Sweden’s West Coast and Islands

Arrive in Oslo, the beautiful Norwegian capital by the Oslofjord. Make your own way to your centrally located hotel in the heart of Oslo, an easy direct express train ride away from the airport. The Norwegian capital has a great deal to offer for the observant traveller. We can recommend a walk around the centre of town to view the Parliament, the Castle, and the Harbour area.

Discover the new area of Bjorvika with the new Opera House and Munch Museum and then explore the charming shopping streets, cosy cafés and exciting eateries of Grünerløkka. After going shopping at numerous design boutiques, vintage shops and flea markets, head to the Mathallen food hall for local specialties. Lastly, visit the new National Museum of Norway down by the harbour before finding a spot in one of the local fish restaurants for dinner.

Train from Oslo to Fredrikstad takes around an hour, with regular services. Self transfer to Fredrikstad's old town, Gamlebyen, one of Northern Europe’s best preserved fortified towns and was founded in 1567 by King Fredrik II. Fredrikstad is thriving with history, shops, galleries and cafés. This afternoon, you can take the free ferry across the Glomma and explore this compact Norwegian harbour town.

Your accommodation tonight is in the heart of this old town in a small, historic hotel. Small restaurants surround the hotel, head out for a wander and enjoy the peaceful setting of this old fort.

After breakfast, meet your bus driver and any of your fellow travellers in the reception. Depart and drive south towards the Swedish border. First stop will be a walk around the Red Manor House and Garden in Halden before lunch at Strömstad, right on the Swedish/ Norwegian border. Drive past the Gjellestad Ship evacuations - what is on view depends on the university as this is an active Viking longhouse and ship evacuation. Then stop at the impressive grave fields and magnificent burial mounds, one of Sweden's biggest stone circles, and the country's third largest stone ship, Blomsholm Stone Ship.

Shortly before you arrive into Fjällbacka, visit the 3,000-year-old Tanum rock carvings, a UNESCO World Heritage site. These Bronze Age petroglyphs, number in the thousands. About 600 panels are included in the UNESCO World Heritage site, once the coastline of a fiord thousands of years ago. Many of the glyphs show boats, humans with bows, spears or axes, rituals and hunting scenes.

Love seafood and islands - included today is a cruise on M/S Mira to explore the islands today. Be sure to enjoy the seafood stars of the region, when they are in season, locally caught lobsters, oysters and langoustine. The regulars are herring, cod, salmon and a big, fat prawn sandwich.

If you are a fan of Swedish crime novels, check the schedule for Camilla Läckberg – Murder Mystery Tours as an option. At times during the year, Camilla herself is actually the tour guide! You can also hike up to Kungsklyftan walk with a terrific view over the coastline.

Continue your drive along the coast to your lunch spot, Salt & Sill. Once a sleepy fishing isle and Sweden's largest herring producer, Klädesholmen is now home to a Scandinavian-minimalist “boatel” floating on a pontoon, which means you can jump into the sea for a pre-lunch swim. Be sure to order the excellent pickled herring, paired here with Aquavit (the caraway compliments the smokiness of the fish).

Join the driver for your final leg of the journey into Gothenburg. Gothenburg is the city where you can go shopping and visit a museum on the same day as you explore the car-free archipelago. The distances are short and public transport brings you from café-lined streets and sights to barren cliffs and deep forests. The city centre is shopping-friendly with lots of small independent shops as well as malls like Nordstan and Arkaden. You can also enjoy opera, theatre, concerts and an array of museums exploring everything from the local maritime history to arts and beyond.

Accommodation here is optional - you can either catch at late afternoon train to Stockholm (approx. 3 hr journey) or spend the night in one of our favourite Nordic cities, Gothenburg.