Grand Tour of Scandinavia

Once a member of the medieval Hanseatic League (but then expelled for harbouring pirates), Kiel has long been a major maritime hub. Once you’ve checked out of your room, you can leave your bags at your hotel and spend the day exploring this fascinating city. Also with historic landmarks such as the 13th century Church of St Nicholas, there’s also Germany’s longest shopping street – Holstenstraße and, if the weather is fine, some popular beaches to the north of the city.

In the early evening, collect your bags and head for the port, where you’ll board an overnight Stena ferry service to Gothenburg.

You’ll dock in Gothenburg after breakfast this morning. There’s a tram service from here to the central station (payable locally) which takes around 7 minutes. Alternatively, you can take a taxi. The mainline rail service to Swedish capital Stockholm takes around 3 hours. On arrival, check in for a 3-night stay at the Freys Hotel (or similar).

Stockholm is the largest city in Scandinavia, covering 14 islands in the Baltic Sea archipelago. There are seven central districts, all with their own distinctive vibe, from the hustle and bustle of Norrmalm to the cobbled streets and pastel-shaded buildings of Gamla Stan and museums and green spaces of Djurgården.

Not-to-be-missed attractions include the fabulous Vasa Museum, Stortorget (Stockholm’s oldest and prettiest square) and the Royal Palace, official residence to the King of Sweden.

Spend another day exploring Stockholm before your overnight sleeper service heading north to Swedish Lapland. You’ll have a 2-berth private sleeper cabin onboard. There is a café bar but we would always recommend bringing food supplies and water onboard with you, just in case this is closed for any reason.

On arrival into Abisko, check in at the Abisko Mountain Lodge (or similar) for a 2-night stay.

Wake up to stunning scenery as you head to Boden and disembark for a connecting train to Abisko.

This village is located around 125 miles (200 km) north of the Arctic Circle. Between mid-May and mid-July, you can experience the midnight sun here, best viewed from Abisko’s amazing Sky Station, where you can also get breathtaking views of the Northern Lights in the winter time. Abisko is also a good base for activities like snowmobiling, ice fishing or hiking, depending on the season.

Catch a train today across the Norwegian border to Narvik. From here it’s a 4-hour bus journey (payable locally) to Svolvær in the Lofoten Islands, through some jaw-dropping scenery.

Once you arrive into Svolvær, check in at Anker Brygge Hotel (or similar) offering accommodation in one the islands’ traditional, russet coloured rorbuers, for a 2-night stay.

Spend a full day taking in the spectacular scenery of the Lofoten Islands. Depending on the season, you can get around by local bus, enjoy stunning hikes, visit unspoilt beaches or cruise between islands by boat. You can also relax in your cosy cabin, with its living room and kitchen facilities.

There’s another free day of exploration in and around Svolvaer today before your evening departure aboard the famous Hurtigruten Coastal Express. Why not take a bus down to the pretty town of Å at the southern-most tip of the island. You can also visit Reine, the most photographed of Lofoten’s villages.

Once onboard your ship, check in at reception and then settle into your private cabin, perhaps enjoying a drink in one of the onboard bars before retiring for the night.

Spend two days at sea, cruising along the Norwegian coast down to Bergen. Along the way, you might like to disembark in Trondheim for a quick look around (the ship docks here for around 3 hours) or add one of the available tours to your booking. Subject to the time of year, these include a trip to the Atlantic Road (featured in the Bond film No Time to Die) and Bergtatt marble mine or a visit to a local salmon farm.

Otherwise, just relax on board, taking in the scenery from one of the many lounges, or shop for souvenirs in the onboard boutique.

The second of three Hanseatic League cities on this journey, Bergen is a lovely destination, surrounded by mountains and fjords. You can find out more about the city’s Hanseatic past at the UNESCO World Heritage-listed wharf of Bryggen with its pastel-coloured shop fronts and boarded walkways.

You can also enjoy panoramic views from the top of the Fløyen funicular or head even higher, to the top of Bergen’s highest mountain with the Ulriken Cable Car.

One of Norway’s most famous rail lines takes you from the south-west coast to the capital, Oslo, with some stunning scenery en route. Once you arrive into Oslo, check in for an overnight stay at the conveniently located Thon Hotel Opera (or similar) and then head out to spend the rest of the day discovering this vibrant city.

Leave straight after breakfast this morning and make your way back to Oslo’s central station for a journey south to Copenhagen, with a connection in Gothenburg on the way. This is a long day of travel, so you might prefer to stop for a night to explore Gothenburg before making your onward journey.

Once you arrive into Copenhagen in the evening, check in for a 2-night stay at the Hotel Absalon (or similar).

Denmark’s capital city is a cultural hub and gourmet’s dream, boasting more Michelin starred restaurants than any other Scandinavian city.

No stay here is complete without a visit to the Little Mermaid, who sits on a rock by Langelinie promenade. But there are plenty of other unmissable sights too, including the lovely Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek gallery and the historic Carlsberg brewery.

A direct train today takes you from Copenhagen across the German border to Hamburg, where you’ll arrive mid-afternoon and check in for an overnight stay at the Reichshof Hotel (or similar).

This is another major port city dating back to the Middle Ages, criss-crossed by hundreds of canals, with a lovely lake, the Inner Alster, at its centre.

Leave Hamburg this morning and return to the station for your homeward journey, via Cologne and Brussels. If you live more than a couple of hours from London, we’d highly recommend breaking your journey in one of these cities for a more leisurely experience.