Archipelago boat tours, honestly compared

Is the archipelago cruise worth it?

Yes, if you want an easy overview: 2.5 hours from the city harbour out to the southern islands and back, with a live guide and a café on board. It is less worth it if you hoped to step ashore, because the ship does not stop at any island.

The Archipelago Cruise with a Live Guide is the most booked tour on this site, rated 4.4 from 1,510 reviews. Stromma's classic M/S S:t Erik leaves Lilla Bommen in the city centre and follows the river past the old shipyards and the busy harbour. It passes Nya Älvsborg fortress at the river mouth, then winds among the southern islands before turning back. The guide speaks in English and Swedish over the speakers. Reviewers praise the scenery, the crew and the old ship; the common complaints are the wind on the top deck and a guide who can be hard to hear outdoors or when everyone crowds inside in the rain.

It suits a first day in Gothenburg, people who would rather sit on one boat than change from tram to ferry, and anyone who wants the history as well as the view. One reviewer named its main limit: it would be nice to get off and explore. If that matters most to you, read the next two sections.

The classic overview: 2.5 hours on the M/S S:t Erik from Lilla Bommen, past Nya Älvsborg and among the southern islands, with a live guide in English and Swedish and a café and bar on board. Rated 4.4 from 1,510 reviews.

★ 4.4 (1,510) · 2.5 hours · Full refund up to 24 h ahead

Explore the archipelago cruise with a live guide →

Can you get off the boat on an archipelago cruise?

No. The cruise, the lunch cruise and the shrimp buffet cruise stay on board, and the sailing tours anchor in a bay without going ashore. Only the guided hike and the hot rod tour actually take you onto the islands.

The big ship shows you the islands; it does not land on them. The sailing boats find a quiet bay for fika or a meal, and the sauna boat anchors for a swim, but you stay aboard. A reviewer of the evening sail put it plainly: if you want to set foot on the islands, take the ferry.

Two tours do go ashore. The Brännö and Galterö guided hike is a new listing with no reviews yet: 12 to 18 km on foot over uneven ground through Brännö and the uninhabited Galterö nature reserve, ending with fika. Getting to the ferry terminal is not included, and strollers are not suitable. The hot rod tour of the northern islands (5.0 from 7 reviews) drives you across on the road ferry to Hönö, Öckerö, Fotö and Hälsö. The table compares every option, including the public ferry.

Cruise or public ferry: which should you choose?

Take the cruise for commentary, comfort and the harbour sights in one package. Take the public ferry if you want time on an island: it is part of Gothenburg's public transport and runs all year.

Take tram 11 (or tram 9 in summer), or bus 114, to Saltholmen, about 35 minutes from the centre. From there Västtrafik boats 281 to 284 serve the eight inhabited southern islands, where cars are not allowed; Styrsö Bratten is 15 to 25 minutes away. One Västtrafik Zone A ticket covers the tram and the ferry, so a ferry ticket costs the same as a tram ride. Buy it in the Västtrafik To Go app or tap a contactless bank card on board; the crew checks tickets. Timetables are on the Västtrafik website, and the ferry guide explains every line.

• Choose the cruise for a guide, a seat near a café, the river and harbour sights and no changes. The archipelago cruise with lunch (4.4 from 48 reviews) adds a reserved seat in the dining room and the lunch of the day, with meat, fish or vegetarian chosen on board.
• Choose the ferry to swim, walk, eat shrimp at a harbour café or stay the night. There is no commentary, and on sunny summer days the boats can fill up, so arrive in good time.
• Do both on a full day: the cruise for the overview, then a ferry to the island that caught your eye.

Which archipelago tour is best for an evening?

For food, the shrimp and salmon buffet cruise. For a small group under sail, the evening sailing tour with fika or the longer sail with a shrimp meal. All three leave from central Gothenburg and stay on the water.

The shrimp and salmon buffet evening cruise (4.7 from 14 reviews) takes the same M/S S:t Erik out for 3 hours past Styrsö, Donsö and Brännö. A welcome drink, a large buffet of shrimp, salmon, herring, mussels and salads, and a live troubadour are included. Lobster, crayfish, the dessert buffet and drinks are extra on board. Boarding starts 20 minutes before departure, and the cruise is not wheelchair accessible.

