7-day winter expedition along the Kungsleden in Swedish Lapland

After arriving at Kiruna Airport, you'll be taken by bus to the Swedish Sami village of Abisko in just over an hour. Abisko is the official starting point. Once you arrive in Abisko, you'll be welcomed by the guides and receive your gear. Our guides on site will give you a complete week's briefing in the evening, which will also be a great opportunity to get to know each other a bit better.

We get up early to pack our pulkas and get ourselves ready for a week of adventure.

When booking, you choose the group you'll be in. The routes for both groups are identical, but Group A heads straight out on the trail, while Group B takes a local loop first and will always be a day behind Group A. You can find more information about this in the FAQs.

Once all the pulkas are packed, we officially set off on The King's Trail. The journey goes through the valley of the Abiskojåkka River, through wooded areas with birch trees and small hills. Soon, we follow the marked trail with red crosses through the hills. Along the river, the terrain is fairly flat, giving you a chance to get used to your pulka. Halfway through this section, the route gradually inclines, and after 10 kilometers, you'll reach the edge of the large lake Abiskojaure, where our first hut is located on the other side.

• Distance: 14 km
• Elevation Gain: 157 m
• Elevation Loss: 47 m
• Walking Time: 4-5 hours

Today, we're heading deeper into the wilderness. This day is the longest and thus the hardest of the five. In the first few kilometers, we gradually ascend along the Kamajåkka river. Then, you'll enter a bare white mountain world known as "fjäll." Along the way, we'll have lunch in the snow. After we reach the plateau, we continue down into the valley, where the Alesjaure lake comes into view. From here, it's about 8 kilometers along the lake to our endpoint. Upon arrival, we'll celebrate our journey with a warm drink and relax our legs in a traditional sauna.

• Distance: 20 km
• Ascent: 347 m
• Descent: 50 m
• Hiking time: 6 hours

Today, we've pretty much gotten used to our pulka and way of moving. This day is shorter and consists of a gradual ascent to the small Tjäktja hut. The first 10 kilometers follow the winter route along the eastern slope of the Alisvaggi valley. Near a reindeer hut, you leave the valley to hike the last 3 kilometers, which get a bit steeper towards the Tjäktja hut. The endpoint is next to a spectacular small gorge with a bridge overhead. On this day, you need to pay close attention to the red crosses, or you might accidentally cross the pass in the wrong direction. Once in Tjäktja, you really feel like you're in no man's land.

• Distance: 16 km
• Ascent: 350 m
• Descent: 161 m
• Walking time: 4.5 hours

On this day, you'll pass the Tjäktja Pass. This is the highest point on the Kungsleden and it's quite impressive. The marked winter route gradually climbs from the cabin up to the pass, which you can reach in about 1.5 hours under good weather conditions. After a short but steady climb, you'll arrive at a small wooden shelter. From the pass, you have a stunning view to the south of the vast Tjäktjajåkka Valley. From the shelter, you descend to the Salka cabin. Once you reach the valley, you’ll be rewarded with a long, gentle descent to the Salka cabin.

• Distance: 12.5 km
• Ascent: 157 m
• Descent: 351 m
• Hiking time: 4 hours

From the Salka cabin, you head directly into the valley towards Singi. This day is a bit easier as it's mostly flat. It's a fairly wide valley where you might encounter the first snowmobiles along the way. Several side valleys offer a glimpse of the impressive Kebnekaise massif, the highest mountain in Sweden. Singi is the oldest Sami village on the route and the most basic. Once we arrive, we immediately leave the trail by snowmobile and ride for an hour to the endpoint of the trail, the Kebnekaise cabin. This extensive cabin has a large restaurant, a bar, and two saunas. In short, the perfect place to celebrate our arrival!

• Distance: 12 km
• Ascent: 53 m
• Descent: 157 m
• Hiking time: 4 hours

In the early afternoon, we will take a snowmobile transport back to the official endpoint Nikkaluokta. Here, you can relax after the whole journey and enjoy some treats in the cozy bistro. By evening, we’ll pack our things and spend one last night amidst the Lapland forests.

Unfortunately, the trip is over! After a relaxing evening in Nikkaluokta, you'll take a 1,5-hour bus transfer to Kiruna Airport. Here, we say our goodbyes, and you head home with a backpack full of new experiences.