5-Day Kayak & Wildcamp the Archipelago of Sweden - Self-guided
5.0
48 Ratings
Nedre Yxnö
Embark on a 5-day self-guided kayak and wildcamping adventure in the stunning Saint Anna Archipelago of Sweden. Explore 6000 closely clustered islands, paddle freely, and immerse yourself in the rich history and natural beauty of the area.
Duration: 5 days
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights

Your expert local host will take care of all the logistics and equipment needed for

kayaking,

cooking,

sleeping
and

exploring
in this magical place. After a briefing on safety and navigation, you’re off on your own for a

true wilderness experience!

Wake up to an incredible view, eat some yummie breakfast, then pack up and explore the day away. The path you choose will be one never travelled before! Stop at your leisure to
swim
in
pristine coves, enjoy a beer and soak up the sun. In the evening, pick a deserted island to watch the sunset, and enjoy each others company around the campfire.

You’ll feel free….it’s as simple as that!

Day 1 – Into the maze

Our launch site is located in a sheltered bay - soon you see a maze of islands spreading out in all directions. You pass bird sanctuaries teeming with birdlife on your way northeast to the pretty islands around Aspöja. Sea Eagles are a common sight around here.

Day 2 – A band of islands against the horizon

Your next day is a beautiful paddle southeast through the barren, wind-pined islands of the outer archipelago. After a hard day you reach the old navigation mark Kupa Klint. It’s a great lookout with stunning views of the hundreds of islands below. Inside the outer band of skerries is the sheltered large island Missjö, ideal for camping. Local boat taxi man Mats runs a small pub on Missjö.

Day 3 – The village that time forgot

Continue your exploration south towards Harstena Village. You are greeted by a picturesque view of the village as you paddle the small inlet to the waterside restaurant. Harstena is famous for its idyllic and historic beauty. Visit the old school and seal processing factory, munch on delicious cinnamon swirls from the bakery or try hot-smoked fish from the local fisherman.

Day 4 – A wood-fired sauna on the sea

Head west through the narrow straight by Vaggön with its dramatic steep walls crashing into the water, and circle back up to Håskö. It’s one of the area’s last untouched homesteads. They are well-known for their fresh deboned perch and smoked salmon.

For a very small fee you can use the wood-fired sauna located right on the sea.

Day 5 – The abandoned copper mine

Paddle through the tiny straight by Kråkmarö - a secluded area with many traditional summer houses, aiming for Fångö. During the 19th century, Fångö was an important site for mining copper and there are many remains from the era.

Climb to the top of Gubbön navigation mark, opposite Fångö, to get a spectacular view of the Gryt Archipelago before heading west towards the mainland to the end point of your trip.

Points of Interest

  • Do the North

  • Fyrudden

What's Included
  • 24/7 Do the North service while kayaking
  • Cell phone for weather reports & communication
  • Top quality kayaking, camping & cooking gear
  • Return transport Norrköping-Saint Anna
  • Briefing on the area, navigation and safety
  • Detailed guide book
  • Food order - we shop and pack for you at cost price
What's Not Included
  • Food and drinks
  • Alcoholic drinks (available to purchase)
  • Flights
  • Airport transfer to Norrköping
Additional Information

The quiet Saint Anna Archipelago on Sweden’s eastern shoreline is a veritable paradise for kayaking enthusiasts. No other place in Europe boasts a concentration of 6000 islands like this - a labyrinth extending from the forested, secluded islands near the mainland to the desolate islets that touch the boundless sea. It is a free-for-all for you to paddle and set up camp in the wild at your convenience!

This expedition is self-guided, and you have the freedom to plot your own path. Everything from premium equipment to a comprehensive guidebook is provided, along with round-the-clock support during your kayaking trip. Your pre-ordered groceries will be ready for you on arrival, and following a quick rundown on safety procedures, navigation skills, and knowledge about the area, you’re all set to take the plunge! It’s an ideal tour for novices and seasoned sea kayakers alike!

