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Four Nordic Capitals: Copenhagen, Oslo, Stockholm and Helsinki

10 days by train and overnight ferry: three nights in Copenhagen with Kronborg Castle, two each in Oslo and Stockholm with the archipelago, then the Baltic crossing to Helsinki.

10 days · Copenhagen to Helsinki · up to 12 guests

The neon signs over Sortedam Lake in Copenhagen at blue hour Photo: Kristoffer Trolle from Copenhagen, Denmark, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cityscape_and_skyline_by_the_Copenhagen_Lakes,_Denmark_-_(36018109956).jpg)

The facts

At a glance

Length
10 days, 9 nights
Start and end
Copenhagen to Helsinki
Group size
7 to 12 guests
Activity level

Moderate

City walking on cobbles and pavements, about 6 to 10 km a day spread over the day, with trams, metro and boats between the far points. Two long train days of about 5.5 and 8 hours, seated, broken by lunch. You lift your own case onto three trains with your guide's help, and every walking day has an easier option.

Meals included
9 breakfasts, 7 lunches, 3 dinners
Room of your own
+ CAD 1,005 (estimated price)
Season
May to September

Highlights

Why this trip

  • Rosenborg Castle at opening, then smørrebrød and an hour on Copenhagen's harbour by boat
  • Kronborg Castle in Helsingør, Hamlet's Elsinore, looking across the strait to Sweden
  • The Oslo Opera House roof early, then Munch's Scream and Vigeland's sculptures
  • The Vasa Museum at opening, before the cruise groups
  • A morning boat through the Stockholm archipelago to Vaxholm
  • The overnight ferry to Helsinki in an outside cabin, with dinner on board
  • A public sauna on the Helsinki waterfront and a dip in the Baltic
  • Suomenlinna sea fortress on the last morning

What makes this trip different

  • Free time is part of the plan

    Free time and choices are marked on the days they fall.

  • Solo without the penalty

    A room of your own is + CAD 1,005 (estimated price).

Day by day

Itinerary

NORWAYSWEDENDENMARKFINLANDKattegatBaltic SeaGulf of FinlandSkagerrak1234CopenhagenDays 1 to 4HelsingørDay 3GothenburgDay 4OsloDays 4 to 6StockholmDays 6 to 8VaxholmDay 8HelsinkiDays 9 to 10SuomenlinnaDay 10

Tap any stop on the map to open that day

Arrive in Copenhagen

Copenhagen Airport (CPH) to your hotel, then an evening walk to Nyhavn and the Lakes

  • Dinner
  • Stay in Copenhagen
  • Drive about 18 min
Neon signs on the old apartment blocks of Sortedam Dossering reflected in the still water of the Copenhagen Lakes at dusk
Photo: Kristoffer Trolle from Copenhagen, Denmark, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cityscape_and_skyline_by_the_Copenhagen_Lakes,_Denmark_-_(36018109956).jpg)

Fly into Copenhagen Airport at Kastrup, about 8 km from the centre, and a driver meets you in arrivals for the short ride to the hotel.

Evening

Plan to land by about 3 pm to make the evening briefing; the exact time is confirmed with your final itinerary. If you land early, the city is easy on foot, and your guide can point you to a first coffee or a bike-hire shop. In the early evening your See Sight Tours guide meets the group for a short briefing on the ten days ahead: the three train days, the overnight ferry, what to pack and how the days are paced. Then we walk through the old centre to Nyhavn, the 17th-century canal lined with painted townhouses and moored wooden boats, and sit down together for a welcome dinner of Danish food. On the way back we loop past the Lakes, where the old neon signs on Sortedam Dossering, including the Irma hen, light up the water once it gets dark (late on summer evenings).

Included

  • Pick-up at Copenhagen Airport (CPH)
  • Welcome briefing with your guide
  • Evening walk to Nyhavn and the Lakes
  • Welcome dinner

Free time: Free until the evening briefing

Activity: Land by about 3 pm to reach the briefing; the exact time is confirmed with your final itinerary.

  1. Copenhagen3 nights
  2. Oslo2 nights
  3. Stockholm2 nights
  4. Overnight ferry to Helsinki1 night
  5. Helsinki1 night
  • Overnight stop
  • Day trip
  • By boat or train
Print itinerary

Wildlife and weather: May to September brings long light, with daylight until about 11 pm in Stockholm and Helsinki in June, and daytime temperatures of about 15 to 25 C. Rain is possible in every month, boat decks are cool even in July, and the Baltic stays cold for a swim. Some old hotel rooms lack air conditioning in a heatwave.

