Arrive in Helsinki on a morning flight, check into our hotel, and prepare for our city tour of Helsinki in the afternoon.

You may or may not be able to check into your room. The official check-in time is 2:00 PM, but they usually have rooms ready earlier. If you can, great—you can take a shower and relax a little bit.

At 1:50 PM, we'll meet in the lobby to leave for our guided Helsinki city tour at 2:00 PM. We'll see the Rock Church, the Helsinki Cathedral, the Presidential Palace, and other must-see places in Helsinki. We will also learn about Finland, a proud and fascinating country (the happiest country in the world!).

We will finish the tour at dinner time and go to dinner together.

Accommodations: Glo Art Hotel or similar

Meals: N/A

Today, we'll have a free morning and afternoon in Ruka, or we can go on another super-fun optional adventure: river rafting! We will start at 10:00 AM and go until 1:30 PM.

Then, at 6:00 PM, we'll embark on one of the coolest adventures of our lives! We'll drive into the wilderness and hike to a hide in the middle of the forest, where we will safely spend the night in the heart of a brown bear habitat. Not only are we all but guaranteed to see one of the most majestic creatures in the world, but we're also likely to see them very, very close. I've already shared footage of an incredible bear fight, so here is some more amazing footage from a bear hide in Finland:

Accommodations: Bear Hide in the Kuusamo Wilderness

Meals: Breakfast

Today, we have a full day free in Kiruna, where we can relax and enjoy the city, go for a hike in the mountains, or join our super-fun activity of the day: cave exploring!

At 9:30 AM, we’ll have the option of going on a guided exploration of the Kåppasjokk caves, one of Sweden’s longest cave systems, with winding passages and tunnels extending deep into the bedrock. We’ll suit up with coveralls, helmets, and headlamps before descending underground, where our guide will lead us through a maze of narrow passages, large chambers, and incredible formations shaped by nature’s forces over thousands of years. We'll return at 2:00 PM and have the rest of the day free.

At 10:00 PM we'll meet again for our Midnight Sun hike. We'll hike the Midnight Sun Trail, a moderate 2.5-hour hike that takes us to the top of a mountain with breathtaking views of the city and the Midnight Sun. 

Accommodations: Best Western Arctic Eden or similar 

Meals: Breakfast

Today, we'll have a free morning or a very cool optional activity: visiting LKAB, the world's largest iron-ore mine and the reason why Kiruna was first developed.

The tour will start in the morning and last for 3 hours. We'll be back by 1:00 PM when we will be transferred to the airport for our 3:25 PM flight to Stockholm.

We arrive in Stockholm at 5:00 PM and will have the rest of the evening free.

Accommodations: Clarion Amaranten Hotel or similar 

Meals: Breakfast

Today, our group  starting on the 9-day Norway and Denmark version of the trip will join us. But we are just halfway into our trip!

We'll start the day with a city tour of Oslo. We'll meet at 10:20 AM in the lobby with all our luggage to leave at 10:30 AM. On the tour, we will visit the Royal Palace, the Parliament Building, the National Theatre, City Hall, Akershus Fortress, Aker Brygge Harbour, and the Fram Museum.

We'll finish the tour at around 8:00 PM, have dinner, and head to the train station. We'll arrive at the station at 10:30 PM and board our train, which leaves at 11:03 PM, for Bergen.

The 7-hour train ride in a comfortable sleeping cabin with two beds is one of the most scenic train rides in Europe! The sun sets at 10:26 PM today, and we'll have a beautiful, almost full moon, so we'll be able to fully appreciate the stunning landscape of the Norwegian wilderness.

Accommodations: Overnight Train From Oslo to Bergen-Twin Cabin

Meals: Breakfast

Today, we go back in history and visit several structures, some of which are 1,000 years old!

We'll start our tour at 9:00 AM, beginning with a visit to Kronborg Castle. Kronborg is a castle and historical stronghold in the town of Helsingør, Denmark. Immortalized as Elsinore in William Shakespeare's play Hamlet, Kronborg is one of the most important Renaissance castles in Northern Europe. It was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2000.

After that, we head to Frederiksborg Castle. Frederiksborg Castle is one of the most famous castles in Denmark, and for good reason: situated on three islands surrounded by a lake and beautiful gardens, it's simply breathtaking. Home to the Museum of National History, the grounds are full of rich history, architecture, and gardens.

