The Scandinavia countries are rich in history and culture, with stunning landscapes and nature. Although you could spend months exploring them, seven days is enough for a taste of its capitals.
Although the Scandinavian countries are European countries, they are distinctly different in many ways, including their language, scenery, culture and lifestyle from their southern neighbors.
The Scandinavian countries are Denmark, Sweden and Norway. Finland is often confused as being a Scandinavian country – it is included in the wider group of Nordic countries, which also includes Iceland, the Faroe Islands, Greenland, and the islands of Åland.
Denmark is the smallest in land mass, but has the largest and arguably liveliest city in Copenhagen, Norway has stunning scenery, and Sweden has its lakes and endless forests, as well as stylish Stockholm. Each country and city offers an interesting and unique experience.
The countries are all steeped in history, with a civilization that progressed from the Viking period into modern, innovative and forward-thinking societies.
Seven days is enough time to get a taste of these beautiful countries through the capital cities, and although you can fly between them, by traveling via train, you can experience the landscapes of the countries as you travel.
Any of the three cities, Oslo, Stockholm and Copenhagen could be a good starting point, we begin our journey in Copenhagen.
Copenhagen
Denmark is the smallest of the Scandinavian countries by land area, and although it doesn’t have the mountains that Norway has, nor the lakes and forests like Sweden, it has long stretches of stunning chalk cliffs and sandy beaches on its coastline, smaller hills and forests. To top it all off, it has Copenhagen.
Copenhagen (København in Danish) is on the islands of Zealand (Sjælland in Danish) and Amager, and sits on the eastern coast of the country. Copenhagen is the largest of the three Scandinavian capital cities at over 2 million people, and it has a busier, livelier feel about it, both because of its size, but also the more outgoing (by Scandinavian standards) Danish people.
Copenhagen is a very walkable city, but you can join the locals and rent a bike to travel around. The other option is the metro system, the buses and the yellow harbor buses, which let you travel the harbor by ferry, all for the same price as a regular bus.
What To See in Copenhagen
The main sites in Copenhagen are all located centrally, so for a short visit you can stay central near to one of the main train stations, and then walk to take the metro. Combined with a trip on the harbor bus you will get to experience a taste of Denmark and Copenhagen.
Day One – Copenhagen
One of the best ways to spend at least half a day is the old fortress at Kastellet and the surrounding parklands. It is located in Østerport, but it can be done on the same day along with Amalienborg Palace, and Rosenborg Castle, if the weather is nice.
The Little Mermaid
The iconic Little Mermaid or Den Lille Havfrue in Danish is a statue on the harbor commemorating Hans Christian Andersen’s story of the same name. The statue is quite small, so don’t expect a huge, towering statue – in fact its size is a bit of a reflection on the Scandinavian mindset – which is that you don’t need to have build something that is bigger than it needs to be. It is, however, a reflection of the impact and importance of Andersen’s stories, and a welcome stop on your tour of Denmark.
Amalienborg Palace
Amalienborg is the official residence for the Danish royal family. It actually consists of four palaces, which appear to be almost identical from the outside, but very different inside. Two of the palaces are open to the public. The palace museum gives a view into the life of royals, both past and present.
The palace is guarded by the Royal Life Guards, and the changing of the guard ceremony can be viewed at midday each day.
Day Two – Copenhagen
Tivoli Gardens
Tivoli Gardens is a fun park located right in central Copenhagen. If you need a break from visiting the palace and gardens, then spending time here would be a welcome break. Tivoli Gardens has a nice variety of the rides you would expect in a fun park, but it also has nice gardens, a vintage car collection, Chinese-themed gardens and pagoda, and an aquarium. By visiting the gardens you get a look into different aspects of Denmark and Danish people.
Rosenborg Castle
Rosenborg Castle was originally built as a summer palace 1606 , but now it is open to the public, and houses the crown jewels, royal crowns and other coronation artifacts collection over the centuries. The castle also has nice gardens, which are popular with visitors and locals during the spring and summer. The castle is free to visit for 17 years and younger children.
Copenhagen Canal Tour
In this guide you’ll see our recommendations for taking to the water on a cruise. The reason for this is the cities were port trading cities, and for a longer period of time the focus of the city was on the shipping docks. Copenhagen is no exception, however some very interesting modern building are also built facing the water. There are various options (including the water buses mentioned earlier), but Stromma operate a nice canal tour.
