Scandinavia tours for mature travellers
Uncover on a small group tour for couples and solo travellers, a Viking past and view of the world’s biggest fjords on this journey through Scandinavia. In low-lying Denmark our small group journey takes us to visit the Zeeland, the sea land, and our program includes the vibrant capital of Copenhagen. In Norway we travel through endless forests, skirting great fjords to Bergen.
From €9,154EUR
Highlights
- 1. Venture into Sweden to find the home to the Nobel Prize awards, Stockholm.
- 2. Traverse vast Swedish lakelands and dense forests, passing impressive Gripsholm Castle by Lake Malaren.
- 3. See the magnificent Amalienborg Palace, winter home of the Danish royals, and an Australian-born Crown Princess may appear.
- 4. Explore Stockholm, with its preserved 17th century warship, the Vasa.
Departure Dates
Departure Date | Price |
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01 June 2025 Ends 13 June 2025 • 13 days €9,154 Twin €10,570 Single Available | Selected |
29 September 2025 Ends 11 October 2025 • 13 days €9,154 Twin €10,570 Single Available | |
02 June 2026 Ends 14 June 2026 • 13 days €9,154 Twin €10,570 Single Available | |
28 September 2026 Ends 10 October 2026 • 13 days €9,154 Twin €10,570 Single Available |
Small group tours Scandinavia
Odyssey offers easy, convenient, and relaxed escorted small group tours across Scandinavia and beyond. We explore Denmark’s, Sweden's and Norway's incredible natural beauty, its ancient Viking heritage, World Heritage Sites, and charming Nordic cities, with some truly spectacular scenery along the way. This and more is all waiting to be explored on one of Odyssey’s small group tours of Denmark, Sweden and Norway. Designed for the senior traveller, and led by experienced, and enthusiastic like minded people.
Join Odyssey Traveller on our tour of Scandinavia for mature-aged and senior travellers, we uncover a Viking past and get a glimpse of the world’s biggest fjords and some fabulous scenery on a journey through Norway, Sweden, and Denmark.
Small group tours Scandinavia Itinerary
In low-lying Denmark, we visit meticulously maintained urban centres, including the vibrant capital of Copenhagen. We continue our sightseeing tour and adventure in Sweden and its capital, Stockholm, now the financial capital of the region. After Sweden, we travel to Norway, famous for its breathtaking Norwegian coastal voyage favoured by tourists. Here, we journey over magnificent mountains and skirt picturesque fjords to reach Bergen.
Copenhagen Highlights
Our Scandinavian tour begins in Copenhagen, a treasure trove of museums, castles, and churches. We begin by exploring the Radhauspladsen (City Hall Square), where the famous pedestrian street "Stroget" begins. Next, we pass through the Tivoli Gardens, dating back to 1843, and make our way past the New Carlsberg Glyptotek and the National Museum. We then see the Old Stock Exchange and the Naval Church. In addition, we drive past the Kongens Nytorv (Kings New Square), the home of the Royal Danish Theatre with the world famous ballet.
Afterwards, we visit the old canal area, Nyhavn, with its picturesque houses and vessels. Next, we visit the famous landmark of Copenhagen, the statue of the Little Mermaid, known from Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale. Finally, we stop at the Royal residence, Amalienborg Palace. Our initial education tour of the city concludes with a visit to Amalienborg Castle.
Other Highlights
Other highlights of this educational tour include a walking city tour in Stockholm and a visit to the fabulous Vasa boat museum. Here, we take a tour of the world’s best preserved 17th century warship. We also trace the region’s sea-faring culture through Oslo’s Viking Boat Museum and visit the home of national composer Edvard Grieg, in Bergen. In addition, the tour also traverses vast Swedish lakelands and dense forests, passing impressive Gripsholm Castle by Lake Malaren.
The Scandinavia tours are small group programs suitable for senior and mature couples or solo travellers. Click here to read our article Discovering Scandinavia. If design is your passion, and this article on Sweden has piqued your interest, consider our 21 day Scandinavian Design small group tour, covering Sweden, Denmark and Finland.
