Scandinavia and Iceland
Scandinavia has a long and exciting past involving a history of discovery and exploration. It’s a region of rare beauty, feted for its fjords and forests, furnished with charming old wooden towns, stave churches and elegant castles. The friendly inhabitants share a lively cultural scene.
Sightseeing
From Norway’s spectacular waterfalls and fjords to the great open skies of the Finnish and Swedish lakelands, and the pastoral beauty of southern Sweden and Denmark - no other part of the world can show you so much scenic beauty and variety! Check out Iceland, where some of Europe’s biggest glaciers cozy up to some of the continent’s hottest volcanic springs.
Shopping
Scandinavia is famous for distinctive modern design. Look for Royal Copenhagen porcelain and exquisite glassware from Kosta Boda in Sweden. Georg Jensen silverware is world famous. Look also for colourful textiles, Norwegian sweaters, Nusnas wooden horses and traditional Lapp handicrafts.
Entertainment
Scandinavians make the most of their long summer evenings. Join them in Copenhagen’s Tivoli Gardens, Oslo’s Frogner Park or the Kungsträdgården in Stockholm. You can explore the bars of Nyhavn in Copenhagen and Stockholm’s Gamla Stan and there are great folk festivals all through the season. Alternatively, the hip Icelandic capital is awash with cafes, clubs, and pubs.
Specialties
Scandinavian cooking is simple, wholesome and delicious. There are any number of fish dishes including Swedish gravlax (pickled salmon, eaten raw) while the freshwater crayfish season is celebrated with its own festival. When faced with a smorgasbord buffet, sample the cold dishes before the hot ones and make frequent trips to the table with a little at a time. In Iceland, serving specialities include freshly caught seafood, free range lamb and prize game from the pristine countryside. And don’t forget Danish beer which has conquered the world.
5 Fun Things To Do
1. If you really want to get into the Swedish lifestyle, hire a bike for an hour and cruise the streets of Stockholm like a local.
2. Go Santa spotting in Finland where Mr Claus has set up a village right on the Arctic Circle.
3. Shopaholics can browse. Copenhagen’s Stroget, the longest pedestrian street in Europe. It’s packed with cool shops, cosy cafes, historic monuments and stylish Scandinavians.
4. Enter the twilight zone at Iceland’s Blue Lagoon where mud covered people soak in a steamy milky-blue spa, fed by mineral-rich seawater from the silvery towers of a geothermal plant.
5. Have a midnight drink while watching the eternal sun at the Grotten (Cave) Bar at Nordkapphallen visitor centre.
Our Top Tours