Stockholm sights: +21 tips for a weekend

The most beautiful places & tips for the Swedish capital Stockholm that you should see.

I love Sweden, especially Stockholm with its archipelago. I have already been to the Swedish capital seven times. Of all the Scandinavian capitals, Stockholm is my favourite next to Copenhagen. In this article, I'll show you the most important and most beautiful sights in Stockholm.

Are you visiting the Swedish capital for the first time? Then I'll tell you my personal highlights. See which attractions and sights you absolutely have to visit.

Top sights in Stockholm as list

List of the most important sights in Stockholm:
- Gamla Stan Old Town with Stortoget and the Tyska Kyrka
- Vasa Museum
- Fotografiska Museum
- Skansen Open Air Museum
- Östermalms Saluthall
- Royal Palace
- Stadshuset City Hall
- The most beautiful view from Montelius-Vägen
- City tour by boat
- ABBA Museum
- Drottningholm Castle
- Trip to the archipelago

What makes Stockholm the most beautiful capital of Scandinavia?

Stockholm has around one million inhabitants, making it one of the smaller capitals. But the city has some highlights to offer: Large parks, great waterfront promenades, picturesquely situated old houses and the insanely beautiful surrounding countryside, the archipelago. The city lies between Lake Mälaren, the archipelago and the Baltic Sea. So there is plenty of water.

So Stockholm didn't have a particularly hard time winning a place in my heart. As some may know: I love cities by the water!

I've been able to experience Stockholm with locals (Swedish friends) as well as explore it on my own and have been here about seven times. Sometimes as a longer city trip, sometimes as a day trip from the archipelago or even on the way back after visiting friends in Uppsala and their summer house in the archipelago.

Would you like to explore Stockholm off the beaten track? Then check out my article for the insider tips in Stockholm Stockholm. You can save money in Stockholm with the Go City Pass. Pay once and get free entry to more than +60 attractions and city walks.

→ Read all about the Stockholm City Pass here (I have a discount code for you).

These are the most famous landmarks in Stockholm, as well as the most historically important places and highlights of the city. These are the must-see places when you visit Stockholm for the first time, in my opinion.

Stockholm's heart consists of the three islands Stadsholmen with the castle and the old town(Gamla Stan), Helgeandsholmen (Reichstag) and Riddarholmen with the former aristocratic palaces.

If you have already seen all the sights in Stockholm or if they don't interest you at all, here are my personal insider tips for Stockholm with the best views of the city.

Where to go first: A tour of the Old Town

The Old Town (Gamla Stan) is the ideal starting point. From here you can quickly get to Djurgården (museum islands), the pedestrian zone Drottninggatan and Västerlånggatan as well as the hip Södermalm with its great cafés, restaurants and small shops.

Map of the most important sights in Stockholm

Here you can find our map for Stockholm, with all the top Stockholm sights, places to see and tips for food, bars and other highlights. As you can see, you can easily explore all the sights in Stockholm on foot. You can open this map on your mobile phone to plan your sightseeing tour of the Swedish capital.

Main sights in Stockholm

The most famous landmarks in Stockholm as well as the most historically important places in the city. In my opinion, these are the must-see places when visiting Stockholm for the first time.

1 Stockholm's Old Town (Gamla Stan)

Where one Stockholm was founded in the Middle Ages, there are still crooked streets, houses with great facades and underground vaults. The most beautiful sight is on the main square, Stortorget, where the yellow, red and green houses stand. The first pharmacy in the city serves cocktails diagonally across the street, and there are many places for a fika around it.

The houses are mainly from the 17th century, narrow and extremely high. In summer, the houses provide shade, but in winter it can seem quite gloomy here, as little light enters the alleys.

The main streets of Gamla Stan are Västerlanggatan and Österlanggatan. Here you will find not only cafés and restaurants, but also small shops and galleries. Some shops are unfortunately very touristy, so watch out for overpriced shops.

Go in search of Stockholm's smallest sculpture: Järnpojke (also known as Iron Boy). Also known as "little boy looking at the moon", it's only 15 centimetres high, making it the "smallest public monument in Stockholm". By the way, it is said to bring good luck if you stroke the sculpture on the head. You can see that many people do this from the boy's bare skull.

