If you’re considering a VIP tour of the Nordic countries and territories, then you’ve probably come across Scandinavia Private Tours. It’s widely considered to be among the best premium options in the space, and super popular right now.
But we didn’t want to take the internet’s word for it. We wanted to check it out ourselves to see what it is like.
So, was it worth it? And what did we think? In this no-holds-barred review, we run through everything you need to know, including some of the things that we’d like to see the service improve in the future.
Who Is Scandinavia Private Tours For?
Before we dive into the main review, it’s worth mentioning who Scandinavia Private Tours is for. We wouldn’t recommend it for solo backpackers going from one hostel to another. It’s not that kind of budget travel service.
It’s also not for people who want to do everything themselves, including all the logistics. It’s more for people who are looking for a service that will do all of the donkey work for them so they don’t have to think about it.
You’ll want to think about whether you fit into the type of clientele Scandinavia Private Tours wants to serve. Usually, you’ll be time-poor and want to get everything you need to get done in whatever period you have available, but with none of the usual hassle associated with travel.
The Pros Of Scandinavia Private Tours
So, what really stood out to us about this service? Why would you want to use it instead of something else?
Fully-Customizable Tours, VIP Standards
The biggest draw of the service is the fact that it offers fully-customizable tours to a high, VIP standard. This is something we’d like to see more often from a greater number of providers, so we’re glad to see it here.
Really, you should think of Scandinavia Private Tours as a boutique service. That’s what we did. When you look at it this way, it almost becomes natural to get the female-led team to arrange everything around your needs.
For example, you can do things like book into optional luxury hotels or go and visit places that are off the beaten track. It’s really your decision about what you do.
Hassle-Free Inclusions
As part of this, we really liked the hassle-free inclusions. It’s really annoying when you pay for a package and then the operator demands more money from you in separate payments for services you use. Most of these should be included, and we were pleased to see that’s what Scandinavia Private Tours does.
For example, one of the things it does is include restaurant reservations. After a long day of touring, booking a meal out in a strange city in a foreign country is the last thing we wanted to do. But the fact that Scandinavia Private Tours was ahead of the game on this was really something exciting and rewarding for us.
Good Reputation
Another thing we liked about Scandinavia Private Tours was that we weren’t just taking a shot in the dark. The company has served countless travellers over the years, and has plenty of five-star reviews online. As such, we felt like we were in good company and that our impressions of the operator were broadly in line with other people’s experiences. The positive reviews on independent third-party platforms, like TrustPilot, were the icing on the cake and confirmed our experience.
Distant Travel Options
You’ll also find that Scandinavia Private Tours offers distant travel options to locations you’d never usually expect. Standard operators take you to Norway and perhaps Finland, but this operator was willing to go all the way to Greenland and Iceland if we wanted to see the most spectacular territories and wildernesses. It was quite remarkable. This is even more extraordinary when you realize that only around 50,000 people live on the coast of Greenland, making the territory among the most undiscovered across the globe.
U.S.-Based Phone Numbers And English Communication
Lastly, we were pleasantly surprised to see that Scandinavia Private Tours offers English-first communication. Everyone we spoke to was able to converse with us in the way we wanted. We didn’t need to learn any Nordic languages, which was a real blessing. There was no need for Google Translate at any time, so we could just request something and it would be given to us. That’s what the experience should be like on a boutique VIP private tour in our book.
The Cons Of Scandinavia Private Travel
As with all services, we did notice a couple of minor downsides. There was nothing that made us think we should go with someone else, but there were a couple of things you should be aware of.
One of those things is that Scandinavia Private Tours is actually registered in the UK and operated by PTE Travel. They have plenty of expertise in travel to the region, but this fact is worth bearing in mind. They aren’t Scandinavians themselves, but they’re able to converse with Nordic peoples and make all the arrangements you need.
They also have premium pricing, so you shouldn’t use the operator if you’re looking to travel on a budget. You won’t get too far if you do that. However, we noticed that the price per person came down quite significantly if the group size was larger, so that was an added benefit we didn’t expect.
Then, lastly, with traveling to such extreme locations in the far north, weather is a factor. Sometimes planes aren’t flying or it’s just unsafe to travel to particular locations, so that’s worth bearing in mind.
Summary: What We Thought
So, what did we think of Scandinavia Private Tours? Ultimately, this operator is for anyone looking for a done-for-you-service that really covers all bases with luxury add-ons. For this reason, we agree with the operator’s five-star review and is a service that we would happily use frequently if given the chance.
