July 3 - 15 / 13-day cruise /Starts at $6,595 per person based on double occupancy, plus airfare This trip is shared with other associations on an exclusively chartered vessel / Maximum Trip Capacity: 190 / AAUM Size (max): 30 Trip Type: Lecture |  |
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Highlights:
- Anchor off the idyllic Norwegian village of Geiranger in Geirangerfjord and drive through the lush valley of Flydal up to the 4,800-foot peak of Dalsnibba.
- Drive through the dramatic Lofoten landscape to the Viking Museum in Borg, which features a re-created Viking village complete with houses, handicrafts and food.
- Learn about the geology, animal life and the customs of the Saami people, while visiting the North Cape Visitors Center.
- Explore the remote Russian towns and monasteries of the White Sea, which Western travelers rarely visit.
Day 1: US
Depart the US on an overnight flight to Bergen, Norway.
Day 2: Bergen, Norway
Arrive in Bergen and embark the MS Le Diamant. Join fellow tour participants this evening for the captian's welcome reception and dinner.
Day 3: Geiranger Fjord
Anchor off the idyllic village of Geiranger in Geirangerfjord this morning and drive through the lush valley of Flydal up to the 4,800-foot peak of Dalsnibba, where we will view a breathtaking panorama of mountains, glaciers and the fjord far below. Coffee, tea and cakes will be served before descending to Geiranger. The MS Le Diamant begins her cruise out of the Geiranger Fjord after lunch. This evening, linger on deck to savor the unique experience of the midnight sun's lingering light.
Day 4: Cruising the Norwegian Coast
Admire the glacier-carved, snowcapped mountains of Norway's rugged coast during a day of cruising.
Day 5: Svolvaer, Lofoten Islands
Drive through the dramatic Lofoten landscape to the Viking Museum in Borg, which features a re-created Viking village complete with houses, handicrafts and food. Explore Henningsvaer, a fishing village popular with native artists for the quality of light that suffuses the landscape, and see the works of the region's most renowned painter, Karl Erik Harr, on display in the Gallery Harr. The afternoon is at leisure, and the midnight sun illuminates your evening cruise north.
Day 6: Tromsø
This morning, dock at Tromsø, "Gateway to the Arctic Circle." Visit the Tromsø Museum, which interprets the lifestyle of this former center of seal and walrus hunting, as well as its geology and wildlife. Continue across the Tromsø Bridge to Tromsdalen's bold, modern Arctic Cathedral.
Day 7: Honningsvåg (North Cape)
Arrive in Honningsvåg this morning and travel to the North Cape Plateau, the most northerly point in Europe. En route, stop at a primitive camp of the Saami, an indigenous Scandinavian people culturally distinct from the Vikings. Learn about the geology, the animal life and the customs of the Saami people while visiting the North Cape Visitors Center. The ship departs this afternoon for the voyage through the Barents Sea.
Day 8: Murmansk, Russia
Founded in 1916, Murmansk was once the center of Soviet naval operations in the Arctic and the base for the Russian whaling fleet. On arrival enjoy a welcome by the Snow Queen, accompanied by traditional musicians and dancers. Today's excursion features the Memorial to the Defenders of the Polar Region in World War II, the Allied Cemetery and the National Museum. The museum documents the natural and cultural history of the region, with special exhibits devoted to the Saami and the Pomors, the first Russian settlers in the region. Cruise into the White Sea this evening.
Day 9: Cruising the White Sea
The day is at leisure as the MS Le Diamant cruises the White Sea.
Day 10: Solovetsky Islands
Christianity was introduced to the far north from this remote archipelago in the 1420s, when monks founded the Solovetskiye Monastery here. On today's walking tour of this rarely visited site, learn about its storied history as a place of pilgrimage and then as one of Russia's notorious political prisons during the era of Joseph Stalin. The monastery was returned to the Russian Orthodox Church in 1991. Continue to the Gulag Museum, dedicated to those who died in Russian concentration camps.
Day 11: Archangelsk
Founded more than 400 years ago by Ivan the Terrible, Archangelsk's wooden architecture, typical of many northern towns, left it vulnerable to a series of fires. Despite these misfortunes, Archangelsk's oldest extant building dates from the mid-16th century. See the monument to Peter the Great and memorials from the Russian Civil War period and visit the Museum of Fine Arts, also known as the Museum of Icons.
Day 12: Cruising the Barents Sea
Enjoy a day at leisure while cruising the Barents Sea en route to Kirkenes, Finland. Attend the captain's farewell reception this evening.
Day 13: Kirkenes, Finland / US
Disembark the MS Le Diamant and transfer to the airport for the return flight to the US.
Optional Bergen Pre-Tour:
Spend two nights in the medieval Hanseatic port of Bergen, a UNESCO World Heritage site. View its perfectly preserved historic architecture and attend a special recital in the former home of composer Edvard Grieg.
Optional Helsinki Post-Program:
Complement your journey with two additional nights in the cosmopolitan Finnish capital of Helsinki. Admire its stunning modern architecture and learn about the city's unique history during specially arranged tours and excursions.
Note: Program itinerary is subject to change due to local conditions.
Offered by Gohagan & Company
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Please contact True Blue Travel at truebluetravel@umich.edu for more information.
