Trip to Iceland and Scandinavia with daughter in 2026 - lots of preliminary questions

I wouldn't freak out about the flights just yet. A quick check indicates direct flight between Minneapolis and Copenhagen only (in addition to Reykjavik), so first you need to decide when to do the stopover, on the way there or on the way home. I would go to Iceland first, then Stockholm. From there, Oslo, Norway in a Nutshell, Bergen. From Bergen, you can take the overnight ferry to Hirsthals and go out to Skagen to see Grenen, where the seas meet. I really enjoyed the modern art museum in Aarhus. Finish up in Copenhagen.

I would fly to Iceland first, then to Bergen Norway and then travel east visiting Oslo, Copenhagen and end up in Stockholm and fly home from there.
Going to Iceland in July is advisable, because The solar eclipse is on August 12, 2026 and the hotel prices have skyrocketed for that date and surrounding time period.
Once you get your itinerary, book your hotels in Iceland promptly.

Have not been to Iceland…would love to go! Otherwise, for us, flight to Oslo; NIN by train, and surrounds by car; on to Bergen; flight to Stockholm; train to Denmark, with a stop at Kalmar; and return flight to US from Copenhagen worked well. In Oslo, do not miss Vigeland Park. In Stockholm, recommend the Vasa Museum, City Hall and a boat ride through the islands. For Denmark, Aeroskobing is lovely, the Louisiana Museum of Modern in Humlebaek is wonderful, and then Copenhagen: Christiana was worth a walk through when we were there but don’t know about now. Scandinavia in summer should be lovely. Have a great trip!

So glad you've decided on Scandinavia with bonus time in Iceland! You'll have such a great time.

1st question - When to book. If you want to travel on the lowest, most restricted fare, book soon. The Economy Light fare is already sold out on a few dates I looked at from MSP to KEF for June '26. So I would imagine it will sell out quickly in July. Otherwise, you can probably hold off for a bit.

2nd question -Although Bergen is the closest, the other cities are not that much further in flight time, so book whatever makes your trip flow better.

3rd question - Where to depart for your return flight. It probably doesn't make a huge difference. In 2023 we were in and out of Oslo airport several times without any issues. Copenhagen was also very efficient. In Stockholm, we had to go through exit immigration after connecting from Oslo since we were flying to the US. It was a mess and SAS had to hold the plane for about 20 of us. But, that won't be a factor for you if you're flying home through Iceland.

I would be tempted to save Norway for the end of your trip. Your starting in Iceland with glaciers and waterfalls. Copenhagen and Stockholm would give you a different type of scenery and atmosphere. Then back to the mountains and waterfalls and fjords in Norway.

Happy planning!

We did something similar (Ireland vs Scandinavia) in 2019 during July using Iceland Air. We chose to do the stop over on the way to Ireland, which we enjoyed. There is (was?) a bus that took us straight from the airport to the Blue Lagoon for the morning/afternoon then another bus that took us straight in to Reykjavik. Super convenient if the Blue Lagoon is something you want to do. We also used Artic Adventures for day tours as we didn't feel like messing with a car (that way everyone was able to marvel at the scenery and the driver didn't miss out.)

As for flights, I might chose Copenhagen or Oslo as the Scandinavia starting point but others may have different experiences. I found both cities were easy jumping off points to other areas, including Sweden.

This sounds like a trip of a lifetime and how proud you must be of your daughter! Med school is no joke and a lot of hard work. Congratulations to her!! And enjoy your trip!

I have found that I prefer doing cities and art and culture at the beginning of my trip, and ending with nature. So I think I would want to do Iceland at the end. (It also makes for a quicker flight home, which is I find is the flight I enjoy the least. On the way there, I have lots of excitement and anticipation, but on the way home, I just want to get the heck off the plane and get to my own bed.)

You're so well-traveled, though, that I think you know what works best for you.

Your 18-21 days includes Iceland I assume? How many days do you want to spend there? You won't have time to do much more than a 2 or 3 days if you also want to have time for three Scandinavian countries, so I'm guessing you'll stay in Reykjavik and do day trips?

I think a basic plan that makes sense is to start in Stockholm, then Copenhagen, then Oslo, then Bergen. You can fly or go by train from Stockholm to Copenhagen. You can take the overnight ferry from Copenhagen to Oslo, and then do NiN from Oslo to Bergen.

I think Stockholm deserves 4-5 nights, Copenhagen 3-4, Oslo 3, and Bergen 2 (or 3 if you have a late arrivial or early departure). That's 2 weeks right there, Depending on how much time you want in Iceland and whether you get the full 3 weeks, you might have time to add another destination between Stockholm and Copenhagen. I liked Kalmar very much.

I hope this helps.

We have been to Iceland twice and Scandinavia a few times.

In Iceland we did an 8 day tour with Nordic Visitor. We did the golden circle, it was great.
https://scandinavia.nordicvisitor.com

Don't just stay in Rejkavik.