Odyssey Traveller offers more than 140 scheduled small group tours to people from all over the world. We share your passion for exploring and learning. This 13-day tour is offered in June each year. Visit this page to see all of our tours to Europe.
For more details about the Scandinavia tours for mature travellers click the ‘Top 5’ or ‘Itinerary’ buttons above! If you’re keen to experience this tour, please call or send an email. Or, to book, simply fill in the form on the right hand side of this page.
Gallery
Itinerary
13 days
Day 1: Copenhagen
Accommodation: 2 nights at Copenhagen Admiral Hotel or similar.
Upon arrival in Copenhagen we will come individually to the hotel. In the evening we will have a welcome meeting and dinner at the hotel. Denmark is the smallest and most southerly of the Scandinavian countries. It is made up of the Jutland Peninsula and over 400 islands, the largest of which is Zealand, where Copenhagen is found. The country is a fascinating mix of pastoral farmland and lively cities, and is rich in medieval churches, Renaissance castles, and fishing villages. The country’s historic and cultural heritage ranges from the Viking Raiders who settled large swathes of England to colourful medieval kings and queens. The Danish Royal House remains the oldest in Europe and now has an Australian born Crown Princess. The island of Zealand is a contrast of rural pasture and sandy beaches with imposing castles, and the country’s lively capital, Copenhagen, is a treasure trove of museums, castles, and churches. (D)
Day 2: Copenhagen
Accommodation: Copenhagen Admiral Hotel or similar.
This morning we meet our local guide for a city tour. We start with a drive towards the City Hall Square where the famous pedestrian street “Stroget” begins. We pass the Tivoli Gardens, dating back to 1843, and make our way past the New Carlsberg Glyptotheque and the National Museum. Next we see the Old Stock Exchange and the Naval Church. We drive past the Kings New Square, the home of the Royal Danish Theatre with the world famous ballet, then through the old canal area, Nyhavn, with its picturesque houses and vessels. Next, we visit a landmark of Copenhagen, the statue of the Little Mermaid, known from Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale. Finally we stop at the Royal residence, Amalienborg Palace, for a photo stop and possibly seeing the changing of the guards (time permitting). During the tour we shall also appreciate the Christiansborg Palace (outside visit), housing the Danish Parliament, and the Rosenborg Castle, which houses the Crown Jewels (entrance included). The tour will end at Amalienborg Castle, and then we have free time to explore or head back to the hotel and relax. (B)
Day 3: Stockholm
Accommodation: 3 nights at Scandic Grand Central Hotel or similar.
En route to Stockholm, we cross the impressive Oresundsbridge to Malmo and travel through the Swedish countryside. We travel by train from Copenhagen to Stockholm, about a 5 hour rail journey. On arrival in Stockholm we make our own way to the hotel which is next to the station. Dinner in the evening will be at our hotel. Sweden is the largest of the Scandinavian countries and has historically dominated its smaller neighbours. It too is a country of lakes and forests, stretching from the Baltic to the Arctic Circle. Its greater contact with the outside world has created an open and outgoing people, whilst its social policies have brought about one of the highest standards of living in the world. Sweden, like its other Scandinavian neighbours, is still a monarchy. Stockholm, undoubtedly one of the world’s most striking capital cities, reflects this royal heritage in its palaces and architecture. (B,D)
Day 4: Stockholm
Accommodation: Scandic Grand Central Hotel or similar.
Today we enjoy a morning tour of the city including entrance to the City Hall, where the Nobel Banquet takes place in the Blue and Golden Halls. After the visit to town hall, we start a walking tour of the Gamla Stan (Old Town) of Stockholm. There will be some free time for lunch (own arrangements) in the old town, before we take the ferry to Vasa Museum for a guided tour. After visiting the museum we take the tram home, or have the opportunity to walk to Skansen (entrance not included). The remainder of the day will be at leisure. (B)
Day 5: Stockholm
Accommodation: Scandic Grand Central Hotel or similar.
This morning we visit Drottningholm, including entrance to the Palace and the Chinese Pavilion & Gardens. Then we return to the hotel for a free afternoon. In the evening we take a short walk to Strandvangen pier to board our dinner cruise of Stockholm Archipelago (no drinks included). (B,D)
Day 6: Oslo
Accommodation: 2 nights at Clarion Royal Christiana Hotel or similar.
