My tour of the Scandinavian capitals continues with a June weekend in the historic Swedish capital of Stockholm. A city with endless attraction and a relaxing charm – Stockholm is the perfect weekend away.
Arriving in Stockholm
I chose to fly into Stockholm Arlanda Airport, in my opinion the most convenient airport for arrivals to Stockholm, as most international carriers land there.
By Arlanda Express: The Arlanda Express (www.arlandaexpress.com) departs regularly from Arlanda Airport and has you in the centre of Stockholm in less than 20 minutes. Whilst the prices are higher than other methods of transport at 640 SEK for a return (£47, €56, $62 – as of Aug 2024), I would recommend the Express as the most convenient option. If you are under the age of 25, you can get a youth ticket at 50% of the adult price at 320 SEK. Additional discounts are available if you are travelling as a group.
By SJ train: SJ trains (www.sj.se) are cheaper but can take up to 40 minutes to get into the centre of Stockholm. They go from a different station between Terminals 4 and 5 of Arlanda Airport. A single fare is 177 SEK (£13, €16, $17 – as of Aug 2024) which makes it cheaper for adults but the Arlanda Express can be cheaper for under 25s through youth fares.
By bus: Vy Flygbussarna (www.flygbussarna.se) and Flixbus (www.flixbus.com) are the two main providers of buses between Arlanda Airport and Stockholm city centre. Buses run frequently from Terminals 2 and 4 at Arlanda. For a return ticket, Vy Flugbussarna charges 209 SEK (£15, €18, $20 – as of Aug 2024) on their app, but this rises to 239 SEK if purchased at the airport.
Taxis and rental cars are widely available at all Stockholm airports. Unless you are leaving the city itself, you can easily rely on the Stockholm Metro and other public transport to get around without the added expense of a car. If you choose to take a taxi, remember to pay attention to the yellow tariff card.
For information about getting from Västerås, Skavsta or Bromma Airports to Stockholm, it is best to consult the Visit Sweden website (https://visitsweden.com/about-sweden/getting-and-airports/)
Getting around Stockholm
The Stockholm Metro is the easiest way to get around the city centre and covers almost all the main areas to visit. Depending on the length of your stay, it may also be worth getting an SL Travelcard (these are available in 24 hours, 72 hours, 7 days and longer increments). Many metro stations can be an attraction in themselves, with rock paintings on the platforms and hallways – as can be seen below!
Stockholm is made up of several islands and the public transport system operates boats between some of them – some routes are already included within your public transport ticket.
E-scooters of various companies are available and easy to use in Stockholm. I took one out for an impromptu sightseeing tour around the city centre and found it a good way to explore the sights!
Things to do in Stockholm
Even if you are not an ABBA fan (for the record, I am), ABBA The Museum is a must do in Stockholm. The exhibition is full of the history of ABBA from start to finish, with interactive sections, such as the hologram sing along seen below, and plenty of opportunities to hear their music (there’s even a nod to the ABBA Voyage in London). You can pre-book your timed ticket online which gets you straight into the exhibition – this can be particularly important during busy times.
Abba The Museum – Djurgårdsvägen 68, 115 21 Stockholm – Prices available at abbathemuseum.com
Gamla Stan (Old Town)
The Gamla Stan has the nickname ‘the town between the bridges’ and it certainly lives up to its name. Right in the heart of Stockholm, the endless historic cobbled streets with colourful buildings allow for a few hours of exploring for any tourist. The heart of the Gamla Stan can be found at Stortorget (pictured below), surrounded by cafes and souvenir shops. It is the perfect spot for a spot of Swedish ‘Fika’ in the afternoon. Gamla Stan is home to a number of important buildings in Sweden, including the Royal Palace (more coming on that!) and other Government buildings – enough to keep you busy for most of the day!
The Gamla Stan district can be easily accessed through the Stockholm Metro at Gamla Stan Station.
Royal Palace and the Changing of the Guard
The Swedish Royal Palace is the official residence of the King of Sweden and can be found near to the Gamla Stan. The Palace complex contains five museums so there is plenty to keep you busy. I chose to visit the Royal Apartments and the Treasury, which provided a good overall picture of the Swedish Royal Family and their history. The inside of the Palace is well-preserved with grand state rooms, great pieces of artwork and large corridors.
If you are able to make it work with your itinerary, you should try and attend the 40 minute Changing of the Guard ceremony. This takes place every day in summer at 12:15pm most days and 1:15pm on Sundays. The ceremony still takes place through the rest of the year but it is best to check the website for the days and times. The ceremony is a grand display of the Swedish Armed Forces with music and commentary in English and Swedish to accompany. It is a popular spectacle so make sure to show up a little bit in advance to get your spot! You don’t need a ticket to enter the Palace to view the Changing of the Guard.
Royal Palace – Kungliga slottet, 107 70 Stockholm – entry fees available at www.kungligaslotten.se
Stockholm City Hall
The City Hall sits on the waterfront in Stockholm and is one of the most recognised buildings in the city. I chose to visit the City Hall as part of an e-scooter ride along the waterfront. Next to the City Hall, there is a park space with sculptures where you can enjoy a view out across the water. You can climb the City Hall’s tower – this opens on a seasonal basis.
Stockholm City Hall – Hantverkargatan 1, 111 52 Stockholm
Monteliusvägen viewpoint
The Monteliusvägen viewpoint is a popular local spot, particularly with young people, to sit and get your bearings with the city of Stockholm. A short uphill walk from the Mariatorget metro station, the viewpoint is a great place to catch the sunset over the city skyline and to get some photos for your Instagram feed!
