Scandinavia and the Baltics: Copenhagen to Riga in 16 Days

1. Day 1: Arrive in Copenhagen

   Copenhagen Airport (CPH) to your hotel in central Copenhagen, then an evening walk

   • Drive about 18 min
   • Dinner
   • Stay in Copenhagen
   Day 1 details

   Fly into Copenhagen Airport (CPH) at Kastrup, about 8 km from the centre; a transfer is proposed from arrivals to your hotel. Rooms are usually available from mid-afternoon, so an early flight leaves time to sleep or walk. In the early evening your See Sight Tours guide would meet the group for a briefing: how the trains and ferries work, how much luggage is sensible on a trip with long rail days and two sea crossings, and what each day asks of you. Then we walk through the inner city to the Lakes, the chain of old reservoirs where Copenhageners jog and sit on the low walls in the long June evenings, and sit down to a welcome dinner of Danish dishes. In midsummer it stays light until about 10 pm, which helps with jet lag. Hotel and restaurant are named in your written quote.

   Included

   • Proposed: pick-up at Copenhagen Airport (CPH)
   • Welcome briefing with your guide
   • Evening walk to the Lakes
   • Welcome dinner

   Free time: Free until the early evening briefing

   Activity: About 3 km of easy walking in the evening.

2. Day 2: Copenhagen: Rosenborg, Nyhavn and the harbour

   Rosenborg Castle, then the harbour by boat, Nyhavn, Amalienborg and the Little Mermaid

   • By boat
   • Breakfast and lunch
   • Stay in Copenhagen
   Day 2 details

   We start at Rosenborg Castle, the Renaissance royal pavilion that is reported to show the Danish crown jewels, aiming for an early entry; opening times are checked for your dates. Then a boat takes us along the harbour and canals, past Nyhavn's painted houses, the Opera House, the old stock exchange Børsen with its dragon-tail spire, which was damaged by fire in April 2024 and whose reconstruction status we check at quoting, and the Little Mermaid from the water side, which is the easier way to see her. Lunch is smørrebrød, open sandwiches on rye. In the afternoon we walk across Amalienborg's octagonal square, where the royal guard is reported to change at midday, and past the Marble Church. From mid-afternoon you are free: Tivoli Gardens, the National Museum or a bike along the harbour.

   Included

   • Rosenborg Castle, where the crown jewels are reported to be shown
   • An hour on the harbour and canals by boat
   • Nyhavn, Amalienborg and the Marble Church with your guide
   • Smørrebrød lunch

   Optional experiences

   • Tivoli Gardens entry in the evening (price in your written quote)

   Easier option: Stay on after the boat in Nyhavn and skip the afternoon walk to Amalienborg.

   More active option: Rent a city bike with the guide's route tips and ride out to the Little Mermaid and the Kastellet ramparts.

   Free time: Afternoon and evening free

   Activity: About 6 km on foot, mostly flat, with cobbles in the old town.

   

3. Day 3: North by train to Oslo, with lunch in Gothenburg

   Copenhagen to Gothenburg by train, lunch, then on to Oslo by train

   • By train
   • Breakfast and lunch
   • Stay in Oslo
   Day 3 details

   There is no single through train we can propose from Copenhagen to Oslo, so we make the journey a day of it, with the exact services set at quoting. We leave the hotel after breakfast for the station and cross the Øresund Bridge into Sweden, then follow the Kattegat coast north to Gothenburg. Your guide holds the reserved seats and helps with cases on and off. In Gothenburg we plan a break of a couple of hours: lunch near the canal, then a walk through Haga's wooden houses and cafés, where a cinnamon bun is close to compulsory. The afternoon train continues north through lakes and rocky farmland into Norway and on to Oslo, arriving in the early evening. A short walk takes us from Oslo Central to the hotel, and dinner is your choice: the waterfront at Aker Brygge is not far away. Rail operators and times are not confirmed.

   Included

   • Proposed: reserved seats from Copenhagen to Gothenburg and Gothenburg to Oslo
   • Guided walk through Haga in Gothenburg
   • Lunch in Gothenburg

   Free time: Evening free in Oslo

   Activity: A long rail day; our planning estimate is around eight hours on trains, broken by the lunch stop, to be checked against timetables. You lift your own case onto the train, with the guide's help; one medium case and a day bag is the sensible limit.

