Sweden’s West Coast: Helsingborg to Gothenburg
Self guided from EUR € 930
Bike tour in Sweden
Tap above to jump to different sections of this tour
-
Cycling the Kattegattleden route on a coastal adventure through scenic Swedish landscapes
The Kattegattleden (pronounced kat-i-gat-led-in) – Sweden’s first national bicycle route – runs along the west coast between Helsingborg to Gothenburg. You’ll ride through fantastic coastal nature, overlooking wonderful sandy beaches and gorgeous viewpoints, through picturesque fishing villages and charming cities.
You will pass several historical sites and interesting destinations, all well worth a visit. There are plenty of cafés and restaurants lining the entire route to stop for lunch and coffee breaks throughout your ride!
Highlights
- Medieval village of Helsingborg
- Sofiero Castle
- Kullaberg Nature Reserve
- Varberg Fortress
- Beautiful beaches of Åsa
- Tjolöholm Castle
- Klippan Culture Reserve
Learn More
Learn more about self-guided tours.
-
Traveler photos
-
Daily program
Day 1: Arrival and overnight stay in Helsingborg
Check in to the centrally located hotel. Hopefully, you will have time for some sightseeing in this beautiful, medieval town by the ocean.Day 2: Helsingborg–Ängelholm (31-39 miles/49-62 km)
This part of Kattegattleden offers a lovely coastal tour with staggering views of Öresund and out to Danish Zealand. You’ll start your journey in Helsingborg, passing Sofiero Castle with its’ stunning garden–nominated the most beautiful in Europe in 2010. The route continues up towards Höganäs and out to the gorgeous, rocky landscape of the Kullahalvön peninsula.On the furthest tip of Kullahalvön is the Kullaberg Nature Reserve. If you have time for a detour from the path, it’s well worth a visit. As you continue, you will soon reach Höganäs, where farm shops and tasty food are distinguishing features. Some of Skåne’s finest vineyards are also located here. Why not stop for some treats and enjoy a picnic along the way, if the weather allows? The tour continues around the beautiful, dramatic Kullahalvön peninsula, towards the 500-year-old town of Ängelholm, your destination for the day
Note: Possible to shorten to 46 km, by leaving the path and bike approximately 10 km on a minor road with little traffic between Höganäs and Jonstorp.
Day 3: Ängelholm–Halmstad (26, 37, 47, or 58 miles/41, 60, 75, or 94 km)
From Ängelholm, Kattegattleden continues along the coast before the path departs and you will cut across the peninsula, into the heart of Bjäre. The climb will be gentle at first but soon becomes steeper. You are now proceeding into a modern agricultural setting, and will gradually reach the small-scale agricultural countryside that has been based on livestock since prehistoric times and is typical of Bjärehalvön.After a thrilling ride down the ridge, the stretch concludes in the entertainment metropolis of Båstad. A few KM after Båstad, you and your bike can catch the train to Halmstad(this opinion is 37 miles/60km). Train price per adult + bike, approx €10-20. Trains run regularly. Bikes according to space available on train. Or Shortening this day’s cycling to 26 miles/41 km is possible by skipping Bjäre peninsula.
If you want to bike from Ängelholm to Halmstad without the train, the total stretch is 94 km, or 75 km by taking a shortcut and skipping Bjäre peninsula. After Båstad, the route continues along one of the longest sandy beaches in Sweden and then makes a turn inland towards the nature reserves of Gullbränna and and Tönnersa. Short after this you will reach Halmstad and the route will take you through the city center.
Day 4: Halmstad–Falkenberg (35 miles/57 km)
From Halmstad city the ride will continue west, towards one of the most beloved beaches of the west coast, Tylösand, followed by the beaches of Frösakull, Ringenäs, and Vilshärad. After this, the path turns towards the east and connects to Kustvägen, the coast road.Along the way, you’ll pass several beautiful nature reserves with unique beach meadows both before and after the charming village of Steninge. Near Steninge beach the landscape will change from barren and stony into a lush agricultural setting, guiding you to your overnight destination of Falkenberg.
