Join us for an expedition to find the largest Moose in Europe
GROUP SIZE
UP TO 7 PEOPLE
MEETING LOCATION
Jokkmokk, Swedish Lapland
DURATION
8 DAYS / 7 NIGHTS
ACCOMMODATION
2 NIGHTS AT Hotel + 5 NIGHT IN TENTS
WHEN
SEPTEMBER
ACTIVITY LEVEL
Hard. You need to be an experienced hiker and to be able to carry an 18kg backpack.
✨ HIGHLIGHTS ✨
Encounter Europes largest moose
Sarek National Park is home to the largest moose in Europe. During this expedition you will join our local tracker who will hopefully get you really close to these majestic animals. This photo was taken by Fred van Wijk, participant on one of our expeditions. The valley of Rapadalen is also home to brown bears, lynx, wolverines, golden eagles and more.
Camp out Five nights in Sarek National Park
We provide all necessary camping equipment of the best quality. What makes this expedition hard for most people is that we need to carry our own camping equipment, kitchen stuff and food for a few kilometers each day. We will be completely self sufficient.
Peek out from your tent and see the northern lights
September is a great season for Northern Lights and Sarek offers great opportunities to see this natural phenomenon. We see something like this during most of our expeditions on one or several nights.
Be ready for epic sunsets
There will be no marked trails, no cabins and no mobile coverage. Until the helicopter picks us up five nights later, it's just you, a few fellow adventurers, nature and the wild animals. Sarek National Park in the most remote parts of Swedish Lapland.
wake up to snow
September is a tricky season in Sarek National Park. The nights often drop down to sub-zero temperatures and with plenty of downfall you can have snowfall at night and rain during the day.
Meet new friends
You will be part of a small group of likeminded nature lovers far into the wild. On the last day we aim to camp on top of this mountain called Nammatj.
dropped off by helicopter
This grand hiking and wildlife adventure begins with a helicopter ride. A 15 minute helicopter ride will save us at least two full days of hiking in both directions, which gives us more time to be in the actual park searching for wildlife.
“I have always dreamed of going to Sarek and Wild Sweden I had heard a lot about. And they really lived up to expectations!
Our guide Matti was fantastic. The goal for the trip was partly to see Europe’s largest moose in Rapadalen and we got value for money. Right as it was, we stood a maximum of 30 meters from a large moose bull that was in full swing to court a roaring moose cow. It was an incredibly powerful experience that I wish everyone could take part in at some point. Before the meeting with the moose, I had no special view of these animals, but after that I feel a huge respect for them.
During the hike we got to experience a magnificent aurora borealis, star falls, campfires, boiling coffee, reindeer, valley grouse, golden eagle, fantastic mountain peaks, clear mountain streams and real wilderness.
This experience was better than I could have imagined and I will definitely go back to Sarek. I did not have much experience of mountain hiking before and Sarek is said to be quite difficult to hike. But I did not actually experience Sarek as difficult to walk. Because if you just take it easy as we did, the hike goes really well. Sometimes it’s better to do things you do not always dare and you win so much!
Wild Sweden is really a company to recommend! They have incredibly knowledgeable and friendly guides that anyone would be inspired by. Book a tour with them, you will not regret it!””
🛡Full financial protection: Your money is safe. Every booking is fully financially protected.
SAREK NATIONAL PARK - THE MOST REMOTE PART OF SWEDISH LAPLAND
Sarek is part of Laponia, a huge mountainous expanse in northern Sweden that became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996. With a total of 9400 km², it is the world's largest wilderness area that is still cultured by natives, the reindeer herding Sami people.
The most popular hiking trail in Laponia is the King's Trail. It's fantastic trail, however, it sees an increasing flow of hikers from all over the world. With its cabins one day apart, the King's Trail touches on the outskirts of Sarek, but it does not take you all the way in. This expedition does.
SÁPMI - THE LAND OF THE SÁMI
Known as Lapland, the native name of this area is actually Sápmi. The indigenous Sámis inhabit the region of Sápmi, which today encompasses parts of northern Sweden, Norway, Finland and the Kola peninsula of Russia.
For who
This is a hiking trip for active people who are not afraid to spend a few nights in a tent. Be prepared to carry your own backpack with only the most essential equipment such as camping gear, clothing and foods. All in all your backpack may weigh 18-20kg depending on your personal equipment such as camera equipment. Good news is that fresh water is available in the streams along the way, so there is no need to carry water.
SAFETY & COMFORT
Our local guides are very experienced, and trained wilderness first responders. They will take great care of you. They provide necessary equipment like high quality tents and warm sleeping bags, and bring a portable satellite phone so that, in the event of a serious accident, any injured person can get evacuated by a helicopter.
How hard will this be? The amount of walking each day is adapted to the group's abilities as well as the current weather conditions. We mainly hike on animal trails along a river in a lush valley. Not so much in the mountains.
