Essential Scandinavia
9 Days Starting in Copenhagen and ending in Helsinki
Visiting: Copenhagen, Gothenburg, Stockholm, Stockholm - Overnight Ferry, Helsinki
Tour Overview
See the essential sites and cities of Scandinavia in Northern Europe with this nine-day adventure through Denmark, Sweden and Finland. Starting your journey in colourful Copenhagen, you’ll tick off bucket list cities, walk along nature trails off the tourist track, relax in a Finnish sauna and head out on a pub crawl with newfound friends. Learn the art of Swedish Fika, take walking tours with your handy leader and enjoy heaps of free time to spend your way – on optional bike rides, dinners, day trips, boat rides and museum visits. This is the perfect intro to three amazing countries and will surely have you coming back again and again!
Highlights
Itinerary
Day 1: Copenhagen
Location: Copenhagen
Accommodation: Hostel (multi-share)
Velkomst! Welcome to Denmark. Your adventure kicks off in colourful Copenhagen with a welcome meeting at 6 pm tonight. If you arrive early, which is highly recommended, why not visit the pastel waterfront houses in the Nyhavn area (and grab the iconic I’m-in-Scandinavia-pic), drop in at an industrial bar for a drink or stroll around the famous Tivoli Gardens – home to the world's oldest rollercoaster. Maybe venture into the Freetown of Christiania – a self-proclaimed autonomous neighbourhood that has been the source of controversy since 1972, when squatters took over a former military area. After your meeting tonight, maybe head out for an optional welcome dinner with your local leader.
Day 2: Copenhagen
Location: Copenhagen
Accommodation: Hostel (multi-share)
Head out on an orientation walk this morning and get to know the area. You’ll then have some free time to explore – maybe hire a bike or stroll along the harbour. See the Little Mermaid statue and maybe sit by the seaside while you have lunch with her. You can head out to the classicist palaces of 18th-century Amalienborg – the main residence of the Danish Royal family – or visit Frederik's Church, the Court House, the National Museum or the Christiansborg Palace. Later this afternoon, rejoin your group and head to Copenhill for a guided tour. This artificial ski slope sits on the roof of a modern energy plant and is used for hiking, climbing, skiing, sledding and rooftop views. You’ll learn how they combine heat and power at this waste-to-energy plant, then you have the option to join your leader for dinner at Reffen – the largest street food market in the Nordics, full of delicious food, local music and craft beers.
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Day 3: Gothenburg
Location: Gothenburg
Accommodation: Bed and Breakfast
Meals Included: breaksfast
Take the train to Gothenburg today – Sweden's second-largest city, Gothenburg is known for its trendy neighbourhoods, seafood restaurants, vibrant cultural mix and world-class craft beer scene. When you arrive, you’ll have a free afternoon to maybe take a paddan boat tour through the canals and see the city from the waterways. You might also like to check out the World of Volvo Museum or the Aeroseum – this Cold War museum sits within a subterranean hangar and features historic aircraft and a flight simulator. Later tonight, meet back up with your leader for a classic pub crawl for a couple of drinks.
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Day 4: Gothenburg
Location: Gothenburg
Accommodation: Bed and Breakfast
Meals Included: breaksfast
Today, hop on public transport to the ferry terminal, then travel to Donso Island – one of the most popular islands among locals here. This little island is home to lots of hidden beaches, swimming spots for summer and the classic little red houses you’d expect from a small Swedish town. When you arrive, you’ll head out on a hike to soak in some of the landscape. Enjoy the scenic walk through woodlands and viewpoints of the archipelago. This walk can be extended, depending on the desires of the group. Tonight is a free night back in Gothenburg.
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Day 5: Stockholm
Location: Stockholm
Accommodation: Hostel (multi-share)
Meals Included: breaksfast
Take the train to Stockholm – often referred to as the 'Venice of the North' and arguably Scandinavia's most beautiful city. Stockholm is packed with amazing architecture, leafy parks and clear waters. When you arrive, you’ll join your leader for an orientation walk, strolling by the narrow cobblestone streets and colourful merchant houses. You’ll then be introduced to the delicious art of Swedish Fika – enjoying a cup of coffee or tea with something sweet, often with friends or family. More than just coffee and cake, this practice is believed to promote social wellbeing, mindfulness and the enjoyment of life. Tonight, maybe head to Stockholm's Sodermalm district – the inner-city island with the best nightlife.