As for Scandinavia, recommend 3 days in Stockholm and do the Vasa Museum.
Denmark is nice, but Norway is the most scenic Scandinavian country. It has several fjords that are awesome.
We did a great cruise up the coast of Norway, going in these fjords, then doing excursions.
We went all the way to the North Cape. We did Royal Caribbean, but also check out Princess and NCL.

If you don't do the cruise, don't miss Bergen, Geiranger, Flam and Alesund.

G3rryCee, that's good to know about the flights. And I didn't even think about doing the stopover on the way home, although I think I like the idea of stopping at the start of the trip, just to help with jet lag. The overnight ferry from Bergen sounds nice—I do love ferries! Thanks!

derek, that is so good to know about the solar eclipse! It would amazing to see, but not at that great expenses. Thank you!

mmi, thanks for such great tips! I should say that I have been to Copenhagen, so I'm familiar with it, but I'm looking forward to returning there. I loved that city.

jeanm, I don't necessarily need to book the lowest economy fare, but I'm also not springing for the most expensive seats either. I haven't even checked the levels on Icelandair, but on Delta, I usually go with Main Cabin or Delta Comfort+. And I like your idea about saving Norway for last and putting Copenhagen and Stockholm in the middle. That's an interesting idea. Thanks!

KimberlySEA, thanks so much! I remember the bus from the airport, but on my last trip, I didn't have time for the Blue Lagoon, so I'll talk to my daughter about that. And I'm sure we'll do a day tour or two there. We won't have a ton of time, but I'm hoping for 2-3 days. I will check out Arctic Adventures. Thanks!

Lane, that's a good point about putting Iceland at the end. I think we will only have 2-3 days there, so yes, we'll probably just stay in Reykjavik and do some day tours like the Golden Circle, etc. And thank you so much for the recommended breakdown of days. I'm really going to push for the full 3 weeks, so we'll see. Thank you so much for this!

geovagriffith, I don't think we will have time to do the cruise. And my daughter, as mentioned, is very active so I know she will want to be out and visiting place. She's run in at least 3-4 ultra marathons, so i will probably have a hard time keeping up with her, lol! I'm sure we'll be doing the Golden Circle tour so will check out Nordic Visitor. Thanks!

So much to think about but this is great for the start. I appreciate everyone's help!

Mardee, congratulations to your daughter! Quite an accomplishment. Kudos especially for doing it as a "non-traditional" student; that takes guts in large quantities.

This sounds like a nice trip. You can also check other airlines and see what they offer with a stop in Iceland. But it might be hard to beat Icelandair's price. Starting in Iceland makes sense as it might reduce jet lag a bit by giving you two smaller time changes instead of a large one. Where you should fly to and from is a good question, and in my opinion depends a lot on where you want to go. But I don't think you need to think about booking your flights yet. Start by thinking about where you want to go instead.

First, from everything I have read, it sounds like July and August are
probably the biggest travel months of the year, which means it's going
to be crowded there.

That is true, but the crowds in Scandinavia are not as bad as the crowds in Amsterdam or Barcelona. So I would not worry about that too much.

I have not narrowed down the itinerary at all, but I'm thinking we
would go to Copenhagen, Norway, and Sweden

3 weeks is not a short trip, but it's a large area. Don't underestimate the size of Scandinavia. If you add Iceland the total area is roughly the same as France and Germany combined. There are many potential itineraries, but it all depends on what you want to see. Stockholm-Copenhagen-Oslo-Bergen or Copenhagen-Stockholm-Oslo-Bergen is a popular option for a reason, but with 3 weeks you can add some variation to it, additional stops, detours or some day trips.

Art, culture, cities and food is a pretty broad range. Any favourite art genres or periods? Or specific interests regarding culture? The same with food, is there any favourites and do any of you have any dietary requirements? And how does she define fun exotic places? Does she have any favourite outdoor acitivies? Is looking to do a bit of hiking, swimming, canoeing or something else? Howabout museums? (And what are your interests?)

As you know, we go to Iceland a lot and absolutely love it!

We always fly Icelandair and are again in next month. The stopovers can be great as you get up to 7 days. Since you are planning for next summer (we are too) I would absolutely avoid any dates there around August 12 as the eclipse is bringing loads of people. People are already booking cars and lodging for that time frame, so if you can avoid that immediate time, you will be in better shape. We are doing that, so maybe we will see you!

I encourage you to rent a car there and really see the country. Stay the first night in Reykjavik to get over jetlag, but in the morning head out. The golden circle and south coast are where most people go, but honestly I would skip the GC except for driving straight through it, and I would head to Snaefellsness and then the south coast. Driving in Iceland is very easy in the summer plus you have daylight until very late. I don't know if you would be up for it, but a camper van is a great way to go there. You have total flexibility as almost all campsites don't even take reservations. You just show up when you want, find a spot to park and that's it. Super cheap too, for the two of us most places ran us about $25 a night.

We have flown into Copenhagen as well as Oslo a couple times on other trips via Icelandair. Stopping in Iceland first is nice because you get over jetlag there and then once you arrive in any of the other cities, you are ready to hit the road running.