En route to Norway we traverse the lakelands and forests of Sweden, pausing to view the 16th century Gripsholm Castle and passing Karlstad in Varmland, before arriving in the Norwegian capital, Oslo. A ruggedly beautiful land of high mountains, deep fjords, and icy blue glaciers, Norway stretches for over 2,000 kilometres from its southern beaches to the Tundra wastelands of the “Land of the Midnight Sun.” Winters are cold and relentless, but summers benefit from long hours of sunshine when the sun hardly sets for weeks on end. The heritage of Norway includes unspoiled fishing villages, rich historic sites, Viking ships, and medieval stave churches. Oslo is the oldest of the Scandinavian capitals, but despite being Norway’s largest city and containing many fine palaces and monuments, it has a comfortable, small-town feel. (B,D)
Day 7: Oslo
Accommodation: Clarion Royal Christiana Hotel or similar.
After breakfast we meet our local guide for full day tour of Oslo. We will tour the city with coach and on foot, visiting the Cathedral, Akershus Fortress, Royal Palace, Parliament, and Vigeland Park. We will have some free time for lunch near City Hall (own arrangements) and/or go to National Gallery before short visit to City Hall. We then travel to Viking Ship Museum and the Norwegian Folk Museum (entrances included). (B)
Day 8: Oslo-Myrdal-Flam-Gudvangen-Stalheim
Accommodation: 1 night at Stalheim Hotel or similar.
En route to the Hardangerfjord, we experience “Norway in a Nutshell.” First we take one of the world’s most spectacular rail journeys from Oslo past forests, lakes, and waterfalls over a desolate plateau with a background of snow and glaciers, to arrive in Myrdal where we join the Flam Valley railway. The train journey to Flam is a constantly changing panorama of snow peaked mountains, thundering waterfalls, and green pastures. From here a boat trip along the Naeroyfjord takes us past tiny farmsteads clinging to steep mountainsides to Gudvangen, from where our bus takes us through the spectacular Stahlheim Gorge to Voss, and on to our hotel in Stalheim. (B,D)
Day 9: Stalheim – Lofthus – Øystese (Hardanger Fjord)
Accommodation: 2 nights at Hotel Ullensvang or similar.
We leave Stalheim and travel via the mountain village of Voss to Norheimsund. In Nodheimsund we visit the boat museum. We travel via coach to Steinsto, and from here we take a ferry over to Botnen and then to Kvanndal. Our second ferry crossing takes us to Utne and then onto Kinsarvik. We rejoin our coach to take the short journey to Lofthus. Our hotel rests on one of the most beautiful points on the Hardanger Fjord, and it was one of Edvard Grieg’s favourite haunts. (B,D)
Day 10: Lofthus – Eidford – Lofthus (Hardanger Fjord)
Accommodation: Hotel Ullensvang or similar.
Today we enjoy a full day guided tour to Eidfjord, including a visit to Simar Power Station. We stop in Kjeasen at an old mountain farm and later enjoy the film and museum at Hardangervidda Center, followed by a visit to Vorinsfossen and Sysendammen before returning to our hotel for dinner. (B,D)
Day 11: Lofthus/ Øystese - Bergen
Accommodation: 2 nights at Scandic Ornen Hotel or similar.
We depart Lofthus and travel by coach to Brimness, travelling across the NEW bridge to Bruravik, before heading via Northeimsund to Bergen. We meet our local guide who will take us on a walking tour of Bergen to explore the city with its old Hanseatic Wharf, Rozenkrantz Tower, and fish market, as well as Troldhaugen, the birthplace of Norway’s national composer, Edvard Grieg. In the evening we will have our farewell dinner at a local restaurant. (B,D)
Day 12: Bergen
Accommodation: Scandic Ornen Hotel or similar.
Today we explore this great city at leisure. (B)
Day 13: Bergen
Our tour ends today after breakfast. (B)
Tour Notes
- Group size is limited to a maximum of 18 participants.
Includes / Excludes
What’s included in our Tour
- 12 nights of en-suited hotel accommodation.
