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From wilderness workshops and white water rafting to paddling rivers to reach off-grid cabins – get into the heart of wild Sweden.
Beginner
Moderate
Back to Basics
From
£1,775
(USD $2,786.75)
Swedish Lapland, off-grid
Six days in the Swedish wilderness foraging in pine forests, building fires from scratch, canoeing to a remote island, and tackling whitewater rapids. Practical skills meet full-on adventure.
The canoe expedition is the heart of this trip. Two days paddling across a vast lake, first to a secluded island for an off-grid overnight, then back across the water to your second wilderness stay.
Nights range from an eco-hotel with sauna and hot tub, to a remote island cabin with no neighbours. Food is locally sourced throughout – hotel dinners and fireside cooking included.
An active agenda
No hidden costs
Paddle across a lake with your overnight kit
Take on the river’s rapids!
Learn about the medicinal and edible properties of the forest’s local flora
Master fire-making in the wild, then cook your lunch over the flames you've made
Relax any achy muscles with a sauna, hot tub and lake dip
Three nights in an eco-hotel, two nights in wilderness cabins
Organic dinners, breakfasts and lunches, plus fireside cook outs
Wilderness guides for all activities plus your Gutsy Girls host
Single timed transfers to and from Umeå Airport or train station
Activity Overview
You’ll spend two days paddling approximately 12km. First you’ll canoe to a secluded island for a night in an off-grid cabin, then you’ll do the return journey the following morning to reach your second overnight stay.
No prior experience is needed, but you’ll be paddling with your overnight gear, so expect your arms to feel it by the end of each day.
Activity Overview
This is where the river shows what it can do. Get into sturdy rafting boats and take on the rapids. Our guides will talk you through the basics and safety, then it’s straight out on the water.
Expect adrenaline, spray, and plenty of laughter as you navigate the current together.
Activity Overview
Stretch your legs with a nature and foraging walk through the Swedish forest. Your experienced guide will show you what’s edible, what’s medicinal, and what the locals have been using for centuries. This isn’t about racking up kilometres – it’s hands-on learning about the flora and fauna that call the forest home.
You’ll come away knowing how to identify plants, understand ancient traditions, and with practical skills you can actually use.
Activity Overview
Making, cooking and sitting around the fire is part of the daily rhythm on this trip. This workshop covers how to create sparks to make the flames whilst out in the wild, how to keep the fire going and, most importantly, how to keep it contained.
Once the fire is roaring, you’ll put everything into practice immediately, preparing lunch over the fire you’ve built.
The Destination
Your adventure starts here
The group transfer picks you up from Umeå and drives you an hour northwest to the trip base.
Dinner together and a full briefing on the week ahead. It’s a chance to meet the group before the adventure really gets started.
A guided foraging walk through pine and spruce forest. Your guide will show you what's edible, what's medicinal, and what the locals have relied on for centuries.
Fire workshop - you'll learn how to build a fire from scratch, keep it going, and keep it contained. Lunch is cooked over the flames you've made.
Dinner at the hotel then pack and prep for the canoe expedition.
Pack your canoes with your overnight gear, then set off across the lake.
Stop on the bank for lunch, then it's the final stretch of paddling to reach the island.
Arrive at the off-grid island cabin. There’s no electricity, outside toilets, and dinner cooked over an open fire.
Breakfast on the island, then it’s back in the canoes for the return leg across the lake.
After lunch make the short transfer to the second wilderness cabin. It’s basic, but there are showers and electricity.
Dinner at camp, then the sauna and hot tub are yours. Your arms will thank you after two days of paddling.
A quick introduction from your guide, then you're straight into the rafting boats and onto the rapids. Expect adrenaline and a thorough soaking.
Lunch at the wilderness camp, then transfer back to the hotel for a sauna session.
Enjoy a final dinner at the hotel restaurant to round off the trip.
Final breakfast at the hotel, then the group transfer back to Umeå.
Rest & Refuel
Three nights in a forest eco-hotel for proper comfort, locally sourced three-course dinners, and a spa session to ease the day's efforts. There’s also one night in an off-grid island cabin with no electricity, outside toilets and dinner cooked over the fire you’ve built. This is followed by a wilderness camp cabin with both hot showers and a hot tub.
