Scandinavian Capitals - any tips or must-sees?

This is a brand new tour for next year, so you’ll be one of the first to take it.

There are some recent trip reports that might give you ideas for your free time in Copenhagen and Stockholm:

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/4-days-in-copenhagen-sep-2024

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/spring-in-copenhagen-and-now-stockholm

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/spring-in-copenhagen-2

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/spring-in-copenhagen-1

LOL - no wonder I couldn't find anything on the forums about this particular tour. Thanks for the links!

Note that each city has a page of info here on the site. Check the AT A GLANCE section.
https://www.ricksteves.com/europe/sweden/stockholm

I just remembered this website:

https://norwaywithpal.com/city-guides/oslo-city-guide/

He’s one of the Rick Steves tour guides. There might be some helpful info. for your free time in Oslo.

Sounds like a fabulous tour.

I highly recommend Tivoli Gardens and Glyptoteket during your free time in Copenhagen. I do not think you will be visiting during the tour..

A lot depends on your interests, of course, but as mentioned above, I would definitely recommend you visit Tivoli Gardens. However, if you can, wait until the evening to go there, as that's when its magic really happens. The lights are on, and it just sparkles. It's such a cool place. It has good food, live performances, and a lot of quirky and interesting exhibits.

If you have time, I would highly recommend a visit to Roskilde, which is charming town about a 30 to 45-minute train ride from Copenhagen. From there you can walk to Roskilde Cathedral, which is an incredible place that houses the tombs of most of Denmark's kings and queens. It is a wonderful place to visit. And with a short walk away is the Viking Museum, which is also very cool. There you can see replicas of the five original Viking ships, along with many other outdoor exhibits.

Given your short amount of time, Roskilde may be difficult for you to get to and spend time at, so think about that, but definitely visit Tivoli Gardens. It's really fun. If you're craving a pastry, make sure you stop at a little shop called Cakenhagen, which has the most beautiful and delicious pastries I think I've ever had. If you want to see the pastry I bought, which was a perfect replica of a peach, I took some photos of it that are on my online travel journal. Just scroll down till you see it.

I took my cruise in 2019 but I remember a very good cafeteria in Glyptoteket. I believe there was one or two homemade soups every day as well as one or to daily specials. It is a bit pricey but very nice,

I also remember a very nice gift shop. A woman showed me the scarf she bought. Beautiful but very expensive.

And as Mardee said, Tivoli is extremely beautiful at night with the lights. I also remember fireworks. I can not recall if the fireworks are only on weekends or in the summer but I remember being able to see the fireworks from my hotel.

In Oslo, in addition to the places mentioned in the RS tour: Akerhus Fortress, the Historical Museum (Viking Artifacts), the Nobel Peace Center, the Opera House or a trip to the "country" at historic Frognerseteren, a traditional cafe & restaurant with panoramic views overlooking the city and Oslo Fjord that can be reached easily by metro.

If time permits after your tour ends, consider going to Bergen via the very scenic Norway in a Nutshell route. You can either purchase a package tour with FjordTours or DIY. It can be done in one long day or you could overnight enroute. Booking a room in Flåm (book early for best rates and availability) would allow you to visit Stegastein Viewpoint, which is a great compliment to the ferry cruise through the spectacular Naerøyfjord.

You'll find plenty to do in Bergen for a night or 2 before flying home.

I think I remember going to a Resistance Museum in Copenhagen.

Cala, (and sulla.leslie), there is a resistance museum there, and It's worth a visit. It's called the Freedom Museum, and is dedicated to the Danish resistance fighters during World War II. It's not too far from Amalienborg Palace, which is where the queen lives during the winter months. They have a changing of the guard ceremony there that is interesting.

Minnesota
04/19/26 08:29 PM
724 posts
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Since you will have a couple dinners on your own in Copenhagen -

If you want a somewhat unusual, but fun and cheap, meal, you should check out Folkehuset Absalon: https://absaloncph.dk/en/food/

I found info on this place in the Rick Steves guidebook and had a delightful evening with delicious food. The communal meal is set up in a former church/current community center. You sit at long tables with other people and the food is served family- style (something like summer camp!) My tablemates included two other Americans, an Australian man with his adult daughter, a Chinese woman studying in Denmark, and a Danish man. So interesting. It was a really enjoyable evening, in a neighborhood away from the tourists.

Thought that I might add something about food in Copenhagen.

It is more than expensive -- sticker shock best describes the cost of eating out in Copenhagen

When I was researching my trip back in 2019, one husband wrote about having a famous Copenhagen Sandwich and small bowl of soup for something like $100 each. And that was each. And that was in 2019.

This was my first international trip and I was on a pretty tight budget then.

There were buffets and they seemed to be themed according to food.

Restaurants would have a large stand up board outside the restaurant announcing the buffet. And they were a reasonable price but there is a catch that is also scammy. You must purchase a drink and if not, you get charged for one anyways. This is in very fine print at the bottom which you would not read or even notice. And the drinks were expensive, the cost of an alcoholic beverage.

I had at least two buffets.

One was Texas. I live in Texas and why I went into this one, I do not understand. Maybe I wanted to see what a Texas buffet was like in Copenhagen. It was not very good but it was all you can eat and there was salad and fruit and other stuff that was passable.

The other one that I remember going into was Turkish and that was delicious. It was all you could eat. But I was treated strangely. It was.a Turkish restaurant and I had never had Turkish food. An employee who spoke English described the dishes to me but he kept looking. at me like I was strange. I was alone. Did not notice if there were other females alone or anyone else alone. Maybe I was the first person he had met who had never eaten Turkish food. Even while I was sitting and eating, I was looked at like i was strange. It was uncomfortable.

By this time, I knew that I had to buy a drink but all I wanted was a glass of water which I ordered. I am not much of a drinker. Even though I only had water, I had to pay the cost of an alcoholic beverage.

There are food trucks more reasonably priced than restaurants but still expensive.

And there was a McDonalds's or KFC with a very long line going to the outside. I may not have been the only one on a budget.

You do not say how many days you might be in Copenhagen before the trip begins.

Tivoli in Copenhagen for sure and the Glyptotek, the train station with wooden ceilings! Oslo and the Munch Museum!

I haven't looked at the itinerary for this new tour. Here's what we did on our free time on the Scandinavia tour.

Stockholm:
Make a reservation at Meatballs for the People. It's low-key but fabulous, and I believe rated as the best place for Swedish Meatballs in Sweden.
https://meatball.se/?utm_source=google

Book time at Central Badet, a spa/sauna experience. It's bougie and lovely!
https://centralbadet.se/

Copenhagen:
Take the ferry to Reffen. It's a really cool outdoor venue of street food. Walk to the Little Mermaid Statue, which takes you through the Kastellet, a very pretty park. And freetown Christiania is interesting.

Oslo:
Absolutely you must visit Vigeland Park, a highlight of our trip to Oslo. Take full advantage of the Oslo Pass (I'm assuming you'll get one on the tour), which allows you to use all public transportation, including ferries, and entrance to most of the museums.

I like the Abba museum in Stockholm!

There is an upcoming Monday Night Travel episode on June 8 featuring Copenhagen, Stockholm & Oslo

https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_n_gR27-JQ0mVrbf0sPq9PQ#/registration

You can register to watch live or the episode will be posted on you tube about 2 days later.

Thank you!! I've registered and I'm sure it will be a great intro.