”Scenery, Sights  & Spa”

 

Luxury Tour to Norway Aug. 21 – 31, 2012

 

This is a tour is loaded with features that will make this a tour you’ll never forget! A luncheon prepared by one of the most famous chefs in Norway, access to a spa facility by the most famous fjord in the world, a private sightseeing on an arm of the world’s longest fjord, a train ride on a railroad listed among the top ten railroads in Europe… Do we need to say more? Maybe one thing more: We finish up with a tour inside the Royal Palace in Oslo.

Day 1, Tuesday Aug 21, 2012

USA - Norway

Depart USA, overnight flight to Oslo, Norway

 

Day 2, Wednesday Aug 22

Oslo Airport – Lillehammer

Arrive Oslo Airport, where the tour manager will meet you. Then we’ll start our fantastic tour of Norway by driving to our first destination, Lillehammer. On our way we will drive through Hamar, one of the Olympic cities during the Olympics in -94. Lunch stop en route (on your own). In the afternoon we’ll arrive in Lillehammer, home of the -94 Winter Olympics. Drive up to the top of Lysgårdsbakken where we have a very nice view of the Olympic arenas and the city of Lillehammer. Check into our hotel and enjoy a welcome dinner.

 

Day 3, Thursday Aug 23

Lillehammer – Geiranger

Depart Lillehammer in the morning. Lunch with top chef Arne Brimi. He has built a restaurant in the wild for closed parties, where he prepares the food in front of everybody as he talks about his food philosophy.

 

 

“The restaurant is unique; its concept is that the patron can take part in the entire process of preparing the food, most of which is prepared from local products. Arne Brimi and his restaurant have put Norway, and especially the area in which he lives, on the map in terms of gourmet food. This is a result of Brimi's successful use of local products and promotion of local culture and cooking traditions.”

Source: Wikipedia

 

This will be a meal you’ll never forget!

 

 

 

After lunch we’ll drive to Geiranger, a very unique town at the end of Geirangerfjord. This is one of two fjords in Norway on the UNESCO Heritage List. From highest point of the road, at appr. 3000 feet above sea level, we will drive a very scenic road down to Geiranger. Check into the best hotel in town, Union Hotel, where we’ll stay for two nights in nice rooms with fjord view. After checking in, we will enjoy a generous buffet dinner!

 

 

 

 

 

Day 4, Friday Aug 24

Geiranger

This is the day which you can spend in the spa-department! Enjoy a full day in the spa, overlooking one of the most famous Norwegian fjords!

 

 

A visit to Union Spa includes

* Own Spa reception

* Changing room and lockers

* Sauna area with

- Hamam

- Hydrowalk

- Heated bench with foot bath

- Different shower experiences

- Sauna with sauna ritual

- Steam bath

- Hot pool

* Relax-areas with

- Living room

- Absolute relax

- Library

 

 Treatments are available for an additional cost.

The buffet dinner at night is a perfect end to the day.

 

 

Day 5, Saturday Aug 25

Geiranger – Balestrand

After a good breakfast, we’ll check out from Union Hotel and start the day with a Fjord Cruise. After the cruise we’ll drive south through the heart of Fjord Norway. Lunch stop (on your own) by Bøyabreen, an arm of Jostedalsbreen, the biggest glacier in Europe. Arrive in Balestrand in the afternoon, where we will stay at the historic Kvikne’s Hotel. This hotel has been owned and run by the Kvikne family for generations. We will accommodate as many as possible in the historic part of the hotel. We will make sure that everybody has fjord view from their room. After a good dinner, the general manager of the hotel will give us an interesting presentation of the hotel and the town, and he will show us some unique footage of the Emperor Wilhelm of Germany who was in Balestrand on vacation when World War I started.

 

 

Day 6, Sunday Aug. 26

Sognefjord

 

Today we’ll be exploring the longest and deepest fjord in Norway, Sognefjord. We will have a private sightseeing of one arm of Sognefjord, Finnafjorden. The owner of the fjord will pick us up at the hotel, and he will take us to his farm, Finden Farm. The only access to the farm is by boat. It is a goat farm, and the farmer and his family has built up a very nice place to accommodate tourists. The lunch we will enjoy there, is made of ingredients produced on the farm, fished in the fjord or hunted around the farm. In the afternoon he will take us back on his private boat and bring us safely back to the hotel. Dinner at the hotel at night.

