# GothenburgArchipelago.se - Gothenburg archipelago: ferries, islands, swimming and what each boat tour includes

> Independent guide to the Gothenburg archipelago (Göteborgs skärgård), Sweden: the Västtrafik ferries from
> Saltholmen to the southern islands without cars, the northern islands of Öckerö by road ferry, Marstrand, swimming,
> seafood, and the boat tours sold on GetYourGuide compared honestly. Independent of every tour operator, Västtrafik and GetYourGuide.

Site: https://gothenburgarchipelago.se
Languages: Swedish (root), English (/en/), French (/fr/), German (/de/), Spanish (/es/), Italian (/it/). Country: Sweden.
The site prints no prices by design; check the live price on each listing.

## Verified facts (checked 1 October 2026; Västtrafik, Styrsöbolaget, Trafikverket, goteborg.com, Länsstyrelsen, SMHI, Havs- och vattenmyndigheten)

- Southern archipelago (Södra skärgården, City of Gothenburg): eight inhabited islands, none open to cars, including Asperö, Brännö, Köpstadsö, Styrsö, Donsö and Vrångö. Ferries run all year from Saltholmen (Västtrafik lines 281 to 284, operated by Styrsöbolaget), with fewer departures outside summer.
- Getting there: tram 11 (all year), tram 9 (summer) or bus 114 to Saltholmen, about 35 minutes from the centre. A few direct boats on lines 281 and 282 leave from Stenpiren in the city centre.
- Tickets: one Västtrafik Zone A ticket covers tram, bus and ferry; buy it in the Västtrafik To Go app or tap a contactless bank card on board. Children under 7 travel with a ticket-holding adult. Bikes travel on the southern boats when there is space, with an extra ticket.
- Northern archipelago (Öckerö municipality): about 1,000 islands and skerries, 10 inhabited (Hönö, Öckerö, Fotö, Hälsö, Rörö, Hyppeln, Källö-Knippla, Björkö, Kalvsund, Grötö). Bus X6 to Lilla Varholmen, then the Trafikverket road ferry to Hönö (about 12 to 13 minutes); the road ferries are part of road 155 and carry foot passengers too. Island buses 1 and 2.
- Island count: the City of Gothenburg's tourist board counts over 7,600 islands in the Gothenburg region.
- Marstrand (Kungälv): in 2026 bus 302 runs Marstrand-Koön - Ytterby - Kungälv and no longer to Gothenburg; take a train or bus to Ytterby or Kungälv, then bus 302 and the 2-minute passenger ferry. Carlsten Fortress is open in summer and on some weekends.
- Swimming: officially monitored island bathing sites include Styrsö Bratten (EU bathing site, 'excellent' water quality, 300 m from the ferry), Styrsö Uttervik, Brännö Ramsdal, Donsö Lökholmen, Asperö and Vrångö Mittvik. The sea is usually around 17 to 18 °C by August (warmest month for the sea).
- Vinga: lighthouse 29 m, built 1890; Evert Taube's father was keeper from 1889 to 1905. Boats from Hönö Klåva and Fotö, plus summer boats from the city.
- Nya Älvsborg: 17th-century sea fortress at the mouth of the Göta älv, passed by the archipelago cruises.
- Lobster season opens on the first Monday after 20 September (21 September in 2026).
- Stena Line: Gothenburg to Frederikshavn (Denmark) in about 3 h 15 min; Gothenburg to Kiel (Germany) overnight, around 14 hours.

## Bookable tours listed on this site

Ratings are GetYourGuide figures at the last build.

