Best of Scandinavia

MEALS
(12 breakfasts, 8 Indian dinners, 5 local dinners)
Breakfast: Scandinavian / Continental
Dinner: Enjoy delicious Indian / Jain / vegetarian / non-vegetarian meals in Europe on Yatra group tours.

Day 1: Arrive in Copenhagen
Meals: Indian dinner
Welcome to Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark. It is a delightful little city with amazing architecture (both classical and contemporary), numerous open-air cafes, art galleries and a general joie de vivre that’s hard to find anywhere else in Scandinavia. Upon arrival you will be met by our experienced tour manager who will arrange for your transfer to the hotel. After checking in, you have the rest of the day at leisure. In the evening, Dinner will be served at an Indian restaurant after which you will head back to the hotel for overnight stay.

Day 2: City tour of Copenhagen
Tour of Carlsberg Brewery
Copenhagen to Oslo
Meals: Breakfast and dinner
After a hearty Scandinavian breakfast proceed for a tour of Copenhagen city by coach. Drive through the colorful canal district where your local guide will point out the major sites including the National Museum (started in 1650 as the Royal Chamber of Curiosities), Christiansburg Palace, home to the Danish Parliament. On this tour you will come face to face with the sculpture of ‘the Little Mermaid’ which has come to be Copenhagen’s symbol. Locally known as Den Lille Havfrue, it was sculpted by Edvard Eriksen in 1913, based on the famous fairytale of the same name by Hans Christian Andersen. Next up is the stunning Amalienborg Palace, home of Margrethe II, the Dronning (Queen) of Denmark. Later, you will visit Carlsberg Brewery, the factory that produces Denmark’s and indeed the world’s most loved beer. Here you will learn about the brewing process, see the collection of over 18,000 beer bottles from all over the world and visit the stables with the brewery horses. At the end of the day you are transferred to Copenhagen port to board your ferry for Oslo. Both dinner and overnight stay will be on the ferry.

Day 3: City tour of Oslo
Meals: Breakfast and Indian dinner
After a Scandinavian breakfast on board your ferry from Copenhagen, it is time to arrive in Oslo. Surrounded by virgin forests, lakes, fiords and mountains, Oslo is one of the most beautiful European capitals. Upon arrival, proceed for an orientation tour of Oslo. The city is beautifully situated at the head of the Oslo Fjord (Oslofjorden in Norwegian) and is surrounded by forested hills. It has the largest green belt among all European cities - no mean feat for a city whose fortunes are built on petroleum. Visit the Fram Museum houses the world's oldest most famous Polar ship, The Fram. Built in 1892, it sailed in the icy Arctic Ocean charting and mapping it from 1893 to 1912. In the voyage of 1912, the vessel was commandeered by Ronald Amundsen who incidentally became the first person to reach the South Pole beating the legendary English explorer Robert Falcon Scott by a matter of days. At the end of the day, enjoy home-style dinner at an Indian restaurant after which you can retire to your hotel for overnight stay.

Day 4: Oslo to Bergen
City tour of Bergen
Funicular train ride
Meals: Breakfast and Indian dinner
After a Scandinavian breakfast, proceed to Bergen. Bergen has often been referred to by seasoned travelers as Europe’s most underrated city. This spectacular city is surrounded by lofty mountains, the world’s most spectacular fiords and one of the largest glaciers in Europe. Upon arrival, embark on a guided tour of the city. The harbor, which also doubles up as a fish market is one of Norway's most visited outdoors markets and has a charming location in the heart of the city between the fjords and Bergen's seven mountains. Next, take a fun filled ride on the Funicular train (a form of railway that uses cables to ascend steep hills) to the top of Mount Fløyen, approximately 320 meters above sea level where you are treated with a bird’s eye view of Bergen and its surroundings. At Fløyen there is also a restaurant, cafeteria, souvenir shop and play area. In the evening, enjoy Indian dinner at restaurant before checking into your hotel for your overnight stay.

