Hike in the heart of Laponia

Discover Sarek, Padjelanta and Stora Sjöfallet National Parks and stay in cozy cabins

Hike in Laponia World Heritage site, across sparse mountain hills and through lush birch forest. With a lighter backpack we follow trails that leads us to Kutjaure Sami settlement and the cabins in Gisuris and Akka. We meet up in Gällivare but the trekking begins in Änonjalme after crossing the lake Akkajaure with a boat. During our hike in Laponia World Heritage site we enjoy views with vast mountain moors, snow-covered mountains peaks and roaring wide streams. Vi visit Padjelanta and Sarek National Park on day hikes and have plenty of time to learn more about the nature and the enthralling history and Sami culture in Laponia. Each night we’ll sleep in comfortable beds in charming mountain cabins, without electricity and running water. We’ll cook a nice dinner together in the evening and take the chance to enjoy freshly baked local bread and fish from the lakes.

The UNESCO World Heritage site Laponia includes four National Parks. Padjelanta National park, Sarek National Park, Stora Sjöfallet National Park and Muddus National Park. It also includes the nature reserves Sjaunja and Stubba. The World Heritage site Laponia is Europe’s biggest coherent area of wild nature, with high peaks and mountains, glaciers, deep primary forest and big mires. The area became a World Heritage site because of its unique combination of nature and culture values, combining the living Sami culture and an inalienable nature. Take the chance to discover Laponia World Heritage site, where the reindeers roam free and the nature will enchant you.

Our idea is to hike with a light backpack, sleep in comfortable cabins and learn more about the nature and Sami culture in the heart of Laponia World Heritage site

This hike in Laponia is for you…

…want to stay in cabins and hike with a light backpack in the heart of Laponia World Heritage site. To join our hike in Laponia you must be able to hike around 15-20 km per day in hilly terrain and carry a backpack of about 6-10 kg. Recommended age from 16 years old. Please contact us if you have any questions regarding your physical ability or experience level.

Join us and experience:

• Laponia World Heritage site
• Spectacular mountain views
• Learning more about the Sami culture
• Eating local and fresh fish from the lakes
• Hiking with a light backpack and stay in mountain cabins

Hike in small groups with a local guide

We want you to have the best experience possible during your hike in the heart of Laponia. Therefore, we travel in small groups of maximum 8 guests in total. All our guides have long experience from hiking in the area and can tell you stories about the culture and history in Laponia. They are all certified guides trained in wilderness first aid or live up to the same standard or higher.

Solo travelers

Many of our guests travel on their own and don’t know anyone else in the group when arriving in Gällivare. It is a great opportunity to find new outdoor friends. Solo travelers are of course welcome to book the tour, but we will need a minimum of four guests in total to run the tour.

Information

Accommodation and comfort

During our hike in the heart of Laponia we stay five nights in simple but comfortable mountain cabins. The cabins have neither wifi nor running water and very limited access to electricity. We all help carry water and cook dinner in the evenings. Depending on how much people there are at the cabins you may have to share a cabin or room with hikers outside our group. Not far from the cabins there are outhouses and when we are hiking you choose a suitable place in nature, often with a panoramic view of the mountains.

The food

During our week in the mountains, we cook breakfast and dinner together in one of the cabins. This is also where we meet in the evening and talk about the mountains, life and other adventures. Food is a big part of the experience and to be able to hike in Laponia we want to eat well and feel good. As long as weather permit we’ll have a longer break during the day to eat lunch and relax our muscle. We use a mixture of dried and fresh food and make sure you get the chance to taste some local specialties. We do our best to keep the weight on the food down without affecting the quality.

To be able to enjoy this hike with a lighter backpack, part of the food will be transported to the huts by boat or helicopter. We send the food with already existing helicopter flights and boat rides to minimize our impact on climate as well as people and animals living in the area. Please let us know when placing your booking if you prefer vegetarian or vegan food or if you have any allergies.

Arrival and departure day

We will meet you at Gällivare train station at 9.00 on day 1. We will be back in Gällivare around 15 on day 6.

Travel here

More information about how to get to Gällivare and back home you’ll find here.

However you choose to travel here, flexible tickets are recommended. Even if we have planned extra time for unknown events during our week in the mountains, conditions can delay our return to Gällivare. We also recommend you to have a valid travel insurance and check passport and VISA rules befor traveling to Sweden.

Stay warm and happy

During a week in Laponia we see all kinds of weather. We can experience sunshine and +30 degrees during the day but also down to +5 degrees with heavy rain and strong winds. Night temperatures often drop down to +5. Our packing list helps you to decide what to bring to stay warm and happy on the tour.

Packing list – Hiking in the hearth of Laponia>>

How heavy will my backpack be?