For Norway, the NIN is nice. We have done it twice. Once in a day (do not recommend) and then last summer we did a nice loop for a week. If either of you are into flowers at all, I highly recommend Stavanger and this garden. https://florogfjare.no/en/ My daughter ad I really had no idea what to expect, but it turned out to be a highlight of the trip for us. We had 3 nights in Stavanger which we loved. I really like Bergen as well, but Oslo has always left me cold.

I would try to start in the North to experience Midnight Sun, e. g. on a ship from Kirkenes. It feels really a little bit magic and is also interesting to experience from a medical perspective. The midnight sun "mode" is also a good idea if you come directly from the USA, so before Iceland. It is some kind of soft aaptation to a European time zone.

You can also do 1-2 days before ship departure on Varanger by renting / dropping a car in Kirkenes. I made a "night" trip on the scenic route and it was great. It was amazing, I loved it.

As she loves outdoors I would get off the ship for example in Svolvaer to explore Lofoten and Vesteralen for a few days by rental car. Add Andenes for whale watching if you like. After dropping the car also in Svolvaer take the next ship to South to reach Bergen or Alesund to get into Geirangerfjord.

This mode of sea travel is called "port-to-port" and supported by Hurtigruten and Havila. Early pre-reservation is needed for this travel time.

From Bergen you can take the NiN to Oslo.
From Alesund you can reach Oslo by train from Andalsnes. The outdoorsy might find some hikes around train stop Dombås.

If weather allows outdoors enjoy the Holmenkollen.

Oslo - Copenhagen is a night ferry operated by DFDS.

Take some time in Copenhagen, also for outdoor events (Danes like them) and day trips, e. g. Helsingør and Swedish Helsingborg on the other side. The culture fan might explore the fine differences between Danish and Norwegian culture in food, design and arts.

By train Stockholm is not far and the Archipelago islands are beauties. Vasa and ABBA museums give an impression of Swedish culture which can be sometimes hurtingly compromising. Sweden also has other great destinations such as the large islands of Gotland and Öland.

If you want to add one more destination with a different culture take the ferry to Tallinn and a day trip to Narva which population is 95% Russian but sill Estonia. You will feel on the other side of the Baltic Sea the "break" into a different culture.

Open for questions or deeper insights.

Mardee, when you go to Flam, do not miss taking the Flamsbana train to Myrdal train station, rent two bikes and coast downhill on a mostly car free path all the way back to Flam through the most gorgeous scenery I have ever seen. They will collect your bikes at the bottom. Easy peasy and no athletic skill required (other than knowing how to stay on a bike). I lost count at 50 waterfalls! It was the highlight of our 10 days in Norway!
You can see the link to my photobook in my profile.

Mardee, since we're now throwing out itinerary ideas that won't fit into a 4 country 2 1/2 week trip, here's how we did our Norway trip 2 years ago

Flights Chicago-Copenhagen-Oslo-Kirkenes

2nts Kirkenes

6 day Hurtigruten Coastal Ferry Kirkenes-Bergen

2nts Bergen

1nt Flåm via DIY Norway in a Nutshell

2nt Oslo

Flight Oslo-Ålesund

3nt Ålesund

Flights Ålesund-Oslo-Stockholm-Chicago

Highlights:

Cruising through the Lofoten Islands

Naeyorfjord cruise on NIN & Stegastein Viewpoint tour

Trollstigen day tour from Ålesund

Beautiful art deco architecture in Ålesund

Maybe you need 2 trips!

jphbucks, thank you so much for your kind words. I am very proud of her, and I know how hard she worked to get to this point. Hopefully the first year of medical school doesn't kill her before this trip. :-)

Badger, that's good to know about the crowds. I was a little worried about that, but that is reassuring. I know we will want to visit the popular cities like Stockholm, Copenhagen (which I visited for 3 nights in 2022), Oslo and Bergen but I really would like to add some additional stops, day trips, etc. She was an art major in college and likes a lot of art. Impressionism, the masters, sculptures. I was an artist as well, before transitioning to law.

We're both big fans of the Museum of Russian Art in Minneapolis, which exhibits everything from impressionism to Soviet era art and realism. No dietary requirements and we both will eat anything (although she can tolerate much spicier food than I can), and we are both very adventurous with food. We recently ate at a Laotian restaurant that was really good. I was hoping to splurge on a meal at Noma, but forgot they were closing in 2026. I've subscribed to their newsletter though, in case they have something going on while we are there.

Her favorite outdoor activities involve running and hiking, and she and her family often go camping up in the Boundary Waters of Minnesota, which usually involves portaging from one lake to the next. They are also huge cross country skiers, and she and her husband have participated in quite a few of the American Birkebeiner cross-country ski races in Wisconsin. My interests are walking, and both of us like kayaking and white water rafting. Anyway, thank you for all this great advice, Badger. I've been reading a lot of your posts lately and will continue to do so. :-)

mikliz97, yes, I do know that and will count on you for lots of advice! :-) That's good to know about the stopovers—I wasn't sure if there was a limit of days. And I love your suggestion to rent a car and see the country. I know I mentioned the Golden Circle, but I remember when I was there trying to figure out a way to get to Snaefellsnes and the south coast, so that sounds like a brilliant idea. And that's an interesting idea about a camper van. I never would have thought of that. I like that and so would Katie.

