NORWAY LUXURY TOUR ITINERARY

July 23 – Monday     MINNEAPOLIS

You leave Fargo/Minneapolis or your home airport and jet your way overnight across the Atlantic and the Norwegian Sea to the vivid contrasts of beautiful Norway.

July 24 – Tuesday     OSLO – HAMAR

You will arrive early at the New Gardermoen Airport at Oslo.  We transfer to Eidvoll, Norway Constitution City for a tour of the site where Norway’s Constitution was signed in 1814.  We continue by motor coach through the beautiful rolling countryside to Hamar, Fargo’s Sister City.  The rest of this day at leisure    (D)

July 25 – Wednesday    HAMAR

Visit Hamar’s medieval cathedral ruins and Hedemark Museum where we will see the Borderud log cabin from Kindred, North Dakota.  After a special farm lunch, we continue to New Olympic Halls.  You will enjoy an evening visit to Hamar City Hall and meet city officials.  Dinner.    (B-L-D)

July 26 – Thursday    HAMAR – LILLEHAMMER – VÅGÅMO

We say farewell to Hamar and enjoy a 60-minute drive along Mjøsa, Norway’s largest lake.  A stop will be made at Ringsaker Church which was built in 1220.  We continue to Lillehammer, one of Norway’s great tourist communities, beautifully situated on the slopes of Lake Mjøsa.  Lillehammer was the home of the 1994 Winter Olympics.  Here we will visit the site facilities and competition areas for the Olympics.  Our next stop is Maihaugen, one of Norway’s most unique outdoor museums.  The collections represent the old farm culture from the Gudbrandsdal Valley.  On our way north we shall visit the Ringebu Stave Church and the Kringen Battle memorial.  From Otta we drive through the Bøvedal Valley to our destination of Vågåmo.  A unique dinner is planned.        (B-D)

July 27 – Friday     VÅGÅMO – TRONDHEIM

Vågåmo is a village steeped in tradition with farms dating back to the Middle Ages.  Visit the unique Vågåmo Church.  Originally a stave church constructed about 1130, it was rebuilt into a cross-shaped church in 1625.  We continue to Dombås for a rest stop.  We drive over the Dovre mountains to Oppdal, one of Norway’s fine winter resort towns and on to Trondheim, Norway’s third largest city.  Our hotel is situated in the heart of the city.     (B-D)

July 28 – Saturday     TRONDHEIM

This morning we visit the Fish Market and the famous Nidaros Cathedral.  From there we go “Utsikten” for a view of Trondheim from the mountaintop.  Tonight you will enjoy a beautiful dinner.     (B-D)

July 29 – Sunday    TRONDHEIM – ÅNDALSNES

We say farewell to Trondheim and head south to Oppdal.  We will enjoy a unique stop at Dovregubbenshall for a traditional Norwegian luncheon.  We continue via Dombås up to Lesjaskog and into the Romsdal Valley, where magnificent waterfalls, lakes, rivers and streams adorn the countryside as we enter the Rauma municipality.  Dinner.  This evening an optional visit to Troll Tinn.         (B-L-D)

July 30 – Monday     ÅNDALSNES – JØLSTER

Our dreams are about to come true.  The real Norway lies ahead as we cross Sogge Bridge and head up the majestic mountain road to Stigfoss (Waterfall) up Trollstig Road.  We make a short stop at the top to take pictures and shop.  We zigzag down past Sylte mountain to Valldal where a ferry will take us across to Eidsdal.  Again, we head down the Eagle Road.  From here you will have a magnificent view of the Geiranger Fjord with the Seven Sisters Waterfall.  Continue up 20 hairpin bends to the top.  From Flydalsjuvet we enjoy another famous view of the Geiranger Fjord, a photographers dream and then down again and continue past the snow-capped mountains and Lake Djupvatn (Deep Water).  View the grandeur of the glaciers.  Finally we reach Grotli Tunnel and Videseter where we enjoy a stop at the edge of a precipice overlooking Videdalen.  We go by beautiful Strynsvatn and continue along Lake Erdal to Oppstryn and Stryn.  As we drive along the Nordfjord we reach Olden and Innvik.  Over the mountain into the magnificent fjord district of Sunnfjord to Jøstedal Glacier, the largest glacier in Northern Europe.  Our destination for today is the Skei Hotel.     (B-D)

July 31 – Tuesday     JØLSTER – VOSS

We begin our day with a lovely drive up the zigzag highway to Lunde where we will travel through the tunnel under the glaciers to Bøyum, Mundal (Mondale) and Fjærland.  Visit the glacial museum.  Drive through the tunnel to Sogndal and continue to Hella.  From here we will take the ferry across the Sognefjord to Vangsnes.  We continue up over Viakfjell with an early arrival at Stalheim.  After we take pictures in a most unique setting, we continue to Voss.  We visit the old Voss Church and the Knute Rockne Memorial.  Rockne was the man who revolutionized American football.    (B-D)

August 1 – Wednesday     VOSS – BERGEN

We have a late departure from Voss.  Our two-hour trip to Bergen through tunnels and over mountain passes will be an experience you will not forget.  Bergen is built amid seven mountains.  We will visit its harbor and see its colorful houses.  The knitwear and handicraft shops are well worth a visit.  Our tour will take us to the summer home of the great composer Edvard Greig, Mt. Floyøn, Maria Church and the world famous Fish Market.  Tonight we enjoy a festive dinner party with local guests in Bergen and return to Voss.     (B-D)

August 2 – Thursday     VOSS – FLÅM – VOSS

Today we travel on the Flåm Railway and tour the areas of Aurland, Stalheim and Underdal in Sogn.    (B-D)

August 3 – Friday     VOSS – GEILO

Our day begins with an early breakfast and we say farewell to Voss.  We head east along the majestic Hardanger Fjord.  Our ferry takes us over to Kinsarvik where we tour a pewter factory.  Over the Hardanger plateau to Geilo into the Hallingdal Valley where we will enjoy dinner and entertainment at a beautiful mountain hotel.  Our next stop will be two of Norway's old knive factories.  We will enjoy a huge buffet dinner at this high mountain hotel.    (B-D)

August 4 – Saturday     GEILO

After a beautiful breakfast. today we will attend an authentic Norwegian Hallingdal wedding ceremony and celebration, complete with fiddlers, musicians, horses, and everyone tin native costumes.  Tonight we will be included in the wedding dinner and dance.    (B-D)

August 5 – Sunday     GEILO – OSLO

After a beautiful breakfast our journey towards Norway's Capital city includes  stops in Gol to see the Stave Church then at Nesbyn, the Hallingdal Museum and Hedeland Glass Works .      (B-D)

August 6 – Monday      OSLO

After breakfast our day begins with a city tour of Oslo and sightseeing tour including Oslo's magnificent City Hall, Vigeland Park, Viking Ship Museum, the World Famous Kontiki Museum and Holmenkollen Ski Jump. Afternoon free. "Farewell Dinner".      (H-B-D)

August 7 – Tuesday     OSLO – USA

Today is our last day in Norway.  We transfer to Gardermoen Airport.  We will wing our way across the Atlantic on our comfortable jumbo jet.  We will arrive in Chicago in the early afternoon for customs and on to Fargo or Minneapolis.     (B)

 CODE: B-Breakfast, L-Lunch, D-Dinner, and H-Hotel 

“Welcome Home!”