You need to be fit and in a generally good condition. Still, this is not a survival expedition. After all, we are here to enjoy nature and with some lucky weather, it can be very easy and enjoyable!
We treat ourselves to several coffee breaks each day, pick berries, take time for photography and spend lazy evenings at our camp for the night. On some of the days we just do day trips and leave our backpacks behind. In this way we're able to experience Sarek in a relatively easy way.
expedition plan
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We all meet up at Hotel Akerlund in Jokkmokk in the late afternoon. We share a welcome dinner, followed by a few hours equipment check to make sure we are all ready for our hiking expedition.
Enjoy your bed, our grand adventure starts tomorrow!
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After an early breakfast, we pack into the van and off we go! An hour and a half later, we arrive at Stuor Muorkke in Stora Sjöfallet National Park. We're greeted by our friendly helicopter pilot. Sit back on the wooden bench, turn off your phone and have a some coffee while the pilot prepares the helicopter for takeoff.
The short helicopter flight (20 minutes) takes us to the Rapadalen valley at the border of Sarek. It saves us a whole day of hiking and gives us more time to explore the actual park. We're sure you can imagine the views from the sky, yet again, we're quite sure you can't. Nothing prepares you for the spectacular scenery we're about to experience.
Once we are all on the ground we begin our hike to enter the park on foot. You'll be amazed how crisp the air is, the low sunlight so icy blue. On this first day we only walk a few kilometers before we set up camp.
We pitch our tents by Rapaätno river and enjoy our first dinner in the wild surrounded by crooked birch trees and majestic snow-capped mountains.
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After breakfast we pack up our tents and hike along the gushing river in search for wildlife. Hiking here is fairly easy over flat terrain, with an ever-changing view of the surrounding mountains.
We follow animal trails along the river through lush birch and willow forest. We are not in a hurry and we take many breaks to watch for wildlife. This is where moose gather up at this time of the year to mate, or for the "rut". It's pure joy getting to observe the fascinating rutting behaviors of these beautiful massive animals.
We search for tracks and move in silence. Chances are really good for some exciting up-close encounters with the moose. We may also see reindeer, golden eagles, rough-legged buzzard, and for the lucky few even wolverines and brown bears through binoculars.
We enjoy lunch and pause for several coffee and photo breaks. It's an indescribable feeling simply being here, in one of the wildest and most isolated places on the planet.
In the afternoon we choose a scenic spot for our camp, with a wonderful view over the valley. We cook dinner under the stars and share our stories. There is always a chance for Northern Lights if the skies are clear.
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We spend three more days of hiking, tracking, watching, photographing and having fun. Each morning you will revel in the privilege it is to be here. But moist boots and cold temperatures may also remind you that you are far away from your comforts at home.
There will be plenty of time to just be. And we can always boil som more coffee. If everything goes as planned we may leave the camp behind for one or two days and go for hikes without having to carry our backpacks. And if weather permits, we hike up the famous Nammatj mountain for astonishing views of the Rapa valley and the river delta. From up here we can usually spot moose grazing along the river.
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Who wants to leave? Anyone? Perhaps we're all wet and tired and can't wait for a hot shower. Perhaps we wish we had another week, or two, or three...
We use our last day to enjoy Sarek as much as we can before it's time to go. Suddenly we hear a chakk-chackk-chak-chak fill the air. It sounds strange, the noise of civilisation after so many days of silence. It's the helicopter that's come to bring us back home.
We return to Hotel Akerlund in Jokkmokk take off our hiking boots and enjoy a well-deserved shower. Then dinner with wine and beer. Soft beds, oh heaven!
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Breakfast and goodbyes.
Hopefully words can't describe what we've just been through together. We started out as strangers, by now we're all good friends who will share this life-changing experience in our memories forever.
ACCOMMODATION
Camp five nights in Sarek
We will stay five nights in tents, single or double. It may be sunny and nice, but on some of the nights you may also wake up to snow or rain. To reduce weight you may choose to share tent with other participants of your own gender, but only if you like. We provide top-quality outdoor sleeping equipment like a lightweight expedition tent, sleeping bag (3-season Nordic climate) and sleeping-mat.
Stay the First and the last night at Hotel akerlund
We stay our first and last nights at Hotel Akerlund in Jokkmokk, in standard single/double/twin room. This gives us a chance to prepare before we head out into the wild and to have showers and a nice meal on the last day before we head back to our everyday lives.
This is Your Expedition leader Matti Holmgren 😀
Matti’s whole life has been dedicated to the outdoors in various ways. As a guide he gets to spend a lot of time out in nature. He has specialized in dog sledding, canoeing and nature photography.
He has a great interest in local nature and culture. He is also active in the political discussions regarding how rural regions can thrive and withstand overexploitation.
Training:
• Certified Wilderness First Responder – medical training.
• Swedish military, Group leader in the Special Forces 1991.
