Classic Saga Tour 2027

Nine Nights!

Friday August 20th to Sunday August 29th

I welcome you to an unforgettable nine nights with me on my adopted island home of Gotland.

Together we’ll explore this magical isle, as I show you the landscapes and artifacts which have inspired my writing.

The Circle of Ceridwen Saga will come alive for you as it never has, I promise. We will see what Ceridwen and Sidroc, Tindr and Rannveig saw – and understand why they loved this island so much.

 

Ready to reserve your spot?  Click here.

From the famed painted standing stones which first drew me here in 1999, to the imagined site of Tyrsborg, you will be at my side as we explore the island that provided haven to two in a tiny storm-tossed boat in The Claiming. We will admire the abundance of silver and gold treasure resulting from the Silk Road trade, as undertaken by Sidroc’s agents Runulv and Eskil in To the Sun and Treasure. In a luxury coach we will travel north, south, and east to take in the changing landscapes of the island, view an abundance of Bronze and Iron Age monuments the Saga Folk would have seen, and revel in some of its most majestic rauks – those limestone towers which told Sidroc that shore they approached was Gotland.

We will spend time at a working Gotland lamm farm – a sheep farm raising traditional Gotlandic sheep; visit an ancient pre-Christian Sacred Spring, still part of the Pilgrimage Trail traversed by those journeying between Gotland’s 100 medieval churches; walk around the base of Uggarde Rojr, the island’s largest Bronze Age burial mound, and just possibly the resting place of the heroic Beowulf; venture up to the island of Fårö, home of our new friend Uffa from Book Twelve, Treasure; and after many adventures together enjoy our Farewell Feast in an extraordinary setting – that same Standing Stone Room in the Gotlands Museum which brought me here to this island 27 years ago.

Our base will be the beloved Hotell S:t Clemens, in the very heart of historic Visby, located just across the road from the Botanical Garden in which I walk every morning, recorder in hand, as the Saga Folk – the characters – tell me of their lives. The S:t Clemens is famed for their excellent and abundant breakfast buffet, friendly staff, and caring attitude. Each room in this hotel has its own character, and all have private baths. On the grounds of the hotel sits the soaring ruins of the Romanesque Church of S:t Clemens, a delightful spot to carry your morning coffee, or just sit and reflect in peace and quiet. We will be taking over the entire hotel for the duration of our Tour, adding to the sense of community and intimacy we already share.

“I couldn’t have been happier with the Hotell S:t Clemens. The staff were honestly the most friendly and accommodating group of people… My room was like a home away from home. I could not fault anything. The breakfasts were very tasty and the food was replenished promptly.”
– Guest Sandra S.

Niclas Bylund of Creative Gotland will again be our Tour Operator, with whom I worked on three memorable Saga Tours in 2023 and 2025. Nick is a native Gotlander and a highly respected member of our travel community. And I am delighted to be ably assisted on this Classic Saga Tour by long time readers Shaya Hadley-Beaver and Liz Faulkner, both returning for their third time to Gotland. All four of us will do our best to assure that your special week is as happy as it is memorable.

We have created a dedicated Facebook Group just for this Tour, in which you will learn much more about Visby, Gotland, and our itinerary, and be able to introduce yourself to other guests. Shaya and Liz administer this group, and I will be in there every day as well. Once you are in the Facebook Tour group, please let Shaya or Liz know if you need a room with the least number of steps leading to it. We will do our very best to accommodate you.

We have a limited number of single rooms at the S:t Clemens, and hope that as guests have in past years, some of you will be willing to pair up with another. Shaya and Liz will help you pair up, if you need assistance.

We shall have four excursions around the island in a luxury motorcoach, taking us north, east, and south, and up to the island of Fårö. On three of these Gotland Guide Jan Luthman will accompany us as we explore Bronze Age, Early Iron Age, and Viking Era sites. A Native Gotlander, Janne will enrich our viewing with his store of local knowledge.

I have carefully planned our outings to show you the places that have inspired the Saga. And I want you to have experiences that most visitors never have – things that make Gotland so distinctive a destination. Along the way you’ll see exceptional landscapes, ancient monuments which Ceridwen and Sidroc would have seen, visit historic farms, and meet some wonderful Gotlanders. Oh, yes – and we shall eat some yummy food, as well!