Day 5: Bergen - Gudvangen- Flam - Geilo
Flam Railway ride
Spectacular fiords - Naeroyfjord and Aurlandsfjord
Meals: Breakfast and Indian dinner
After a Scandinavian breakfast, we will drive to Gudvangen, where you change to the Flam railway line. This masterpiece of engineering passes through the beautiful wilderness of Norway and is the steepest standard gauge railway in the world. This 20 km long line took 20 years to be built and includes 20 tunnels, 18 of which were excavated by hand. The line terminates at Flam where you can view the idyllic countryside, before embarking on an enchanting boat ride through the spectacular fjords. The boat takes you from Naeroyfjord to Aurlandsfjord into the, one of the narrowest in Europe, surrounded by mighty cliffs that soar to a height in excess of 1,800 m. The Aurlandsfjord is a 17-kilometer arm of the world’s second longest fjord, the Sognefjord (204 km). On arrival at scenic Myrdal, board your coach and proceed to Geilo. In the evening, have dinner at restaurant before you check in to your hotel for your overnight stay.

Day 6: Geilo to Karlstad Explore Karlstad
Meals: Breakfast and Indian dinner
After a Scandinavian breakfast , check out of your hotel and proceed to Karlstad. Located at the mouth of the Klarälven River, the port city of Karlstad is the capital of the province of Värmland. It is located almost midway between Oslo and Stockhold, the capital of Sweden and is hence a convenient stopover for travelers. It was founded by King Karl IX in 1584, and is sited on an island of the Klarälven River, and beside Europe's largest freshwater lake, Lake Vänern. If it isn't raining, it is a good idea to explore this little town on foot. Tonight, a hot Indian dinner will be served at a local restaurant after which you can retire to your hotel for overnight stay.

Day 7: Karlstad to Stockholm
Explore the old part of Stockholm
Check out the zoo and the aquarium
Meals: Breakfast and dinner
After a Scandinavian breakfast, check out of your hotel and proceed to Stockholm. Sitting astride 14 islands on the sparkling waters of Lake Mälaren, the Swedish capital is a cool Nordic beauty with a dramatic backyard. Upon arrival, take a stroll through the Town Quarter (the old part of town) that shows what a Swedish town looked like in the mid-19th century. You can also visit the zoo which is home to several Nordic wild animals like the brown bear, elk and lynx. There is also an aquarium with monkeys, snakes, lizards and other animals not normally found in the Scandinavia. In the evening, have dinner at restaurant before you check in to your hotel for your overnight stay.

Day 8: Stockholm to Helsinki
Guided tour of Stockholm: Stockholm City Hall, Royal Palace, Vasa Ship Museum and Drottningholm Palace
Meals: Breakfast and dinner
After a Scandinavian breakfast proceed for a tour of Stockholm by coach, accompanied by a local English speaking guide. One of the main attractions of the trip is the Stockholm City Hall. Completed in what has been described as the ‘national romantic style’ in 1923, this is the venue for the famous Noble Prize banquet. The hall is also known for its 100 m tall tower from where you can get a panoramic view of the Old City. Sweden has been a monarchy for over 1000 years and the headquarters of the king and the royal family is the Kungliga Slottet (Royal P;alace). Built and decorated in the 1690s by French architects and artists, this spectacular palace has 608 rooms. The tour also covers the Cathedral, the Old Town, renowned for its picturesque narrow alleys that date from the Middle Ages and the famous Vasa Museum, housing the majestic 17th century royal warship Vasa, which sank on her maiden voyage in 1628 and was salvaged in 1961. Later, visit the Drottningholm Palace, a former royal summer residence, which today is the home of the royal family. The Drottningholm Palace is today, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Later we will visit the Skansen Park – the first open air museum and zoo in Europe. In the evening, proceed to board the luxurious cruise for a fascinating voyage across the Baltic Sea to Helsinki. On Silja Line enjoy buffet dinner on board the cruise.

Day 9: Guided tour of Helsinki
Meal: Breakfast and Indian dinner
After a Scandinavian breakfast on board, it is time to disembark at Helsinki. This waterfront city spills over from its mainland core on to several little islands making it a spectacular place for a tourist. After you disembark, board the coach and proceed for a guided tour of Helsinki. This tour will help you explore attractions such as the old historical center with the Senate Square, City Hall, the Parliament building and the Presidential Palace. The tour also takes you to Temppeliaukio Rock Church and Uspenski Cathedral. The second half of the day is free for you to explore the city on your own. In the evening, enjoy Indian dinner at restaurant before retiring to your hotel for overnight stay.