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Day 6: Stockholm
Location: Stockholm
Accommodation: Hostel (multi-share)
Meals Included: breaksfast
Today is a free day to explore Stockholm at your own pace. Maybe grab a cinnamon roll in Stockholm’s oldest café – Sundbergs Konditori in Jarntorget Square – dating back to 1785. You could take a self-guided millennium walking tour or visit the ABBA Museum. Maybe take a trip to Drottningholm Palace – the residence of the Swedish royal family – or head to the Nobel Prize Museum, the Vasa Museum or the Nordic Museum. If you’re not sure what to check out today, your leader will always be on hand with some tips! Tonight, maybe sit down at one of the restaurants on the cobblestoned islet of Gamla Stan or in Kungsholmen.
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Day 7: Stockholm - Overnight Ferry
Location: Stockholm - Overnight Ferry
Accommodation: Overnight Ferry
Meals Included: breaksfast
Today after breakfast, you have a free day to take up any optional activities that you didn’t get a chance to yesterday. If you haven’t already, go in search of some classic Swedish meatballs with lingonberry sauce or pickled herring. If the season is right, hire a handcrafted wooden bike and tour the city’s bike lanes. In winter, you can take in the waterways, which often completely freeze over. You may even spot some people daring enough to walk over the ice! Tonight, you’ll take an overnight ferry to Helsinki.
Day 8: Helsinki
Location: Helsinki
Accommodation: Hotel (multi-share)
Meals Included: breaksfast
Arrive in Helsinki late this morning. After you disembark from the ferry, head to your accommodation and drop off your bags. Helsinki has long celebrated the soothing ritual of the sauna, weaving it seamlessly into daily life and Finnish culture. The city boasts an array of saunas known as one of the keys to happiness – Finland has topped the World Happiness report for the last six years! Chill out in one of the city’s traditional public saunas today, mixing with the locals and maybe taking a quick dip in the Baltic Sea. After, maybe head to one of the contemporary art museums or Helsinki Cathedral. You might want to see the unique Rock Church (Temppeliaukio Church), which has been built directly into the rock around it and looks almost subterranean. Tonight, why not head out with your group for some dinner and drinks and celebrate the end of an amazing trip.
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Day 9: Helsinki
Location: Helsinki
Meals Included: breaksfast
After breakfast, your trip comes to an end. If you’d like to extend your stay in Helsinki, just get in touch with your booking agent ahead of time to organise additional accommodation. If you do decide to stay, why not spend the day at Suomenlinna Sea Fortress – this UNESCO World Heritage site was built gradually from 1748 on a group of islands just off the city’s coast.
What's Included
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Accommodation
Hostel (multi-share) (4 nights), Bed and Breakfast (2 nights), Overnight Ferry (1 night), Hotel (multi-share) (1 night) -
Meals
7 breakfasts -
Copenhagen - Copenhill Guided Tour
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Copenhagen - Orientation Walk
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Gothenburg - Pub Crawl
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Donso Island - Nature Trail
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Donso Island - Day Trip
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Stockholm - Orientation Walk
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Stockholm - Swedish Fika
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Helsinki - Finnish Sauna
Transport
- TRANSPORT IN EUROPE
- Half the fun of travel is the travelling itself, that's why we like to travel the local way – whether that means mingling with commuters on a local train, watching the scenery roll by from the window of a long distance bus, arriving on a high speed train in the city centre of your next destination, or navigating each city's public transport system. In Europe, you are guaranteed to travel by genuine local public transport wherever possible, which puts you right in the centre of the action.