And the gardens sound beautiful. I love gardens, and would love to see those. I will check out the NIN. Last year her husband did sort of a quick NIN trip with my grandson, but it was really quick. We will have more time, I think. Thanks so much for this advice!!!

MarkK, I'm not familiar with these kind of boats, but it looks very intriguing. How long are the boat trips? Are they cruises? I'm a little unclear about how long they last and where they all go to, so any more specific information would be helpful. I will definitely have to explore that more, as it sounds really wonderful. I remember all the help you gave to my son-in-law, John (her husband) last year and he had such a great experience. And I like the idea of a night ferry. The Archipelago islands sound gorgeous. I really wish we had 3 months instead of 3 weeks (sigh). I will talk to her about Tallinn as I would like to see that as well, but it's going to depend on how much time we have. Thanks so much, Mark - this is great stuff!

Tammy, I will definitely check that out; especially your photos!! I do know how to stay on a bike, lol! Thanks so much!

Jeanm, ha ha, yes, funny how itineraries just seem to grow! Is the Hurtigruten Coastal Ferry from Kirkenes the one that MarkK is talking about above? And is that the cruise you were talking about when you say the Lofoten Islands? That does sound really great, and I'm sure she would love something like that. Thank you!!

In fact, everything sounds wonderful. I need to start planning some basic stuff and looking up all these incredible ideas and places I am reading about here! This forum is so awesome!

I was hoping to splurge on a meal at Noma, but forgot they were closing in 2026.

Omg, Mardee, I would've died if you'd been able to make this happen!

I'm glad to hear that you've been reading my posts. I hope you've found them helpful!

Stockholm can be crowded in some areas, but they are usually small. And the city quite big, being spread out over a number of islands, so tourists crowds tend to spread out a bit as well. Even if some islands have more to see than other.

It won't be hard to find things to do. Based on what you're written I can probably suggest a three month itinerary. Regarding art, apart from the usual large museums, there are also several artist museums I can recommend. Millesgården (Carl Milles) and Waldemarsudde (Prince Eugen) in Stockholm should probably be on your list. Bror Hjorths hus (Bror Hjorth) in Uppsala as well. And if you can make it to Dalarna, the Zorn museum in Mora is great. He's one of my favourite Swedish artists.

There are many food options to try. Scandinavia might not be famous for its food, but there are many things you can try. Not just meatballs! And if you feel really adventurous with food, there are restaurants that serve surströmming…

Cross country skiing is a huge sport in Sweden and Norway, so you can usually find options more or less everywhere. Unfortunately, July and August are not the best months for skiing. But there will be plenty of options for hiking, from short ones to the 1300 km Gröna bandet (The Green Ribbon). If you enjoy kayaking I can really recommend renting a kayak or two and explore Stockholm from the water, a great way to see the city (as long as the weather is nice). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJbMj3Jkj-c

If you enjoy gardens I can really recommend a visit to Sofiero Palace just outside Helsingborg, the former summer residence of king Gustaf VI Adolf. The Palace itself it not that interesting but the king was very interested in gardening and botany and created a very nice garden. It can be done as a day trip from Copenhagen. And for gardens of historical importance, the Linnaean Garden in Uppsala, where the science of taxonomy was invented. But also Kongens Have in Copenhagen and Rosendals Trädgård in Stockholm. Any many more…

If you have the time to add Tallinn it's a great city. Can be done as a short cruise from Stockholm. Other towns and cities in Sweden you might want to consider are Uppsala, Visby, Gothenburg, Vadstena, Mariefred, Varberg, Kalmar, Lund and more. And that's just the southern part of Sweden… I assume you know a bit about places around Copenhagen. Regarding Norway, it's more about nature than towns and cities. But Trondheim, Ålesund and Røros are worth mentioning in my opinion.

And yes, Jeanm and MarkK are talking about Hurtigruten. It's not really a cruise, it's a ferry route along the coast officially known as "Kystruten Bergen-Kirkenes". It's a state subsidized route transporting people and goods along the coast, operated by two companies, Hurtigruten and Havila. But it also provides some great views.

Mardee--You can kayak at Jokulsarlon, but also up on Snaefellsness in Grundarfjordur. We did it up there with Vesture Adventures and had a blast! They have several different trips, including a midnight sun one, but we did the fishing trip. When I booked that I figured the guys would love it, but the 3 of us would just tolerate it, lol. We ALL loved it! A camper is a lot of fun and gives so complete flexibility. We met a lot of locals at the campgrounds too, which was fun to chat with them. When we go next month we will have a car, but next summer we are planning another camper van. On Snaefellsness I think you would like Helgafell. They say it is a hike, but in reality it is just a short uphill walk for about 15 maybe 20 minutes. The legend is if you walk up without uttering a word, and do not turn around at all, then at the top you get 3 wishes. It is a cute little place with 360 views. It costs a little bit, but they have an honor jar and only take cash. Also on Snaefellsness, the Arnastapi to Hellnar hike is nice. It is basically flat, and take about 45 minutes each way, but is beautiful scenery! Once you reach Hellnar, that is a great little cafe where you can get lunch or just coffee etc and their outside deck is enjoyable. I think both of you would enjoy this.

