A comprehensive review and photo guide of the Contiki Tour of Scandinavia, starting in Berlin, Germany and ending in Helsinki, Finland. If you are 18-35 years old and looking for a hassle free way to see a little bit of everything in Scandinavia this might be the trip for you. Check out the Contiki website to learn more. Group travel definitely has it’s pros and cons and may not be for everyone so be sure to read to the end to see if this trip is right for you!
Day 1 – Berlin
Arrive in Berlin. You are on your own to explore Berlin. Contiki arranges the hostel accommodations located right by the Berlin Wall. Take a stroll to check out all the murals then grab an electric lime bike and ride to Berliner Dom Cathedral. There is a great grass area in front of the cathedral perfect for a picnic with plenty of local musicians and talents providing entertainment.
Day 2 – Drive to Copenhagen
Meet the Contiki crew bright and early and drive to Copenhagen. The drive takes most of the day. You meet the rest of the Contiki group who start in Copenhagen at the hostel for dinner. Post dinner the bus will take you into the city with a brief driving/walking tour and then bar crawl.
Day 3 – Copenhagen
Free day to explore Copenhagen. Contiki drives you into the city and you can join your group leader on a walking tour or start off on your own. The group meets up later in the afternoon for the Carlsberg Brewery tour (Free-time add-on) and a trip to the Tivoli Theme Park. I highly recommend renting a boat to explore the canals as part of this free day. For more things to do check out my Top Things to Do in Copenhagen blog post.
Day 4 – Drive to Oslo, Norway
Most of the day is spent driving. The bus actually jumps on a ferry to cross over to Norway and you stop in Sweden for lunch at Ikea (go figure). Upon arriving in Oslo check-in to hotel with a few minutes to change and then the bus takes group to Vigeland Statue garden. The rest of the night is spent hanging out on the hill outside the hostel with everyone. Beer/Liquor laws in Norway have strict limits- be sure to pick up wine/liquor on the ferry or right when you get to hostile. It will be too late later in the evening.
Day 5 – Oslo, Norway
Free day to explore Oslo. The day starts with a guided walking tour downtown and you can sign-up for the Viking Biking tour (free-time add-on). We checked out the waterfront, including the Opera house which you can walk on to the roof of, then biked over to the Gunnerlokka area. Oslo is not your typical European city beaming with old architectural charm. We decided to spend the rest of the day in Gunnerlokka doing a bar crawl. Kitchy little bars with rooftops and patios line the river so you can easily walk from one to the next. Everyone who went on the biking tour seemed to enjoy it.
Day 6 – Through Hardangervidda Fjord to Voss, Norway
The day starts with a pitstop at the Holmenkollen Olympic Ski jump. Ride an elevator to the top for your first views of picturesque Norway. Then it’s on the road again for a good portion of the day. The bus makes a stop at a beautiful waterfall and canyon before arriving in Voss for the evening. The accommodations in Voss are right on a beautiful lake with canoes, and paddle boards to rent. Take a few bottles of wine out on the canoes and don’t paddle back till they are gone. It was lovely.
Day 7 – Driving through Norway Fjords
The next two days are basically all riding on the coach through hands down some of the most beautiful scenery I’ve ever experienced. Make sure to get to the coach early for a good seat. The drive includes another pretty little ferry ride and stops at a glacier for a picture perfect lunch. The night is spent in Hellesylt where your room has a balcony overlooking Geirandanger Fjord. The whole crew walks down to the cove to do a polar plunge from a high platform.
Day 8 – Geirandanger Fjord to Gjovik
The day starts with a ferry ride through Geirandanger Fjord. Towering walls dripping with waterfalls glistening in the morning light greet you around every turn. Another long day of driving accompanied by the most scenic views and pitstops along the way. Then it’s bobsled time before arriving in the town of Gjovik for the night. In Gjovik you can go out to eat, venture to some local pubs and hit up the large local swimming pool at night.
Day 9 – Drive to Stockholm
Prepare for another long driving day only this time without all the wow views. You’ll be thrilled to get off the coach in Stockholm. After checking into the hotel you can enjoy a meatball dinner with the whole crew as part of a free-time add on or wander to find your own restaurant. Then its Ice Bar time and a night out to the clubs in Stockholm.
Day 10 – Stockholm, Sweden
Free day to explore Stockholm. The free time add-on is to go to the ABBA museum. I wandered through the old town, enjoying patio drinks and Swedish architecture.