Danish Foods to Try
Smørrebrød is the open sandwich that is popular in Scandinavia. The Danish version usually has a base of rye bread, with a variety of toppings such as liver paste, roast, onions, even mashed potatoes. For the best, eat at Aamanns at Øster Farimagsgade or the more upmarket Schønnemann, however you will see this classic in most cafes in the city.
Røde Pølse – the classic Danish hotdog, which consists of a Danish sausage, dried onions, pickled cucumber, raw onion, mustard and Danish remoulade, which is made from sour cream or yogurt, chopped carrots and cucumbers, and chives. This is a classic street food, so look for the food trucks in the city. They are available at the convenience stores, but for better quality pølser, look for the Pølser signs!
Flæskesteg or fried pork is another Danish classic, and a great place to enjoy it is at one of the city’s oldest pubs – Restaurant Skindbusen, which was established in 1728.
Vegetarian options
There are many vegetarians and vegans in Denmark, so most restaurants will have one or more decent vegetarian options. For more vegetarian options, a visit to the sustainability hub Banegaarden.
Day Three – Traveling From Copenhagen to Stockholm
The train between Copenhagen and Sweden travels over the Öresundsbron (Swedish) or Øresundsbron (Danish), and is a spectacular train journey to take between the two countries. Although it can be quicker to fly to Stockholm, this journey is not to be missed. The bridge is almost 8 kilometers long, and joins Sweden near the southern city of Malmö. The bridge spans the Öresund, or Öre Sound in English.
Your journey north into Sweden starts from the city of Malmö, through the green hills of Skåne, and then the forests,lakes, and plains of the middle of Sweden.
The journey from Copenhagen to Stockholm is about five hours on a high-speed train. Please note the details of the journey when booking – some trains will be direct and some will require a stop and change of trains in Malmö.
Stockholm
Stockholm is a quintessential Scandinavian city. It has beautiful, classic buildings, cobblestone streets, interesting shopping streets, and is set in a large archipelago, with hundreds of islands. The city itself is distributed across 14 islands, with bridges and ferries connecting them. With such a rich history, the city has palaces, the parliament, and many museums to explore.
The main part of the city is on Norrmalm and Östermalm, while the museums and gardens are located on Djurgården, and then there is the cobbled streets of the old town or Gamla Stan, and then Södermalm, with its hip local feel of restaurants, cafes, bars and smaller galleries. Stockholm is home to some great museums, so we start our guide with a selection of them.
Day Four – Stockholm
On the fourth day we recommend traveling to Djurgården, spending the day visiting the Vasa and Abba Museums, and relaxing in the parklands in between. Djurgården can be reached by tram number 7 from T-Centralen (the central tram station) or bus number 69 from Centralen. If you are staying in Gamlastan, taking the ferry from Slussen is a great and convenient option.
Vasa Museum
The beautifully preserved Vasa ship is impressive and well worth a visit. It is located on Djurgården, which is an island that itself is worth spending time on. Take the ferry from Slussen in Gamla Stan, or a bus from the city.
The Vasa ship however is not known for its many adventures at sea, it is infamous for its very short voyage into the harbor, whereby it capsized because it was too top heavy, and spend centuries in the cold waters at the bottom of harbor.
The ship now rests in a purpose-built museum that details the story of the ship, has some of the history of the time, and artifacts as well. But it is the ship itself that is worth spending time viewing.
Abba Museum
For a bit of fun, the Abba Museum is a great place to visit for everyone from devoted fans to those who have only heard a few songs. It is a fun and interactive museum, showing a lot of the costumes and other paraphernalia from the super group, as well as interactive experiences such as playing the fifth member of the group, and performing on a stage with the virtual members of the group, or performing karaoke in a mock studio. It is all done with typical Scandinavian class and humor. The museum is located on Djurgården, the same island that the Vasa Museum is located.
Day Five – Stockholm
On our second day in Stockholm we recommend visiting Gamla Stan, taking in the Royal Palace and Nobel Museum – and just wandering the cobblestreets of this beautiful part of the city.
