Canoe Tours on Klarälven (Sweden)

The Klarälven is a wide, meandering river which flows at a stately 2km per hour - a wonderful way to experience the beautiful landscape of rural Sweden and watch the world go by as you make your way downstream!

The Klarälven canoeing tour takes you through a lovely rural area of forests, small villages and farmland, giving you the opportunity to stop for provisions and explore the settlements and surrounding woodlands along the route.

Whether you are a couple seeking a peaceful few days together on the water, an active family introducing your children to the thrill of the outdoors and wild camping, or an adult group looking for a relaxing paddle adventure, Canoe on Klarälven may well be the ideal option!

Camp wild along the route on the banks of the river, choosing your own spot each night. Photo: VV.

An area rich in wildlife with good chances to see beavers

The flora and fauna of Värmland is a cross-section of Swedish species, where the north and south of Sweden meet along the plant geographic boundary of Norrland, which is also the northern limit of the oak.

Northern Värmland and the Norwegian borderland offers wonderful possibilities for canoeing and is ideal for lovers of nature and wildlife - you have good chances to spot beaver when canoeing on the Klarälven.

Canoeing for odd-numbered groups

Canoes used are 2-person Canadian canoes but can also accommodate three persons. For odd numbers, there are two possibilities - please specify your chosen option when booking (option chosen does not affect the price):

• Paddle three persons in one canoe. This reduces the level of challenge but note that this option will limit available space for packing (this option is not recommended if your party is only three persons in total).
• Extra person uses sit-on-top kayak as alternative to canoe. The majority of packing for this extra person will then be carried in one of the canoes.

Why not combine your canoe tour with Timber Rafting Taster and try some timber rafting during your trip?

Arrival

Detailed information you will need for your experience, including a description of the route, is sent out once full payment has been received.

Meet at the canoe centre in Gunnerud. You will receive your equipment and the information about paddling technique and your route. You can also buy a fishing licence for the tour if you wish. You will then load your canoe equipment onto the minibus for transfer upstream to the start point for your canoe tour. Distance covered is approx. 50km for the 4-day tour and 100km for the 7-day tour.

• High season: Check-in is between 13.00 and 14.00.
• Low season: Depending on start date, start time is either at 07.30 or by arrangement between 12.00 and 17.00. See "Dates and Prices" for details.

Following Days

You journey down the wide, meandering river Klaräven, stopping as the mood takes you at small villages and places of interest along the way (suggestions will be included in your route description documentation). You may even wish to plan a half day or day to go hiking in the beautiful forests of the area. The time you spend on the water and the distance to cover each day to complete your voyage downstream is up to you. Each night you will camp wild on the riverbank at a suitable spot - if you wish, you will also pass occasional "proper" campsites, where you are welcome to spend the night if you wish. An additional charge payable locally applies for these sites, except when doing the 7-day tour, where the option to camp free of charge at one of the sites is included.

Departure

You paddle downstream to finish your canoe tour at the canoe centre. Please return to the canoe centre by latest 14.00. The end time for your canoe tour is flexible and depends on the distance you have chosen to leave to cover on the final day.

Groups: Price per person regardless of age. Group rates apply for group size min. 14 persons. NB: For group rate bookings, special conditions apply for deposit payment and cancellation - please contact us for details.

Included

• Canoe equipment: 2-person Canadian canoe, paddles, buoyancy aids, one waterproof pack barrel per canoe (approx. 60 litres), water can (5 litres), canoe rope, topographical map, toilet spade (toilet paper is not included), cleaning sponge and rubbish bags.
• Kitchen equipment: Hurricane stove* with fuel, cups, plates, cutlery, carving knife, cutting board, spatula, cheese slicer, whip, butter knife, can/bottle opener, potato peeler, bowl, dish brush, washing-up liquid, kitchen roll, matches and storage box.
• Instructor: Instruction meeting before your tour starts.
• Transfers: Transport by bus for participants and equipment from the meeting point to the start point of the tour (tour route returns to meeting point).

*Exact contents may differ from example shown

Please be careful with the canoe and the rest of your equipment! If some part of the equipment should break as a result of misuse or carelessness, you may be charged for the damage caused.

Not Included

Please see "Prices > Optional Extras".

• Travel: We do not arrange flights or domestic travel, but are happy to advise on suitable connections and assist you with any aspect of planning your journey. See under "Getting There" for general travel information.
• Food: A provisions package is available as an optional extra. There are opportunities to shop in small stores along the way.
• Tent
• Sleeping Bag

Required

Health requirements/experience:

Swimming ability required by adults. All participation at own risk. Minimum 2 adults*. You should be in good health and have a reasonable level of fitness and strength.

The canoe tour is on calm flowing water. The Klarälven tour involves fairly light paddling with no lifting and you will be travelling downstream for the whole tour.

*This tour can also be suitable for solo adult + child(ren), depending on ages of children and previous outdoor experience. Please contact us to discuss your requirements.

What makes this "Easy"?

You will be paddling downstream on a wide, slow-flowing river for the duration of the tour and in a rural area. The tour is based on wild camping but you there are also 1-2 "proper" campsites en-route where you can overnight if desired. No land transports are required.

NB: Perception of difficulty is very subjective. What is hard to one person may be easy for another and vice versa, depending on factors including level of fitness, age and previous experience. Weather conditions/temperatures can also dramatically affect the actual level of challenge encountered.

Equipment/clothes needed:

For information on any equipment and/or clothing included as standard for this experience, please see under "What's Included".

A detailed recommended packing list for personal items to bring will be sent with your booking documentation.

NB: We advise you not to buy equipment or clothes for your trip or to incur other non-refundable expenses such as flights until you have received confirmation of your booking from us in writing. Note of course that the most appropriate clothing to use as well as the level of challenge experienced during any outdoor activity may vary significantly depending on factors such as the time of year and the particular weather/temperature conditions during your trip.

Preparing for your trip:

For further reading, we also have a number of general information articles to get you ready for your trip, covering a wide variety of topics from what to do on a city break before/after your tour, advice on packing, eyewear for winter and considerations for female travellers.

Combine This With

This experience makes a good combination with the following:

• Lakeside Cabin Retreat in Värmland (4 or more days, 1.5 hours by car or 2.5 hours by public transport)
• Log Cabin Escape in Värmland (4 or more days, 1.5 hours by car or 2.5 hours by public transport)
• Timber Rafting Taster (2 days/1 night, same location)

Groups

Canoe on Klarälven is ideal for groups. We reserve the right to assign groups to certain camp sites to minimise impact on the natural environment.

Eco Info

This provider has received a prestigious Swedish Ecotourism award for its commitment to high standards to cultural and environmental sensitivity.

The Beaver:

Canoeing or rafting the Klarälven gives you a very good chance of seeing beavers. But this has not always been the case. The beaver became extinct in Sweden in the late 19th century and was only reintroduced in 1922. Since then they have flourished in this area and Värmland now has an estimated population of several thousand. See our Wildlife Guide for more information on beavers in Sweden.

"I really enjoyed the feeling of being in the wild and completely in charge of when and where to camp. Spending hours paddling down the river just to find the perfect spot to set our tent. And the wilderness in Sweden is just amazing, even though we were just a few km away from the nearest village. [I chose Nature Travels because] the website is very clear and easy to navigate. Bob was extremely patient and helpful with everything we asked." Giovanni

"Being free to do what you want and not having a set schedule is amazing. We already had experience with Nature Travels on a previous dog sledding tour. Thank you again for an amazing trip!" Nynke