Go in search of Stockholm's smallest sculpture: Järnpojke (also known as Iron Boy). Also known in German as "little boy looking at the moon", it is only 15 centimetres high and thus the "smallest public monument in Stockholm". By the way, it is said to bring good luck if you stroke the sculpture on the head. You can see that many people do this from the boy's bare skull.

My tip: Take the Ghost tour and history tour in the evening. A great 1.5-hour tour that even takes you into the crypt of the German church. But be careful, you have to be quick when booking. For us, the tour was fully booked (on a Wednesday evening) and I was glad to have booked two days before.

Alternative:Guided tour of Gamla Stan. This tour also takes you to hidden courtyards that you are guaranteed to miss. Real oases of peace amidst the hustle and bustle of the alleyways.

2 Vasa Museum - Vasamuseet in Djurgarden

The Vasa Museum on the island of Djurgarden is the most visited attraction in Sweden. The warship from 1628, which sank on its maiden voyage on 10 August 1628 and lay in the water off Stockholm for more than 300 years. A drama for its time, the ship had twice as many cannons on board as other ships at the time. As a result, the ship was overloaded, had too little draught and tilted in a gust, eventually causing it to capsize.

The Vasa was salvaged in 1961. The salvage and restoration took a full 35 years, as the ship was completely dismantled underwater to save the preservation of the ship and its ornate decorations before they came into contact with oxygen.

Tips and information on visiting:

• The museum itself is modelled on the shape of a ship and is huge. Take your time!

• Be sure to book your ticket in advancebecause the number of visitors is limited. Tip: The Stockholm Pass the ticket is included.

• Opening hours: Daily 10 am - 5 pm

• How to get there: The easiest way is to take tram 7 to the Nordiska museet/Vasamuseet stop or the original hop-on hop-off bus, for which the ticket is also included in the Stockholm Pass included in the Stockholm Pass.

Building of the Vasa Museum in Stockholm Carved figures that once adorned the Vasa Model of the Vasa, how the ship once looked like The Vasa was once beautifully painted and decorated Cannons in the Vasamuseet in Stockholm Ornaments of the Vasa Vasa in the Vasamuseet in Stockholm

3 Fotografiska Museum

The Fotografiska in Södermalm is one of the largest museums for contemporary photography in the world. The changing special exhibitions are always worth a visit. Annie Leibovitz herself opened the museum in 2010. The exhibitions change regularly, so you can come back here every time you visit Stockholm.

The Fotografiska Museum in Stockholm attracts more than 500,000 visitors a year.

It also offers photography courses, workshops and lectures for beginners and photographers. For me, one of the top museums in the whole world.

Note: Entrance is included for free in the Stockholm Pass!

Museum info:

• Located out of the way in Södermalm. The best way to get there is by ferry or metro (Slussen, from here about 10 minutes walk).

Book tickets in advance for specific time slots. Otherwise it's full and wait until the next free slot.

• Prices vary from 17 euros: To avoid traffic jams and distribute guests, the museum has introduced different ticket prices for different days. It is cheaper to visit the museum on a Monday than on a Saturday. Ticket prices vary between 165 and 255 SEK depending on the day and time.

Cool exhibitions at Fotografiska Museum Exhibition at Fotografiska Museum Stockholm. My highlight in the city.

4 Skansen - Animal Park and Tradition at the Open Air Museum

One of Stockholm's most famous and popular attractions is Skansen, the world's oldest open-air museum. Here you can explore Sweden in miniature. In 150 cultural-historical buildings you can see houses and objects from all parts of Sweden and discover how people used to live in the different regions.

The open-air museum has been on the island of Djurgården since 1891. Here you really get a great insight into the history of Sweden with old houses and native animals. These include lynx, moose, brown bear, wolf, eagle owl, otter, wild boar and many more Nordic animals. When you visit, note that families from Stockholm and the surrounding area like to spend their weekends here. No wonder, the place is green, spacious and an exciting place especially for children.

Note: From the higher hills in Skansen you also have a great view of the city.

