Norwegian Arctic & Scottish Highlands — Self-Launched Edition

Land at Edinburgh Airport and take the Airlink 100 bus (£5.50, ~30 min) or tram to the city centre. Check into a hostel around the Old Town or Haymarket. Spend the evening wandering the Royal Mile and Grassmarket — free, and a good way to shake off the flight. Buy a Ridacard or just load a Lothian Buses day ticket (£5) for tomorrow.

🚌Airlink 100 bus from airport ~£5.50

🛏Castle Rock Hostel or Kick Ass Hostels (dorm £22-30/night)

• →Royal Mile evening walk
• →Grassmarket pubs

Book Edinburgh Castle entry direct on the Historic Environment Scotland site (£19.50, timed slots — cheaper than walk-up). Then join a free 'Sandemans'-style walking tour of the Old Town (tip-based, ~£10 tip expected) covering the Royal Mile, Greyfriars Kirkyard and the closes. Afternoon free: Arthur's Seat hike is free and gives the best view in the city. Optional evening: a whisky or food tour booked via GetYourGuide (£30-45).

🚌Walking + Lothian bus day ticket £5

🛏Castle Rock Hostel (dorm £22-30/night)

• →Edinburgh Castle (£19.50 direct)
• →Free Old Town walking tour (tip ~£10)
• →Arthur's Seat hike (free)

Take the ScotRail train from Edinburgh Waverley to Stirling (~50 min, £9-13 off-peak return). Walk up to Stirling Castle (£19 direct via HES) or just do the old town and the Wallace Monument (£12.50, includes the climb to the crown). Lunch in Stirling. In the afternoon take a local bus/taxi to Deanston Distillery near Doune for a distillery tour and tasting (£15-20, book direct). Train back to Edinburgh in the evening.

🚌ScotRail Edinburgh–Stirling return ~£11 + local bus £3

🛏Castle Rock Hostel (dorm £22-30/night)

• →Stirling Castle (£19)
• →Wallace Monument (£12.50)
• →Deanston Distillery tour & tasting (£17)

Morning free in Edinburgh (National Museum of Scotland is free and excellent). Midday train to Aberdeen (~2h40, £25-35 advance) or straight to Scrabster/Thurso. Easiest independent route: train to Aberdeen then the NorthLink ferry overnight to Kirkwall (foot passenger ~£30-40, book in advance; cabins cost extra, reclining seats are free). Alternatively fly Edinburgh–Kirkwall with Loganair (~£60-90) if you want to save a day. Arrive Kirkwall and check into a hostel or guesthouse.

🚌Train Edinburgh–Aberdeen ~£30 + NorthLink ferry foot passenger ~£35

🛏Orkney hostel/guesthouse, Kirkwall (£28-40/night)

• →National Museum of Scotland (free)
• →Overnight ferry to Orkney

The sites sit close together on the West Mainland. Hire a bike in Kirkwall (~£18/day) or take the local X1/T11 bus, or book a day tour via Orkney.com / GetYourGuide (£45-60) if you'd rather not drive. See Skara Brae (Historic Environment Scotland, £10 with a combined ticket), the Ring of Brodgar (free) and the Standing Stones of Stenness (free). Add Maeshowe if you can get a slot. Back in Kirkwall, visit St Magnus Cathedral (free) and sample Orkney fudge and Highland Park.

🚌Bike hire £18 or local bus £6

🛏Orkney hostel/guesthouse, Kirkwall (£28-40/night)

• →Skara Brae (£10)
• →Ring of Brodgar (free)
• →Standing Stones of Stenness (free)
• →St Magnus Cathedral (free)

NorthLink ferry Kirkwall–Lerwick (~5.5h, foot passenger ~£25-35) or fly Loganair (~£50-70). In Lerwick, drop bags at the hostel and take the local bus south to Sumburgh Head (£5) for puffins and seabirds at the RSPB reserve (free, best May–July). Combine with Jarlshof prehistoric site (£7.50 HES). Evening back in Lerwick — the Lodberrie and the harbour are worth a wander; the Shetland Museum is free and has a great café.

