Denmark/Norway/Sweden/Finland
Four Nordic Capitals
Program No. 3332RJ
Discover the secrets of Europe’s most northern cities, diving deep into culture, art and the traditions of Scandinavian design.
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800-454-5768
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Prices displayed below are based on per person,doubleoccupancy.
Activity Level:
On Your Feet (2)
DATES
& starting prices
PRICES
Aug 11 - Aug 28, 2024
Starting at
8,949Activity Level:
On Your Feet (2)
DATES
& starting prices
PRICES
Jun 16 - Jul 3, 2024
Starting at
10,739Aug 11 - Aug 28, 2024
Starting at
10,739Activity Level:
Keep the Pace (19)
DATES
& starting prices
PRICES
Jul 14 - Jul 31, 2024
Starting at
9,449Sep 8 - Sep 25, 2024
Starting at
9,549Activity Level:
Keep the Pace (19)
DATES
& starting prices
PRICES
Jul 7 - Jul 24, 2024
Starting at
11,299Jul 14 - Jul 31, 2024
Starting at
11,299Jul 21 - Aug 7, 2024
Starting at
11,299Aug 4 - Aug 21, 2024
Starting at
11,299Sep 1 - Sep 18, 2024
Starting at
11,439Sep 8 - Sep 25, 2024
Starting at
11,439Oct 6 - Oct 23, 2024
Starting at
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18 days
17 nights
44 meals
16B 14L 14D
1
In Transit to Program
In Flight
3
Rosenborg Castle, Christmas Dinner
Copenhagen
5
Denmark's Golden Age, Nyhavn
Copenhagen
6
Kronborg Castle
Cruise ship
9
Oslo Museums
Oslo
10
Transfer to Stockholm
Stockholm
11
Vasa Ship Museum
Stockholm
13
Drottningholm Palace
Stockholm
16
Musiikkitalo
Helsinki
At a Glance
With a midsummer sunrise at 3 a.m. and winter days lit by thousands of candles, Scandinavia keeps its own time and seasons. Experience the unique pace of the Nordic lifestyle in the four capital cities of Copenhagen, Oslo, Stockholm and Helsinki. Learn about their distinct histories, languages, cuisines and artistic traditions as you study alongside local experts in museums, palaces and energetic neighborhoods.
Activity Level
Varies by date
Walking up to 3 miles daily.
Please note that the Activity Level for this program varies by date. Please make sure that you are attending a departure date that best fits your activity level.
On Your Feet departures will include additional coach transfers to and from some meals and activities. Please see itinerary for details.
Small Group
Love to learn and explore in a small-group setting? These adventures offer small, personal experiences with groups of 13 to 24 participants.
What You'll Learn
- Embark on two overnight voyages of Scandinavia.
- Taste a traditional Danish Christmas dinner of pork, potatoes, cabbage and rice pudding.
- Enjoy musicians playing the Finnish kantele.
Featured Expert
All trip experts
Mia Lindström
Mia Lindström received her degree in cultural management in 1996 and has been involved in folk high school work since then. She is an administrator and teacher at a folk high school in Karjaa and her fields of interest and lecture subjects include folklore, culture, the educational system and the Swedish-speaking minority in Finland. Mia received her master’s in folklore from Åbo Akademi University in 2011, and she has been leading Road Scholar groups since 1998.
Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.
Mia Lindström
View biography
Mia Lindström received her degree in cultural management in 1996 and has been involved in folk high school work since then. She is an administrator and teacher at a folk high school in Karjaa and her fields of interest and lecture subjects include folklore, culture, the educational system and the Swedish-speaking minority in Finland. Mia received her master’s in folklore from Åbo Akademi University in 2011, and she has been leading Road Scholar groups since 1998.
Leonardo Mastropasqua
View biography
Leonardo Mastropasqua graduated from a private high school in Rome before enlisting for military service. After completing his service as an artillery lieutenant, he began leading safaris in East Africa. He climbed Mount Kilimanjaro several times with a variety of groups. While he makes his home in Italy, Leonardo also feels at home in Scandinavia thanks to his Swedish mother and leads Italian groups there every summer. He is proud of his heritage, native Italy, and is eager to share it with Road Scholar participants.
Anette Florie Maman
View biography
A Copenhagen native, Anette Maman studied literature at Copenhagen University and went on to work at the Danish Embassy in Tel Aviv, Israel. She returned to her home country to study at the Copenhagen Business School where she graduated as a bilingual correspondent in English and German. As a lifelong learner, Anette is constantly studying and learning – especially in Danish history – and she recently received her professional bachelor’s degree in communication and Danish history at the age of 50.
