A Scandinavia Itinerary: How to Visit Multiple Christmas Markets in 7 Days!
So you are working traveler and would like to visit a few Christmas markets in Scandiinavia in a PTO-friendly fashion? I get it! Here is a great Scandinavia itinerary that begins in Oslo, Norway and ends in Copenhagen, Denmark! Visit a few cities, a few small towns, a castle and more!
What you Need to Know about Dates!
DON”T MAKE THE MISTAKE WE MADE.
Naturally, in the United States, as soon as Thanksgiving is over we jump into Christmas season. Therefore, the day after Thanksgiving (Friday, November 24th) we flew out to Oslo, excited to visit ALL of the Christmas markets between Oslo and Copenhagen 😍
We learned a lesson the HARD way. Many Christmas markets don’t actually start until December 🙃.
- This isn’t true of all markets; Oslo, Gothenburg and many other Christmas markets open on the weekends in November (therefore we were good in Oslo).
- However, when you are planning a one week trip to see all of the Christmas markets, you need to be able to utilize the week days! We missed out on Gothenburg’s Christmas markets (weekend only until December) and the beautiful castle that has a small Christmas market on the inside lawn also started in December.
- Long story short, I recommend starting your Scandinavia itinerary one week later than we did! And double check yearly Christmas market dates!!
How to Navigate this Scandinavia Itinerary
Rent a Car: The southern portion of Scandinavia is well-connected by bus and public transportation. If you don’t necessarily want to stop in the smaller towns then you can definitely just utilize the bus system.
However, if you want to be able to visit some of the small towns along the coast, it is best to rent a car. You can pick the rental car up from the Oslo airport and drop it off at the Copenhagen airport, though there will be a fee for changing locations.
Bus System:
If you aren’t comfortable with renting a car, you can definitely do this itinerary via bus. Here are a few things you need to know about managing this itinerary via bus.
- When you bus from Oslo to Fredriskstad, you will be dropped off outside of the old town. However, old town is only about a 10 minute walk!
- You can bus from Fredrikstad to Strömstad, but rather than having a 45 minute drive, the trip turns into over a 2 hour trip.
- To get from Helsingborg to Helsingør you can walk onto the ferry just as if you had a car and the walk to the ferry terminal is quite manageable.
- NOTE though, that if you are following this itinerary, you will have your luggage with you. Therefore you will have to explore both Fredriskstad and Strömstad with your luggage.
- If you are adamant about taking the bus instead of renting a car then you may want to adjust your itinerary and just go straight to Gothenburg from Oslo.
- You will also have to be reliant upon the bus schedule, and thus your timeline may be effected.
You can go to Omio to find the bus times, fares and book tickets.
Expected Route and Travel Time
If you are traveling between three countries, even if it is just the edge of them, it is going to involve a bit of driving time.
- However, if you drove straight from Oslo to Copenhagen without stopping it would take just under 6 hours via the bridge, or just over 6 hours via the ferry.
- In the grand scheme of things, that really isn’t bad, especially when broken up with various stops between. One of the longest drives is from Strömstad to Gothenburg which is about an hour and 45 minute drive.
Why We Chose this Itinerary
Again, our goal was to visit Christmas markets and Oslo, Gothenburg and Copenhagen are great spots to do that (when they are open 🙃).
However, in general, we are big fans of smaller European cities, so we didn’t want to just hop from city to city. We decided to make pitstops in Fredrikstad and Strömstad and opted to stay a night in both Helsingborg and Helsingør to get more of the small town feel.
- Fredrikstad is a small town with a cute old town surrounded by walls and a moat in a star shape. The aerial view is amazing! Inside the walls, the old city is full of cobblestone streets and old, charming architecture.
- Strömstad is a small town on the coast of Sweden, mostly known as a summer vacation spot for locals! In the winter, a lot of the town is closed down, however, it is still such a beautiful small town. It is home to a charming harbour with red buildings in the backdrop.
- Both of these towns are worth seeing, but really too small to consider an overnight stay at, especially in the winter.
- Helsingborg is a city on the coast of Sweden, just on the edge of the channel that connects to Denmark. In fact, you can ferry from Helsingborg to Helsingor, which is just what we did.
