Norway’s Lakeland Adventure

Travel through Holland and Germany and spend a night in Denmark before crossing to Norway to enjoy a wonderful tour through one of the world’s most unique landscapes: a high mountain plateau, deep valleys, forests, rivers and crystal-clear lakes plus a rich cultural heritage.

Friday 17th – Monday 27th September 2027

Tour Price £2299.00
Single supplement: £372.00

o Ten nights dinner, bed and breakfast

o Hot & cold buffet breakfast

o Three course buffet dinner

o Entrance to West Telemark Museum & Eidsborg Stave Church

o Entrance to Vemork Museum

o Boat trip on the Telemark Canal

o Lake Nisser cruise

o Fully escorted

o All coach travel and ferry crossings

FRI  We leave home early this morning and travel to Dover for a short Channel crossing to Dunkirk and then on to the Netherlands for dinner and an overnight stay.

SAT  Today we continue through Holland, into Germany cross the border into Denmark near Flensburg and continue to Kolding for dinner and an overnight stay.

SUN  After an early breakfast we proceed north through Jutland to Hirtshals for the fast craft ferry to Norway. There will be time to relax on board, sample some refreshments and enjoy the ship’s facilities. On arrival in Larvik we travel inland and enjoy a first taste of the pristine scenery for which Norway is so rightly famed. We travel via Porsgrunn and Skein and then through wonderful lakeland scenery, passing Bo and crossing the famous Telemark Canal to arrive at Vrådal for a five night stay.

MON  We spend today at leisure in Vrådal. Your hotel has great facilities including an indoor swimming pool, large panoramic terrace, lounge and a wonderful garden that sweeps down from the hotel and right to the lake shore and beach. This afternoon, enjoy a two hour cruise on Lake Nisser on the veteran boat MS Fram.  The Fram dates from 1909 and the scenic cruise includes narrow straits, a journey between the small islands and through an old lock.  The boat docking station is only a short walk from the hotel. This evening, to set the scene for tomorrow’s excursion we have arranged a showing of the Hollywood film “The Heroes of Telemark” at the hotel.

TUE  Today we have a full day panoramic excursion across the Hardangervidda Plateau. We travel first to Brunkenberg and then west through Morgedal to Amot, climbing up onto the Hardangervidda Plateau with spectacular views of its wild scenery and beautiful lakes. The Hardangervidda is the largest mountain plain in Europe and the largest of Norway’s National Parks. We continue on for a visit to the infamous Heavy Water Sabotage site at Vemork. We join a mini bus for the short journey up to the Vemork Power Station – the fascinating visit offers an insight into Norwegian Industrial Heritage and the film, exhibits and heavy water cellar relate to the incredible story of the partisan sabotage mission to destroy Hitler’s heavy water plant. We rejoin the coach and continue through Rjukan and along the shore of Lake Tinnsjø. We pass the small terminal used to load the heavy water onto boats for its journey to Germany, then arrive in Orvella and return to the hotel via Kviteseid with time to relax before dinner.

WED  We travel through Smedelodden this morning, cross over the Telemark Canal and continue through to Morgedal, a village described as the “cradle of skiing”. We then branch south west and through wonderful scenery to arrive in Eidsborg for a visit to the Vest Telemark Museum. Here the old farmhouse “Vindlaus” has been converted into one of Norway’s largest open air museum. There are several buildings to see, including the 13th century Stave Church. Following the museum visit we continue to Dalen, inland starting point of the famous Telemark Canal and home to one of Norway’s most famous buildings, The Dalen Hotel, built in “Dragon Style”. Following a stop in Dalen we travel towards Krossil, snaking through the hairpin bends of the Skafsavegen, before descending to Lake Nisser and returning to Vrådal.

THU  Today we include a heritage boat trip on the Telemark canal, considered one of the World’s most beautiful waterways. It was carved into the rock over 100 years ago and when completed, in 1892, it was called the “eighth wonder”. The canal consists of a series of rivers, lakes and man-made waterways that connect the coast to the interior of the Telemark region. The journey offers a unique cultural voyage through spectacular Norwegian nature. Relax during the trip of approximately three hours as the route passes through lakes, narrow channels and two locks.

FRI  We leave Vrådal this morning and travel east with a short photo stop at Heddal, Norway’s largest Stave Church, built in 1100/1200 and still in use today. We continue to Oslo, Norway’s charming maritime capital. Oslo’s origins are found in the 8th Century, and it grew rapidly during Viking times, when it earned its title of “Viking Capital”. It offers a unique Scandinavian atmosphere and a beautiful city centre with many green spaces as well as wide range of monuments and historic buildings. There should be time for some refreshments and some exploration – the main sites include Parliament, The Royal

Palace, the pretty harbour area at Aker Brygge, Karl Johan’s Gate, the stunning Opera House and Arkershus Fortress. We then leave Oslo and travel south to Horten for dinner and an overnight stay.

SAT  After an early breakfast this morning we depart the hotel and join the Color Line fast ferry departure from Norway to Denmark. There will be plenty of time to relax on board before the arrival into Denmark at Hirtshals. where we travel south and cross into Germany for dinner and an overnight stay near Hamburg. 

SUN  We set off across northern Germany and through the Netherlands to the Hook of Holland. After a stop for dinner at a local restaurant, we board the ferry for the overnight crossing to Harwich. We have outside cabins on the overnight ferry for you to relax in.

MON  We disembark from the ferry this morning and make a stop for breakfast – please note that this is not included in the cost of your holiday. We complete our homeward journey today, with stops en route, arriving back in the local area in the afternoon.