Overview
Gotaleden Trail was inaugurated in 2019, but it became popular quickly because of its lovely nature, clearly marked trails, charming cafes and historical places along the way. The 71-km long trail starts in Gothenburg’s heart and ends in the charming town of Alingsås, winding along the Säve River and the beautiful lake Aspen. You will pass by beautiful old mills such as Jonsered and Tollered and spot rich birdlife. On this hike, you will also stay in the luxurious and award-winning Nääs Factory Hotel with a history that dates back to the 1830s. Gotaleden is a delightful hike combined with comfortable accommodations.
Highlights
- The Säveån Nature Reserve with diverse birdlife and fauna
- Sauna and a dip in the lake at the luxurious Nääs Fabriker Hotel
- Wonderful nature combined with great pitstops
- The city of Gothenburg
Click to view map
Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive in Gothenburg
Your tour starts in Gothenburg. Accommodation in your hotel and take your time to explore the city’s landmarks like the Botanical Garden, Feskekôrka fish market or the Gothenburg Museum of Art.
- Accommodation: Elite Park Avenue Hotel Gothenburg or similar in Gothenburg
Day 2: Gothenburg to Jonsered/Lerum | 24km
You start your hike directly from your hotel to the Skatås outdoor recreation area. After a few kilometres, you reach the nature reserve of Delsjön, the largest one in the Gothenburg area. After Skatås, you pass Knipeflågsbergen, a huge mountain plateau where you walk up Mount Getryggen. Enjoy the views onto Gothenburg at the top before you continue to Lake Kåsjön and Lake Madern. This is a great stop for swimming in the lake or having a picnic lunch. Your walk ends in Jonsered, a small village with an industrial background. You continue by train and public bus to your hotel in Lerum (not incl.). You can shorten your hike by 5km if you take a bus in the morning to Skatås (not incl.)
- Walking for the day: 24km, 6-7h ↑270m ↓270m (shorter option: 19 km, 4-5 hours ↑154 m ↓58 m)
- Accommodation: Aspenas Herrgård or similar in Lerum
Day 3: Lerum to Tollered | 17km
Your tour continues along river Säveån to today’s highlight – Säveån Nature Reserve. Enjoy the beautiful trail through the nature reserve with chirping birds, salmon in the river and beautiful areas for a break. Worth seeing is also the Hillefors grit mill, the only water-driven rolled oats mill in the world. You continue along river Säveån towards Nääs, where you can visit its castle. Your route continues through the historic village with its spinning mills down to your hotel.
- Walking for the day:17km, 4.5-5h ↑95m ↓150m
- Accommodation: Hotel Nääs Fabriker in Tollered
Day 4: Tollered to Alingås | 25km
The last walking section is through varying landscapes, again with options for a swim. Along the shore of Mjörns Lake, you reach the Nolhagaviken Nature Reserve with rich birdlife. You can also visit Nolhaga Castle with interesting art and exhibitions and its English garden. Soon after the castle, you reach Alingsås – the town impresses with beautiful wooden buildings and offers plenty of nice cafés.
- Walking for the day: 25km, 5-6h ↑250m ↓260m
- Accommodation: Grand Hotel Alingsås or similar in Alingsås
Day 5: Departure
The tour ends after breakfast. It is easy to take the train back to Gothenburg; it takes approximately 25min. Or you can prolong your stay in Alingås, Gothenburg or other parts of West Sweden.
What to Expect
Accommodation
Accommodation is in nice 3-star and 4-star hotels, in 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 default hotels
- Elite Park Avenue Hotel Gothenburg (Gothenburg)
- Aspenas Herrgård (Lerum)
- Hotel Nääs Fabriker (Tollered)
- Grand Hotel Alingsås (Alingsås)
*Hotels are subject to availability. In case a particular hotel is fully booked for your desired 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
Accommodation is on a bed & breakfast basis. Lunches are available along the way. You can have dinner at your hotel or nearby restaurants.
Difficulty & terrain
The daily walks are quite long, but the hike is technically easy. If you feel that the daily itinerary will be too long, there are options to shorten the distances by train or bus. The route is mostly flat with some easy climbs. This hiking holiday is suitable for experienced hikers (read more about difficulty grades). The trail goes along forest paths, gravel roads and some asphalt; the total length is 71 km from the heart of Gothenburg to the town of Alingsås. It is well-marked with blue and a walking symbol with the text “Gotaleden”. We strongly advise you to follow only marked trails and never shorten the path through unknown and unmarked terrain. We will provide you with detailed road notes and maps, and you can call our local assistance phone number. More detailed info on route navigation will be included in your holiday information pack.
When to go
This trip is available from the end of May until the beginning of September, with arrivals on Sundays only (other days – on request only). Daytime summer temperatures normally range from 15°C to 25°C. The air is relatively humid, making warm days feel warmer and cold days colder. The best time to visit is June-August, with the warmest month being July, with an average maximum temperature of 20°C.
Getting there
Click to view travel options
By plane
Our recommended airports for this tour are Copenhagen, Gothenburg and Stockholm.
By train or bus
- Gothenburg Airport: Landvetter Airport is about 20km southeast of downtown and is served by domestic and international flights. There are regular buses from the airport to the central railway station.
- Copenhagen Airport: There are regular trains from this airport to Gothenburg with one change on the way. Journey time is about 4.5 – 5h. The timetable can be checked on the DSB website.
- Stockholm Airport: There are regular trains between Stockholm and Gothenburg; journey time is 3-5h, depending on the train type.
- Arrival by car: Hotel park garage from SEK395 per night or public park garage in Gothenburg from ca. SEK210 per day, reservation not possible, payable on the spot.
- Departure: There are good train connections between Alingsås and Gothenburg. You can plan your trip here.
Inclusions
Included
- 4 overnights in 3-star and 4-star hotels as listed in the itinerary
- 4 breakfasts
- Luggage transport on the walking days (1 piece per person up to 20kg)
- Detailed route notes and maps (1 set x per room), navigation app & GPS tracks
- Phone assistance by our local office/representative
Excluded
- Airfare and connecting land transfers
- Local transport
- Lunches, dinners, drinks and snacks
- Travel insurance (required – get a quote online)
- Personal expenses
- Entrance fees (payable on the spot)
- Any items not specifically mentioned as included in the programme
Options, extras and supplements
- Supplement applies to members of a group who require a single room / single use of a double room
- This holiday is available for solo travellers; a supplement will be charged as accommodation and luggage transfer costs are not shared (we never mix and match – solo travellers will be accommodated in single rooms)
- Extra nights in Gothenburg and Alingsås, extra nights are not possible during the tour
- Discount if you decide to use only the digital tour materials and refuse the printed version
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