Day 10: Helsinki to St. Petersburg
Folk show at Nikolaevsky Palace with Fourchette
Meals: Breakfast and dinner
After a Scandinavian breakfast, check out of your hotel and proceed to St. Petersburg. Hailed as the cultural and intellectual capital of Russia, St Petersburg is one of the world's most beautiful cities. The city is perhaps best known for its stunning architecture. The sea-green Winter Palace overlooking the Neva River houses the Hermitage Museum's staggering collection of fine art, and sumptuous royal estates dot the surrounding forests. Upon arrival check in to your hotel and relax. In the evening enjoy the folk show at Nikolaevsky Palace with a delectable traditional Russian buffet, locally known as Fourchette. At the folk show you can experience traditional Russian song and dance performances. This is an important part of your tour as nothing provides a window to a country’s past than its folk art forms. At the end of this exciting evening return to your hotel for overnight stay.

Day 11: Exploring St Petersburg
Guided tour of St. Petersburg
Exploring the Hermitage Museum, Church of Resurrection on Spilled Blood, Kazan Cathedral
The stunning architecture of St. Petersburg
Meals: Breakfast and Indian dinner
After continental breakfast , proceed on a guided tour of St. Petersburg. The Winter Palace would be a museum itself even if it didn't hold the Hermitage Museum, one of the world's largest and most valuable collections of fine art. Kazan Cathedral, the prominent landmark on Nevsky Prospekt is an example of nontraditional Russian Orthodox architecture adapted to satisfy church tradition. Completed in 1811, the cathedral was partly inspired by St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. St. Petersburg's most-photographed church - the Church of Resurrection on Spilled Blood - is a mountain of blindingly bright, beveled domes topped by glistening gold crosses. It was built on the site where Czar Alexander II was assassinated in 1881, prompting residents to come up with the Spilled Blood reference. Apart from these landmarks, the tour also takes you to the Admiralty, Palace Square, the Peter and Paul Fortress, St. Petersburg University, the Menshikov Palace, the Fine Arts Academy, the Bronze Horseman, Alexandrinsky Theatre, Smolny Cathedral, the monument to Catherine the Great, as well as numerous canals and rivers and the beautiful bridges across them. In the evening you are free to explore the city on your own or simply relax. Dinner will be at an Indian restaurant after which you can retire for overnight stay at your hotel.

Day 12: St. Petersburg to Moscow
Guided visit to Kremlin
Including Red square, St. Basil’s Cathedral and Armoury
Meals: Breakfast and Indian dinner
Today, after a continental breakfast at the hotel, we proceed by train from Russia’s cultural capital to its political and financial capital – Moscow. Moscow is one of the oldest and the largest cities of Europe. The city's many historical guises adorn Red Square where the Kremlin's crimson majesty stands guard over Lenin's Mausoleum. The marble and mosaic of the Metro stations remain Communism's homage to the working class, while on the periphery the Seven Sisters skyscrapers -- the zenith of Stalinist architecture -- dominate the skyline. It is a city of superlatives. It boasts the largest sports arena in Europe, the tallest building and the largest residential complex in Europe and also the continent’s largest museum. On arrival, proceed for a guided tour of the Kremlin, which has for almost a century, been the symbol of Russian power. The tour will take you through the Red Square, St Basil’s Cathedral with its colorful domes and the stunning armory. At the end of the day, have dinner at an Indian restaurant and retire to your hotel for overnight stay.

Day 13: Depart from Moscow
Guided tour of Moscow – Vorobiev Hills, Moscow Circus
Meals: Breakfast and Indian dinner
After a continental breakfast, check out of your hotel and proceed for a guided city tour of Moscow. Your first attraction is the Vorobiev Hill - the highest point of Moscow which offers a stunning view of the city. Later enjoy a show at the Moscow Circus on Tsvetnoi Boulevard. It was the only circus in Moscow between 1926 and 1971 and still remains the most popular one. The auditorium consists of a 36 m high amphitheatre and 23 rows of seats that house 3,400 patrons. At the end of the day, have dinner at an Indian restaurant. After dinner, you are transferred to the airport for your flight back home.