- We really fell in love with the architecture in Helsingborg, with its castle-inspired city hall and steps that lead to an overlook of the seaside town.
- Helsingør is known for its Krongborg castle; many people day trip from Copenhagen to Helsingør. We opted to stay because we were passing directly through via ferry before heading to Copenhagen.
- We loved to local feel here and ON CERTAIN DATES the castle has a Christmas market inside its walls.
As you plan your itinerary for Scandinavia in December, remember that the sun sets by 3:30 pm! And it also doesn’t get daylight until around 9:00 am, so you need to be EFFICIENT with doing your daytime activities!
Day 0.5: Arrival & Oslo, Norway
I call this day 0.5 because arrival times are always varying on day one. After landing, getting our car, checking into the hotel, we didn’t start exploring Oslo until about 6:30 pm.
If you land early in the day:
- I recommend doing the Oslo Sauna experience when you arrive!
- This is a MUST do activity. If you keep reading, you’ll notice we did it on the day we left Oslo, which was inconvenient in the grand scheme of showering, checking out of our hotel and getting our luggage ready to go to our next destination. Therefore, if you land early enough, do this first!
If you land later in the day:
- I just recommend to head to Oslo’s city center and get your first Christmas market glance!
- Oslo’s Christmas market is called Jul i Vinterland and is located at Spikersuppa.
Day 1: Oslo, Norway
Gather your warm clothes and your comfy shoes! Oslo is a walkable city with little need for public transportation.
- Begin your day by walking along the seaside near the Oslo opera house. Here you will see all of the floating saunas and just across the street, during the winter is a ice skating rink where you will likely catch some local kids skating.
- From there you can head north on Strandgata Street past the mall and then take a turn onto Karl Johans Gate street. Here, you will pass, among many shops, Brannvakten and Oslo Domkirke
- This street will take you straight to the main Christmas market, located at Spikersuppa!
- I recommend seeing the Jul i Vinterland Christmas market during the day as well as evening. Go check out the vendor booths, the snacks, the ferris wheel and more while there is ample daylight!
- Click here for everything you need to know about visiting Oslo’s Christmas markets!
- Once you get your feel of the Christmas market, you can head down the same street to see the Royal Palace. Compared to some of the other palace’s in Europe, this one is honestly a little underwhelming. But, worth stopping by, nonetheless.
- From here, head to Oslo’s Harbor Promenade where you will see Oslo’s City Hall and some beautiful ships and sailboats.
- Continue along the harbor and head up the hill toward Norway’s Resistance Museum. I don’t necessarily recommend the museum, but there is a good view from up on the hill!
- End your daylight hours watching sunset up on the hill at the Holmenkollen Ski jump!
- This is NOT walkable from central Oslo. You will want to drive or, if you don’t have a car, take the bus.
Where should you stay in Oslo?
Comfort Hotel Xpress Station is conveniently located near the Oslo sauna experience, which helped us get out of Oslo quickly on day 2!
Day 2: Fredrisktad and Strömstad
If you land late into Oslo (like us), then I recommend doing the Oslo sauna before heading out of town!
- Now, remember that your daylight is limited; I recommend getting to the sauna as soon as it opens!
- Most open at about 7am and tickets usually give you about 1.5 hours of sauna time!
If you arrive by 7:30 am you should be done by 9am. This allows you to leave your luggage in your hotel and go back to change before having to check out!
- I recommend leaving Oslo by no later than 10 am (the earlier, the better)
Here is everything you need to know about the Oslo Sauna experience!
Fredriskstad:
From Oslo, head south to Fredriskstad.
- Fredrikstad is about an hour and 15 minute drive from Oslo, so you should arrive just after 11: 15 am
- The beauty of Fredrikstad is located in the old city.
- Fredrikstad often has small markets in the old city, but even when they aren’t going on you will find cute shops and cafes. Also be sure to walk along the fjord!
- The city is quite small and very walkable in a short amount of time, but so so charming!
Strömstad:
After seeing what you want of Fredrikstad, head to Strömstad, which is about a 45 minute drive.
- I recommend leaving Fredrikstad by about 1:30 pm to give you time to see the town in the daylight before catching the sunset!
