Join us for this intimate journey through the heart of Norway’s knitting traditions and some of the country’s most spectacular landscapes. From the historic streets of Trondheim and the birthplace of the iconic Selbu mitten, we travel off the beaten path to tiny islands, working wool mills, mountain farms, and dramatic fjords. Along the way, you’ll meet local makers, explore centuries-old textile traditions, learn new knitting skills, and discover how Norway’s rich heritage continues to inspire contemporary design. With plenty of time to knit, linger over good food, enjoy the scenery and simply slow down, this journey is as much about experiencing the Norwegian way of life as it is about wool. Pack your needles and join us as we unravel Norway, one stitch at a time.

This trip needs at least 10 participants in order to proceed (i.e. the trip is "guaranteed"). We strongly advise you to wait to purchase your flights until the trip is guaranteed by us to go forward. Unless otherwise stated, our regular Terms and Conditions apply to this trip and for any cancellations.

Please Note

Rowan Tree Travel reserves the right to alter any part of this itinerary in order to address weather conditions, unforeseen circumstances or to improve the participant experience.

While our Tour Activity Level describes what to expect on a tour, our Mobility Comfort Level is personal to each traveler.

We would describe this trip as a Woolly Wander with a mobility comfort level of 2️⃣+. Expect some short walks with cobble stones in Trondheim; limited ground floor rooms at two properties; two of the properties will require doing one or two flights of stairs as there are no lifts; be prepared to board different modes of transportation such as boats and buses, requiring stairs and/ or landings

Rowan Tree Travel highly recommends purchasing travel insurance. You may purchase through our preferred partner Arch RoamRight here or through your own provider.  

*Arch RoamRight is an affiliate of RTTF and we will receive a small commission for policies bought through the provided link.

In order to gather easily for the tour, we provide an arrival and departure "window" at a major transportation hub - typically an international airport at your destination country. Flights scheduled outside the provided windows may result in additional transportation costs and/or missed tour activities. For this reason, we greatly appreciate your cooperation in booking travel that accommodates our specifications. 

This tour will start in Trondheim (TRD) and end in Ålesund (AES). Flight details will be provided upon registration and confirmed once the tour has been declared a go.

Please do not purchase airfare until the tour is guaranteed by RTTF to go forward.

COBBLESTONES, MITTENS, PASTRIES & YARN

We arrive in the beautiful city of Trondheim in the middle of Norway. We'll check in at our centrally located hotel, which is an excellent place to start exploring the city. The hotel is located in a modern and chic part of town and is renowned for its excellent breakfast. We will have a short orientation meeting at the hotel before we do a small yarn crawl in the city. In the evening, we will enjoy our first dinner together. 

Our second day in Trondheim will see us board our coach for Selbu. Selbu is a small village outside Trondheim where the quintessential Norwegian knitting tradition was created: the Selbu mitten. We will visit a small museum that showcases this tradition with a local guide. After lunch in Selbu, we'll head to Klæbu, where the wonderful little spinnery Selbu mill is located. Prepare for a delightful tour of the mill and excellent shopping opportunities before venturing back to Trondheim for an evening to enjoy on your own. 

Our third day in Trondheim will be a leisurely one. We start the day with a guided tour of Trondheim's renowned landmark, Nidaros Cathedral. Nidaros is the largest gothic cathedral in the Nordic countries and also houses the Norwegian royal regalia. Prepare to be stunned before you have the rest of the day to wander the streets of charming Trondheim. Be sure to pick up a pastry or two as Norwegians love - and know how to make - their pastries. 

ON THE EDGE OF THE NORTH SEA

Our journey will continue at sea! After breakfast at the hotel we will board the express boat service from Trondheim to Ringholmen. Nestled off the coast of Tustna, near Kristiansund, Ringholmen is a delightful small islet offering cozy accommodations, a delightful restaurant, and a serene seascape. Originally a historic fishing hub for clipfish, Ringholmen’s old processing house has been thoughtfully transformed into a welcoming hotel and restaurant, preserving its traditional character while offering modern comforts and local cuisine. After a homemade lunch prepared with local ingredients, Birger - your Norwegian fiber ambassador - will host a Selbu mitten knitting workshop. The rest of the day will be yours to explore the island and relax. Perhaps a dive from the floating sauna before our dinner together? 

