The best of the Stockholm archipelago in the summer, 3 days

Sailing, kayaking and cycling in the Stockholm archipelago, what else?! During this week you will experience beautiful sceneries from both the Baltic Sea and some islands. The Stockholm archipelago is a unique place and it can be a puzzle to plan a trip there in the summer, where to start and which island to visit? That’s why we’ve come up with this 3 full days excursion during which we’ll take you to small and secluded islands, tasty local restaurants, secret sandy beaches, majestic spots to enjoy the sunset…

 Highlights

• Kayak through Stockholm’s world famous archipelago
• Be part of a sailing crew for a day, a winning combo between activeness and chillness
• Spend 2 nights on a gentle rocking boat
• Discover one our favorite island from a bike on a warm and sunny day
• Experience the varying scenery of the archipelago
• Take refreshing dips in the Baltic Sea
• See white tailed eagles, ospreys, many other sea birds and seals!
• All included from the moment we pick you up to drop you off. Only we do this!
• Private excursion from 4 people (2 adults and 2 kids, or 4 adults etc.)

 Pictures 

 What to see during this trip?

Environment: We’ll sail on the Baltic Sea, along “fjords” and across some stretches of (usually calm) open sea but always with islands in sight. Some islands are bare granite sketches just rising above sea level whereas some are bigger and covered with nice Scandinavian forest, home to wild blueberries and such. We’ll cycle along gravel tracks on a larger island that will give us access to beautiful view points, secret sandy beaches…A true paradise filled with pretty little red wooden summer cottages. For the paddling day, we’ll start from a small harbor already quite far out in the archipelago, and make our way through thousands of smaller islands where we’ll find peace and freedom. You’ll have the opportunity to sleep in the boat and wake up with a morning dip directly from the stern.

Wildlife: White tailed eagles are regularly spotted! This area is also very rich in other bird life. Wild swans, geese, eider, loons, arctic terns, great cormorants, are all among regularly seen birds. Seals are also seen. The larger islands have row deers and moose populations.

 Day to day program

This is an example tour that we are be able to conduct from June to September

Day 1: Introduction to sailing and reaching our archipelago base harbor

We will meet in the morning at the meeting point agreed upon or at the airport and after a short introduction to the 3 coming days, the guide and the group will drive out to the harbor situated on Gålö. We’ll transfer our luggages from the car to our sailing boat, go through the basics of sailing and skipping a boat as well as safety instructions. Maybe we’ll take time to brew a coffee on the boat stove. Once everyone feels comfy and ready, we’ll set sails and follow the compass pointing East, the direction to follow to reach the island where we’ll have lunch, probably a dip in the sheltered bay and maybe a walk to collect some wild blueberries. The island where we’ll spend the 2 next nights isn’t far away so we’ll sail there at an easy rhythm and everyone will be invited to stir the sailing boat and feel the power of the wind in the sails and rudder, a simple pleasure but very rewarding! We’ll dock the boat in a small harbor, prepare the berths for the night or head to the accommodation depending on the option booked. Sauna, walk on cliffs or to a nice view point,  close your eyes for a while, you’ll be free to relax before we meet again for dinner at the delicious harbor side restaurant. You’ll be able to experience a true Swedish summer (very long) evening as the sun sets just before midnight in the summer months.

Day 2: Kayaking in sheltered water

No rush today (nor the other days actually) so we’ll take our time to share a nice breakfast – have you tried Kalle’s caviar on boiled egg?- maybe take a refreshing dip in the Baltic Sea to complete the waking up process. We’ll then pick up our kayaks by the harbor, and like the previous day with sailing, we’ll take you through some safety and paddling instructions before paddling out. You’ll be surprise here by the clarity and color of the sea. We’ll paddle at an easy tempo along sheltered shallow bays, sandy beaches where we might stop for lunch except if your preference goes to a nice and soft granite rock…In this area there are birds almost everywhere you look and we’ll probably come across some friendly seals. We’ll most probably want to take another dip in the sea, why not even do a bit of snorkeling? We’ll make sure to be back at the harbor before it gets too late for a well deserved midsummer “aperitif” and maybe a relaxing sauna. To end this active day we’ll dine the catch of the day at a local restaurant.