- 12 breakfasts and 8 dinners.
- Applicable entry fees and services of local guides.
- Services of a Tour Leader.
- Transport, field trips, and excursions as indicated.
- Service charges and gratuities.
- Detailed preparatory material.
What’s not included in our Tour
- Return international airfares.
- Comprehensive travel insurance.
- Meals not specified in the itinerary.
- Items of a personal nature, such as telephone calls and laundry.
Participants must be able to carry their own luggage, climb and descend stairs, be in good health, mobile and able to participate in 3-5 hours of physical activity per day, the equivalent of walking / hiking up to 8 kilometers per day on uneven ground.
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Easing your journey
Crossing international borders with restrictions
The list of requirements to travel internationally has changed and will continue to change for several years. Odyssey is here to assist you in managing your way through these requirements:
For more information see our Crossing international borders with restrictions page.
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If less than 30 days before your tour starts you are unable to travel as a result of Government travel restrictions, Odyssey Traveller will assist you with a date change, provide you with a credit or process a refund for your booking less any non-recoverable costs.
See Terms and conditions for details.
Peace of Mind Travel
The safety of our travellers, tour leader, local guide and support staff has always been our top priority and with the new guidelines for public health and safety for keeping safe for destinations around the world, we’ve developed our plan to give you peace of mind when travelling with us.
See Peace of Mind Travel for details.
Reviews
Sit back and enjoy the ride, see Scandinavia the easy way. See all the sights, travel by coach, train and boat. Relax and sleep in beautiful hotels with views of fjords. Spoil yourself with this tour. Marcia L. June '18
Reading List Download PDF
The Almost Nearly Perfect People: Behind the Myth of the Scandinavian Utopia
Michael Booth
The Danes are the happiest people in the world, and pay the highest taxes.
'Neutral' Sweden is one of the biggest arms manufacturers in the world.
Finns have the largest per capita gun ownership after the US and Yemen.
54 per cent of Icelanders believe in elves.
Norway is the richest country on earth.
Michael Booth has lived among the Scandinavians, on and off, for over ten years, perplexed by their many strange paradoxes and character traits and equally bemused by the unquestioning enthusiasm for all things Nordic and hygge that has engulfed the rest of the world.
He leaves his adopted home of Denmark and embarks on a journey through all five of the Nordic countries to discover who these curious tribes are, the secrets of their success and, most intriguing of all, what they think of each other. Along the way a more nuanced, often darker picture emerges of a region plagued by taboos, characterised by suffocating parochialism and populated by extremists of various shades.
The Vikings
Else Roesdahl
Far from being just 'wild, barbaric, axe-wielding pirates', the Vikings created complex social institutions, oversaw the coming of Christianity to Scandinavia and made a major impact on European history through trade, travel and far-flung consolidation. This encyclopedic study brings together the latest research on Viking art, burial customs, class divisions, jewelry, kingship, poetry and family life. The result is a rich and compelling picture of an extraordinary civilization.
The Year of Living Danishly: Uncovering the Secrets of the World's Happiest Country
Helen Russell
When she was suddenly given the opportunity of a new life in rural Jutland, journalist and archetypal Londoner Helen Russell discovered a startling statistic: the happiest place on earth isn’t Disneyland, but Denmark, a land often thought of by foreigners as consisting entirely of long dark winters, cured herring, Lego and pastries.
What is the secret to their success? Are happy Danes born, or made? Helen decides there is only one way to find out: she will give herself a year, trying to uncover the formula for Danish happiness.
From childcare, education, food and interior design to SAD, taxes, sexism and an unfortunate predilection for burning witches, The Year of Living Danishly is a funny, poignant record of a journey that shows us where the Danes get it right, where they get it wrong, and how we might just benefit from living a little more Danishly ourselves.
The Tragedy of Hamlet: Prince of Denmark
William Shakespeare
Hamlet is Shakespeare's most popular, and most puzzling, play. It follows the form of a "revenge tragedy," in which the hero, Hamlet, seeks vengeance against his father's murderer, his uncle Claudius, now the king of Denmark. Much of its fascination, however, lies in its uncertainties.
