We took our kids to Copenhagen last year when they were 8 and 15 and they both really enjoyed the Workers Museum (Arbejdermuseet) and The Round Tower. They liked Rosenborg Castle (the Crown Jewels are there and thrones made of narwhal tusks) and Amalienborg Palace (there was an exposition of the Queen's private jewelry collection there). And they loved going to Normal and Flying Tiger (two shops). My biggest advice is to leave time to wander! Copenhagen is a great city for wandering. Find a bakery your kids want to visit and walk there! Just enjoy walking around and having the tie to discover things on your own.
My kids also greatly enjoy watching episodes of Richard Ayoade's Travel Man for the places we are going (on Amazon Prime and Tubi). I know that he has an episode in Copenhagen and another in Bergen (and I think Oslo too).
How fun! This is a wonderful itinerary. Stockholm is my second home, and I have traveled extensively throughout Scandinavia, so I have a few ideas. In the summer, outside is where the Scandinavians love to be. The island of Djurgården in Stockholm is leafy, green, magical and has lots of things to see. One of these is the Vasa ship museum, an absolute must-see -- a 17th-century battleship that sank on its maiden voyage and has been recovered intact and restored in all its glory, housed in a huge building. The outdoor museum Skansen is definitely worth checking out... in particular the zoo with animals of Sweden. I love to grab lunch at the wonderful buffet at Blå Porten (The Blue Gate), which has a beautiful outdoor courtyard with tables. If you'd like to take a lovely walk, you can make the Djurkyrkogård (Animal Cemetery) a goal. It's a little-known spot for tourists. The outdoor swimming places around Stockholm are wonderful; the city is built on islands, so they are everywhere. A good central one is Långholmsbadet If you're at Hagaparken, there are a couple of swimming places along Brunnsvik. A great place for afternoon coffee/pastry or lunch is Flickorna Helin on Djugården. Södermalm was a working peoples' island in Stockholm, but now it's fashionable. There is an outdoor cafe with a great view out over Stockholm on Södermalm: Mosebacke Terrassen. A good restaurant on Södermalm is Blå Dörren (the Blue Door, not to be confused with Blå Porten). They have tasty Swedish husmanskost (traditional food). The same is true, in the northern neighborhood of Stockholm, of Tennstopet or Tranan (The Crane). Tranan has a herring plate to die for, if you like that kind of thing. Another site worth visiting is the Stadshuset (City Hall), where the Nobel banquet is held. You have to go on a tour, but it is an interesting one. There used to be a stand not far from the City Hall by the water that sold fresh herring (strömming) open-faced sandwiches. Really tasty. And the outdoor icecream stands are everywhere in the summer; look for the long lines for the best ice cream. When my son was your boys' age, he enjoyed the Royal Armoury at the Palace and the viking exhibits at the Historical Museum. The viking treasure room there will blow you away... I can guarantee that you have never seen that much gold in one place before. Because I live in the northern part of Stockholm (everything is pretty close by, it's not a sprawling city), I am partial to Vasaparken (always lively with lots of folks and ice cream) and Hagaparken, an enormous area with Crown Princess Victoria's residence (I have seen her out jogging with her jogging stroller), and fanciful monuments from Gustav III's reign (late 1700s) like the "copper tents." Worth seeing!
In Copenhagen, you should definitely go to a smørrebrød restaurant, where they serve delicious, artistic open-faced sandwiches. A great traditional one is Schønnemann's, and a wonderful new one is Restaurant Carl Nielsen. Just outside of Copenhagen, easily accessible by train, is the Bakken amusement park. Wonderful place for kids and adults, an older park with rides and attractions. If you're heading to Kviknes from Oslo, you could take the route that takes you through Lillehammer (where there is an outstanding outdoor folk museum, Maihaugen) and Gudbrandsdal, a valley region that is stunningly beautiful. Trevlig resa!
Tivoli Gardens comes immediately to mind, of course, as well as perhaps the OG Legoland. I went when I was 16 and enjoyed it. Also it's fantastic that you will be there for solstice - it doesn't get dark! Look for local midsummer festivities.
