Hurtigruten Coastal Express

Enjoy a free day at leisure in Copenhagen. The Danish capital has a wealth of attractions to offer the visitor, from iconic landmarks like the Little Mermaid and lovely Nyhavn (pictured) to royal palaces, great museums and fabulous food. Don’t miss a cruise through Copenhagen’s canals and along the harbour or a visit to the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, a world-renowned art gallery.

In the evening, the tempting food options range from the city’s ubiquitous hotdog stands to Michelin-starred restaurants, of which there’s one of the highest concentrations in Europe.

After breakfast this morning, head back to the station and board a service bound for Gothenburg. You’ll cross the second longest bridge in Europe, the Oresund Bridge, which takes you into Sweden. On arrival in Gothenburg, there are plenty of options for lunch at the station before your connecting service heading for the Norwegian capital.

On arrival in Oslo, check in at the Thon Opera Hotel (or similar) where you have an overnight stay.

It’s just a 2-hour journey from Oslo to Lillehammer and you can travel on any train as there’s no seat reservation required. It’s up to you whether you want to spend an extra morning exploring Oslo and travel later in the day or leave after breakfast and spend more time in Lillehammer. Once you arrive, you’ll have an overnight stay at the Aksjemøllen Hotel (or similar). 

The ski resort of Lillehammer has year-round sights to discover, from the Norwegian Olympic Museum to the Maihaugen Open Air Museum and a wealth of outdoor activities.

It’s time to leave Lillehammer this morning and take a train north to Trondheim. The scenery gets ever more wild and beautiful as you continue north with crystal clear lakes, rugged forests and distant mountain peaks. There’s also the possibility to see some of Norway’s wildlife including elk and even moose!

On arrival into Trondheim this evening, check in for a 2-night stay at the Clarion Trondheim (or similar).

Trondheim is an historic city, located where the River Nidelva meets Trondheim Fjord. There’s evidence of human settlement here going back thousands of years but the town was founded in 997. Despite several fires which ravaged the centre, there are still many seemingly untouched rows of traditional wooden houses, with their colourful façades. You can also take a boat out in the harbour during the summer months or visit the fascinating Munkholmen island, once a Viking execution site and then home to one of the first monasteries built in Scandinavia, in the early 11th century.

Trondheim also offers access to snow activities during the winter months, including skiing, sledding and snow-shoeing.

You have an early start today as you make your way back to the station for the most scenic rail journey of the trip! The Nordland line (or Nordlandsbanan) is Norway’s longest at 70 miles and features epic landscapes from the fjords in Trøndelag, to the Seven Sisters mountains and the crossing of the Arctic Circle. You can take this journey overnight if you would prefer (a supplement applies) and between May and August, you’ll still get to see the scenery as during these months, the sun never sets.

Arrive into Bodo in the early evening and check in for an overnight stay at the Scandic Bodø (or similar).

You have a free morning in Bodø to explore one of the European Capitals of Culture for 2024. Bodø is a great base for winter activities like husky sledding and northern lights safaris. Let us know if you would like to add something like this to your itinerary (you may need an extra night for this). Otherwise, you can shop for local crafts and produce or visit one the city’s museums.

This afternoon, it’s time to embark on your voyage with Hurtigruten. Check in at reception and then, once you’ve settled into your cabin, enjoy dinner in the onboard restaurant.

Enjoy two full days at sea, sailing up the coast of northern Norway. You’ll pass by the beautiful Lofoten Islands and destinations like Tromsø. The ship makes regular stops as it heads up the coast and you can disembark wherever you would like to look around. Some smaller places have short stops but cities like Tromsø will have stops of around 4 hours. There are also some exciting excursions which you can add to your booking. Have a look at our dedicated Hurtigruten page for more information on these.

Otherwise, you can just use the time to watch the passing scenery from one of the ship’s comfortable lounges, enjoy a drink in one of the bars onboard or relax with a good book.

Arrive into Kirkenes this morning at the end of your fabulous Norwegian cruise. From here, you can fly back to the UK via Oslo (not included) or continue your Scandivanian holiday with an internal flight or a bus down into Finland or Sweden. Give us a call to tailor make your holiday.