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 If you haven't visited northern Europe's ultra-sophisticated capitals, then you haven't fully experienced Europe. Their setting alone is breathtaking – on the beautiful waters and inlets of the Baltic Sea. But their refined sensibility and stunning architecture will have you wondering why you waited so long to set your sights north. Join a Hermes small group in Scandinavia's grand capitals – Copenhagen, Stockholm, Oslo and Helsinki. We'll show you their wonders when traveling here is at its best, the warm days of July. And you just might find yourself with a new favorite European destination.
 • Copenhagen Tour, including Amalienborg Castle and Tivoli Gardens
• Stockholm Tour, including Skansen Open-Air Museum and Royal Palace
• Helsinki Tour, including Church on the Rock and Seurasaari Open-Air Museum
• Oslo Tour
• Fjords, including Bergen, Gudvangen-Flam, Flambana train
• Overnight ferry accommodations in an outside cabin from Helsinki to Stockholm and Oslo to Copenhagen.
• Accommodations for 8 nights in first class hotels
• Services of a Hermes Tours escort
• Services of an expert, local guide in all cities
• Entrance fees to all sites visited
• $100 per person savings if you reserve 5 months before departure!
Day 1 - Saturday, June 29, 2013
Arrival Helsinki and transfer on own to your hotel. Accommodation at Sokos Hotel Presidentti or similar. This evening we gather for a weldome dinner so we can get better aquainted with each other.
Overnight: Sokos Hotel Presidentti, Helsinki 4*, or similar
Meal: D
 Day 2 - Sunday, June 30, 2013
This morning we start with breakfast at the hotel and then enjoy a city tour of Helsinki.
Famous sights include the Senate Square, Uspenskij Cathedral, Parliament House, Finlandia Hall, New Opera House, Sibelius Park & Monument, Underground Temple. The afternoon is free for you to explore Helsinki. Late afternoon we transfer from the hotel to the pier for embarkation on overnight cruise ferry departing at 17.30 hrs.
Overnight: Viking Line Ferry
Meal: B
 Day 3 - Monday, July 1, 2013
Enjoy your buffet breakfast, as you sail slowly down the Stockholm archipelago past numerous small islands to arrive Stockholm at 09.30.
Upon arrival we have our city tour of Stockholm with a local guide. Famous sights will include the Royal Palace, the Parliament Buildings, the island of Djurgarden and the Old Town (Gamla Stan), with its narrow cobbled streets and numerous antique shops. The tour ends at the hotel for check in. The afternoon free in Stockholm.
Overnight:  Scandic Hotel Norra Bantorget, Stockholm 4*, or similar
Meal: B
 Day 4 - Tuesday, July 2, 2013
Breakfast at the hotel and day free for leisure.
We recommemd one of the popular canal tours, a visit to the impressive Vasa Museum, the Drottningholm Castle or one of Stockholm's other interesting museums and sights.
Overnight: Scandic Hotel Norra Bantorget, Stockholm 4*, or similar
Meal: B
 Day 5 - Wednesday, July 3, 2013
Breakfast at the hotel and departure from Stockholm by coach.
Route through a landscape of forests and sparkling lakes to reach the attractive province of Varmland and the city of Karlstad on Lake Vanern, the largest in Sweden. Continue towards the Norwegian border to arrive Oslo in the late afternoon.
Overnight: Rica Victoria Hotel, Oslo 4*, or similar
Meal: B
 Day 6 - Thursday, July 4, 2013
We depart from Oslo by coach, driving via Hønefoss along the charming Halling Valley to the tourist resort town of Geilo.
Overnight: Highland Hotel, Geilo 3,5*, or similar
Meal: B
 Day 7 - Friday, July 5, 2013
Breakfast at the hotel and train to Myrdal. Board your train for an exhilarating ride on the amazing Flam Railway to Myrdal, a masterpiece of engineering descending 2.838 feet in less than one hour. The descent from Myrdal to Flam offers opportunities for photo shots of some exciting waterfalls and mountain scenery.
After a short rest in Flam, start of approx. 2 hours cruise by boat along the narrow Aurlands and Naroy Fjords, both branches of the Sogn Fjord, the longest and deepest fjord in the world.  Enjoy the spectacular scenery of cascading waterfalls, sheer mountain cliffs, snow-clad peaks, and a variety of wildlife.
