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Scottish Isles & Norwegian Fjords

Program Overview

Trace the legacies of Viking and Celtic clans on this extraordinary 7-night cruise showcasing the pristine natural beauty of Norway’s mighty fjords and the mist-enshrouded peaks of Scotland. Cruise into ports accessible only by small ship and enjoy a specially arranged ride on Norway’s legendary Flåm Railway. Discover the Orkney Islands’ fascinating Neolithic history. During a full day excursion, explore the glens of the Scottish Highlands. Enhance your journey with the Norway & Denmark and/or Edinburgh & Glasgow Optional Extensions.

Program Details

May 31 to June 8, 2024 (Le Champlain)
From $5,795 plus air View Terms & Conditions
  • Nine-day, 7-night cruise from Glasgow, Scotland, to Bergen, Norway, featuring Norway’s iconic fjords.
  • Explore the Fantoft Stavkirke, a 12th-century wooden stave church, and take a walking tour of Bergen’s historic waterfront.
  • Cruise Sognefjord, passing traditional farmsteads and villages flanked by mountains and glaciers.
  • Experience the enchanting and sacred, emerald teardrop Isle of Iona.
  • Norway and Denmark and Edinburgh and Glasgow Optional Extensions.

Day 1 - Depart Home City

Day 2 - Glasgow, Scotland/Embark Le Champlain

Day 3 - Isle of Iona

Day 4 - Kyle of Lochlash/Isle of Skye

Day 5 - Kirkwall/Orkney Islands

Day 6 - Lerwick, Shetland Islands

Day 7 - Sognefjord, Norway/Flåm Railway

Day 8 - Bergen

Day 9 - Bergen/Disembark ship/Return to home city

View detailed program itinerary >

Le Champlain

Exclusively Chartered, 5-Star Luxury Small Ship

Le Champlain, launched in 2018, ushers in a new generation of 5-star small ships, combining revolutionary design and a new standard of luxury for unparalleled cruising. Dock in smaller ports inaccessible to larger ships, where authentic cultural experiences and majestic scenery await you.

Learn more about the Le Champlain>

Glasgow and Edinburgh Optional Extension

Discover 2 of Scotland’s greatest cities and their histories of clans, medieval knights, and royal intrigue on a 3-night itinerary that includes visits to Edinburgh and Glasgow. Tour Edinburgh, visit  Edinburgh Castle, and see the Crown Jewels of Scotland. Explore the heart of Scotland to see the sites of Trossachs and Loch Katrine. Visit Glasgow and Stirling castles, and the Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum. Accommodations are in the ideally located Sheraton Grand Edinburgh. 

Norway and Denmark Optional Extension

Our 5-night itinerary extension explores Denmark’s storied past, from the reign of Vikings to Danish royalty, while basking in majestic scenery. Visit Stalheim, and then travel aboard the Bergen Railway, from Voss to Oslo-, over Europe’s highest mountain plateau. Take a scenic walking tour of Oslo and visit the Opera House. In Copenhagen, visit the Viking Ship Museum and explore the ancient Roskilde Cathedral. Take a canal cruise through the city to see Copenhagen’s iconic sites. Stay in historic hotels and spend one night aboard an award-winning Seaways Ferry.

Optional Extensions are available at an additional cost. Details will be provided with your reservation confirmation.

Flåm Railway

Flåm Railway, one of the world’s most scenic train routes. This masterpiece of Norwegian engineering—the steepest standard-gauge railway track in Europe, spiraling 2,835 feet—opened to the public in 1940 and travels 13 dramatic miles through 20 tunnels to Myrdal’s mountaintop station.

Learn more about the Flåm Railway >

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Program Itinerary

Day 1 Departure

Your trip will begin by departing your home city for an overnight flight to Glasgow, Scotland.

Day 2 Glasgow, Scotland/Embark the ship

Arrive in Glasgow and transfer to embark Le Champlain. Set sail accompanied by soulful sounds of a Scottish bagpiper.

Day 3 Isle of Iona

Visit the Inner Hebridean Isle of Iona, the birthplace of Christianity in Scotland and burial place of Scottish kings. Revel in an in-depth, guided visit to its restored abbey and marvel at the intricate Celtic crosses. Return to the ship for lunch on board with the option for leisure time back on shore to experience its idyllic beauty. Attend the Captain’s Welcome Reception and Dinner. 

Day 4 Kyle of Lochlash/Isle of Skye

Visit Eilean Donan Castle,  one of the world’s most recognized castles—located on a tiny island in the midst of some of Scotland’s most dramatic scenery. Named for the 6th-century Irish saint who established the first community on the island, learn the rich history of this castle, dating to the 13th century, and its clansmen. Take a scenic drive to admire the Isle of Skye with its 11 peaks of the Cuillin Mountains and dramatic peninsulas. Visit a historic, award-winning  distillery for an authentic taste of Scottish whisky. 

Day 5 Kirkwall/Orkney Islands

Head into the west of Mainland, Orkney’s largest island, to visit the Neolithic Heartland of Orkney, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. View the sacred Standing Stones of Stenness and visit the early Orcadian settlement of Skara Brae to see the dwellings revealed from beneath the sand dunes. Then, follow the coastline of Scapa Flow, made famous for its role in both World Wars, before visiting St. Magnus Cathedral. Also known as the “Light of the North,” the cathedral was built by Vikings during their 500-year reign over the islands. Listen to a Scottish bagpiper as you re‑board the ship in Kirkwall. This evening, enjoy a storyteller’s performance of traditional Scottish tales.

Day 6 Lerwick, Shetland Islands

Dock in Lerwick and travel to the island’s southernmost point as you pass through the rural townships of Fladdabister with a view of the magnificent Mousa Broch—weather permitting—the tallest and best preserved broch in the world. Visit the archaeological site of Jarlshof, pending UNESCO designation, uncovered by a violent storm in the winter of 1896 to 1897. See the remains of more than 5,000 years of human history, including an Iron Age broch and wheelhouse, late‑Neolithic stone houses, a Bronze Age village, Norse longhouses, and a 16th‑century laird’s house. Look for sightings of Shetland’s famous ponies on the way back to the ship.

Day 7 Sognefjord, Norway/Flåm Railway

This morning, board the Flåm Railway, one of the world’s most scenic train journeys, traveling 13 miles through 20 tunnels to Myrdal’s mountaintop station. Watch as snowcapped mountains
and cascading waterfalls—including the awe‑inspiring Kjosfossen—unfold along this branch of the world‑renowned Bergen Line alongside intriguing hamlets. Back on the ship, cruise the mighty Sognefjord, passing traditional farmsteads and villages flanked by majestic mountains and glaciers. Rejoin the ship to cruise past stunning waterfalls and steep mountainsides. 

Day 8 Bergen

Enjoy a panoramic tour of Bergen as you travel to the summer home and living museum of famed Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg. Stroll the grounds of Troldhaugen, Grieg’s home for 22 years, where he composed many of his best-known works. The living museum features an exhibition center, concert hall, composer’s cabin, and Grieg’s villa dating from 1885. Then, visit the Fantoft stavkirke, a 12th‑century wooden stave church demolished by fire in 1992, and painstakingly rebuilt in its original post and lintel construction. Take a walking tour of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Bryggen, Bergen’s historic waterfront. Enjoy time at leisure then the Captain’s Farewell Reception and Dinner this evening.  

Day 9 Bergen/Return to home city

Following breakfast, continue on the Post‑Program Option or transfer to the airport for your return flight home.