Day 5: Falkenberg–Varberg (24 miles/39 km)
The route continues through the town of Falkenberg, one of the oldest of Hallands’medieval towns. As you are getting closer to Varberg, the final destination of the day, you’ll pass Apelviken, a beach that attracts windsurfers from all over Europe. A short ride away the Varberg Fortress will tower before you, well worth a visit. You can bike all the way up to the fortress if you are up for a challenge. Or, make a visit to Societetsparken instead and take a well-deserved rest in the shade of the leafy trees.Day 6: Varberg–Kungsbacka (31-45 miles/50-72 km)
North of Varberg, the scenery changes – sandy beaches become rocky cliffs and the first islands begin to appear, like Getterön, Balgö and Vendelsö. Further on you will get to a quiet stretch along the ocean and the beautiful beaches of Åsa. Further up the route we recommend a small detour to visit Tjolöholm Castle, Sweden’s only Tudor castle, before continuing to Kungsbacka. the final stop for today and one of the largest trade centres in western Sweden. Possible to shorten to 50 km, by biking Varberg to Åsa + train Åsa to Kungsbacka.A nice detour of the official Kattegattleden path is to bike to Fjärås Bräcka, famous for its 100 standing stones at the Li grave field. The route continues on small roads along fields and horse pastures until you reach Kungsbacka, This route is not signposted so you’ll have to check the map or follow the gpx track of “2018 old stretch” tot 75 km.
Day 7: Kungsbacka–Göteborg (26-39 miles/41-63 km)
This last stretch of the route runs along the Kungsbacka fjord, back towards the ocean. You’ll pass the small seaside village of Särö, where royalty and the Gothenburg society met up for amusement in the early twentieth century. The trail continues along cliffs, lush forests, bays, and small harbors, offering plenty of places to swim or just relax.As you approach central Gothenburg, you will pass Nya Varvet and the Klippan Culture Reserve and continue along Göta älv until you reach your final destination: the Göteborg Opera and the Lilla Bommen harbor. Welcome to Gothenburg!
Note: possible to shorten to 26 miles/41 km by skipping the Onsala peninsula.
Day 8: Tour ends after breakfast or extension
Your tour along Kattegattleden ends after breakfast or book extra nights to continue exploring Gothenburg. -
Accommodation
Hotels
The following hotels are provided only as samples and may vary based on availability.
3 & 4 star hotels:
Helsingborg: Elite Hotell Mollberg or Elite Hotel Marina Plaza
Ängelholm: Best Western Plus Hus 57
Halmstad: Best Western Plus Grand Hotel
Falkenberg: Grand Hotel or Gits Gård Hotel
Varberg: Varbergs Stadshotell & Asia Spa*
Kungsbacka: Hotell Halland
Göteborg: Comfort hotel Göteborg
*Spa services are not included, can be booked at arrival and paid to hotel
-
Bikes
Standard touring bike
24-speed Cube Nature Allroad or similar
Gravel bike
22-speed Cube Nuroad Race FE or similar
Electrically-assisted bike
Cube Nuride Standard, Scott Sub Tour eRide or similar
*More about electrically-assisted bikes >
Accessories
Children's bikes and child transporters are also available on request
All above bike rentals will be equipped with the following at no additional charge:
- Saddlebag, rear
- Repair kit
- Bike lock
Pedals:
The bikes will have flat pedals. If you want to bring your own pedals, please bring your own shoes and also the necessary equipment to change the pedals.Helmets:
Helmets are not included with the bike rentals. You can rent a helmet for €10. We recommend that you bring your own helmet for safety and hygiene purposes.Dates & Prices
Daily, May 1 - Sep 30, 2025
Season 1: May 1 – Jun 20 | Sep 1 – Sep 30
Season 2: Jun 21 – Aug 31- Season 1 May–Sep 20252025 departures: Daily between May 1st and June 20th and September 1st through 30th
2025 May Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 2025 June Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 2025 September Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Tour package Double occupancy kr 13020 Single occupancy kr 16909 Triple occupancy kr 12333 Bike rentals Price Standard touring bike Included Gravel bike kr 1474 Electrically-assisted bike kr 632 Extra nights Price Helsingborg Double occupancy kr 895 Single occupancy kr 1632 Göteborg Double occupancy kr 948 Single occupancy kr 1579 - Season 2 Jun–Aug 20252025 departures: Daily between June 21st and August 31st
2025 June Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 2025 July Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 2025 August Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Tour package Double occupancy kr 14708 Single occupancy kr 18597 Triple occupancy kr 13520 Bike rentals Price Standard touring bike Included Gravel bike kr 1474 Electrically-assisted bike kr 632 Extra nights Price Helsingborg Double occupancy kr 895 Single occupancy kr 1632 Göteborg Double occupancy kr 948 Single occupancy kr 1579
Included services
- 7 nights accommodation
- Breakfast buffet
- Standard touring bike
- Daily luggage transfer between hotels
- Detailed travel information (detailed maps, route description, and tour information)
- Service hotline in case of problems or questions
- GPS tracks available (upon request)
Map
Maps are for information purposes only and reflect typical routes between overnight locations. They may not reflect your actual route.
