Stockholm holidays

How to reach Stockholm

Flight time: Flights to Stockholm from London take around 2 hours 30 minutes.

Transfer time: Most flights to Stockholm arrive at Arlanda airport, 45km north of Stockholm, from where the express train will take you to Stockholm’s central station in just 20 minutes.

Price:

• The Arlanda Express costs about £28 for a one-way ticket.

• Airport coaches are a more budget-friendly option at around £10–£15.

• Taxis from Arlanda typically cost £45 to £55.

Best time to visit Stockholm

This will depend on what you want to do during your Stockholm holidays; the weather is likely to influence your decision.

March to May: The driest time of the year in Stockholm, with temperatures ranging from 5°C in March to around 15°C in May, though days can still be chilly. Rainfall is lighter, around 30–60mm, with sunshine lasting 8–10 hours daily. Not to be missed is the glorious sight of cherry blossoms in Kungsträdgården Park.

June to August: Long days and warm temperatures make it a great time to visit, a highlight being the city’s floating bars; the average temperature in Stockholm is the same as that in London, varying between 18°C and 24°C. Rainfall is around 50–70mm, and sunshine can last up to 14 hours daily.

September to November: Although it is the start of autumn - when the colours can be spectacular - snow can fall any time from around October onwards in the Stockholm area. Temperatures hover around 15°C, dropping to around 5°C by November. Rain increases to 60–90mm, and daylight shortens to 6–8 hours.

December to February: There is usually – though not always – snow cover from early December through to late March, with temperatures averaging between -3°C and 3°C. Pack well. In December, it doesn’t get light in Stockholm until around 9.30 am and it’s dark by around 3 pm. Still, the Christmas markets bring much cheer.

Practical information

• Spoken languages: Swedish is the official language, but English is widely spoken in Stockholm.

• Local habits and customs: On meeting, friends of both sexes usually hug rather than kiss each other. In more formal situations, people shake hands while saying their name. There’s a strong tradition of fika, or a coffee break with friends, which you’ll likely encounter.

• Currency: Sweden uses the Swedish Krona (SEK). Cards are widely accepted, with cash rarely used.

• Getting around: The quickest and most useful form of transport is the Tunnelbana, Stockholm’s metro system, which comprises three main lines (red, green and blue). Stockholm’s buses are less direct than the metro because of the city’s layout, but bus #4 is an excellent way of seeing a lot of the city for minimal cost. You can’t buy tickets from the driver; get a travel card instead. A single ticket costs around £3 and is valid for 75 minutes. Consider a 24-hour (£12) or 72-hour (£25) travel pass if you plan to explore extensively, available via the SL app or at stations.

• Electricity and plug types: Sweden uses type C and F plugs with a 230V supply. UK travellers need an adaptor for Swedish outlets.

• Time zone: Stockholm is on Central European Time, 1 hour ahead of GMT, with daylight saving time in summer.

Best things to do in Stockholm

Spread across 14 islands, Stockholm is the vibrant heart of Sweden and one of Europe’s saner capitals, with everything from style-conscious bars and restaurants to world-class museums and galleries.

Viewpoints and panoramas

• Djurgården ferry: Ride the ferry across Stockholm harbour for some of the best views of the city.

• Stadshuset: It's worth climbing the steps to the top of the tower for a wonderful aerial view of the city centre and Lake Mälaren.

The best districts

• Gamla Stan (Old Town): Enjoy a traditional Swedish fika (coffee and cake) in one of the open-air cafés in Stockholm’s atmospheric Old Town.

• Hötorget: Stockholm’s main market square, where you’ll find a daily open-air fruit, vegetable and flower market, as well as the wonderful Hötorgshallen, an indoor market boasting a tantalising array of restaurants and takeaway food options.

• Östermalm: Stockholm’s upscale district denoted by high-end shops, stylish restaurants and the iconic Östermalms Saluhall food hall, where you can sample Swedish delicacies.

Museums

• Vasa Museum: After lying in mud for 333 years at the bottom of Stockholm harbour, the mighty Vasa has been restored to her former glory and you can see her right here.

• ABBA: The Museum: There just had to be. All-singing, all-dancing, this is a must for lifelong fans of Sweden’s most famous band, highlights including outfits worn by the fab four, as well as a reconstruction of Polar Studios.

• Historiska Muséet: Covering a period of 10,000 years, this is the most wide-ranging historical museum in Stockholm, with extensive displays of battles, beliefs and trading patterns, and a breathtaking array of ornately decorated medieval triptychs from across the country.

Historical monuments

• Royal Palace: One of Europe’s largest palaces, this baroque-style residence is still used by the Swedish Royal Family. Visitors can tour the State Apartments and the Treasury, and see the daily Changing of the Guard ceremony.

• Tyska Kyrkan: A copper-roofed red-brick building atop a rise, the richly fashioned interior with the pulpit dominating the nave is outstanding. The royal gallery in one corner – designed by Tessin the Elder – adds to the overall elegance of this church, one of Stockholm’s most impressive.