We took our kids to Copenhagen last year when they were 8 and 15 and they both really enjoyed the Workers Museum (Arbejdermuseet) and The Round Tower. They liked Rosenborg Castle (the Crown Jewels are there and thrones made of narwhal tusks) and Amalienborg Palace (there was an exposition of the Queen's private jewelry collection there). And they loved going to Normal and Flying Tiger (two shops). My biggest advice is to leave time to wander! Copenhagen is a great city for wandering. Find a bakery your kids want to visit and walk there! Just enjoy walking around and having the tie to discover things on your own.
My kids also greatly enjoy watching episodes of Richard Ayoade's Travel Man for the places we are going (on Amazon Prime and Tubi). I know that he has an episode in Copenhagen and another in Bergen (and I think Oslo too).
How fun! This is a wonderful itinerary. Stockholm is my second home, and I have traveled extensively throughout Scandinavia, so I have a few ideas. In the summer, outside is where the Scandinavians love to be. The island of Djurgården in Stockholm is leafy, green, magical and has lots of things to see. One of these is the Vasa ship museum, an absolute must-see -- a 17th-century battleship that sank on its maiden voyage and has been recovered intact and restored in all its glory, housed in a huge building. The outdoor museum Skansen is definitely worth checking out... in particular the zoo with animals of Sweden. I love to grab lunch at the wonderful buffet at Blå Porten (The Blue Gate), which has a beautiful outdoor courtyard with tables. If you'd like to take a lovely walk, you can make the Djurkyrkogård (Animal Cemetery) a goal. It's a little-known spot for tourists. The outdoor swimming places around Stockholm are wonderful; the city is built on islands, so they are everywhere. A good central one is Långholmsbadet If you're at Hagaparken, there are a couple of swimming places along Brunnsvik. A great place for afternoon coffee/pastry or lunch is Flickorna Helin on Djugården. Södermalm was a working peoples' island in Stockholm, but now it's fashionable. There is an outdoor cafe with a great view out over Stockholm on Södermalm: Mosebacke Terrassen. A good restaurant on Södermalm is Blå Dörren (the Blue Door, not to be confused with Blå Porten). They have tasty Swedish husmanskost (traditional food). The same is true, in the northern neighborhood of Stockholm, of Tennstopet or Tranan (The Crane). Tranan has a herring plate to die for, if you like that kind of thing. Another site worth visiting is the Stadshuset (City Hall), where the Nobel banquet is held. You have to go on a tour, but it is an interesting one. There used to be a stand not far from the City Hall by the water that sold fresh herring (strömming) open-faced sandwiches. Really tasty. And the outdoor icecream stands are everywhere in the summer; look for the long lines for the best ice cream. When my son was your boys' age, he enjoyed the Royal Armoury at the Palace and the viking exhibits at the Historical Museum. The viking treasure room there will blow you away... I can guarantee that you have never seen that much gold in one place before. Because I live in the northern part of Stockholm (everything is pretty close by, it's not a sprawling city), I am partial to Vasaparken (always lively with lots of folks and ice cream) and Hagaparken, an enormous area with Crown Princess Victoria's residence (I have seen her out jogging with her jogging stroller), and fanciful monuments from Gustav III's reign (late 1700s) like the "copper tents." Worth seeing!
In Copenhagen, you should definitely go to a smørrebrød restaurant, where they serve delicious, artistic open-faced sandwiches. A great traditional one is Schønnemann's, and a wonderful new one is Restaurant Carl Nielsen. Just outside of Copenhagen, easily accessible by train, is the Bakken amusement park. Wonderful place for kids and adults, an older park with rides and attractions. If you're heading to Kviknes from Oslo, you could take the route that takes you through Lillehammer (where there is an outstanding outdoor folk museum, Maihaugen) and Gudbrandsdal, a valley region that is stunningly beautiful. Trevlig resa!
Tivoli Gardens comes immediately to mind, of course, as well as perhaps the OG Legoland. I went when I was 16 and enjoyed it. Also it's fantastic that you will be there for solstice - it doesn't get dark! Look for local midsummer festivities.