Expect your backpack to weigh about 6-10 kg when leaving Änonjalme where the boat drops us off. Aim for your personal equipment with clothes and other small things to weigh around 3kg plus the weight of the backpack of 2-3kg. In addition, there will be about 1-3 kg of food, common equipment and a water bottle with water that you get from us in Gällivare. The total weight ends up around 6-9kg. But we always have some extra things that we need to be happy and comfortable, such as an extra sweater, a camera or a book. We recommend that you take the time to think through your packing and what you really need. Hiking in the heart of Laponia becomes much more comfortable with a lighter backpack.

What about mosquitoes?

There will be mosquitoes. How much depends on the temperature and how much rain we have had recently. But also how windy the weather is during the week that we are out hiking in the heart of Laponia. We do our best to have breaks where we have a breeze that keeps most of the mosquitoes away. If you are sensitive to bugs we recommend that you bring a head net and mosquito repellent. Are you allergic you should consult a doctor about possible antihistamine to reduce the reaction from the mosquito bites.

Itinerary

Included meals marked each day with B=breakfast, L=lunch and D=dinner

DAY 1 ARRIVING GÄLLIVARE AND AKKA CABINS (L,D)

We’ll meet you by the train station in Gällivare. Arrive with the morning train from Stockholm or travel here a day earlier and book an extra night in Gällivare before the tour begins. Before continuing in our mini-van to Ritsem and the Akka mountains, we’ll give you a short introduction to the tour and double check that we have everything we need for a hike in Laponia. You can also leave traveling luggage that you don’t want to bring with you on the hike. We’ll make a stop along the way for a short hike and to eat our picknick lunch. Arriving Ritsem we board the evening boat taking us across the lake to Änonjalme. We hike the last two kilometers to Akka cabins where we cook dinner together and sleep in cabins with a panorama view of Akka mountains.

Hiking distance: 2 km, elevation gain/loss: close to zero, estimated time out hiking: 1h

DAY 2 STORA SJÖFALLET NATIONAL PARK  (B,L,D)

We have breakfast and hike to Gisuris where we plan to stay for the night. The trail is pleasurable, leading us through mountain forests, over small mires and passed old hunting pits. We cross the bridge over the wild river Vuojatätno and continue by the foot of Akka mountains. Arriving Gisuris we check-in, have dinner and sleep well after a full day in the mountains.

Hiking distance: 14km, elevation gain/loss: +50/-150m, estimated time out hiking: 6h

DAY 3 SAREK NATIONAL PARK (B,L,D)

After breakfast we pack our packs for a day tour in Sarek National Park. If you have tired feet from yesterday you can also stay in the hut and relax. We hike a few kilometer into Sarek, drawn by the temptation to discover the deep valleys ahead. But this time we are satisfied we a glimpse of Sarek and lunch on the hills with a view of lake Kutjaure and the mountains by the border to Norway. We turn back to Gisuris, gather our belongings that we left in the morning and continue our hike down to lake Kutjaure. A boat takes us across the lake to Kutjaure Sami settlement where we have Gahkko (flat bread) and fish for dinner. After dinner we continue the last two kilometers up to Kutjaure cabin with a view of lake Kutjaure and Sarek National Park in the background.

Hiking distance: 4km + day tour 10 km, elevation gain/loss: +100-250/-100-250m, estimated time out hiking: 2h + day tour 4h

DAY 4 PADJELANTA NATIONAL PARK (B,L,D)

We will stay in Kutjaure for a day tour. Depending on the will of the group and the weather, we can hike to a scenic waterfall or to the top of Gådotjåhkkå. Or if you prefer, you can have a day of resting, read a book and enjoy the silence. We finish the day with a wooden sauna and, if you dare, a swim in the lake.

Hiking distance: 0-14 km, elevation gain/loss: +0-400/-0-400m, estimated time out hiking: 0-6h

DAY 5 TO VAISALUOKTA  (B,L,D)

We leave Kutjaure and continue up the hill towards Vaisaluokta Sami Settlement. If the weather is clear the view behind us gets better and better as we hike up the hill. We have breaks to enjoy the views over Padjelanta National Park. Ahead of us, the trail leads us on a long but relatively easy hike though a barren valley finishing with a view over Akkajaure. We continue down the hill to Vaisaluokta Sami Settlement and follow the trail to our final destination, Vaisaluokta cabin. We cook a hearty dinner after a long day in the mountain. Maybe you dare to take a dip in the freezing cold but for sure refresching water of Akkajaure.

Hiking distance: about 17 km, elevation gain/loss: +250/-350m, estimated time out hiking: 6-8h

DAY 6 DEPARTURE DAY (B,L)

One last breakfast before we take the boat across Akkajaure back to Ritsem. At the mountain station in Ritsem there will be time for you to take a shower if you’d like. On our way back to Gällivare, we stop at Naturum, an exhibition about Laponia World Heritage site and enjoy a closure lunch together.