Norwegian Fjords Cruise

Day 1 - Southampton

Arrive: Fri 24 May 2024 / Depart: Fri 24 May 2024

The south of England boasts a dramatic coastline that encloses some of the most beautiful countryside in Britain. The landscape of hills and heaths, downs and forests, valleys and dales, is without rival. Southampton serves as your gateway to the countryside - and to a wide variety of historic sites, national landmarks and charming. And of course, London is a two-hour drive by modern highway. The United Kingdom's premier passenger ship port, Southampton was home for many years to the great transatlantic liners of yesteryear.

Day 2 - At Sea

Day 3 - Bergen

Arrive: Sun 26 May 2024 / Depart: Sun 26 May 2024

Bergen has played a crucial role in Norwegian history and culture since Olav the Good founded the city in 1070. Perched between the sea and seven hills, Bergen has witnessed Vikings setting sail on voyages of exploration, trade and war. In the Middle Ages, its old port was a major trading hub for the Hanseatic League, the band of Germanic merchants whose trading empire encircled the Baltic and North Seas. In the 19th century, Bergen was home to such cultural luminaries as the virtuoso violinist Ole Bull and the composer Edvard Grieg. The city retains much of its 18th- and 19th-century charm. Visitors to Bergen will encounter a city that offers a heady blend of natural beauty, history and culture.

Day 4 - Alesund

Arrive: Mon 27 May 2024 / Depart: Mon 27 May 2024

The island of Giske is the reputed birthplace of the great Viking Rollo, who laid siege to Paris and founded the Duchy of Normandy. William the Conqueror was his grandson. In 1904, a massive fire destroyed 800 buildings in this fishing port. Germany's Kaiser Wilhelm II responded with immediate aid, and Ålesund was reborn. Not surprisingly, the town was rebuilt in the then-popular Art Nouveau style known as Jugendstil. The result is one of the prettiest ports in Norway. Buildings with elegant turrets and spires can be seen lining the streets of the city center. Today, the city is one of Norway's most important fishing harbors and the world's largest supplier of stockfish (Klippfisk) - dried cod. Alesund's major attractions are the surrounding fjords and the stunning Sunnmøre Alps.

Day 5 - Geirangerfjord

Arrive: Tue 28 May 2024 / Depart: Tue 28 May 2024

Like the spear it's named for, Geirangerfjord thrusts nine miles into Norway's mountains. Over 900 feet deep, the narrow fjord is lined by sheer cliffs that rear some 2,000 feet above its surface. Waterfalls, such as the Seven Sisters and Bridal Veil Falls, plummet from cliff to fjord. At the head of this magnificent spectacle sits the tiny village of Geiranger. No wonder travelers have come to call for over a century and a half. Geirangerfjord is often described as the "most beautiful fjord in the world."

Day 5 - Hellesylt

Arrive: Tue 28 May 2024 / Depart: Tue 28 May 2024

Hellesylt is your gateway to the scenic wonders of the Geirangerfjord district. Traveling overland from this old Viking port, the traveler can visit Jostedalsbreen National Park, home to Norway's last remnant of the Ice Age. Trek to Briksdal Glacier, and look at its massive beard of ice. The dramatic landscape also offers stunning vistas of mountains, waterfalls, and fast-flowing rivers teeming with salmon. At over 4000 feet above sea level, the summit of Mt. Dalsnibba offers dramatic views that stretch from Jostedalsbreen National Park to the waters of Geirangerfjord.

Day 6 - Olden, Norway

Arrive: Wed 29 May 2024 / Depart: Wed 29 May 2024

By the mid-19th century, European travelers were cruising the waters of the Nordfjord and visiting the village of Olden. The Romantic Movement inspired this new taste for dramatic landscape - and Norway had plenty of dramatic landscape. Then as now, travelers were impressed, moved, and not frequently overwhelmed by the stark contrast between peaceful rural farmsteads and a towering wilderness of mountain peaks and glaciers. For many years Olden was home to American landscape artist William H. Singer (1868-1943). Scion of a Pittsburgh steel family, Singer provided Olden with a road and a regional hospital.

Day 7 - Stavanger, Norway

Arrive: Thu 30 May 2024 / Depart: Thu 30 May 2024

Norway's fourth largest city, Stavanger lies at the mouth of the Gandsfjord. The old port, attests to the sea's enduring role in Norwegian history. Here, Vikings once sailed on voyages of conquest and exploration. In later centuries, the port served as a major hub for Norway's mercantile and fishing fleets. By the mid-20th century, however, Stavanger had fallen on hard times as the fishing grounds dwindled. In 1969, the discovery of North Sea oil opened a new chapter in Stavanger's history. At the "Sword in the Rock" Monument, three giant crossed Viking swords commemorate King Harald Fair Hair's unification of Norway in 872 following his victory at the Battle of Hafrsfjord.

Day 8 - At Sea

Day 9 - Southampton

Arrive: Sat 01 June 2024 / Depart: Sat 01 June 2024

The south of England boasts a dramatic coastline that encloses some of the most beautiful countryside in Britain. The landscape of hills and heaths, downs and forests, valleys and dales, is without rival. Southampton serves as your gateway to the countryside - and to a wide variety of historic sites, national landmarks and charming. And of course, London is a two-hour drive by modern highway. The United Kingdom's premier passenger ship port, Southampton was home for many years to the great transatlantic liners of yesteryear.