Overview
A seven-day, self-guided adventure, walking the Sörmland Trail, a wilderness area also known as the Sörmland Way (Sörmlandsleden). This is a carefully crafted itinerary through a mostly uninhabited region, left to rewild and restore those who walk there. Starting and ending in Nyköping, walk through some of the 1,000km trail’s most idyllic locations to swim in lakes, forest bathe and walk part of the coastline. Staying in a mix of hotels and traditional Swedish guesthouses along the trail, with luggage transferred for you.
- River Nyköping
- Nävsjön Nature Reserve
- Bråviken Bay
- Sörmland wilderness
- Stockholm
Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive in Stockholm
Arrive in Stockholm and, depending on your arrival time, take some time to explore one of Scandinavia’s grandest capitals, built across 14 islands. Stroll through 13th-century Gamla Stan, Stockholm’s charming old town. Alternatively, stroll around Södermalm, famous for its cool vintage stores, galleries and contemporary boutiques. If you’re keen to start walking, we recommend a wander around Djurgården island, or Stockholm’s Ekopark, a 27km2 green oasis which is also the world’s first national urban park.
- Optional walking for the day: 6-20km
- Accommodation: Rex Hotel or similar in Stockholm
Day 2: Stockholm – Nyköping | 8km
Today, take a direct train (train ticket payable locally, 1h) from Stockholm to Nyköping, a historic city with a vibrant harbour. From the train station in Nyköping, an pre-booked taxi transfers you to your accommodation for the evening where you can drop off your bags. Your walk follows the River Nyköping, beginning from the harbour through the town centre to open countryside. Highlights along the way include Nyköpingshus Castle, Hållet Nature Reserve, Slabro rock carvings some fascinating bridges. After crossing the open countryside, your walk ends at Oppeby, from where you take the bus back to Nyköping. This evening, take a stroll down through the harbour which is always a buzzing place.
- Walking for the day: 8km
- Accommodation: Clarion Collection Hotel Kompaniet or similar in Nyköping
Day 3: Nyköping – Nävekvarn | 17.5km
A transfer in the morning takes you through the Kiladalen region to Lake Nävsjön. When you walk through the Nävsjön Nature Reserve the pines surrounding you are more than 250 years old, with many 350 years old. Your hike starts with an 8km loop around the lake, hugging the shores and offering plenty of places and enjoy the waterfront views. After completing the loop, continue along the Sörmlandsleden Trail towards Nävekvarn. The trail now takes you through a tranquil forest as you make your way towards the shore of Bråviken Bay. Following the shore, start your ascent to Nävekvarn Klint hilltop, with far-stretching views across Bråviken. Take your time before descending to the seaside town of Nävekvarn, also rich in mining history. Nävekvarn is a true hiker’s paradise thanks to the many Sörmlandsleden trails that start and end here in the village.
- Walking for the day: 17.5km
- Accommodation: Marinans Guesthouse or similar (note that the rooms have shared facilities) in Nävekvarn
Day 4: Nävekvarn loop walk | 13km
Take the bus from Nävekvarn to Buskhyttan, from where you then walk about 4km to Koppartorp. Once at Koppartorp, there is a selection of loop walks to fill your day. One loop takes you around the foot of Kummelberget, another through a former mining district, and the third loop takes you up Simonberget, with superb views across the countryside. Once back down from the heights of Simonberget, wander over to Koppartorp, a district rich in culture and history where you can visit the local folklore museum, church dating back to 1620 and a mining museum from the 14th century. It’s a short walk back to Buskhyttan where you take the bus back to Nävekvarn for an afternoon exploring the little island Skäret, on Nävekvarn’s doorstep.
- Walking for the day: 13km
- Accommodation: Marinans Guesthouse or similar (note that the rooms have shared facilities) in Nävekvarn
Day 5: Nävekvarn – Ålbäck | 18km
Your hike starts directly from Nävekvarn, following the spectacular Bråviken coast, with coastal scenery both at the water’s edge and from hilltops along the way, and plenty of beach stops along the way. A transfer meets you at the end of the day’s hike in Ålbäck where you are met and transferred back to Nyköping.