 

 

 

Day 7, Monday Aug. 27

Balestrand – Flåm – Voss

We start by crossing Sognefjord on a ferry, then we’ll drive to Gudvangen and enjoy a two hour long boat tour through Nærøyfjord to Flåm. Nærøyfjord is the other Norwegian fjord on the UNESCO World Heritage List (besides Geirangerfjord). Lunch on your own in Flåm. After lunch we will take the famous Flåm Railroad (Flåmsbana). It has been listed among the top ten rail roads in Europe. It takes us from sea level (Flåm) up to the mountain (Myrdal) at approx. 2600 feet, in less than 13 miles! From Myrdal we take another train to Voss, where we’ll stay overnight at historical Fleischer’s hotel.

 

 

Day 8, Tuesday Aug 28

Voss – Bergen - Voss

Today we’ll explore Bergen, Norway’s second biggest city. We drive in to Bergen after breakfast, and start with a city tour with a local guide. The tour includes Bryggen, the fish market, Troldhaugen (Edvard Grieg’s home). Afternoon free. Return to Voss in the late afternoon. Dinner at Fleischer’s hotel.

Day 9, Wednesday Aug 29

Voss – Oslo

We start by driving over to Hardanger.  We will cross Hardangerfjord by ferry, and then drive up to the Hardanger plateau. As we drive up to the mountain, we’ll take a short photo stop by Vøringsfossen, Norways most famous waterfall. With it’s almost 600 feet total drop, it’s more than three times higher than the Niagara Falls. We will stop for lunch en route (on your own), and we’ll arrive Oslo late afternoon or early evening. We are staying at a hotel near Karl Johan street, the main street in Oslo. Here are lots of restaurants and shopping possibilities. Dinner at the hotel.

 

 

Day 10, Thursday Aug. 30

Oslo

We start the day with a city tour with a local guide. On the tour we will drive by the Royal Palace and the Parliament, we will stop and take a walk on the roof of the new opera house, walk through Vigeland Park (with all the famous statues) and visit Holmenkollen ski jump arena. We’ll enjoy a good lunch at Aker Brygge, by the harbor. After lunch we’ll watch the changing of the guards outside the Royal Palace, before we take a tour of the palace. Afternoon free to explore Oslo on your own, or do last minute shopping.

 

 

 

Day 11, Friday Aug. 31

Oslo – USA

It’s time to say good bye to Norway! After breakfast we’ll drive towards Oslo Airport, and fly back. Arrive the USA in the late afternoon or early evening.

 

 

Tour includes:

• Airfare roundtrip from Chicago O’Hare to Oslo (contact us for a quote from other airports)
• Transportation in deluxe motorcoach according to the itinerary
• Tour Manager during the whole trip in Norway (day 2 – day 11)
• 9 nights lodging in upscale hotels, fjord view where applicable.
• Luggage handling in all the hotels
• 9 breakfasts
• 9 dinners
• 3 lunches: Lunch with top chef Arne Brimi day 3, lunch at Finden Farm day 6, Lunch at Aker Brygge, Oslo day 10.
• 24 hour access to Union Spa, Geiranger
• City tour with local guide in Bergen
• City tour with local guide in Oslo
• Fjord Cruise on Geirangerfjord
• Fjord Cruise on Nærøyfjord (Gudvangen – Flåm)
• Private fjord sightseeing on Sognefjord / Finnafjord
• Train ride Flåmsbana, Flåm – Myrdal and Myrdal – Voss
• Tour of the Royal Palace in Oslo

 

 

Tour price:

$4595 per person in double room

$5095 per person in single room

 

Sign up today!

 

The tour price is based on a minimum 20 people in the group, and an exchange rate of  NOK/USD of at 5,50. If the exchange rate drops to under 5,50, the prices might be subject to adjustments