Surface and terrain
The Kattegattleden is a sign-posted, mostly on asphalted cycle paths, some parts on are on minor roads with little or no traffic. Additionally, some sections may have gravel paths.
How to get there
Tour start
Nearest airport: Copenhagen (CPH), Gothenburg, or Helsingborg/Ängelholm
Nearest train station: HelsingborgCopenhagen by air
You can fly to Copenhagen and catch a train to Helsingborg. Train between the airport and Helsingborg run regularly and takes 1h–1h 30 minutes and the cost is about 25 EUR.Gothenburg by air
Landvetter airport is about 20 km southeast of downtown and is served by both domestic and international flights. Airport coaches go to the Nils Ericson Terminal by Gothenburg Central Station, where Kattegattleden begins/ends.Helsingborg/Ängelholm by air
Airport with direct flights to/from Stockholm is located about 30 minutes by car from Helsingborg. Transfer to Knutpunkten by airport bus, taxi or bicycle.Train
The Öresund train, which runs from Helsingör in Denmark via Malmö to Gothenburg, run along the entire Kattegattleden path and you can hop off at any convenient station. You bring your bike with on the Öresundstågen and Pågatågen trains, if space allows.Helsingborg/ Göteborg by bus
You can take a bus from most major cities in Sweden, and Oslo in Norway, to Helsingborg and/or Gothenburg. Swebus and Nettbuss are two express bus companies that drive here.Tour end
Nearest airport: Stockholm (ARN) or Copenhagen (CPH) airport
Nearest train station: GothenburgTips on getting to and from your tour
Reviews
-
★★★★★ Gretchen Jones 2 months ago
Amazing trip up the west coast of Sweden
This is a must see part of the world!! This was my fifth bicycle trip in Europe and one of the best. The west coast of Sweden was absolutely stunning - beautiful beaches, cute villages, wonderful countryside. The people were tremendous. Language was not an issue. The bicycle trail is well traveled and easy to follow. It was a wonderful experience.
- How many tours have you completed?
- 5
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens, Families with young kids
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
-
★★★★★ Valerie Leifer 3 months ago
Wonderful!
Everything was great - from the planning (thank you for addressing every question and concern) to the execution. The bikes were terrific (though in one bike storage room someone must have knocked into my bike and messed with the front derailleur). Scenery and lodging great. Thank you!
- What was the date of your tour?
- July 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
-
★★★★★ Bruce Mitchell 4 months ago
Beautiful Tour of the west coast.
A wonderful way to explore the Swedish west coast. The bike trail is easy to follow, relatively flat, and was almost exclusively on a paved trail. The trail winds its way along the coastline, with distances between towns very manageable. We stayed in excellent accommodation with lots of time each day to explore. All in all a fantastic family bike trip.
- What was the date of your tour?
- July 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- 4
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
-
★★★★★ Julie Smith 4 months ago
Sweden experience
Hotels were good. The route and options were great. The people of Sweden were wonderful.