This is the Hurtigruten timetable
https://www.hurtigruten.com/en/sail-plan
- you can either choose to do the full round trip, do northbound only, southbound only, or sector cruises to/from Bergen, Trondheim, Tromso or Kirkenes.
All those are what you might call "cruises"- that is cabin and all meals included.

You don't have time for the round trip but it is artfully timed that ports you pass by night one way you pass by day the other.

In addition you can travel between any two ports, either deck class, or with cabin. On those you pay as you go for meals, as you would on a ferry.

Every one of the ports has land public transport to/from them, and a surprising number have little airfields close by, or local ferries.

At one stage I knew all those minor port timetables.

In fact I had every single printed timetable.

I have always thought it would be enormous fun to port hop like that all the way north.
Unfortunately life happens and stopped such plans.
Badger is your better source of such current information.

Possibly a bit like port hopping on BC ferries all the way up from Vancouver to Prince Rupert, then every port on the Alaska Marine Highway to Dutch Harbor, except it would take a lot, lot longer.

I would go to Iceland first

I think this is a mistake, the flights from MSP to KEF (Icelandair or Delta) arrive 6am-ish so not a convenient time to check in. Also the onward flights from KEF to Europe tend to leave at 7:30-8 am, which is an awful time to try to get to that remote area where the airport is (45 minute drive) when continuing your journey after visiting Iceland. Going westbound the Icelandair flights arrive and leave KEF in the afternoon so perfect times to arrive and depart Iceland. It’s especially good if immediately renting a car, arriving not jet-lagged coming from Scandinavia and can hit the South Coast directly, Reykjavik is interesting but a day is enough. People who complain about the high cost of Iceland spend every night in pricey Reykjavik and take expensive day tours.

Just throwing this out there but with Delta flying nonstop to Copenhagen, and again flying nonstop home from KEF, there may be a SkyTeam itinerary that works out: SAS flies nonstop to KEF from Oslo, Copenhagen, and Stockholm, at least 2-3 days per week each city. Also adding that Icelandair prices tickets as one way (no multi-city or RT discount). Delta/SAS probably do too to be competitive, in which case 3 one-way tickets could work out, or flying Delta/SAS one direction and Icelandair the other. Note that the Delta KEF >>MSP flight leaves about 9:30 am which is still going to be a bit undesirably early but getting to MSP at 11 am sets you up well for driving to Duluth. Icelandair is fine but watch for checked bag fees, and food is always for purchase not free.

A last comment: the Reykjavik stopovers are not free, they are at no extra charge, it’s not the same thing. If you start the journey on an off-peak day and continue onward on a peak day, the stopover will cost more than not breaking the journey.

A second last comment: Groceries are EXACTLY the same price in Iceland as in Minnesota. Self-catering is a huge money saver since the cost of eating out esp in Reykjavik can be sobering. There's a Costco on the far south end of Reykjavik.

When we go to Iceland, yes the flights arrive very early in the morning around 5:30 or 6am usually. We just get into Reykjavik and check in at our hotel. If the room is not available we just let them hold our luggage and we head out. Sometimes the room is ready, but sometimes we will also rent the room the night before so we can go straight to our room. Some hotels (The Center Hotels) will offer early check in for a small fee if there is availability. For us, the early arrivals have never been an issue.

Congratulations to your daughter! We did a similar congratulatory trip 10 years ago for our very outdoorsy daughter, who just ran Grandma's Marathon. We flew to Reykjavik first and arrived at 6.00 AM-ish, had coffee and got the first bus to the Blue Lagoon. There we were able to unwind, float, snack and nap in their lounge. After 5 nights in Iceland we flew to Bergen for 3 nights, Flam for 1 night, Balestrand for 4 nights, Solvorn for 3 nights and Oslo for 2 nights. As for hiking and running, Balestrand and Solvorn were the highlights. But the very best activity for my husband and daughter was hiking the Nigardsbreen up to the ice tunnel. It may have collapsed by now with the glacier receding. They were the first group to get that far that summer. A torn meniscus for me kept me on solid, non-icy ground.

I was hoping to splurge on a meal at Noma, but forgot they were closing in 2026.

My son and daughter-in-law ate at Noma in March. They had been on a waiting list for a year and had just a week to arrange flights and lodging and get themselves over there.

In addition you can travel between any two ports, either deck class, or with cabin. On those you pay as you go for meals, as you would on a ferry.

Port-to-port passengers with cabins can also book breakfast, half-board or full-board. The quality of food is great except the breakfast coffee. Very much recommended is the Captain's Dinner (casual dress) on the evening before arriving Trondheim the next morning. Making this tour with my mother I was enjoying it with a group from France which was great fun. The real test of the ship's kitchen was the cheese for dinner closing.

The sail-plan with ports and times was posted already and these ships are famous for arriving and leaving on-time - only excuse is bad weather which means storms and / or extreme swell.

