Overview
The Kattegattleden, or Kattegat Path is almost 400km of coastal cycling between the historic port city of Helsingborg and Gothenburg, both on the west coast. Helsingborg is a fantastic spot to start this Swedish adventure, historically a shipping city, it’s now a slick and sustainable one with a medieval heart. Swap its elegant urban environs for natural ones, such as the beaches at Tylösand, Frösakull, Ringenäs and Vilshärad, the windsurfing haven at Apelviken, or the rocky cliff terrain, with views out to islands of Getterön, Balgö and Vendelsö. There are plenty of options to take shortcuts on this tour if you don’t want to do the whole thing, and e-bikes are also available.
- Kattegat Path
- Helsingborg
- Gothenburg
- Ängelholm
- Gullbränna and Tönnersa nature reserves
- Falkenberg
Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival in Helsingborg
Check in to your centrally located hotel. Depending on your arrival time, you will have time for some sightseeing in this beautiful medieval town.
- Accommodation: Elite Hotell Mollberg or similar
Day 2: Helsingborg – Ängelholm | 46km/62km
The first part of the cycling route offers a lovely coastal tour with views of Öresund and out to Danish Zealand. You will start your journey in Helsingborg, passing Sofiero Castle with its stunning garden, nominated the most beautiful in Europe for 2010. The route continues up towards Höganäs and out to the gorgeous, rocky landscape of the Kullahalvön peninsula. A bit further along the way is the Kullaberg Nature Reserve. If you have time for a detour from the path, it’s well worth a visit. You will soon reach Höganäs, famous for its farm shops and tasty food. Some of Skåne’s finest vineyards are also located here and offer some great spots for a picnic lunch. The tour continues around the beautiful, dramatic Kullahalvön peninsula, towards the 500-year-old town of Ängelholm, your destination for the day.
- Cycling for the day: 62km (possible to shorten to 46km by leaving the path and biking approximately 10km on a minor road with little traffic between Höganäs and Jonstorp)
- Accommodation: Best Western Plus Hus 57 or similar
Day 3: Ängelholm – Halmstad | 41km/60km/75km/94km
From Ängelholm, the path continues along the coast before departing and cutting across the peninsula into the heart of Bjäre. You will get on a short but steep climb, continuing through some modern agricultural fields, gradually reaching a typical Bjärehalvön countryside. After a thrilling ride down the ridge, the route will get you to the entertainment metropolis of Båstad. A few km after Båstad, you and your bike will catch the train to Halmstad. The ticket is not included in the package price; it costs approx 10-20 EUR (per adult + bike) and can be bought on the spot. If you want to bike the entire way from Ängelholm to Halmstad without a train connection, the total stretch is 94km, or 76km, by taking a shortcut and skipping the Bjäre peninsula. After Båstad, the route continues next to one of the longest sandy beaches in Sweden and then makes a turn inland towards the nature reserves of Gullbränna and Tönnersa.
- Cycling for the day: 41km, 60km, 75km or 94km (depending on the route you choose)
- Accommodation: Best Western Plus Grand Hotel or similar
Day 4: Halmstad – Falkenberg | 57km
From Halmstad the ride will continue west, towards one of the most beloved beaches of the west coast, Tylösand, followed by the beaches of Frösakull, Ringenäs and Vilshärad. After this, the path turns towards east and connects to Kustvägen, the coast road. Along the way, you will pass several beautiful nature reserves with unique beach meadows both before and after the charming village of Steninge. Right around Steninge beach, the landscape will change from barren and stony into a lush agricultural setting, guiding you to your overnight stop of the day, Falkenberg.
- Cycling for the day: 57km
- Accommodation: Grand Hotel Falkenberg, Gits Gård or similar
Day 5: Falkenberg – Varberg | 39km
The route continues through the town of Falkenberg, one of the oldest of Hallands’ medieval towns. As you get closer to Varberg, the day’s final destination, you will pass Apelviken, a beach that attracts windsurfers from all over Europe. A short ride away, the Varberg Fortress will tower before you, well worth a visit. You can bike all the way up to the fortress if you are up for a challenge or make a visit to Societetsparken instead and take a well-deserved rest in the shade of the leafy trees.
- Cycling for the day: 39km
- Accommodation: Varbergs Stadshotell & Asia Spa or similar
Day 6: Varberg – Kungsbacka | 50km/72km
North of Varberg, the scenery changes – sandy beaches become rocky cliffs, and the first islands begin to appear, like Getterön, Balgö and Vendelsö. Further on, you will get to a quiet stretch along the ocean and the beautiful beaches of Åsa. Further up the route, we recommend a small detour to visit Tjolöholm Castle, Sweden’s only Tudor castle, before continuing to Kungsbacka, the final stop for today.
A nice possible detour option is to bike to Fjärås Bräcka, famous for its 100 standing stones at the Li grave field. The route continues on small roads through fields and horse pastures until you reach Kungsbacka; this route is not signposted, so you’ll have to check the map or follow the GPS track.
