With the tours open for booking for 2026 I am thinking of going on this tour. Is there a better month to go? I'm thinking that since it is a northern location the middle of the summer might be better than the shoulder season in terms of daylight, but perhaps it would also be more crowded then. I'm hoping people who have been on this tour (or to Scandinavia in general) could give their opinion on when to go.
Posted by
Virginia, USA
6098 posts
I haven’t taken this tour but I lived in Sweden for couple years. I told my friends and family to visit in July or early August. All of my return visits since that time have been in those months. The Swedish summer is just glorious.
Scandinavia in peak season is still less crowded than many other parts of Europe.
Posted by
Lynnwood, Washington
9301 posts
John, one thing I look at when I am planning travel is what other travel opportunities I might like to "bundle" into one overseas trip. Lately, I seem to have done several combinations where I will take a tour and then follow it immediately by a cruise in the same region but different stops. Other times I think about where I might want to spend a week before or after a tour and how that might impact when I travel.
I find that the coastline of Norway is an amazing experience by ship. You could combine the RS tour with a short 3-4 days on a coastal ferry or cruise adventure. Another possibility is to fly to the Northern parts of the country for a short explore. I can't imagine anyone being disappointed with some time in the Lofoten Islands or other Northern locations.
Posted by
Chicago
3578 posts
The Scandinavia Tour dates are selling out super fast. So, I would decide soon and book so you can get the dates you want.
https://www.ricksteves.com/tours/scandinavia/best-scandinavia-tour#tour-dates
Posted by
Atlanta
2568 posts
I went in mid-May, 2022, on the RS Scandinavia tour and we had perfect weather. When we reached northern Norway we needed lightweight jackets so be sure to pack layers for the trip. I especially loved seeing the abundance of flowers in bloom in May.
Posted by
Massachusetts
1383 posts
I went on this tour in mid-August 2018. We had great weather — on three days I wore a summer dress. The only time we experienced bad weather was Bergen — every evening it was pouring rain.
Posted by
18 posts
We did Best of Scandinavia in September. We had beautiful weather, and I don’t recall the shorter days being a problem.
Posted by
Uppsala, Sweden
7485 posts
I have not taken the tour, but I know a thing or two about Scandinavia. If you're going in the summer you will have a lot of daylight. While those summer evenings are lovely, people that are not used to them can have trouble sleeping since it really doesn't get dark.
And remember that the tour is a very small glimpse of a few parts of Scandinavia (and a bit of an odd selection in my opinion) and there is so much more to see. It's a pity that northern Europe has been reduced to a single tour of southern Scandinavia when there is so much more to see.
The only time we experienced bad weather was Bergen — every evening it
was pouring rain.
Which is to be expected, western Norway is probably the wettest area in Europe. Bergen sees around 2500 mm of precipitation per year, most of it as rain.
Posted by
Atlanta, Georgia
46 posts
We took that tour in July 2024 and that seemed like a great time. Crowds weren't bad and the weather was great.