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The Padjelanta trail

The 160 kilometer long Padjelanta trail passes through Padjelanta National Park. Along the hike, you will see blooming mountain heaths, wild green-shimmering rivers, large lakes, rounded mountains, and spruce forests. The trail's endpoints are in Kvikkjokk in the south and Ritsem in the north. It is perfectly fine to hike the trail in either a northerly or southerly direction.

The Padjelanta trail in short

Length: 160 km
Number of stages/hiking days: 9-10
Length of stages: 9–25 km (3–8 hours of hiking per day)
Water/food along the trail: The trail passes by streams. There are shops in Ritsem, Såmmarlappa, and Kvikkjokk. Kvikkjokk has a fully licensed restaurant. For accommodations and shops in Padjelanta National Park, see www.padjelanta.se.
Accommodation during the hike: Mountain cabins (Both STF’s and others).

Map of Padjelantaleden

This map is a planning tool and should not replace a physical map and compass. The service “Naturkartan” is operated by a company called “Outdoor map”. Please note that trail information is owned and updated by the respective trail administrator (e.g. municipality or county administrative board).

Discover the Padjelanta trail

Padjelanta is Sweden’s largest national park and is part of the Laponia World Heritage site.
The Padjelanta Trail, which crosses the national park, is easy to hike and has mountain cabins spaced conveniently from each other. Along the trail, the terrain is open and rolling, in contrast to the high Sarek Mountains nearby. You mostly walk above the treeline. Thanks to the calcium-rich bedrock, the area has rich flora, resulting in blooming mountain heaths and meadows. Many consider the section of the trail between Staloluokta and Arasluokta to be the most beautiful of them all. The southern part, after Tarradalen toward Kvikkjokk, passes through birch forest.

You can start the hike from either Ritsem in the north or Kvikkjokk in the south. Below is a description of the trail from north to south.

Leashed dogs are allowed in the national park from January 1 to April 30. Outside this period, dogs are not permitted in the national park.

Reindeer herding is practiced in this area, thank you for showing consideration!

Learn more about how to avoid disturbing the reindeer.

See and do along the trail

Climb Måskásgájsse, located northeast of STF Såmmarlappa Mountain Cabin. At the summit, you stand 1,724 meters above sea level. You will be rewarded with a view over the Tarradalen Valley below and the high mountains of Sarek to the north.

Don’t miss

Near STF Kutjaure, there is an exciting stream with waterfalls and caves.

Transport to the trail

The easiest way to get to Ritsem is by bus from Gällivare, which has daily train connections with Stockholm and other cities. Train and bus tickets are best booked together as a Resplus ticket. If you only want to book the bus, you can do so at www.roadtoritsem.com. Länstrafiken in Norrbotten no longer operates the line between Gällivare and Ritsem.

M/S Storlule operates regular boat services throughout the summer season between Ritsem and Vaisaluokta/Änonjalme. The timetable can be found here.

The easiest way to get to Kvikkjokk is by bus from Jokkmokk. The nearest train station is in Murjek, and there is often a direct connection from Murjek to Kvikkjokk. More information about travel to Kvikkjokk can be found at STF Kvikkjokk Mountain Station.

Book multiple accommodations at the same time

If you want to book multiple accommodations in one booking, the easiest way to do it is by opening each accommodation in separate tabs in your web browser. Then, choose the dates for each accommodation, the number of people, and proceed until you see that your accommodation has been added to the cart. All your selections are saved in the same cart, even if you are working in different tabs. When you are ready to pay, proceed to payment in any of the tabs, and all your selections will be included. Your selections are saved for a total of 30 minutes.

Sections of the Padjelanta trail

Below are descriptions of the different sections of the Padjelanta trail with distances, accommodations, and other relevant hiking information.

Of course, it is perfectly fine to hike in the opposite direction from how the sections are presented.

Section 1: Ritsem/STF Vaisaluokta Mountain Cabin–STF Kutjaure Mountain Cabin

18 kilometers, 5–7 hours of hiking
Accommodation: STF Kutjaure Mountain Cabin

M/S Storlule operates regular boat services throughout the summer season between Ritsem and Vaisaluokta/Änonjalme. Here you can find the current timetable. You can either arrive in the morning and start hiking right away, or spend a night in Vaisaluokta. At the shore in Vaisaluokta, the Sirkas Sámi have their summer settlements. Here, you can often buy freshly caught arctic char or whitefish. If you’d rather catch your own fish, there are good fishing opportunities just a couple of kilometers from the cabin. You start your hike heading southwest into a U-shaped valley with steep mountain sides. The trail passes by numerous ponds and streams.

Section 2: STF Kutjaure Mountain Cabin–Låddejåkkastugan (not STF)

19 kilometers, 5–7 hours of hiking
Accommodation: Låddejåkkastugan (not STF)

Just a few steps beyond Kutjaure, you enter Padjelanta National Park. The trail begins by crossing a heath plateau, where boardwalks make the hike easier in wet areas. After three suspension bridges—the last of which is 100 meters long—the terrain starts to slope upward. After gaining some elevation, you can enjoy a view of Lake Vastenjaure. The final section toward the cabins is steep.

Section 3: Låddejåkkastugan (not STF)–Staloluokta Cabin (not STF)

25 kilometers, 8–9 hours of hiking
Accommodation: Staloluokta Cabin (not STF)

After a short initial stretch through birch forests, a four-kilometer-long uphill section follows. After both ascending and descending, you reach a Sámi village, where a break is recommended. The final stretch from here to the section’s destination is considered by many to be the most beautiful part of the entire Padjelanta Trail. Flower-filled mountain heaths line the path, and it’s hard to take your eyes off the Sulitelma mountain massif.

Section 4: Staloluokta Cabin (not STF)–Tuottar Cabins (not STF)

18 kilometers, 5–7 hours of hiking
Accommodation: Tuottar Cabins (not STF)

Along this section, the Padjelanta Trail turns southeast while the Nordkalott Trail continues southward. The entire section is on a well-trodden and easy-to-hike mountain heath.

Section 5: Tuottar Cabins (not STF)–STF Såmmarlappa Mountain Cabin

24 kilometers, 8–10 hours of hiking
Accommodation: STF Såmmarlappa Mountain Cabin

You hike deeper into Padjelanta across grassy heaths, mountain meadows, and rocky areas. After a short distance, you arrive at Sarek National Park. During the day, you reach the trail’s highest point, 960 meters above sea level. The day’s hike is long but easy, and the second half runs through Tarradalen. STF Såmmarlappa Mountain Cabin is located right by the Tarra River.

Section 6: STF Såmmarlappa Mountain Cabin–STF Njunjes Mountain Cabin

19 kilometers, 5–7 hours of hiking
Accommodation: STF Njunjes Mountain Cabin

Your hike continues through the Tarradalen Valley all day. In parts, the terrain can be rocky. STF Njunjes Mountain Cabin is located on a rocky outcrop in the eastern part of the valley, right next to the Tarraätno River.

Section 7: STF Njunjes Mountain Cabin–STF Kvikkjokk Mountain Station

12+3 kilometers, 4–6 hours of hiking
Accommodation: STF Kvikkjokk Mountain Station

You first hike through mixed forests and then continue through coniferous forests. The last section is through swampy and wet ground before you reach the boat transport across the Tarraätno River. STF Kvikkjokk Mountain Station offers not only accommodation but also a restaurant serving locally sourced food, such as game, berries, and arctic char from Padjelanta National Park. There is also a bar, café, and shop.