Walking in Finland and Sweden

This nine-night escorted tour follows a mostly gentle walking pace through the forests, islands and old towns of southern Finland and southwestern Sweden. Starting in Helsinki, there is a mix of city and nature with a tram ride into the old town, a stroll by harbour cathedrals and a walk in Nuuksio National Park with its pine forests and chance of spotting Siberian flying squirrels. The route continues west to the southern coast, exploring sandy beaches at Finland’s southernmost tip and wooden villa-lined streets in the spa town of Hanko before settling in Turku to visit a 13th century granite cathedral and a wooden World Heritage town, Old Rauma.

From Turku a ferry crosses the Archipelago Sea to Mariehamn on the Aland Islands, where walking trails lead past caves, rugged granite slopes and medieval castles. Local craft beer and traditional Aland pancake provide less energetic highlights. The last leg takes the ferry to Stockholm for city tours including the Nobel Prize City Hall, the Vasa Museum and a walk in the Old Town’s narrow alleys. The pace here is mainly gentle strolls with sea views and calm woodland rather than strenuous hiking.

Explore Worldwide’s small-group style walks a steady path through a landscape shaped by forests and the Baltic Sea, with time to appreciate architecture, coastal nature, and the blend of Finnish and Swedish heritage on land and water.

New to Sweden? Our Sweden guide has the practical essentials: money, plugs, visas and when to go.