Backpacking Sweden: A 15-Day Guide

This 15-day Wild North & Island South route is for travelers who want the full arc of Sweden: Arctic mountains and Sámi country, classic cities, and Baltic islands, at a steady but adventure-leaning pace using a mix of domestic flights, long-distance trains, buses, and ferries. You’ll string together big landscapes and characterful towns rather than racing between every famous spot, with enough two-night stays to keep it from feeling like a marathon.

Days 1-4: Arctic gateway, Sámi culture, and Lapland lakes

Fly straight to Kiruna to start in the far north, where the light and the air immediately tell you you’re in a different Sweden. Use Kiruna as your base to visit the Icehotel Jukkasjärvi even if you don’t sleep there, walking through the sculpted ice rooms and the riverside setting that makes the whole place feel more like an art project than a hotel. From here, take a side trip toward Abisko, giving yourself time for short hikes and big views in one of the country’s most accessible mountain … read more 👉

This 15-day Wild North & Island South route is for travelers who want the full arc of Sweden: Arctic mountains and Sámi country, classic cities, and Baltic islands, at a steady but adventure-leaning pace using a mix of domestic flights, long-distance trains, buses, and ferries. You’ll string together big landscapes and characterful towns rather than racing between every famous spot, with enough two-night stays to keep it from feeling like a marathon.

Days 1-4: Arctic gateway, Sámi culture, and Lapland lakes

Fly straight to Kiruna to start in the far north, where the light and the air immediately tell you you’re in a different Sweden. Use Kiruna as your base to visit the Icehotel Jukkasjärvi even if you don’t sleep there, walking through the sculpted ice rooms and the riverside setting that makes the whole place feel more like an art project than a hotel. From here, take a side trip toward Abisko, giving yourself time for short hikes and big views in one of the country’s most accessible mountain national parks, and if conditions allow, push on to Trollsjön Lake, whose clear water and rocky bowl setting feel like a secret even though the trail is well-known. The goal in these first days is to adjust to the north’s scale and silence before you dive deeper into the wilderness later in the trip.

Days 5-7: Laponian wilderness and classic long-distance hiking country

Shift west and south into the Laponian Area, where Sweden’s great mountain parks link together into one huge UNESCO-listed landscape. Base yourself around access points for Sarek National Park and Padjelanta, knowing that Sarek is serious, pathless terrain best appreciated via guided sections or scenic approaches, while Padjelanta’s gentler plateaus and lakes are more forgiving if you’re not a hardcore expedition hiker. If you want a structured trail experience, tap into sections of Kungsleden or Padjelantaleden, using mountain huts or simple cabins so you can travel light and focus on the views instead of logistics. These three days are about immersion: long daylight, reindeer on distant slopes, and that feeling of being very small in a very big landscape, with at least one rest or light-hike day built in so you don’t burn out.

Days 8-10: Central mountains and high coast drama

Travel south via Östersund, a handy mountain town stop where you can catch your breath and restock before heading into more trail time. From here, aim for the Jämtlandstriangeln area if you want another taste of classic hut-to-hut hiking without the full commitment of the far north; the triangle’s well-marked paths and cozy huts make it ideal for a one- or two-night loop. Then continue east toward the Baltic and the Höga Kusten Trail, where cliffs, forests, and sea views combine into one of Sweden’s most rewarding coastal hikes; even walking just a section gives you a sense of how the land is still rising after the last Ice Age. This middle phase ties the Arctic mountains to the sea, so you feel the country stretching under your feet instead of just hopping between airports.

Days 11-13: Stockholm, royal retreats, and nearby nature

Now swing into urban mode with a train to Stockholm, giving yourself three nights to enjoy city comforts after all that trail food and mountain weather. Spend your first day soaking up Gamla Stan historic quarter and the Stockholm Palace, then move on to Djurgården for the Vasa Museum and Skansen, which hit maritime history and traditional life in one compact area. Use your third day for a slower rhythm: maybe a morning at Fotografiska Stockholm or Moderna Museet, then a half-day escape to Tyresta National Park, where deep forest and lakes sit surprisingly close to the capital and give you a last taste of Swedish nature without another big transfer. This phase is your reset: hot showers, good coffee, and the sense that you’ve earned your city time.

Days 14-15: Medieval walls and Baltic beaches on Gotland

Finish with a ferry ride out to Gotland, shifting from mainland bustle to island calm in a single crossing. Base yourself in Visby, whose medieval walls and cobbled streets make it one of the most atmospheric towns in the country, then use your full day to explore the island’s coast, heading to Sudersand or Tofta Beach for long walks on pale sand and chilly but refreshing Baltic swims. If you want one last quirky stop, detour to Blå Lagunen, a flooded limestone quarry with bright blue water that feels almost surreal after the dark forests and high mountains you’ve just crossed. You’ll sail or fly back to the mainland with the sense that you’ve traced Sweden from Arctic peaks to island beaches in one continuous, satisfying line.

My favorite stretch of this route is the mental whiplash of going from a quiet Lapland hut to an evening drink inside Visby’s medieval walls, realizing it’s all the same country stitched together by trains, boats, and your own two feet.