After disembarking in Gudvangen at the head of the Naroy Fjord, continue by coach to Bergen. Overnight: Scandic Bergen City Hotel, Bergen 4*, or similar
Meal: B
Day 8 - Saturday, July 6, 2013
After buffet breakfast, start of return drive descending the amazing Mabodal Canyon to the idyllic Hardanger Fjord. Short ferry crossing, followed by drive cross the wild Hardanger Mountain Plateau to Fossli, stopping to view the thundering Vøringsfoss Waterfall with a vertical drop of 180 m. Continue to Oslo, arrival in the late afternoon.
Overnight: Rica Victoria Hotel, Oslo 4*, or similar
Meal: B
 Day 9 - Sunday, July 7, 2013
After breakfast we have our Oslo city tour. You will see the Royal Castle, the City Hall, and the impressive Vigeland Sculpture Park.
In the afternoon, we transfer to DFDS Seaways terminal for your overnight cruise by ferry to Copenhagen, departing at 17.00 hrs. Overnight: DFDS Seaways Ferry
Meal: B
Day 10 - Monday, July 8, 2013
A delicious buffet breakfast is being served as you cruise down the Oresund Belt before arrival in Copenhagen at 09.30.
Upon our arrival we have booked our guided tour of the Danish capital. Famous sights include the Royal Amalienborg Palace, Christiansborg Palace (Danish Parliament Buildings), Gefion Fountain, and Nyhavn. The tour ends at the hotel for check in. Afternoon free for exploring this fairytale city. Join us tonight for a special Hermes Farewell Dinner.
Overnight: First Hotel Vesterbro, Copenhagen 4*, or similar
Meal: B, D
Day 11 - Tuesday, July 9, 2013
Our tour concludes today. You are free to make your return arrangments for anytime.
Meal: B
All of our hotels will be 3/4 star centrally located in the cities of Helsinki, Stockholm, Olso & Copenhagen. Contact us for more information and rates to extend your stay.
Helsinki, Finland:
- 4 Stars, 1 night
Situated in the heart of Helsinki, Sokos Hotel Presidentti is within walking distance of Sibelius Academy, Kiasma, and National Museum. Also nearby are Finlandia Hall and Atheneum Art Museum.
Sokos Hotel Presidentti has an indoor pool and a sauna. Wireless Internet access is complimentary in public areas. This business-friendly hotel offers a restaurant and a bar/lounge. A complimentary breakfast is available.  Additional amenities include multilingual staff, laundry facilities, and dry cleaning/laundry services. The property has designated areas for smoking.
Amenities in air-conditioned guestrooms at Sokos Hotel Presidentti include minibars and safes. Guests can use the in-room complimentary wireless high-speed Internet access. Televisions are equipped with satellite channels and pay movies. All accommodations provide desks, complimentary newspapers, and direct-dial phones. Additional amenities include hair dryers and an iron and ironing board.
Helsinki - Stockholm:
- 1 night
Besides luxury and glamour at affordable prices, we offer you every day and night the best live entertainment and artists on the Baltic Sea. Try your luck in the casino playing games from roulette to one armed bandits. Enjoy good wines, cocktails and champagne, have a perfect dinner, dance your legs tired, disco all night long – everything is possible. Welcome to the Viking World!
 Stockholm, Sweden:
- 4 Stars, 2 nights
The Scandic Norra Bantorget hotel has a great location in Stockholm. The hotel is close to Stockholm's top sights, great shopping opportunities, popular restaurants, plenty of entertainment and more. The popular spa, Centralbadet, is located just around the corner from the hotel and Stockholm's Central Station with airport buses, trains and metro are within walking distance.
 At Scandic Norra Bantorget you can enjoy a delicious meal in our modern hotel restaurant and if you fancy a lighter dish or just want to relax with a drink, you are welcome to our lounge and bar. During summer, you can enjoy the sunshine from our terrace. Borrow walking poles and head out for a brisk walk around Stockholm, we also have bicycles for you to borrow in the hotel's reception. We offer free wireless Internet access in all hotel rooms and public areas.
Oslo, Norway:
- 4 Stars, 2 nights
First-class business hotel in the heart of Oslo, only 200 m from the Storting, Karl Johans gate and Oslo City Hall, and a short walk from Aker Brygge. There is also a rich variety of shopping right on the doorstep. Also close to the harbour, where ferries will take you out into Oslofjorden and to attractions like the Kon-Tiki Museum on Bygdøy. Nearby Norway's largest cultural centres, with concerts, theatre, cabaret, and all that Oslo can offer.
A large and varied buffet lunch is served daily on weekdays. Dinner can be booked in advance for groups, or if you are a little peckish in the evening, you can order tasty light meals in the bar.  The restaurant is a great venue for parties and Christmas meals. The fully licensed Victor Bar is located next to the restaurant.