This is what I’ve planned for you:

We begin with a Welcome Reception on Friday afternoon August 20th in the garden of the Hotell S:t Clemens. We’ll enjoy Gotlandic sweets and coffee and tea, and introduce ourselves. This is our chance to meet and mingle, and even renew friendships made during prior Saga Tours.

On Saturday August 21st, the morning is free for you to rest and explore. In the early afternoon we visit Visby’s famed Gotlands Museum. In their collection are the majestic Standing Stones, rich with visual information of early Gotlandic history, which first brought me to the island in 1999. We will view an immense amount of gold and silver treasure unearthed from some of Gotland’s 700 buried hoards, and enjoy the new exhibition of the Viking Era, “Midgård” – Middle Earth. We follow this with a short walk around Visby, seeing some of the highlights of this UNESCO World Heritage medieval town.

Sunday August 22nd brings us our first bus excursion. The fascinating Norrlanda Fornstuga awaits us, a small open-air museum where the agricultural and fishing heritage of an earlier Gotland comes to life. We’ll wander through a collection of authentic Gotland farm and fishing buildings, including a boat house, flax drying shed, barn, and a farmhouse of immense if simple charm. Those who admire old hand tools will be in their glory here, and the boat shed with its fish weirs and stone anchors never fails to conjure up the lure of the nearby sea.

We’ll visit the studio of local textile artist Barbro Sandell, who employs historic designs in fresh and imaginative ways on both paper and fabric goods.

I want to share Garde Church with you. It dates from the 12th century and is rightly considered a “storybook” edifice, so elegant is its slender limestone tower, and so colourful its painted interior. Its interest in my eyes is deepened by a compelling ghost story concerning the church bell, of which we shall hear when inside…

We’ll stop at atmospheric Bronze, Iron Age and Viking-era graves and ship settings at Gålrum, where centuries of burial monuments sit serenely in beautiful open country. After lunch in a local restaurant, we’ll venture to Folhammar, a rauk-dotted and dramatic coast, where I’ll show you the place where Tyrsborg, the hall of Ceridwen and Sidroc, stood. (Yes!) This rock-strewn landscape and the towering pines will bring Book Five, Tindr to mind.

“Tyrsborg was the most emotional and spiritual for me, really brought the Saga to life!”
– Guest Deanna D.

Monday August 23rd brings us a mostly free day in Visby, punctuated by two special afternoon viewings. We’ll divide into two groups and see them both. The first is a guided tour by Nick Bylund of the impressive 13th century Kapitelhuset – the Chapter House – the medieval home of the old Bishops of Gotland. The second is cheek by jowl to Kapitelhuset, a tour and tasting of several ales at Gotland’s Bryggeri, our renowned local craft brewer. We will hear about the history of brewing, and enjoy a selection of ales of different styles. Ale was the common drink of all in the 9th century and we celebrate Rannveig the brewster who we meet fully in Book Four, The Hall of Tyr.

We board our coach and head east on Tuesday August 24th. We head north past the Bronze Age burial mound at Bro, stopping at the Bro Sacred Spring, a pre- Christian site still visited by those on the St Olaf’s Pilgrimage Trail. A short distance off Bro Church awaits us, one of Gotland’s most fascinating 12th century limestone churches, with much earlier standing stones incorporated into its fabric, a protruding 15th century tree trunk acting as a tie rod high up the tower, a secret stairwell, and many more surprises.

Then on to Vike Medieval Farm and garden, which will give us a very good idea of what a Viking Era farm such as Sidroc and Ceridwen’s upland farm looked like; next off to a coastal beauty spot, the natural limestone arch at Legrav. There at a seaside restaurant we will enjoy our lunch.

After lunch we’ll stop at an actual working lamm, or sheep farm. Wool was vital to the survival of the Saga Folk, and still forms an important part of the island economy. At Gisslause Gård we will be welcomed by Elisabeth, the owner, who will give us a real taste of working with the several breeds of sheep she raises, including the soft silver grey Gotland lamm, and the Gute, the original Gotlandic sheep, in which both ewes and rams sport horns. We’ll be able to interact with her flocks as she describes the challenges and satisfactions of being a modern shepherd.

