Valborg bonfires, 17 May and the first nights without darkness
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Travel ideas · March–May
In spring the north wakes up in just a few weeks. In March you can still see the northern lights in the far north, at the end of April the Valborg bonfires burn across Sweden, and in mid-May the midnight sun begins at the North Cape. It’s quieter than summer, but you do need to watch the winter rules for the roads.
Researched by Arjan from Zuidlaren, so you don’t have to · Sources: Visit Sweden, Visit Norway, Visit Norway · updated 24 October 2026 · About this page
Overview
| Months | March, April and May |
|---|---|
| Light | Days lengthen fast; midnight sun at the North Cape from ± 14 May (Visit Norway) |
| Celebrations | Valborg (30 April, Sweden) (Visit Sweden); 17 May (Norway) (Visit Norway) |
| Note | Winter tyre and stud rules in the north run on into April |
| Price | Price: see the provider’s official website |
Ideas
Join in with Valborg on 30 April: bonfires are lit and spring songs sung all over Sweden, including at the Skansen open-air museum in Stockholm. (Visit Sweden)
In Norway, 17 May is the national day, with children’s parades, brass bands and lots of flags. In Oslo the centre is largely car-free that day. (Visit Norway)
Head north in March and you still have a chance of seeing the northern lights: in Tromsø until early April, and in northern Finland March and early April are especially good according to the Finnish Meteorological Institute. (source: Visit Tromsø, Ilmatieteen laitos (Finnish Meteorological Institute))
Days out
A few days out we’ve already looked into; the current price and opening times are always at the source.
Location: Tromsø Type: Tour · evening
An evening in a small group of no more than 15 people, with a campfire, hot stew and warm drinks. According to the provider, a thermal suit and boots are included. The tour lasts around 8 hours, so expect a late night.
Also via Viator
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Location: Stockholm (Djurgården) Type: Museum · indoors
The Vasa Museum is all about one ship: the Vasa, a warship that sank on her maiden voyage in 1628 and was raised centuries later. A guided tour around the ship is included in the entry, and there’s a 17-minute film. The museum suggests allowing about 90 minutes.
All prices: adult 1 May – 30 Sep: SEK 240 (± € 22); adult Jan–Apr and Oct–Dec: SEK 195 (± € 18); ages 0–18: free
Distance: ± 1,550 km from Utrecht (± 16.9 hrs drive, one way, no breaks); ± 4 km from Stockholm (± 0.2 hrs) (OSRM, 21 Oct 2026)
Season: all year; Jun–Aug 8:30–18:00
Suitable for: families (ages 0–18 free), couples; wheelchair accessible
The museum is entirely card-only (no cash).
Accessible for visitors with disabilities; disabled parking at the entrance.
Prices according to vasamuseet.se, checked on 21 Oct 2026 · euro amounts ± converted at the Norges Bank rate on that day.
Also via official website · location on the map
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Location: Oslo (Bygdøy) Type: Museum · indoors
The Fram Museum on Bygdøy houses the polar ship Fram, which Nansen and Amundsen sailed to the Arctic and Antarctic. You can go on board and below deck, into the cabins and the engine room. The ship Gjøa is there too.
All prices: adult: NOK 180 (± € 17); child/student: NOK 70 (± € 6.66); family (2 adults + up to 5 children): NOK 400 (± € 38); combo Fram + Kon-Tiki, family (on site only): NOK 720 (± € 68); with the Oslo Pass: free
Distance: ± 1,507 km from Utrecht (± 16.6 hrs drive, one way, no breaks); ± 9 km from Oslo (± 0.2 hrs) (OSRM, 21 Oct 2026)
Season: open daily; 1 May–30 Sep 9:30–18:00, Oct–Apr 10–17
Suitable for: families, couples; mostly wheelchair accessible (not below deck)
Reachable by bus 30 or (all year) the boat from the Rådhus, pier 3. (frammuseum.no)
One adult and one children’s wheelchair are available to borrow.
The button goes to a comparable tour on GetYourGuide.
Prices according to frammuseum.no, checked on 21 Oct 2026 · euro amounts ± converted at the Norges Bank rate on that day.
Also via official website · location on the map
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Location: Bergen Type: Outdoors · Funicular
★ 4.7 (Google, 5,482 reviews, via Wanderlog, 21 Oct 2026)
This funicular takes you from the centre of Bergen up Mount Fløyen in a few minutes. At the top you look out over the city and the harbour, and there are playgrounds, a small lake and marked walking trails. You can also walk back down.