- Strömstad is a small town like Fredrikstad. You can easily walk around the harbor and the main area in an hour. The harbor is a great place to catch the sunset!
- Again, in the winter much of it is closed, so you don’t need as much time as you would in the summer!
You will arrive in Gothenburg at night, which means you will have a full day in Gothenburg to explore!
Where should you stay in Gothenburg?
Hotell Heden is one of the more reasonably priced hotels, offers parking and is close to Liseberg Christmas Market.
Day 3: Gothenburg, Sweden
Gothenburg is home to a few of Christmas markets and Liseberg market is supposed to be one of the best in Europe! (Not that we know, since it was closed during the week when we visited 🙃).
Since I have no expert advice on these Christmas markets, I recommend reading Hannah from That Adventurer’s blog here. It is exactly what I would read to prepare for the markets in Gothenburg!
In December, the Liseberg market is open Wednesday- Sunday (closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays), so PLAN YOUR DATES ACCORDINGLY
- The week before Christmas, the market is open daily!
- Dates and hours are posted on their website
However, I WILL give some advice on a great way to spend the day in Gothenburg before you hit up the markets!
- Begin in the city center where you will find things such as the Gothenburg Cathedral. I HIGHLY recommend going into the Saluhallen, or Market Hall. It is a LARGE fresh food market and a GREAT place to find something to eat!
- In a city that can feel very industrial, a must-visit area in Gothenburg is Haga Nygata. Here is where you will find the most picturesque cobblestone streets, shops and restaurants. It also happens to be on the way to one of the best views of the city!
- You will also find the insta-famous Cafe Husaren with the giant cinnamon buns. We tried it out. to test the validity and honestly, the bun wasn’t that great.
- But the neighborhood IS cute and worth visiting
- From here, be bold and active and climb the stairs to Skansen Kronan, a historical fortress that was once a prison. Now, its sole purpose is to give you a great view of the city from above 😍
- I recommend doing both of these during the daylight and heading to the Christmas markets once it is dark.
Day 4: Helsingborg, Sweden
The next day, get up and head to Helsingborg, Sweden!
- The drive is a little over 2 hours without stopping.
- This city has quite the first impression! Not only is it located on the coast, it has such a charming, small town feel.
I don’t know if it was because it began snowing on us here, but this city really put me in the Christmas feels!
- Helsingborg does not have a Christmas market. However, the city does have a giant, lit-up Christmas tree and lights all over the city, still giving you all of the Hallmark movie Christmas vibes 😍
The main road in Helsingborg is Stortorget. If you park near here, a majority of the city will be in walking distance!
Must-See and Do’s in Helsingborg:
- Helsingborg City Hall- A city hall that looks more like a castle than a government building and the most defining buildings of Helsingborg!
- Kärnan Tower- A remanent of a medieval castle
- The terrace stairs that lead to the tower + the observation deck at the top of the stairs
- St Marys Church
- The park located on the east side of the city boasts great Christmas lights. and decorations
- Big Christmas tree located in the plaza with the playground located at Nedre Långvinkelsgatan 5, 252 20 Helsingborg, Sweden
Where to stay in Helsingborg?
Comfort Hotel Helsingborg offers parking nearby and is located in a good neighborhood and a walk through the park from city center.
Day 5: Helsingør, Denmark
Get up early the next morning to catch the ferry! You will ferry from Sweden to Denmark in less than 20 minutes! Ferry tickets will be purchased at the ferry port.
As you come into Helsingor on the ferry you will get a good view of Krongborg castle on the coastline. I recommend going here first!
Krongborg Castle
- Krongborg Castle is widely known as the Hamlet castle. It is known as Elsinore, the setting for which William Shakespear based Hamlet.
- Entry is 125 kr or $12 USD. Tickets can be purchased here.
- Click here for everything you need to know about visiting Kronborg Castle!
Krongborg Christmas Market:
- What’s more festive than a Christmas market in a castle?!
- However, again, this Christmas market is typically only on the weekends and it isn’t even every weekend. In 2023, the market was open the last weekend of November and first weekend of December. So, naturally, we missed those too.