The evening sailing tour with Swedish fika (5.0 from 5 reviews) has a different mood: a small group, a skipper, the chance to help with the sails or steer with no experience needed, and coffee with a cinnamon bun in a quiet bay. The wind sets the route, and weather can cancel the trip, with a full refund. The archipelago sail with a shrimp meal is a newer 4.5-hour version with west coast shrimp to peel on deck, bread, aioli, dill and non-alcoholic white wine. Early risers can book the sunrise sail with a breakfast buffet (5.0 from 1 review), out at dawn when the water is often calmest. Sunset and sunrise colours depend on the sky.

Can you see seals on a boat tour from Gothenburg?

Often, but never for certain. Reviewers of the archipelago cruise report seals on some trips, from early summer to November, and seals also rest on the outer skerries south of Vrångö.

Seals haul out on low, bare skerries and slip into the water when boats come close, so a sighting depends on the route, the day and some luck. Several cruise reviewers saw seals; many others did not mention them. The sailing boats move quietly and anchor among the islands, which gives you time to scan the rocks, so bring binoculars.

If seals are the main reason for your trip, look at the seal safaris from Hönö Klåva in the northern archipelago, some of them all year. The Vinga boat list names the operators. Around Vrångö, parts of the nature reserve are seal and bird protection zones where landing is banned at certain times of year, so give the animals space.

What is the sauna boat like?

It is a 100-year-old boat with a wood-fired sauna. It leaves Stenpiren, travels about an hour out through the city to a calm bay and anchors there for about two hours of sauna, sea swims, grilling and fishing.

The archipelago sauna boat cruise (5.0 from 1 review) lasts 4 hours in total. The sauna takes six people at a time, so the group takes turns between the heat, a swim in the salty sea and the table on the foredeck, which seats ten. There is a grill, hot dogs and fishing rods. The operator recommends 6 to 8 people, with a maximum of 12, so it works best with your own group.

The listing says it is not suitable for non-swimmers, children under 10, people over 75 or over 110 kg, people with mobility impairments or people prone to seasickness. Bring swimwear, a towel and warm clothes for the trip back, because evenings on the water turn cool quickly.

Which archipelago tours suit a group or a private party?

The sauna boat for up to 12 friends, the private hot tub boat for up to five, and the hot rod tour for a group that wants to drive. For a large group that wants a guide and a bar, the S:t Erik cruise has plenty of room.

The hot tub, hidden beach and harbour cruise is a new listing and fully private: a boat for up to five people from Stenpiren, through the harbour and out to a quiet beach at the harbour mouth, where a heated tub is ready. You warm up, dip in the sea and climb back in while ships pass through the harbour entrance. Towels, ice and the skipper are included; bring your own drinks. It lasts 4 hours.

For a livelier day, the hot rod island tour puts each of you behind the wheel of a mini hot rod for 3 of its 3.5 hours: from north-east Gothenburg through Lindholmen and Eriksberg, over the bridges and onto the road ferry to the northern islands, with photo stops. Drivers need a valid driving licence and must be 18 or older, 1.55 to 2.00 m tall and under 130 kg. All seven reviews give five stars.

What should you bring on an archipelago boat tour?

A warm, windproof layer above all, because it is windy on deck even on sunny days. Add sunglasses and sunscreen, and swimwear for the sauna boat or the hot tub.

• A warm layer: cruise reviewers repeat this from June to November. The top deck is the windiest; the lower outside deck is more sheltered.
• Time: one reviewer suggests arriving about 30 minutes early for a seat on the upper deck of the cruise. On the shrimp cruise, boarding starts 20 minutes before departure.
• Shoes with grip on the sailing boats, where the deck can be wet.
• Seasickness tablets if you need them; the sailing and sauna tours are not recommended for people prone to seasickness.
• A bank card or phone: food and drinks on the S:t Erik are paid on board.

For an hour in the city before or after the islands, the amphibious bus tour (4.7 from 4,380 reviews) drives from Stora Teatern past Avenyn, Poseidon, Liseberg and Feskekôrka and then straight into the river. Meeting points for every tour are listed in the homepage meeting guide, and all the tours are in the tour section.

Frequently asked questions