Enchanting Scandinavia: An Expedition of Diverse Cultures and Scenic Wonders

Day 1 - Dover

Dover, England: Known as the gateway of England, Dover welcomes millions of visitors from all over the globe each year in its role as the ferry capital of the world and the second busiest cruise port in the UK. The White Cliffs Country has a rich heritage. Within the walls of the town’s iconic castle, over 2,000 years of history waits to be explored, whilst the town’s museum is home to the Dover Bronze Age Boat, the world’s oldest known seagoing vessel. The town’s cliffs that are a welcome sight for today's cross-channel travellers also served as the control centre for the Dunkirk evacuation in 1940.

Day 3 - Gothenburg

Gothenburg, Sweden: Do not tell the residents of Göteborg that they live in Sweden's "second city," but not because they will get upset. The people here are known for their amiability and good humour. They just may not understand what you are talking about. Spend a couple of days here and you'll forget the city's size and status compared to Stockholm. Culturally, it is superb, boasting a fine opera house, theatre, and one of the country’s best art museums, as well as a fantastic applied-arts museum. There is plenty of history to soak up, from the ancient port that gave the city its start to the 19th-century factory buildings and workers' houses that helped put it on the commercial map. For those looking for nature, the wild west coast and tame green fields are both within striking distance. And don't forget the food, as Göteborg proudly hosts more than half of the "Swedish Chef of the Year" winners since the competition's inception in 1983.

Day 5 - Visby

Visby, Sweden: Gotland is Sweden's main holiday island, known for its ancient history, a relaxed summer-party vibe, wide sandy beaches, and wild cliff formations called raukar. Measuring 125 km long and 52 km at its widest point, this is the heart of Swedish sheep farming. Its charming glades host 35 varieties of wild orchids, attracting botanists from around the world.

Day 6 - Stockholm

Stockholm, Sweden: Stockholm is a city in the flush of its second youth. Since the mid-1990s, Sweden's capital has emerged from its cold Nordic shadow to take the stage as a truly international city. What started with entry into the European Union in 1995 gained pace with the extraordinary IT boom of the late 1990s, strengthened with the Skype-led IT second wave of 2003, and solidified with the hedge-fund invasion that is still happening today as Stockholm gains even more global confidence. With this realisation comes change. Stockholm has become a city of design, fashion, innovation, technology, and world-class food, pairing homegrown talent with an international outlook. The streets are flowing with a young and confident population keen to drink in everything the city has to offer. The glittering feeling of optimism, success, and living in the here and now is rampant in Stockholm. Stockholm also has plenty of history. Positioned where the waters of Lake Mälaren rush into the Baltic, it's been an important trading site and a wealthy international city for centuries. Built on 14 islands joined by bridges crossing open bays and narrow channels, Stockholm boasts the story of its history in its glorious medieval old town, grand palaces, ancient churches, sturdy edifices, public parks, and 19th-century museums—its history is soaked into the very fabric of its airy boulevards, built as a public display of trading glory.

Day 7 - Tallinn

Tallinn, Estonia: Estonia's history is liberally sprinkled with long stretches of foreign domination, beginning in 1219 with the Danes, followed uninterrupted by the Germans, Swedes, and Russians. Only after World War I, with Russia in revolutionary wreckage, was Estonia able to declare its independence. Shortly before World War II, in 1940, that independence was usurped by the Soviets, who—save for a brief three-year occupation by Hitler's Nazis—proceeded to suppress all forms of national Estonian pride for the next 50 years. Estonia finally regained independence in 1991. In the early 1990s, Estonia's own Riigikogu (Parliament), not some other nation’s puppet ruler, handed down from the Upper City reforms that forced Estonia to blaze its post-Soviet trail to the European Union. Estonia has been a member of the EU since 2004, and in 2011, the country and its growing economy joined the Eurozone. Tallinn was also named the European City of Culture in 2011, cementing its growing reputation as a cultural hot spot.