The button goes to Bergen: Full-Day Fjord Cruise, Historic City Tour, & Fløien Funicular on Tiqets.
Also via official website · more tours on GetYourGuide
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Location: Copenhagen (Nyhavn) Type: Boat trip
Canal boats leave from the colourful houses of Nyhavn and cruise through Copenhagen’s harbours and canals. Netto-Bådene runs all year, with 2 to 3 boats a day in winter. A trip takes about an hour.
All prices: Netto-Bådene adult 15+: DKK 80 (± € 11); Netto-Bådene child 3–14: DKK 40 (± € 5.35); 0–2: free (on a lap); Stromma Classic Canal Tour from Nyhavn, adult 16+, from: DKK 149 (± € 20); Stromma child 6–15: 50% of the adult fare; 1 child 0–5 free per paying adult
Distance: ± 903 km from Utrecht (± 9.6 hrs drive, one way, no breaks) (OSRM, 21 Oct 2026)
Season: all year
Suitable for: families, couples; not with a wheelchair or pushchair (Netto-Bådene)
No toilet on board; no pushchairs, bikes or wheelchairs on board with Netto-Bådene. (havnerundfart.dk)
Prices according to havnerundfart.dk, stromma.com, stromma.com, checked on 21 Oct 2026 · euro amounts ± converted at the Norges Bank rate on that day.
Also via Tiqets · official website · location on the map
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Location: Helsinki (Kauppatori) Type: Ferry · island
The sea fortress of Suomenlinna, on a group of islands off Helsinki, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You get there on the regular HSL ferry from Market Square (Kauppatori), with an AB public transport ticket.
Distance: ± 3,306 km from Utrecht (± 39.2 hrs drive, one way, no breaks) (OSRM, 21 Oct 2026)
Season: all year
Buy your ticket before boarding; no tickets are sold on the boat (according to HSL). (hsl.fi)
The button goes to From Helsinki: Round-Trip Ferry Ticket to Suomenlinna on GetYourGuide.
Also via Tiqets · official website · location on the map
Advertisement · affiliate linkNorthern lights
| Where | Best period according to the source |
|---|---|
| Tromsø | Late August–early April (Visit Tromsø) |
| Iceland | September–April (Visit Iceland) |
| Finnish Lapland | On about half of dark, clear nights; March and early April are especially good (Ilmatieteen laitos (Finnish Meteorological Institute)) |
Read more about places and chances under seeing the northern lights.
On the road
Up north, March and April often still mean winter on the roads. These are the tyre rules by country:
| Country | Winter tyres | Studded tyres |
|---|---|---|
| Norway | At least 3 mm tread from 1 November to the first Sunday after Easter Monday; in Nordland, Troms and Finnmark from 16 October to 30 April (Statens vegvesen) | In the same periods (outside them when the weather calls for it), on all wheels |
| Sweden | 1 December–31 March mandatory in wintry conditions, foreign cars included (Transportstyrelsen) | 1 October–15 April, outside that only in wintry conditions |
| Finland | 1 November–31 March mandatory when the weather or road conditions call for it (Traficom) | In the same period, on all tyres |
| Denmark | No date-based winter tyre requirement; clearly unsuitable tyres can lead to a fine (Færdselsstyrelsen) | 1 November–15 April, on all wheels |
| Iceland | Winter tyres at least 3 mm tread (Reykjavíkurborg) | 1 November–15 April |
More rules by country: traffic rules in Scandinavia.
Quick to sort
FAQ
On 30 April. Bonfires are lit all over Sweden to welcome the spring (Visit Sweden).
In Tromsø until early April (Visit Tromsø). In northern Finland, March and early April are especially good according to the Finnish Meteorological Institute.
In northern Norway the winter rules apply until 30 April, and in Sweden studded tyres are allowed until 15 April. Check the table on this page and the official source for each country.
Accountability
Every number and every rule on this page comes from a source. Here they all are in one place, checked on 24 October 2026. We only mention prices if the provider publishes them itself; otherwise we refer you to the official website.
💛 To be upfront: this page contains a few affiliate links, marked “Advertisement · affiliate link”. If you book through one, we receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. That’s how we keep this site running. We decide for ourselves what we recommend. Read the full disclaimer.