Trip Ref #9329
DURATION
4 nights
LOCATION
Sweden
ANNUAL LEAVE
3 days off work
SEASON
Jun-Sep
GROUP SIZE
Up to 8 people
MEETING POINT
Norrköping
ACCOMMODATION
Classic
Wild camping
DIFFICULTY
Moderate
No kayaking experience needed, just a moderate level of fitness, the ability to swim and a taste for adventure.
Paddle around the remote Saint Anna Archipelago - a paradise for kayakers looking for an epic adventure!
Find a deserted island, set up camp by the water and cook a delicious meal as you watch the sunset over the water
Explore this maze of more than 6,000 islands, most of them uninhabited – from forested ones close to the mainland, to the wild and barren islets out by the open sea
Day 1
Into the maze
Kayaking
4-6hrs
Meet your host in Norrköping and drive through the Swedish countryside to the jump off point for the beautiful Saint Anna archipelago. Load up the supplies and then review the plan, including safety and water navigation. Take to the water and quickly find yourself surrounded by forested islands and barren skerries. Paddle northeast towards Aspöja where white-tailed eagles are regularly sighted and nest in the large trees nearby and continue through the Uggelholmarna Nature Reserve, home to three hundred year-old pine and linden trees. Take a short stroll through the forest and then navigate the narrow channel between Lammskär and Kalvskär, ending up surrounded by a sheltered atoll. Find the perfect island for the night and set up camp - the solitude and sense of freedom here are hard to put into words and simply have to be experienced!
Day 2
Islands all the way to the horizon
Kayaking
6hrs
Break camp and continue exploring, this time through the barren outer archipelago to a backdrop of the open sea and a blue horizon. If you're lucky you might spot seals, as well as white-tailed eagles, Arctic skuas and ospreys. Continue to one of the most famous spots in Saint Anna – Kupa Klint - an old navigation marker used by seafarers for centuries with a spectacular view over the surrounding islands. Pay a visit to the rustic pub on Missjö where sea dog Mats serves up cold beers and delicious dishes made from fish and coastal birds sustainably hunted nearby and then find a sheltered spot for the night.
Day 3
The village that time forgot
Kayaking
6hrs
Paddle south towards Harstena, a town famous for its historic beauty. Take a stroll to the museum set in the old school, wander around the village and treat yourself to a delicious lunch at the water-side restaurant. Be sure to pick up some of the heavenly cinnamon swirls from the nearby bakery and some smoked fish from the local smokehouse. Continue exploring as you head to the magical Ytterö island, home to rocky beaches and gnarly pine trees. It’s right on the open sea and from the higher ground you’ll get a truly spectacular view across Saint Anna. Enjoy dinner around the campfire and fall asleep to the sound of the waves brushing across the smooth rocks.
Day 4
Paddle to the edge of the world
Kayaking
6hrs
Weather conditions permitting, head for Häradskär; an old, red iron lighthouse and the last outpost of the archipelago before the open sea. Few make it to this historic spot which feels like the edge of the world and the only sounds you’ll hear are bird calls and the rhythmic crashing of the waves. If the weather prevents the crossing, your guide will take you to some of their favourite remote and beautiful spots before selecting another deserted island for the night.
Day 5
Head due west for the mainland
Kayaking
4hrs
After a hearty breakfast and a final dip in the sea, begin the final paddle back to the mainland, stopping at the abandoned copper mine on Fångö island along the way. Paddle through the small canal opposite Fyrudden and across the short stretch of open water to the finish point.
Included
Guides
Experienced kayaking guide
Accommodation
4 nights wild camping on deserted islands
Meals
Munch on tasty food throughout
Equipment
All your kayaking, safety and camping equipment
Not Included
Flights to and from the meeting point
Travel insurance
Personal expenses
Travel to and from the start point
Visas where required
Day 1
Wild camping · Solo tent
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Day 2 – Day 4
Wild camping · Solo tent
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Day 5
Departure day
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
What is the food like?
Fact - food always tastes better in the wild. You’ll cook delicious meals together as a team, using lots of typical Swedish ingredients, with the menu planned by our own wilderness chef. Vegans and vegetarians can be catered for and if you have any dietary requests, just let us know beforehand and we will do our best to accommodate them.
