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Valkommen! Welcome to Sweden. When you arrive in Stockholm, you’ll be picked up from the airport and transferred to your accommodation. Often referred to as the 'Venice of the North' and arguably Scandinavia's most beautiful city, Stockholm is packed full of amazing architecture, parks and clear waters. Your adventure will begin with a welcome meeting at 6 pm tonight. If you arrive early, maybe stroll by the narrow cobblestone streets and colourful merchant houses and soak up the culture. Maybe grab a cinnamon roll in Stockholm’s oldest café – Sundbergs Konditori, on Jarntorget Aquare – dating back to 1785. Tonight, you’ll have a welcome dinner with your trip leader and group to toast to a new adventure.

This morning after breakfast, you’ll head out on a leader-led walking tour of Gamlastan (the Old Town of Stockholm) to get your bearings. Along the way, make a fika stop (for coffee and pastry) for morning tea and refuel for your free time this afternoon. Then, why not leave the city behind for a few hours and see the waterways of Stockholm on a cruise? Maybe take a self-guided millennium walking tour or visit the ABBA Museum. You can also take a trip to Drottningholm Palace – the residence of the Swedish royal family. Tonight, maybe head to Stockholm's Sodermalm district – the inner-city island with the best nightlife, full of great shops, bars and cafes. Or maybe sit down at one of the restaurants on the cobblestoned islet of Gamla Stan or in Kungsholmen.

Leave Stockholm this morning after breakfast and head for the town of Linkoping. When you arrive, take a leader-led tour of the Old Linkoping Open Air Museum – a reconstructed example of a 19th century Swedish town. Enjoy learning about the area’s history in a fully immersive experience, then have lunch with your group at a local restaurant. Continue to the shores of Lake Vattern – Sweden’s second largest and deepest lake. The next two nights will be spent at Starby Hotell, your Feature Stay for this trip. Located on a former 13th century royal estate, there are extensive indoor and outdoor spa facilities for you to use.

After breakfast this morning, join a local guide for a historical walk around Vadstena. The tour takes you from inside the mighty Renaissance castle through the city and ends at the monastery grounds. You’ll learn about the castle, the monastery's history from the Middle Ages to today, and other stories from the city’s long history. This afternoon, you’re free to relax on the lake. Or maybe visit one of Vadstena’s many museums before finding a cosy restaurant for dinner.

Leave Vadstena behind this morning and travel to Oslo, admiring the scenery of endless forests and lakes along the way (grab a window seat if you can!). On the way, you’ll stop in one of the local towns for lunch and say your farewells to Sweden. Arrive in Oslo in the late afternoon, take some time to unwind and check in to the hotel. The evening is free for you to explore on your own. Maybe head to a local rooftop bar for nighttime city views or head to Gamla – Oslo’s oldest performance venue – and catch a jazz or rock gig.

This morning after breakfast, discover a city changing for the better on a guided tour of Oslo’s centre. Learn about the city’s rapid urban development, sustainable efforts and modern architecture, before enjoying a free afternoon to explore how you wish. Maybe visit the Ski Museum, housed inside the famous monumental Holmenkollbakken (ski jump), which looks more like a work of art than a sports venue. Here, you can learn about Norwegian polar expeditions, the history of skiing over the past 4000 years and the Winter Olympics at Oslo and Lillehammer. At the top of the tower, soak in the 360-degree views of the city, with its fjords and forests. Maybe browse the Astrup Fearnley Museum of Modern Art on the harbour or taste local flavours at the Vulkan food hall. Perhaps explore the immense Akershus Castle and Fortress or check out some cool shops in the Grunerlokka district. In the evening, join your leader for a dinner of local flavours in the restaurant.

Today is a travel day, but it’s one of the most impressive you’ll experience! Start with an incredibly scenic train journey from Oslo to Flam, seeing Norwegian nature at its most magnificent. Stopping in Myrdal, you’ll travel to the head of Aurlandsfjord on one of the world’s steepest stretches of train line, cutting through deep ravines, rivers, waterfalls, mountains and farms. In Flam you’ll have lunch at a local brewery, then set sail through the breathtaking Naeroyfjord onboard an electric boat. Disembark in Gudvangen, then take a bus through the equally striking Naeroydalen on route to Voss. Stop for dinner in Voss before catching a final train to Bergen.

After breakfast, ride the Floibanen funicular on Mount Floyen. Taking you to 1,050 feet above the city in just seven minutes, it offers a bird eye prospective of the town and vistas of the deep blues of the sea. Those who want to get active can also continue following its multiple hiking trails, or you can choose to return to town. You’ll have free time in the afternoon to explore however you like. Perhaps visit World Heritage Bryggen area and wander through the reconstructed medieval homes and warehouses, visit the beautifully preserved wooden Hanseatic Museum (a former trade building) or explore the old Hanseatic port area – the Hanseatic merchant confederation dominated Baltic maritime trade for 400 years from the 15th century. Tonight, join your group for a final dinner at a local restaurant.

Your adventure comes to an end after breakfast this morning. If you would like to spend some more time in Bergen, just speak to your booking agent ahead of time to organise additional accommodation.