Scandinavia

Meet at Thessaloniki Makedonia airport at 15:45, check in and board Ryanair flight FR 9230 direct to Helsinki. On arrival at Vantaa airport we meet our tour leader and board our coach. On the way to the hotel we get our first information about the city and check in. If you wish, take a first evening walk around the Finnish capital.

Our first morning waking up in Scandinavia! After a good breakfast we set off to discover a jewel of a city, the life's work of Carl Ludvig Engel, the architect who trained in the school of the great Rastrelli (who gave St Petersburg its grandeur) and shaped Helsinki's wonderful historic centre. Most impressive of all, it is complemented by landmark buildings from geniuses such as Alvar Aalto and Saarinen. Helsinki Cathedral, the majestic Senate Square, the Russian Uspenski Cathedral, the National Museum, the Railway Station, Finlandia Hall, Sibelius Park with its monument to the great Finnish composer, the Parliament and of course the unique Rock Church are living proof that Helsinki is more a "journey" through three centuries of world architecture than just another northern European city. On our tour we also see the Olympic Stadium, the Opera House, the shipyards, the Presidential Palace and the open-air market on the harbour, ending in the city centre with free time. We then go to our room for dinner and rest, with one small difference: both are on the ship! We settle into our cabins and set off on a wonderful cruise across the Baltic and through the Swedish archipelago with its 24,000 islands. We have dinner, explore the ship and sleep, as morning will find us in Stockholm.

At dawn we see from the ship that we are approaching the Swedish capital, built on 14 islands linked by bridges. For more than 200 years Sweden was the most powerful state in northern Europe, until the rise of Tsarist Russia gradually reduced it to its present borders. Today's tour reveals the unique beauty of this aristocratic capital. Walking through the historic centre, Gamla Stan, with its many medieval buildings, we witness a remarkably well-kept secret left untouched by time; the city was not bombed in the Second World War, which helps it proudly keep its architectural vigour. The famous City Hall, with the Golden Hall where the Nobel banquet is held, the neoclassical Royal Palace, the grand Baroque Opera, Sergels torg and the many aristocratic buildings of the centre catch our eye at first sight. Check-in at the hotel. The afternoon is yours: from interesting themed museums to the changing of the guard at the Royal Palace or coffee in trendy cafés, the choices depend on your interests. You can visit the Skansen open-air museum, walk the shopping street Drottninggatan, explore the bohemian southern island of Södermalm with its hip bars or take an hour-long cruise under the bridges. Neighbourhoods such as SoFo and Östermalm are firm favourites with discerning travellers and show the Swedish way of life and the city's cosmopolitan character. In the evening we suggest a walk in Gamla Stan, the oldest island-district of the city, with its unchanged medieval character. Enjoy an ice-cold Absolut (Sweden's answer to Russian vodka) in the main square, Stortorget, overlooking its fantastic buildings and Gothic churches.

After breakfast we leave Stockholm for a taste of the Scandinavian countryside. We start with Uppsala, with its large observatory, famous university and great 14th-century cathedral. After a short tour we head to Örebro, where we admire the imposing castle, the picturesque wooden houses, the church of St Nicholas and the town hall. Free time in the main square. Our next and last stop for today is famous Oslo. Check-in and free time. With our experienced tour leader we take a first look at the centre along the elegant main street, Karl Johans gate, and enjoy food and drinks at the bars of the Aker Brygge waterfront. Overnight.