“I loved all the wonderful glimpses of Saga life. I felt your passion greatly. I will say I am truly grateful for you giving me the opportunity to visit such a beautiful place. I felt a freedom I haven’t felt in a long time.”
– Guest Kim O.

Wednesday August 25th brings us another mostly free day, with a Book Club discussion with me in the afternoon in the ruins of St Clemens. We’ll enjoy an “otendagskaffi” – sweet treats and coffee and tea – as I tell you more about the background of the Saga, sign books you may have with you, and entertain your questions in an “ask me anything” format, which ought to be fun for us all.

“The ancient burial grounds at Gålrum really made an impact on me. I SO enjoyed just walking the grounds and thinking about the people who lived during those times and how they honored their loved ones who had passed.”
– Guest Angela C.

We head south on Thursday August 26th for a stirring outing, in which we will see Gotland’s largest ship setting (a monument of large stones in the outline of a longship) at Gannarve, then proceed to the grandest of all Bronze Age burial mounds on the island, Uggarde Rojr, which just may be the site of the burial mound of the hero Beowulf. We lunch at the elegant Strandakar resort, with small Bronze Age burial cairns dotting the property, then on our return to Visby, stop to walk the grounds of Kattlunds, a prosperous farm which goes back to at least 1294, and whose stone structures will not fail to impress.

Friday August 27th sees our final excursion, that to the northern tip of Gotland. From there an eight-minute ferry ride will carry our motorcoach across to view the seascape wonders of the small island of Fårö. The island’s full time population numbers about 500 residents – and 5,000 lamm, or sheep. Known for its towering and eerily beautiful limestone sea-stack towers, or rauks, we will visit some of the most intriguing of these silent sentinels. Fårö was the long-time home of late film director Ingmar Bergman, and its church is the site of his burial. I was a recipient of an Artistic Fellowship from the Bergman Estate in 2016, and while in residence there at one of Bergman’s properties began the writing of Book Six, Silver Hammer, Golden Cross. And the new character Uffa in Book Twelve, Treasure, is a Fårö native – just like the real-life man on whom I patterned him. We’ll have a fine lunch at a historic Fårö farm and return to Visby inspired by all we have seen, and imagined.

Saturday August 28th brings us to our final event together. Your day is free to indulge in last minute shopping and sightseeing in town, and then we’ll gather back at the Gotlands Museum for our Farewell Feast in the dramatic Picture Stone Hall. Sip bubbly as we again admire these unique records of early Nordic life, then sit down to a three course meal and eat amongst them. It is hard to imagine a more atmospheric and dramatic place to enjoy our last night together. I am looking forward to this with great and happy anticipation!

In short, the Classic Saga Tour brings you the best of Gotland’s inspiring landscapes, 8,000 year history, and abiding connection to The Circle of Ceridwen Saga. I will be with you every day, and you are sure to make fast friends within our group of brother and sister adventurers.

Additional activities: There will be plenty of free time to explore Visby on your own, wander its picturesque winding streets, relax in the beautiful Botanic Garden (right across from the Hotell S:t Clemens), visit the many medieval church ruins, shop for unique Gotland-made and Swedish-made crafts and clothing in local boutiques, sample Visby’s many cafes and restaurants, swim in the Baltic, rent a bicycle and explore the coastline, and so much more. If you would like to play golf on one of Gotland’s famed courses, or go horseback riding along forest trails or the beach, just let us know, and Nick Bylund will arrange this for you. We want you to have the richest experience possible while you are with us.

The medieval town of Visby has the distinction of being an UNESCO World Heritage Site, and when you are within its encircling walls, it is truly possible to return to an earlier time.

“Meeting you and the Saga trip was everything I hoped it would be and much more. I’m truly grateful we were all able to gather to celebrate your lovely Saga and beautiful Gotland. It’s truly a treasured memory for me.”
– Guest Kristi K.

See more photos and read guests’ comments from past Saga Tours here.

Tour Cost

As the tour operator I’m working with, Niclas Bylund of Creative Gotland, has a Swedish company, the tour cost is payable in Swedish Kronor (SEK), which your credit card company will automatically convert from your home currency.

Tour cost, including nine nights at the hotel with breakfast, all bus excursions, museum entries, and lunch on excursion days, Welcome Reception, and Farewell Medieval Feast is 50,495 SEK per person double occupancy, and 63,645 SEK single occupancy. This includes VAT (value added tax) of 25%. (Use an online currency converter to estimate your cost from your home currency.)

