Europe Cruises: Excursions

The island of Mykonos is world-famous for its unique landscape, windmills, beautiful bays, superb beaches, and white houses and churches with their red or blue domes. Pass by Ornos Beach, one of the most stunning and cosmopolitan beaches on the island with an abundance of luxurious hotels, tavernas and yachts mooring offshore. As you head to the center of the island to visit the village of Ano Mera, you’ll make a short photo stop at the beach of Kalafatis. After a short visit to the Monastery Panayia Tourliani you’ll enjoy ouzo and Greek appetizers at the peaceful little square of the village. Note: Tour involves approximately 1/2 mile of walking on level ground. Temperatures can reach extreme highs during summer months; we recommend that you drink a lot of water, use suitable sun protection and dress in layers. less

Visit Stockholm’s oldest and coziest quarters, the Old Town of Gamla Stan. Witness the historic elegance of the exterior of the dominating Royal Palace, and stroll along the narrow, twisting alleys and cobblestone streets. You’ll experience the medieval intimacy of what is today a living historical monument of international renown. You’ll also see Stortorget and the Great Square – the hub of the Old Town, dominated by the old Stock Exchange, today housing the Nobel Museum and the Swedish Academy, which meets each year to decide the laureate of the Nobel Prize for Literature. Rejoin your coach and continue through the city center and on to the Nordic Hotel in the heart of the city, where the world’s first permanent ice bar is located. The interior is kept at -5° Centigrade all year round. The whole interior, including glasses, is made of pure, clear ice from the Torne River in Northern Sweden. A complimentary drink in an ice glass will be served and the staff will tell you more about the bar and its construction. Note: You’ll spend approximately 25 minutes in the ice bar. Depending on the licensing laws, non-alcoholic drinks will be served if the bar is unable to offer vodka, which might depend on the time of the day (no alocohol allowed before 11:00 am). Tour sequence may vary in order to avoid congestion at the venues. less

The Shetlands, located 112 miles from the most northerly point to the southern tip, is the cross-roads of the northern seas, and unlike anywhere else in Scotland. They roll out in a long vista of moor and wiry pasture, penetrated by great sea inlets. Spectacular vertical stacks coated with seabird colonies, cliffs and coves curtained with wild-flowers; hidden white beaches on an endless coast, small crofts and settlements sheltering by the sea-edge. As you come ashore, you’ll notice the main town of Lerwick, with its narrow Main Street and small shops. Climbing out of Lerwick, the road travels south and you’ll soon be seeing the vistas of hillsides. Turn off the main road to travel through small agricultural areas where sheep farming is important. You’ll see the distinctive black and brown Shetland sheep grazing in pastures enclosed by neat dry-stone walls, the product of local quarries. You’ll also travel across heather-lad hills to Burra Isle and to Scalloway, the former capital of the Shetlands. See Scalloway Castle, a forbidding ruin dominating the town, built by Earl Patrick Stewart in 1600 using forced local labor. Stewart was the notorious despot who tyrannized Orkney and the Shetlands, where he extorted crushing taxes and fines from the people of the Shetlands. His cruelty eventually led to his downfall and, in 1615, he and his son were executed in Edinburgh. Built in Medieval style, the roofless shell, with corner turrets and gables, stands on a narrow promontory by the water. Today, it stands side by side with the commerce of a busy fishing port, a silent sentinel. Your tour route then heads towards the fertile Tingwall Valley. The road passes a collection of farm buildings, and then suddenly there are belts of trees, rising abruptly amongst the barren hills. From the comparatively tranquil landscapes of the Tingwall Valley, you’ll head towards Weisdale Voe where the landscape changes dramatically. Here you'll pay a visit to the small workshops of Shetland jewelers which manufacture a range of silver and gold jewelry featuring Celtic, Viking and local wildlife designs. The showroom also stocks a selection of local crafts. The excursion itinerary then takes to the eastern side of mainland Shetland and returns towards Lerwick. less

Start your tours with a drive along the Borgundfjord, through the modern suburbs to the old trading centre of Borgund. Here, visit the Sunnmøre Open-Air Museum where you’ll see various types of farmhouses and boathouses. This Museum houses a number of different old boats and the shipbuilding process were known to be the most reliable along the coast. You’ll also find copies of the so-called Kvalsund and Fjørtoft-boats from the year 700 A.D. Alongside lies the fishing vessel "HELAND" - better known as the Shetland bus as it was used to carry Norwegian partisans across the North Sea during World War II. Lastly, make a detour up on Mount Aksla to enjoy the magnificent view over the town and its surroundings before returning to your ship. Note: Guests must be able to walk approximately 600 yards over even surfaces with 2 to 3 steps to enter/exit the coach. Walking at the Sunnmøre Museum is at the guests' discretion. Comfortable walking shoes and loose clothing are recommended. Please note that some of the door openings are low so guests should mind their head when entering. Tour may operate in reverse order. less

Drive through the center of Oslo passing the Akerskus Fortress, new Opera House, Parliament Building, the main street ‘Karl Johan’, Royal Palace, and the Nobel Institute, en route to Vigeland Sculpture Park. This Park was created and completed by one man, Gustav Vigeland. Centrally placed in the park is a 55 foot high monolith featuring 121 stone figures of men, women, and children in their struggle for life. There are more than 150 sculptures, all symbolizing the different stages in the life of mankind. Your guide will explain the different sculptures and monuments.

Continue to the Bygdoy Peninsula for a visit to the Open Air Folk Museum. Among the 150 wooden buildings constituting the museum, is one of Norway’s unique Stave churches, dating back to around the year 1200. Your last stop will be a visit to the Kon Tiki Museum which contains the balsa wood raft used by Thor Heyerdahl on his crossing of the Pacific Ocean in 1947. The museum also contains the reed boat RA II and exhibits brought back from his incredible voyages.

Note: Order of sights may vary.