Overview
A six day holiday hiking on Gotland, Sweden’s largest island, where you get to explore a combination of sublime seascapes and ancient heritage. This is a centre-based holiday, staying in Visby, which is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site as it’s one of the country’s best preserved fortified and Hanseatic towns. On your walking trails, you discover an island dotted with nature reserves, magnificent sea stacks, or raukar, caves such as Lummelunda Cave, as well as the tiny limestone island of Stora Karlsö. Gotland also has a rapidly-growing gastronomy reputation, so you won’t go hungry on your adventures.
- Lummelunda Cave
- Östkustleden
- Stora Karlsö
- Högklint Cliff
- Södra Hällarna Nature Reserve
Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival in Visby
Arrival in Gotland’s main town of Visby, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Take time to explore this Hanseatic town with its well-preserved medieval wall and many churches, such as St. Clemens, St. Nicolai and Drotten’s, as well as St. Karin church ruin with impressively high arches.
- Accommodation: Solhem Hotel or similar in Visby
Day 2: Gotland’s west coast | 14km
Walk along coastal paths to the fishing village of Nyhamn, taking in the views of the Baltic Sea. Reach Lummelunda Cave, a karst cave of around 4km long, where there is the option to take a guided tour (approximately 190kr per person, payable locally). Return to Visby by public bus (not included) and spend the rest of the day exploring the town.
- Walking for the day: 14km, 3-4h, ↑50m ↓45m
- Accommodation: Solhem Hotel or similar in Visby
Day 3: Östkustleden | 16km
Today’s walk follows a section of the Östkustleden hiking trail, which stretches along the east coast of the island. Arrive in the former trading town of Ljugarn, the oldest seaside resort on Gotland. Since the late 1800s, the town has been a popular seaside resort and bathing spot which, at the time, was mainly frequented by aristocrats, artists and writers. Relax on the beach or go for a dip in the sea, before heading back to Visby.
- Walking for the day: 16km, 4h, ↑10m ↓20m
- Accommodation: Solhem Hotel or similar in Visby
Day 4: Stora Karlsö island | 4km
Take the public bus to Klintehamn (payable locally), a port located south of Visby, from where you take the boat across to the 2.4km2 limestone island of Stora Karlsö (30mins, included). Stora Karlsö is the second oldest nature reserve in the world and is known for its diverse bird life, in particular the many colonies of breeding guillemots and razorbills. Learn about Stora Karlsö’s flora, fauna, geology and cultural history at the island’s museum. Take the boat back across to Gotland in the afternoon, followed by the public bus up to Visby.
- Walking for the day: 4km, 1h, ↑40m ↓40m
- Accommodation: Solhem Hotel or similar in Visby
Day 5: Gotland’s south coast | 12km
The first stop of today’s walk is Södra Hällarna Nature Reserve, a protected area with landscapes of woodland, cliffs, beaches and caves. Continue walking to reach Fridhem, known for Villa Fridhem, a residence built in the 1800s, where Princess Eugénie of Sweden was medically prescribed to spend her summers. Visit its park or take a dip in the sea, before continuing on to Högklint, one of the most dramatic cliffs on Gotland, standing at a height of 48m. Walk towards Ygne fiskeläge, a former fishing village nestled between the rugged cliffs. From here, return to Visby by public bus (payable locally), or walk back.
- Walking for the day: 12km, 3h, ↑100m ↓100m
- Accommodation: Solhem Hotel or similar in Visby
Day 6: Departure
Departure after breakfast, or extend your stay with an extra night.
What to expect
Accommodation
This is a centre-based tour, staying in a 3-star hotel in Visby for the duration of the tour. All rooms have en-suite bathrooms. Please note that twin rooms are not offered as standard in Sweden. It will generally consist of a double bed with separate linen for each person. If you prefer to opt for twin beds, we will happily request this at time of booking, however they can’t always be guaranteed.
Click to view default hotels
- Solhem Hotel (Visby)
Accommodation is subject to availability. In the event of a particular hotel being fully booked for your chosen dates, we will replace it with a hotel of equal value and quality level. We will provide exact accommodation details to you upon booking confirmation.
Meals
Breakfast is included on all days. When no restaurant location is available en route, lunches and snacks can either be bought from local shops or packed lunches can be pre-ordered from your hotel the night before. Dinner is available from restaurants in the local area.
Difficulty and terrain
This tour is rated easy to moderate, with daily distances ranging between 4-19km. The routes mostly follow gravel roads, forest tracks and side roads with minimal traffic. The terrain is mostly flat and there are no steep ascents or descents (read more about difficulty grades).
We strongly advise you to only follow marked trails and never try to shorten the path through unknown and unmarked terrain. We will provide you with detailed route notes and maps and you can call our 24/7 local assistance phone number anytime. More detailed information on route navigation will be included in your holiday information pack.
When to go
This trip is available from the beginning of June until the end of August. The flexibility of self-guided holidays means there are no fixed dates, meaning you can start your trip on any date during the season.
Sweden has a much milder climate than most other regions of the world that lie as far north, as its climate is influenced by the Gulf Stream. In Gotland, average temperatures during the summer months range from 14-17C, with highs of up to 27C. Conditions can be sunny and warm, but with some cooler and rainy days. For more information, see our blog post, Best time to go to Sweden.
Getting there
Click to view travel options
By plane
Our recommended airports for this tour are Visby Airport or one of Stockholm’s four airports.
By train or bus
- By ferry: from Stockholm, travel to Nynäshamn station by train or bus (see SL) and take the ferry (approximately 3h) to Visby. For more information, see Destination Gotland
- By plane: fly to Visby Airport, take a taxi to the hotel (10mins)
- By car: parking spaces are available, however, reservation in advance is not possible (payable locally)
Inclusions
Included
- 5 nights accommodation
- 5 breakfasts
- Return boat trip Klintehamn to Stora Karlsö
- Detailed digital route notes and maps, navigation app and GPS tracks
- 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
- Entrance fees and public bus tickets (payable locally)
- Any items not specifically listed as included
- eSIM data for international travel (get an eSIM)
Options, extras and supplements
- If you’re travelling in a group, a supplement applies to group members who would like to have a room of their own
- 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
