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Summer Adventure in Sweden
A fabulous tailor-made 7 night holiday combining Stockholm, Gothenburg and Fjallbacka
7 nights from around £1,800pp, including flights, transfers and selected experiences
For adventure travellers seeking an exceptional experience, The Ice Hotel and Treehotel combination should definitely feature on your Bucket List. The Northern Lights has to be one of nature's most incredible light spectacles and the extraordinary accommodation on this magical 5 night itinerary just adds to the show.
We design each itinerary around you, so this suggested itinerary is a starting point that we can tweak or transform into something completely bespoke to you.
Day 1: London to Stockholm
On arrival at the airport, it's an easy 45 minute transfer to Hotel J (pictured below) where you will be staying for the next 3 nights. It's set right on the water's edge and is just a 15 minute ferry ride to central Stockholm.
One of the most appealing cities in Europe, Stockholm has the added attraction of a vast archipelago of islands within easy striking distance of its centre. Stockholm is built on a series of islands, and there are a wide range of top class museums and attractions, and excellent restaurants showcasing the very best in what is a resurgent cuisine. Add a plethora of bars and chic clubs, and Stockholm is as much fun when the sun goes down as it is during the day. In summer the beautiful and diverse islands of the archipelago come into their own, and city dwellers flock to their holiday homes and take to the crystal clear waters of the Baltic in yachts and kayaks.
Day 2: Stockholm
Today, make your own way to the Vasa Museum where your guide will meet - enabling you to skip the queue (normally 90 minutes long!) and have direct access to the museum. You will have 3 hours to learn about one of the world’s most famous museums and exhibits.
The Museum Vasa - on djurgården island - presents an almost fully intact 64-gun ship from the XVII century, the "Vasa", which sank in 1628 and is now the most visited Museum in Scandinavia. For the rest of the day you're free to explore the city.
Overnight at Hotel J
Day 3: Explore the Archipelago and a Stockholm Rooftop Tour
Today, from right outside Hotel J, you'll explore the Stockholm archipelago by high-speed RIB - an exhilarating way of seeing the coastline! The RIB (Rigid Inflatable Boat) is an inflatable motor boat with rigid bottom and has a top speed of 50 knots and is highly manoeuvrable and stable. The Stockholm archipelago is a great chain of around 25,000 Islands, beautifully scattered around the Swedish capital. A boat trip on the sea is always a great pleasure, but on this trip it will generally be done top speed! After 3 hours you will be dropped back at your hotel.
In the afternoon, enjoy Stockholm from a bird's eye view and be ready to look over the whole of Stockholm from high above. Your route will pass by the Old Parliament building on Knight island. The panoramic view of the city will allow you to gaze over the rooftops of the 17th - 18th centuries in the Old town, you see the Royal Palace above you at eye line. Learn what secrets are hiding from you on the ground and watch as the city opens up as you get higher. You will talk about the most mountainous island of Stockholm, södermalm and the porassmatrivat three crowns on the tower of the city Hall, touch the black Knight spire of the Church where many Swedish kings are buried. You will also get a chance to see the more modern buildings in the town, follow the movement of public transport...at the end just take a moment to sit on the roof and see water, birds and clouds...
Overnight at Hotel J
Day 4: Stockholm to Gothenburg
Today you will be transferred from Hotel J to Stockholm central train station (approx 25 minutes) for the 3 hour 30 minute train journey to Gothenburg. Upon arrival at the train station, pick up your hire car and drive north up the coast for 1 hour 40 minutes. For the next 3 nights you will be staying at Stora Hotellet Bryggan (pictured below) in Fjallbacka on Sweden's gorgeous west coast. Enjoy sunset drinks beside the sea...
Days 5 & 6: Explore on Land and Sea
To many outside Sweden this is secret Scandinavia, and long may that last. It's a sparsely populated area made extra special by its wide open spaces, extraordinarily beautiful scenery and the range of wholesome activities on offer. Add in enough culinary highlights to sate the appetite of the most demanding of foodies and this is perfect big short break country.
The west coasts' shellfish is exceptional, due in part to the cold water caused by the Gulf Stream ensuring that seafood grows slower in these parts; oysters take two years to mature off of the French coast, but nearly six years in the Gothenburg archipelago, adding to the rich flavours of these delicacies.
Head out on a Lobster Seafood Safari, which involves sailing along the stunning coast with a skipper, helping to haul up and reset the pots; learn how to prepare and cook lobsters and then sample the catch. Crayfish is a particular speciality in August before lobster season starts in late September.
Overnight at Stora Hotellet Bryggan
Day 7: Fjallbacka to Ljungskile to Gothenburg
Today, after a leisurely breakfast, drive down the coast about 40 minutes from Fjallbacka, park your car, and then head off on a local trawler boat in search of mussels. Mussel expeditions from Klocktornet (The Clock Tower), next to the Mussel Bar in Lyckorna, Ljungskile, have fixed departure times from April to October. Voyage out into the fjord to the mile wide mussel farms where you’ll harvest live blue mussels, which you will then prepare and enjoy together back at Klocktornet on the mainland. Afterwards, continue driving south along the coast another 50 minutes until you reach Gothenburg for your final night, staying at Hotel Pigalle (pictured below). A far cry from the pared-back minimalism of many Scandinavian design hotels, Hotel Pigalle exudes a bawdy Parisienne fin de siècle bordello chic, and is most definitely Gothenburg’s coolest boutique hotel. Perfect for a fabulous weekend away, or as the start or finishing point of a holiday exploring Sweden's wild west coast.
The elegant and friendly city of Gothenburg is the gateway to the region and worth at least a days exploration, either on foot or by bike. By night the place has a fun atmosphere as this is a big student town, and there's the chance to eat at one of four Michelin-starred restaurants.
Day 8: Gothenburg to London
Today you can explore Gothenburg, enjoy your final lunch and then hop in a taxi to the airport (approx 25 minutes) to catch your evening flight home.
Ready for a Scandinavian adenture?
We design each itinerary around you, so this suggested itinerary is a starting point that we can tweak or transform into something completely bespoke to you. Call us on 020 3019 3722 to start planning your holiday or please send us an email