Info on Skansen Open Air Museum:

• Allow at least 2-3 hours for the visit.

• Address: Djurgårdsslätten 49-51, Stockholm, 115 93

Bears at Skansen Open Air Museum Stockholm Bears at Skansen Open Air Museum Entrance to Skansen Open Air Museum View from Skansen Open Air Museum Stockholm

5 Östermalms Saluhall, the oldest market hall in Stockholm

While the market hall in Östermalm was an insider tip years ago, everyone knows it now. It is not missing from any travel guide. The market hall was renovated in 2021 and has only been fully open again since August. Now there are also restaurants on the upper floor where you can dine excellently.

Here you will find all the best quality Swedish delicacies. The smells of the food and delicacies on offer waft towards you as you enter the market hall. Did you know, for example, that there is bear sausage? Yes, there are too many bears in Sweden, so a quota is released annually for hunting from August. To my shame, I have to say that the sausage was really delicious. By the way, I was able to taste this as part of the Food Tour food tour.

You can also find reindeer sausage, elk sausage, meat, fresh fish and the typical Swedish "Prinsesstårta" - everything a foodie could wish for. You can also take away ready-made dishes packed in boxes, or eat in one of the restaurants on site.

Tips for visiting:

• I was surprised at what is available here. Did you know they have bear sausage in Sweden?

• Opening hours: Monday to Friday: 9.30am - 7pm; Saturday 9.30am - 5pm. Restaurants are open longer.

• How to get there: Östermalmstorg

Princess cake in Stockholm Market hall in Östermalm, Stockholm Moose meat and bear sausage, Food Tour Stockholm Östermalms Saluhall, the oldest market hall in Stockholm

6th Royal Castle

You can't miss the Royal Family Castle in the city. Affectionately known as the "shoebox", the castle is open to visitors on the outskirts of the old town, as the royal family has their home at Drottningholm Castle a little way out of the city centre. Both are absolute top sights, I like Drottningholm better.

The rooms in different styles invite you to take a ramble through five centuries that is well worth seeing.

The highlight, however, is the changing of the guard, which takes place daily (Monday to Saturday 12.15, Sunday 13.15). For a good view, you should stand by the chains in the inner courtyard at least 30 minutes before the changing of the guard.

Visit info

• Opening hours Museum in the Royal Palace: May to September daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., October to April 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

• Admission 160 SEK, free admission to Stockholm Castle is also available with the Stockholm Pass.

Royal Palace Stockholm Royal Palace seen from the front

7th City Hall Stadshuset

Stadshuset City Hall is one of Stockholm's landmarks. The distinctive tower is said to show the neck of a swan leaning towards the water. Stroll through the adjacent park, climb the tower for a great view or take a guided tour of the Blue Hall and Golden Hall, where Stockholm's Noble Dinner is held every 10 December (on the anniversary of Alfred Nobel's death).

Visit info

• Guided tours are in English (in summer during high season also in German).

• Climb the Three Crowns Tower for a fantastic view of the city. Access is limited, so be sure to buy tickets in advance (closed 2021 for Corona, otherwise open May-September).

From Stadshuset - the city hall tower - you have a great view of Stockholm.

8. most beautiful view from Montelius-Vägen

Stockholm has many beautiful viewpoints. The most beautiful ones are along Montelius Vägen in Södermalm. There are benches everywhere where you can sit down. The best time to sit is, of course, at sunset. If you make it up the hill, you will be rewarded with this view.

View Montelius Vägen Mariaberget Stockholm

9 City tour by boat

Stockholm is one third water. That's why it's a good idea to explore the islands by boat. Either with the "Under the Bridges" or the "Royal Tour". Each of the two tours is an attraction in itself, because the trips with the Strömma boats include an audio commentary (also in German) and you hear many interesting stories.

I have ridden both routes several times. Can actually recommend both. The royal tour is a little shorter and therefore suitable for those who have little time in the city.

City tour by boat in Stockholm Hidden beaches Stockholm from the water

10th ABBA Museum

Sweden's most famous band ABBA has its own museum in Stockholm. The queues at the entrance are often long, because there is not much room inside to explore the world of the Swedish hit. Even though I'm not an ABBA fan - I thought the museum was really interesting. And at some point everyone bobs along anyway, as the well-known songs resound from loudspeakers everywhere.