Mardee, as mentioned before I was doing parts of the recommended with own car and together with my mother (flying into Bergen and out of Trondheim to make long journey easier for her). She loved all this, especially the parts on the Hurtigruten ships - we had three.

In my opinion you will get the best of Scandinavia by combining land and sea travel which I tried to figure out for you.

Of course Scandinavia especially areas close to the seas can always surprise with the weather - in both ways. For clothing this means onion principle and packing layers of clothing.

And also of course Scandinavia is huge and manifold plus the specials of the seasons. Often the best experiences are in the details of destinations or in interactions with people.

Rebecca, fka Hannah Ha, I wish it could happen, although I probably saved my bank account from dying. I figure it would have cost me at last $1200 for meal and wine pairing for 2. But hey, you can't take it with you!

Badger, your posts have been very helpful. I have more to read so I'm taking my time. Three months, yes! And therein lies the problem. :-) I would love to spend that much time touring the entire peninsula, but can't, so I know I'm going to have to narrow it down. Especially since I don't want to be jumping around each night from place to place. I figure that we'll hit the highlights and then once she is working as a surgeon, she'll be able to afford a longer trip with her husband.

Thank you for the museum recommendations and also the tip about food. Don't worry, we will definitely expand beyond Swedish meatballs. I've heard really good things about Scandinavian restaurants, and not just Noma. We'll probably forego cross-country skiing unless it just pops up someplace. I am not a skier. My daughter tried to teach me once in Bozeman, Montana, and within five minutes I somehow managed to criss-cross my skis, fell and dislocated my elbow. Not a very good start, so I have not tried it since. But I like to watch it, especially when family members are competing (or Jessie Diggins). But I do like kayaking and canoeing, so that is certainly an option. And those gardens sound fantastic!

I would love to add Tallinn, and I'm sure she would too. A lot depends on how long it would take to get there, though. What do you mean by a "short cruise"? How short is "short"? :-) I am making notes of all the other places you mentioned. I definitely would like to visit Uppsala, and I've heard good things about Kalmar as well. I will research the others. They all sound wonderful. And thank you for the clarification about Hurtigruten and the ferry route. That does really sound interesting, and I will take a closer look at that. Thanks again for your time and expertise!

mikliz97, Ooh, that sounds interesting about kayaking in Iceland. And thank you for the information about the hikes—they sound really nice, and I know she would love them! And I love the idea of hiking to a cafe, lol! I am curious—how difficult would it be to go to Snæfellsjökull? I have read Journey to the Center of the Earth many times, and was wondering about seeing that. But it's certainly not a must-see (unless it is!). :-) Thank you so much!

Stuart, thanks so much for the link to the Hurtigruten timetable and explanation. And that's good that there is an "ala carte" ticket, so to speak. It really does sound fascinating, and we both like being on the water. I will definitely check into this more.

At one stage I knew all those minor port timetables. In fact I had every single printed timetable.

Ha, that doesn't surprise me.

Toby: I don't mind the early hour, and usually that's pretty much what most European flights give you, so I'm used to it. That's what happened the last time I went to Iceland but I still managed to fill the day pretty well. I will check Delta and the Sky Team's flights, though, as that is always preferable to me (since that is where most of my points are stashed), but ultimately, I want to get something easy and relatively inexpensive. :-) Thanks!

mikliz97, yeah, I think that we'll probably go that route, and I will definitely be hitting you up for hotel recommendations. Thanks!

Oops, running out of characters. Starting part 2 of responses...

I don't mind the early hour

But it's the onward flight from Iceland that should give you pause. A 7:45 am departure KEF>>CPH means getting up at 3:00 am and finding the shuttle stop at an ungodly hour although probably not in the dark, to get to the airport on time. Or spending $150 on a taxi. A huge inconvenience and really for no gain.

Let's look at it this way:

Iceland on the way back:

Fly directly to Copenhagen, arrive about 1:30 pm, go to hotel or AirBnB and check in directly, eat, go to bed. One miserable tired day.

Iceland on the way out:

Stop in Reykjavik stagger around for 6 hours until check in, eat go to bed. Then leaving Reykjavik up at 3 am,. There's a second miserable tired day added to the itinerary.

You've added a miserable day and gained nothing by doing so.

Trotter, I will talk to my daughter about this as I'm sure she would love it! That's pretty cool that your daughter has run Grandma's Marathon! Mine has run it several times in the past but this year she skipped it as she was scheduled to run the Eugene Curnow Trail Marathon today. Unfortunately they cancelled it early this morning because of the air quality so she was pretty bummed about that. The Nigardsbreen hike looks phenomenal and I would be happy to sit and watch her climb it. :-) I do enjoy hiking but not up a glacier, lol! Thanks so much for all this info, including your itinerary.

katiecem, wow, that's some dedication! I'm sure the meal was incredible.