While the majority of the islands remain uninhabited, the archipelago has borne witness to many individuals calling it home for their entire lives. You’re free to choose what to explore - cultural landmarks, untamed wilderness, or, as is often the case, a mix of both!

  • Minimum age 12, any young adults must be accompanied by an adult
  • A minimum of 2 people per booking is required
  • A maximum of 12 people per booking
Location
Do the North
Drive road 210 from Soderkoping towards S:t Anna. Take a left at the sign for "Mons Skärgårdsby" and then a right by the next sign. Drive through the camp site down towards the water. Parking on the left. We offer safe parking at no cost while kayaking.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
5.0
(48 Ratings)
5 stars
4 stars
3 stars
2 stars
1 star
71955
Dec 19, 2023
A real adventure - Exciting, on the edge trip. Unforgettable and great value for money. The weather was filthy (last week of the season) but the equipment coped with rain, thunder and lightning, metre high waves and we survived! Memorable. Actually we went in Sept 2022 but I forgot to post a review
Review provided by Tripadvisor
P996otchrisl
Jul 28, 2023
Amazing wilderness adventure! - We were repeat customers, who were a little anxious that our second trip would not live up to the expectations set from the first. We should not have worried, this trip was just as amazing as the first. Maybe more amazing as we had a little familiarity with how things worked and what we could achieve in 5 days. We visited the places we missed out on from the first trip and revisitied our favourities which were still as beautiful and untouched as we had hoped. Sea eagles a plenty, some more owls at night giving us a show. Although still the seals keep hidden away from us - will put more effort to find them next time!! Helena and Tom have the perfect set up, noone else comes close or offers this level of service. For a wild camping adventure in the wilderness they make it all amazingly easy and safe. The added printed guide book and tying up the points of interest with marks on the map was a great touch. Kit is all still top notch and excellently maintained. The staff are all excellent, very freindly and knowledgeable about the area and set up! We will be back a third time and may even try out the winter retreat! Thanks to the 'do the north' team for another amazing set of memories!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
394stephenp
Jul 27, 2023
Awesome adventure and experience - Just had the pleasure of completing the 5 day guided adventure with Phil and Linda. I would not hesitate in recommending this company their services and their guides. What an awesome trip it was from start to finish. The guides were absolutely excellent having great people skills who are experienced, knowledgeable and interactive ensuring every aspect of this adventure trip for all participants was made enjoyable and memorable for all the right reasons. I'm now more informed and wiser having done this trip with guides. The trip certainly gets you close to the wilderness, the environment and all its benefits they offer. The guides went over and above with their sunset and sunrise swims with guests. Thanks to "Do the North" and all staff for making this experience and adventure possible, safe and so enjoyable.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Torz86
Jul 24, 2023
Incredible trip - Such a a beautiful area and a fantastic company to deal with. Everything was taken care of and really well thought out from the moment of booking. All of the kit provided was fantastic quality which really helped the adventure go as smoothly and comfortably as possible, we booked the comfort upgrade with hammocks and chairs, I highlyrecommendyou do the same. Anyone can take this trip, regardless of your previous experience with sea kayaking or camping. We were given all the information we could possibly need and with such good support and kit and surroundings it's impossible to have a bad time! We set up camp on some beautiful islands as the only human inhabitants most nights and spent the evenings watching endless sunsets. Carrying everything in the Kayaks means being able to take along a load of groceries with us to be able to get really creative cooking on the trangia which is so great I've been converted to get my own! Being able to book the groceries and have them ready to pack in the kayak was super handy. For our trip we were collected from and dropped back to our hotel by the world's friendliest guides, we honestly did have the most fantastic time.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Tiieeem
Nov 24, 2022
