The day starts with a calm morning and a Scandinavian breakfast that also give us some time to get to know our fellow travels. Our first stop for the day will be in the middle of the winter Scandinavian natural landscape. The native people of the aria have been living here for a long time and we will experience a part of the Sami culture when we get the chance to try Sami handicraft.  After the stop the remaining coach ride crosses the border to Sweden and we will drive to the area that that has been deemed a UNESCO  region for gastronomy. The gastronomy promise is delivered on one of our favorite lunch stops, where the passion and handicraft for food is of the highest priority.

In the evening we will arrive at the famous mountain village Åre that has been a popular tourist destination for more than 100 years. It all started with wealthy guests who came to the small farm village to breathe the healthy mountain air. The first tourist hotel opened 1895 by the lady Kristina Hansdotter. The cosy hotel is still around and like 100 years ago, still welcomes its guests and is where we are going to spend the night.

• Included activities: Sami handcraft
• Included meals: Breakfast and lunch
• Driving distance: 3 hours
• Accommodation: Hotel Åregården, Åre, Sweden

Get your camera ready because today we will meet the king of the forest, the Swedish Moose! The coach arrives at the Moose Garden, where we will meet the moose by the light of lanterns. There are lots of wild moose in the Scandinavian nature but these moose at the farm, are tame and live here at a moose rescue center. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to kiss and hug a moose!

The annual outdoor Christmas market in Östersund is the activity for the afternoon and attract people from from all over Scandinavia every year. Nothing brings a more Christmassy feeling then walking around and seeing all the vendors selling handcraft and traditional food. There is so much culture, history and warmth collected in one place!

The Christmas market is held at Jamtli, where the Jämtland region’s cultural history comes to life. Here you can also find the exhibition Vikings and the ancient woven cloths “Överhogdalsbonaderna”. These fabrics have existed for more than 1000 years and depicts a world miles away from the one we live in today. Jamtli is also home to a branch of the National Museum with unique collections of Nordic paintings, sculptures and other artwork dating from 1500-1900. 

• Included activities: Entry to the Christmas market, the local museum, visit a Moose Farm
• Included meals: Breakfast
• Driving distance: 1 hour
• Accommodation: Frösö Park Hotel, Frösön, Sweden

Get your camera ready because today we will meet the king of the forest, the Swedish Moose! The coach arrives at the Moose Garden, where we will meet the moose by the light of lanterns. There are lots of wild moose in the Scandinavian nature but these moose at the farm, are tame and live here at a moose rescue center. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to kiss and hug a moose!

The celebration of St. Lucia is a big day in Scandinavia where St. Lucia comes with lighted candles in her crown and bring light to the dark winter. We will during the day experience this uniq Scandinavian tradition. 

In the afternoon we will drive to Jamtli, where the Jämtland region’s cultural history comes to life. At the exhibition Vikings the ancient woven cloths “Överhogdalsbonaderna” can be found. These fabrics have existed for more than 1000 years and depicts a world miles away from the one we live in today. Jamtli is also home to a branch of the National Museum with unique collections of Nordic paintings, sculptures and other artwork dating from 1500-1900. 

• Included activities: Entry to the Christmas market, the local museum visit a Moose Farm
• Included meals: Breakfast
• Driving distance: 1 hour
• Accommodation: Frösö Park Hotel, Frösön, Sweden

The light this time of the year is something special. The sun is up just a few hours each day but the reason we love the winters in the north is for the epic phenomenon aurora borealis, the northern lights and the stars that keep us company during the winter long nights. Imagine a clear morning watching  the sun slowly rise from our bus window around 09:30 as we drive west to meet a local women named Ullis. She lives in a small village in the middle of the forest together with her family  and a reindeer named Rudolf! In this visit she shares everything she knows about these beautiful animals and part of the visit she invites us to taste and sample specialties for this part of Scandinavia.

