Norwegian Christian Heritage Trip
Norwegian Christian Heritage Tour
A two-week journey through Norway’s majestic fjords, historic cities, and the places where Christian faith took root in Scandinavia.
Reserve Your SpotA Message from Your Tour Hosts
In August of 2025 we led a group of 30 people on the first Mount Carmel Norwegian Christian Heritage Tour. We had a great time and have decided to do the trip again in 2026.
Mount Carmel has a long history of sponsoring trips, including a trip to Norway about 20 years ago. We believe that these trips provide a wonderful opportunity for Christian fellowship and renewal of our faith, as well as having the opportunity to learn about the beauty of God's Creation and God's People.
Tim and Donadee Peterson, Tour Hosts
Donadee and Tim have visited Norway and lived in Norway many times. Tim was the interim pastor of the American Lutheran Congregation in Oslo for 7 months, right before coming to Mount Carmel. Tim also had several opportunities to work in Norway as a software developer. And he was the interim pastor of the Norwegian Lutheran Memorial Church in Minneapolis for 16 months, where he had the privilege of preaching in the Norwegian language. Both of them have ancestors that came from Norway and they have been able to visit relatives that still live in Norway.
As Norwegian-American Christians, our faith has been influenced by the history of Christianity in Norway — one little piece of the tremendous diversity within the Body of Christ. We are going to be exploring the connection that we have with the Norwegian Christian heritage.
Mount Carmel was founded by Swedish and Norwegian pastors that were greatly influenced by the 19th century Scandinavian revivals. Some of our cabins have been named for the leaders of those revivals. Cabin 30, for example, the first of the new cabins built on the north ridge, is named for Hans Nielsen Hauge. In many ways Mount Carmel's mission is a continuation of the revivals that began with Hauge's preaching in Norway.
In planning this trip we are working with a tour company called Nor-Am Tours, as well as with friends from the American Lutheran Congregation in Oslo and other friends in Norway.
Tour Highlights
Historic Churches
Visit ancient stave churches, Nidaros Cathedral, and worship with Norwegian Christians in beautiful, centuries-old sanctuaries.
Majestic Fjords
Cruise the famous Geirangerfjord (a UN World Heritage site), and drive alongside Norway's longest and deepest fjord, the Sognefjord.
Scenic Railways
Ride the renowned Flåm train up the mountainside and take the Bergen-to-Oslo train across the stunning Hardanger plateau.
Vibrant Cities
Explore Oslo, Trondheim, Bergen, and Fredrikstad — with museums, harbors, palaces, and world-class cultural attractions.
Christian Heritage
Walk in the footsteps of Hans Nielsen Hauge, visit Stiklestad where Saint Olaf fell, and learn about the Norwegian revivals.
Fellowship & Dining
Share meals with local members of the Norwegian Mission Society and enjoy welcome and farewell banquets with the group.
Practical Details
2-week trip — leaving Minneapolis on Friday, arriving in Norway on Saturday afternoon, and returning to Minneapolis on Friday, August 14–28, 2026.
Cost — The 2026 land cost is not yet finalized. The 2025 trip cost was $3,950 for the land portion (double occupancy). Single occupancy had an additional charge of $1,200.
Meals included: six dinners, three lunches, and all breakfasts. Remaining meals paid individually. All hotels and all in-Norway transportation are included.
Airfare is separate. In 2025, air travel was $1,250 per person. The 2026 airfare is not yet available.
No Iceland extension in 2026. However, you are free to add additional travel before or after the tour on your own.
Group size limited to 30 participants. We recommend registering early to secure your spot.
Day-by-Day Itinerary
Tentative schedule — starting in Trondheim, heading northeast to Stiklestad, south and west to the fjords and Bergen, then east to Oslo, with a bus trip south to Fredrikstad.
Gather at Mount Carmel and travel down to Minneapolis together. Enjoy a noon luncheon at the Norwegian Lutheran Memorial Church and visit Norway House before heading to the airport.
Most of the group will fly together from Minneapolis, but you can also choose to fly from another city and meet the group in Trondheim. You may also arrive in Norway or elsewhere in Europe early for additional sightseeing.
