Solo Traveller
5 days of guided kayaking in Saint Anna & Gryt
Sea dogs of Saint Anna
Our seasoned kayaking guides will choose exciting routes to spots that are hard to find on your own. They are a well of knowledge for anything from perfecting your paddle technique to spotting wildlife and learning fun camping skills.
Wildlife encounters
Birds in abundance! Thirty-five coastal bird species breed out here, and spotting White-tailed eagles is almost a given. If we’re lucky we spot Grey seals sunbathing on little islets in the outer archipelago, or bobbing their heads above the water while hunting.
Kayaking through a maze of islands
We cover a vast area on this tour with lots of exciting outer archipelago paddling. Our double kayaks are fast and perfectly suited for a small group exploring together. We use top-notch kayaking and camping gear and wild camping is permitted anywhere.
A landscape rich in culture & history
Saint Anna & Gryt are almost all solitude and wilderness, but the area has also been home to fishermen, farmers and seafarers for hundreds of years. We’ll visit some of the historic and cultural highlights of the area.
What You'll Get
A Complete Package from Start to finish
Your kayaking guides will take you far and wide, and teach navigation, paddling technique and outdoors cooking along the way. Special focus on wildlife sightings and outer archipelago kayaking. All meals, gear and return transfer Norrköping-Saint Anna included.
Included
- Kayaking guides
- Top quality kayaking, camping & cooking gear
- Comfort upgrade – airbed, pillow & chair
- Breakfast, lunch, snacks & dinners
- Soft drinks, coffee & tea
- Detailed guide book
- Return transfer Norrköping-Saint Anna
What to Bring
- A couple of sets of clothing
- Shoes for water & land
- Towel & swimwear
- Sunglasses, sun cap, sun block & toiletries
- Camera or battery pack for phone
Not Included
- Flights to Sweden
- Pre-order alcoholic beverages if you choose
Price per person
5 DAYS
11,600 SEK
Trip Information
Dates 2024:
19–23 June (Midsummer trip)
26–30 June
3–7 July
17–21 July (fully booked)
31 July–4 Aug
7–11 Aug
14–18 Aug
21–25 Aug
28 Aug–1 Sep (Crawfish party)
18–22 Sep
All our departures are guaranteed.
Group size: 8 persons plus guides
Minimum age: 18 years
Fitness level: Medium
Prerequisites: Must be able to swim. Weight limit; 120 kilo per person. Kayaking beginners are welcome!
Accommodation: Hilleberg, 1-person tents
Payment: We charge 1,000 SEK deposit per person at the time of booking. Remaining balance is due 2 weeks prior to your trip.
Day by Day
Into the maze
We launch at Mon and zig-zag northeast through pretty clusters of small islets with lots of common birds that breed in the middle archipelago – ducks, swans and maybe even Grey herons. White-tailed eagles soaring high up in the sky are a common sight, since they nest in old trees not far from here,
We aim northeast towards the many islands south of Aspöja. It’s arguably one of the most beautiful settings in these archipelagos, and we find a camp site with a stunning view.
A band of islands against the horizon
Our following day is a gorgeous paddle southeast through the outer archipelago and its barren, wind-pined little islands. The horizon and the open sea is our backdrop. If lucky we may spot seals and there is an abundance of coastal birds out here – large colonies of gulls and Arctic terns, Black guillemots, Eiders, Velvet scoters, Mergansers, Shelducks, Redshanks and Oystercatchers. Massive birds like White-tailed eagles and Great cormorants are common, and maybe we spot Ospreys or Arctic skuas.
After a strenuous day we reach the famous navigation mark Kupa Klint. It’s a fantastic lookout with spectacular views of the hundreds of skerries of the Missjö Archipelago – the most finely-chiselled archipelago that exists in Sweden.
Inside the outer band of skerries is the large island Missjö and its parallel islands. Our guides know all the nooks and crannies and find a great sheltered spot for the night.
The village that time forgot
Our exploration continues south towards Harstena Village, renowned for its picturesque and historic beauty. We visit the museum at the old school and stroll around the village. Our idyllic outing is complete with a visit to the local bakery for some heavenly home-baked cinnamon swirls.
We get back in our kayaks and head southeast aiming for the magical Ytterö island with its smooth rocky beaches and old gnarly pine trees. It’s right on the open sea and we find higher ground for an amazing view of the archipelago and the horizon. When we fall asleep all we can hear are the waves crashing in against the smooth rocks and calls from the many birds that breed on the surrounding little islets.
A paddle to the edge of the world
If weather conditions allow, we’ll try to make it to Häradskär today. It’s the last outpost of the archipelago and few make it to this historic lighthouse at the edge of the world.
On the way we’ll pass Gubbö kupa, and climb the hill to the cairn on the top for a stunning view of this part of the archipelago. We continue south through the beautiful clusters of islands at Laxvarp and assess whether we can make it to our goal.
After a pretty exposed crossing, the red iron lighthouse finally appears and we land our kayaks on the smoothened rocks. The island is right on the open sea and all we can see is endless horizon. We’re as far out as we’re going to get and it’s beautiful!
Due west for the mainland
We found a camp site south of the large Fångö island last night, and we wake up for the very last time in our island wonderland.
We check out the abandoned copper mine on Fångö, round the island and paddle through a narrow canal that takes us opposite Fyrudden. We cross the small straight to the mainland and our finish point.
Far from strangers anymore, a crew of seasoned explorers who’ve just been through an amazing expedition together!