We leave this experience with photos and visceral memories of a complete reindeer experience as we continue our drive to the cabins that we will be staying in tonight. It’s time to celebrate a genuine traditional  Swedish Christmas although it is some weeks early! We start by cutting down our own Christmas tree, cook a traditional meal together  and enjoy the feeling of being together in a warm cabin with the dark and cold winter night outside our window.

• Included activities: Meet the reindeer Rudolf, experience a Swedish Christmas
• Included meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
• Driving distance: 1,5 hours
• Accommodation: In a cozy mountain cabin with ablutions and shower but no single room upgrade. Bydalen, Sweden.

When the ice melted from the last Ice Age, the humans of the area followed the reindeers north into the area that we now call Sapmi. Sapmi is the collective area of the northern parts of Russia, Finland, Sweden and Norway. In this area, some Sami still make a living on reindeer farming. Today our tour will be taking us into their culture and we will guided around by Sami people. The tour starts when they pick us up on snowmobiles and take us to the place that they call home.

We will hear stories about how it is to live where the road ends and nature takes over. We learn how it is to  live with the slow change of seasons in a barren and harsh climate. We will also be served lunch, most probably traditional reindeer cuisine around an open fire. In the end of the day we will leave the valley of Bydalen and arrive at our hotel in Undersåker.

• Included activities: Meet the Sami culture, outdoor sauna
• Included meals: Breakfast and lunch
• Driving distance: 1,5 hours
• Accommodation: Åre Fjällsätra, Undersåker, Sweden

We travel back to Åre to make sure we don’t miss out on anything in this cozy little village. Choose your own activity for the day and let us book or arrange the activity. We recommend to a typical activity for the area, dogsledding. It’s a unique experience, setting off and the tranquility sets in, the barking stops and the quiet nature are envelopes us. There is a chance to drive your own dogsled and let the dogs guide you through the forests that they call home.

Some other examples of things to do are ice fishing, historical walk and cross-country skiing. You can also shop at all the small shops of Åre filled with traditional handcraft from the area and high-quality outdoor brands that have their roots here. Our hotel for tonight is highly recommended and the spa view is one to remember!

• Optional activities: Spa, dogsledding, ice fishing or cross-country skiing, historical walk and a lot more
• Included activities: Take a look at all the shops that sells local handcrafts
• Included meals: Breakfast
• Driving distance: 1 hour
• Accommodation: Copperhill Mountain Lodge, Åre, Sweden

If you have been traveling all the way to Scandinavia it’s an absolute must to walk in the footsteps of the Vikings. We will start the day with a short walk on the northernmost Pilgrim trail in the world, the St Olav pilgrim trail. This pilgrim trail totals 580 kilometers in length and stretches from Swedens’ Baltic ocean in the east to the Norways Atlantic Ocean in the West and regales pilgrims with the story of the Viking Olav Haraldsson, born 995. His legend is how he brought Sweden turn from its belief in Nordic mythology and converted the land to Christianity. The pilgrim trail will take us to a stunning frozen waterfall along our 2 km long walk. After the walk, we will take the chance to enjoy the rest of St.Olavsleden from the window of the coach.

We arrive in Trondheim in the afternoon and we have time to explore Trondheim on our own. Maybe you want to stretch your legs and take a walk to Nidarosdomen, the cathedral where St. Olav is buried according to the legend.

• Activities: Walk the St Olov pilgrim path, see a frozen waterfall, visit Nidarosdomen
• Included meals: Breakfast
• Driving distance: 3 hours
• Accommodation: Clarion Hotel Trondheim

Today is our last day together and we will spend the day strolling around the town of Trondheim. Enjoy the quant Christmas market in Trondheim and use the chance to fix unique Christmas gifts to the ones back home. There is also a chance to book a river cruise and boat tour on the Nidaros river. At lunch we gather for a final  farewell lunch and share photos from the week we have spent together. The direct flight back to London in the afternoon and we will arrange transfer.

• Activities: Trondheim Christmas market
• Included meals: Breakfast and lunch
• Driving distance: 45 minutes
• Accommodation: If you want to stay longer you need to do the booking by your self.