4. Day 4: Oslo: the Opera roof, Akershus and Munch

   The Opera House and Bjørvika, Akershus Fortress, MUNCH, then Vigeland Park

   • Breakfast
   • Stay in Oslo
   Day 4 details

   We start on the sloping white marble roof of the Oslo Opera House, which you are allowed to walk on, for the view across the fjord at a quiet hour. Next door is MUNCH, the museum that holds much of Edvard Munch's work, where we plan a timed entry; The Scream may be shown in rotation, so we check which version is on display for your dates. We walk along the harbour to Akershus Fortress, a medieval castle on the headland, and past City Hall, where the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded each December. Lunch is on your own today so you can choose from the food halls by the water. In the afternoon we take the tram to Frogner Park and walk among Gustav Vigeland's sculptures in bronze and granite, reported to number more than 200, ending at the Monolith. The evening is free; ask your guide about a short ferry to the islands in the inner fjord.

   Included

   • The Opera House roof and Bjørvika
   • MUNCH, with a timed entry
   • Akershus Fortress and City Hall with your guide
   • Vigeland Park in Frogner Park

   Free time: Lunch break and evening free

   Activity: About 7 km on foot with one tram ride; the Opera roof is a long gentle slope.

   

5. Day 5: The Bergen Line and the Flåm Railway

   Oslo to Myrdal on the Bergen Line, then down the Flåm Railway to Flåm

   • By train
   • Breakfast, lunch and dinner
   • Stay in Flåm
   Day 5 details

   Today is one of the classic rail journeys in Europe. The Bergen Line leaves Oslo in the morning and climbs through forest and farmland to the treeless Hardangervidda plateau, passing Finse station at about 1,222 m above sea level. Lunch on the train is proposed, subject to the service's catering; if there is none we lunch at Myrdal. At Myrdal we change to the Flåm Railway, which drops about 865 m in about 20 km to the head of the Aurlandsfjord, through tunnels and past the Kjosfossen waterfall, where the train makes a short stop so you can step out. We reach Flåm in the afternoon with time for a walk along the fjord before a dinner together in the village. Flåm is quiet once the day visitors leave. Train times and seats are set at quoting.

   Included

   • Proposed: Bergen Line from Oslo to Myrdal, with seats
   • The Flåm Railway from Myrdal to Flåm, with the Kjosfossen stop
   • Lunch on the train, or at Myrdal
   • Dinner in Flåm

   Free time: Late afternoon free in Flåm

   Activity: A long day on trains, with short walks only; a waterproof layer helps at the Kjosfossen stop.

   

6. Day 6: The Nærøyfjord by boat, then over the mountains to Bergen

   Flåm by boat through the Nærøyfjord to Gudvangen, then by road via Stalheim and Voss to Bergen

   • Drive about 2.5 h
   • Breakfast and lunch
   • Stay in Bergen
   Day 6 details

   We plan to take an early boat from the Flåm quay, subject to the operator's calendar and the timetable on your dates, which gives a better chance of a quieter deck. The boat sails out along the Aurlandsfjord and into the Nærøyfjord, one of the narrowest fjords in Norway and, with the Geirangerfjord, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. High mountains rise on either side and waterfalls often fall straight into the water, depending on recent rain. At Gudvangen a vehicle and driver are proposed to meet the group, with your luggage, for the road to Bergen, a planning estimate of about 150 km and two and a half hours of driving. We stop at the Stalheim viewpoint above the Nærøy valley, at the Tvindefossen falls, and in Voss for a sit-down lunch. We reach Bergen in the late afternoon and the evening is free; the Fish Market and the quayside restaurants are a short walk away.

   Included

   • Proposed: Nærøyfjord boat from Flåm to Gudvangen
   • The Stalheim viewpoint and Tvindefossen
   • Lunch in Voss
   • Proposed: private vehicle and driver from Gudvangen to Bergen

   Free time: Evening free in Bergen

   Activity: A couple of hours on the boat and about 2.5 hours of driving as a planning estimate, broken by three stops.

   

7. Day 7: Bergen: Fløyen, the Fish Market and Bryggen

   Mount Fløyen by funicular, then the Fish Market, Bryggen and Bergenhus

   • Breakfast and lunch
   • Stay in Bergen
   Day 7 details

   Bergen fills with visitors by mid-morning when ships are in, so we plan to ride the Fløibanen funicular early, up to about 320 m on Mount Fløyen, for the view down over the harbour, the islands and the hills around the city; opening times are checked for your dates. Walk back down through the woods if you like. Your guide then leads a walk through the Fish Market and along Bryggen, the row of timber merchant houses on the quay that recalls the Hanseatic League's trading office here and is described as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Behind the gables, narrow wooden passages lead to workshops and courtyards. We continue to Bergenhus Fortress and Håkon's Hall, reported to be a 13th-century royal banqueting hall, then sit down to a lunch of west coast fish. The afternoon is free for the KODE art museums, the old streets of Nordnes or a fjord cruise.

