A Scandinavian Journey: Denmark to Sweden 2026/2027

Let’s embark along the road less travelled! Our first stop of the day awaits us at Kronborg Slott in Helsingør, a beautiful stronghold also known as Hamlet’s Castle – the inspiration behind the opulent setting of Elsinor in Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Here, we’ll explore the castle’s rich past among its vast, luxuriant rooms. Onwards to the charming city of Roskilde where we’ve got an appointment to keep with The Viking Ship Museum. Hosting five Skuldelev Ships, feed your curiosity during an afternoon that rewinds the clock 1,000 years. Later, we’ll clink glasses over an included dinner and share our savoured moments of the adventure so far. (B, D)

Accommodation: Skjoldenæsholm Slot (or similar)

After breakfast, we’ll traverse to Odense, birthplace of literary genius Hans Christian Anderson. Our passionate Tour Leader will guide us through the cobbled streets, pointing out pastel-coloured houses, Odense Cathedral and other local attractions before ending the walking tour in front of Anderson’s humble childhood home. Historic intrigue filled, there is free time to enjoy a leisurely lunch. Next: we’ll learn about the magic of ceramic art during a visit to Keramikmuseum. Tonight, relax among the locals and take in the Danish atmosphere. (B)

Accommodation: Dagmar Hotel (or similar)

Today, we’re taking our journey underground. Our destination: Mønsted Kalkgruber Lime Pits. This unique part of the globe is home to the world’s largest man-made limestone pits created a millennium ago via hand and pickaxe. We’ll roam through majestic caves, awe-inspiring vaults and curved passages witnessing tranquil lakes, shimmering lights and plunging darkness along the way. Later, we’ll venture onwards to our home for the next two nights: Hjørring. (B)

Accommodation: Phønix Hotel (or similar)

Once we’ve savoured a leisurely breakfast, we’ll continue our Scandinavian journey to Denmark’s northernmost town of Skagen to explore its quaint buildings and picturesque coast. Here, we’ll unearth Den Tilsandede Kirke which translates as ‘The Buried Church’. Despite its name, the 14th century church is not buried beneath the earth; rather, the ancient building is partially covered by sand. Past congregations had to dig out the entrance each time they ventured inside until it was abandoned in 1795. Later, we’ll return to Hjørring where we invite you to relax for the remainder of the evening. (B)

Accommodation: Phønix Hotel (or similar)

This morning, we’ll take to the water by ferry, imagining the Vikings and their legendary ships from Day 2. Our journey won’t be as treacherous as we make our way to Gothenburg – a city that basks in light by night and showcases its colourful buildings by day. Our Tour Leader will guide us through the Swedish city’s streets, pointing out the 17th century structures which remain to this day alongside enchanting gardens filled with mesmerising colours and bewitching scents. The rest of the day is at your leisure.  (B)

Accommodation: ProfilHotels Opera (or similar)

On today’s agenda: the idyllic island of Hönö. With a plethora of cosy restaurants, independent shops and staggering scenery, it is a traveller’s paradisical insight into a Swedish fishing village. After ferrying here, you’ll have time for a local lunch, before heading to the Fishing Museum. Inside, we’ll learn about the tools and boats that were used in the past as well as the tragic events that occurred during the Second World War. Upon our return to Gothenburg via ferry, the evening is yours to unwind. (B)

Accommodation: ProfilHotels Opera (or similar)

Our next stop along the road less travelled boasts a wealth of history and nature. Its name: Trollhättan, which translates as ‘Goblin’s hat’ in Swedish. We’ll spend some time in the town, passing by the impressive Koberg Castle and the city’s church – an enchanting building that could be born from the pages of a classic Gothic novel. Then: we’ll drive to Håverud Aqueduct, a piece of geographical history completely unique to its kind. En route to Gränna, we’ll stop for a photo opportunity in the pretty town of Ultricehamn, before continuing our journey to our home for the next two nights where an enticing group dinner awaits. (B, D)

Accommodation: Gyllene Uttern (or similar)

This morning, prepare to meet the Scandinavian kings of the forest at Skukkaryd Moose Park where we’ll amble through the nature reserve on a tractor-led safari wagon. Our local guide will point out characters along the way, sharing stories and facts about how imperative these wild animals are to the surrounding environment. Upon our return to Gränna, we’ll learn the history behind local sweets at the Candy Stick Factory with an expert who’ll also lead a candy demonstration, giving us full insight into a Swedish sweet-tooth delicacy. Later, discover more culinary delights at a restaurant of your choosing before we retire to the hotel for the night. (B)

Accommodation: Gyllene Uttern (or similar)

Appetites satiated with breakfast, our adventure takes us to Örebro – home to Wadköping open-air museum where we’ll spend some time exploring historic farms and alleys as well as the childhood home of literary heroine and food connoisseur, Cajsa Warg. After delving into Sweden of old, we’ll drive onwards for a spectacular overnight stay in a castle. And tonight, we’ll clink our glasses during an included final dinner in celebration of a wonderful journey with newfound friends. (B,D)

Accommodation: Engsholms Slott (or similar)

Before we say our goodbyes, we’ll visit Drottningholm Palace – the exquisite private residence of the Royal family and UNESCO World Heritage site. Then, we’ll catch a canal boat to Stockholm where our Scandinavian journey ends. (B)

This morning we’ll head north along the coast to Helsingør, where Kronborg Castle rises from a narrow sound with the kind of brooding grandeur that could only have inspired a playwright. This is Elsinore, the real-world fortress that Shakespeare immortalised as the setting for Hamlet, one of the most performed plays in history. Standing here, looking across the water to Sweden, it’s easy to imagine Hamlet pacing the same stones. We’ll explore the castle’s grand halls and cool, vaulted cellars before continuing south to Roskilde. 