🚌NorthLink ferry ~£30 + local bus £10

🛏Islesburgh House Hostel or Lerwick guesthouse (£28-40/night)

• →Sumburgh Head puffins (free)
• →Jarlshof (£7.50)
• →Shetland Museum (free)

Fly Loganair/Atlantic Airways Lerwick–Bergen via a connection (~£120-180, book early) or take the ferry back to Aberdeen and fly Aberdeen–Bergen with Widerøe/Norwegian (~£80-120). From Bergen, the cheap route north is the Hurtigruten coastal express as a foot passenger — but for a budget version break the journey with the local bus/train chain or take a Hurtigruten short hop Bergen–Ålesund (~£90-130). Overnight in Bergen if flights land late; otherwise position toward Nordfjord.

🚌Flights ~£150 + Hurtigruten/coach legs ~£100

🛏Bergen hostel (Marken Gjestehus, £35-45) or Ålesund hostel

• →Bergen Bryggen waterfront (free)
• →Fish market

Bus/train north to Olden (via Ålesund–Stryn–Olden, or the Hurtigruten call at Olden). From Olden, the local Briksdal bus (or the 'Briksdal Express', ~£12 return) runs to the glacier car park. Hike the 45-min trail to Briksdalbreen glacier lake (free) or take the troll car (£20 return) for a shorter walk. Stay in a hiker's guesthouse in Olden or nearby Loen — this is the fjord scenery from the brochure, on foot.

🚌Coach Bergen–Olden ~£40 + Briksdal Express ~£12

🛏Olden/Loen guesthouse or cabin (£35-50/night shared)

• →Briksdalbreen glacier hike (free)
• →Olden fjord viewpoint

Take the local bus or book the Geiranger–Hellesylt car ferry route into the fjord (foot passenger ~£15-20). From Geiranger, the Dalsnibba Skywalk bus (book direct or via a GetYourGuide tour, £30-40) climbs to the famous 1,500 m viewpoint over the UNESCO fjord. For the energetic, hike up to Skageflå or do the 10 km Storsæterfossen loop (free) — the waterfall you can walk behind. Overnight in Geiranger or Hellesylt.

🚌Fjord ferry ~£18 + Dalsnibba bus ~£35

🛏Geiranger camping cabin/hostel (£35-50/night)

• →Dalsnibba Skywalk (£35)
• →Storsæterfossen waterfall hike (free)

Coach/bus via Åndalsnes and the Atlantic Road, or take a Hurtigruten hop to Trondheim (foot passenger ~£70-100, book the short leg). In Trondheim, visit Nidaros Cathedral (£12) and the Sverresborg Folk Museum (£12, open-air history). Afternoon: hike in Bymarka nature reserve (free, city bus to the trailhead £4) or wander Bakklandet's wooden houses. Hostel beds here are good value.

🚌Coach/Hurtigruten leg ~£80 + local bus £4

🛏Trondheim Vandrerhjem or city hostel (£32-45/night)

• →Nidaros Cathedral (£12)
• →Sverresborg Folk Museum (£12)
• →Bymarka hike (free)

Hurtigruten or the Kystbussen/coach north to Brønnøysund (~£40-60). Hike up Torghatten — a short 1-hour trail through the famous hole in the mountain (free), with huge coastal views. Then take the local ferry to Vega island (foot passenger ~£10-15) and stay in a rorbu-style guesthouse or hostel. Walk the fishing villages, cycle the UNESCO Vegaøyan cultural landscape and look out for eider ducks and sea eagles.

🚌Coach ~£50 + Vega ferry ~£12

🛏Vega island guesthouse/rorbu (£40-55/night shared)

• →Torghatten hole hike (free)
• →Vega Island UNESCO walk (free)
• →Bike hire ~£12

Ferry back to the mainland and bus north toward Bodø/Ørnes. Visit Svartisen — Norway's second-largest glacier — via the local boat across Holandsfjorden and a short hike to the glacier tongue (boat ~£25, guided glacier walk optional ~£60-80). Then head to Vikingen island to stand at the Arctic Circle globe monument (free) — the photo moment of the trip. Overnight in Ørnes or Bodø.

