Highlights of Norway’s Fjords and Cities

Meeting our fellow travellers and Tour Manager at London Heathrow today, we begin our tour of Norway's spectacular sights with a direct flight to Oslo. On arrival at the airport, we board the express service to Oslo Central Station. These spacious and sleek modern trains provide an immediate glimpse of the country's effective railway system as we glide efficiently right to the heart of the Norwegian capital.

Our 4-Star hotel is directly outside the station and only a short distance from the 17th-century cathedral. Used for state occasions, it is encircled on three sides by the beautiful Romanesque Revival bazaars - a charming, curved arcade built in the mid-1800s to house butchers stalls, they now contain independent stores and cosy restaurants.

This evening, we take a short walk from our central hotel to a local restaurant where we get to know each other better during a three-course meal.

Norway's incredible landscapes are revealed to us after breakfast today as we enjoy a breathtaking journey along the full length of northern Europe's highest railway line, the Bergen Railway.

Winding between fjords and lakes, we enter the beautiful Hallingdal Valley, before heading eastwards. We experience Norway's dramatic contrasts and discover why this route is regularly considered one of the world's most beautiful train journeys. Crossing the vast Hardangervidda plateau, we reach the isolated settlement of Finse. At 4,000 feet above sea level, this is the highest point on this spectacular route. Due to its remoteness, arctic explorers Scott and Shakleton trained in the area - and it also featured in the original Star Wars film as the ice planet of Hoth.

Emerging from the 5.5-mile-long Trollkona tunnel, we follow the shore of Veafjorden on our approach to Bergen. After checking in to our central hotel, the evening is free to explore and dine independently. As a historic harbour city and a UNESCO City of Gastronomy, Bergen specialises in fantastic fresh seafood.

Please note: some groups will stay at the Clarion Admiral in Bergen.

• Breakfast, Dinner

A leisurely breakfast precedes a guided sightseeing tour of attractive Bergen. On our explorations, we visit the delightful Bryggen waterfront, with its colourful historic warehouses and narrow alleyways. Once the centre of the old Hanseatic port that played a key role in trade between Norway and the rest of Europe, this picturesque wharf was also the largest 'wooden' city in Europe.

After our tour, you could start a free afternoon at the long-standing fish market, before visiting one of the city's many galleries and museums. Bergen's Art Gallery exhibits a vast collection of works by Norwegian artists, including Edvard Munch, while the Science Museum provides a fascinating insight into industry and research in the area. For spectacular panoramas of countless scenic islands, you could ride the Fløibanen funicular to discover why Bergen is called the 'capital of the fjords'.

Dining independently tonight, you could visit one of the city's many excellent restaurants to try local specialities including persetorsk (a traditional fish dish) or reindeer meat.

• Breakfast

Today is a highlight of our trip as we marvel at quintessential Norwegian scenes from beginning to end. Our sensational journey begins after an early breakfast with a five-and-a-half-hour cruise through the astounding fjordland region. Sailing past remote, craggy islands, we make our way to Sognefjord - Norway's longest and deepest. As we delve further into this breathtaking landscape, the scenery becomes increasingly dramatic with pretty villages dwarfed by nature. Rising sharply from the water's edge, huge peaks and crashing waterfalls line our route to the shores of Aurlandsfjord and the village of Flåm.

A short walk from the harbour we board one of the world's steepest standard-gauge railways, the astounding Flåm Railway. Trundling across leafy canyons for 12 miles, this is one of the greatest rail journeys. After pausing to admire the mighty Kjosfossen waterfall, which cascades more than 700 feet, we arrive in Myrdal and change trains for the service to Voss.

Arriving in this beautiful lakeside town, we check in to our new accommodation and enjoy dinner at the hotel restaurant this evening.

• Breakfast, Dinner

Waking to sumptuous views of Vangsvatnet nestled between rolling peaks, we enjoy breakfast before walking to the boarding point for the Voss Gondola. This modern cable car takes us on a scenic 2,500-foot ascent to the summit of Mount Hangur in nine minutes. During the journey, we look out over the snow-capped peaks, evergreen forests and sparkling waters of lakes spread out before us.

With pastries and a hot drink provided at the top, you can admire the excellent views or take a short walk. The rest of your day is free to spend as you choose in one of the Norway's most popular destinations for getting back to nature. Encircled by high mountains, wooded valleys, cascading waterfalls and meandering rivers, you could relax in these picturesque surroundings or explore the history of Voss. The medieval stone church dates from the 13th century while, built just a few years later, the wooden Finnesloftet is Norway's oldest non-religious building.

There is a number of restaurants in Voss in which to dine independently tonight, including in our 4-Star hotel.

• Breakfast

Retracing our tracks after breakfast, we return to Oslo by rail - enjoying the exquisite scenery and charming towns along the Bergen Railway. After checking back into our Oslo hotel, you're at leisure before dinner this evening to explore the capital of Norway.

This cultural city has many fascinating museums and galleries, including the Munch Museum or the National Museum, which contains Edvard Munch's world-famous The Scream. The neighbouring Nobel Peace Centre documents the history of the prestigious award, while the shining Aker Brygge boardwalk boasts various eateries to relax over lunch. Alternatively, strolling through historic Christiana reveals charming early 18th-century architecture, while you can find the grand Parliament building near Karl Johans Gate - Oslo's bustling main thoroughfare.

• Breakfast, Dinner

This morning we stroll to the pier for a two-hour cruise around Oslofjord. Sailing past rural scenes and great cityscape views - it is a perfect blend of the natural and manmade worlds. Reflecting the capital's innovation, the angled surfaces of the modern Opera House give the impression it is rising out of the water. We also view the charming, wooden Dyna Lighthouse and Hovedøya. This strategic island has been occupied for centuries and was the location of a Cistercian monastery in the 12th century.

Gliding through narrow inlets and idyllic bays dotted with forested islands is a fitting and stirring way to bring our exploration of beautiful Norway to a conclusion. This afternoon, we leave our hotel for the airport and our flight back to London Heathrow. Arriving this evening, we say farewell to our fellow travellers and Tour Manager with memories of Norway's natural beauty and rich history, from sensational rail journeys on the Bergen and Flåm railways to astonishing fjord cruises and explorations of Bergen and Oslo.

• Breakfast