2024 Norway Football Companion Tour

Thirty seven years after the only time the St. Olaf Football team visited Norway, they’re headed back to Bergen and Oslo. We invite you on a companion tour!

We’ll start in Bergen with it’s world class harbor nestled amongst several mountains. The Bryggen Wharf is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and while the area once dominated trade in Europe, today you can enjoy its many restaurants, bars, and shops. In your free time you can enjoy urban hiking or get into those surrounding mountains for some trail hiking. Or perhaps you’d like to connect with the city’s musical history by visting Troldhaugen, once the home of Edvard Grieg, or Lysøen, the Ole Bull House (if it’s not still under rehabilitation).

The current plan is to transfer by private motor coach to Oslo, stopping to see the sites along the way and to overnight halfway at a comfortable resort. In Oslo, we’ll get a sense of the history of Norway and also leave you some free time to see the famous sculpture park, or famous paintings, or famous polar ships perhaps. And, of course, we’ll watch our our Oles play the Oslo Vikings!

This tour is full! Send us an email to join our waitlist at no obligation.

We’ll depart the U.S. on Memorial Day, immediately after Commencement Weekend, and start in Bergen. After a few days, we’ll move to Oslo. We’ll be in sync with the football team, but won’t follow the exact same path. You can view – and download or print, if you wish – the most up to date itinerary here.

You’ll get the most out of study travel if you research what to do during your free time. This allows you to reap the benefits of group travel, while also customizing the tour to your interests and activity level. Read more about How to Be an Independent Group Traveler.

Eric Pulley is in his sixth season as the running backs coach for the St. Olaf football program in 2023-24.

During his time on the Hill, St. Olaf has produced four All-Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) selections at running back, landing an honoree at the position in every season from 2018-22 (2020 season canceled). In 2022, Jordan Embry earned his second-straight All-MIAC accolade and was named a D3football.com Second Team All-Region honoree.

Prior to coming to St. Olaf, Pulley was a passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach at Burnsville High School in 2017.  From 2014-16, he was an assistant coach at Chaska High School and spent two years at the University of St. Thomas from 2009-11 as the running backs coach. In 2008, Pulley was the offensive coordinator for Burnsville High School. He served as the running backs coach for Macalester College from 2006-07.

Pulley received his Associate of Arts degree in business administration in 2008 from Colorado Technical University.

Join us for this unique opportunity to watch our Football Oles match up with the Oslo Vikings AFC.

Movement between cities will be by private motor coach. Within each city and at cultural/historic sites we’ll get around on foot, requiring a lot of walking and standing. Some days may be more active than others. You should be capable of walking up to five miles per day over possibly uneven terrain, of climbing stairs that may not have handrails, of climbing in and out of various types of transportation, of keeping pace with an active group of travelers on long days of traveling, of dealing with the emotional highs and lows that can occur when experiencing different cultures, and of traveling with a group for several hours each day.

Hotels will be centrally-located, tourist class (three or four star) with private baths, air conditioning, and English-speaking staff.

We recommend you be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, including any recommended boosters for your age or health group, before departure. You should plan on seeing your family physician or a travel doctor at least four to six weeks prior to departure, preferably earlier, to talk about recommended vaccinations for this destination. For more information on travel health, visit cdc.gov or who.int.

The travel insurance included in your trip price covers illness overseas, including covid. You can read more, including the full FAQ and a Summary document, on our Travel Insurance page.

The tour price is $2,988 per person, based on double occupancy. A supplement of $321 applies for single occupancy. Inclusions and exclusions vary by tour, so please read the following information carefully.

Inclusions: St. Olaf group host, a full-time Norwegian tour manager, accommodations, hotel taxes, breakfast daily and group meals as listed on the itinerary, admissions for group activities, ground transportation during the tour (except airport transfers), and some limited travel insurance.

Exclusions: Airfare to and from Norway is not included. Participants are solely responsible for all expenses not specifically included in the tour fee. Examples of excluded expenses are: international airfare, airport transfers, any passport and visa fees, any recommended immunizations or vaccinations, baggage and trip cancellation insurance, alcoholic beverages, including at group meals, laundry, dry cleaning, phone charges, room service or other items of a personal nature, expenses incurred during free time or non-group activities, lunch and dinner, unless specifically included on tour itinerary.

This schedule is based on payments St. Olaf College must make to tour vendors to guarantee group rates. We highly recommend that you purchase additional trip cancellation insurance at the time of registration to recover your payments should you need to withdraw from the tour.

Deposit due:                          $500 upon registration
Refund if you cancel:          Full refund ($500) until November 15, 2023. If the deposit is made after November 15, 2023 there is no refund.

Balance due:                         March 15, 2024
Refund if you cancel:          None, unless the tour is full and your place can be resold

Cancellations must be in writing.

Make Your Final Payment

Get some helpful info from the Trip Information Sheet.

Start your learning before departure or keep fueling your interest after your return with the recommendations on this Resource List.

Carefully read the Go Message and note the action items, including information on booking your flights.

Make sure you’ve seen the Terms & Conditions and Release & Waiver.

Review the latest information on recommended immunizations from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

Look at the International Travel section of the U.S. State Department, including Before You Go, Country Information, While Abroad, and Emergencies.

Check your passport to ensure that it has at least 6 months’ validity past the tour return date. Should you need to renew, visit the U.S. State Department for instructions.

Take time to prepare for your adventure by checking out a variety of resources, including frequently asked questions, general health information, included travel insurance, safety overview, and more.