With one third of the city water and one third green space, Stockholm is one of the most beautiful, light and airy capitals in Europe. Spread across 14 different islands, where Lake Mälaren meets the Baltic Sea, the urban architecture ranges from the well-preserved mediaeval Gamla Stan to state-of-the-art contemporary, with an attractive array of Art Nouveau mansions, decorated with Nordic motifs, and many fine Gothic churches.
Our operatic long weekend, from the comfortable base of a 5 star historic hotel on the waterfront, commences with a performance of Puccini’s ‘La Bohème’ in the Royal Swedish Opera House. We investigate the excellent museums and galleries of the capital, including a visit to the fascinating Vasa Museum, displaying the restored warship which sank on her maiden voyage in 1628; and travel by traditional ferryboat to Drottningholm to visit the palace and gardens, home of the Swedish Royal family, and attend a performance in the celebrated Baroque Court Theatre.
HIGHLIGHTS of our Stockholm walking tour include:
Guests’ comments on this trip:
‘A very enjoyable trip. Fascinating to see the 18C props rattling to and fro at the delicious Drottningholm Theatre.’
‘A thoroughly enjoyable trip. We did so much in a relatively short time. I particularly enjoyed the day in Drottningholm.’
'A most enjoyable holiday. Saw a great deal in beautiful weather, very well organised and I came away with a good knowledge of Stockholm and Drottningholm.'
After meeting at Stockholm international airport (Arlanda) by 3 pm, we take the Arlanda Express (fast train) into the city and then a private transfer to our 5 star hotel, an 18th century building on the waterfront in Gamla Stan, Stockholm’s Old Town – the hotel facilities include an interesting library and a plunge pool and saunas in the brick-vaulted 17th century cellars. A short walk through the cobbled lanes of Gamla Stan, first fortified in 1255, bring us to a well-known historic ship that we board for dinner - contemporary Swedish cuisine, introduced by a glass of ice-cold aquavit.
A foot ferry takes us across to the island park of Djurgården, former Royal hunting grounds and now home to several of Stockholm’s best museums. We begin the morning at the Museum of Nordic Design and then walk round the Skansen, an authentic, uncommercialised, open-air museum with 150 reconstructed vernacular buildings from every region of Sweden, including farms, windmills, craft workshops, bakeries (the cinnamon buns are delicious) and Sami dwellings from Lapland made from reindeer hide. After lunch we walk on to visit the outstanding Vasa Museum - the Vasa, pride of the Swedish fleet, sank on her maiden voyage in 1628 and was preserved in mud at the bottom of Stockholm harbour for three centuries before being raised and restored – documentary films and numerous exhibition halls explain every aspect of life on board and the ship itself is magnificent. We have an early dinner introducing Swedish classic dishes before the performance of Puccini’s ‘La Bohème’ at the Royal Swedish Opera.
After breakfast we walk to the Storkyrkan, the church where Sweden’s monarchs are traditionally crowned – consecrated in 1306, and recently restored to reveal the mediaeval brickwork – then pass the Great Hall of the House of the Nobility before boarding a turn-of-the-century boat to cruise across Lake Mälaren to the UNESCO World Heritage complex at Drottningholm. Guided tours of the Palace and the Baroque Theatre (one of only three perfectly preserved wooden theatres left in the world) are interspersed with a walk through the extensive grounds to see the Chinese Pavilion (built for Queen Lovisa Ulrika’s birthday in 1753). As a final highlight, we attend a performance in the Court Theatre (details tbc).
We begin with a visit to the Stadhuset, Stockholm’s city hall, containing the impressive Golden Hall where Nobel prizes are presented (if closed for a State event, we instead visit the Museum of National Antiquity with a remarkable collection of 5th century gold jewellery and Viking artefacts). After visiting the National Museum, we walk past a fascinating collection of historic small ships to a leisurely lunch in an excellent contemporary restaurant in a converted torpedo shed! By late afternoon we have private transport to connect with the Arlanda Express airport train.
Caveat: The performances described are (rarely) subject to change by the organizers. Actual activities or their order may therefore vary from those described in the itinerary.
TBA per person sharing
TBA deposit per person
TBA double for single supplement
Please note that the double room for single use supplement is imposed by the hotel and not by Kudu Travel. If you are willing to share but no other suitable guest books on the trip, we regret that the supplement will be payable. Superior rooms with VIEWS OVER THE WATER are booked for all guests and this supplement is already included.
All accommodation for Days 1 through 4, on a twin shared basis
All meals (with beer/soft drinks at lunches and wine at dinners) as listed in the daily notation
Airport transfers by Arlanda Express plus a private vehicle as described
Tickets for boat journeys as described
All entrance, sightseeing and guiding fees except during free periods
Good category tickets for the opera performances in the Royal Swedish Opera and Drottningholm Court Theatre gratuities for hotel and restaurant staff (appreciation for the tour leaders is optional)
International transportation to and from Stockholm
Trip cancellation, medical or other insurance
Immunisations, prescriptions or other medical requirements
Passport, visa and health documentation
Personal expenses (laundry, alcohol besides beer with group lunches and wine with dinners, free time activities, etc.)
Meals noted as excepted in the daily notation
Transport and transfer of excess baggage
Swedish departure tax, if any
On Kudu trips you will only need money for postcards, presents to take home, the odd G & T or an irresistible ice cream. Festival and opera tickets, museum and gallery entrances, National Park fees, all meals (with a very few exceptions specified in individual itineraries), wine with lunch and dinner, access to specialist books carried by the guides, gratuities for porters and hotel and restaurant staff, boat rides, train trips, internal flights, wine tastings, 4WDs with drivers, the services of skilled local guides and trackers etc are ALL INCLUDED in the cost of your holiday.
We are confident that, like previous very satisfied guests, you will discover that our tours give you excellent value for money.
3 nights in a 5 star hotel, an 18C building on the waterfront in Gamla Stan, Stockholm’s Old Town (superior rooms with VIEWS OVER THE WATER are booked for all guests and this supplement is already included)
Kudu Travel reserves a block of seats for each performance, approximately 1 year in advance, and unsold seats will eventually be released.
Late bookings will be subject to an administrative fee of £ 30 per person. In addition, please be aware that it may not be possible to retrieve seats in the same category, or indeed, to obtain any tickets at all for sold out performances.
Visitors from the EU, USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand currently require a valid passport, but not a visa, for entry to Sweden. If you are a national of any other country, please check visa regulations with your nearest Embassy of Sweden.
Residents of countries in the EU can claim free (emergency) medical treatment in Sweden by presenting their European Health Insurance Card (EHIC), which is issued in the UK by the Department of Health.
At present there are no specific and compulsory health requirements for entry to Sweden. You may also wish to check the advice given to travellers by the Department of Health and the FCO.
Insurance
It is essential, and a condition of booking, that you protect yourself with a suitable travel insurance policy as soon as you book a trip. We can arrange comprehensive cover for UK residents. Follow this link for a quote for a policy available to UK residents.
If you are already insured or a non-UK resident, please inform us of your policy at the time of booking.
Size of party
This trip will run with a minimum of 4 and a maximum of 14 guests.
