Hiking the Kungsleden Trail in the far north of Sweden is one of the best long-distance hikes in Europe. The name literally means “the King’s Trail” and it’s easy to see why once you hike it.
It’s the longest hiking trail in Sweden and is best done in the summer months from June to September.
I did this trek in the summer of 2008 and have been wanting to write about it for a long time and now with more free time on my hands, I can. This is what hiking the Kungsleden Trail is like.
Hiking The Kungsleden Trail
Warning: The photos aren’t that great as I was using a 3-megapixel phone camera for the trip! Ah, back in the days of low megapixels on phones.
The Kungsleden Trail can be done from north to south or vice versa, but the most popular way is the north to the south route which is what I did.
The whole of the Kungsleden Trail is 440 kilometres long, but you can choose to do shorter segments of it, which is what I opted for, to see the best of the trail with the time that I had free.
I hiked the section from Abisko to Vakkotavare, which is around a 105 km distance and took 4 nights/5 days to complete at a reasonable pace.
The beginning of the north-to-south route starts in the small nondescript town of Abisko, which is where you can find a few convenience stores to stock up on food.
I took 1 week’s worth of food to start as I wasn’t sure how far I would initially go on the trail. There are places along the trail where you can get some food supplies but they are generally more pricey.
Hike The Kungsleden Trail
Sweden has a number of good hikes but the Kungsleden Trail really is the king of them all. Whether it’s just a few days r the whole 1 month on the trail, you will get some spectacular natural scenery in Sweden.
I recommend using SafetyWing Travel Insurance for your trip, just in case, it’s best to be prepared.
If you head over to Norway be sure to go hiking in Jotunheimen National Park.
Check out my post on 10 of the best hiking books to read to get you inspired for a hiking adventure.
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