What is the accommodation like?
The islands
You'll wild camp on a different, remote island each night. Top quality solo Hilleberg tents, Haglöfs sleeping bags, sleeping mats and cooking equipment are provided. Your guide will also give you information on the rules and practices with regards to rubbish disposal, open fires, bird sanctuaries, protected plant and animal species etc. Saint Anna is incredibly clean and untouched and together we can keep it that way!
The Area
Logistics
Starts
Norrköping
10:00 on Day 1
Ends
Norrköping
17.00 on Day 5
Transfers
Your host will pick you up in Norrköping, the major hub of the area, either at the train station or any hotel/hostel of your choice. There are a number of ways to get here;
- Stockholm Skavsta (Ryanair), 55 min bus transfer to Norrköping
- Stockholm Arlanda (all major airlines), 2 hour direct train to Norrköping
- Linköping City Airport (KLM), 30 min train to Norrköping
- Norrköping Airport (bmi), 10 min taxi ride to Norrköping
- Train to Norrköping If you take advantage of typically cheaper evening flights and arrive the night before in Norrköping your local host recommends The Lamp Hotel close to the train station or Pronova Hotel in the city centre.
Your host will confirm exact meeting point prior to departure.
Enjoy 12.5% Off Outdoor Gear
In need of a few more items? All bookings receive a 12.5% discount to use at Cotswold Outdoor, Snow + Rock and Runner's Need.
What's included?
- Kayak and paddle
- Spraydeck
- Life jacket
- First aid kit
- Water pump
- Drybags
- Rolling compass
- Maps
- Guide book
- Cell phone
- Waterproof jacket
- Sleeping bag
- Sleeping mat
- Tent
- Tarp
- Spade
- Folding saw
- Drinking bottle
- Water containers
- Gas stove & fuel
- Lighters
- Grill plate
- Pan for fire
- Cooler
- Kitchen knife
- Cutting board
- Cooking utensils
- Eating utensils
- Dishwashing kit
- Head torch
- Knife
- Rope
What do I need to bring?
- Shorts & t-shirts
- Trousers & warm sweater
- Shoes (Although Neoprene socks are good to wear instead)
- Swimsuit & towel
- Sun cap & beanie
- Sunglasses
- Sunblock & toiletries
- Camera
- Binoculars
- Books
- Luxury items – be it beer, food or a small instrument to entertain the group.
- Personal medicine if required (please inform your guide in case of emergency)
No optional extras are available for this trip.
Amazing food, hosts and wildlife with good kayaking and beautiful scenery. The hosts were excellent guides and we also had a local for some Swedish cultural insight!
I picked this trip in part because of the itinerary and the food reviews and wasn’t disappointed. The kitlist was comprehensive and really did include everything. They provided you with a reusable Water bottle, head torch, sleeping bag, tent, mattress etc and a bag of trail mix as a snack. The food was good and inc Swedish faves. The itinerary wasn’t exactly as per the trip info but highlights were all inc.! And it was a very inclusive group wrt decision-making so you could influence this! Opportunity to learn navigation, camping, cooking as well as kayaking skills!
It was a really good first wild camping experience for me. The host is Swedish and I felt I learned a little more about the culture and food which was important for me. The food is very yum. If you’re up for wild camping, great sunsets and kayaking - it’s for you
This is a great trip for anyone who loves to actively immerse themselves in nature. The islands within the archipelago are beautiful with some amazing wild camping and swimming spots without a single other human in site!! The Swedes take ‘Fika’ (coffee and cake) to another level, so if you love these too this is the trip for you!!
Fantastic. Amazing. Extraordinary. I could go on. I'd recommend anyone with a healthy appetite for adventure to go on this trip. A highly experienced, competent guide will take the group through the ins and outs of the Swedish archipelago with everything it has to offer. The scenery speaks for itself and the quality of the cooked-in-the-wild meals will put even the best restaurants to shame. Top nudge equipment made wild camping feel like a walk in the park. Solo travellers and groups alike - don't wait, book this trip now!
The community atmosphere, the organisation, the equipment and especially the guides were great!
The whole experience was fantastic. The thought that’s gone into the food, the equipment and the journey whilst you’re out on the water was impressive.
Did enough distance to feel it and see a lot of the archipelago, but not too much to be horrendously difficult.
