If you love sight-seeing then a Scandinavian cruise holiday will tick all the right boxes.

Taking in Copenhagen’s Little Mermaid, Oslo’s parks and frescoes, Stockholm’s waterways and Helsinki’s Art Nouveau gems is a fabulous way to capture culture and scenery all in one go.

Cruises to Scandinavia

Cruises to Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden inevitably involve ports of call in the Baltic (click here for details) and can also encompass Amsterdam, Stavanger and Gothenburg to give a bumper selection of the best that Northern Europe has to offer all in one voyage. Many cruises encompassing Scandinavian ports also include St Petersburg in Russia (click here for details).

If sailing from a UK port you may have a couple of sea days to fully relax and acclimatize on board your ship in preparation for the many destinations to come in an itinerary that is likely to last a minimum of ten nights but more usually will be up to two weeks in duration. But as there’s a lot to pack in, you’ll need the time.

However, you can easily fly to meet your ship in either Copenhagen or Amsterdam for a cruise which will run for around seven nights.

Yet whichever option you choose, this kind of destination intensive itinerary is where taking a cruise really comes into its own. Having unpacked just the once, your ship will glide between Europe’s northern capitals without you having to lift a finger, other than to order another well-deserved post-sightseeing cocktail.

Sights of Scandinavia

Chic cafes, canals and copper-roofed buildings all add to the charm of Copenhagen, where the Tivoli Gardens come to life in summer as families flock to the many fairground rides and see street entertainers perform. The city is easy to walk around with much of the central area being pedestrianised.

Oslo is the oldest of the Scandinavian cities, situated at the head of the impressive 60-mile Oslofjord. The water theme continues at the not to be missed Viking Ships Museum where centuries of seafaring history is portrayed in fascinating fashion. Summer time is when Norwegians make the most of the beautiful outdoors, so the city’s parks, cafes and bars are buzzing with activity.

It will come as no surprise that Stockholm is known as the ‘Venice of the North’ as the city is built on no less than 14 islands. One of Europe’s most civilised cities, Stockholm combines historic Old Town architecture with modern-day boulevards and huge vistas of water. Among the many cultural attractions is the open-air Skansen museum featuring 150 reconstructed buildings, ranging from farms and windmills to a complete town.

Through Stockholm’s amazing archipelago, where you feel you can stretch out and almost touch the passing islands, your ship will head across the Baltic Sea to the Finnish capital of Helsinki with its amazing architecture and magnificent museums. A former outpost of the Russian empire, the city’s wide streets and neoclassical buildings never fail to impress. Mid-summer brings out the best of Helsinki’s outdoor cafes, restaurants and street entertainment.