Why not take the time to visit one of TIME’s 50 best places to visit in the world with a trip to Skellefteå – a destination based in northern Sweden that shares some fascinating history from both the past and the present?
It is here that you will get to discover The Wood Hotel – a hotel built from the wood that has been collected from its neighbouring forests and making it one of the world’s tallest wooden buildings.
This trip gets you to experience this fascinating structure and along the way, you’ll get to make your own gin in the local distillery, snowshoe through the local forests, and relax in The Wood Hotel’s spa, Vana.
Welcome to a weekend with a difference!
Skellefteå is surrounded by beautiful nature, and in the winter, it turns into a winter wonderland. Visitors can enjoy activities such as dog sledging, snowmobiling, ice fishing, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and even ice skating on the frozen river. These activities provide a unique and exciting experience that is only available during the winter months.
This itinerary is just a starting point—a flavour of what’s possible. Whether you want to tweak the pace, upgrade your hotel, or deepen the culinary immersion, we’ll design your perfect trip from scratch.
Arrive in Stockholm for an afternoon and evening to explore the city – discover the stunning Gamla Stan (Old Town) with its cobbled streets and hidden alleys.
Enjoy a relaxing evening in your hotel before preparing yourself for your big adventure to north Sweden.
Having the morning at leisure you will then head up to Skellefteå in Northern Sweden where one of the tallest ever hotels made of wood can be discovered and this will be where you are staying for the next couple of nights.
Take a tour around the hotel before deciding which of their three restaurants you might like to indulge in for the evening. Soak in the incredible views from the bar as you get ready for your adventure the following day.
After a leisurely morning exploring parts of the city, you will be picked up and transferred crossed to Kurjovikens Bränneri & Gästkök – a gin distillery nestled by the woods and the frozen sea.
You’ll have a walk around this beautiful location before being introduced to some different gin flavours before designing your own recipe – whilst the gin is distilled you will have some lunch specially prepared by the owner, not before having a quick look at their brewery next door.
In the evening head back to the hotel for an afternoon relaxing at The Wood Hotel’s Vana Spa where you can soak in its outdoor pool taking in the views and the heat up in one of the several saunas.
Having spent yesterday sampling the local distillery and relaxing in the spa you now have the opportunity to do something a little more active with a snowshoeing excursion – there is the option to do this during the day where you will stop for lunch or try your luck at spotting some aurora in the evening with a nighttime hike.
With Skellefteå being the place where the oldest cross-country ski was discovered, dating back over 5000 years old, it would be the perfect opportunity to try out the activity which can also be easily arranged.
Photo Credits: Ted Logardt
Today you will head back to the airport for your flight home – but this doesn’t have to be the end of your journey. As you are here in Swedish Lapland why not take the opportunity to explore more – you have an Icehotel, Treehotel, Arctic Bath and much more to discover all close by.
Speak to one of our Nordic Experience Curators about how you can make extend this exciting stay with more unique accommodations and memorable experiences.
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I used OTMT to organise a holiday to see the Northern Lights for my partner’s 50th birthday. They took the time to understand my priorities, the kinds of places we like to stay and the things we like to do. They recommended a fabulous itinerary in Norway centred around the Lyngen Experience Lodge. The holiday itself lived up to expectations and I have no hesitation in recommending OTMT. They listened carefully during the planning and delivered the perfect present for my partner.
Amy was a great help with planning this trip. Our trip turned out amazing. I also was very grateful for Off the Map’s Front Desk service, which promptly handled an on the spot issue we had.
I would thoroughly recommend this company. Their planning and advice was spot on. Alex responded to my calls and emails very promptly. I will definitely use them again for future trips.
We originally hired Off the Map Travel in 2020 to set up a trip to see the Northern Lights. That didn’t happen, thanks to COVID. But, we persisted and in March of 2023, we took a 16-day trip that included both Iceland and Norway. IT WAS MAGICAL! Off the Map took care of everything! We were pampered at every stage of our trip. The people they hired and the activities they planned added up to a trip that will set the standard for any we’ll ever take in the future. Alex and his team were fabulous! We recommend them without restraint!
The best travel experience ever on every level you can think of during a Lapland expedition (food, activities, timings, accommodation, transport, service, equipment…). I highly recommend Off The Map Travel for their outstanding level of professionalism and detail oriented mindset!
