Gothenburg is a city best seen from the water, with a beautiful archipelago, a canal system circling the old city wall, and river that runs through the centre, splitting up the city centre from the island of Hisingen. There are so many different options for boat trips in Gothenburg, depending on what you want to see, how much time you have, and how much you want to spend! In this guide you will find everything from a self-guided archipelago trip to an adventurous kayaking tour, or a guided dinner cruise.
Having lived in Gothenburg for almost 5 years, I have personally tried every single boat trip on this list (apart from the Göta Canal cruise). During the spring and summer, one of the best ways to enjoy the city is spending time out on the water so we tend to do at least 2 or 3 different trips a year! If you are visiting Gothenburg for the first time, I would recommend the Paddan canal boat as it really helps you situate yourself in the city, as well as taking some sort of archipelago trip! If you have visited before or are living in Gothenburg, then Vinga or Nya Älvsborgs Fästning are two of my favourite trips on the list!
Tip: If you are planning on doing several different boat trips then the Gothenburg GoCity pass is a great option to save some money! It includes the Paddan boat tour, the boat trip around Hisingen, the hop-on-hop-off boat, an archipelago tour, and kayak hire (as well as lots of different museums and experiences). You can find out more and buy the pass here!
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Gothenburg Canal Boat Trips
The Gothenburg Canal follows the old city wall, built in the 1600s. Taking a boat trip around the canal is one of the best ways to get to know the city, passing most of the top sights such as Feskekörka, Trädgårdsföreningen, the old docks, and cruising down Södra Hamngatan. Along the canal, you will pass under 20 bridges which is an experience. There are several different ways to see the Gothenburg Canal – by boat, canal boat, pedalo, and kayak!
See more: The Top 10 Things to See in Gothenburg
Paddan
The Paddan is one of the best Gothenburg Canal boat trips you can take – a guided tour on an open top canal boat that has been running since 1939. The best part of this trip is that not only do you get to see the canal, but the commentary is a great mix of interesting and fun facts about the areas you pass, giving you so much more of an insight into the city that you would ever get exploring alone.
The Paddan tour lasts 50 minutes and is perfect for all ages! They do the tours in both English and Swedish and the tours run every 30 minutes to 1 hour. While you don’t need to book in advance, I recommend it as the tickets are cheaper when you book online! You can find out more and book tickets on this page.
Note: If you find the history interesting, I recommend visiting the Gothenburg City Museum! They have a great exhibition celebrating 400 years of Gothenburg, with everything from old city to what Gothenburg means to its residents today. Both the Paddan and Gothenburg city museum are included in the Gothenburg GoCity pass!
Pedalo
If you want a self-guided boat trip then you can hire both pedalos and kayaks for Kajakbryggan, located just outside Trädgårdsföreningen in Kungspportsplatsen (map). You can hire one-, two- and three-man kayaks, and pedalos for 1 to 2 people for one or more hours. This is a fun, and a little more adventurous, activity perfect for a warm summer day! Find out more information on this page.
Let’s Boat
Let’s Boat is a really, fun way to spend some time on the water – a private electric boat with space for up to 12 people. To hire the boat, you don’t need any experience, or a license and the boat comes with a digital guide with 30 different spots marked out if you want to do a little self-guided tour. Alternatively, you can bring a picnic on board and enjoy a fun afternoon in the canal. It is a very easy, relaxing way to take a boat trip on the canal perfect for all ages!
You can hire the boats from 1 – 3 hours, with the cost depending on how many people are joining the trip! Find out more and book the boat here.
Ocean Bus
The Ocean Bus, an amphibious bus tour, is a really fun way to see the city – especially with kids! Painted as a shark, the bus takes you through the city’s streets, past the main attractions such as Avenyn, Haga, and Feskekörka, before heading into the water by Nya Älvsborgsbron for a loop around the river.
The tour takes around 55 minutes in total and is an exciting way to see the city from both the land and water in a unique form of transport! The tour starts by Kungsportsplatsen and you can either buy tickets here, or online before-hand. This is a popular tour so it can be worth booking in advance to make sure you get a spot! You can find out more about the trip and book tickets here.
Kayak with Plums!
The last option for a tour around the Gothenburg Canals is to take a kayak tour with Plums! This is a kayak company located in Lilla Bommen, by the Gothenburg Opera House, that not only offer kayak rental but also guided kayak tours around Gothenburg. The tours last two hours and are led by very experienced and knowledgeable guides that take you down the river and into the canal system.
This is my personal favourite way to see the city as you can paddle at your own pace and really take in everything – from the size of the bridges to the calm flow of the water. The conditions in the canal are very calm so you don’t have to be an expert kayaker to enjoy this activity! Book it here: Book the guided kayak tour and kayak rental.
Gothenburg Archipelago Boat Trips
The Gothenburg Archipelago is by far one of the best things about the city – especially if you are visiting in the spring, summer or early autumn! The archipelago boasts more than 20 islands, all with their own unique charm. Either a day trip out on the ferry to one of these islands, or a guided archipelago cruise, are must-dos on any Gothenburg visit! Below you will find a few different options for exploring the Gothenburg archipelago by boat – all great in their own way!
