The Österlen Way

The daily elevation gain may not be significant, but you could be covering up to 22 km / 14 miles each day, which demands a reasonable level of fitness.

Before your tour, we recommend hiking regularly and incorporating some hilly terrain into your routine. Be sure to check the daily distances and elevation changes outlined in your itinerary.

The terrain is gentle and mostly flat, following footpaths and coastal trails with the sea never far away. Surfaces are a mix of grass, packed earth, gravel, paved sections and forest paths. Sandy or stony beach stretches are short and easy going, and you can often choose a parallel grassy path instead. The route gets a little hillier at the start and end, with daily climbs of up to about 120 m / 400 feet.

This tour is graded easy to moderate, mainly due to a few longer walking days, though these can often be shortened if you prefer. Within the tour, individual days may vary in difficulty - some might be a bit tougher or easier than the overall rating suggests.

Accommodation is a mix of carefully selected B&Bs, guesthouses and small hotels, all with en-suite rooms.

We'll always try to use the locations detailed in your itinerary, but because of limited availability we may occasionally need to book you into an alternative of a similar standard.

You can add extra nights at any point during your stay - we particularly recommend extending your time in Ystad, a beautiful town worth exploring further. Just let us know when you book and we'll arrange this for you.

Yes, solo travelers are very welcome. There will be a supplement because some costs, like transfers, aren't shared. Or if you'd like to book a single room, just ask. These are available for a supplement.

Breakfast is included each morning, and in Sweden this typically means coffee, juice, bread, sausage and cheese, usually served alongside pickled fish.

Dinner is not included. In smaller villages without nearby dining options, dinner can be arranged at your accommodation (pre-booked and payable locally), and some places also offer facilities for you to prepare or heat up your own food.

A packed lunch can be ordered at any of your accommodations, payable locally.

This tour is available to start on any day from the beginning of May to end September. The area has a distinct tourist season across this period, and while it's just as beautiful in spring and late fall, fewer shops and restaurants stay open outside of June to August. The region doesn't experience particularly cold temperatures, so it's an appealing destination to visit across a long season.

Your bags will be collected from your accommodation each day and moved onto your overnight accommodation. We ask you to limit your luggage to one bag of up to 20kg/44lbs per person.

Much of the walk is waymarked, as this is a national trail.

Navigation is straightforward using our app which has maps, tracks and daily route info. Simply download the information and tracks for offline use and follow the route on your phone. Once on the trail you do not need signal for the app to work and follow your progress.

GETTING TO YSTAD
Copenhagen Airport (CPH) is the best airport for both the start and the end of this tour. To reach Ystad, take the train from the airport to Malmö Central Station (about 20 minutes), then connect to Ystad (about 50 minutes). Trains are frequent and run until midnight.
If you are arriving by train or bus from elsewhere, Skånetrafiken serves the wider Skåne region, and SJ can help with travel information and tickets from further afield.
If you are driving from Denmark, take the E65 from Malmö. If you arrive by ferry in Trelleborg, head north on route 108 before joining the E65. Let us know if you are arriving by car and we can help arrange parking.

LEAVING FROM SIMRISHAMN
On your departure day, a transfer to Simrishamn railway station is included. From there, take the train to Malmö Central Station (about 1 hour 30 minutes), then connect to Copenhagen Airport (CPH), which takes about 20 minutes. Trains are frequent and run from 6 a.m.

You'll need good hiking shoes or boots, comfortable hiking clothes, waterproofs, a daypack, and we recommend hiking poles. A portable charger for your cell phone is essential. On booking, our Trip Info will give you a complete packing list.

On certain days you can shorten the route or skip it entirely by using a taxi or public transport.

We highly recommend that you have travel insurance when you book with Macs Adventure. Your policy should cover medical treatment (including repatriation and emergency evacuation by air ambulance or helicopter), injury, death, third-party liability, and trip cancellation