The Göta Canal – Gothenburg to Stockholm

Day by day itinerary

• Day 1 » Fly to Gothenburg

  Begin your Swedish adventure in style with included UK airport lounge access before your flight to Gothenburg. On arrival, make your way to the superb Clarion Hotel Draken before taking the opportunity to familiarise yourself with Sweden's charismatic second city. Explore the cafe-dotted cobbled streets of the historic Haga district, visit the Skansen Kronan hilltop fortress for superb views, enjoy a leisurely stroll through the botanical garden, and perhaps stop by one of the excellent food markets (Feskekörka or Stora Saluhallen) for a bite to eat. Gothenburg harbours a thriving culinary scene with a strong emphasis on fresh fish and seafood, so you’ll find no shortage of enticing dining options this evening. 

  Stay: Clarion Hotel Draken, Gothenburg

• Day 2 » Embark on Göta Canal cruise

  This morning, after breakfast at your hotel, you’ll head to the docks to step aboard the M/S Juno canal boat, which will be your home on the water for the next three nights on your journey towards Stockholm. All cabins onboard are decorated in classic style with brass accents and fine textiles, with outward-facing windows for scenic views throughout your journey. Delicious meals are served onboard, with carefully curated menus inspired by the regions you’ll be travelling through.

  You’ll pass through your first series of locks today, including Lilla Edet, Trollhättan (where you can disembark to visit the Trollhättan Canal Museum and walk through the 19th century locks area, including the impressive lock staircase), and Brinkebergskulle. Before long, you’ll arrive at Sweden’s largest lake and the third-largest lake in Europe, Lake Vänern, home to the immaculately preserved, Baroque-style Läckö Castle.

  Stay: M/S Juno canal boat

  Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

• Day 3 » Göta Canal cruise: Sjötorp, Töreboda, Lake Vättern & Motala

  Continuing east today, you’ll pass through the locks of Sjötorp and Hajstorp before arriving at Töreboda, home to Sweden’s smallest ferry, ‘Lina’, which travels back and forth across the Göta Canal. Then, after cruising through the hand-operated locks of Tåtorp and the narrow canal passages that branch off Lake Viken, you’ll reach Forsvik, the oldest lock on the Göta Canal, dating back to 1813. Soon after, there’s the opportunity to visit the mighty Karlsborg Fortress before ending the day on the eastern shore of Lake Vättern at Motala – known as the ‘Capital of the Göta Canal’ and also the historic focal point of Sweden’s engineering industry.

  Stay: M/S Juno canal boat

  Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

• Day 4 » Göta Canal cruise: Lake Roxen, Norsholm, Söderköping & Mem

  After navigating through the Borenshult and Borensberg locks, you’ll traverse a couple of aqueducts at Kungs Norrby and Ljungsbro. Next are the 15 locks of Berg, just north of the city of Linköping, before the chance to visit Vreta Abbey – the oldest monastery in Sweden, dating back to the 12th century. At Norsholm’s lock, the canal crosses the main railway line between Stockholm and Malmö. Your penultimate stop of the day is the picturesque town of ​​Söderköping, renowned for its Hanseatic heritage and superb ice cream parlours. Finally, you’ll reach Mem, where the Göta Canal was inaugurated by King Karl XIV Johan and his family in September 1832. Shortly afterwards, you’ll reach the Baltic Sea and begin making your way north, carving a route through the many islands dotted along Sweden’s eastern coastline. 

  Stay: M/S Juno canal boat

  Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

• Day 5 » Arrive in Stockholm

  Enjoy one last breakfast onboard this morning as you cruise through Scandinavia’s largest lock at Södertälje and into Lake Mälaren – Sweden’s third-largest lake, which connects Stockholm with the Baltic Sea. Here, you’ll have the chance to visit the UNESCO-listed Viking City of Birka, often described as Sweden’s first town, on the island of Björkö. If time permits, you’ll also pass by the royal Drottningholm Palace (another UNESCO World Heritage Site) before proceeding through Hammarby lock – your final lock before arriving in Stockholm in the late afternoon.

  After disembarkation, make your way to the elegant King’s Garden Hotel and check in ahead of the final evening of your trip. 

  Stay: King's Garden Hotel, Stockholm

  Meals: Breakfast

• Day 6 » Return to UK

  After breakfast, make your way to Stockholm Arlanda Airport in time for your flight home.