Parks and gardens

• Kungsträdgården: The most fashionable and central of the city’s numerous parks, reaching northwards from the water as far as Hamngatan; the mouthful of a name literally means “the king’s gardens”.

• Millesgården: The astonishing outdoor sculpture collection of Carl Milles (1875–1955), one of Sweden’s greatest sculptors. Phalanxes of gods, angels and beasts sit on terraces carved into the island’s steep cliffs which overlook the distant harbour.

• Djurgården: Stockholm’s most enjoyable city park, this finger-shaped island stretches over 3km in length from Djurgårdsbron bridge in the west (linking it to Strandvägen in Östermalm) to Blockhusudden point in the east.

Day trips in the area

• Gällnö island, Stockholm archipelago: Walk through deep green forest and swim from the shores of an island edged by purple reeds and carpets of wildflowers.

• Uppsala: Potter around the beautiful Linnéträdgården and learn about the fascinating life of the world’s leading botanist, Carl von Linné - and it’s just an hour away from Stockholm.

Activities for families in Stockholm

Few Scandinavian (or European) cities can match Stockholm for the sheer variety of activities available to families.

• Interactive museums: A great family day out is the Skansen, a vast open-air museum with 150 reconstructed buildings, from a whole town square to windmills, farms and manor houses, laid out on a region-by-region basis.

• Aquariums and zoos: Held within the Skansen, you can also potter around a zoo (containing Nordic animals such as brown bears, elk and reindeer, as well as non-native species like monkeys), and an aquarium with poisonous snakes and turtles.

• Amusement parks: Stockholm’s main fairground is Gröna Lunds Tivol, home to the ominous Fritt Fall, a hair-raising vertical drop of around 80m in a matter of seconds, and the Fritt Fall Tilt, which involves being catapulted face-first towards the ground from on high – do lunch later.

Free things to do in Stockholm

As easy as it is to spend a fortune in Stockholm, there are ways of making your money go further with some judicious planning.

• Free events: Stockholm hosts numerous free cultural events throughout the year, not least Kulturnatt, an annual free celebration of music, art and literature, which typically takes place a few weeks after Easter.

• Wild swimming: Join other Stockholmers in taking a dip in the refreshing waters of Lake Mälaren.

• Public parks: Stockholm is packed with parks, all of which are free to enjoy. Djurgården and Kungsträdgården are favourites, as is Monteliusvägen in Södermalm, where you have the added bonus of glorious sunset views.

Nature and outdoor activities in Stockholm

Stockholm’s unique location across islands and waterways makes it a perfect playground for outdoor enthusiasts.

• Canoeing: One of the most fun ways to see Stockholm is from the water. The best place in town to rent boats is Sjöcaféet, at Galärvarvsvägen 2, which hires out pedal boats and kayaks by the hour. For canoes in the archipelago, try Skärgårdens Kanotcenter at Vegabacken 22 on Vaxholm. Alternatively, ask locally on the other islands – corner shops often have a couple of canoes or boats for rent.

• Swimming: The water in Stockholm is clean and perfect for swimming during the long days of summer. The best beaches include Långholmens strandbad to the west of Västerbron bridge, and rocky Klippbadet to the east of the bridge; and across on Kungsholmen, Smedsuddsbadetn has a large grassy area for those who enjoy sunbathing.

• Cycling: Stockholm is very cycle-friendly, with extensive bike lanes across the city. You’ll find paths along the waterfront and through beautiful parks like Hagaparken and Tantolunden. Another great way to explore the city is by using an electric scooter from the likes of Voi or Lime.

Local dishes in Stockholm

One of the highlights of holidays to Stockholm is the city’s fantastic food scene, a mix of traditional Swedish cuisine and more modern Scandinavian dishes.

Some typical dishes

• Herring: The quintessential Swedish dish, which is usually served marinated and is best enjoyed with a cold beer or a punchy shot of akvavit.

• Köttbullar: Potato and anchovy meatballs served with a brown creamy sauce and lingonberries.

Meat dishes

• Sjömansbiff: Sailors’ beef casserole: thin slices of beef baked in the oven with potatoes and onions, topped with parsley.

• Biff Rydberg: Sautéed chunks of beef served with fried potatoes, onions and mustard.

Fish and seafood dishes

• Gravad lax: A Swedish take on cured salmon, this dish is marinated with dill and sugar and served with mustard sauce on crisp bread.

• Räksmörgås: Shrimp sandwich comprising fresh prawns on buttered bread with lettuce, mayonnaise and lemon.

Sweets and desserts

Swedish pastries are a must, particularly during fika time. Try kanelbullar (cinnamon buns), with their soft, spiced dough; semlor, a cream-filled cardamom bun; and kladdkaka, a gooey chocolate cake served with whipped cream.

Local drinks

• Aquavit: Made from potatoes, served ice-cold in tiny shots and washed down with beer. It comes in dozens of weird and wonderful flavours, from lemon to cumin-and-dill.

• Glögg: Mulled wine, usually fortified with spirits to keep out the cold, and drunk at Christmas.