Day 3: Hop on a bike and let us show you a few secret spots

Today, we’ll take you cycling inside the island to the south coast of the latest. We’ll pick up our bikes at the harbor and make our way to a little restaurant where we’ll sit for lunch. The ride is about 10km, on a gravel track sneaking through open fields where sheeps are grazing, Scandinavian forests, inland lakes, view points… After a tasty Swedish lunch we’ll head back to the harbor, live the bikes, make sure we don’t leave anything – or anyone- behind before loosing the anchor and – as all good things come to an end-  sailing back to our main harbor where our car is parked. Depending on the wind, we’ll be back in Stockholm in the late afternoon or early evening.

Warning and spoiler alert: It’s always a bit weird to come back to city life after having enjoyed 3 full days in the peaceful nature of the Stockholm archipelago… To come back in town is painful and you’ll dream of coming back with us 😉

Black: sailing, Yellow: kayaking, Orange: cycling

 Included in the tour

• Pickup and drop off in central Stockholm
• A friendly and local guide/skipper that stays with you during 3 days
• Sailing boat with skipper and safety gears plus sailing jackets
• Kayaks with guide and instructions plus gears
• Bikes with guide
• 2 nights in the boat which has 3 single and 1 double births or choose an upgrade to a hotel room
• Bed linens and 1 towel/pers
• Day 1, 2 and 3 lunches
• Day 1 and 2 dinners
• Day 2 and 3 breakfasts
• Day 1 to 3 Swedish fikas (snacks)

  Meeting point

We meet in South central Stockholm to minimize time spent in traffic. Address Gullmarsplan 4, 121 40, which is located 9 minutes from the tourist center.
Private: With a private tour you will get picked up from your accommodation.

 Other important information

• This tour involves physical motion and being in healthy shape is therefore required.
• No prior sailing nor kayaking experience is required.
• In case of normal trip you’ll spend the night in the boat which has 1 double berth and 3 singles. The skipper will pitch his tent on the island.
• We sail a 30 foot boat.
• Maximum guests per trip is 4 adults (or 5 if kids in the group). Larger group? No problem, contact us some time in advance so we can prepare the big sailing boat.

 Booking

This tour only runs on request. Let us know which date suits you and we will get back to you as soon as possible with a confirmation and add the trip in the calendar. Note that the maximum amount of people is 4 adults or 5 for families, and the minimum amount of guests is —–

Would you like to stay longer on the island with us and do a bit more paddling or cycling or chilling, just let us know. We can extend this trip!

3-days archipelago summer trip
Adult: 8400 SEK
Student:
Child: 

 What to bring on this excursion

This is an outdoor 3 day trip, so we expect you to dress accordingly. The weather in the summer is usually nice and warm during the day, evenings can get a bit chilly on the islands. Sailing doesn’t require special clothing except that we prefer if you wear sneakers instead of flipflop, but bring your flipflop for the kayaking, the cycling trip and the chilling if you’d like. We don’t sail on the Queen Mary so luggage space is limited to a hand luggage per person (though we aren’t as strict as Ryanair).

Things not to forget are:

• Base layer (running shirt i.e.)
• Sweater for windy days and evenings
• Shorts (or running tights)
• Sneakers or normal shoes for sailing and cycling plus a quick drying shoes (running sneakers), sandals, flip-flops or specific water shoes for kayaking
• Bathing clothing underneath

Accessories:

• If you’re planning on your using phone during the kayaking trip, a waterproof phone case (alternatively a plastic bag) is a must!
• Sunglasses
• Sunscreen

 Other tours in Stockholm

Want to see the archipelago but in a less active way? Try out Sailing! More interested in on-land nature? Check out the Off Trail Hike. For wildlife watching check out the Wildlife Safari. If you’re into multiple-day trips we’ve got you covered as well. Check out out 3-day Kayaking Trip, the overnight 3-day High Coast Hike or our one night Nature Camping Stockholm tour.

 Traveling with us

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