The archipelago, within reach.
Quality-assured kayak trails for multi-day tours through Stockholm's most beautiful waters — paddling, wild camping and outdoor life. A common good, free and open to everyone who wants to get out.
Never paddled the archipelago? That's the whole point.
The trail is here for people who want to get out but don't know where to begin. Three steps and you're on the water.
Pick a stage
Four main stages of varying length and character. The Sollenkroka loop is the most sheltered and easiest to shorten — a good place to start.
Get your gear
Got your own kayak? Great. If not, kayaks and equipment can be rented at the trail's access points — Stavsnäs and Sollenkroka (and Dalarö in the south).
Check conditions & go
Read the wind and weather, pack right, tell someone — and head out.
The real archipelago begins further out
Many take the ferry from the city to Fjäderholmarna or Vaxholm and feel they've seen the archipelago. But out there you're still almost in the city.
The real nature experience lies further out — much further out. That's where the trail is: beyond the bustle of the city, out in the wild among thousands of islands, skerries and open water where the sea takes over.
Featured by National Geographic
National Geographic named the Stockholm archipelago one of the world's best destinations for 2025 — and that same year Nämdöskärgården National Park, Sweden's 31st, was inaugurated right in the trail's southern reaches.
More than a paddle
The Stockholm Kayak Trail is made for multi-day tours — outdoor life and nature adventures on nature's terms.
Paddle between the islands by day and pitch your tent on a rock in the evening. Swim wild from the slabs, find an open sauna here and there, fall asleep to lapping water and wake up in the middle of the archipelago. This is kayaking and wild camping — close to nature, yet within reach of the city.
Paddle the Stockholm Kayak Trail
Four main stages form a connected network of over 140 km, tied together by connector routes and with extensions reaching out toward more open water. Every stage is quality-assured by trained kayak guides.
Sollenkroka loop
Kanholmsfjärden
Runmarö loop
Stavsnäs–Dalarö
Plus eleven extensions (e.g. Finnhamn, Sandhamn, Bullerön) and five connector routes that weave the network together. See all stages and the map →
The whole trail on one map
Explore the network interactively or take the map offline. The maps are free to use for your own adventures.
Printed maps of the trail can be purchased on site at Stavsnäs and Sollenkroka.
Out safe, home again
The archipelago is gentle but honest. A little preparation makes all the difference — this is the baseline, every time.
Wind & weather
Check SMHI before every trip. Wind rules everything on open water — if it's gusty, wait or pick a sheltered route.
Cold water
The water stays cold well into summer. Dress for the water, not the air — and always wear a life vest.
Tell someone
Say where you're paddling and when you'll be back. Carry a charged phone in a waterproof case.
If something happens
Call 112 in an emergency — the Sea Rescue Society operates in the archipelago. Never paddle further than you can get back from.
Combine kayaking with hiking
Since 2024 there's also a hiking trail through the archipelago — Stockholm Archipelago Trail. Paddle between the islands and hike across them for a richer trip.
The Stockholm Kayak Trail is a common good — a free and open resource for everyone who wants to explore the archipelago by kayak.
We map and quality-assure the trails and make them freely available to anyone who wants to paddle. The goal is simple: lower the threshold and make the Stockholm archipelago one of the world's best areas for kayaking — open to all, on nature's terms.
who wants out but isn't sure where to start — the trail shows the way, and gear can be rented if you don't have your own.
looking for short, sheltered stages with good rest spots.
who wants ready-made, quality-assured routes and maps to download.