Very well organised in beautiful area of Sweden - When you are getting closer to the St. Anna area, the sceneries get more and more beautiful, also the weather seems better in this area than the rest of Sweden. The basecamp is already in a nice spot, after some instructions and some magic of the instructor with packing the kayaks of some of the other kayakkers, we paddled away. Just within 20 minutes I spotted what i thought was a big and weird looking seagull on a rock, luckily my girlfriend has better eyes and told me that it possibly was a white tail eagle. When we quietly paddled closer a white tail eagle took off indeed, amazing to see and the first day already couldn't go wrong anymore. The next days we encountered other (wild) animals like big seals hunting fish (spectacular!), other birds of prey, fish, goats, sheeps and cows. We found the most beautiful spots to camp and were able to make great meals with all the cooking stuff and groceries provided. The recommended points of interest are definitely worth a visit, the bakery at Harstena is great and the island is beautiful and peaceful. If you like sauna definitely visit Hasko, at which you can make use of the wood fired bastu (sauna) for a very fair price. All with all a great experience & with the support of Do the North with providing great paddling & camping gear, groceries, instructions & tips you should have a great time here! Big thanks to the Do the North team!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Emrskid
Nov 15, 2022
Incredible trip - The best holiday we’ve ever been on. We saw the most stunning scenery, wildlife (eagle, pine Martin, seal), beautiful sunsets. We loved the freedom of travelling where and when we wanted. We both had very little experience of kayaking but this didn’t stop us, we racked up 45 miles of kayaking over the 5 days! The kit was fantastic and we loved being able to take loads of fresh food (and wine!!) with us - we had plenty with us. We cannot speak more highly of our time on this trip with Do the North, if you’re thinking of booking - go for it!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
71955
Oct 1, 2022
Islands adventure - Amazing! We did the last week of September. It was windy. There was rain. The open water crossings were challenging. We were a father (67) and son (29) with very limited kayak experience. It was challenging at times. The equipment provided was superb. We had planned a couple of hostel nights but camped every night. It was stunningly beautiful. An astonishing variety of islands. An unforgettable experience.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
642adrians
Sep 28, 2022
Special and unique - Absolutely loved this trip. I had canoed before but never wild camped, and it's fair to say we both had some trepidation about navigation and how cold it'd be (we went in late September). But the kit and equipment provided is excellent, as is the briefing before you set off on day 1. I'd expected there to be a set route, or that all groups leaving on the same day stay in the same place each night, but it really is a completely blank canvass for the week. But that means you can take it all at your own pace depending on whether you want a chilled week or to go big. The water is pretty calm given how well protected it is from the outer islands, and the scenery is spectacular. Navigating is something you just get the hang of between using the map / compass and a bit of Google Maps GPS just to check your position relative to the map (there is good mobile reception all over the Archipelago). Yes, it's a bit out of your comfort zone at times, particularly when you're first setting off. But this was one of the most enjoyable trips I've ever done, and the company are really friendly, helpful and well organised. Do it...
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Hannah
Sep 24, 2022
A second heavenly adventure - This was our second self guided trip with Do The North, and it was even better than the first. It's such a special place, and the quality equipment and relaxed, friendly staff create the optimum conditions to enjoy it to the fullest. The peace and isolation are heavenly, and the sunsets are unbeatable. We'll definitely be back for a third trip.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Z5560wtmattw
Sep 19, 2022
Wonderful Trip! - I genuinely could not recommend Do The North more highly - their staff, equipment, organisation and guidance were all absolutely first rate and resulted in an unforgettable trip. If in doubt, book - you won’t regret it!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Select Date and Tickets
minimum 2 guests
-
up to 12 guests
2 Adult
May 2024
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
Today
More activities from this operator
From $1,124
Guided 5-Day Kayak & Wildcamp Adventure in Sweden's Saint Anna Archipelago
5.0
46 Ratings
From $720
4-Day Self-Guided Kayaking in Sweden's Saint Anna Archipelago: A Wildcamping Experience
5.0
9 Ratings