Royal Palace
You could easily spend half a day wandering the Royal Palace, taking in the Changing of the Guard, The Royal Apartments, and The Museum Three Crowns. The palace is a reminder that this peace-loving and egalitarian country has an interesting and history, and a wealthy royal famil.y
Nobel Museum
The Nobel Prize ceremony is held each year in Stockholm for all prizes except for the Nobel Peace Prize (which is held in Oslo), and the Nobel Museum is a great museum to visit to learn more about the history of the prize and of the prize winners. I recommend that you take the free guided tour to hear the stories of Alfred Nobel, the prizes, and to hear some of the stories of some of the winners, such as Marie Curie and the Curie family.
Bonus Tip – Archipelago Boat Tour
Stockholm is built on a number of islands, and the Stockholm archipelago is very big. Seeing just a bit of it on a boat tour is a really nice way to spend a few hours, and gives you a different perspective of the city. Stromma has some nice boat tours, and you can choose between a 1.5, 2.5 and 3 hour boat tour of the Stockholm Archipelago. If you have more time in Stockholm, a longer tour, or even a stay at a hotel or private accommodation in the archipelago is highly recommended.
Swedish Foods to Try
Although a bit of a cliché, Swedish meatballs is a classic and popular dish in Sweden. Eating this dish gives you a taste of the flavors that are popular in Sweden – the meatballs themselves, the light-tang of the lingonberry sauce, the creamy mashed potatoes, and the gravy. In Stockholm, there are of course a few places to try them, Meatballs for the People is on Södermalm – away from the main tourist areas, and Nybrogatan 38 is closer to the action. Many restaurants will offer this dish, especially in Gamla Stan.
A popular part of the Christmas and Easter dinners is pickled herring, which comes in a wide variety of flavors. These are available at any supermarket, so combined with crispbread they make a nice snack while you are on the go.
If you want to partake in a true Swedish tradition, then on Thursday, seek out pea soup and pancakes. Den Gyldene Freden in Gamla Stan is a good restaurant to seek out these traditional foods.
Day 6 – Traveling from Stockholm to Oslo
We recommend traveling by train between Stockholm and Oslo to enjoy the scenery! Depending on which service you choose, it will take between five and seven hours. The five hour trip goes directly between Stockholm and Oslo, and the seven hour trip has a change of trains in Gothenburg. If you have the time, the city of Gothenburg makes for a lovely little side trip, and a canal trip is a great way to see the unique side of the city.
Book your train tickets at the Swedish long distance train company SJ.
Day Seven – Oslo
Oslo is the northernmost of the three cities. It is the capital of Norway and by far the largest. It also serves as a bit of a gateway to Norway as it sits in the south of the long country. Norway and Oslo have a different character and feel to Sweden and Denmark, it is more laidback, has more green and open spaces, and a more noticeable mix of modern and traditional buildings. It is also noticeably more expensive than Sweden and Denmark.
Our suggestions for your trip to Oslo have a mix of museums and outdoor activities. We highly recommended a trip to the Bygdøy Peninsula, reachable by traveling on bus no. 30, a walk by the fjord, and a wander around the city.
Viking Ship Museum
A trip to Scandinavia isn’t complete with immersing yourself into Viking history, specifically Viking Ships. The Viking Ship Museum is a fantastic museum that houses several ships from the Viking era – the Oseberg from 820 CE, the Gokstad 890 CE, and the Tune from 910 CE, as well as an extensive collection of artifacts from the ships, and from other locations.
The Viking Ship Museum is located on the Bygdøy Peninsula in Oslo. To get there on public transportation, it can be reached by the No. 30 bus year-round, and by the ferry to Bygdøynes in the summer season (highly recommended).
Note: at the time of writing the museum was closed and being rebuilt, and was due to re-open in 2027.
Historical Museum
To get a sense of the history of Norway, the Historical Museum is one of the two best places to visit, with a collection of artifacts from the stone age, the Viking age, and the Middle Ages, showcasing the way life has changed in Norway through the ages.
With the Viking Ship Museum closed for renovations, the VÍKINGR Viking Age exhibition is a great way to see artifacts from the Viking era in Norway, with a stunning collection of swords, helmets and other important items from the era.
The Historical Museum is near the Royal Palace in the center of Oslo.
Kontiki Museum
Thor Heyerdahl is one of the more famous explorers of the recent era, and the man who led the Kontiki voyages to demonstrate his theory that the inhabitants of some of the Pacific islands came from South America. To demonstrate that this was possible he built the Kontiki – a balsa wood raft that he and his crew sailed from Peru to the Raroia atoll in Polynesia, showing that it was indeed possible.
