10 things to do and see in Stockholm

In Italy, Stockholm is not talked about very much: there are few TV reports, almost no airline promotions, and very little advertising in general.

You are probably not very familiar with the beauty of this wonderful place either, and that is exactly why you will be struck by its incredible charm.

A picturesque Old Town, parks, canals, design, and architecture are the defining features of Stockholm, a city with a strong maritime spirit and an international atmosphere.

Taking boats to get from one part of the city to another, and visiting parks, museums, and historic buildings, will be among the things you enjoy most in Stockholm. From May to July, the city enjoys 19 hours of daylight a day, allowing you to stay outdoors until late without even realizing how time is passing. We take you on a journey to discover the 10 things to see in Stockholm.

If you are looking for a hotel in Stockholm, we recommend choosing from those offered by Booking.com. There are around 130 hotels with prices, photos, and reviews from guests who stayed there before you. Go to Booking.com.

1

It was right here, in one of the largest and best-preserved medieval city centers in Europe, that the city of Stockholm was founded in 1252. As you stroll through the distinctive and picturesque area of Gamla Stan, you will discover restaurants, monuments, shops, and many other places that will spark your imagination and curiosity.

The distinctive cobbled streets lined with yellow houses are the calling card of this truly unique area.

Gamla Stan’s main tourist attraction is the Royal Palace, one of the largest buildings in the world. In addition to having more than 600 rooms, it houses interesting museums such as the Livrustkammaren, the Royal Armoury, which preserves royal armor and garments.

Between the district’s most important streets, Västerlånggatan and Österlånggatan, once stood the walls that surrounded the city in the past.

Gamla Stan is also home to Stockholm’s oldest square, Stortorget, and this is also where the city’s oldest street, Köpmangatan, begins. In winter, when snow gently settles on the rooftops of the houses and the spires of the churches, Gamla Stan becomes the perfect setting for a beautiful storybook.

2

The only 17th-century ship still in existence in the world is located right in Stockholm, inside the Vasa Museum. The Vasa warship is made up of more than 95% original pieces and is decorated with hundreds of carved sculptures.

The vessel is enormous, measuring 69 meters in length, and occupies much of the museum. In 1628, during its maiden voyage, the ship sank off the coast of Stockholm and was recovered only in 1961, after 333 years.

It took fifty years to restore it carefully and precisely and return it to its former grandeur.

The three masts on the roof outside the building that houses the museum, built specifically to accommodate the vessel, show the height of the original masts. To learn more about the secrets of the Vasa warship, you can explore nine different exhibitions illustrating life on board and watch the film about the ship, shown in 16 languages.

Opening hours and ticket price for the Vasa Museum

Opening hours: from June to August: every day from 8:30 am to 6 pm. From September to May: every day from 10 am to 5 pm, with closing at 8 pm on Wednesdays.
Ticket price:
from May to September: adults SEK 190.
from October to April: adults SEK 170.
combined ticket for Vrak – Museum of Wrecks and the Vasa Museum, valid for 72 hours: SEK 290.
free up to 18 years old.
How to get there: The address is Galärvarvsvägen 14, Stockholm. From central Stockholm, the museum is about 10 minutes away by bicycle and 20 minutes on foot.

Official website: Vasa Museum

3

Stockholm City Hall is one of the most significant examples of Swedish Romanesque-style architecture and is dominated by the Three Golden Crowns on its 106-meter-high spire, a symbol of Sweden’s power. Designed by architect Ragnar Östberg and inaugurated on the evening of the summer solstice in 1923, the City Hall is made up of eight million bricks. Inside, highlights include the magnificent Gyllene Salen, the Golden Hall, completely decorated with mosaics made from 18 million gold tiles, and the fresco by Prince Eugen, depicting the view of the lake that can be admired from the gallery.

The council chamber hosts the meetings of Stockholm’s city council, and the grand Nobel Prize banquet is also held within the walls of the City Hall. At the end of the visit, which can only be done with an organized tour, you can enjoy the City Hall souvenir shop, which offers distinctive themed gadgets and gift items.

