Luleå Archipelago Skiing Tour - Swedish Lapland | Luleå Travel

Luleå Archipelago Skiing Tour

Luleå – Swedish Lapland (6 days / 5 nights)

Discover the pristine winter landscape of the Luleå Archipelago on cross country skis. This guided multi day skiing trip is for everybody who loves the outdoors but don’t want to stop exploring during winter.

Luleå archipelago skiing tour

Winter in Swedish Lapland is a season to be looked forward to; a time of cold, crisp days, white landscapes and blue skies. View the Northern Lights, cosy up in front of a wood burning stove with hot chocolate after a day outdoors. The Luleå Archipelago has a total of 1,300 islands and is an unique environment to explore. Between December and April the sea freezes up to a meter thick ice which is perfect for winter tours on cross-country skis or snowshoeing. You can enjoy miles and miles of vast, white landscapes a stone throw away from the city of Luleå.

Cross country skiing

On this tour you spend the days skiing and in the evening you stay in remote back country cabins in the Luleå Archipelago. Here you can relax by the wood stove, enjoy a hot meal, warm drinks and even have the option to use a wood -fired sauna after a day of adventures.

Accommodation

The cabins used, are owned and maintained by the Luleå municipality and offer an authentic experience. Solar cells provide power for some lightning and 12V wall sockets for charging electronic devices. The cabins are equipped with kitchen, common room with a dining table, chairs and a wood burning stove and bunk beds. Near the cabins you will find a dry toilet.  The islands are remote located and therefore open up op great opportunities to see the Northern Lights in the evening.

Guided skiing tour

The first and the last evening from the tour you stay in a modern hotel in the city centre of Luleå, the other days you spend outdoors using cabins during the night. The days on the ice are fully guided. We provide transfer from Luleå Airport to the start of the tour, skis, snowshoes, poles and accommodation. Beside that we provide all the food during the hike and promise you an unforgettable nature experience. This skiing tour is suitable for everyone who has basic skiing experience and can manage a 15 km forest walk.

If you are unsure if you are able to take part don’t hesitate to contact us and tell us about yourself and your worries.

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  • PRICE

    SEK 19900

  • PERIOD

    27 March – 1 April 2024

  • GROUPSIZE

    3 -6 persons

  • INCLUDED
    • First and last night accommodation in city hotel incl. breakfast buffet
    • Other nights accommodation in basic cabins, based on full board
    • Gluten free, vegetarian and vegan meals available upon request
    • Free use of authentic wooden heated sauna
    • Free use of snowshoes
    • Days on the ice are fully guided.
    • Last night, 2 course end-dinner in city center
    • Skies, shoes, poles, pulk bag to pack your belongings, expedition pulk and harness
  • EQUIPMENT

    You need to be prepared for winter hiking. The climate is similar to the unpredictable weather conditions often found in the mountains.  A detailed packing list will be provided.

  • DETAILS
    • Excluding flights
    • Average skiing distance a day 8-20 km, depending on ice and weather conditions
    • Minimum age > 12 years
    • Hotel room, single supplement SEK 1500
    • Private tours possible on request

ITINERARY

Luleå archipelago skiing tour | 6 days / 5 nights

lulea archipelago
Arrival Day – Welcome to Swedish Lapland!

Arrival at Luleå airport or train station on you own arrangements. Your hotel in the city centre is easy to reach with public transport or taxi from the Airport and on walking distance from the train station. Check-in at your comfortable hotel and depending on your arrival time you can choose to relax, take care for the last shopping’s or explore the city and nearby ice track on the frozen Luleå River. In the evening you will meet up with the rest of the group and your guide will provide an update of the weather forecast, ice conditions, go through the equipment and give an  introduction of the program for the coming days.

Day 2 – Storbrändön  to Kluntarna

After breakfast you will be picked up from the lobby of your hotel for the transfer to the start of the tour. Here you will be provide with pulk and harness to store your belongings, before heading straight out to the  frozen archipelago. The start of the route is depending on the ice conditions. When the ice roads are open we can drive the first part of the tour out into the Luleå archipelago by car.  The start will be alongside the island Storbrändön or from the mainland by Lövskärshamn. The destination for today is the island Kluntarna .This unique nature reserve has been seasonally populated for centuries and used as a base for fishing and seal hunting. The afternoon is free for a self-guided snowshoeing trip or just to relax body and mind in the wood fired sauna. (Today’s skiing distance is depending on the ice conditions/start location of the tour and varies between around 9-16km).

Day 3 – Kluntarna to Småskär

Today’s walk leads to the island Småskär, a beautiful island in the outermost part of the archipelago. Småskär is characterised by bays with fishing villages, boathouses, old growth forest, rocks and cliffs. The chapel at Småskär, built in the 1720s by the residents of Luleå, is the oldest in the archipelago. It was built in what became known as Chapel Bay. This is probably the location of the original fishing village a kilometre east of our cabin and well worth a visit.

Well into the 1900s the town was an important working fishing village. Now it is used only for recreation, and is one of the most popular destinations in the outer Luleå archipelago during summer. (Today’s skiing distance is around 8 km). 

Day 4 – Småskär to Brändöskär

The destination today will be the fishing village and nature reserve Brändöskär. This island is located in the outer rim of the archipelago and particular exposed to weather and winds which has shaped the barren landscape.  This beautiful fishing village is located in a sheltered inlet, with old fishing huts that have survived from the past. The old chapel, was built in 1774 by the fishermen of the outer Luleå archipelago. The afternoon is free for a self-guided snowshoeing trip or just to relax body and mind in the wood fired sauna. (Today’s skiing distance is around 8 km).

Day 5 – Brändöskär to Luleå, via Hindersön

Today is your last day in the archipelago and the route will lead back to Luleå via the still inhabited island of Hindersön. Hindersön is one of the largest islands in the Luleå archipelago with a current population of about 80 persons. The island includes fishing ports and old farms, some still in use. The school building and teacher’s residence have been modernised and have got other functions. The island is during winter accessible by the longest ice road in Sweden about 15km. If the ice roads are open, you will be transferred from here to your hotel in the city centre. If closed  the remaining part to the mainland needs to be done on skis. (Today’s skiing distance is depending on the ice conditions and varies between 11 and 19 km).

Day 6 – Departure day

After a wonderful week full of new experiences it’s time to travel homewards. You can look back on an amazing winter holiday in Swedish Lapland!

 

HIGHLIGHTS OF THIS TOUR

  • Discover the islands; Kluntarna, Småskär, Brändöskär and Hindersön.
  • Experience the genuine environment of an Arctic archipelago of more than 1000 islands.
  • Remote locations, far away from disturbing city lights, which enlarges the chance to see the Northern Lights.
  • Use of authentic wood fired saunas.
  • Maximum 7 participants for a genuine experience.
  • Essential material as skis, poles, pulk, packing bag and harness will be provided.
  • Unique accommodation on the islands in remote and well maintained cabins.
  • Avoid the crowds: we visit locations most travellers will never find.
  • Spotting wildlife as reindeer and moose, the King of the forest. The moose is the largest of all the deer species with more than 2 m height at shoulder, and a weight of 1000 kg.
  • Stunning landscapes for photography.
  • Home cooked dinner with dessert served after a full day being outdoors.

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