TRANS WORLD TRAVEL, INC.

Tuesday, August 6 - Depart Chicago: Today we depart from O’Hare Airport to begin our journey to Sweden. Meals andbeverages will be served during the overnight flight.

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Wednesday, August 7 - Arrive Stockholm: Upon arrival in Stockholm, we will collect our luggage, clear customs, and meet our tour manager and coach driver. During the drive to our hotel, our tour manager will share information about our tour and details of today’s schedule. Dinner is included this evening. Welcome to Sweden! (D)

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Thursday, August 8 - Stockholm: Our morning sightseeing tour of Sweden’s capital city will include all its iconic highlights. Sometimes called the Venice of the North, Stockholm is truly wedded with the sea - built across 14 islands and the mainland, at the point where Lake Mälaren flows out to the Baltic Sea. We will see the City Hall, where the Nobel Prize banquets are held, the Stockholm Palace which is the official residence and office of King Carl Gustaf XVI, the Old Town with its original medieval street plan, and the Storkykran Cathedral - venue for Royal coronations, weddings and funerals. We will finish our tour at the Vasa Museum with a visit of the salvaged warship, which sank on her maiden voyage in 1628. The remainder of the afternoon and evening are at leisure. (B)

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Friday, August 9 - Stockholm: This morning we will visit Skansen Park, which is the world’s oldest open-air museum. Founded in 1891, the museum showcases the whole of Sweden, its history, culture and traditions, with houses, farmsteads, farm buildings and chapels from all over the country. The afternoon and evening are free for individual sightseeing. (B)

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Saturday, August 10 - Stockholm / Karlstad / Oslo: Today we will depart Stockholm to drive through scenery so typical for Sweden – through dark green forests and fertile valleys. We will pause for lunch in Karlstad, which is located midway between Oslo and Stockholm. This is where the agreement to dissolve the union between Norway and Sweden was signed, granting Norway her independence as a separate kingdom. In the afternoon we will continue our journey past glittering Lake Vänern, which is the largest of Sweden’s almost 100,000 lakes, to the border with Norway and on to the Norwegian capital of Oslo for dinner and overnight. (B, D)

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Sunday, August 11 - Oslo: This morning we will explore Oslo and the treasures of its museums. During our city tour we will pass the Royal Palace, the Storting, home of the Norwegian Parliament, the City Hall where the Nobel Peace Prize is presented each year and we will walk through the Vigeland Sculpture Park, the largest collection of sculptures in the world by one artist. The afternoon and evening are free for individual pursuits. (B)

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Monday, August 12 - Oslo / Lillehammer: We begin today with visits to two of the museums which bear witness to the Scandinavian spirit of adventure which saw the Vikings land in Newfoundland in the 11th century. The Fram Museum tells  the story of Norwegian polar exploration, with the ship which carried Amundsen in the race to be first to reach the South Pole. Next door is the Kon Tiki Museum with the original balsawood raft on which Thor Heyerdahl crossed the Pacific and the papyrus boat Ra II, which he built to cross the Atlantic. Following our museum visits and free time for lunch, we will continue to the Winter Olympic town of Lillehammer for dinner and overnight. (B, D)

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Tuesday, August 13 - Lillehammer: Today’s sightseeing will include the open-air Maihaugen Museum, where our local guide will bring to life the traditions of the Gudbrandsdal through its farmhouses, workshops, tools and utensils. We will see the ancient Garmo Stave Church, as well as reminders of more recent history in the Olympic ski jumping arena and Olympic Park. The remainder of the day and evening are free for individual exploration and relaxation. (B)

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Wednesday, August 14 - Lillehammer / Borgund / Fjordland: This morning we depart Lillehammer to journey through green valleys and past snow-capped mountain peaks. We will pause along the way to absorb the spectacular scenery and landscapes and to visit the medieval Borgund Stave Church. In the afternoon we arrive to the breathtaking scenery of the fjords for dinner and overnight. (B, D)

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Thursday, August 15 - Fjordland / Sognefjord Cruise / Stalheim / Bergen: Today will be a day full of highlights as we experience the quintessential scenery of Norway, dominated by fast flowing rivers, glittering fjords, thundering waterfalls and snow-capped mountain peaks. We will cruise the Sognefjord and Naeroyfjord from Flam to Gudvangen, then we drive through the Naerdal Canyon to Stalheim, for some of the most spectacular panoramic views in all Norway. In the late afternoon we will arrive in Bergen for our overnight. (B)

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Friday, August 16 - Bergen: This ancient Hanseatic port has been trading with the known world for 1000 years, and that legacy can be seen in the colorful remains of the merchants’ warehouses along the docks in the oldest part of the city at Bryggen. Our morning city tour will include this atmospheric quarter and the lively Fish Market, which is still a living reminder of Bergen’s ancient trading history. We will see Haakon’s Hall, the banqueting and ceremonial hall of the old royal residence, when Bergen was the capital of Norway. The remainder of the afternoon will be free to continue exploring the City of Seven Mountains. Perhaps take a funicular train up Mount Floyen, visit Troldhaugen, the home of Edvard Grieg or just sit in a streetwalk cafe and watch the world go by. In the early evening we will enjoy our farewell dinner at a local restaurant. (B, D)

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Saturday, August 17 - Bergen / Chicago: This morning we transfer to Bergen Airport to begin our journey home. We arrive at Chicago O’Hare this evening. Welcome Home!

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B - Breakfast, D - Dinner