Arrive in Trondheim, Norway. Welcome banquet to kick off the tour.
Attend Sunday morning worship at Norway's National Cathedral, Nidaros, in Trondheim.
In the afternoon, take a bus tour to Stiklestad, the place where Saint Olaf was killed. The Stiklestad Church is a stone church built in 1180. Visit the Stiklestad National Cultural Center.
Visit the Thamspaviljongen in Orkanger — the Norwegian pavilion for the 1893 World Fair in Chicago. It was later moved to a tourist site called Little Norway in Horicon, Wisconsin, and when that closed, the building was moved to Orkanger. It is designed to look like a Norwegian stave church.
Visit the Rennebu Church and share a meal at a prayer house (bedehus) together with local members of the Mission Society (Normisjon). Stay overnight at a Mission Society retreat center.
Drive to the western coast of Norway and begin the tour through “Fjord Country.” This includes a drive on Trollstigen, a road that twists through eleven hairpin bends as it rises from the Romsdalen Valley to a mountain pass.
Continue on to the town of Geiranger, where steep mountainsides, towering waterfalls, deep fjords and lush valleys make this stretch of road one of Norway's most dramatic attractions. Stay at the 4-star Union Hotel in Geiranger for two nights.
Spend the full day in Geiranger. Take a fjord cruise on the famous Geirangerfjord — one of two fjords in Norway on the UN World Heritage List.
Continue the drive alongside fjords, across mountains, through tunnels and by glaciers. Arrive in the evening at Balestrand, a town on the Sognefjord, Norway's longest and deepest fjord. Stay at the historic 4-star Kviknes Hotel.
Leave Balestrand and drive to the Borgund Stave Church (stavkirke). Old Norwegian wooden churches have a unique architecture built around wooden pillars called staves. Norway once had about a thousand stave churches; now there are 23 left. Borgund is one of the most famous, and there is an exact replica in the Black Hills in Rapid City, South Dakota.
Drive to Flåm and ride the Flåm train (Flåmbana) up the mountainside to Myrdal. The Flåm train is one of Norway's most popular tourist attractions. Along the way, the train stops at the popular waterfall Kjosfossen.
From Myrdal, travel on to Bergen, where the group will stay for two nights.
Take a tour of the city of Bergen with a local guide. The tour ends at Fløibanen, the funicular (cable railway) that goes to the top of Mount Fløyen for panoramic views of the city and harbor.
Take the train across Norway from west to east, Bergen to Oslo. Enjoy the spectacular views as the train travels along the fjord, climbs the mountain to the Hardanger plateau, and then descends through the Hallingdal valley.
Sunday evening, attend worship in Oslo at Storsalen, a church affiliated with the Norwegian Mission Society.
Three full days in Oslo with many scheduled activities. You can also choose to explore on your own or meet with Norwegian relatives and friends. Everyone will receive an Oslo Card, which gives free admission to most museums and public transportation around Oslo.
Group activities include:
- Monday: Norwegian Folk Museum (featuring buildings from across Norway, the Stave Church from Gol, the Oslo Prison where Hans Nielsen Hauge was held, and Norwegian folk dancers), with opportunities to visit the Kontiki Museum and Flåm Museum.
- Tuesday: Walking tour of the Oslo harbor, Oslo City Hall, and the palace area. Take the trolley to Frogner Park to see Vigeland's statues. Train ride to Frognerseteren for a meal overlooking the city.
- Wednesday: Boat trip in the Oslo Fjord to Hovedoya, an island with the ruins of an ancient monastery. Attend worship at the Oslo cathedral and walk to Gamle Aker Kirke, where Hans Nielsen Hauge is buried.
The group will also be checking for special events in Oslo during the visit. In 2025, most participants chose to attend a performance at the Oslo Opera.
For the tour finale, take a bus to Fredrikstad to visit Hans Nielsen Hauge's boyhood home. Also visit a school run by the Norwegian Mission Society.
Return to Oslo in the evening for the farewell banquet.
Take the flight home to the United States.
Join Us on This Journey
Whether you have Norwegian heritage or simply want to celebrate the way the Christian faith has been passed down through the generations, we would love to have you join us.