At the Viking Ship Museum, five original Skuldelev ships await, raised from the seabed after nearly a thousand years beneath the fjord. They are extraordinary objects: the craftsmanship, the scale, the ambition of the people who built them. This afternoon is one of those rare moments where history stops feeling distant.  

We’ll end the day with a group dinner at Skjoldnæsholm – an elegant 18th-century castle set in sweeping green parkland, traditionally decorated and with a restaurant serving the best of Danish cuisine. It’s the kind of place that makes arriving feel like a grand occasion.  (B, D)

Accommodation: Skjoldenæsholm Slot (or similar)

What do a tin soldier, a paper ballerina and an ugly ducking have in common? They all stem from the imagination of Odense’s most celebrated resident, Hans Christian Anderson. Born here in 1805, in a tiny house on Munkemøllestræde, Andersen grew up in a city that has never quite recovered from the attachment. Our Tour Leader will take us on a walking tour through the old quarter, past the quaint houses and the great cathedral, ending at the doorstep of Andersen’s childhood home, where a cobbler’s son became a king of storytelling. 

We’ll spend the afternoon at CLAY Keramikmuseum, where Danish ceramic art gets the beautiful showcase it deserves. Then we’ll venture to Ribe – Denmark’s oldest town, and tonight’s base. Here, half-timbered houses lean over the cobblestones, the cathedral dominates the skyline, and the whole place carries that particular Scandinavian stillness that settles over you like a good coat. (B)

Accommodation: Dagmar Hotel (or similar)

There are towns that deserve a quick visit, and then there are towns like Ribe – places that ask you to slow down, to look closely, and to stay a little longer than planned. Today we’ll do exactly that. This morning we’ll visit the magnificent Ribe Cathedral, a Romanesque giant that has kept watch over the surrounding marshes since the 12th century. Its tower offers views across the flat Danish landscape that stretch all the way to the North Sea on a clear day. 

The afternoon is yours to follow your instincts through the medieval streets – perhaps tracking down one of the local bakeries for a freshly baked wienerbrød pastry, or finding a bench by the river as the afternoon light turns golden. And as darkness settles over Ribe, something rather wonderful happens: the Night Watchman appears, lantern in hand, to lead us through the lamplit lanes with songs and stories from the town’s long history. It’s a tradition that has been running since 1932, and it still works its magic every single night. (B, L)

Accommodation: Dagmar Hotel (or similar)

Beneath the fields of northern Jutland lies a world that most people never think to look for. The Mønsted Kalkgruber Lime Pits invite you to discover deeper: the largest man-made limestone caves in the world, hewn by hand over a thousand years ago from the rock beneath the Danish countryside. The tunnels run for miles in every direction, the temperature drops to a permanent eight degrees, and the reach of what medieval people achieved here with nothing but hand tools and determination is staggering.  

We’ll roam through the caverns, past underground lakes and glittering rock formations, before returning to the surface and continuing north through rolling heathland to Hjørring – our base for the next two nights. The evening is yours to explore at your own pace: the pedestrian streets around Springvandspladsen are lined with tempting local restaurants and cafés, or you could visit the town’s stylish local brewery, Bryghuset Vendia, for a meal paired with a range of local craft beers. (B)

Accommodation: Phønix Hotel (or similar)

We’ll head north this morning to Denmark’s northernmost tip – Skagen, a place where the Skagerrak and Kattegat seas converge in a restless meeting of waves. This remote and windswept town has long drawn artists and writers who came searching for the particular quality of its light, and it’s easy to see why: the dunes are vast, the sky is enormous, and the sense of standing at the very edge of things is impossible to shake. 

There are two sides to Skagen, the one most visitors see, and the one our Tour Leaders knows. They’ll take us beyond the galleries and gift shops, and through its distinctive yellow-painted streets and coastline before we reach one of Skagen’s most remarkable sights: Tilsandede Kirke, the Buried Church. Over centuries, drifting sand engulfed the medieval church until only its tower remained, rising from the dunes like a monument to the unstoppable force of the landscape. Back in Hjørring this evening, the rest of the day is yours.  (B)

Accommodation: Phønix Hotel (or similar)

The Kattegat has been crossed by seafarers for thousands of years – Vikings, merchants, fishermen – and this morning it’s our turn. We’ll make our way to the port of Frederikshavn and board the ferry to Sweden. Out on the water, with the Danish coastline softening behind us, it’s hard not to think back to those extraordinary Viking ships in Roskilde – these are the very waters their builders once commanded, though our crossing will be considerably more comfortable! 

