NEW TRIP
Gothic Cities, Viking Legacy, and Tranquil Islands
Coastal Walks in Denmark & Sweden
Overview
With medieval towns, a Viking heritage, nature reserves, and long, sandy beaches below towering cliffs, the coasts of Denmark and Sweden are perfect for a WT-style adventure. We’ll enjoy beach and island hikes, explore castles, and meet winemakers and artisans along the way. Our journey includes Roskilde’s 11th century Viking ships, the 18th century lanes of charming Ærø Island, spectacular Møns Klint, where 70-million-year-old chalk cliffs plunge to a turquoise sea, and medieval Visby, with its intact city walls. Our grand finale is Gotland (the setting for the Pippi Longstocking character), an incredibly beautiful island and “foodie” hotspot with sublime seascapes.
Arrive: Copenhagen, Denmark
Depart: Stockholm, Sweden
Highlights
- Explore UNESCO-listed medieval cities and the amazing legacy of the Vikings
- Enjoy picnics on wild beaches with spectacular views
- Visit tranquil Ærø Island, hike the towering chalk cliffs at Møns Klint
- Meet the friendly Danes and Swedes in their coffee houses and villages
- Stay in unique hotels, including heritage properties
Itinerary
After a ride through Copenhagen’s historic harbor, we catch the train to visit Kronborg Castle (“Hamlet’s Castle”), a Renaissance masterpiece. Our next stop is Roskilde, with its Viking Ship Museum, and we’ll sail on one of the museum’s replica Viking boats.
We explore the Viking fortress at Trelleborg, built in 980 AD, enjoy Fyn Island’s seascapes, and walk the halls of Egeskov Castle. On tranquil Ærø Island, we stroll among its 18th century cottages and on Møn Island, we hike the towering white chalk cliffs at Møns Klint.
On Sweden’s southern coast, we explore Malmö, with its blend of modern and historic architecture, visit ancient Lund, home to a 17th century university, and hike the beaches in the quaint coastal town of Åhus.
We visit Karlskrona, founded in 1680 as a naval port, stroll the ramparts of Kalmar Castle, then explore Visby, a medieval fairytale town on beautiful Gotland, Sweden’s largest island.
Entering the 30,000-island Stockholm Archipelago, we hike beach trails, relax in saunas at our spa-hotel, and visit tranquil Ojä Island, home to some 20 residents, a bird observatory, and the oldest lighthouse in Sweden. Depart via Stockholm on Day 13.
Accommodations
Scroll through our signature accommodations for this trip below. Although it is highly unlikely, we may make substitutions when necessary.
What the Trip is Like
This trip is rated Level 2, Easy to Moderate, according to our trip grading system. While there are a few short hikes, this trip is more focused on cultural exploration. You will need to be comfortable being on your feet for up to 4-5 hours a day. Trail conditions, weather, and the group’s level of fitness can affect walking times and pacing.
Average Walking Day
- 5-6 miles
- 3-4 hours
The trails are a mixture of flat walks through historic towns and hilly coastal tracks that have rocky steps. Some of the castles and historic buildings we visit have narrow, steep staircases, and some of our walks include uneven surfaces and dark spaces.
We strongly urge you to train for your trip, as your enjoyment will be highly dependent on your level of fitness. The best training for walking is to walk, especially over hills or rough terrain. Your feet should also be well prepared—make sure your hiking/walking shoes are sturdy, comfortable, and thoroughly broken-in.
Denmark has mild, wet winters (Dec-Mar), cool summers (Jun-Aug), and transitional spring and autumn periods that are moderate. Sweden’s winters are cold and snowy, especially in the north, while summers are mild to warm with long daylight hours. The late spring (May-June) and summer (July-August) in Sweden offer the mildest weather and longest daylight hours. Rain is relatively evenly experienced throughout the year in both countries.
The hotels we use on this trip are the best available, chosen for their location and ambience. They have comfortable rooms with en suite bathrooms. Since they are often in historic buildings, the rooms are not always of uniform or international size. Our leaders do their best to assign rooms in a fair way so that all participants experience an equal advantage throughout the trip as a whole. Single rooms can be requested but are not always available, due to the limited space in the hotels. If you prefer a single room, please make your request as early as possible.
We will enjoy a number of great Danish and Swedish meals on this trip, from picnic lunches with magnificent views to gourmet “New Nordic” cuisine served in style. Please note that in Europe, the dinner hour is considerably later than what it is in the US. We do our best to secure early reservations for our groups, but most often the evening meal will be at 7:30 pm.
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Book your trip today
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Itinerary
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Trip Levels
With more than 200 different adventures to choose from, we want to help you find the trip that’s right for you. Our Trip Level system ranks each trip in two ways: a number rating from 1 to 6 according to the activity, and general travel rigors. 1 is the easiest and 6+ the most difficult.