The Rica Victoria hotel has 199 spacious double/single rooms, some of which are suites. All rooms are light and comfortable, and many have wood floors. The hotel also has large double rooms with a sofabed and the option of extra beds. Wireless broadband internet access in all rooms and public spaces in the hotel.
Geilo, Norway:
- 3,5 Stars, 1 night
 Highland Hotel is a ski-in/ski-out hotel in Hol within easy reach of 18 ski lifts, 2 ski runs, and winter sports like alpine skiing and downhill skiing.
Enjoy a relaxing soak in the spa tub and an invigorating swim in the indoor swimming pool.
Two restaurants are on site for your dining pleasure. Guests are served a complimentary breakfast. Complimentary wireless Internet access is available in public areas and an Internet point is located on site.  Additional amenities at this 3.5-star hotel include a health club, ski storage, and a children's pool.
The 157 guestrooms at Highland Hotel include hair dryers and windows that open. Complimentary wireless high-speed Internet access is provided. Rooms are equipped with flat-panel televisions with cable channels. Housekeeping is offered daily.
Bergen, Norway:
- 4 Stars, 1 night
 Hotel Scandic Bergen City is situated next to the conference centre and the Bergen Cinema. You can find the Bergen's museums and attractions just a few blocks away from the hotel. Enjoy nearby attractions, such as the Aquarium, Bryggen Hanseatic wharf, Fisketorvet and Galleriet Shopping Centre.
Torgallmenningen Square is a 5-minute walk from the hotel. The UNESCO-listed Bryggen Wharf is less than 1 km away.
Restaurant Amalie offers a la carte dining with both traditional Norwegian and international options. City Bar serves drinks and lighter dishes by the fireplace or in the lounge.
 When staying with us at hotel Scandic Bergen City, you enjoy great food in our onsite hotel restaurant, Amalie, and tasty drinks from our bar. We have an inviting lobby area with a fireplace. We also offer fully equipped conference venues and wireless internet access throughout the hotel.
All rooms at Scandic Bergen have modern bathrooms, wooden floors and cable TV with additional premium movie channels on demand.
Oslo - Copenhagen:
- 1 night
The Copenhagen to Oslo route is home to some of the finest cruise ferries in the DFDS Seaways fleet.
On board the CROWN SEAWAYS or the PEARL SEAWAYS, sailing to and from Denmark, you'll have access to fantastic onboard facilities including jacuzzis, games rooms, bars and restaurants, as well as comfortable en-suite cabins.
Copenhagen, Denmark:
- 4 Stars, 1 night
 First Hotel Vesterbro is found in Copenhagen's hip Vesterbro district, about 5 minutes' walk from the Central Station and Tivoli Amusement Park. It offers free Wi-Fi and a varied breakfast buffet.
All air-conditioned rooms of First Hotel Vesterbro feature wooden floors, cable TV and tea/coffee makers. Bathrooms are complete with hairdryer and toiletries.
 Hotel Vesterbro's stylish à la carte restaurant offers Danish cuisine as well as international classics. A light lunch menu is available at Bar-Café Lua, which also has a widescreen TV showing major sports events.
The central location offers easy access to culture, shopping and entertainment. There are plenty of bars and restaurants within walking distance. Staff can recommend places and sights to visit.
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Canadian, American, and EU passport holders are NOT required to have visas to enter the Coppenhagen / Sweden / Finland / Norway for tourism purposes. 
It is very easy to withdraw money from ATMs located throughout the country as well as to use your Visa or MasterCard. The American Express card is less widely accepted. Travelers checks are also accepted however can carry a heavy commission fee. We recommend to travelers to bring only a small amount of cash and/or travelers checks and to rather use their ATM and credit cards while traveling.
Please note that the above cost includes all accommodation in 3 star, gay friendly hotels, with private bath or shower, hotel taxes, porterage, tips and service charges. Tips to local drivers/guides, All activities as outlined in the itinerary; all meals as per itinerary; economy class train/ferry tickets between cities, the services of a Hermes Tours Escort throughout the trip; all ground transportation as per itinerary; Entrance fees to all sites on itinerary. 
International airfare to/from Helsinki/Coppenhagen; airport transfers, passport & visa fees if applicable; personal travel and cancellation insurance; meals and activities not specifically included in the itinerary; services of a personal nature like alcohol; soft drinks; bottled water; laundry; telephone calls; faxes as well as customary tips to drivers and guides. 