MarkK: it really sounds wonderful! I will definitely check into this. Sorry to hear about the breakfast coffee—too weak? I might have to bring my own, lol! Thank you for all the details about the ships! And the tips about clothing, although I will say that living in Duluth, which has its own weather vagaries and taught me the value of layered clothing, so no worries there. :-) And I agree that details and interactions with locals (or even other travelers) are important. Most of my most treasured memories are of encounters I had with people who lived there, or others who were traveling. I can't wait for this trip! Thank you for all the advice!

toby: You make a good point and I will definitely look at both possibilities (and talk to my daughter about it). I do get what you're saying. When I was there last time, my flight to Amsterdam left very early but I got a room at the airport hotel, which saved me some time in the morning. So that's a possibility, too. But I'll talk to her and see what she thinks. Thanks so much!

Mardee--We drove up to Snæfellsjökull on one trip and it was really nice. it is not an F road anymore, which surprises me a bit as it ws extremely rough. We had a Land Cruiser on that trip and were glad to have it there. For the times in Iceland where we have had early morning flights, we almost always have stayed at the Aurora Hotel which is a 5 minute walk across the parking lot from the terminal. You could do all of your trip, and then just head to that hotel later in the evening that last night. If we don't rent a car, owe usually use a taxi vs Flybus as we like the convenience of it, but yes they are not cheap. Would you be up for a great hike? A day trip to Thorsmark would be nice! You have to take a special bus as there are deep river crossings, but there are a number of hikes that start right there at the Volcano Huts. We spent a few days there on one trip and the hiking is stunning! You could also stay overnight in a yurt or the hut (teensy tiny cabin), and the lodge has food. Then take the bus back the next day.

Three months, yes! And therein lies the problem. :-) I would love to
spend that much time touring the entire peninsula, but can't, so I
know I'm going to have to narrow it down.

That is certainly a problem that can be hard to solve. But good luck! I hope you can find a plan that you're both happy with!

I am not a skier. My daughter tried to teach me once in Bozeman,
Montana, and within five minutes I somehow managed to criss-cross my
skis, fell and dislocated my elbow.

Is that why she decided it was time to study medicine? :-)

But I like to watch it, especially when family members are competing
(or Jessie Diggins).

It's nice to hear that there are those in North America that like to watch it! Jessie Diggins has certainly done a lot for Cross country skiing!

I would love to add Tallinn, and I'm sure she would too. A lot depends
on how long it would take to get there, though. What do you mean by a
"short cruise"? How short is "short"? :-)

Overnight ferry from Stockholm to Tallinn, spend a day in Tallinn and then an overnight ferry back to Stockholm. As a bonus, those ferries give you a great view of the archipelago.

But it's the onward flight from Iceland that should give you pause. A
7:45 am departure KEF>>CPH means getting up at 3:00 am and finding the
shuttle stop at an ungodly hour although probably not in the dark, to
get to the airport on time. Or spending $150 on a taxi.

That is not an attractive option, I agree. But you don't have to take the early morning flight to Copenhagen. If you don't want to go up early in the morning, there are later flights.

mikliz97, how long is the drive to Snæfellsjökull from Reykjavik? Also, my daughter would love the great hike in Thórsmörk, so I can talk to her about this. I know she would love the idea of staying in a yurt, lol! How do you get there? Does the special bus come from Reykjavik?

By the way, the Aurora Hotel is where I stayed when i had a very early morning flight out of Keflavik . It was a nice hotel; very clean and comfortable.

Is that why she decided it was time to study medicine? :-)

Hahahahaha!!! Possibly, Badger!

Overnight ferry from Stockholm to Tallinn, spend a day in Tallinn and then an overnight ferry back to Stockholm. As a bonus, those ferries give you a great view of the archipelago.

That could work—I especially like that you can get some nice views. I enjoy overnight ferries and that could be fun in itself. John (her husband) really liked Tallinn, when he was there. I will definitely put that in the itinerary pot.

That is not an attractive option, I agree. But you don't have to take the early morning flight to Copenhagen. If you don't want to go up early in the morning, there are later flights.

That's very true. And we're both early birds (her even more than me) so it's not a hardship to get up early. I'll get more info on that when I start checking flights and see what works better.

Thanks, Badger, for the information and the laugh!

Mardee--From Reykjavik, there were two ways to get there. Route 54 or road 570 (the old F road). We took 570 and just to get to that turnoff it is roughly 2.5 hours. For Thorsmark, we took the Southcoast Adventure bus from Bru base, which is about 5-10 minutes down the road from Seljalandsfoss. Take a look at www.volcanotrails.com for Thorsmark huts and yurts. and they have links to the hiking trails there and the bus. We left our vehicle at Bru Base for 3 days. The showers there were really nice, for camping style. The individual shower rooms were huge and had huge railhead shower heads. Plenty of room to keep your dry clothes dry, etc. The floor was decking. I can't describe it well enough, but we loved them. The lodge there has pretty good food too!

That could work—I especially like that you can get some nice views. I
enjoy overnight ferries and that could be fun in itself.

Here is a time lapse showing the views while leaving Stockholm: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8sFlLhZU4o (the boat in the time lapse goes to Finland, but the boats to Estonia follow the same route from Stockholm to Mariehamn). Not a bad view to look at.

I will definitely put that in the itinerary pot.

