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Denmark/Sweden

The Beat of the Nordic Heart: Vibrant Copenhagen and Stockholm

Program No. 21898RJ
Lose yourself in the artistry, architecture, medieval charm and gourmet cuisine of these two magical Scandinavian cities as you explore with the experts and during plenty of free time.
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Start
Small Group
Length
10 days
Rating (4.68)
Activity Level
Starts at
4,299
Flights start at
1,050

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Itinerary
While we make every effort to ensure the accuracy of our published materials, programs are typically advertised more than a year prior to their start date. Read More.
While we make every effort to ensure the accuracy of our published materials, programs are typically advertised more than a year prior to their start date. As a result, some program activities, schedules, accommodations, personnel, and other logistics occasionally change due to local conditions or circumstances. Should a major change occur, we will make every effort to alert you. For less significant changes, we will update you during orientation. Thank you for your understanding.
Duration
10 days
9 nights
What's Included
18 meals ( 8B, 4L, 6D )
5 expert-led lectures
13 expert-led field trips
An experienced Group Leader
8 nights of accommodations
Taxes and customary gratuity
Road Scholar Assurance Plan
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Activity Note
Hotel check-in available from 3:00 p.m. Transfer to the hotel is approximately 20 minutes, about 5 miles.
Afternoon:
Hotel check-in is available at 3:00 p.m. The hotel is happy to store luggage if you wish to explore the area while you wait for your room to become available. Upon check-in, take some time to freshen up and relax before we gather for our orientation session. Orientation: 5:30 p.m. The Group Leader will greet everyone and lead introductions. We will review the up-to-date program schedule, discuss roles and responsibilities, logistics, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer questions. Periods in the schedule designated as “Free time” and “At leisure” offer opportunities to do what you like and make your experience even more meaningful and memorable according to your personal preferences. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. Program activities, schedules, personnel, and indicated distances or times may change due to local circumstances/conditions. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding.
Dinner:
Welcome dinner at the hotel
Evening:
At leisure.
Activity Note
Getting on/off public transportation; walking up to 2.5 miles over cobblestone, gravel and flat areas; unavoidable stairs at Christiansborg Palace.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
At the hotel, we’ll gather for our first lecture, Welcome to Scandinavia! We’ll then set out on an expert-led walk in Copenhagen’s Latin Quarter — named for the once-widespread use of the Latin language in this area close to the University’s historic site.
Lunch:
At a local restaurant.
Afternoon:
After lunch, we’ll board public transportation and head to Christiansborg Palace for an expert-led tour. Christiansborg Palace is the home of Denmark’s three supreme powers: the executive power, the legislative power and the judicial power. Christiansborg Palace is the only building in the world which is the home of all the supreme powers of a nation.
Dinner:
On your own to enjoy what you like in the city center.
Evening:
At leisure.
Activity Note
Getting on/off metro, walking up to 2 miles, approximately 1 hour, some unavoidable stairs. Extent/duration of walking and other activities during independent time according to personal choice.
Breakfast:
Hotel buffet.
Morning:
Denmark has been ranked as the Happiest Nation in the World by the UN Conference on Happiness. Today’s lecture will introduce us to the Danes, their democracy, their daily life including the social welfare system, and Copenhagen’s ambition of being carbon neutral in 2025. After the lecture we’ll meet a local who will take us on a walk through their daily life as an urban parent, showing and talking about the life of a Danish family. We’ll stop at a local café for a light snack and coffee.
Lunch:
On your own to enjoy what you like.
Afternoon:
Free time. This block of time has been set aside for your personal independent exploration to see and do what interests you most. Please refer to the list of Free Time Opportunities. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.
Dinner:
At a local restaurant.
Evening:
This evening we’ll join local families at their homes, where we’ll gain some personal insights into life in Denmark over coffee.
Activity Note
Getting on/off metro, riding up to 1 hours; getting on/off waterbus, riding up to 2 hour; walking up to 4 miles, approximately 4 hours, mostly flat terrain with some cobblestones, some unavoidable stairs.
Breakfast:
Hotel buffet.
Morning:
We’ll set off on foot toward a nearby metro station, where we’ll catch the metro to Nordhavn’s water bus station. From there, we’ll board the water bus and enjoy a scenic tour along the harbor front as our guide shares fascinating insights about historic buildings, modern developments, and the vibrant waterfront life we pass along the way. The morning continues by boarding public transportation to the new quarters of Copenhagen: Ørestaden, where the ambitious and internationally famous Danish architect, Bjarke Ingels (BIG) has designed the controversial dwellings named “The Mountain,” “WM house,” and “8-tallet.”