🚌Coach/ferry legs ~£40 + Svartisen boat ~£25

🛏Bodø/Ørnes hostel (£32-45/night)

• →Svartisen glacier boat & hike (£25)
• →Vikingen Arctic Circle globe (free)

Take the ferry Bodø–Moskenes (foot passenger ~£20-25, 3-4h) or fly Bodø–Leknes/Svolvær (~£60-90). On Lofoten, use the local bus network or a rented bike. Visit the Tørrfiskmuseum (stockfish museum, ~£10) then the preserved fishing village of Nusfjord (£7 entry) for lunch. Continue to Henningsvær for the galleries and the famous football pitch. Stay in an Å or Svolvær hostel/rorbu.

🚌Bodø–Moskenes ferry ~£22 + local buses ~£15

🛏Lofoten hostel/rorbu (£40-55/night)

• →Tørrfiskmuseum (£10)
• →Nusfjord village (£7)
• →Henningsvær art village (free)

Book a Trollfjord boat safari from Svolvær (RIB or electric boat, £60-90 via GetYourGuide/direct) — the dramatic narrow fjord the ship would have cruised into. Then bus south to Reine for the postcard view from Reinebringen (the Sherpa-stepped 1,970-step climb, free, ~1.5h up) — arguably the best viewpoint in Norway. Stay in Reine or Å.

🚌Local buses ~£15

🛏Reine/Å rorbu or hostel (£40-55/night)

• →Trollfjord boat safari (£70)
• →Reinebringen hike (free)

Bus or Hurtigruten from Lofoten to Tromsø (Hurtigruten Svolvær–Tromsø foot passenger ~£90-120; or fly Leknes–Tromsø ~£70-100). Tromsø city tour: the Arctic Cathedral (£6), Fjellheisen cable car (£26 return) for views over the islands. If you're here Sept–March, an evening northern lights chase via GetYourGuide (£90-120) is the classic add-on; in summer, midnight sun walks are free.

🚌Hurtigruten or flight ~£90 + local buses £8

🛏Tromsø hostel (Anker/Thon budget, £38-50/night)

• →Arctic Cathedral (£6)
• →Fjellheisen cable car (£26)
• →Optional Northern Lights chase (£100)

Fly SAS/Norwegian Tromsø–Longyearbyen via Oslo or direct seasonal (~£120-200, book early). Land in the world's northernmost town. Check into the Svalbard hostel/Gjesthouse. Afternoon: the free-ish Svalbard Museum (£12) for context on trappers, coal and polar bears, plus a walk through town past the Global Seed Vault. Note: you cannot leave town without a guide and rifle — book day trips for the next days.

🚌Flight Tromsø–Longyearbyen ~£160

🛏Coal Miners' Cabin or Svalbard Gjesthus (£45-65/night)

• →Svalbard Museum (£12)
• →Town walk & Global Seed Vault viewpoint

Book a guided glacier hike (e.g. to Longyearbreen, £70-110 direct with Svalbard Adventures or via GetYourGuide) — crampons and safety gear included. Afternoon option: a boat trip to Pyramiden or Barentsburg (£120-160) or an e-bike safari (£70-90) along the Adventfjord. Keep eyes peeled for reindeer, Arctic foxes and — from a safe distance with a guide — polar bears. Evening: cosy up in the world's northernmost pub, Svalbar.

🚌Walking; tours include transfers

🛏Coal Miners' Cabin or Svalbard Gjesthus (£45-65/night)

• →Guided glacier hike (£90)
• →Optional Pyramiden boat trip (£140)

Morning free — the North Pole Expedition Museum (£10) or a short guided walk to the town limits. Fly out to Oslo (SAS/Norwegian, ~£90-140) and connect home. If you have time, spend a night in Oslo and see the Opera House roof (free) and the Vigeland Sculpture Park (free).

🚌Flight Longyearbyen–Oslo ~£110

🛏Departure day (or Oslo hostel £40 if you overnight)

• →North Pole Expedition Museum (£10)