If you would like additional nights either before or after our Tour, the staff at the S:t Clemens will be happy to accommodate you.

We understand interest is high, and to make the selection process as fair as possible enrollment will be on a first come, first serve basis. We are accepting deposits via credit card of 5,000 SEK (about US$550). A secondary payment of 10,000 SEK will be due January 31, 2027. Final payment will be due May 15, 2027, approximately 90 days before the commencement of the Saga Tour.

Ready to reserve your spot?  Click here.

Questions answered:

How do I get to Gotland?

We know you will be coming from different points on the globe, but your destination arriving Sweden should be Arlanda airport, which serves Stockholm. From there you can take a 35 minute flight to Visby. If arriving by ferry, Destination Gotland has dedicated buses to take you from Arlanda to the ferry terminal at Nynäshamn for the slightly-over three hour cruise.

My spouse or travelling companion has not read the Saga books. Will they still have a good time?

If they enjoy learning about the past, or visiting sites of natural beauty, I promise you they will have a deeply rewarding time. The variety of places we shall visit and activities we will enjoy guarantees moments of real pleasure for every taste. On past Tours we have had guests with little or no familiarity with the books who went on to have the most satisfying holiday they had ever experienced – and told me so. And if there is any scheduled event they would like to skip, they can have a day to explore on their own, or Nick Bylund will set them up with golf, water sports, biking, hiking or any other activity they like.

What about the language issue?

You have all learned quite a bit about Visby and Gotland from my own experiences, but let me repeat here: The island, and town, is safe and beautiful. Nearly everyone speaks English to a high level, but entering a store or restaurant with a friendly smile and a “hej” (Hi! which sounds just like “hey!”) before you break into English will earn you brownie points. Note that Sweden is essentially a cash-free society, everyone pays with credit card, or in the case of Swedish vendors, with the phone app Swish, available only to those with a Swedish bank. But your credit card will serve you well.

Am I fit enough?

You very likely are, though a sense of balance and a certain amount of physical stamina is needed. This is a tour for the reasonably able-bodied. I’ll be leading you on forest walks, and along shingle (pebbly) beaches. The streets of Visby are paved in square cut blocks of limestone, and vary in smoothness, and some lanes are paved in round sea stones. The footing can be uneven. None of us needs to be an Olympic athlete, but all of us should be able to walk one US mile at a comfortable pace. If you can do that, you’ll be in fine shape for the treasures I want to share with you.

Do I need to dress in medieval or Viking style?

Of course not! If you have a historic costume and would like to bring it, please do, especially for our Farewell Feast in the historic Picture Stone Hall of the Gotlands Museum. But modern dress every day is just fine. I want you to be comfortable, whatever you wear.

What if I have dietary issues/restrictions for our meals together?

You are in good company, as I am a vegetarian! Vegetarian, vegan, gluten free, and other dietary restrictions cheerfully accommodated.

Food on Gotland is uniformly good, with superb dairy products. Visby has a broad selection of restaurants to cater to every culinary desire. As you know I’m a vegetarian, but Gotland is famed for its lamb, which people say is “pre-seasoned” as the sheep eat so many wild herbs in the countryside. Seafood is also abundant. Sweden is a nation of coffee drinkers and coffee everywhere is strong and fresh. (Lots of teas of all kinds for tea drinkers as well.) Every cafe has great pastries and smörgås – open face sandwiches, from which the word “smorgasbord” comes. If you need a fast food fix, hamburgers and hot dogs are readily available, especially in the Summer. And Swedish ice cream is extra-special. I’ll be giving you an annotated map of Visby with some personal recommendations on it, not only of places to eat in your free time, but good places to shop for clothing and keepsakes.

Some links you might enjoy looking at:

The Hotell S:t Clemens: clemenshotell.com/about-the-hotel/

Destination Gotland Ferry to the island: book.destinationgotland.se/en/ferry-destination-gotland/

Gotlands Museum: www.gotlandsmuseum.se/

Gotlands Bryggeri (brewery): gotlandsbryggeri.se/wisby/

Let’s go! Click here.

Have further questions? Don’t hesitate to write to me.