Head out of Oslo on the freeway to Fredrikstad. You will pass Norway's premier amusement park, 20 minutes down the road, TusenFryd. Fredrikstad's old town, Gamlebyen is one of Northern Europe’s best preserved fortified towns and was founded in 1567 by King Fredrik II. Fredrikstad is thriving with history, shops, galleries and cafés.

Your accommodation tonight is in the heart of this old town in a small, historic hotel. Small restaurants surround the hotel, head out for a wander and enjoy the peaceful setting of this old fort.

Explore the old town, busy in summer with markets and visitors. If you are keen to explore the beaches of this area, drive down to the Hvaler islands, located just outside of Fredrikstad, the sunniest area in Norway. The islands are an incredibly popular holiday destination and you can go fishing, bathing, paddling, and sailing, sunbathing on polished granite rocks, dining in scenic surroundings, and explore the beautiful Ytre Hvaler National Park.

Just south of Fredrikstad, you can visit Halden, an idyllic small town nestled down by the Iddefjord, just on the border to Sweden. Above the town looms the mighty Fredriksten Fortress. The fortress is one of the most important attractions for tourists who visit Halden, and during the summer months almost 300,000 people come to see Fredriksten. It was constructed in the 17th century, and its walls, bastions, armaments, ammunition tower, dark secret passageways and museums tell the story of the town. The whole site is also lit by an impressive floodlighting.

The west coast of Sweden is a good place to enjoy fresh seafood. The waters of the coast of Bohuslän is a veritable smorgasbord of different types of seafood and visitors can enjoy not only the end product but also the process of catching or fishing for seafood. Stop along the way today to join sea safaris or walk along piers.

If you wish, you can visit Koster Marine Park for a day. You can cycle on the car-free islands of the archipelago and/or paddle a sea kayak. Other activities in this pristine and unique environment include fishing, seal spotting trips, fishing for crabs, and beach combing. More than 6,000 sea creatures, including rare seabirds, brachiopods, sponge and coral larvae, live in the waters of this preserve, which is Sweden's first national marine park. The return boat trip leaves from Strömstad, close to Fredrikstad.

Shortly before you arrive into Fjällbacka, visit the 3,000-year-old Tanum rock carvings, a UNESCO World Heritage site. These Bronze Age petroglyphs, number in the thousands. About 600 panels are included in the UNESCO World Heritage site, once the coastline of a fiord thousands of years ago. Many of the glyphs show boats, humans with bows, spears or axes, rituals and hunting scenes.

Love seafood - you can explore the islands today and be sure to enjoy the seafood stars of the region, when they are in season, locally caught lobsters, oysters and langoustine. The regulars are herring, cod, salmon and a big, fat prawn sandwich.

Love Swedish crime novels - check the schedules for Camilla Läckberg – Murder Mystery Tours. At times during the year, Camilla herself is actually the tour guide!

We suggest visiting some of the tiny villages such as Hamburgsund and Kungshamn, ideally by boat. Visit Ingrid Bergman's favourite island, Dannholmen.

We have some suggestions for longer stays in this area if you wish to stay in remote island accommodation, Weather Islands. Extended kayaking trips are also popular.

Continue your drive along the coast to your seaside hotel, Salt & Sill. Once a sleepy fishing isle and Sweden's largest herring producer, Klädesholmen is now home to your evening's accommodation, a Scandinavian-minimalist “boatel” floating on a pontoon, which means you can jump into the sea for a pre-dinner swim. Be sure to order the excellent pickled herring, paired here with Aquavit (the caraway compliments the smokiness of the fish).

If you plan your trip in spring, we suggest you change this itinerary to see some of the 26,500 cranes that gather each spring at Lake Hornborga. The lake is one of Europe’s most important bird lakes and is very close to your treetop hotel. If you do this, we can accommodate you 6.5 feet up in an old oak, so get ready for a night completely undisturbed with spectacular treetop views. Your breakfast gets hoisted up to you in the morning.

Depending on what you decide to do, you can visit the Volvo factory in Trollhättan or near Falköping, visit the Åsle Tå, Sweden’s largest collection of cottages and a unique historical environment from the 18th and 19th centuries. Visit an elk and bison park, you get the opportunity to closely meet the animals in a natural setting. Along the coast, add a boat tour or kayak adventure as today, there is little driving.

After breakfast, drive a short distance into Gothenburg. If you are not ready for the big smoke, divert to Marstrand - a beautiful small coastal village 30 minutes from Gothenburg.

Gothenburg is the city where you can go shopping and visit a museum on the same day as you explore the car-free archipelago. The distances are short and public transport brings you from café-lined streets and sights to barren cliffs and deep forests. The city centre is shopping-friendly with lots of small independent shops as well as malls like Nordstan and Arkaden. You can also enjoy opera, theatre, concerts and an array of museums exploring everything from the local maritime history to arts and beyond.

Return your rental car this evening in Gothenburg.