Stockholm is constantly ranked high as one of the best cities to live in the world and it’s easy to see why! Stockholm has everything! History, architecture, museums, castles, art and so much more! This guide covers some of the best things to do in Stockholm, Sweden!
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Table of Contents
Neighborhoods
The Old Town or Gamla Stan is a must visit. These narrow, cobble stoned and mostly pedestrian streets are really beautiful. Check out the main square called Stortorget as well as some of the other famous roads like Österlånggatan, Mårten Trotzigs Gränd, Prästgatan, Västerlanggåtan.
The island of Södermalm is another cool spot to check out. It has some great view points over the water and is a trendy and upcoming place to grab a drink, shop or walk around.
Castles and All Things Royal
The Royal Palace of Stockholm is worth a gander if you have time or if you haven’t seen a lot of palaces in Europe. If you have, it’s probably skippable. A ticket to the Royal Palace also gives you access to the State Rooms and Treasury. Honestly the treasury was very small and a bit disappointing but again, I’ve been to 27 countries in Europe and seen many, many treasuries!
My one recommendation is to check out the Armoury! Wow! Now this was beyond impressive. The Royal Carriages were unbelievable!
If you arrive around noon, you maybe able to see the changing of the guard at the main palace grounds.
Museums
There are so many amazing museums in Stockholm that you could probably spend a few days just only visiting museums. In fact, the island of Djurgården is where most of them are located. Skansen is a popular one and an open air museum that showcases Swedish culture. It’s actually the world’s oldest open air museum and showcases all of Sweden and its many regions.
If you are into photography, then definitely check out Fotografiska, which is a museum dedicated to contemporary photography and showcases work from world-renowned photographers. It’s open very late so it’s a good one to check out after dinner. If you love the popular Swedish musical group ABBA, then you will be delighted to know that there is a whole museum dedicated to them. Learn about the history of ABBA, try on costumes and sing some tunes at this fun museum.
The Nobel Prize museum located at the Old Town was also very good. There are things to do for kids too so the whole familuy can enjoy the museum and learn not only about Alfred Nobel but also the selection process, past winners and entries and much much more!
Even if you don’t go to single museum listed here, definitely make sure you visit the Vasa Museum. This museum is dedicated to the war ship Vasa, which sunk on her maiden voyage before she hardly left the Stockholm harbor. Learn about why the ship was commissioned, who were onboard and where it was heading. The entire ship was pulled out of the water and restored to its former glory! trust me you don’t want to miss this one!
Churches
There are two notable churches that I think are worth a visit in Stockholm. The first is Riddarholm Church. This church is the final resting place of many Swedish monarchs going back to the 1200s. If you are also visiting the Royal palace, you can get a combined ticket with Riddarholm Church.
The other is the Stockholm Cathedral. Officially called Storkyrkan, this church is the oldest church in Stockholm and was built in late 1200s. The church houses several relics including a very impressive statue of Saint George fighting the Dragon. If you follow European royalty, it is also where crown princess Victoria got married.
Famous Sites
I can’t talk about best things to do in Stockholm without taking about the City Hall. This is one of the most famous building to visit in the city. The City Hall not only is the political seat of the city but also houses several civil events, including the Nobel Prize banquet. You can take a guided tour of the building. I recommend getting tickets in advance. They currently open a week out. Along with the City Hall, you should also visit the Tower . The guided tour and the visit to the tower are two separate tickets, that you would need to combine yourself. Make sure that you have enough time in between the two visits. Your visit to the Tower must be at least 45 minutes before or at least 1 hour after the start of the guided tour of the City Hall.
View Points
the Katarina Viewing Platform is perhaps one of the most famous view points over Stockholm. Fjällgatan and Monteliusvägen on the island of Södermalm are also great to visit, especially during sunset. Of course the City Hall Tower also offers 360 views of the city!
Metro Stations
Stockholm’s metro stations are world famous for their colorful artwork! Checkout the following metro station to see these for yourself!
- Stadion – rainbow murals – this one was designed to commemorate the 1912 Stockholm Olympics.
- T – Centralen
- Solna Centrum
- Kungsträdgården
- Rådhuset
Island Things
Stockholm is made up of many islands and the best way to get a good taste of the archipelago is to take a boat tour. There are many companies offering tours of various lengths and I recommend finding one that suits your time and budget. I took the tour below. It was all the time I had but there are longer ones that lasts all day or half a day too.
Here is the tour that I did!
Food & Drinks
While there is no end to amazing places to eat and drink in Stockholm, I wanted to provide some unique and highly rated experiences.
If you are looking for some authentic Swedish food in a nice location, look no further than Stockholm Gastabud. They do not take reservations, so you may have to wait a bit in line but it’s fully worth it! In fact, this restaurant is ranked in the top 10 in all of Stockholm on Tripadvisor. Another unique experience is the Icebar at Ice Hotel. Adorn the warm clothing they give you and prepare to dance inside a club made out of ice! Make reservations ahead!
My favorite was my dinner experience at Aifur. This Viking tavern is so much fun! I don’t want to spoil it too much but trust me and go! You won’t regret it! Recommend making reservations ahead of time!
Stockholm Tours
Checkout these highly rated tours in Stockholm below!
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