Take the ferry out into the Archipelago
The Gothenburg Archipelago is very accessible by public transport, with ferries departing to 10 of the biggest islands from either Lilla Varholmens (to the Northern Archipelago) or Saltholmen. The journey takes around 1 to 2 hours from central Gothenburg, depending which island you decide to visit. In general, this is probably the most budget friendly option, with ferry and tram tickets only costing around 35kr one way. You can find all the details you need for getting to these places in this Gothenburg Archipelago Guide!
The islands all have their own special qualities, so I won’t go into them all here – but most offer options for a walk, beautiful swimming spots, nice restaurants, and picturesque fishing villages. Below are guides to all the islands, including everything there is to do on them, and how to get there!
Gothenburg’s Northern Archipelago:
Gothenburg’s Southern Archipelago:
Guided Archipelago Cruise
If you don’t have time for a full day trip, a guided archipelago cruise can be just as good an option! These tours leave from the centre of the city and take you out through the harbour into the archipelago. I have to say, this is one of my favourite parts of the archipelago cruise as this is a part of Gothenburg that you don’t otherwise get to see so much of. The harbour is the largest port in the Nordics, but this is not really apparent unless you see it on a trip like this!
This guided archipelago cruise is a 2.5 hour tour that sails around the southern archipelago islands, giving you a close up to the rugged cliffs and colourful fishing villages from the water! Find out more and book it here.
Vinga
This is one of my absolute favourite day trips from Gothenburg – a boat trip out to the most westerly island in the archipelago, Vinga. This island is named after the lighthouse that is situated on the edge of the island, an important point in Gothenburg’s history as a coastal city. Not only is this a perfect boat trip for anyone wanting to explore the area, but it is also a beautiful island with an amazing sandy bottom swimming spot, and a small museum!
Read More: Find out all your need to know about taking a day trip to Vinga
Nya Älvsborgs Fästning
Nya Älvsborgs Fästning (Nya Älvsborgs Fortress) is another unique boat trip you can take in Gothenburg. The fortress is located on an island in the middle of the harbour and is an interesting, and often overlooked, place! Only open during the summer, the island is just a short boat trip from Lilla Bommen and is home to a bastion fortress.
This is a great place for all ages, with activities for the kids and a really interesting, guided tour that takes you through the fortress’s history as a centre of defence, to a medical jail. Find out more on this page, or book the trip here!
Skärgårdslinjen Dinner Cruise
The final option for a boat trip around the Gothenburg archipelago is a dinner cruise with Skärgårdslinjen. This is a mix between a guided tour and dinner cruise, taking you out around the Gothenburg archipelago with a seafood buffet and an entertaining show to finish the evening! This is a lot of fun and a great option if you are celebrating an occasion or want to do a special trip. We did this trip with my brother last summer when he visited and had so much fun. You can find out more about their different dinner cruises on this page.
Other Boat Trips from Gothenburg
Säveån Kayak Trip
During the summer months, Plums! also do a self-guided kayak tour down the Säveån river, from Partille to Lilla Bommen in central Gothenburg. While this tour is unique and very beautiful, the main target audience are those who perhaps live in Gothenburg or are visiting for an extended period and want to see an area around the city, rather than the city itself. However, if you do want more of a nature experience this is worth it!
The Säveån river – sometimes referred to as “the amazon” of Gothenburg – is a beautiful, calm river with trees of each side. The trip takes around 2 hours to kayak and takes you down the river, past Gamlestaden, and into the Gothenburg Harbour. You can find out more and book the trip on this page.
Säveån Canal Boat
Rather than a trip around the canal, Paddan also offers a tour down the Säveån from Partille to Gothenburg. This is a beautiful route and shows you a bit more of the landscape that surrounds the city centre that you might not otherwise experience. The boat tour by Paddan is a great alternative to the kayaking trip as it is much more accessible and family friendly. The tour takes 2 hours and is the perfect activity for a sunny summers day. Book it here: Säveån Guided Boat Trip
Göta Canal 6 Day Boat Trip
The last boat trip on this list is the most unique and inspiring – a canal trip down the Göta Canal. This trip is a 6 day cruise from Gothenburg to Stockholm that follows the Göta Canal on a classic 20th century canal boat (either M/S Diana from 1931 or M/S Wilhelm Tham from 1912). This is really a dream boat trip and something I have always wanted to do. However, my yearning for it has tripled since hearing about the experience itself from a friend who was lucky enough to work on it as a host this past summer. Everything from the excursions to places like Läckö Slott and Birka the Viking City, to evenings lounging around on the ship, and the captain’s dinner, sound absolutely incredible! Find out everything you need to know on this page!
Boat Trips and Activities
Boat Trips from Gothenburg: Where Next?
Here you have 20 different options for kayak and boat trips from Gothenburg that I hope you enjoy! If you’re spending more time in Gothenburg, below you will find a few posts that you might find helpful!
- Gothenburg Archipelago: Island Guide, Hönö, Brännö and Galterö, Asperö, Donsö, Vrångö, and Styrsö
- Islands on the West Coast: Dyrön, Marstrand, Käringön, Smögen, and Åstol
- Gothenburg: Top 10 Places to Visit, 1 Day in Gothenburg, 4 Days in Gothenburg
- All Gothenburg Guides
- 10 Day Scandinavia Itinerary: Norway, Denmark and Sweden