Opening hours and ticket price for Stockholm City Hall

Opening hours: 45-minute guided tours in English every hour from 10 am to 3 pm every day. Times may vary. The ticket office opens at 8:30 am. The park is open every day from 8 am with free entry.
Ticket price:
Adults: SEK 130
Students and seniors: SEK 110
Ages 7–19: SEK 50
Ages 0–6: free
How to get there: The City Hall is located at Hantverekargtan, 1. It can be reached from Central Station or by bus: lines 3 and 53.

4

Spanish architect Rafael Moneo designed Stockholm’s Museum of Modern Art in the wonderful natural setting of Skeppsholmen. The charming little island of Skeppsholmen, located between Gamla Stan, the Old Town, and the island of Djurgården, is connected to the mainland by a bridge and will make your visit to the museum even more evocative.

The Museum of Modern Art offers one of the most beautiful and important art collections from the 20th century to the present day, with masterpieces by great masters such as Dalí, Picasso, Matisse, and Derkert. Alongside the prestigious collections of these illustrious artistic geniuses and its temporary exhibitions, the museum will also introduce you to contemporary works of art and modern classics. The museum also offers visitors a restaurant where they can take a break, with views of the beautiful panorama of Strandvägen, one of the most beautiful streets in the Swedish capital, as well as a nice souvenir shop. Children will not get bored at Stockholm’s Museum of Modern Art thanks to a workshop entirely dedicated to them.

Opening hours and ticket price for Moderna Museet

Opening hours: Tuesday and Friday from 10 am to 8 pm. Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday from 10 am to 6 pm. Closed on Monday.
Ticket price: free admission to the Museum Collection and the Studio Gallery. Exhibitions and events are paid.
How to get there: the Museum is located on the island of Skeppsholmen in central Stockholm: the main entrance is at Exercisplan, 4. It can be reached on foot in 20 minutes from the Old Town, or by bus, car, metro, and boat.

Official website: Moderna

5

One of the places most loved and appreciated by both Stockholm residents and tourists is Skansen, the ideal place for a lovely outing with family and friends. At Skansen, you can admire the oldest open-air museum in the world and Stockholm’s zoo, which children love so much.

Take a pleasant walk among Sweden’s historic buildings in miniature, reconstructed with elements and pieces of courtyards and houses from all over the country, dismantled and then reassembled in this beautiful place.

When you are at Skansen, you will feel as though you are walking through a sort of imaginary “toyland,” among glassblowing workshops, ceramic workshops, metalworking shops, traditional bakeries, the distinctive 18th-century wooden Seglora Church, the yellow Skogaholm manor house, and the Bollnästorget market square.

Nordic animals are also among the stars of Skansen: inside the zoo, you can see bears, lynxes, elk, wolves, seals, and wolverines up close.

The zoo also has a monkey house and an area entirely dedicated to children. At Skansen, Swedes love celebrating traditional folk festivals such as Walpurgis Night, the summer solstice, and Saint Lucia. But this extraordinary place is truly worth seeing during the Christmas period, when, completely covered in snow, it comes alive with events such as the Christmas market and traditional buffets.

Opening hours and ticket price for Skansen

Opening hours: every day from 10 am to 6 pm. The aquarium, Hazeliusporten, and the Mountain Railway close at 4 pm.
Ticket price:
Main village: adults SEK 220, ages 4–15 SEK 70, ages 0–3 free.
Hazeliusporten: adults SEK 220, ages 4–15 SEK 70, ages 0–3 free.
The Mountain Railway: SEK 30, ages 0–3 free.
Aquarium: adults SEK 140, ages 4–15 SEK 80, ages 0–3 free.
How to get there: Skansen is located in Djurgården, about 4 km from Stockholm. It can be reached by car, by tram line 7, or by bus lines 67 and 76.

Official website: Skansen

6

The Drottningholm Palace complex, with the Drottningholm Theatre, the Chinese Pavilion, and the wonderful park, is truly one of a kind. Drottningholm Palace, dating back to the 17th century, is the best-preserved royal palace in Sweden and has been the permanent residence of the royal family since 1981; the family occupies the southern wing of the building.