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Get the day-by-day itinerary by email, or ask us anything about this trip. A trip planner replies the same or next business day.

Before you book

Right for you?

Good for you if you want

  • First-time visitors who want all four Nordic capitals in one trip without a coach
  • Travellers who like trains, boats and an overnight ferry as part of the trip
  • City lovers: castles, design, museums and waterfronts
  • Solo travellers who want company at lunch and freedom in the evening

Not for you if you want

  • Travellers who want the Norwegian fjords; see our Scandinavia trip with Flåm and Bergen
  • Anyone who cannot lift a suitcase onto a train
  • Travellers who need step-free access: cobbles, castle stairs and the Opera roof slope are part of the route
  • Winter trips for the northern lights

Book flights after we confirm your seat.

9 nights

Where you'll stay

Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.

  • Copenhagen3 nights
  • Oslo2 nights
  • Stockholm2 nights
  • Overnight ferry to Helsinki1 night
  • Helsinki1 night

One price

What's in the price

Included

Accommodation

  • 9 nights: 3 in Copenhagen, 2 in Oslo and 2 in Stockholm in central hotels of at least a 3-star-plus standard, 1 on the overnight ferry to Helsinki in an outside cabin with its own shower, and 1 in Helsinki
  • Rooms shared, or your own for a supplement
  • We name each hotel and the ferry line when we confirm your dates

Transport

  • Pick-up at Copenhagen Airport (CPH) and drop-off at Helsinki Airport (HEL)
  • Trains from Copenhagen to Gothenburg to Oslo, and from Oslo to Stockholm, seats reserved
  • Return train from Copenhagen to Helsingør
  • The overnight ferry from Stockholm to Helsinki
  • Transfers with your bags to and from the ferry terminals
  • An hour on Copenhagen's harbour by boat, the archipelago boat to Vaxholm and back, and the ferry to Suomenlinna
  • Tram, metro and local ferry tickets on city touring days

Your guide

  • A See Sight Tours guide with the group for the whole trip, who handles the tickets, the trains and the ferry
  • Local guides where a site runs its own tours, such as Stockholm City Hall

Activities

  • Rosenborg Castle, the Royal Reception Rooms at Christiansborg, Nyhavn, Amalienborg and the Little Mermaid (Copenhagen)
  • Kronborg Castle (Helsingør)
  • The Opera House roof, Akershus Fortress, MUNCH and Vigeland Park (Oslo)
  • The Vasa Museum, City Hall, Gamla Stan and a fika (Stockholm)
  • Vaxholm in the archipelago
  • The Market Square, Senate Square, Uspenski Cathedral, Temppeliaukio Rock Church and a public sauna (Helsinki)
  • Suomenlinna sea fortress

Meals

  • 9 breakfasts, including breakfast on the ferry
  • 7 lunches: in Copenhagen, Helsingør, Gothenburg, Oslo, on the Stockholm train, in Vaxholm and in Helsinki's Old Market Hall
  • 3 dinners: a welcome dinner in Copenhagen, the buffet on the ferry and a farewell dinner in Helsinki
  • A fika in Stockholm

Not included

  • International flights to Copenhagen and home from Helsinki
  • Visas or travel authorisations, if your passport needs one
  • Travel insurance
  • Dinners on days 2 to 7
  • Drinks
  • Tips
  • Optional activities: Tivoli, the Bygdøy museums, the Royal Palace state apartments, Skansen, ABBA The Museum and bike hire
  • A flight in place of a train leg, if you ask for one
  • Personal expenses

Extras

Room of your own
CAD 1,005 (estimated price)

When you can go

Dates and prices

Pick your start date when you request to book. We check that date and confirm it in your quote.

Prefer to travel without a group or guide? Ask us about arranging hotels, transport and city tours for you to travel independently.

Before you book

Booking terms

Nothing is charged now. Full terms and the cancellation schedule come with your quote, before you accept.

Business addresses

See Sight Tours Trips (USA): 3172 N Rainbow Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89108, United StatesSee Sight Tours Trips (Canada): 5305 50 Avenue, #1091, Red Deer, AB T4N 4B6, Canada+1-888-961-6584

Guest reviews

What guests say

Reviews from guests on our day tours.

Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
google

5/5

Parminder did a great job guiding us around, giving us tips & teaching us the history of the falls. A great experience!

Jane
October 06, 2026
gyg

5/5

Good views of the surrounding area of Halifax in a comfortable minivan

Susan
October 06, 2026
gyg

5/5

June was brilliant- made good contact beforehand and really attentive and knowledgeable. Made me feel like I was special- something only experience can do. Thank you June.

Tom L
October 05, 2026
tripadvisor

5/5

Our host was very knowledgeable, friendly and even provided some humor.

MandL83
October 05, 2026
tripadvisor

5/5

Peter was a very good guide, giving us insight into the various parts of the Park, including parking lot congestion details, trail and viewing location suggestions.

Darren O
October 05, 2026
tripadvisor

5/5

Excellent morning spent with my guide Nancy. Very knowledgeable and friendly. Thoroughly enjoyed my trip

4.7/5 from 38,601 guest reviews

Good to know

Questions

What does the price include?

Nine nights: eight in central hotels of at least a 3-star-plus standard and one on the overnight ferry in an outside cabin with its own shower. Breakfast daily, 7 lunches and 3 dinners, three train journeys with reserved seats, the Kronborg train, the harbour, archipelago and Suomenlinna boats, airport transfers, your See Sight Tours guide throughout and every entry in the day plan.

How big is the group?

The small-group trip runs with 7 to 12 guests. Twelve fit around one table at lunch, through a train door without a scramble and close enough to hear the guide in City Hall. The large coach versions of this route can carry several times as many.

Who leads the trip?

A See Sight Tours guide travels with the group for all ten days, from the welcome briefing in Copenhagen to the Suomenlinna morning in Helsinki, handling the trains, the ferry, the tickets and the bags at each change. Licensed local guides join where a site runs its own tours, such as Stockholm City Hall.

Why trains and not a coach or flights?

Trains run city centre to city centre, with a table, a window and room to walk, and no coach driver's hours to work around. Copenhagen to Oslo is about 8 hours with a lunch stop in Gothenburg, and Oslo to Stockholm about 5.5. If you prefer, we can book a one-hour flight for either leg instead.

What is the overnight ferry to Helsinki like?

It is a large car and passenger ferry, closer to a small cruise ship, leaving Stockholm in the late afternoon and arriving in Helsinki at about 10 am, so the Helsinki day is a full one. You have an outside cabin with a window and your own shower, with the dinner buffet and breakfast included. The operator and cabin are confirmed with your final itinerary.

How fit do I need to be?

Moderate. City days are about 6 to 10 km on foot on cobbles and pavements, with tram, metro and boat rides between the far points. You lift your own case onto three trains, with your guide to help. Each walking day has an easier option.

I am travelling solo. What does a room of my own cost?

A room of your own, and a ferry cabin of your own, is from CAD 1,005 more, shown before you book. Scandinavian single rooms are expensive, and we price them at cost rather than as a penalty. If you would like to share, ask and we will try to pair you with another solo guest of the same sex.

When is the best time to go?

May to September. Days are long, with daylight until about 11 pm in Stockholm and Helsinki in June, the archipelago boats run their summer timetables and Tivoli is open. Expect 15 to 25 C in the day, cooler on the ferry deck, and rain in any month.

Do I need a visa?

Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland are all in the Schengen area. Canadian, US, UK and Australian passport holders visit visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180. The EU's Entry/Exit System records your fingerprints and photo at the first border, and ETIAS is not yet in operation; the EU announces its start at least six months ahead, and we check it for your dates.

Can we travel privately or on our own dates?

Yes. Besides the small group, the trip comes as a private trip for your party only, on a date you choose, with your own guide. If you would rather travel independently on your own dates, ask us from the dates section and we will quote the same trains, ferry and hotels.

Can I add Tallinn or more time in Helsinki?

Yes. Ferries from Helsinki to Tallinn take about two hours each way, so a day trip or a night in Tallinn's old town fits well at the end. Ask when you request to book and we add the extra nights and the ferry at cost.

How does booking work?

Prices are per person sharing a room, with taxes, and the small group starts from CAD 5,575. Send your preferred dates as an enquiry. We check availability and provide the final quote, itinerary and booking terms before you accept. No payment is taken when you send the request.

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