Top Things to Do in Stockholm
Stockholm is spread across 14 islands connected by more than 50 bridges, and honestly, you could spend a week there and still not see it all. Here’s a proper list of the best things to do in Stockholm — the classics you shouldn’t skip, plus a few of our own favorites along the way.
Top Things to Do in Stockholm
1. Explore Gamla Stan (Old Town)
If you only do one thing in Stockholm, make it this. Gamla Stan is one of the best-preserved medieval old towns in Europe — narrow cobbled lanes, colorful facades, and Stortorget, the main square where the city was founded back in 1252. It’s genuinely easy to spend hours just wandering, but a guided walking tour is a great way to actually understand what you’re looking at, including the Royal Palace itself.
While you’re there, the Royal Palace itself is worth a stop, especially for the Changing of the Guard ceremony if the timing works out.
2. Vasa Museum & Skansen
The Vasa Museum houses an almost fully intact 17th-century warship that sank on its maiden voyage in 1628 and was salvaged nearly 350 years later. It’s genuinely one of the most visited attractions in Scandinavia for a reason. Right next door on Djurgården island is Skansen, the world’s oldest open-air museum, with historic Swedish buildings moved here from across the country and a small zoo of native Nordic animals.
They’re close enough together that a combined fast-track ticket covering both makes a lot of sense — it’s Stockholm’s two most-visited attractions in one day.
3. Gröna Lund
Sweden’s oldest amusement park, right on the Djurgården waterfront, and still one of our favorite things we’ve done in the city. Eat way too much cotton candy, ride the roller coasters, and get properly spooked at the haunted house. It’s seasonal (roughly April to September), and gets loud and crowded on concert nights — big-name acts have played here over the years — so check the schedule if you’d rather have a quieter visit. Tickets are best bought directly through Gröna Lund’s own site.
4. Take the Ferry to Fjäderholmarna
A short archipelago ferry ride from the city center gets you to Fjäderholmarna, a genuinely relaxing little island with craft shops, a small aquarium, and waterfront restaurants. Grab an ice cream, sit by the water, and enjoy the fact that you’re technically already in the Stockholm archipelago without needing a whole day trip for it.
5. Spritmuseum
A genuinely fun, slightly offbeat museum on Djurgården dedicated entirely to Swedish drinking culture — yes, it’s all about alcohol. Expect exhibits on the history of vodka and aquavit, plus a tasting room. A nice change of pace from the more serious museums nearby.
Other places worth knowing about even if we haven’t fully explored them ourselves yet: the Vasamuseet’s neighbor the ABBA Museum, and the Nobel Prize Museum right on Stortorget in Gamla Stan.