Do not worry, though: you too can enjoy the beauty of the palace, as the park and almost all the rooms of the building are open to the public all year round. Drottningholm was the first monument in Sweden to be declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1991.

This is thanks not only to the beauty of the palace, but also to its 18th-century theatre, one of the best preserved in Europe, and its splendid Baroque gardens. To reach Drottningholm Palace, you will need to take a boat and cross Lake Mälaren: since the crossing takes about an hour, why not make the most of the time with a delicious lunch on board?

Opening hours and ticket price for Drottningholm Palace

Opening hours: every day from 10 am to 4 pm.
Ticket price: SEK 140 for adults; SEK 70 for ages 7–17 and students with ID. Free for ages 0–6.
How to get there: Drottningholm Palace is located on Lovön in the municipality of Ekerö, about 10 km from Stockholm. It can be reached by car or by metro (T-bana) to Brommaplan, then by bus to Drottningholm.

7

Each area of Stockholm has its own particular character when it comes to shopping: there are districts where you can enjoy luxury shopping, while others are better known for alternative and trendy purchases. Östermalm is Stockholm’s most exclusive area, home to the best-known and most prestigious international labels in fashion, design, and Scandinavian furniture.

You can begin your luxury shopping in the famous ateliers of Filippa K or Armani along Biblioteksgatan, while if you love furniture pieces, you simply cannot miss the classic stores of Svenskt Tenn and Malmstenbutiken, at the beginning of Strandvägen near Nybroviken. In the Drottninggatan area and in the districts of Sergels Torg and Kungsträdgården, shopping becomes more mainstream and accessible to everyone: clothing chains and shopping centers compete for attention. For quirky purchases and unusual finds, head instead to the Södermalm area, where the small fashion, furniture, design, and vintage shops are all original and trendy.

8

International dishes and traditional Swedish gastronomic specialties are the strengths of Stockholm’s cuisine, which successfully blends ancient and distant flavors with the more modern tastes of experimental recipes. The city’s many welcoming restaurants prepare elaborate and exquisite dishes based on fish and seafood, game, and vegetables sourced directly from Swedish lands.

There are also many rich buffets, featuring salmon and herring, which you can enjoy on wonderful terraces overlooking the lake. Whatever your preferences may be, you absolutely must try the typical Swedish meatballs served with blueberry, lingonberry, or cloudberry jam: does it sound like a risky pairing? Try it and you will not regret it!

9

Have you never heard about Stockholm’s nightlife? The city is full of discos and nightclubs where you can dance to music: from jazz to rock, from pop to hardcore, you will be spoiled for choice! Most of Stockholm’s venues are concentrated around Stureplan, in the heart of the city, but Kungsgatan and Birger Jarlsgatan, as well as the area near Kungsträdgården park, are also very popular with young people looking for fun. Almost all venues stay open until 3:00 in the morning, and some even until 5:00 on weekends. Thursday is the day Swedes usually dedicate to going to clubs: be aware that they are very crowded, and that a long and boring queue often awaits you at the entrance before you can get in. Lines for the trendiest clubs begin after midnight, so we recommend arriving early to get there before the crowds.

10Stockholm offers a wide variety of hotels, accommodations, hostels, and campsites where you can choose to spend your holiday. Whether it is an ultra-modern design hotel or a creaky old ship, all accommodation facilities in Stockholm are welcoming and comfortable.

Hotel service is always of a very high standard, and all staff communicate with guests in English. Most hotels are 3- or 4-star, and children usually stay for free. Historic residences and castles converted into hotels are especially charming and distinctive; they are mostly located in the countryside, especially in the regions of Sodermanland and Uppland near Stockholm. The city’s hostels are very comfortable, affordable, and clean, but we recommend booking your place, especially during the summer. Campsites are another very convenient accommodation option: some are truly wonderful, located near a fjord or equipped with large green spaces where you can stretch out and relax.

If you are looking for a hotel in Stockholm, we recommend choosing from those offered by Booking.com. There are around 130 hotels with prices, photos, and reviews from guests who stayed there before you. Go to Booking.com