-
★★★★★ Rebekah Ross 4 months ago
Beautiful scenery mostly on bike paths
We have done many bike trips and this one was tops. The route is nearly all on dedicated bike paths, and when not it was on safe roads with little traffic. The maps and GPS and trail markings were easy to follow. Nice variety of country and ocean landscapes. Bikes and hotels (all with sumptuous breakfasts) were good.
-
★★★★★ Karyl Brewster-Geisz 4 months ago
Fabulous introduction to Sweden
This was our third self guided bike tour and our first in Sweden. The trail was very well marked throughout, with the exception of within Gothenburg (and I think that was because of construction). The scenic views were spectacular. The hotels were similar to the ones on other tours. We opted for e-bikes and I’m glad we did as there was a lot of wind and hills throughout the trip, especially on the longest day. If you have the energy, I highly recommend taking advantage of some of the extras listed in the trip agenda such as the UFO monument or the Car and Plane Museum.
- What was the date of your tour?
- June 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- 3
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
-
★★★★★ Jann Slayton 5 months ago
Beautiful scenery - great biking
The Katgat bike path is a wonderful way to see Sweden. The off road, paved path (about 90% of the 225 miles) is well marked. At times the GPS was off but trusting the signage we stayed on route. We used e-bikes. You have to remove the battery and recharge in hotel room at night. The hotels that were booked were all very nice - each had wonderful breakfast buffets. The location of the hotels to the Katgat trail was good. The hotels were all in convenient neighborhoods with easy walking distance to restaurants and shops.
Suggestion - if you plan to take the train Bastad to Halmstad as we did, download the app Skare when you have wifi. Trains were convenient and easy to transport bikes. Hotel Halland in Kungsbacka did not have a place outside hotel to park bike. We could either lock at train station (across the street) or carry bikes to basement (which we did). Having a room on the street side of this hotel was very noisy with car and train traffic.
We were fortunate - last 2 weeks of May - to have ideal weather. The flowers are profuse, the coastal scenery beautiful, and being self guided we could stop for photos or a break whenever we wished. The people at Biketours.com were very responsive and helpful during our planning and with during the trip. I highly recommend this trip!- What was the date of your tour?
- May 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- 6
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
-
★★★★★ Julie Lee 5 months ago
More than I expected!
To my surprise we rode along this gorgeous path along the Baltic Sea with full sun and blue skies in May 2024 for an epic Swedish adventure. The hotels were comfortable and centrally located with sumptuous breakfast butfets. Luggage transfer was smoothe. The GPS app was very helpful to keep us on the right path. The recommended stops for fika and sightseeing were excellent. All communications from Biketours was clear and detailed.
-
★★★★★ Rob Luken June 29, 2023
Our first cycling vacation
This was our first cycling vacation and the beautiful Sweden's West Coast from Helsingborg to Gothenburg trip over six days was fantastic. This is a very well organized trip, with lovely hotels along the way and good instructions with options on how to best enjoy this. The bicycles worked well, as well as the transfer of our luggage to the next hotel. We thoroughly enjoyed the trip and even added an additional day at both ends of the trip to fully explore the cities and what it has to offer, which we can recommend.
- What was the date of your tour?
- June 13 to June 20
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1, including this one
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
-
★★★★★ Christopher Mauriello September 5, 2022
Great paced trip
This trip meets all expectations.
The trip features a good mix of Swedish shoreline, farms and great towns.
The Kathegattleden trail is well marked and mostly paved but made much easier to navigate with the GPS app.
Very little road riding but where it exists is very little traffic. Totally recommend a night or two on Copenhagen at the end of the trip which is also a great place to bike.- What was the date of your tour?
- Sept. 2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- 6
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
-
★★★★★ Kevin Rudd August 24, 2022
Could have been better
The ride was generally good. The route was relatively remote with few points to stop and places along the route to interact with the citizen of the areas visited. Poor preparation of the e-bikes two of the 6 bikes were not at the pick up location and not properly charged. The first day was difficult riding heavy bikes without power. Very disappointing start to our trip.
