Rennebu Oppdal Heritage Tour

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Rennebu / Oppdal / Soknedal Heritage Tour

Aug. 10 - 19, 2012

Did your ancestors come from the Rennebu/Oppdal/Soknedal area in Norway? Here is a special deal for you! Now you have a chance to visit the area where your ancestors came from. We are planning a group tour to that area in August 2012. You will be able to explore the area, visit the farm where they came from, and meet your relatives! All this in the safety of a group tour with a professional tour manager nearby at all times! We have also made it possible to stay with your relatives for a few nights! We will stay in the area during “Rennebumartnan”, an arts and crafts fair held in Rennebu in August every year. The fair is known for the high quality of products. It is the most important arts and crafts fair in Norway. It is by far the biggest happening in Rennebu every year. Up to 50 % of the population of Rennebu volunteers for the fair!

Tour manager will be Erling Hansen. He was born and raised in Rennebu, Norway, where he used to live until 2009. He knows the area very good, and can help finding relatives and the farm where your ancestors came from. He now lives in Elkhorn, WI, with his family. He is the owner of Nor-Am Tours LLC.

The first part of the tour we will tour Norway, and we will see the most famous parts of the fjords and mountains and valleys of Norway. The last part of the tour we will stay in Rennebu/Oppdal/Soknedal area. You can choose if you want to stay with relatives or if you want to stay in a hotel. During the stay we will offer exciting daytrips in the area. We have two prices for the tour: Alternative 1 is if you have relatives that you can stay with, or if you want to arrange your own lodging from day 6 to 9. Alternative 2 is if you want to stay in a hotel arranged by us. The hotel will be in Oppdal, and the price for Alternative 2 includes lodging, breakfast and dinner every day. (Lunch is not included). Contact us if you want us to arrange alternative lodging day 6 to 9 (for example farm stay, salmon fishing camp etc.)

Here is the itinerary for the tour:

Day 1, Friday, Aug 10, 2012:

Depart USA. Overnight flight to Oslo

Day 2, Saturday Aug. 11.:

Arrive Oslo. Check into the hotel downtown. Afternoon free to explore Oslo. Welcome dinner.

Day 3, Sunday Aug. 12:

City tour with step-on guide. Tour includes the Royal Palace, the Parliament, the new opera house, Vigeland Park (with all the famous statues), Holmenkollen ski jump arena, Bygdøy peninsula with Norwegian Folk Museum and the Viking ship museum. In the afternoon depart for Lillehammer. Check into the hotel in Lillehammer.

Day 4, Monday Aug. 13.:

After breakfast we’ll see the Olympic arena from the 94-Olympics. Depart for Geiranger. Drive through the Gudbrandsdal valley towards the West coast. We’ll make a lunch stop in Lom, where we will also see Lom Stave Church from around 1200 AC. Arrive in Geiranger late afternoon. Check into the fantastic Union Hotel, and enjoy a group dinner overlooking Geirangerfjord.

Day 5, Tuesday Aug. 14.:

Fjordcruise Geirangerfjorden. After the cruise we will drive through some of the most scenic areas in Norway. We’ll drive down the famous Trollstigen, “the Troll Path”. Arrive Molde, the “City of Roses” in the afternoon.

Day 6, Wednesday, Aug 15.:

After breakfast we’ll drive north towards Kristiansund on Atlanterhavsvegen, “The Atlantic Highway”. The British newspaper Guardian listed this road as the best road trip in the world. Lunch on own in Kristiansund. Arrive Oppdal/Rennebu/Soknedal late in the afternoon.

Day 6 – 10, Wednesday Aug 16 - Sunday Aug 19.:

Alternative 1: Stay with relatives in the area. You will be on your own (with your relatives), but the tour manager will be available. During those days you can also join our day trips.

Alternative 2: Stay in a hotel in Oppdal, or stay on one of the many farms that offers lodging for tourists. You can also try salmon fishing in the river Orkla, which is one of the best salmon rivers in Norway.

Possible daytrips during day 7 – day 9 (not included in the tour price)

Bus tour in Oppdal and Rennebu. Visit Oppdal church from 1651 and the unique Y-shaped Rennebu church from 1669, and the new Innset church from 2000. We will also give time to explore the cemeteries surrounding the churches, and we will help you find relative’s gravesites Today we will also have a very exciting visit at a Sami-family, and learn about their special culture. Lunch.with reindeer meet on the menu. Appr. $75 per person incl. lunch

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Løkken Verk and Thamshavnbanen. Visit the mines of Løkken, and take the historic Thamshavn Railroad. Appr. $95 per person incl. lunch.

Rennebumartnan. We will arrange transportation for the group staying at the hotel in Oppdal to Rennebumartnan (the arts and craft fair) either Friday or Saturday. Admission to the fair is included in the tour price for everybody.

Day 10 Sunday Aug. 19

Time to gather the whole group again! Depart in the morning towards Trondheim. Lunch in the Tyholt Tower, which has the only rotating restaurant in Norway. 243 ft above ground you’ll have a nice view of Trondheim while you enjoy your lunch (on your own). City tour with a step-on guide. Visit the Nidaros Cathedral, the largest cathedral in Norway. Check into the hotel in Trondheim. Farewell dinner at the hotel.

Day 11, Monday Aug 20.:

Depart for Trondheim Airport Værnes. Fly home to the USA. Arrive in the USA in the afternoon.

Alternative 1 (no lodging day 6 to 9):

Tour includes:

·         Roundtrip flight from Minneapolis to Norway. Arrive Oslo, depart from Trondheim (call or email us for a quote from other airports)

·         Transportation in Norway according to the itinerary.

·         Lodging 5 nights in hotels (day 2,3,4,5 and 10. NB! Lodging day 6 – 9 is not included)

·         5 breakfasts

·         5 dinners

·         Admission to Norsk Folkemuseum, Oslo

·         Admission to Rennebumartnan, one day.

·         Admission to Nidaros Cathedral, Trondheim

   Luggage handling in all the hotels

Tour price (per person) alternative 1:

Double Occupancy: $2895

Single Occupancy: $3095

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Alternative 2 (Lodging every night)

Tour includes:

·         Roundtrip flight from Minneapolis to Norway. Arrive Oslo, depart from Trondheim (call or email us for a quote from other airports)

·         Transportation in Norway according to the itinerary.

·         Lodging 9 nights in hotels (day 6 – 9 lodging in a hotel in Oppdal)

·         9 breakfasts

·         9 dinners

·         Admission to Norsk Folkemuseum, Oslo

·         Admission to Rennebumartnan, one day.

·         Transportation from the hotel to Rennebumartnan.

·         Admission to Nidaros Cathedral, Trondheim

   Luggage handling in all the hotels

Tour price (per person) alternative 2:

Double Occupancy: $3295

Single Occupancy: $3895

Sign up today!

The prices are based on an exchange rate of a minimum of 5,5 (NOK/USD). If the exchange rate drops to under 5,5, the tour price might be subject to adjustment.

The prices are based on a minimum of 20 passengers in the group. If less than 20 sign up, we can still do the tour, but we might have to adjust the price.