As Gothenburg comes into view, the city makes a strong first impression: a handsome waterfront, a skyline that catches the afternoon light, and a sense of ease that is very much the character of Sweden’s second city. We’ll arrive with time to get settled and find our feet before the evening, which is yours to explore a string of neighbourhood restaurants showcasing the day’s catch from the west coast. A bowl of freshly cooked prawns on the harbourfront, served with warm bread and butter, is as good an introduction to Swedish life as any.  (B)

Accommodation: ProfilHotels Opera (or similar)

With a full day in Gothenburg ahead of us, we’ll set off on foot with our expert Tour Leader, through streets lined with 17th-century Dutch-influenced architecture – a legacy of the city’s trading history – and into the elegant avenues and canalside paths that give Gothenburg its particular unhurried charm. The city’s famous avenue, Kungsportsavenyn, the Haga district with its traditional wooden houses, and the beautifully tended gardens all paint a picture of a place that genuinely rewards wandering.  

Lunch today is at a local restaurant, giving you the chance to sample Swedish cuisine in a more relaxed setting. The afternoon and evening are then yours to explore at your own pace, perhaps finding a café, browsing the independent shops, or simply sitting by the water, where boats slip past and reflections blur the line between city and sea.  (B, L)

Accommodation: ProfilHotels Opera (or similar)

We’ll leave Gothenburg this morning and head inland, stopping en route in Trollhättan – a town whose name translates loosely as ‘Goblin’s Hat’ and which has rather more to it than the whimsical name might suggest. In local folklore, the goblins were said to haunt the dramatic falls of the Göta River, and standing here it’s easy to see why the landscape fires the imagination.  

We’ll pass Koberg Castle keeping watch over the surrounding countryside and a striking neogothic church that ranks among the finest of its kind in Sweden, before reaching the real engineering marvel: the canal lock system, a series of dramatic locks that has been lifting vessels up and down the gorge since the 18th century and still operates today. 

From Trollhättan we’ll continue southeast to Gränna, our home for the next two nights, picturesquely positioned on the eastern shore of Lake Vättern. We’ll settle in this evening over a group dinner – the perfect moment to reflect on the day’s discoveries of goblin folklore, Gothic architecture and the impressive engineering of 18th-century Sweden.  (B, D)

Accommodation: Gyllene Uttern (or similar)

Today is devoted to two of the more unexpected pleasures of the Swedish countryside. This morning we’ll head to Skullaryd Moose Park, where a tractor-led wagon will carry us through the nature reserve in search of the great unhurried giants of the Scandinavian trees. Each moose here has a name and a personality to match, and before long you’ll feel as though you’re on first-name terms with them. Our local guide will share their stories while explaining how vital these animals are to the surrounding ecosystem. 

From forest encounters to something a little sweeter, we’ll continue to the Candy Stick Factory, where Gränna’s most famous export – the distinctive red-and-white striped polkagrisar sweet – has been made entirely by hand since 1859. A local expert will guide us through the process with a demonstration, pulling and twisting the warm candy into its characteristic shape before cutting it to size: a craft that looks deceptively simple and is quietly mesmerising to watch. 

This evening is free, with Gränna’s restaurants yours to explore. As a town sitting on the shores of Lake Vättern, it has access to some excellent freshwater fish, and we suggest trying the perch or whitefish at a local restaurant. (B)

Accommodation: Gyllene Uttern (or similar)

The final full day of the journey begins with one of Sweden’s quiet cultural treasures. The open-air museum of Wadköping in Örebro is a carefully preserved collection of historic farm buildings, alleyways and traditional workshops that brings an earlier era of Swedish life vividly back to life. Among the houses is the childhood home of Cajsa Warg, the 18th-century writer whose cookbook became one of the most celebrated works in Swedish culinary history – her famous philosophy of “take what you have” still shaping Swedish kitchens today.  

After time to wander and explore at our own pace, we’ll continue to our accommodation for the night: a beautifully restored manor house hotel in the Swedish countryside, the kind of place that feels like a discovery in itself – grand enough to impress, intimate enough to feel like a retreat. Here, we’ll gather for a final group dinner, celebrating the journey and the people we’ve shared it with – who, by now, feel rather more like old friends than fellow travellers.  (B, D)

Accommodation: Skytteholm Slott (or similar)

Few royal residences in Europe feel quite as liveable as Drottningholm Palace. The private home of the Swedish Royal Family and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it sits on the shores of Lake Mälaren just west of the city with a calm grandeur that makes it easy to linger. Formal baroque gardens stretch away from the main building, an 18th-century court theatre survives in remarkable condition, and the Chinese Pavilion tucked away in the grounds is a delightful surprise. Unlike many royal residences, parts of Drottningholm remain a working family home, which gives the whole visit an unusual intimacy. 

From here, we’ll board a canal boat for the final leg of our journey, gliding along the waterway as Stockholm gradually reveals itself around each bend – an aptly gentle ending. As the boat docks in the heart of the city, our Scandinavian adventure draws to a close. (B)