Hotel accommodations were fair. The opening property was excellent, while the balance were two and three star quality properties. That said, all the people at the hotels and the bike rental location were friendly and helpful. I would have welcomed better hotel locations and would be willing to pay more. Self-guided does not need to be budget.
In general, of the other guided and self-guided rides in Europe this ride was 4th of 4.
- How many tours have you completed?
- 4, 2 guided and 2 self-guided
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Do you recommend this tour?
- No
-
★★★★★ Charles Russo August 5, 2022
Going Home to the Motherland :)
The tour was an excellent way to meet people and see the country. We thoroughly enjoyed it!
- What was the date of your tour?
- July 2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- This was my first.
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
-
★★★★★ Emily Eich August 4, 2022
Kattlegattleden
Kattlegattleden was such a safe, beautiful, biker friendly trail. Our two favorite towns were Varberg and Falkenberg. If we could we would have stayed in Varberg a second night. Each destination was easy to locate and most days our luggage was waiting for us upon arrival! Everyone we met was kind and patient with us as Americans. Just be warned: don’t try to short cut by taking bikes on the train on a beautiful beach weekend! The one day we wanted to do 40 miles, instead of 60 we waited for 2 trains in Bastad and finally gave up; the train conductors told us there was no way we were getting bikes on!
- What was the date of your tour?
- July 2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens, Families with young kids
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
-
★★★★★ David Roberts August 4, 2022
Great Bike Trip
Great route - well marked, easy to follow, mostly paths and safe (little "on-road" riding with very light traffic). Easy terrane with very manageable riding distances for most cyclist. Accommodations were clean, comfortable, friendly and above average, although not luxurious. Bikes were good quality and well maintained. Beautiful country and friendly people. I've done more than 20 European cycling tours and I'd rate this as very good value given the modest price point
- What was the date of your tour?
- July 2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- 20
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat easier
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens, Families with young kids
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
-
★★★★★ Daniel Harrison August 4, 2022
Beautiful Bicycling
I used BikeTours.com to book a memorable six-day, self-guided bicycling vacation in Sweden, where four members of my family travelled in late July 2022. The tour, named “Sweden’s West Coast: Helsingborg to Gothenburg,” provides a nice introduction to Sweden’s rural areas, towns, and the city of Gothenburg. Throughout our 242-mile journey, I was reminded of a popular nursery rhyme that begins “Jack be nimble, Jack be quick,” thanks to the excellent pre-trip support provided by our bikeTours.com trip consultant, Kirsten.
Kirsten used her nimble planning skills to help us avoid unexpected logistical challenges with our tour. Multi-day concerts in Gothenburg meant most hotel rooms were booked well in advance, and Kirsten worked with us to devise alternative travel dates that made this trip feasible and affordable, with roofs over our heads. We spent each night in a different hotel, and check-in was always easy.
She was quick to respond to my inquiries on a variety of issues, including preferred types of bicycles, location of our hotels, desire for non-smoking rooms, and access to map routes.
The nursery rhyme ends with these words: “Jack jump over the candlestick.” On our bicycling vacation, we jumped numerous steams and other bodies of water on the well-maintained bridges on the national bike trail, the Kattegattleden. Mostly flat, the route is typically separate from roads, and traverses farmland and charming seaside towns along a pristine coast, ending each day’s journey at a centrally-located hotel.
The final word in the rhyme is “candlesticks.” The design of many restaurants and hotels included lit candles, and contributed to the Scandinavian “hygge” lifestyle. The staff at places where we stayed and dined were welcoming and efficient, though none could hold a candle to the excellent service provided by Kirsten. (DH)
- What was the date of your tour?
- July 2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- 8
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
-
★★★★★ Keith Raymond August 4, 2022
A Swedish Delight
We really enjoyed this late June trip on the west coast of Sweden. It was well organized, very scenic, lovely towns and hotels. Excellent restaurants and beer to be found along the way. Cycling is not difficult. Would recommend.