Lunch:
At a local restaurant.
Afternoon:
We’ll take an informal field trip to the free city of Christiania, also known as "the hippie city," founded by hippies who occupied the old, empty military buildings in the mid-1970s. Today, the occupiers have turned less militant, but Christiania still has its own rules and democracy. We’ll see the creative architecture of the commune's buildings during an expert-led visit through the area by one of the inhabitants.
Dinner:
We’ll have a farewell to Copenhagen dinner at a local restaurant.
Evening:
At leisure to prepare for check-out and transfer tomorrow.
Activity Note
Getting on/off motorcoach, riding approximately 30 minutes; getting on/off train, riding approximately 5.5 hours, unavoidable stairs getting on and off train. NOTE: During this train transfer, you will need to carry your own luggage, and it will be stored close to you in your train compartment. There will be one train transfer in Malmö.
Breakfast:
Hotel buffet.
Morning:
After checking out of the hotel, we’ll board a motorcoach and ride to the railway station where we’ll begin our transfer by train to Stockholm.
Lunch:
On the train.
Afternoon:
Upon arrival in Stockholm, we’ll board the motorcoach and transfer to the hotel. After check-in we will drop our bags off then head out on a vicinity walk to get acquainted with Stockholm and the areas around the hotel.
Dinner:
At the hotel.
Evening:
After dinner we’ll have a welcome briefing introducing us to Stockholm.
Activity Note
Getting on/off motorcoach, riding up to 2 hours; walking up to 1 hour, standing up to 1 hour, some unavoidable stairs.
Breakfast:
At the hotel.
Morning:
At the hotel, we’ll have a lecture highlighting Sweden, Small Country with Big Ideas. Following the lecture, we’ll board the motorcoach for a panoramic field trip through central Stockholm, with a stop at the allotment gardens, a collection of miniature cottages surrounded by gardens filled with an array of flowers, and an abundance of vegetables beds and fruit trees.
Lunch:
At a local restaurant.
Afternoon:
Free time. This block of time has been set aside for your personal independent exploration to see and do what interests you most. Please refer to the list of Free Time Opportunities. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.
Dinner:
Archipelago dinner cruise.
Evening:
At leisure.
Activity Note
Getting on/off public transportation, riding up to 45 minutes; getting on/off motorcoach, riding about 30 minutes; Walking up to 2.5 miles throughout the day, terrain includes hills and cobblestone. Extent/duration of walking and other activities during independent time according to personal choice.
Breakfast:
Hotel buffet.
Morning:
We’ll take public transportation to Stockholm’s city hall, Stadshuset, an architectural icon and home of the Nobel Prize banquet. After, we will continue on to Gamla Stan for an expert-led walk though Stockholm’s Old Town and the city’s original city center. While strolling through the narrow streets, we will pass through the areas where the Royal Palace and medieval Storkyrkan cathedral are.
Lunch:
On your own.
Afternoon:
After lunch, we will board the motorcoach and head to a local café to take part in a traditional Swedish custom, Fika, to enjoy a refreshment and cinnamon bun with locals. The rest of the afternoon is free for independent exploration.
Dinner:
On your own to enjoy what you like.
Evening:
At leisure.
Activity Note
Getting on/off public transportation, riding about 30 minutes. Getting on/off motorcoach, riding about 30 minutes. Walking about 2.5 miles throughout the day. Museum paced walking and standing for up to 1 hour at a time.
Breakfast:
Hotel buffet.
Morning:
We’ll join our local guide for a lecture on Swedish emigration to the US, and immigration today. Then we’ll travel by public transportation to the ABBA Museum for an expert-led tour through the museum and interactive exhibits.
Lunch:
On your own to enjoy what you like.
Afternoon:
After lunch, we’ll walk to the Vasa Museum where we will encounter the proud warship of Vasa at its dedicated museum on the island of Djurgården. On its maiden voyage in 1628 the Vasa had sunk but was raised and restored in the 1960s.
Dinner:
We'll have a farewell dinner at a local restaurant. Share favorite experiences with new Road Scholar friends during our farewell dinner.
Evening:
At leisure. Prepare for check-out and departure tomorrow.
Activity Note
Hotel check-out by 12:00 Noon. Depending on flight times, some participants may depart prior to breakfast. See your program's "Getting There" information regarding transfers.
Breakfast:
Hotel buffet. This concludes our program.
Morning:
If you are returning home, safe travels. If you are staying on independently, have a wonderful time. If you are transferring to another Road Scholar program, detailed instructions are included in your Information Packet for that program. We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on rewarding programs in the future. Please join our Facebook page and share photos of your program. Visit us at www.facebook.com/rsadventures. Best wishes for all your journeys!
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