Hiking the Kungsleden Part I - Getting Started

Part I of the Kungsleden Series

In this article:

• Introducing the Kungsleden & Laponia

Introducing the Kungsleden & Laponia

The Kungsleden (or King’s Trail) long-distance hiking trail in Sweden’s far north - one of the country’s most famous and most popular long-distance hiking trails. This iconic route runs roughly 500 km north to south through Swedish Lapland’s dramatic and incredibly scenic arctic landscapes. Set in some of the most remote regions within the Scandes mountains, the trail traverses vast open plateaus, lush alpine valleys and endless dense forests. All in all it takes about one month to complete the entire hike. However, there are several options to access this trail along the way for some shorter section hikes. All of the major access points at Abisko, Saltoluokta, Kvikkjokk, Jäkkvik, Ammarnäs, and Hemavan can be easily reached by car or even by bus. 

Within the Laponia area in Swedish Lapland lies the section running from Saltoluokta to Kvikkjokk, situated entirely north of the arctic circle. This is a roughly 70km or four to five day hike along one of the trail’s most dramatic and picturesque sections traversing parts of Sarek National Park - Europe’s “last unspoilt wilderness”. Here the Kundgsleden leads through endless forests, across high plateaus with far reaching views of the surrounding arctic landscapes, along vast glacial lakes, and through the high mountains of the Scandes. Along the trail a total of five mountain huts managed by the Swedish Tourist Association (STF) offer opportunities to stay overnight during the summer season that runs from mid June thru mid September. However, tents can also be pitched at any suitable location along the trail. The day hikes between each of the huts range from 13 to 20 km with a total of three lake crossings (Saltoluokta, Sitojaure, Aktse). The lakes can be crossed by motor boat - a service offered by locals, which is also available from mid June thru mid September (Cash only!). While all of the huts offer basic amenities including vault toilets, kitchens, beds, and campsites some huts also offer small convenience stores with basic snacks.

I explored this particular section of the Kungsleden during a four-day hike in the fall of 2024 as part of a two-week visit to Swedish Lapland where I also visited other national parks and nature reserves in the area. The early days of September were still relatively warm, just without Scandinavia’s notorious mosquitoes. To get there I flew to Lulea and took a rental car from there for the final 2.5 hour drive up to Laponia - the full article on this part of my visit can be found here! There are several options to access this section of the King’s Trail. Starting at STF Saltoluokta at the northern end of the section hike the trail leads down south past STF Sitojaure, STF Aktse, STF Parte, and eventually to STF Kvikkjokk. Another way would be to start at the southern end at STF Kvikkjokk - both access points are reachable by car and by public transport which connects the towns of Gällivare and Jokkmokk with Saltoluokta and Kvikkjokk respectively via bus. 

However, I decided to cut this section hike along the King’s Trail a little short by accessing the trail at Aktse. This hut is reachable directly via a full day hike from Sitoälvsbron thus cutting out Saltoluokta and Sitojaure. Sitoälvsbron is a remote parking lot in the woods which is roughly 23 km via a rough dirt road from the nearest settlement of Tjamotis and about 90 km from the nearest town of Jokkmokk. All in all this alternative is not that much shorter with its 60 km from Sitoälvsbron to Kvikkjokk as compared to the 70 km from Saltoluokta to Kvikkjokk. However, I decided to take this route since that way I wouldn’t have to drive the entire 240 km from Kvikkjokk to Saltoluokta by bus to get back to my car. To get back to Sitoälvsbron I rode the bus for about half an hour, got out at Tjamotis, and caught a ride for the remaining 20km with one of the locals who were happy to drive me to my car for a little cash. 

In the following sections I will take you on a trip with me along the Kungsleden from Sitoälvsbron to Kvikkjokk, pointing out all of the highlights along the way based on my personal experiences. If you choose to embark on this adventure you will be rewarded with some of the most spectacular views and stunningly pristine landscapes! In just a few days you will get to see everything that the arctic far north has to offer traversing vast open plains, dense forests, and rugged mountain peaks with the occasional wild resident along the way - especially reindeer and moose!

Quick facts about Kungsleden - Saltoluokta to Kvikkjokk: 

• how to get there: turn off E45 6km north of Jokkmokk / 1.5hrs drive from E45 to Kvikkjokk // turn off E45 43km south of Gällivare / 1hr drive from E45 to Saltoluokta

• perfect for: hiking, camping, wildlife viewing, cross country skiing, snow mobiling, watching the northern lights

• best routes: the entire section hike is a moderate 73km, 4 day hike with 5 STF mountain huts along the trail

• best huts: STF Aktse (Top Pick!) / STF Parte

• fees: no fees for park admission / prices at STF huts vary

• services: basic amenities at STF huts / no or only partial cell service along the trail!

• important links: https://www.swedishtouristassociation.com/

Moose family along Kungsleden

Sarek National Park landscape

For a visual guide check out my video below. For more detailed information feel free to continue reading through the next parts of this series at the bottom of this page.