Day 11 – Stockholm to Night Cruise
Another free day to roam about Stockholm until late in the afternoon when you depart for the overnight cruise to Helsinki. I spent the morning biking around the gardens, had afternoon drinks on a boat in the harbor and watched friends attempt row boating (harder then it looks). The cruise to Helsinki is overnight. Once you settle into your rooms everyone starts drinking on the top deck. It turns into a long night of karaoke and dancing. Some stayed up to watch sun rise from the back of the ship.
Day 12 – Helsinki, Finland
After an early departure from the cruise ship you have the whole day free to explore Helsinki. We walked a bunch, checked out some churches and the markets and had afternoon drinks on the back of a precious little boat in the harbor. There is also a pool and sauna some people went to or arrange a day trip to a nearby island. Final farewell drinks and goodbyes were in order for the last night of the trip.
Know Before You Book:
- This is a quad share trip, meaning the majority of accommodations are 4 same gender guests per room. You spend barely any time in the rooms, but they are tight quarters.
- Most the hostiles do not have a/c. Usually this is not a big issue in the cooler climates of Scandinavia, but should be considered when selecting your travel dates.
- Expect long driving days. Most of the time in Norway is spent on the bus. The views are breathtaking, but this portion of the trip is three very long days on the bus.
- This is very much an organized group trip. At times, it may feel like a middle school field trip with the guide telling you where and when to be places and playing silly ice breaker games. This makes it great for solo travelers looking to meet new people. If you enjoy your freedom while travelling, are set on only hanging out with the friends you came with or not open to spending 12 days with strangers from around the world Contiki may not be the best travel option for you.
- My recommendation: Start in Copenhagen. It’s the same trip but you avoid one long travel day at the start and can fly in earlier to Copenhagen to get extra time in easily the coolest city of the tour. I’d also chose to end in Stockholm. Helsinki just didn’t impress me much and flights are probably easier out of Stockholm.
If you have any questions comment below. Hope you found this helpful if you are considering booking a Contiki trip or planning your own trip through beautiful Scandinavia!
Thanks for writing this, it was very helpful! Just wondering what time of the year you went on this trip and what was the weather like in Norway?
Hi Andrea. I went on the trip at the end of July. It was in the 70’s – 80’s Fahrenheit, but this was considered a heat wave for Scandinavia. I would expect cooler temperatures even in summer time and especially at night.
Hello! I was just wondering how you go about starting in Copenhagen? Is that an option? We’ve done Berlin and we would rather have the extra time in Denmark. Thanks!
Hello Amanda , thanks for reading! Last year when we booked there was a separate trip option for starting in Copenhagen similar to how you see the two trips one ending in Stockholm and one ending in Helsinki. I just checked the Contiki website and don’t see that this year, but sent them a message to inquire. Hopefully it is still an option – may just have to discuss with them when booking.
Oh wow yeah I don’t see that option. I wonder if they changed it. I’ll have to find out. Thank you!
Hi! Contiki responded that it is still an option to start in Copenhagen. I’d try the chat feature on the booking page. If someone is available they can walk you through how to book starting in Copenhagen or they will get back to you via email with a specialist who you can call direct to book. Good Luck!
Hi, i am leaving Stockholm on Day 10, What are the recommendations for Day 9 and little bit of Day 10? i wont be leaving until the afternoon!
Hi Alina, Day 9 you arrive to the hotel just before dinner time. There are 2 free time add-ons that night: A big family style dinner in Old Town (the most picturesque part of Stockholm with all the buildings you see pictured) and the Ice Bar experience. Then everyone goes out to more bars/clubs after. Day 10 you can catch a ride with the group over to the maritime museum for another free-time add on or we rode over with the group then rented bikes and rode through the park where they drop you off and wandered by all the boats in the harbor. We found a great one with a little bar on it too for an afternoon drink. Getting around the city is pretty easy with the underground and every station is painted beautifully – some might say that’s a thing to do in itself. Exploring the little streets of old town is an absolute must though if you don’t get to it the first night.
Perfect thank you! i do have one more question. Do you remember what time you left the hostel on day 10 to go explore the city? thank you!
So sorry I just saw this comment (it was stuck in an approval process I was unaware of) and my response is likely way way too late, but day 10 is up to you. Some people chose to sleep in and take the very easy to use train into the city. I believe the bus went into the city around 9am
Can you recommend anything that is good to pack for this trip?