If Helsingborg is small, Helsingør is smaller. The main town of Helsingør is located between the castle, the cemetery and the train station. Once you visit Krongborg Castle, you can head to the old town to explore! Highlights include:
- Saint Olaf’s Church
- Shop down Stengade street where you can find many small shops and cafes. This road leads to Helsingør Bycenter, which is a mall with an H&M, etc.
- Several charming streets between the shopping street and the church!
- Danish Museum of Science and technology
Where to stay in Helsingør?
Hotel Hamlet, though older, is located in the center of old town and great for walking the city!
Day 6: Copenhagen, Denmark
A Scandinavia itinerary focused around Christmas markets isn’t complete with Copenhagen! The drive from Helsingør to Copenhagen is only about an hour, so if you get up early enough you will have a nice, full day in Copenhagen!
Be aware, you won’t find free parking in Copenhagen. And you will have a hard time finding parking in the city. Definitely get a hotel that includes a parking spot and if you get to Copenhagen before check-in, then find parking outside of downtown Copenhagen and then walk.
Copenhagen is a big city, but you can see a lot in two days. You can especially get a great two days full of Christmas! It was our first time in Copenhagen, so. we visited a few places an did a few things that weren’t Christmas related.
The map below has day one stops in blue and day two stops in red with walking distance between.
Day 1 in Copenhagen
- The furthest attraction on the list to see is the Rosenborg Palace. If you wish to see this, I would go there first and then work your way back into the city center. Rosenborg Palace is a beautiful Renaissance Castle where the crown jewels are kept.
- From here, head to your first Christmas market, Kongens Nytorv! This is also in the city center where you will find loads of Christmas decorations and the famous Hotel D’Angleterre!
- The famous Nyhaven canal and street is only a 5 minute walk from here! Walk both sides of the canal where you will find market booths of food, mulled wine, hot chocolate, crafts and more!
- After Nyhaven, take about a 12 minute walk to Christianborg Palace (if you want) It is close to the next Christmas market! Once a home to the royals, it is now home to the Danish Government.
- Just outside of Christianborg Palace you will find the Christmas market on Højbro Plads. This is your place to find the best Christmas market FOOD!
- Last (and least?- it was my least favorite market we visited) is the Hans Christian Anderson market. But, it is only an 8 minute walk from Jøjbro Plads market and think it. is worth at least visiting for a short time.
- Depending on how tired you are, I recommend going back to Nyhaven at night to see it lit up with Christmas lights!
Day 7: Copenhagen, Denmark
Day 2 in Copenhagen
- Pack your warm clothes and start with a canal cruise through the city! This is a great way to see the city from the outside, plus you can learn a bit of history about Copenhagen as well.
- From here you have TWO OPTIONS:
- 1) Visit Christiania aka Freetown Christiana- This is an area of Copenhagen where you can see a different lifestyle in what is often considered “hippie town” where cannabis is traded on Pusher Street. There are some rules you want to abide by if you decide to visit, which you can read on VisitCopenhagen.
- 2) Another option is to go ice skating at Broens Gadekøkken, just across the bridge from Nyhaven. This is also a great place to find street food!
- End your day with a BANG at the Christmas market located inside Tivoli park! Here you will find rides, food, drinks, lights, and more! It is also home to a couple of ballet shows during the holidays!
- Know that Trivoli is actually an amusement park, so you are going to spend quite a bit longer there than you would a typical Christmas market. We spent about 4 hours here.
Book entry tickets to Tivoli Gardens here!
Where to stay in Copenhagen?
We actually opted to stay in a private room at Danhostel Copenhagen City because the prices of hotels can be HIGH. It was also within a short walk from Trivoli park.
What I would Change to the Itinerary?
We honestly had a great time on this trip! I do wish we would have landed in Oslo earlier to do the sauna experience on our first day so that we had more time to explore Fredrikstad and Strömstad before the sunset.
I also would have double checked all of the Christmas market dates so we could have visited Liseberg and Krongborg Castle Christmas markets!
But, other than this I would highly recommend this Scandinavia itinerary!
Scandinavia Itinerary Recap
The most difficult part of visiting Scandinavia in the winer is the short amount of daylight you have to explore the cities! However, if you maximize your daylight time to visit the main sights the Christmas markets are magical at night!
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