1 of 2
Food is included throughout - hotel breakfasts, lunches and dinners, plus fireside cooking out on the expedition. Everything is locally sourced, from restaurant table dinners to open flame cookouts.
2 of 2
The essentials
| Accommodation |
Back to Basics Three nights in an eco-hotel, with rooms either in the main building or in a cabin just outside. Two nights in wilderness cabins, one fully off-grid on a remote island, one at a wilderness camp. The island cabin is basic with no electricity, outdoor toilets and meals cooked over the fire. The camp cabin has electricity and outdoor shower and shared toilet facilities. Both are dorm style rooms.
|
|---|---|
| Food |
All meals are included.
|
| Fitness Level |
2
Moderate You’ll paddle roughly 6km per day for two consecutive days with overnight gear loaded into the canoe. The distances aren’t huge, but doing it back-to-back with your kit on board is a different challenge. Whitewater rafting is an adrenaline hit, but it’s also physically tiring. Add two nights in off-grid wilderness cabins and you’ll need both decent fitness and the ability to handle rustic conditions without it derailing your week. You'll Need To Be
|
| Skill Level |
1
Beginner No prior experience is required in any of the activities – canoeing, rafting, foraging or fire-making. Come willing to learn and get stuck in. Beginner is the skill level. It’s not an easy trip. Check the Fitness Level above. Not sure what level you are? Our Trip Rating Guide explains how we score fitness and skill. |
| Packing List |
This list is an indication of the specialist items you will need, and might need to invest in before your adventure! For a full list of what you’ll need to bring, check out the trip guide. We Provide
You'll Need
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| Travel |
The meeting point for this trip is Umeå Airport or Umeå Central Station, Sweden. Alternative routes and flight suggestions are available in our trip guide. |
| Not Included |
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| Trip Code |
SWEGRAMLT |
The answers
No, all the activities are suitable for beginners. You’ll be guided and briefed throughout, but you do need a decent fitness level and a willingness to get stuck in.
This trip is rated moderate. You’ll be active for four days, including two consecutive days of paddling with your overnight gear loaded in the canoe. A solid base fitness is essential. If you can handle consecutive active days without falling apart, you’ll manage well.
It’s fairly uncommon. The expedition canoes are designed to be very stable, and you’ll have a full safety briefing before getting on the water.
The rapids are roughly Grade 3, with sections lasting approximately 1,200m on otherwise smooth, calm water. Your guides will walk you through everything before you get in the raft.
You need to be able to swim 100 metres in open water. Buoyancy aids are provided for all water activities.
We provide canoes, buoyancy aids, large dry bags for the canoe expedition and a wetsuit, helmet, and water shoes for whitewater rafting. Full details are in the packing list.
There are no direct flights from the UK. You’ll fly to Stockholm Arlanda (ARN) first, then connect to Umeå on a domestic flight. Alternatively, take the SJ High-speed train from Stockholm Central or Arlanda, around six hours. Our base is about an hour’s drive from Umeå. A group transfer is included.
A group transfer is included on both the arrival and departure days. This is a shared transfer, running at fixed times to and from Umeå Airport and Umeå Central Station.
There is one transfer each way, and your flight must match the timings. If it doesn’t, you’ll need to make your own arrangements.
Transfer times:
Arrival Day Pick-up:
Departure Day Drop Off:
Two of your five nights are spent off-grid. The island cabin has no electricity and no running water, with outside toilets, meals cooked over fire and shared dorm rooms. The wilderness camp cabin has electricity, hot showers in an external block, and a sauna and hot tub, although rooms are still dorm-style. If you need your own space to sleep well, pack earplugs and a sleep mask.
Comparable to a British summer: daytime temperatures between 10–25°C with the possibility of rain. It can feel cooler on the water, and mornings and evenings can be chilly. Layers are essential. Swedish forests in summer also mean mosquitoes and midges, so pack insect repellent.
Yes, to a point. The broad structure is set, but guides monitor conditions daily and will adjust plans where needed, particularly around water activities. Safety always comes first, and you’ll still get a full adventure experience.
Sweden is largely cashless and cards are accepted almost everywhere. A small amount of SEK is useful for any personal extras like drinks and snacks, but you won’t need much.
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