Our second day at sea will be a leisurely one. Now that you know how to knit a Selbu mitten, Birger will take you through how to design a Selbu mitten in a second workshop. If you’d like, you may also sign up for a thrilling rib boat tour or spend some time in the sauna. We’ll enjoy all our meals together at the restaurant, knitting in front of the fireplace and enjoy the sea breeze. 

INTO THE DEEP FJORDS

After a short ferry ride from Ringholmen, we will take a stunning bus ride over the Atlantic Ocean Road, a famed stretch of county road covering many tiny islands at the edge of the Atlantic Ocean. We will stop for a lunch at Bjartmars favorittkro, before we head on to Åndalsnes. Upon arrival in Åndalsnes, we will settle at the hotel set in stunning scenery and enjoy a wine tasting from the northernmost winery in the world. Be prepared for some fun stories and a competition! We’ll be enjoying our farm to table dinner at the restaurant, then relax and knit in front of the cozy fireplace. 

Our second day in Åndalsnes will see us visit the second largest yarn mill in Norway, with their stunning array of high quality wool in all colors imaginable. Be prepared for some major shopping at the factory outlet. We will spend a little time in the town centre for some shopping and lunch before we’ll enjoy a gondola ride up to a restaurant at the top of the mountain, with stunning views of the landscape! Relax with a drink, wander around, or just simply enjoy the stunning views before the gondola takes us down the mountain and we head back to the hotel for a relaxing evening. 

On our third day in Åndalsnes, the wonderful Golden train will take us through the stunning landscapes of the Rauma valley and up to the mountains. Prepare for plenty of photo ops whilst knitting during the relaxing train ride. The train will take us back to Åndalsnes before we head over to the Rauma factory outlet one last time. Our coach will take us back to the hotel where you are free to explore the landscape or just relax and knit. 

MOUNTAINS, FJORDS & ART NOVEAU

If you thought that you had already seen spectacular views, you have even more to look forward to. A bus ride will take us from Åndalsnes via Bjørke to Ålesund via the famous trolls ladder, a steep road winding up to the very mountain top. We will visit Hjørundfjordstrikk, an old farm that knit designers have made into a hub for local knitting. We'll enjoy a lecture on how they transform traditional patterns into modern designs before we have opportunity to shop local yarns and take in the stunning scenery.

On our second day in Ålesund, a comfortable old steamer will take us into one of the most beautiful and famous fjords in Norway. Sit back, enjoy the views and knit your way through the dramatic landscapes. Upon returning to the town, we'll have time to roam the beautiful streets, famed for its Art Nouveau architecture. We will return to the hotel for our farewell dinner.

And then it is time to say our goodbyes. Enjoy an indulgent breakfast and head up to Ålesund airport Vigra, connecting you to your flight back home.

"2026 Norway Unraveled: Knits, Traditions and Nature was an exceptionally well designed and curated tour. We saw a lot, learned a lot, ate very well and stayed at lovely hotels, but most importantly, had multiple opportunities to visit yarn shops and fill our suitcases!" -Annie S

🧶 "I highly recommend the Norway Unraveled trip! The itinerary is excellent and we did a lot of interesting things from fiber mills, to "living" museums, to working farms to staying on a tiny remote island and former fishing facility. Truly unique and truly special. Traveling with Birger and Sydney is an utter joy. They make for an exceptional team and you will have a blast being on their trip. This is a very special trip and you'll learn a lot about Norway in general and Norwegian knitting as well." Carolyn H

Birger is an avid knitter with great passion for knitting traditions, traditional techniques and anything fiber related. Birger gained traction in the knitting community from 2016 and forward through his Instagram account. Since then, Birger has published two books of his own and participated with patterns in several other book projects along with other designers. Birger is known for adapting traditional styles to modern knitwear and always looks to history for inspiration. As an educated historian, Birger is keenly aware of how important knitting has been for not only keeping warm, but also for a sense of identity and pride.

Sydney is a voracious knitter, designer, and knitwear historian. She has been knitting and studying fashion history for over fifteen years and recently turned her passions into a career at Squid's School of Vintage Knitting, an online school devoted to the education and love of historical knitwear. Her work in the knitting world is also supplemented by her academic background in film history, and she tries to combine the two as often as possible. In collaboration with Rowan Tree Travel, Sydney works to develop tours that have a historical or vintage bent, often with elaborately themed and niche activities! With over ten years of working in the fiber industry, Sydney continues to love meeting other knitters and sharing fiber experiences with them more than anything else. You can find her at patreon.com/squidschool or over on Instagram as @squidneyknits.