We first travelled with Erling in 2013 to celebrate our parents’ 50^th wedding anniversary.  Only our parents had been to Norway before, and Erling had the task of planning a trip that showcased some of Norway’s ‘must see’ destinations for the rest of the family.  

We connected with Erling in Oslo to start our 12-day Norway excursion and continued by small bus to Bergen, through breathtaking fjords and glaciers, over to Lillehammer, and back to Oslo for our return trip to the US.   The manner in which we saw this beautiful country is what really sets Erling’s tours apart from the rest. Erling brings a level of travel you just can’t get with larger company tours and his careful planning made a trip that was entertaining for us all.  He took care of all our travel arrangements and details while got to enjoy the local guides he had join our small bus for an city tours of Oslo and Bergen, a private walking tour of Bergen, hiking to a glacier, boarding a train through the fjords, and walking down the ski jump from the Olympics, just to name a few. We were introduced to local culture, history, and unique restaurants, and had free time to explore locations on our own when we wanted to.

This way of travel was unmatched and we knew by the end that we would return someday.

A few years had passed and we were longing to return, but only if Erling would be willing to coordinate and lead our trip.  He happily agreed to take our family on once again as we had our eyes set on heading north this time.   We expressed locations that were of interest and he built an itinerary that suited us perfectly.  On this trip, we landed in Aalesund, journeyed through the fjords once again, up to Trondheim, and then made the 2 day journey to settle into Lofoten Islands for a few nights.  We visited an active summer farm, had a private tour of one of the few remaining Y-churches, enjoyed a family meal at a private home in the Lofoten Islands, and experienced unique accommodations with incredible views when Erling recommended staying in fishing cottages in Henningsvaar, Lofoten Islands.  We loved being able to settle in to once place for a while and take day trips all over the islands.

Personalized travel curated just for our group gave us lots of flexibility in deciding where we wanted to go and what we wanted to see.   While on our journey, Erling kept us engaged with his personal stories and knowledge of Scandinavian history and arranged for local experts to provide tours and special experiences that usually aren’t possible for independent travelers or larger group tours to experience. And, having a private tour afforded us the ability to linger a bit longer where we wanted to and work in impromptu stops or detours.    

It wouldn’t take much convincing to get the family back on another tour.  And one thing is for certain, we’d only do it with Erling.

Kristy Bennett

Chicago, IL

About every five years Trønderlag of America sponsors a tour to Norway. In 2014 the tour took place in May so the participants could partake in the 200th Anniversary Celebration of the signing of the Norwegian Constitution held in 1814. The tour group marched in the 17 May parade and visited several destinations on the south side of the Trondheim Fjord. In 2019 we toured the old and new Oslo before taking the train to Trondheim in order to visit parts of Trøndelag from where many of our forefathers emigrated.

For these tours our organization turned to Erling Hansen from Nor-Am Tours to plan, organize, and carry out the tours.  Members were extremely pleased with the attractions visited, the meals arranged, and the overnight accommodations that Erling arranged.

Erling has also planned and carried out several tours of Norwegians to the United States and, in particular, to destinations of Norwegian immigrants where their descendants now live and prosper. We are always pleased to welcome Erling and is tour group to the various sites here in the US.

We are extremely happy and satisfied with Erling Hansen and the services and friendship he has provided to us.

Robert Fossum

Chetek, WI

President, Trønderlag of America