Day 8 - Riga

Riga, Latvia: Rīga has an upscale, big-city feel unmatched in the region. The capital, almost as large as Tallinn and Vilnius combined, is the business centre of the area while original, high-quality restaurants and hotels have earned Rīga some bragging rights among its Western European counterparts. The city also doesn't lack for beauty—Rīga's Old Town (now a UNESCO World Heritage site) is one of Europe’s most striking examples of the art nouveau architectural style. Long avenues of complex and sometimes whimsical Jugendstil facades hint at Rīga's grand past. Many were designed by Mikhail Eisenstein, the father of Soviet director Sergei. This style dominates the city centre. In many ways, the wonder of Rīga resides less in its individual attractions and more in the fabric of the town itself. In the medieval Old Town, an ornate gable or architrave catches the eye at every turn. The somber and the flamboyant are both represented in this quarter's 1,000 years of architectural history. Don't hesitate to follow where your desire leads—the Old Town is compact and bounded by canals, so it's difficult to get totally lost. When the Old Town eventually became too crowded, the city burst out into the newer inner suburbs. The rich could afford to leave and build themselves fine fashionable mansions in the style, so city planners created a whole new Riga. Across the narrow canal, you'll find the Esplanāde, a vast expanse of parkland with formal gardens and period mansions where the well-heeled stroll and play. Surrounding this is the art nouveau district, encompassing avenues of splendid family homes, now spruced up in the post-communist era, praised by UNESCO as Europe's finest in the art nouveau style. If the weather permits, eschew public transport and stroll between the two districts, taking in the varied skylines and multifaceted facades, and perhaps stopping at a café or two as you go. The city boasts churches in five Christian denominations and more than 50 museums, some of which cater to eclectic or specialist tastes.

Day 9 - Riga

Riga, Latvia: Rīga has an upscale, big-city feel unmatched in the region. The capital, almost as large as Tallinn and Vilnius combined, is the business centre of the area while original, high-quality restaurants and hotels have earned Rīga some bragging rights among its Western European counterparts. The city also doesn't lack for beauty—Rīga's Old Town (now a UNESCO World Heritage site) is one of Europe’s most striking examples of the art nouveau architectural style. Long avenues of complex and sometimes whimsical Jugendstil facades hint at Rīga's grand past. Many were designed by Mikhail Eisenstein, the father of Soviet director Sergei. This style dominates the city centre. In many ways, the wonder of Rīga resides less in its individual attractions and more in the fabric of the town itself. In the medieval Old Town, an ornate gable or architrave catches the eye at every turn. The somber and the flamboyant are both represented in this quarter's 1,000 years of architectural history. Don't hesitate to follow where your desire leads—the Old Town is compact and bounded by canals, so it's difficult to get totally lost. When the Old Town eventually became too crowded, the city burst out into the newer inner suburbs. The rich could afford to leave and build themselves fine fashionable mansions in the style, so city planners created a whole new Riga. Across the narrow canal, you'll find the Esplanāde, a vast expanse of parkland with formal gardens and period mansions where the well-heeled stroll and play. Surrounding this is the art nouveau district, encompassing avenues of splendid family homes, now spruced up in the post-communist era, praised by UNESCO as Europe's finest in the art nouveau style. If the weather permits, eschew public transport and stroll between the two districts, taking in the varied skylines and multifaceted facades, and perhaps stopping at a café or two as you go. The city boasts churches in five Christian denominations and more than 50 museums, some of which cater to eclectic or specialist tastes.

Day 11 - Warnemünde

Warnemünde, Germany: Warnemünde, officially a suburb of Rostock, is a quaint seaside resort town boasting the best hotels and restaurants in the area, as well as 20 km of beautiful white-sand beaches. It has been a popular summer getaway for families in eastern Germany for years. There is little to do in Warnemünde except relax, and the town does so brilliantly. However, Warnemünde is a major cruise-ship terminal, and whenever more than one ship docks, the town explodes with a county fair–like atmosphere, with shops and restaurants staying open until midnight. The city celebrates the "dreifache Anlauf," when three ships dock simultaneously, with fireworks.

Day 12 - Helsingør

Helsingør, Denmark: Famous for its imposing Kronborg Castle, which is the setting for Shakespeare's 'Hamlet', Helsingør is both historic and picturesque. The town reflects a rich maritime legacy and boasts cobbled streets, charming cafés, and an array of cultural landmarks. Visitors can explore the castle's grand halls, visit the vibrant harbour, or take in the lush green parks that punctuate the landscape.

Day 13 - Skagen

Skagen, Denmark: Skagen is renowned for its stunning natural beauty and its artistic heritage. Known as the meeting point of the Baltic and North Seas, the town offers expansive beaches and unique light that has inspired generations of Danish artists. Visitors can tour the Skagen Museum to discover local art or enjoy fresh seafood at one of the town's excellent restaurants.

Day 15 - Dover

Dover, England: Known as the gateway of England, Dover welcomes millions of visitors from all over the globe each year in its role as the ferry capital of the world and the second busiest cruise port in the UK. The White Cliffs Country has a rich heritage. Within the walls of the town’s iconic castle, over 2,000 years of history waits to be explored, whilst the town’s museum is home to the Dover Bronze Age Boat, the world’s oldest known seagoing vessel. The town’s cliffs that are a welcome sight for today's cross-channel travellers also served as the control centre for the Dunkirk evacuation in 1940.