I have a feeling you might need a bigger pot soon…

I don't know how interested you are in museums, but in Uppsala there is a museum of medical history. A medical student might find it interesting (or outdated and boring). https://www.uu.se/medicinhistoriska-museet/ The main university museum might also be of interest, it shows parts of the university's art collection, including a unique art cabinet. And a preserved anatomical theatre. https://www.uu.se/gustavianum

What a wonderful mother! (It's my daughter's birthday tomorrow, and I have no idea what her present will be).

Following your trip plans will probably get the ball rolling for us to go back to Norway.

Mikliz97, thank you for all the great information! It really sounds wonderful!

Badger, that video was gorgeous! Thanks for sending that, along with the Uppsala information. That really looks like a cool place. And I do like museums, along with my daughter. I think she would enjoy something like that. It would definitely be something good to check out.

mnannie, ha ha, I’ve had those years! And you should go back to Norway! My son-in-law is trying to talk my daughter and I into going to Morgedal even though neither of us have any Norwegian blood or relatives buried there. We could probably fit it in, maybe. But I guess it depends on the rest of our itinerary.

Hopefully you've read it, but Carlos' trip report from last year might be helpful. https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/trip-report-stockholm-gotland-sweden-aug-2024

I've bookmarked it, but hadn't read it yet (I'm trying to save as much as possible then read when I've got more time), but I will take a look at it now. Thanks!

ETA: That was a nice trip report—too bad I was too late to comment. But Badger, I agree with you about taking the ferry to Gotland. :-) I love ferries! I will always choose a ferry over a plane ride. There is just something so peaceful and yet exciting about traveling on the water. Having said that, I never get seasick, so can understand others choosing another way.

So what's Sandhaam like? I've read Viveca Sten's books that are based in Sandhaam and was always interested in it. Is it as beautiful as she makes it out to be?

Seasickness is something you really don't have to worry about on the Baltic sea in the summer, it tends to be very calm.

Sandhamn is a charming village, with 125 permanent residents probably the biggest settlement in the outer archipelago. But gets very popular in the summer, and has a couple of restaurants, a few hotels and a small grocery store. It has a reputation for being a bit posh though. But not a bad place to visit, especially if you've always had an interest in it.

And speaking about books, I can recommend reading The Emigrants, by Vilhelm Moberg. If you haven't already read it. A story about a group of people in the mid 1800s that dedice to leave Sweden for North America and eventually end up in Minnesota.

Badger, thanks for the information about Sandhaam. The Viveca Sten books make it seem a bit posh as well, and mention how many families come there for the summer every year. But it does sound like a beautiful place.

And thank you even more for The Emigrants recommendation. It sounds excellent and I've found a copy in the library so will start on it as soon as I'm finished with my current book.

I'm also hoping to get a copy of Kristin Lavransdatter. My mom read it when she was young and loved it. I started to read it many years ago and didn't get that far, but would definitely like to try again. I realize that it's about Norway, not Sweden but still, it would be interesting to read.

It is a very beautiful place. And it still feels "authentic" in my opinion. It feels a bit silly to use that word, but I can't find a better one. Sandhamn is a proper settlement with a bit of history, and there is also a pilot station at the island so it's not just tourists there.

Great choice about The Emigrants! The series is often considered among the best Swedish books ever written.

Kristin Lavransdatter is also a great series, it's been mentioned as a big part of why Sigrid Undset recieved the Nobel prize.

To add to Badger's comments. 101 years ago Ole Rolvaag' book "Giants in the Earth" was published, about Norwegian immigrants to the US Dakota Territory. A classic!
Worth a search.

Badger, that sounds very much like Sten's description of Sandhaam. And of course, it would be fun to stay in a place where so many murders have happened. ;-)

I can certainly understand why Sigrid Undset received the Nobel prize. I'm really looking forward to reading that as well.

And Judy, thanks so much for the mention of Giants of the Earth. I found it at the Minneapolis library and have reserved a copy. Looks like I will have plenty of reading material for this trip!

Thanks to both of you!

This book is about a girl emigrating from the Telemark area to the Red River Valley. That was the journey Bob's great-grandmother made, and I think maybe John's ancestors, also.

We are going to Fargo/Moorhead this weekend, so we will probably stop and buy a copy.

Unless you happen to be passing by, I would skip Morgedal.

mnannie, thanks! That looks really interesting. I know John would love it. It would be worth buying just to give it to him, which I may do. Although I will make sure I get to read it as well. I still think it’s so funny that your husband and my son-in-law are related. And of course you and I are astrological-twins. Two major coincidences!

Thanks for the tip about Morgedal. I think will probably skip it. She can always go with John later. I’m sure they’ll want to go back to Norway together at some point.

By the way, I was just at Norway House about a month ago. I stopped by to check out some of the exhibits and then had some Norwegian meatballs in the café. They were very good.

Just make sure to stay safe if you decide to travel to such a high crime area :-)

But it's certainly doable as a day trip from Stockholm. The fastest route takes you to Sandhamn in around 1:30 from central Stockholm. But there are also slower and more scenic options.