Everything you need before you arrive
Many of our guests have skated with us before. Some join us every winter. Some are stepping onto natural ice for the very first time and they always tell us afterwards they wished they’d done it sooner.
Whatever your background, our job is the same: make sure you’re safe, well prepared and free to focus on the experience. On this page you’ll find everything that’s included, what a typical day looks like, and what we recommend you bring. If you have questions that aren’t covered here, we’re always happy to hear from you.
Before the trip
A little preparation goes a long way. The more comfortable you are on skates before you arrive, the more you’ll enjoy the experience once you’re out on the ice.
Get some time on skates
If you haven’t skated in a while, we recommend getting out on a rink a few times before the tour. You don’t need to be fast — but being comfortable on skates and able to glide for longer periods will make a real difference on the ice.
What to pack
Pack for 3 nights in a small suitcase/backpack so we have better space in our mininvans.
We provide all skating and safety equipment, so you don’t need to bring anything besides a complete change of clothes for your drybag provided by us.
Bring the change of clothes in a plastic bag for easy transfer into the dry bag.
Your dry bag should include:
A full change of clothes — from base layer to outer layer. ( see packing list)
Extras that is good to have:
Warm socks and an extra pair of gloves
Sun cream — the reflection off the ice is stronger than you’d expect
Subglasses
A fully charged battery pack for your phone.
Power bars and extra snacks.
European Health Insurance Card
Bring your European Health Insurance Card and keep it with you at all times during the tour — not packed away in your luggage at the hotel.
Travel insurance
We strongly recommend taking out travel insurance that covers outdoor and winter activities before you travel. Make sure your policy is active from the day you depart.
Getting here
Meeting point
Between 10:30 and 11:00
From Stockholm city
Departure
Emergency contact
Arrival day
Before you have taken a single stroke on the ice, your guide has already checked conditions, planned the route and made sure everything is in place. Here is what your first day looks like from start to finish.
Departure day
Skating always finishes around 2 pm at the latest, giving everyone plenty of time to wind down before the journey home.
From the ice you return to base camp, where you hand back all equipment. Your guide then drives you to the airport, the same calm, unhurried pace the whole tour has been built around.
If this is your first time with us, we hope it won’t be your last. Many of our guests come back winter after winter, same guide, same ice, and somehow always a different experience. We’d love to see you again next season.
What to expect
Weather
Expect temperatures between 0°C and minus 15°C throughout the tour. There can be rain, snowfall and wind, though wind speeds are usually low to moderate.
Conditions can change during the day, so the ability to adapt your layers is more important than any single piece of clothing.
What to wear
Thermal base layer moisture wicking, close to skin
Mid layer, fleece or lightweight insulation
Light down jacket for breaks and lunch stops
Windproof outer layer for exposed ice and sea
How we assess the ice
Before any group steps onto the ice, your guide has already been out.
Every morning starts with an ice assessment. We check thickness, surface quality and any changes since the day before. We consult local ice reports, talk to other guides in the area and when needed, test sections of the route on foot before the group follows.
Natural ice is never identical from one day to the next. Wind, temperature shifts and water currents all play a role. After nearly 30 years of reading Swedish ice, we know what to look for and we know when to change plans.
If a planned route isn’t safe, we find a better one. If conditions aren’t right at all, we don’t go. Your safety is never negotiated against the schedule.
Why Sweden for Nordic skating
Sweden is home to close to 100,000 lakes, covering roughly 9 percent of the country’s total land area. Combined with the Baltic Sea archipelago and a winter climate that regularly produces black ice from January through March, it is one of the few places in the world where guided long-distance skating on natural ice is possible on a reliable, commercial basis.
Before any group steps onto the ice, the guide measures thickness on site. According to Issäkerhetsrådet, Sweden’s ice safety authority, a minimum of 10 centimetres of high-quality black ice is required for skating. Naturguiden follows this standard and redirects the day’s route if conditions fall short.
On a typical tour day, guests cover between 25 and 50 kilometres on ice, depending on conditions and group pace. Routes are chosen each morning based on current ice reports, which means no two tours follow the same path.
Safety and equipment
Nordic skating on natural ice involves inherent risk. Every Naturguiden tour is led by an experienced guide who conducts a full safety briefing before the group sets foot on the ice.
The guide goes first at all times, testing the ice and choosing the route. All guests receive a complete set of safety equipment and carry a waterproof bag with a full change of dry clothes inside their skating backpack at all times.
Safety equipment provided
- Ice claws — for self-rescue if you fall through the ice
- Rescue line — so you can be pulled to safety from a distance
- Whistle — to attract attention
- Skating poles and ice pike — for balance and continuous ice testing
- Skating backpack — acts as a buoyancy aid
- Helmet
- Knee pads
A full safety and packing information document is available to download on the tour page.
Frequently asked questions
Nordic skating on natural ice is unlike anything you have done before, and we know you have questions before you book. Below you will find answers to the most common ones — from experience requirements and safety to logistics and what to pack.
This depends entirely on conditions and the group’s pace. Typical recreational skaters cover 25 to 50 kilometres per day. Your guide adjusts speed and distance to the group throughout each day.
Snow affects ice quality but rarely cancels a tour. Your guide will find the best available ice somewhere in the region. In nearly 30 years of operation, Naturguiden has always found skateable conditions during the January-to-March season.
Yes. For safety reasons, every guest must carry a complete set of dry clothes packed in a waterproof bag inside the provided skating backpack at all times. This is a requirement, not a recommendation.
Your guide assesses the group on the ice throughout the tour. If a guest is unable to maintain the pace or the safety of the group is affected, the guide may ask that person to step aside. This decision is final and is made in the interest of all guests. We strongly encourage honest self-assessment before booking. Most people are better prepared than they think. Take our quiz to see if your experience and fitness level are right for a tour with us.
You should be able to sustain physical activity for 6 to 8 hours. Skating on natural ice is less demanding on the joints than running, but it is continuous effort across varying surfaces. Regular exercise and comfort with endurance activity is good preparation.
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