Monteliusvägen, 118 25 Stockholm
Vasa Museum
The Vasa Museum is the story of a preserved 17th century trip which sunk in Stockholm in 1628 and was salvaged over 300 years later. The Museum is very popular with locals and tourists alike, and earns the title of one of the most visited museums in Scandinavia. The Museum covers a number of topics about life on the Vasa and is a good spot to visit on a rainy day. At the top of the museum, there is a good viewpoint to look across the whole of the preserved trip.
Vasa Museum – Galärvarvsvägen 14, 115 21 Stockholm – entry fees available at www.vasamuseet.se
Nordic Museum
The Nordic Museum tells the story of 500 years of life across the Nordic region with themed exhibits surrounding Nordic traditions, cultural history and ethnography. The historic building makes the museum worth a visit in of itself. The museum has a large collection but is a good way to cover a lot of Swedish history in a short period of time.
Nordic Museum – Djurgårdsvägen 6-16, 115 93 Stockholm – entry fees available at www.nordiskamuseet.se
Museum of Spirits
The Spirit Museum covers the history of alcohol in Sweden in an concise but entertaining way. There are interactive exhibits to experience ‘a hangover’ and the different stages of being drunk whilst lying down. You can finish your visit with a drink out the front on the waterfront or with an Absolut tasting kit.
Museum of Spirits – Djurgårdsstrand 9, 115 21 Stockholm – entry fees available at www.spritmuseum.se
Swedish History Museum
The Museum covers the history of Sweden over ten thousand years, including through Medieval and Viking times. The exhibits of gold and treasure from years gone by show the rich history that Sweden has experienced. You can pair up the History Museum with other museums, such as the nearby Economy Museum, through a combined pass.
Swedish History Museum – Narvavägen 13-17, 114 84 Stockholm – entry fees available at www.historiska.se
When in Sweden, you simply have to visit IKEA! The nearest store can be found at Kungens Kurva – it’s the largest in Sweden and used to be the largest in the world. There is a store in the city centre but the experience isn’t quite the same. The Kungens Kurva store itself is so popular with tourists that IKEA used to put on a shuttle bus. Nowadays, you can easily get there using the Skärholmen Station on the Stockholm Metro. Among the endless rooms and corridors filled with flat-pack furniture, you can of course enjoy the traditional IKEA Swedish meatballs!
IKEA Kungens Kurva – Ekgårdsvägen 2, 141 75 Kungens Kurva – www.ikea.se
There are so many different things to do in Stockholm that there’s always something for your taste. Visit Stockholm (www.visitstockholm.com) has a good guide on the top attractions across the city.
Many of the museums mentioned above (ABBA, Nordic, Spirits and Vasa and others) are all located on Djurgården and can be easily done together on the same day. It can be useful to plan a museum day on this island alone!
If I go back to Stockholm, I’d love to re-visit some of the attractions above but also visit the Skansen open air museum, the Stockholm Skyview and the Gröna Lund theme park. There’s plenty to keep you busy in Stockholm!
Places to eat
The traditional Swedish ‘Fika’ is a must do when in Stockholm. Normally consisting of a coffee and a cinnamon bun or another cake, Fika is a tradition which encourages Swedes to rest and reset during their day. There are bakeries all across Stockholm to enjoy this very Swedish activity – you can see why Sweden always scores well on international happiness scores!
My favourite Swedish sweet snack of them all is the Kladdkaka (pictured below), found in bakeries and supermarket bakery aisles across Sweden. The Kladdkaka is often described as a sticky chocolate cake, but has very similar consistency to that of a brownie. As a chocolate fan, it’s a must try in my books!
For the more selective eater, Bastard Burgers is a good Swedish establishment to give a try. Their burgers are named after different cities around Sweden and the world, and are reasonable priced as Sweden comes. I can recommend the restaurant just up the road from Sergels torg. It is a sit-down restaurant but still has a youthful street food feel to it.
For a good Italian restaurant, Meno Male Kungsholmen is my recommendation. Near to the city centre attractions, it is a cosy restaurant but with an authentic feel to it.
It would be remiss to write a blog about Sweden and not to once again mention IKEA meatballs, served with chips, peas and lingonberry jam at all stores with a restaurant, including Kungens Kurva.
Where to stay
I chose to stay at the Park Inn by Radisson Stockholm Solna (which is now the Best Western Plus Park City Solna). Solna is a suburb north of Stockholm with easy access to the city centre by Metro where you can often find hotels at a cheaper rate. For my trip the hotel cost £107 (€127, $140) for two nights with bed and breakfast.
Another good hotel chain to consider both in Stockholm and across the whole region is Scandic Hotels. They have a number of hotels across Stockholm from budget to luxury and I have always found them to represent good value. Their website often has ‘member-only’ deals which can be cheaper than other price comparison websites. (it’s free to register). Breakfast is included with your hotel stay at many of their hotels, but it is always worth a check.
The budget
As of 2024, Stockholm is served from London by British Airways, Norwegian Air Shuttle, Ryanair and Scandinavian Airlines.
I chose to fly with Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) on their Youth fares, available to those under 25 years of age. The cost of a return flight was £100 (€118, $131 – as of August 2024) but costs do vary. If you are under 26 years of age, it is also good to check Norwegian Air Shuttle’s Youth offers by putting ‘UNDER26’ into the promo code box on their website.
As mentioned in the ‘where to stay’ section, my hotel worked out at £53.50 a night. Depending on what you are looking for, hotel prices can be around this point or generally higher in Stockholm.
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