Caroline Bäcklund
View biography
Caroline has lived all over the world, including outside Chicago and in Québec. She has bachelor’s degrees in Business Administration and Consumer Marketing and a master’s in French. Most recently, Caroline has been working as a substitute teacher for Cambridge Tests, focusing on political science and social science at the high school level. Caroline is also deeply involved in music. She plays in the Stockholm Symphonic Orchestra and the Tre Kronor Symphonic Band of Stockholm, where she has been the lead trombone since 2008.
Suggested Reading List
(19 books)
Visit the Road Scholar Bookshop
You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.
Four Nordic Capitals
Program Number: 3332
The Summer Book
A modern Scandinavian classic, Jansson's sweet, slender novel follows a young girl and her grandmother as they while away a summer on a tiny island in the Gulf of Finland.
The Little Book of Hygge: Danish Secrets to Happy Living
Why are the Danes so happy? Some contribute it to the emphasis on the sense of comfort and community known as Hygge (pronounced hoo-ga). Wiking teaches readers about this national philosophy with practical, attainable suggestions of how to incorporate hygge into everyday life.
Cross and Scepter
From the Vikings to the Reformation, Sverre Bagge spends little time with myths in his scholarly Scandinavian history, instead focusing on the development of northern European societies and their rise from the Dark Ages.
Growth of the Soil
The epic tale of a homesteader in the mountainous Norwegian interior, which helped win Hamsun a Nobel Prize in 1920.
Norwegian Folk Tales
This rich collection of stories, interpreted by a leading scholar on ancient traditions and tales, will delight both adults and children.
Insight Guide Scandinavia
From Denmark to Sweden, Norway and Finland, this guide introduces the region with outstanding color maps and photographs.
Scandinavia Map
With an index, area maps and a table of driving times and distances, this handy, frequently updated map covers all of Scandinavia, including Finland, at a scale of 1:1.5 million on one side of the sheet.
The Almost Nearly Perfect People, Behind the Myth of the Scandinavian Utopia
Guardian journalist Booth writes with laugh-out-loud humor and brutal candor about the Scandinavians, mixing history and his own experiences in Nordic regions in this searing cultural portrait.
Stockholm, A Cultural History
A literary, cultural guide to the art, architecture, traditions and history of Stockholm.
Penguin Historical Atlas of the Vikings
This history of the Vikings tells their story through a series of innovative maps and excellent photographs. It traces the routes of 9th-century Viking merchants and explorers throughout Europe and the New World.
The Naked Shore, Of the North Sea
Journalist Blass travels by ferry, tram and airplane to the borderlands of the North Sea, seeking out the men and women who have devoted their lives to studying the mysteries of the inclement sea.
The Northmen, The Viking Saga
Viking historian John Haywood delves into the Vikings’ age of expansion (793 CE -1241 CE). His magisterial chronicle answers myriad questions about the Vikings, their technology, their society and why it went into decline.
The Nordic Theory of Everything: In Search of a Better Life
An emigrant to America from Finland, Anu Partanen compares and contrasts America with Scandinavia, debunking myths about socialism as she compellingly argues that the US would benefit from the Nordic approach.
Helsinki, A Cultural and Literary History
A literary guide to Helsinki, its history and culture, organized into three sections: city of architects and engineers; city of music and arts; and city of hospitality. With maps and black-and-white illustrations.
A History of Scandinavia: Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Iceland
The story of Scandinavia from prehistory to the present with chapters on the Viking and Lutheran kingdoms, medieval times, monarchies, the World Wars and modern period, emphasizing the common cultural, political and social backgrounds.
Vikings, The North Atlantic Saga
An extensively illustrated volume of Viking culture, history and exploration that focuses especially on voyages to North America. Published in conjunction with a Smithsonian exhibit, it features essays and 400 color photographs.
Letters on Sweden, Norway, and Denmark
Groundbreaking feminist Wollstonecraft records her observations of a late 18th-century journey through Scandinavia in this small masterpiece, rich in detail of people and place.
We Die Alone
Howarth's riveting account of determination and valor in Nazi-occupied Norway follows Jan Baalrud's extraordinary escape by ski across the Lyngen Alps.
The Vikings, Lords of the Seas
An indispensable reference that fits in your pocket, this slim volume is packed with maps, archival photos and illustrations.
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