Accommodation
- We've sourced our accommodation very carefully and picked the best possible hotels in line with the Intrepid 18 to 35s style of travel. Our first accommodation choice is always as close to the main attraction of the destination as possible, however, sometimes we are not in the right centre of action, which means you may need to hop on a public transport to get to the city centre. Service and accommodation in Europe may be different to the standards you are used to. Your accommodation will not always have private en suite facilities or air-conditioning. European hotels generally don't provide kettles or fridges and in particular destinations, rooms may be rather small.
- OCCASIONAL ALTERNATIVE ACCOMMODATION
- The style of accommodation indicated in the day-to-day itinerary is a guideline. On rare occasions, alternative arrangements may need to be made due to the lack of availability of rooms in our usual accommodation. A similar standard of accommodation will be used in these instances.
- ROOMING ALLOCATION
- Accommodation on this trip is on a twin/multi-share basis. We pair up solo travellers with other travellers of the same gender as per the gender marker on each of their passports.
- CHECK-IN TIME
- Throughout the trip we request that our hotels prepare rooms in time for your arrival, especially if you're arriving prior to normal check-in time. However this isn't always possible which means you won't be able to check-in immediately on arrival at some hotels. Instead, you can store your luggage and go exploring.
- PRE/POST TRIP ACCOMMODATION
- If you've purchased pre-trip or post-trip accommodation (if available), you may be required to change rooms from your trip accommodation for these extra nights.
Important Information
- 1. A single supplement is available if you’d prefer not to share a room on this trip. The single supplement excludes Days 1, 2, 5 & 6 (Hostel), where you will be in shared accommodation and is subject to availability. Please speak to your booking agent for further information.
- 2. Please provide your full name exactly as per passport at the time of booking (including any middle names listed on your passport) for ferry tickets. Fees may apply for adding or amending details within 45 days of departure, and in some cases you will be required to cover the cost of issuing a new ticket.
Check out our Q&As
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Is this trip right for you
This trip includes accommodation in multi-share dormitories, where you won't be staying in twin share hotels, but rather cool hangouts with shared facilities. This means travellers on the same booking may be split between rooms due to the single gender dormitories.
Scandinavia can be an expensive destination in many ways, from museum entrance fees to optional activities and eating out. Your leader will be able to advise on how to have the best value holiday in Scandinavia.
This trip travels primarily on public transport. We recommend packing light as you'll be required to carry your own luggage between train stations, ferry ports and hotels, which can include walking up stairs and over cobblestones. Train stations often don’t have elevator access.
The areas visited on this trip can be cold at night throughout the year. Please bring appropriate clothing for adverse weather conditions, including base layers, hat, gloves, scarf, coat and anything else that will keep you cosy. In Winter months, you will need plenty of warm layers for the day trip to Donso. -
What policies are in place for Covid-19?
Please contact us for latest COVID-19 policies
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How long has the tour company been trading?
Intrepid Travel has been taking travellers around the world for over 30 years
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Will the accommodation included meet local health and safety regulations?
Yes
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What Ethical Travel credentials does the tour company have?
Since 2002, The Intrepid Foundation has supported over 130 organisations across the world. We’re creating positive impact through the joy of travel, community and connection.
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Do you operate a “single share” option and how does it work?
Over 50% of traveller travel solo with Intrepid. You can choose to share a room with another solo travelle of the same sex for no additional charge, or choose to pay a single supplement if you’d like your own room. Please request this when booking, and we will secure you a single supplement wherever possible. Please note, if you are booking a last-minute trip, it may be harder for us to secure a single room
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Free Date Changes
Intrepid Travel allows you to make 10 free date changes, as long as the change is made at least 56 days before the start of the tour.
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Transfer as credit to Future Tours
Intrepid Travel allows you to transfer existing payments to a future tour to avoid cancellation fees if you can't travel and inform intrepid travel, 56 days before departure.
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Low Deposit
Intrepid Travel requires a minimum deposit of 400 USD per person or the full booking value, whichever is less, with the final balance not due until 56 days before departure.
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Cancellation Policy
We don't charge a cancellation fee, here is a summary of intrepid travel charges.
Up to 56 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of deposit.
At 55 days before tour starts: Forfeit 30% of booking price.
At 30 days before tour starts: Forfeit 60% of booking price.
At 14 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of booking price.
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