Among them: What is the Ghost--Hamlet's father demanding justice, a tempting demon, an angelic messenger? Does Hamlet go mad, or merely pretend to? Once he is sure that Claudius is a murderer, why does he not act? Was his mother, Gertrude, unfaithful to her husband or complicit in his murder?
Miss Smilla's Feeling for Snow
Peter Høeg
She thinks more highly of snow and ice than she does of love. She lives in a world of numbers, science and memories--a dark, exotic stranger in a strange land. And now Smilla Jaspersen is convinced she has uncovered a shattering crime...
It happened in the Copenhagen snow. A six-year-old boy, a Greenlander like Smilla, fell to his death from the top of his apartment building. While the boy's body is still warm, the police pronounce his death an accident. But Smilla knows her young neighbor didn't fall from the roof on his own. Soon she is following a path of clues as clear to her as footsteps in the snow. For her dead neighbor, and for herself, she must embark on a harrowing journey of lies, revelation and violence that will take her back to the world of ice and snow from which she comes, where an explosive secret waits beneath the ice....
Vasa: A Swedish War Ship
Frederick M. Hocker
Vasa was the most modern warship imaginable in 1628. Her ability for fast and aggressive sailing, the multiple gun deck and the heavy, custom-made guns were innovations. She was meant to be a key asset for Sweden in a bid for power in Northern Europe. But as with most brilliant innovations there are also failures, and the ship sank on her maiden voyage, a spectacular, costly and embarrassing fiasco.
This book contains new information about the ship and the people who built and sailed it. And then there's the story of the discovery of the wreck and its challenging and exciting recovery. The dramatic story-telling is backed up by ground-breaking research, as Fred Hocker unfolds new facts that have now been brought to light.
The 17th-century was an era of visual symbols. Photographs and historical reconstructions have been made especially for this book. Important themes are shown on double-page spreads and there is a fold-out guide to Vasa's rich ornamentation - a powerful symbolic reference to the glory of the Swedish king.
Escape from the Third Reich: The Harrowing True Story of the Largest Rescue Effort Inside Nazi Germany
Sune Persson
The Swedish Red Cross expedition to the German concentration camps from March to April 1945 was the largest rescue effort inside Germany during WWII. Led by Count Bernadotte of Wisborg, the mission became known for its distinctive buses. Each bus was purposefully painted entirely white except for the Red Cross emblem on the side so that they would not be mistaken for military targets. According to conservative figures in May 1945, at least 17,000 prisoners were transported to Sweden by these white buses.
In the first book to detail this remarkable and hazardous operation, and with never-before-published photographs of the bus journeys, the details of Bernadotte’s harrowing expedition to Ravensbruck concentration camp and his secret negotiations with Heinrich Himmler are revealed
Gustav Vigeland: His Art and Sculpture Park
Tone Wikborg and Ruth Waaler
Vigeland's work belongs within the humanistic tradition in art. He has been preoccupied with man at all stages of life. Oslo's Vigeland Park, is the largest sculpture park in the world by a single artist, boasting over 200 pieces by Norwegian sculptor Gustav Vigeland. The collection, dubbed "The Weirdest Statues in the World" by The Daily Mail, includes everything from a woman embracing a giant lizard to a naked man fighting flying babies, and everything in between.
Letters written in Sweden, Norway, and Denmark (Oxford World's Classics)
Mary Wollstonecraft
This engaging volume was pioneering feminist Mary Wollstonecraft's most popular book during her lifetime. Difficult to categorize, it is both an arresting travel book and a moving exploration of her personal and political selves. Wollstonecraft set out for Scandinavia just two weeks after her first suicide attempt, on a mission from the lover whose affections she doubted, to recover his silver on a ship that had gone missing. With her baby daughter and a nursemaid, she traveled across the dramatic landscape and wrote sublime descriptions of the natural world, and the events and people she encountered. Fascinating appendices include Imlay's commission to recover his lost silver, Wollstonecraft's recently discovered letter to the Danish Prime Minister asking for assistance, the private letters she wrote to Imlay during her travels in Scandinavia, a chapter from Godwin's memoir of Wollstonecraft, and a selection of contemporary reviews.
Scandinavia tours for mature travellers