The museum is dedicated to this voyage, and Heyerdahl’s other expeditions and archeology work in the Galápagos Islands, Easter Island, Peru, and many others. The museum holds the Kontiki and many other artifacts.
The Kontiki museum is located on the Bygdøy Peninsula in Oslo. To get there on public transportation, it can be reached by the No. 30 bus year-round, and by the ferry to Bygdøynes in the summer season (highly recommended).
Norsk Folkemuseum
Another museum on the Bygdøy Peninsula is the open air museum Norsk Folkemuseum. The museum is a collection of buildings of different ages from across Norway, including a wooden stave church – the Gol church dating back to circa 1200 CE. Other buildings include storehouses and farmhouses from different parts of Norway, all collected here to be preserved and shared so that Norwegians and visitors can enjoy and experience a little bit of life in older times.
There is more to see than just the open air museum – there is a fine collection of traditional dresses from Norwegians and Sami, folk art, and artifacts and depictions of life throughout the ages in Norway. Spending time here is a great way to immerse yourself in the people, building clothing and traditions of Norway, beyond the stereotypical Viking collections.
Munch Museum
The Munch Museum is the home of the collection of Edvard Munch’s art, including his icon painting Skrik or Scream in English and other important artifacts, which he bequeathed to the City of Oslo prior to his death. The museum is housed in the modern museum on Oslo’s waterfront a short walk from the Opera House and within walking distance from the Oslo central train station. The museum, completed in 2021, is a prominent landmark building standing 13 stories tall, and dedicated to showing Munch’s art and exhibitions of work from other artists.
Bonus Tip – Oslo Fjord Cruise
A trip to Norway should take in a cruise of a fjord. If you don’t have time to visit one of the northern fjords, Oslo fjord is an interesting trip to do, even if it doesn’t have steep hills or mountains on the side. Check out this website for some ideas.
Seven days in this beautiful and unique part of the world gives you a taste of what is on offer. There is so much more to Scandinavia than what you can see in this short amount of time, but our tips should give you enough to take in some of the sights, the history and the food of the region.
Flåm Railway Trip
If you have an extra day or two, an alternative to the collection of museums and historical sites is to take a day trip from Oslo on the Flåm railway, combined with a cruise on Sognefjord or Nærøyfjord, taking you through the mountains and fjords of southern Norway. This option also gives you time to have a short visit to the picturesque town of Bergen on the west coast.
You can organize this trip yourself or by taking a tour, originating either in Oslo or Bergen. There is a train running between Oslo and Bergen for the return journey.
Norwegian Foods to Try
Norway prides itself in the quality of its seafood, from the salmon (both fresh and smoked), smoked cod, and the king crabs from the north.
Norway is also known for its sweet brown cheese or brunost in Norwegian, fruit and berries, and game meats such as moose and reindeer.
The open sandwiches popular in Scandinavia can be enjoyed at Kafé Oslo, and is a great way to enjoy smoked salmon or fresh Oslo fjord shrimp.
Fiskeriet is the restaurant to visit to enjoy a wide variety of fresh Norwegian seafood.
For waffles and brown cheese, Harald’s Vaffel in Grünerløkka is the place to go. If you don’t fancy trying the brown cheese, then try waffles with berries, another classic taste combination.
Mathallen Oslo is also highly recommended for local and international flavors.
Travel Tips
Eurail and Interrail passes are valid on most of the train journeys you take in Scandinavia, so I suggest you look into those before traveling. The train ticket prices are usually quite reasonable, but if you are on a tight budget, bus companies such as FlixBus are an option.
Many shops throughout Scandinavia do not accept cash. For example in Sweden, most shops and restaurants will display the sign ‘Kontant Fri Kassa’ – cash-free cashier. It is much better to be prepared with a good credit or debit card.
You may have heard of the saying “there’s no bad weather, only bad clothes”. This really applies to Scandinavia in any season, even in summer. Rain, wind, sleet, and even snow can occur, and the weather can change very quickly. The advice is layers – a waterproof outer layer, a warm middle layer and then an inner layer. The thickness of these varies with the season, but it is better to be prepared for the changes in weather, if they occur. Check the weather forecast as well, the summer months can be surprisingly hot sometimes, and the winter months can be cold, and even freezing.