ccPhoto: Julian Herzog · CC BY 4.0

Denmark · Sweden · Norway · Finland · Estonia · Nordic capitals and Tallinn in 10 days

The capitals of northern Europe

Nyhavn in Copenhagen, the Vasa in Stockholm, the Oslo Opera House, the saunas of Helsinki and the walled town of Tallinn.

Day by day Open the itinerary in the app

Copenhagen → Stockholm → Oslo → Helsinki → Tallinn · 9–14 days

The route on the map, in the itinerary’s order.

DenmarkCopenhagen
Days
2–3
When
May–Aug
Per person/day
Average 1,200–2,000 krMid-range · per person/day
Cost scope
Per person per day: accommodation, meals, urban transport, visits and a small allowance for extras. Flights excluded; larger purchases vary. Editorial estimate, not a quote.
SwedenStockholm
Days
2–3
When
Jun · Aug
Per person/day
Average 1,300–2,200 SEKMid-range · per person/day
Cost scope
Per person per day: accommodation, meals, urban transport, visits and a small allowance for extras. Flights excluded; larger purchases vary. Editorial estimate, not a quote.
NorwayOslo
Days
2
When
May–Aug
Per person/day
Average 1,100–1,700 NOKMid-range · per person/day
Cost scope
Per person per day: accommodation, meals, urban transport, visits and a small allowance for extras. Flights excluded; larger purchases vary. Editorial estimate, not a quote.
FinlandHelsinki
Days
2–3
When
May–Aug
Per person/day
Average 120–190 EURMid-range · per person/day
Cost scope
Per person per day: accommodation, meals, urban transport, visits and a small allowance for extras. Flights excluded; larger purchases vary. Editorial estimate, not a quote.
EstoniaTallinn
Days
1–3
When
Jun–Aug
Per person/day
Average 70–130 EURMid-range · per person/day
Cost scope
Per person per day: accommodation, meals, urban transport, visits and a small allowance for extras. Flights excluded; larger purchases vary. Editorial estimate, not a quote.

Who it is for

For anyone who wants design, water and well-run cities in the long northern summer.

Not for anyone who wants few accommodation changes, because there are five bases in ten days.

The strategy

The sequence takes in Copenhagen, Stockholm, Oslo and Helsinki, ending in Tallinn. Compare trains and flights for the first legs; check the ferry crossing from Helsinki to Tallinn. With five bases in ten days, allocate the nights and allow time for each journey before booking hotels.

What you will see

Nyhavn, Copenhagen. Canal dug between 1670 and 1673 by Swedish prisoners to bring ships into the center.
Gamla Stan and Stortorget, Stockholm. The island of Stadsholmen is packed with streets 3 to 5 m wide, the alley Mårten Trotzigs gränd (90 cm at its narrowest), and Stortorget, the square where about 80 people were executed in 1520 and where the Nobel Museum now sits, in the former Stock Exchange building from 1778.
Operahuset, Oslo. National opera house opened in April 2008, designed by the Snøhetta firm.
Suomenlinna, Helsinki. Sea fortress over six islands, begun in 1748 by Augustin Ehrensvärd and inscribed as a World Heritage Site in 1991.
Raekoja plats, Tallinn. The Gothic town hall, completed between 1402 and 1404, is the only one of its kind preserved in northern Europe; atop its tower turns the Vana Toomas weathervane, installed in 1530.

Day by day