By the way, the ABBA Museum is one of the most visited sights in Stockholm. Therefore, you should definitely buy your ticket online before your visit.

Info on visiting and for tickets:

• Opening hours: Daily 10 am to 5 pm

• Tickets cost 250 SEK, you must book a time slot at the moment

• Audio guide also available in German for 20 SEK at the ticket office. I didn't have one.

• Unfortunately not included in the Stockholm Pass

• Plan about 1.5 hours for your visit

• How to get there: It's best to take tram no. 7 (Liljevaljchs/Gröna Lund) or bus no. 67 (Liljevaljchs/Gröna Lund), Djurgården ferry or M/S Emelie ferry (exit: Allmänna Gränd).

Former costumes at the ABBA Museum Stockholm

11 Drottningholm Castle on the island of Lovön

While many people advise you not to visit the Royal Palace in Gamla Stan because it is simply boring (I haven't been inside either), every Swede recommends a visit to Drottningholm Palace on the island of Lovön. This is where the royal family lives.

The yellow baroque castle, situated directly on the water, is the residence of King Carl Gustav and Queen Silvia. You can visit the unoccupied right wing of the castle. The extensive French palace garden is open to everyone. I found the China Palace and the 18th-century Palace Theatre particularly worth seeing.

I thought the guards' tent was pretty cool. Unfortunately, it was scaffolded during my visit.

Info on visiting Drottningholm Palace

• Castle garden free of charge. Drottningholm Castle: 140 SEK, China Castle: 100 SEK, Drottningholm Theatre: 110 SEK (included in Stockholm Pass).

• The best thing to do is to take a ferry to Drottningholm, the ride there is beautiful . The price for the return trip without the pass is 250 SEK. The trip takes about 1 hour.

China Castle, Drottningholm Castle Pompous staircases in Drottningholm Palace Inside Drottningholm Palace Tent on the grounds of Drottningholm Palace

12. by boat to the archipelago

Stockholm and the water - it's never far away. Did you know that there are more than 30,000 small islands between Norrtälje and Nynäshamn? These are the Stockholm Archipelago, a highlight in itself. Only a few of them are inhabited.

My tip is to take the tour to picturesque Sandhamn. It takes a while, but it's worth it. The tour is included in the Stockholm Pass included. If you have less time, you can take the.

Stockholm Archipelago Boat Tour Stockholm Archipelago Sandhamn

13th Viking Museum

Want to learn a bit about Viking history? Then you should visit the Viking Museum between the Vasa Museum and the ABBA Museum. It's interactive, shows lots of illustrative examples and - the highlight for children is a 13-minute ride on which you go plundering with Vikings. Greatly done and really worth seeing.

I probably would never have ended up here if I hadn't had the Stockholm Pass, with which entry is free. Besides, the weather was quite mixed and the museum was the obvious thing to do.

Note: The Fuel Museum is right next door and also included in the Stockholm Pass. I walked through it once and thought this museum was less interesting.

Info about the museum

• Opening hours: Daily 10 am to 5 pm

• Tickets 159 SEK, children 7 to 15 years: 119 SEK

Weapons, Viking Museum in Stockholm Runenstein Viking Museum in Stockholm The Viking Museum in Stockholm is worth a visit Viking boat in the Viking Museum in Stockholm Also not to be missed

Trip to Uppsala

Sweden's fourth largest city is a suburb of Stockholm. Only 45 minutes away, you can walk in the footsteps of the Vikings in Uppsala. For me, ideal for a day trip from Stockholm.

In Gamla Uppsala you will find rune stones, royal tombs and places of worship of the Norsemen. According to medieval sources, the Vikings gathered here every nine years to pay homage to their gods Thor, Odin and Frey. Allegedly, not only animals but also humans were sacrificed.

Uppsala Castle Uppsala Castle Garden

Excavations on the three large hills have uncovered ship and urn graves as well as the remains of buried people together with grave goods. Gamla Uppsala Museum tells all the myths surrounding the sites.