Another morning in a Scandinavian capital, this time Norway's. After breakfast at the hotel we start our tour. In winter the Norwegian capital draws skiers from around the world, while in summer it is transformed, with temperatures that surprise visitors. At the head of its fjord, built like an amphitheatre on the surrounding hillsides and framed by dozens of islands, the city is full of historic buildings and natural beauty: green hills, forested mountains, wild nature and no fewer than 343 lakes embracing the urban landscape, which make it unique in Europe. But the walker's eye is drawn first to the centre, which in summer buzzes with colourful crowds. Along the main avenue stand fine buildings such as the Cathedral, the University, the Parliament, the National Theatre and the Royal Palace. And while the imposing City Hall, famous for the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony, is a first-class attraction, many new buildings give lessons in urban innovation to young architects and design lovers: the Museum of Modern Art, the Opera House shaped like an iceberg and the city's newest jewel, the museum dedicated to Edvard Munch, impress with their clean minimalist lines. Free time for lunch and souvenir shopping. Then transfer to the airport and direct flight to Copenhagen. Arrival and check-in.

Today we wake up in a luxury 4* hotel in the Danish capital. Happy people on bicycles glide along cobbled streets, exercise in huge parks and work in picturesque mansions that clever designers have turned into green postmodern buildings. Everything in Denmark seems touched by the great storyteller Hans Christian Andersen, as we notice as soon as our tour begins. Built on two islands linked by five bridges, Copenhagen loves new trends and rewards alternative thinking, even if that means the beach is not at the edge of the city but in the middle of it. Starting on the island of Amager with its Dutch gardens and university, we admire the Church of Our Saviour with its spectacular 90-metre spire and 400 outdoor steps to the top, the Grand Canal with its ultra-modern buildings and the promenade at Sydhavn, where the modern city buzzes with shopping centres and atmospheric cafés. We continue to the historic centre, seeing from outside the railway station, the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek and the four-seasons weather clock. We enjoy City Hall Square with the statue of the best-loved Dane, Hans Christian Andersen, and the wax museum. Then on to Amalienborg, residence of the royal family, with its beautiful palace square and the Rococo Frederik's Church; the view towards the Opera and the royal harbour is magical. The Gefion Fountain, St Alban's Anglican church and the park with countless sculptures are our next stops. A panoramic drive follows past the Botanical Garden, Rosenborg Castle and the wonderful National Gallery building. On the way to Nordhavn we see 19th-century military buildings and prisons and end at the Little Mermaid, symbol of the city, always waiting for a unique photo! The rest is just as impressive, as we move on to the Parliament to admire its architecture and visit the Royal Library garden with the statue of the Danish philosopher Kierkegaard. Christiansborg Palace and the old Stock Exchange in Dutch Renaissance style are among the city's most characteristic buildings! We end in popular Nyhavn, Hans Christian Andersen's favourite spot, and admire Kongens Nytorv and the Royal Theatre before boarding a wonderful optional canal cruise! The low bridges, the Black Diamond, bohemian Christianshavn and the lovely Thorvaldsen Museum with its murals show that the cruise is an essential part of getting to know the city. Spend the afternoon as you wish: visit the Tivoli Gardens, a unique amusement park, or explore the lanes off the famous pedestrian street Strøget. Time for shopping, wandering and a traditional Danish beer!

Our last day, but we are not done yet! As the return flight is in the evening, we have plenty of time. After breakfast, spend the day in Copenhagen as you wish, perhaps with a last walk in the centre, souvenir shopping or a bike ride to the trendy Vesterbro district along the waterfront. Alternatively, join us on an optional excursion to Denmark's most important castles. We start with Kronborg, just 40 km from the city, best known from Shakespeare's Hamlet. It stands near Helsingør on the island of Zealand, on the Øresund strait, just 4 km wide, at a strategic point between the North Sea and the Baltic. A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000, the castle has great symbolic importance for the Danes and played a key role in northern European history from the 16th to the 18th century. It has survived intact and is famous because Shakespeare set Hamlet in the castle of Elsinore. Almost completely destroyed by fire, it was rebuilt by Christian IV. We then visit Frederiksborg, which many consider the most impressive castle of all. It was first built as the summer residence of King Frederick II and later rebuilt in its present form by his son, Christian IV. Its grandeur is why its chapel was chosen for the wedding of Prince Joachim, the Danish queen's younger son, in 1995. Return to Copenhagen and transfer to the airport for the return flight.