnsnes, arrive in Harstad, and depart to spend the day in Vesterålen and Lofoten! Then sail through the Toppsund sound and through the narrow and shallow Risøyrenna channel. Look over the rail and see the sandy bottom through crystal clear emerald water! After a brief stop in Risøyhamn sail once again towards Sortland for a short stop. Next port of call is Stokmarknes, a trading post since 1776. The picturesque narrow Raftsund sound awaits us and a quick detour to the famous Trollfjorden will be made if time and weather permit. Then on to Svolvær, the undisputed capital of the Lofoten Islands, to spend the one-hour-long stop to explore the quays. Last stop is Stamsund. (FB,L,D) Day 13 - Bodø"Ørnes - Nesna'Sandnessjøen - Brønnøysund - Rørvik. (Wed.) Arrive in Ørnes at breakfast time, then explore the scenic coast of Helgeland. Cross the Arctic Circle and see the Hestemannen mountain and the unique archipelago of Træna, where people first settled 5,000 years ago! Protected by the large island of Tomma is Nesna, an idyllic, peaceful old trading post. Continue to the larger island of Dønna and the town of Sandnessjøen, and "park" right in the center - time to wander around the streets on a short shopping trip. After a brief stop at Brønnøysund's, we head towards the 500-million-year-old red mountains of the island of Leka. After a day enjoying the sights, we arrive in Rørvik. (FB,L,D) Day 14 - Trondheim (Disembarkation)"Lillehammer. (Thu.) Arrive in Trondheim and enjoy an orientation of the city 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.). (FB,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. (FB) 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, a farewell dinner has been prepared at your hotel to celebrate the success of your vacation. (FB,D) Day 17 - Oslo - Reykjavik, Iceland. (Sun.) Transfer to Oslo Airport for your flight to Reykjavik. Enjoy an orientation of the city with your Local Host, and a welcome dinner at your hotel. (FB,D) Day 18 - Reykjavik. Full-day excursion. (Mon.) Start with the geothermal town of Hveragerdi; continue to Volcanic Crater Kerid, the bishopric of Skalholt, Geysir which gave its name to all hot springs, and to Gullfoss, the spectacular Golden Waterfalls. Then drive through the enchanting National Park at Thingvellir. (FB) Day 19 - At Leisure in Reykjavik. (Tue.) Your Globus Host will have suggestions how to spend the day. (FB) Day 20 - Reykjavik - Blue Lagoon" Keflavik - Homebound Flight. (Wed.) Visit the presidential site of Bessastadir, the lava town of Hafnarfjördur, the famous Blue Lagoon, and The Rift - a dramatic exhibition of geology. Homebound flight in the afternoon. (FB) |