   Included

   • Fløibanen funicular to Mount Fløyen
   • Guided walk: the Fish Market, Bryggen and Bergenhus Fortress
   • Håkon's Hall
   • Lunch in Bergen

   Optional experiences

   • A fjord sightseeing boat from Bergen harbour (price in your written quote)

   Easier option: Ride the funicular down instead of walking.

   More active option: Walk the trail from Fløyen towards Mount Ulriken's ridge in place of the afternoon free time; route, duration and any local walking guide to be confirmed at quoting.

   Free time: Afternoon and evening free

   Activity: About 5 km on foot, with steps and cobbles at Bryggen; the walk down from Fløyen is optional.

   

8. Day 8: Fly to Stockholm, an evening in Gamla Stan

   Bergen to Bergen Airport, flight to Stockholm Arlanda, then an express train into Stockholm

   • Drive about 30 min
   • Breakfast
   • Stay in Stockholm
   Day 8 details

   Going from Bergen to Stockholm by train would take a long day or more via Oslo, so the proposal flies, with one checked bag included in the plan. Whether a direct flight runs on your dates is checked at quoting; if not, the journey has one connection. After a slow breakfast a driver takes the group to Bergen Airport at Flesland, about 20 km south of the city. From Stockholm Arlanda an express train runs into the city, and we walk or take a short taxi ride to the hotel. After check-in your guide leads a late-afternoon walk into Gamla Stan, the old town on its island, from the Royal Palace and the cathedral, Storkyrkan, to Stortorget, the little square with the tall coloured merchant houses, and down the lanes towards the water. Dinner is your choice. Stockholm is spread across islands, and in June and July the evenings are long.

   Included

   • Proposed: transfer to Bergen Airport
   • Proposed: flight from Bergen to Stockholm with one checked bag
   • The airport express train into Stockholm
   • Evening walk in Gamla Stan with your guide

   Free time: Evening free

   Activity: A travel morning, then about 3 km on foot on cobbles.

   

9. Day 9: Stockholm: the Vasa, City Hall and a fika

   Djurgården by ferry to the Vasa Museum, then City Hall on Kungsholmen

   • By ferry
   • Breakfast and lunch
   • Stay in Stockholm
   Day 9 details

   We take the short ferry to Djurgården and plan to be at the Vasa Museum when it opens; the museum's published hours for June to August are 8:30 am to 6 pm daily, and pre-bought tickets do not skip the queue. Inside stands the warship Vasa, which sank on her maiden voyage in 1628 a short way from where she was launched and was raised in 1961 with the hull largely intact. After lunch in the city we cross to Kungsholmen for a guided tour of City Hall, with the Blue Hall, where the Nobel Prize banquet is held each December, and the Golden Hall, known for its mosaics. Tours depend on the hall's own events and are ticketed online, so the time is set when we quote your dates. We end with a fika, the Swedish coffee and cinnamon bun break, before a free evening. Skansen, the open-air museum, and the Moderna Museet are close by if you want more.

   Included

   • The Vasa Museum, early in the day
   • Guided tour of Stockholm City Hall, if a tour runs on your date
   • A fika
   • Lunch in Stockholm
   • Ferry and public transport tickets

   Free time: Evening free

   Activity: About 6 km on foot, with one ferry and short metro rides.

10. Day 10: The archipelago, then the night ferry to Helsinki

    Stockholm by boat to Vaxholm and back, then the overnight ferry to Helsinki

    • Drive about 18 min
    • Breakfast, lunch and dinner
    • Stay in Overnight ferry to Helsinki
    Day 10 details

    Stockholm's archipelago runs out into the Baltic in a great many islands, and the summer boats from the city quay make it easy to see a piece of it. We plan a morning boat to Vaxholm, with wooden summer houses and jetties on the way; the timetable is checked at quoting. Walk the old harbour and the island lanes, see the old fortress across the channel, and sit down to a fish lunch by the water. We are back in the city in the early afternoon, collect the bags and transfer to the ferry terminal. The overnight ferry to Helsinki is proposed to leave in the afternoon or early evening, set by the timetable, and sails out through the inner archipelago, a highlight of the crossing, then across the Sea of Åland. The plan is an outside cabin with its own shower and dinner on board. Stay on deck for the islands in the evening light. Ferry line, sailing and cabin grade are not confirmed.

