Through the Land of the Fjords - an independent voyage through Norway

The Norway trip was fantastic - I was very impressed with how the itinerary was planned and executed. Everything was well-organized. The ship (Havila) provided excellent service, and I would highly recommend them. The rooms on the ship were spacious compared to other ships I have been on , and the food was excellent. The excursions were very good and worth taking. Unfortunately we had very thick fog the day of the Geiranger Fjord and Trollstigen, however that is beyond anyone's control. (Ironically, we had changed our dates slightly to ensure we could do this excursion!) I still enjoyed the drive and the brief glimpses we did get of the scenery on that day, and it was a true Norwegian experience!
I really enjoyed the self-guided land tour as well. This was my first time doing a self-guided tour (aside from fully independent travel) and found it was an excellent option to consider for future tours. Everything was well-organized, well-communicated and pick-up times were punctual and on time. On the drive from Lom to Aurland, unfortunately our driver gave the group an option of whether we wanted to stop to see the Urnes Stave Church or take an earlier ferry, as well and shorten the cross-country drive by taking the 24.5 km tunnel to Aurland, cutting the drive by about 2.5 hours. Unfortunately most chose not to stop at the church, and so we missed that. Since it was on the itinerary, I don't think the driver should have presented it as an option. (there were only two of us who wanted to stop to see it). When most of the group also opted to take the tunnel to shorten the drive, I voiced my opinion in that I wondered why the rush to get to Aurland and miss the beautiful sunny day and scenery of Norway, and drive in a dark tunnel instead. I told them I would respect the majority choice, however I felt I needed to share my perspective. Fortunately, in that case, they changed their mind and we were able to enjoy the drive across the mountains and countryside. (in the itinerary the tunnel was listed as an option if weather was poor, which I can fully understand, however with the gorgeous weather, I felt the driver could have simply proceeded with the drive and not presented the option). These were very minor things in the overall picture, and again, I would highly recommend Fifty Degrees North tours based on my experience this time.
Accommodations and food were great.
Thanks for all your help in working out the details of this trip - definitely a highlight for me in 2023!

Edith - Toronto, ON