Burial mound, Gamla Uppsala Church at the Viking graves in Gamla Uppsala Viking graves in Gamla Uppsala Special city tours

Are you only in Stockholm for a short time? Then I recommend you book a guided tour and/or a ticket for the hop-on hop-off bus. Then you will definitely have the opportunity to get a compact overview of the city. I also enjoy cycling tours.

Food and drink

Here's a little cheat sheet to help you know when Swedes eat out. Most restaurants offer a dish of the day (dagens rätt) between about 11am and 2pm. The cost of a main course (often there is a choice of several dishes) including bread, butter, salad, drinks and coffee is 125-165 SEK and upwards. It is cheaper in the rest of Sweden.

It is important to wait at the entrance until you are assigned a table.

Take a food tour and learn all about Swedish cuisine.

Restaurants & bars I like to recommend:

• Meatballs for the People: Köttbullar in every variation. Simply great! The service is sometimes a bit "sleepy", but it's worth it just for the delicious meatballs.

• Erik's Gondolas. This extraordinary restaurant is located directly opposite the Slussen metro station, high up in the local Södermalm landmark Katarinahissen.

• Theatren Södermalm: Pretty cool concept: top restaurateurs have small food stalls arranged in a circle. Around them you can sit and eat. In front of the stalls there are shops like in a shopping mall.

Insider tip

SMÅK: When I visited a Swedish friend in Stockholm, he sent us to Småk (Taste). It's really expensive, but offers exceptional, upscale cuisine. You tick off per course which flavours you would like to choose. You'll get some pretty wacky combinations that you never would have thought of yourself. Unfortunately, I don't have any more photos of it. It was brilliant and worth every Swedish krona.

Before the trip: Tips for planning and saving money

Of course, you can visit cities like Stockholm spontaneously and without a plan. But it doesn't make sense if you want to visit popular sights with limited capacity and long queues. That's why I've put together my top tips to help you plan your visit stress-free and make the most of your time when you're there.

Saving tip no. 1: Buy tickets in advance

For most of the sights in Stockholm, you can get tickets cheaper if you buy them in advance online via the official website. You also avoid the risk of ending up in a queue several hundred metres long (the museums are very popular). Since Corona, there is also the fact that there is only a certain number of people per hour.

So you kill two birds with one stone: you can avoid the queue at the ticket office, saving time and, of course, money.

Book tickets for admissions and tours online

Stockholm is a fantastic city. Ideal for a city trip or a weekend. But you will see: You are never alone.

Saving tip no. 2: Save time and money with sightseeing passes

Buy a City Pass for Stockholm. Save a lot of money and use public transport for free. For Stockholm, there is currently the Stockholm Pass (read my test results here).

Tip No. 3: Make a plan for sightseeing

Is this your first time in Stockholm? Then you can easily get lost and get "bogged down" (although drifting is wonderful).

So that you don't drive haphazardly from A to B, look at the places you want to see on the map. This is the best way to see what you can see in one day and which highlights are close together. In Stockholm, for example, it's a good idea to see all the museums in Djurgården that you want to visit one after the other.

For an overview, you will find a city map at the end, where you can see all the TOP sights and insider tips at a glance.

Tip 4: Hotel with ideal starting point

You will save time if you book accommodation in an ideal location in the centre of Stockholm.

Hotel tips for Stockholm in the best location:

• First visit: Hotel in Gamla Stand (Old Town) or Normalm. Ideal hotels include the Radisson Blu Royal Viking Hotel directly at the central station, where the airport express train Arlandaexpress departs.

• Boutique hotel at hostel price: Generator Stockholm (Normalm).

• In the shopping district Torv: Bo Hotel.

What is the best season for your visit?

If you like sun and summer, then the summer months of June - August are the perfect time to visit. Summer can be short in Stockholm, but it is mostly warm and sunny.

If you like snow, winter is the best time to visit. There can still be snow in Stockholm in March or April. Winters are cold but mild and not too wet. Also, the winters are very dark and the sunshine hours are very limited to 2 hours. I don't shy away from snow and cold, but I do shy away from darkness.