*Weather conditions will effect our route. This example includes some strenuous outer archipelago paddling – we will adapt according to preferences of the group and wind. Establishments on Harstena are open June 21–August 29.
Getting Here
Getting here
Norrköping is the major hub of the area. We pick you up at 10.00, it’s a beautiful city to spend the night before your adventure. Our closest airport is Linköping, but you can also fly to Arlanda, Copenhagen, Bromma etc. Arriving by train is an excellent option for the environment!
Please take the time to read Getting to Sweden with less CO2 emissions for tips on what you can do from your end. Hint: offsets ain’t it!
We pick you up either at the train station or at any hotel/hostel/airbnb.
Check out our Visitor’s Guide to Norrköping
We drop you back off around 16.30-17.00 on your last day of kayaking.
This is en excellent option for the environment. If you search for the entire trip, as quick as possible, it may seem like a complicated journey with many changes and no possibility for sleep. But if you divide it, and take some time to visit one or two spots on the way, it’s a fantastic chance to experience new places.
Your best bet is to purchase an Interrail pass, for example travel 4 days within a month EUR 185.
An example:
Brussels – Hamburg, 6,5-8 hrs, 1-2 changes
Hamburg – Copenhagen, 4,5-5,5 hrs, 0-1 changes
Copenhagen to Norrköping, 3 hrs 45 min, 0-1 changes
Each of these cities are very beautiful and interesting, there are plenty of departures and you can puzzle together your journey as you see fit!
Your carbon emissions will be around 75% lower than flying.
“Snälltåget”from Berlin or Hamburg to Norrköping has daily departures during peak summer (June 24-Aug 18). Leave Berlin in the evening and arrive to Norrköping around 16 hours later. You can use Eurail or Interrail passes on Snälltaget!
Your carbon emissions will be around 75% lower than flying.
Meet us at the launch in Saint Anna. Safe parking available.
Directions (Map):
Aim for our closest town Söderköping.
Take road 210, follow signs to S:t Anna,
Pass the bridge “Lagnöbron“, and take a left after 500 meters by the sign for “Mons Friluftsby“. Keep driving appr. 5-7 minutes to the pin. It’s a gravel road on the right with a gate. Follow the small road down to the water.
Carbon emissions per person when driving the whole way are a little trickier to calculate. It depends on several factors like how many passengers are in the car, fuel type and fuel effiency. In very broad terms, you will leave around a 50% smaller carbon imprint than flying the same distance.
Direct train 2 hours to Norrköping. sj.se (Arlanda C – Norrköping)
Sweden’s main airport. Served by all major airlines, for example SAS, Lufthansa, British Airways. Low-price alternatives:
Ryanair: London Stansted, Birmingham, Liverpool, Vienna, Brussels Charleroi, Cologne, Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden, Beziers, Barcelona
Easyjet: Geneva
Combining kayaking with a visit to Stockholm? Take Arlanda Express to the city, 20 mins. Train from Stockholm Central to Norrköping 75 mins. sj.se
We’ll pick you up at the train station.
Copenhagen may seem far away but it’s actually a great airport to fly to. There are high speed trains from the airport to Norrköping (appr. 3 hrs 45 min). It’s also way better climate wise with a substantially shorter flight than to Stockholm.
Trains (Copenhagen Airport to Norrköping): sj.se Note that if you’re booking your kayaking adventure far in advance they may not have released all the train departures yet. Trains will leave appr every hour, earliest departure around 5.00, latest departure around 18.30.
Combining kayaking with a visit to Copenhagen? Train or metro from the airport to the city takes 15 mins and runs 24/7. Train from Copenhagen city to Norrköping: sj.se
Your carbon emissions will be around 25% lower than flying from most European cities to Stockholm!
Brussels Airport (BRU) to Bromma Airport (BMA).
Bus transfer 20 mins to Stockholm city. flygbussarna.se/en/bromma
Train from Stockholm city to Norrköping, 65-90 mins. sj.se
Flights on Mondays and Fridays. Bus transfer 15 mins to Örebro train station. Buses connect to all flights to/from London. flixbus.se
Train from Örebro to Norrköping appr. 2 hrs 15 mins. sj.se
Kalmar is quite far from Norrköping, about 3.5 hours by train. But you may get a good deal on the flight.
Bus from Kalmar Airport to Kalmar train station 13 mins, leaves every 20 mins. Train to Norrköping appr. 3 hrs 20 mins. sj.se
Gothenburg is quite far from Norrköping, but if you’re looking for a budget airline from your city it might be worth having a look. It’s also a very nice city to visit, Sweden’s second largest.
Shuttle from the airport to Gothenburg train station 20 mins. flygbussarna.se Train from Gothenburg city to Norrköping, appr. 3-3,5 hours. sj.se
Ryanair: Edinburgh, Manchester, London Stansted, Prague, Dublin, Vienna etc.
Spending the night in Norrköping
We’ll pick you up at any hotel/hostel/airbnb in Norrköping. We recommend:
This chic little hotel in a refurbished 18th-century building has a great atmosphere. It’s located 700 meters from the train station, and also offers spa services and a great restaurant. Breakfast is included. All rooms are equipped with shower & WC, TV and Wi-Fi. The Lamp Hotel
Use discount code Dothenorth for a 10% discount! Must be applied when booking.
This hostel is a more budget alternative, 1.4 kilometres from the train station. It’s located right in the city centre in the historic “Industrial Landscape” with great views of the river and the old magnificent factory buildings and chimneys. All rooms have TV and Wi-Fi. En suite or shared shower & WC. Self-serving breakfast buffet included. Pronova Hostel