6 best day trips from Gothenburg

Day trips compared

The day trips

45 km · About 1 hour by bus and ferry

1.Marstrand

A car-free island town of painted wooden villas and sailing harbours, crowned by the 17th-century Carlsten fortress, which offers tours of its ramparts and prison. A footpath circles the island past rocky swimming spots.

Getting there

Bus to Marstrandsterminalen, then a short ferry crossing

Best for

Couples, Families, Culture

20 km · About 30 minutes by bus

2.Bohus Fortress in Kungälv

The ruins of a medieval border fortress on a rock above the Nordre älv river, once a frontier stronghold between Norway and Sweden. Kungälv's old wooden town below it is pleasant for a coffee.

Getting there

Express bus from Nils Ericson Terminal to Kungälv

Best for

Families, Culture

75 km · About 45–60 minutes by train

3.Varberg

A seaside town south of Gothenburg with a medieval fortress on the shore, the Bocksten Man bog body in the fortress museum and a Moorish-style cold-bath house on stilts over the sea.

Getting there

Regional train from Göteborg Central

Best for

Culture, Couples, Families

45 km · About 30–40 minutes by train

4.Alingsås

A small town that promotes itself as Sweden's fika capital, with an old wooden centre full of cafés and bakeries, and a history as the birthplace of Swedish textile industry.

Getting there

Regional train from Göteborg Central

Best for

Food lovers, Quiet stays

130 km · About 2 hours by car

5.Smögen

A fishing village on the Bohuslän coast known for Smögenbryggan, a long wooden quay lined with red boathouses, shrimp, and smooth granite rocks for swimming. It is very busy in July.

Getting there

Car, or bus with changes

Best for

Couples, Food lovers, Beach

60 km · About 1 hour 15 minutes by bus

6.Skärhamn and the Nordic Watercolour Museum

On the island of Tjörn, the fishing village of Skärhamn is home to the Nordic Watercolour Museum, a waterfront building dedicated to watercolour art, with granite skerries for swimming around it.

Getting there

Express bus to Tjörn, or car

Best for

Culture, Quiet stays, Couples

Day-trip tips

• Leave early: most trips are more relaxed with a morning departure and a return before dinner.
• Buses fill gaps in the tram network and serve outlying areas such as Delsjön; they use the same tickets as trams.
• For trips over about 150 km, an overnight stay or an organised tour saves a lot of travelling.

Questions travellers ask