I was lucky on all my Stockholm trips (I was in Stockholm and the surrounding area in May, June, August and late October ). Except for August, I always had sunshine and temperatures around 24° to 30° C (in October still 20 - 24°C).

Forme, the best time to travel to Stockholm is in June around Midsummer. The days are extremely long and don't want to end. At night it only gets dark for a few hours. The maximum sightseeing experience is guaranteed, with 10 hours of sunshine on average.

How many days in Stockholm?

People always wonder whether a weekend is worth it for a city trip. Often you are only there for 48 hours to see the most important places and highlights.

Generally this is enough for Stockholm, but if you also want to take a boat trip in Stockholm or out to the archipelago (both are recommended), you should plan 3-4 full days in the Swedish capital.

How to get there

By plane

Stockholm's Arlanda Airport is located between Stockholm and Uppsala and has direct flights from many German airports. Low-cost airlines often fly to Stockholm Skavsta Airport, which is located south of the capital. The transfer to the city centre takes longer here. In addition, the bus to the centre also costs money, which is often not included.

I flew to Skavsta twice, only to decide afterwards that it simply wasn't worth it if I only had a limited amount of time for the city trip. So now I only fly direct to Arlanda Airport.

See my tips for booking flights

By long-distance bus

You can also travel to Stockholm by long-distance bus from several German cities. From Hamburg, Hanover or Cologne, you can travel to Stockholm by bus for less than 100 euros. Negative point: the journey takes around 25 hours.

From Hamburg, for example, you can get to Stockholm for less than 50 euros with Flixbus.

By train

ICE trains run several times a day from northern Germany to Copenhagen (approx. 5 hours). From here you can take the train to Stockholm and arrive in the Swedish capital after another 5 hours.

Meanwhile, there is even the night train Snälltåget, which takes you directly to Stockholm via Copenhagen in 19 hours. Arrive well-rested? That's really great.

By motorhome / car

If, like me, you're coming to Stockholm by car or camper van, I'd advise you to park your vehicle outside the city. There is now a city toll, which is sometimes higher and sometimes lower, depending on the traffic.

What is the best way to get from the airport to the city?

By bus

From Arlanda airport it is best to take the direct bus called Flygbuss. The journey to the city centre takes about 40 minutes.

By train

The alternative is the Arlanda Express. At 20 minutes, the express train is the fastest and most comfortable option, but it costs 260 SEK (approx. 28 euros) per journey, making it 3 times more expensive than the Flygbus.

By taxi

If you want to take a taxi to the city in comfort, you must ask for the price beforehand, especially at the airport. Otherwise you will be fooled and the fare will be well over the recommended 500 kroner.

Public transport in Stockholm

The best and fastest way to get from A to B is by metro (Tunnelbana). A ticket for 24 hours costs 160 SEK (approx. 15.70 euros). With the e-scooter from VOI you can book a day pass for 7.76 euros. Because there are bicycle paths everywhere, you are faster and more flexible with the e-scooter.

Ideal for a first visit is a ticket for the Hop-on Hop-off tourist bus. This will take you comfortably to Djurgården, where there is no metro station.

I love this beautiful city. Even after seven visits, there are always new places and attractions to discover. You can visit the Vasa Museum again and again and still discover something new. The boat tours are also wonderful every time. Culturally, too, I keep discovering new beautiful places in Stockholm. Thanks to friends living in Stockholm, of course.

By the way, Stockholm has the only metro in the whole of Sweden. I rarely took the metro during my visits because most places are really within walking distance and the weather was great. Only once were the day passes for the metro and e-scooters worth it.

Conclusion & experience: Is a Stockholm city trip worth it?

Yes, definitely! I love coming here again and again! Stockholm is one of my absolute favourite cities in Europe. The city and the inhabitants are very relaxed, there is no stress anywhere. There are great cafés, restaurants and small shops everywhere to round off the sightseeing. In addition, there are great hotels that always follow the latest trends. I love Stockholm!

Have you ever been to Stockholm? Which are the most beautiful sights for you?

Tell us your favourites! Which Stockholm sights should you not miss as a tourist? Do you have any further questions or useful information? We look forward to your comments at the end of the article.