- Cycling for the day: 72km (possible to shorten to 50km, by biking Varberg to Åsa + train Åsa to Kungsbacka)
- Accommodation: Hotell Halland or similar
Day 7: Kungsbacka – Gothenburg | 41km/63km
This last stretch of the route runs along the Kungsbacka fjord, back towards the ocean. You’ll pass the small seaside village of Särö, frequented by the royalty and the Gothenburg high society in the early twentieth century. The trail continues along cliffs, lush forests, bays and small harbours, offering plenty of places to swim or just relax. As you approach central Gothenburg, you will pass Nya Varvet and the Klippan Culture Reserve and continue along Göta älv until you reach your final destination: the Gothenburg Opera and the Lilla Bommen harbour.
- Cycling for the day: 63km (It is possible to shorten the cycling distance to 41km by skipping the Onsala peninsula)
- Accommodation: Comfort hotel Göteborg or similar
Day 8: Departure
Return home or individual stay extension.
What to expect
Accommodation
Accommodation is in nice 3* and 4* hotels, in double or twin private en-suite rooms. We have carefully hand-picked all places and regularly monitor their quality. We have tried to choose accommodations that offer friendly service, clean and comfortable rooms and local flavour.
Click to view our default hotels for this trip
- Elite Hotell Mollberg (Helsingborg)
- Best Western Plus Hus 57 (Ängelholm)
- Best Western Plus Grand Hotel (Halmstad)
- Grand Hotel Falkenberg, Gits Gård (Falkenberg)
- Varbergs Stadshotell & Asia Spa (Varberg)
- Hotell Halland (Kungsbacka)
- Comfort hotel Göteborg (Gothenburg)
Hotels are subject to availability. In case a hotel is fully booked for your desired dates, we will replace it with a property of equal standard. We will provide full accommodation details upon booking confirmation.
Meals
Accommodation is on a bed & breakfast basis. When no restaurant location is available en route lunches and snacks should either be bought from local shops, or you can pre-order a packed lunch at your hotel. Dinner is available either from the restaurant in your accommodation or from the restaurants in the town where you stay overnight.
Difficulty and terrain
We rate the difficulty of the tour as moderate, with daily distances ranging between 40 and 70km (read more about difficulty grades). Most days offer several cycling options so that you can adjust the difficulty according to your abilities. Kattegat is a sign-posted tour, mostly on asphalted cycle paths, some parts on minor roads with little or no traffic. Some gravelled sections occur.
When to go
This trip is available on any day of the week, subject to availability, between May and September. The country enjoys a mostly temperate climate despite its northern latitude, mainly because of the Gulf Stream. You can expect average temperatures of approx 21°C during the summer months.
For more information, see our blog post, Best time to go to Sweden.
Getting there
View country info and up-to-date travel advice
Click to view travel options and route planner
By plane
Recommended airport: Copenhagen, Malmö, or Gothenburg
By train or bus
By car
- To Helsingborg
The city is near the major highways E4, E6 and E20. Kattegattleden begins at Knutpunkten, the central station, where you will also find parking. - To Gothenburg
European highways E6, E20 and E45 go through Gothenburg. Parking is available by the Nils Ericson bus terminal, which is located north of Gothenburg Central Station, where Kattegat route ends/ begins. Parking is also available at the hotels.
By ferry
- Helsingborg
Ferries to Helsingborg depart from Helsingör in Denmark to Knutpunkten in Helsingborg. - Gothenburg
From Kiel in Germany and Frederikshavn in Denmark with ferry company Stena Line to Gothenburg. - Varberg
There is a ferry to Varberg from Grenå in Denmark. Varberg is located in the middle of Kattegattleden.
By train
The Öresund train, which runs from Helsingör in Denmark via Malmö to Gothenburg, goes along the entire Kattegatt path and you can hop off at any convenient station. You can bring your bike with on the Öresundstågen and Pågatågen trains if space allows.
By bus (Helsingborg/Gotherburg)
You can take a bus from most major cities in Sweden, and Oslo in Norway, to Helsingborg and/or Gothenburg. Swebus and Nettbuss are two express bus companies that drive here.
Inclusions
Included
- 7 overnights with breakfast in 3 and 4-star hotels as detailed in the itinerary
- Luggage transfer on all cycling days (one piece up to 20kg per person)
- Navigation app with digital maps and descriptions
- 24/7 phone assistance by our local office/representative
Excluded
- Airfare and connecting land transfers
- Lunches, dinners, drinks and snacks
- Travel insurance (required – get a quote online)
- Personal expenses
- Any items not specifically mentioned as included in the programme
- eSIM data for international travel (get an eSIM)
Options, extras and supplements
- Single room supplement applies to members of a group who require a single room
- This holiday is available for solo travellers. However, a supplement will be charged as the cost of rooms and also luggage or private transfers (when applicable) is not shared. Please note that solo travellers are always accommodated in their own room. For logistical reasons, we don’t offer an option for solo travellers to share rooms with other solo travellers
- Extra nights in Helsingborg and Gothenburg, before and after the tour
- Return transfer from Gothenburg to Helsingborg
Bike rental
- 24-gear touring bike equipped with bag, repair kit and lock
- E-bike equipped with bag, repair kit and lock
- 22-gear gravel bike equipped with bag, repair kit and lock
- Gravel bike high end carbon equipped with bag, repair-kit and lock
- Children bikes/child transporters and helmets are also available upon request
