Nordic skating adventure in
Sweden - Guided Since 1996

Nordic skating also known as tour skating or long-distance skating is the Scandinavian tradition of skating across natural frozen surfaces: lakes, rivers, canals and open sea ice. Unlike rink skating, Nordic skating takes place entirely in the wild, covering distances of 25 to 75 kilometres per day on ice that forms naturally each winter.

Sweden is considered the world’s leading destination for Nordic skating, owing to its roughly 100,000 lakes, its extensive Baltic Sea archipelago, and a winter climate that reliably produces black ice the smooth, transparent ice that skaters prize above all else. The season typically runs from January to March, when ice thickness reaches the minimum safe threshold of 5 to 10 centimetres required for guided tours.

The discipline has deep roots in Scandinavian culture, originally used for transportation between villages across frozen waterways. Today it attracts visitors from across Europe and beyond, seeking a combination of physical adventure, wilderness immersion and Nordic winter tradition.

Naturguiden has organised private guided Nordic skating tours in Sweden since 1996, making it  the country’s most established operator in this niche. Tours depart from Stockholm and reach lakes and sea ice in the surrounding regions, with routes chosen daily based on current ice conditions.