    Included

    • Archipelago boat to Vaxholm and back
    • Lunch in Vaxholm
    • Transfer with your bags to the ferry terminal
    • Proposed: overnight ferry to Helsinki in an outside cabin, if available
    • Dinner on board

    Free time: The evening on board is yours

    Activity: Easy walking. The sea can be rough even in summer; ask your guide about seasickness tablets if you are prone.

11. Day 11: Helsinki: Senate Square, the Rock Church and a sauna

    Helsinki ferry terminal to the Market Square, Senate Square, Uspenski Cathedral and the Rock Church

    • Drive about 18 min
    • Breakfast and lunch
    • Stay in Helsinki
    Day 11 details

    Breakfast is on board as the ferry threads the islands into Helsinki, arriving in the morning at a time set by the timetable. Our driver takes the bags to the hotel while we walk. Your guide starts at the Market Square on the South Harbour, climbs to Senate Square and the white Lutheran Cathedral above its steps, then crosses to the red-brick Uspenski Cathedral, often described as the largest Orthodox church in Western Europe. Lunch is in the Old Market Hall, by the water, with salmon soup the obvious choice. In the afternoon we take the tram to the Temppeliaukio Rock Church, cut into the bedrock and consecrated in 1969, roofed with a copper dome, which closes to visitors during services and concerts, so the visit time is set with your dates. Late in the day we go to a public sauna by the sea, a Finnish habit, with a dip in the Baltic if you are brave. The evening is free along the Esplanadi.

    Included

    • Breakfast on the ferry
    • Guided walk: the Market Square, Senate Square, the Cathedral and Uspenski Cathedral
    • Temppeliaukio Rock Church
    • Lunch in the Old Market Hall
    • A public sauna session

    Easier option: Skip the sauna and rest at the hotel before dinner.

    Free time: Evening free

    Activity: About 5 km on foot with a tram ride. Swimwear for the sauna.

    

12. Day 12: Suomenlinna, then the ferry to Tallinn

    Helsinki by ferry to Suomenlinna and back, then the ferry across the Gulf of Finland to Tallinn

    • Drive about 30 min
    • Breakfast and lunch
    • Stay in Tallinn
    Day 12 details

    A public ferry from the Market Square runs to Suomenlinna, and we plan to go early, before the midday boats fill. The sea fortress, begun in 1748 by Sweden on a group of islands off the city, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is still a lived-in place, reported to have about 800 residents. We walk the ramparts, the dry dock and the King's Gate with your guide, then have lunch on the island. Back in Helsinki, we collect the bags and a transfer takes us to the harbour for an afternoon ferry across the Gulf of Finland to Tallinn; sailing times, the ferry line and the terminal are set at quoting. In Tallinn the hotel is a short ride from the port. In the early evening, your guide walks the group through the lower old town to Town Hall Square, a good time of day for it. Dinner is your choice.

    Included

    • Return public ferry to Suomenlinna and a guided walk of the fortress
    • Lunch on Suomenlinna
    • Proposed: ferry from Helsinki to Tallinn, with harbour transfers and your bags handled
    • Evening walk in Tallinn's lower old town

    Free time: Dinner and evening free

    Activity: About 6 km on foot on gravel and cobbles.

    

13. Day 13: Tallinn: Toompea and Kadriorg

    Tallinn on foot: Toompea, then Kadriorg Park and Palace

    • Drive about 18 min
    • Breakfast
    • Stay in Tallinn
    Day 13 details

    Tallinn's old town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, described as one of the best-preserved medieval centres in northern Europe, with much of its wall and many towers standing. We plan to climb to Toompea, the upper town, at about 9 am, ahead of the busiest hours, with a local guide: the pink Parliament on the castle, the onion domes of Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, the Dome Church and the viewing platforms over the red roofs to the harbour. We come down the narrow Short Leg street into the lower town past the merchant houses and guild halls. Late morning, a short ride takes us to Kadriorg, the park and baroque palace that Peter the Great began in 1718, which now holds the Kadriorg Art Museum's collection of foreign art; opening days are checked for your dates. The afternoon is free: the Kumu art museum is at the top of the park, and the old town's cafés and craft workshops are close to the hotel.