- Walking for the day: 18km
- Accommodation: Clarion Collection Hotel Kompaniet or similar in Nyköping
Day 6: Nyköping – Stockholm | 9-17km
After breakfast, you have a choice of three hikes
1. A day trip to Stendörren nature reserve, a beautiful archipelago of small islands and inlets where you enjoy tranquility in an unspoiled nature. Here you can hike across the many islands using their intriguing system of suspension bridges, or swim in the clean, refreshing Baltic waters. Take the local bus to and from Nyköping (payable locally).
Walking: 9km
2. Head southwards towards Lindbacke-Svanbacke and Ryssberget Nature Reserve, both with great views over Kiladalen.
Walking: 12km
3. For a longer hike, follow the coast around Nyköping to Strandstuviken passing beaches, nature reserves and a bird-watching platform.
Walking: 17km
After the walk, take a pre-booked taxi to Nyköping train station where you return to Stockholm by train (train ticket payable locally, 1h).
- Walking for the day: 9-17km
- Accommodation: Rex Hotel or similar in Stockholm
Day 7: Departure
Departure after breakfast.
What to expect
Accommodation
Accommodation on this tour includes a mix of comfortable hotels and a traditional guesthouses. They have been carefully selected based on a variety of criteria including their location, warm hospitality, fine local food or commitment to responsible tourism. Some of the rooms are with shared facilities, and an upgrade to rooms with en-suite facilities is available on request.
Click to view default hotels
Clarion Collection, Hotel Kompaniet
Hotels are 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, as well as three picnic lunches, one afternoon tea (fika) and two dinners in Nyköping. When no restaurant location is available on the route, lunches and snacks should either be bought from local shops or packed lunches can be pre-ordered from your hotel the night before. You can have dinner at the hotel you are staying at or at the village restaurants.
Difficulty and terrain
The walk is easy to moderate with some moderate sections, and the longest day is 18km. The walking is not challenging (3-5h per day), but it is an undulating landscape with many hills, and some stretches may be a bit boggy if it has rained recently (read more about difficulty grades). The trail follows well-maintained footpaths, and the trails are waymarked. Comprehensive route notes and maps are supplied. You can also call our 24/7 local assistance phone number anytime. More detailed info on route navigation will be included in your holiday information pack.
When to go
This trip is available to start on Wednesdays from mid-May to mid-September. For larger groups, we can arrange departures on other days of the week. If you are a seasoned and well-equipped hiker, we can book you on off-season dates. For more information, see our blog post, Best time to go to Sweden.
Getting there
Click to view travel options
By plane
The closest airports are Stockholm Arlanda Airport (ARN) and Stockholm Skavsta Airport (NYO), 100km south of Stockholm.
By train or bus
- The Arlanda Express train takes you from Arlanda Airport to the city centre in 20mins.
- Flygbussarna Airport Coaches run buses from Skavsta Airport to the centre of Stockholm, which takes about 80mins.
- There are regular trains between Stockholm and Nyköping (1h)
Inclusions
Included
- 6 nights in hotels and guesthouses as listed in the itinerary (rooms with shared facilities in Nävekvarn)
- 6 breakfasts, 3 picnic lunches, 2 dinners
- Detailed journey documentation and practical information: personalised trip notes and maps (a hard copy provided at the first hotel; one set per room)
- Luggage transfers (one piece up to 20kg per person): Nyköping/Nävekvarn (day three) and Nävekvarn/Nyköping (day five)
- Car transfers: Nyköping train station to accommodation (day two), Nyköping/Nävsjön (day three) and Ålbäck/Nyköping (day five), accommodation to Nyköping train station (day six)
- Contribution to Sörmlandsleden, a voluntary association preparing and taking care of all the hiking trails
- 24/7 phone assistance by our local office/representative
Excluded
- Airfare and connecting land transfers
- Meals, drinks and snacks not mentioned in the itinerary
- Train tickets between Stockholm and Nyköping (approximately 175kr per person)
- Bus tickets: Oppeby/Nyköping (day two) and Nävekvarn/Buskhyttan/Nävekvarn (day four) – approximately 110kr per person, payable locally
- Travel insurance (required – get a quote online)
- Personal expenses
- Local tourist taxes and entry fees (payable on-site)
- Any items not explicitly 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
- We regret that this trip is not available to solo travellers
- Extra nights in Stockholm before and after the tour
- Upgrade to rooms with private facilities in Nävekvarn at a supplement and on request (limited availability)
- Upgrade to a superior room at Clarion Hotel