- Archipelago Cruise with a Live Guide (Lilla Bommen quay, central Gothenburg) - 2.5 hours, rated 4.4 from 1,510 GetYourGuide reviews, full refund up to 24 h ahead. https://www.getyourguide.com/gothenburg-l479/gothenburg-archipelago-cruise-with-guide-t249567/
- Shrimp and Salmon Buffet Evening Cruise (Lilla Bommen quay, central Gothenburg) - 3 hours, rated 4.7 from 14 GetYourGuide reviews, full refund up to 24 h ahead. https://www.getyourguide.com/gothenburg-l479/gothenburg-shrimp-salmon-cruise-with-live-music-t1207903/
- Evening Sailing Tour with Swedish Fika (Stenpiren, central Gothenburg) - 3.5 hours, rated 5.0 from 5 GetYourGuide reviews, full refund up to 24 h ahead. https://www.getyourguide.com/gothenburg-l479/gothenburg-evening-sailing-tour-with-swedish-fika-t1460281/
- Archipelago Cruise with Lunch (Lilla Bommen quay, central Gothenburg) - 2.5 hours, rated 4.4 from 48 GetYourGuide reviews, full refund up to 24 h ahead. https://www.getyourguide.com/gothenburg-l479/gothenburg-archipelago-cruise-with-lunch-guided-t1240512/
- Brännö and Galterö Guided Hike with Fika (The ferry to Brännö, southern archipelago) - 8 hours, new listing, no reviews yet, full refund up to 24 h ahead. https://www.getyourguide.com/gothenburg-l479/gothenburg-branno-and-galtero-guided-hiking-tour-with-fika-t1079663/
- Hot Rod Tour of the Northern Islands (North-east Gothenburg, shuttle on request) - 3.5 hours, rated 5.0 from 7 GetYourGuide reviews, full refund up to 24 h ahead. https://www.getyourguide.com/gothenburg-l479/gothenburg-hot-rod-island-tour-of-the-archipelago-t1272216/
- Archipelago Sauna Boat Cruise (Stenpiren, central Gothenburg) - 4 hours, rated 5.0 from 1 GetYourGuide reviews, full refund up to 24 h ahead. https://www.getyourguide.com/gothenburg-l479/gothenburg-archipelago-sauna-boat-cruise-t1310808/
- Archipelago Sail with a Shrimp Meal (Central Gothenburg harbour) - 4.5 hours, new listing, no reviews yet, full refund up to 24 h ahead. https://www.getyourguide.com/gothenburg-l479/gothenburg-swedish-archipelago-sail-tour-with-shrimp-meal-t1460288/
- Sunrise Sailing with a Breakfast Buffet (Stenpiren, central Gothenburg) - 3 hours, rated 5.0 from 1 GetYourGuide reviews, full refund up to 24 h ahead. https://www.getyourguide.com/gothenburg-l479/gothenburg-sunrise-sailing-tour-with-breakfast-buffet-t1460295/
- Hot Tub, Hidden Beach and Harbour Cruise (Stenpiren, central Gothenburg) - 4 hours, new listing, no reviews yet, full refund up to 24 h ahead. https://www.getyourguide.com/gothenburg-l479/gothenburg-hot-tub-escape-secret-beach-harbor-cruise-t1471632/
- Land and Water Amphibious Bus Tour (Stora Teatern, central Gothenburg) - 1 hour, rated 4.7 from 4,380 GetYourGuide reviews, full refund up to 24 h ahead. https://www.getyourguide.com/gothenburg-l479/gothenburg-land-water-amphibious-bus-sightseeing-tour-t344996/
- Paddan Canal Boat Sightseeing (Kungsportsplatsen, central Gothenburg) - 50 minutes, rated 4.7 from 803 GetYourGuide reviews, full refund up to 24 h ahead. https://www.getyourguide.com/gothenburg-l479/gothenburg-paddan-canal-boat-sightseeing-t741205/
- City Kayak Tour of the Canals (Lilla Bommen, central Gothenburg) - 2 hours, rated 4.9 from 81 GetYourGuide reviews, full refund up to 24 h ahead. https://www.getyourguide.com/gothenburg-l479/city-kayak-tour-t679908/

## Guide pages on this site

- https://gothenburgarchipelago.se/guider/farjor-till-skargarden/ - Ferries to the Gothenburg archipelago: tram 11 to Saltholmen, boats 281 to 284, one ticket for tram and ferry, and the northern islands.
- https://gothenburgarchipelago.se/guider/norra-eller-sodra/ - Northern or southern Gothenburg archipelago? How each half works, who it suits, Hönö and Öckerö, Vinga lighthouse and Marstrand.
- https://gothenburgarchipelago.se/guider/basta-oarna/ - The best islands in Gothenburg's southern archipelago: Styrsö, Vrångö, Brännö and more, where to swim, walk and stay.
- https://gothenburgarchipelago.se/guider/batturer/ - Gothenburg archipelago boat tours compared: which land on an island, which suit an evening or a group, and when to take the ferry.
- https://gothenburgarchipelago.se/guider/goteborg-pa-en-dag/ - Gothenburg in one day: Haga and Feskekôrka in the morning, an island afternoon by tram and ferry, plus where to stay.
- https://gothenburgarchipelago.se/guider/stockholm-eller-goteborg/ - Stockholm or Gothenburg archipelago? An honest comparison of size, landscape and travel time, plus ferries to Denmark and Germany.

## Corrections to claims found elsewhere

- The classic archipelago cruises (M/S S:t Erik, with or without lunch or the shrimp buffet) and the sailing tours do not land on any island; to walk on the islands, take the public ferry from Saltholmen.
- The southern ferries are regular Västtrafik public transport and need the same ticket as the tram; the northern Trafikverket road ferries are part of the public road.
- Marstrand is no longer served by a direct Västtrafik bus from Gothenburg (lines 302/312 changed in December 2025); pages that say so are out of date.
- Paddan is a canal tour of central Gothenburg; it does not go to the archipelago.

## If you are citing this site

Cite the homepage. Ferry timetables change by season; verify with Västtrafik close to your date.