Next, we head to Roskilde, where we will visit the Viking Ship Museum, which houses five original Viking ships. The ships were excavated in 1962 but were deliberately sunk by the Vikings in 1070 to block the most important fairway and protect Roskilde from an enemy attack from the sea. The oldest of the ships, Roskilde 6, was built in 1025, 1,000 years ago!

But we're not going to stop there! As part of the visit to the museum, we will go sailing on a replica Viking ship!

Accommodations: Imperial Hotel or similar

Meals: Breakfast

PRICE: 

• $7,995 for double occupancy (you will be paired up with someone of the same gender).
• $9,495 for single occupancy (having your room at all the hotels). *  

          * Doesn't apply to the bear-watching hide, the train, or Trolltunga.

DEPOSIT TO GUARANTEE YOUR SPOT (MOVABLE): $700

THE SIGN-UP PROCESS:

1. Send the deposit (simply click the "join" button and follow the instructions). 

2. If this is your first trip, we will need to schedule a 15-minute Zoom call with Eduardo to make sure we are a good match.

3. We will send you a contract to sign, which you will need to sign within 72 hours, along with sending us a copy of your passport and filling out our questionnaire. You can check the contract in advance here.

4. Since we are now under 3 months before the beginning of the trip, you will have until 72 hours after making your deposit to make your final payment. Once we confirm your registration, all payments will be non-refundable. 

INCLUDED

• All hotel stays at double occupancy (single supplement available).
• Meals: Breakfast at every hotel.
• All internal flights: Helsinki-Kuusamo, Kiruna-Stockholm, Stockholm-Oslo, Bergen-Copenhagen.
• Express train from Oslo to Bergen in a twin sleeping cabin.
• Transportation and entrance to all activities, tours, and locations listed in the itinerary unless otherwise noted as optional.
• English-speaking guides throughout the trip (guides won't be with us 24/7, but we will have guides whenever necessary).
• 1000 Treks Group Leader throughout the trip.

NOT INCLUDED

• Flights to Helsinki and from Copenhagen (see flight guidelines below for purchasing your flight).
• Transportation to and from the airport for arrival and departure (both countries are very safe and easy to navigate. We chose to save you the cost of the transfer and allow you to just get a taxi).
• Any activity listed as optional or not specifically listed as included in the itinerary.
• Any meal not specifically listed in the itinerary.
• Travel insurance (required no later than 7 days after final payment for the trip).
• Gratuities for guides, drivers, staff, etc.
• Any potential rentals outside of included activities.
• Souvenirs or anything else you would like to purchase.

FLIGHT GUIDELINES

• Arrival: Arrive in Helsinki by Saturday, July 5, at 10:45 AM. Our first activity, the Helsinki city tour, starts at 2:00 PM.
• Departure: Leave Copenhagen at any time on July 20. Check-out from the hotel is at noon. Late flights out of Copenhagen are available, and we suggest booking one of those so you can enjoy a full day in Copenhagen before leaving.

IMPORTANT MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION

• Trip Physical Level: 3, with optional Level 4 hikes and activities. We recommend that you are in good physical fitness to fully enjoy this trip.
• All trips are governed by our comprehensive contract. You should familiarize yourself with it before signing up for any of our trips. You can access it by clicking HERE or visiting https://www.1000treks.com/contract/. A link to the contract can also be found at the bottom of all our web pages under "CONTRACT."
• Travel insurance is required. You will need to provide a copy of your insurance policy to 1000 Treks Travel no later than seven (7) days after the final payment for the trip.
• Some countries impose taxes such as VAT, hotel taxes, city taxes, etc. It is impossible to predict every tax for every city in every country. Occasionally, travelers may encounter additional taxes that must be paid on the spot. These are usually very small, but be aware that when they occur, these taxes are your responsibility.
• Due to the adventurous nature of our trips, we may occasionally need to make changes to the itinerary, schedule, accommodations, amenities, and mode of transportation. These changes are rare but can happen. When they do, we will do our best to maintain the integrity of the trip. On rare occasions, such changes may incur additional costs for participants. While this is very unusual, please be aware that it is a possibility.
• VISA: Starting mid-2025, American nationals will need to apply for travel authorization through the European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS) before arriving in Europe. Visit the ETIAS website for more information.

We also recommend that everyone, regardless of citizenship, periodically check the ETIAS website to ensure visa requirements have not changed, as 1000 Treks is not responsible for any updates or changes.