We've crunched the numbers to work out the total carbon footprint of this trip, and plant enough trees to suck 2x as much back out the atmosphere.
What's the number?
It works out on average at 48kg of CO2 emissions per person, including all local transport, accommodation, food, activities, guides, staff and office operations.
The only thing it doesn’t include right now is flights and travel to the destination. We do make an overall estimate across all our customers separately, but as we don’t book flights, have customers from all corners of the world, and no way of reliably knowing their travel plans, we simply can’t include an individual number in the figure on display here. We’ve got a goal for 2022 to fix that, so that when you book, there is a way to measure and mitigate the carbon emitted by your flight too.
But what does the number mean?
Yep, hard to picture eh? To give you an idea:
- Driving 1000miles/1609km would be approx. 281kg of CO2 in an average car (or 140.5kg per person if there was 2 of you in it).
- A return economy class flight London - New York would be approx. 1,619kg (1.66 tonnes) per person.
- 10 trees in a temperate forest are estimated to remove approx. 250kg of CO2 from the air in a period of 5-10 years.
What are we doing about it?
Our trips are relatively low-carbon by design, and we're working with all our hosts to develop long term carbon reduction plans. For every person booked with us since 2016 we’re planting enough trees to suck at least 2x more carbon out the atmosphere than is emitted by their trips. All native trees, as part of amazing projects that are re-foresting degraded land, tackling the biodiversity crisis and supporting local communities at the same time. We go further than that too, also funding re-wilding projects worldwide to help protect important keystone species from extinction. See the reforestation and re-wilding schemes we support. See our carbon action plan.
Want to know more?
Amazingly, no international travel company has ever publicly published their carbon measurements before, as far as we know. We believe that must change, quickly. So we’re openly sharing the method we used in the hope that other companies will be able to more easily follow suit and build on what we've done so far. You'll find it all here.
No experience is needed, just a moderate level of fitness, the ability to swim and a taste for outdoor adventure. Because of the Kayak's restrictions you should be under 120kg (19st,) however, kayaking beginners are welcome.
Sure can! Over 50% of our travellers travel solo, it’s a great way to meet like-minded people.
Swedish summer is green, lush and beautiful with lots of daylight. The weather in the archipelago changes often and quickly and you will be supplied with a phone to receive daily weather reports. In a few days, you are likely to experience some calm and sunny days and some windy and overcast ones, however, you will be provided with top quality water and wind proof clothing. Temperatures vary and a typical summer day can offer 33°C and sunshine, or 17°C and rain, though mostly stays in the range of 20–28°C.
Yes. Any excess luggage can be safely left with your local host at the launch point.
For current advice about travelling in Sweden, have a read of the UK Foreign Office pages here.
Our recommended travel insurance provider is Campbell Irvine.
Travel insurance is compulsory on all of our adventures. Your insurance should include adequate protection for overseas medical treatment, evacuation/repatriation, your baggage and equipment and the specific activities involved on your adventure.
Your insurance policy should also include specific Covid-19 cover, including cancellation and curtailment cover if you, your travel companion or a close relative are diagnosed with Covid-19.
We fully endorse Campbell Irvine as their insurance offers all of the above, so get in touch with them or call on 020 7938 1734 to get your insurance sorted. We suggest that you book travel insurance as soon as you book your adventure, just to cover you for any last minute life changes. We know you’re an active lot and injuries do happen!
We automatically convert prices from the local currency that a host receives to your chosen currency. We update our exchange rates on a daily basis so this does mean that prices displayed on the site are subject to currency fluctuations, which is why you may see them change over time.
If you wish to change the currency you pay in, head to the bottom of the page.
All of our group adventures are specially designed for adults to enjoy (18+) as we want these adventures to bring together outdoorsy people who are truly like-minded. Children can be accommodated on some private departures.
You're in good company. Our adventures are typically made up of a mix of solo travellers and small groups of two or three friends who simply love adventure, pushing themselves and meeting awesome like-minded people. See here for more info about our lovely bunch of Much Better Adventurers.
Want to book a private trip? Just tap ‘Private Group’ in the dates and prices tab.
Your trip is led by carefully curated local hosts and expert guides. See here for more info about the guides we work with.
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