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Tour Code: ZT
Tour Length: 14 days
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NORTHERN CAPITALS
Day 1 - Board your overnight transatlantic flight. Day 2 - Arrival in Copenhagen, Denmark. Time to rest or to start exploring Denmark's fun-loving capital. At 6 p.m. meet your Tour Director and traveling companions for a welcome dinner at your hotel. (D) Day 3 - Copenhagen. Morning 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 elegant ROYAL RECEPTION ROOMS (if closed, admire the Danish Crown Jewels at ROSENBORG CASTLE). Drive past the National Museum and the Royal Theater, stop for pictures of Amalienborg Palace with its lovely flower gardens and of the wistful LITTLE MERMAID statue. An optional afternoon excursion to the castles of North Zealand is available. Tonight visit TIVOLI GARDENS (open mid-April to mid-Sept.), the city's colorful amusement park. (FB) Day 4 - Copenhagen - Gothenburg, Sweden - Oslo, Norway. At Elsinore board your FERRY for Helsingborg, then drive to Gothenburg, Sweden's thriving second-largest city, and admire its beautiful parks, botanical gardens, and well-kept canals during your orientation tour. In the afternoon continue along the Skagerrak coastline to Norway. Evening arrival in Oslo. (FB,D) Day 5 - Oslo. Norway's capital is a study in farsighted urban planning, seeking growth in harmony with nature. Your Local Guide will take you to the National Theater, Parliament, and the Royal Palace. Stroll through magnificent FROGNER PARK, with Gustav Vigeland's 193 extraordinary bronze and granite sculptures, and visit the modern CITY HALL. Afternoon and evening at leisure, with optional excursion possibilities: see the amazing relics of Norway's glorious seafaring past, or sample Norwegian specialties in one of Oslo's fine restaurants. (FB) Day 6 - Oslo'Stockholm, Sweden. Trace the King's Road, an ancient trade link between the northern capitals connecting Oslo, Stockholm, Turku, Helsinki, and St. Petersburg. Cross the Swedish border to scenic Värmland, beautifully described in Selma Lagerlöf "s Saga of Gösta Berling, on the way to Karlstad on Lake Vänern. Pass the ancient garrison town of Örebro and modern Eskilstuna, known for its stainless steel, and proceed to Stockholm. (FB) Day 7 - Stockholm - Overnight Cruise to Turku, Finland. Stockholm is settled on 14 islands between Lake Mälar and the Baltic Sea. This morning enjoy Stockholm at your own pace, or join an optional excursion to the Wasa Ship Museum. Your included sightseeing with a Local Guide features the Royal Palace, Riddarholm Church, and the festive blue and gold chambers in the CITY HALL, where the annual Nobel Prize banquet is held. Tonight board your ship for the overnight BALTIC SEA CRUISE to Finland. (FB) Day 8 - Turku - Lahti. After breakfast on board, dock in Turku, Finland's oldest city and former capital. Follow your Local Guide to the medieval CATHEDRAL and the lively market square. Drive through Finland's fertile fields and dark forests towards Hämeenlinna, birthplace of Jean Sibelius. Visit the Iittala GLASS VILLAGE, widely known for its modern design in glass products, before arriving in Lahti, an international winter sports center. (FB,D) Day 9 - Lahti'St. Petersburg, Russia. Cross the border to Vyborg, the old trading center between the merchants of Novgorod and Karelian hunters. In the afternoon traverse the Karelian Isthmus and arrive late afternoon in St. Petersburg. (FB,D) Day 10 - St. Petersburg. Founded by Peter the Great, construction began in 1703 and the city eventually spread over 100 islands linked by 700 bridges. It suffered severe damage during World War II, when a cruel 900-day siege claimed nearly a million victims. See today with a Local Guide how the city has been restored to its former splendor. Drive along elegant Nevsky Prospect, then admire ST. ISAAC'S CATHEDRAL with its gilded dome and marble columns, followed by an excursion to Pushkin, the home of Russia's last czar, for a visit to magnificent CATHERINE PALACE (if closed, visit PAVLOVSK PALACE instead). (FB) Day 11 - St. Petersburg. Today a highlight visit to the Winter Palace complex. Formerly the residence of the czars, it is now home of the world-famous HERMITAGE MUSEUM, with celebrated works by Rembrandt, Leonardo da Vinci, and the major French impressionists. Afternoon at leisure; suitable optional activities are available to enhance your stay in St. Petersburg. (FB) Day 12 - St. Petersburg - Porvoo, Finland - Helsinki. Return to Finland through the Forest of Karelia and drive along the coastline to enchanting Porvoo, one of Finland's oldest towns, for pictures of the colorful wooden houses. More coastal vistas before reaching Helsinki, known as the "Daughter of the Baltic." (FB) Day 13 - Helsinki. Sightseeing with a Local Guide features City Hall and Parliament House, the Presidential Palace, the monumental railroad station, the great LUTHERAN CATHEDRAL, the strikingly modern TEMPPELIAUKIO ROCK CHURCH, the Olympic Stadium, and the SIBELIUS MONUMENT (churches may be closed on Sundays for group visits). Then browse for souvenirs in Helsinki's local arts and crafts OPEN AIR MARKET. Afternoon at leisure. Tonight a farewell dinner at your hotel with the companions of a fascinating vacation. (FB,D) Day 14 - Your homebound flight arrives the same day. (FB) |