• Ecology and Sami cultural history. Sami school 1992.
• Umeå and Luleå Universities 1993 - 2000 (Ecology, biology, cultural history, tourism
LOCATION & HOW TO GET HERE
Meeting point: Hotel Akerlund in Jokkmokk at 5 pm.
Address: Herrevägen 1, 962 32 Jokkmokk >> Link to Google Maps
By train: We highly recommend you to travel with the overnight Arctic Circle sleeper train that departs from Stockholm and also from Arlanda airport. Get off in Murjek. Take the connecting bus from Murjek to Jokkmokk and arrive at Jokkmokk bus station for a 250 meters walk to Hotel Akerlund.
These trains run entirely on electricity from renewable sources. The train has a restaurant with meals, snacks and drinks. This is a great trip and a good start of your adventure. Make sure you book your entire trip all the way to Jokkmokk on the same ticket at www.sj.se. Note that train tickets are usually released about 3 months prior to departure, and before the tickets are released it may appear as if everything is sold out.
By Air: Fly via Stockholm (ARN) to Luleå Airport (LLA) with SAS or Norwegian. There may also be flights from other European airports like London or Frankfurt. From Luleå airport you can take the airport shuttle to Jokkmokk. See Länstrafiken Norrbotten for info and booking. Note that this airport transfer must be booked direct with Länstrafiken Norrbotten latest 17h the day before your travel. If your flight is late or if the airport shuttle is unavailable for some reason you may have to take a taxi to Jokkmokk from the airport. Note that this is an expensive alternative, approx. 5,000 SEK one way. You can also go by local bus from Luleå to Jokkmokk.
WHAT'S INCLUDED?
Experienced and fun naturalist expedition leader
7 nights: 2 nights at hotel + 5 nights in tent, with all meals
Helicopter transfer to Sarek National Park with return
Outdoor equipment: tent, sleeping bag, sleeping mat, outdoor kitchen utilities.
All meals from dinner day 1 to breakfast day 8.
For who?
Are you a passionate nature lover and have previous experiences of hiking? Then this expedition may be for you.
Small groups, big connections: Picture yourself in the company of a small, intimate group of like-minded individuals who share your love for wildlife and nature. Our tours are designed to bring together a community of nature enthusiasts, creating a warm and friendly atmosphere where lasting connections are forged. You'll have the opportunity to exchange stories, learn from each other's experiences, and build cherished friendships that will endure long after the tour ends.
Friendly local guide: Our local expedition leader Matti Holmgren is passionate about wildlife conservation and knows the area well. Matti will be your companion throughout the expedition, sharing his knowledge and providing insightful commentary on the flora, fauna, and conservation efforts in the area. Prepare for engaging discussions, fascinating insights, and the chance to expand your understanding of the captivating wildlife that surrounds us.
Supporting the forest: At our core, we believe in making a positive impact. By choosing our tour, you actively support our local community and our struggle to save the fragile land of Swedish Lapland.
Recommended minimum age is 18 years, or 15 years in company of parent. You should be able to walk in uneven terrain without difficulties. Walking level is medium but remember that you have to be able to carry a backpack of at least 18 kg. Walks include many stops along the way.
On some occasions during this expedition we may walk in rough terrain off-trail where it may be rocky, mossy, wet and slippery, even in darkness with headlamps. These walks are slow with stops along the way and rarely last for more than an hour. Please only sign up for this tour if you think you will be fit enough for these walks.
This tour is great for photographing nature and wildlife, just keep in mind that camera equipment is heavy. Consider taking less equipment to save weight.
This expedition is rated excellent by earlier participants
Frequently asked questions
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We aim to combine food that is lightweight and with great flavors. While some of the meals will be freeze dried and just add hot water, we will also cook our own meals with pasta or rice with sauce, meatballs or veggie patties. Breakfast is usually porridge or muesli with milk, sandwich and coffee.
To keep the weight low we will only drink water from the streams and boil coffee and tea.
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Yes, as long as you inform us in beforehand we will make sure we have food for all.
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No, this expedition is not recommended for beginner hikers. You must have at least some previous experience from hiking. This hiking can be quite hard since we have to carry about 18kg in our backpacks and we typically hike a lot off trails in uneven terrain.
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Well, because of the cold temperatures and harsh weather conditions this is not a trip for beginners. We recommend that you have been on at least one camping trip before you choose to join this expedition so that you are prepared for what is coming. But you don’t need to bring your own equipment. We provide top-quality outdoor sleeping equipment like a lightweight expedition tent, sleeping bag (3-season Nordic climate) and sleeping-mat.
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Yes, end of September can be quite cold with sub-zero temperatures. So if you become cold easily then this trip may not be for you.
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We expect to see moose, but we usually also see other wildlife like reindeer, eagles, ravens. Sarek is also home to large carnivores like bears and wolverines.
