GPX ViewSweden
Kungsleden
The King's Trail: four hundred and forty kilometres across Swedish Lapland, from Abisko to Hemavan, through one of the last great wildernesses of Europe.
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500 m · 0.0 km
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- Distance
- 470.7 km
- Elevation gain
- 8,222 m
- Elevation loss
- 8,339 m
- Highest point
- 1,132 m
- Walking time
- 139 h · ~23 d
Estimated walking time (DIN 33466 standard) — breaks, meals and overnight stays not included.
Tracks derived from OpenStreetMap data, under the ODbL license.
The terrain
Tundra, glacial valleys and bogs, crossed on wooden duckboards where the ground can't take weight. The trail has no technical difficulty and stays below the treeline for its southern half. The real constraint is remoteness: several days separate the resupply points, and four lakes are crossed by rowboat or seasonal shuttle.
When to go
Late June to mid-September, once the snow has cleared and the STF huts have opened. July brings mosquitoes, which are a feature of the route rather than a footnote. Late August and early September bring autumn colours and quiet, at the cost of cold nights. Out of season, the boats are pulled and the huts closed.
Access and stages
Abisko is reached by overnight train from Stockholm, making it the most convenient start. Allow three to four weeks for the full route. Most people walk only a section: Abisko–Nikkaluokta, roughly a hundred kilometres passing at the foot of Kebnekaise, is by far the most popular.
Take the track into the field
The downloaded file opens in GPX View, which shows the route, the remaining elevation and your position on it — with no network once the map is saved.
Frequently asked questions
- Is this GPX free?
- Yes, no account or sign-up needed. The track is derived from OpenStreetMap and stays under the ODbL license: reusable, provided you credit the source.
- Do I need a tent?
- Not necessarily on the northern half, dotted with STF huts. Further south the distances between huts stretch out and a tent becomes useful. Sweden's right to roam allows wild camping almost anywhere.
- How do you cross the lakes?
- By rowboats left available for that purpose, or by the motor shuttles running in summer. The rowboat system relies on always leaving one on each shore: if all three end up on the same side, the crossing has to be made three times.