Words can’t describe how thrilled I am to announce this incredibly well designed, exciting and expertly organized first ever vegan tour of Norway!   This has been a dream of mine for quite some time, and I finally found a partner I am so elated to be collaborating with.

This incredible culinary-focused tour is designed by Up Norway,  a new company headed up by Oslo-based Torunn Tronsvang, a travel expert who has lived in a variety of countries and worked for many world class resorts and hotels.   The concept of  Up Norway is to bring you the true experiences of our country, not just the popular tourist spots that everyone else is offering.  Even as a native of Norway, I got super excited and intrigued reading about all their unique offers and off the beaten tracks destinations, I knew I had to somehow work with them.  You can imagine how happy I was when they expressed interest in designing a 100% vegan tour of my beautiful country!

The readers who have been following me for some time, know that I am equally as passionate and interested about Norwegian history, culture and travel as I am about food. I believe they are all connected, and help people understand a country better; why they behave and do what they do, why the eat a certain way and what is important to them.  This is all part of a deeper experience when visiting another country, and is what I find more and more travelers are looking for. It’s not enough to go to the two or three major attractions the destination is known for and say to yourself “Ok, I’ve now seen their ‘culture’.”

The only way to really get behind the scenes and see how a country and its people really live, is to seek out experts who are native of that nation and who feel it’s their mission to give their customers a heightened experience and higher quality trip. This is Up Norway in my opinion; I can’t really think of another company in Norway who is as cutting edge, knowledgeable and creative in the travel industry.

Most people when thinking of Norwegian food, think of smoked salmon, herring and goat cheese, but the truth is our culinary world is so much more than that!  Among other things, we have the world’s best strawberries,  flavorful plums, rhubarb and blueberries, the highest quality chanterelles and other wild mushrooms, the juiciest farm apples, as well as earthy and delicious beets and other root vegetables.  Southern Norway is known for its fruit and cider and we are also one of the world’s top producers of craft beer.  Let’s not forget Norwegians are huge potato lovers as many of you know and find ways to sneak them into just about every meal.  Is your mouth watering yet?

This Vegan Trail tour of western Norway, was created to show you how much Norway truly has to offer and is a stunning combination of city and country life.   Starting in the east in Norway’s capital Oslo, we’ll travel west through the country to Hardanger,  which produces 40% of Norway’s fruit, including apples, plums, pears, cherries and red currants,  before ending the tour in the Hanseatic city of Bergen.

On our trip you will get to experience the beautiful and varied nature, travel through fjords, mountains and the apple orchards of Hardanger,  savor the gorgeous food and drink (all vegan of course!) and witness the creativity local entrepreneurs showcase when utilizing top of the line local produce, as well as visiting Oslo and Bergen, the two biggest cities in the country.

Highlights of this fantastic 13-day tour include:

✅ experiencing the wilderness of Oslo.  The beauty of our capital is you can have all the offerings of a cosmopolitan city, then travel 20 minutes outside of the center and you’ll be in the woods!

✅ go foraging and cook a beautiful vegan Nordic meal with your harvest

✅ stroll through the forests where Munch painted the famous “Scream”

✅ 2-day stay at the charming Utne hotel, dating back to 1722,  including a 3-course vegan dinner

✅ go on a fjord cruise in the UNESCO protected Nærøyfjord

✅ travel the cider route in the Hardanger area and lunch at the Cider house as well as visits to local breweries

✅ hikes, kayaking and visits to local folk museums

✅ experience the oldest stave church in Norway, Urnes Stave Church

✅ travel to Balestrand,  a village so idyllic it inspired Disney to use it as a setting for the movie Frozen.  The historic Kviknes hotel here has its own vegan chef!

✅ explore Bergen, one of Norway’s most beautiful cities and try out local vegan fare

And so much more!

For a complete description of the 13-day tour with pricing, visit Up Norway’s page HERE. 

Who’s as excited about this trip as I am??

Special offer for my readers: 

If you mention Arctic Grub to Up Norway when booking your trip, you will receive a complimentary 90 minute online cooking class with me as well as my e-book, A Collection of Recipes from Arctic Grub, where I will teach you how to easily prepare some of my favorite, traditional Norwegian meals – all plant based! This all is valued at $499 and a great way to prepare for your trip.

If you have ever dreamed of visiting Norway – this is your sign.  An unforgettable trip like no other in existence has been put together just for you, to visit the land of the midnight sun. What are you waiting for? You only live once!

Hope to see you in Norway! 🇳🇴