    Included

    • Guided walk of Toompea and the lower old town with a local guide
    • Kadriorg Palace, subject to its opening days

    Optional experiences

    • Kumu Art Museum (price in your written quote)

    Free time: Afternoon and evening free

    Activity: About 5 km on foot, with steep cobbled lanes up to Toompea.

    

14. Day 14: Pärnu and on to Riga

    Tallinn to Pärnu, then down the coast to Riga

    • Drive about 4.5 h
    • Breakfast and lunch
    • Stay in Riga
    Day 14 details

    This is the one long road day of the trip, a planning estimate of about 310 km and four hours or a little more of driving. We have no passenger train to propose from Tallinn to Riga: Rail Baltica is still under construction and has no fixed opening date, so the proposal is a vehicle, broken into two stretches. We would leave Tallinn at about 9 am and drive south through pine forest to Pärnu, Estonia's summer resort town, for a walk along the wide sandy beach and the old town's wooden villas, and a sit-down lunch. After lunch we cross into Latvia and follow the Gulf of Riga, with stops for coffee, to reach Riga in the late afternoon. The hotel is proposed in or beside the old town, and the evening is free: the bars and courtyards around Dome Square are a few minutes' walk. Vehicle and driver are not yet chosen.

    Included

    • Proposed: private vehicle and driver from Tallinn to Riga
    • Guided walk in Pärnu
    • Lunch in Pärnu

    Free time: Evening free in Riga

    Activity: About four hours of driving in two stretches as a planning estimate, with a walk in Pärnu between them.

15. Day 15: Riga: the old town, the Central Market and Art Nouveau

    Riga on foot: the Old Town, the Central Market and the Art Nouveau quarter

    • Breakfast, lunch and dinner
    • Stay in Riga
    Day 15 details

    We plan to walk the old town at about 9 am with a local guide, before the day groups: the rebuilt House of the Blackheads on Town Hall Square, the Dome Cathedral, the Three Brothers, a group of old stone houses, and Riga Castle on Pils iela. The lift up St Peter's Church tower, subject to its opening hours, gives a wide view of the river and the spires. Lunch is at the Central Market, set in former Zeppelin hangars on the edge of the old town, among the stalls of smoked fish, rye bread and berries. In the afternoon a short walk takes us to the Art Nouveau quarter around Alberta iela, where the façades of the early 1900s are covered in faces, masks and sculpted figures. The late afternoon is free, and we close the trip with a farewell dinner together in the old town.

    Included

    • Guided Old Town walk with a local guide
    • St Peter's Church tower, subject to its opening hours
    • Lunch at the Central Market
    • The Art Nouveau quarter on Alberta iela
    • Farewell dinner

    Optional experiences

    • The Museum of the Occupation of Latvia (price in your written quote)

    Free time: Late afternoon free

    Activity: About 6 km on foot on cobbles and pavements.

    

16. Day 16: Depart from Riga

    Your hotel in Riga to Riga International Airport (RIX)

    • Drive about 24 min
    • Breakfast
    Day 16 details

    The last morning is unhurried. Have breakfast, walk once more along the Daugava embankment or into the old town for coffee and a last look at the spires, and buy something from Latvia to take home if you want to. Riga International Airport (RIX) is about 10 km west of the centre, around 20 to 30 minutes by road depending on traffic, and your transfer is proposed to be timed to your flight, whether that is early in the morning or later in the day. Your guide sees the group off and checks your flights before saying goodbye. You book your own onward flight home, so choose any time of day and tell us when you enquire. If you would like to stay longer in Riga or add Vilnius, ask us when you enquire and we will quote the extra nights and transfers.

    Included

    • Proposed: drop-off at Riga International Airport (RIX)

    Activity: Book a flight at any time of day; the transfer is timed to it. Allow about 2 hours at the airport.

Wildlife and weather: June to August has the longest days, with light late into the evening in Oslo, Stockholm and Helsinki. Days are usually mild, but the Hardangervidda plateau and the fjords can be cold and wet on any day.

• Copenhagen2 nights
• Oslo2 nights
• Flåm1 night
• Bergen2 nights
• Stockholm2 nights
• Overnight ferry to Helsinki1 night
• Helsinki1 night
• Tallinn2 nights
• Riga2 nights